bout time

I figured since I haven't updated in a week now I would take some time and let you know Aiden is over his illness...wellll.... he is over that illness. Again he has the normal yucky croop. He has been doing some funny things in his sleeping like he his having trouble breathing and trying to gasp for air, anyone familiar with anything like this in children? Aiden is still the funny clown he has been over the past year, entertaining us like always. I've learned any music Aiden will for sure bust out his dance moves. He loves singing songs especially ones with actions such as the wheels on the bus, if your happy and you know it, head shoulders knees and toes, and patty cake. Old McDonald is a fav of his but only the EIEI part, he never says the O! He is saying some stuff but just still more babbles than anything. He is working hard on learning all his aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents, and best friends we study them through pictures and he seems to be catching on. We work on animals and body parts but mainly people because to me thats the most important that he know. Aiden loves most all people but really really favors his sweet cousin Ally. He just crawls all over her and wants to be right on top of her when she is around. When we visit extended family that we don't see often I don't want Aiden to be reluctant to love on them and let them hold him. On another note he really does some things to really surprise me... yesterday he was playing in my parents "cup" drawer (a drawer full of plastic sippy cups for the kids to play with) and he was shocking me at how well he matched the tops with the cups they go with and actually putting them on the cups, shaking them like I do his diluted juice or choc milk, and acting like he was drinking. He still has NO interest in the TV but LOVES books and flipping the pages. We are having to do a lot more disciplining since he has started exploring climbing shelves, tables, chairs, and much more. He can throw a temper tantrum almost as well as his mommy except I don't bang my head on floors, walls, tables.... He is a handful but they hugs, kisses, funny dancing, singing along, learning, and loving far out weigh the tantrums.

14 months

Today Aiden is 14 months old. Wow it is hard to believe how much he has grown. Thank you for those of you who are praying for him. He drank a glass of pedisure yesterday and other than a cup of yogurt and a few sips of milkshake thats all he has had since Fri. He hasn't eaten today at all but we are working on our second cup of pedisure. I am working from home today and Aiden's face does look a little better, his body not so much, and his mouth not at all. He sure is playing good all by himself while I try and work a little but he although he is sick it has not stopped him from begging to go outside. Which as long as he doesn't go around other kids he can so the past few days we have played outside A LOT. Last night we bathed him in aveeno bath oatmeal and lathered him with hydrocortisone, it really made his skin smooth and if it does itch (which he doesn't act like it does) then that will ease the pain. I have tried mylanta, benadryl, tylenol, motrin, canker sore medicine, orajel, and a few other things but nothing seems to ease the mouth pain. But I know how bad ONE ulcer hurts I can't imagine them covering my mouth.
Well outside of the illness Aiden is doing well as far as learning and growing. He weighs 24 lbs (before getting sick) and tall (I have no idea his length). He is good at going to the pantry and bringing me a snack when he's hungry and does the same with the fridge but of course he can't open it. He has added much more babbling to his vocab and knows his family and friends well. He is a natural with the phone and knows how to turn it on and say hey daddy and say bye then put it down. If you have a cell phone near him you might as well hide it or pass it on to him cause he will take it. He is so fun and loving.

we live sick!

Wow it has been awhile and during this time all we have done is fight sickness!! Aiden had another ear infection, I got bronchitis, and now.....Aiden woke up Sat ill and running a low fever. He would not eat all day Sat and was very clingy and fussy Sat night. Sunday morning he woke up with a fever and blisters all around his mouth. Of course he would not drink or eat, the only thing he ate all day Sun was a little sip of a milkshake. Yesterday around 5 we finally gave up and went to convenient care the doc came in and shined the light down this throat and mouth. MY HEART BROKE!! He had blisters all over his cheeks, roof of his mouth, tongue, and all in the back of his throat. He has a severe case of hand foot and mouth disease, which came from daycare! http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/DS00599 The blisters had spread all over his body (on his bottom and peepee) by the time we went to bed last night. This morning he drank a glass of milk and ate some yogurt, which is more than he has eaten in 3 days. He is highly contagious and can not go back to school for awhile. Please pray for little man!!! I will spare you and not show you the pics we took to show Nonna.

prayers

Brandon's grandfather is in the hospital again after 3 of the 6 bypasses he had last month collapsed. Please keep him and the family in your prayers!!

family time

I need to apologize to those of you who are regular Cox blog readers. I have really just not had time to blog. I usually blog at night when the boys are in bed but as part of The Year of Jubilee I gave up the computer as a whole at home. It has already helped me focus much more time with the most important person in my life, Brandon. I didn't realize how much time I spend on the computer and once I get on I just get addicted...starts on facebook, then email, then blog, then gmaes....on and on. Now we have put that time to devotions, prayer, reading the bible, and family time. I will try to keep it updated when I have time during the day but we are also experiencing constent illness at home. We are going to make time this weekend to visit family and friends in Hornsby. Hopefully next week I will have some new pics of Aiden's best friends and our family. One prayer request- Lindsey, my sis in law, had her gallbladder removed yesterday please pray for her quick recovery!

arranged marriage

Aiden's Future Wife has arrived.... Claire Elizabeth Lee was born at 1am on Thurs. March 5. She, Shanna, and John are all doing great! She is so tiny; Aiden will definitely overpower her. The tenative wedding date is in April 2034!

BYE NOW SHE SAYS!

Family adoptions....

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20081016-tows-danielle
I'm not a regular Oprah watcher by any means by I saw previews for this show and had to record it. I was able to watch it yesterday and it took all I had to not cry during the entire show. The show was on cases of child neglect, never could I have imagined someone doing this to their CHILD!! However some very special people, Bernie and Diane Lierow, knew that this was their daughter and their calling to care for her. It made me realize it takes a VERY special person to be an adoptive parent and then I took a look at my family. In my immediate family I have 2 adopted cousins and 2 adopted nephews. My cousin, Gina and her hubbie Frank have sweet Emma. She is the smartest and by far one of the cutest little girls you will ever see. My aunt adopted Zach when he was 1 and I couldn't imagine our family without him and I know God gave my aunt Carol to him and vice versa. Finally my boys (nephews), Q and Wyatt, I couldn't imagine one day without them and I love them soo much like they are my kidos. If it wasn't for very special people like adoptive parents I think we would see so many more children like little Danielle.
This show also made me very thankful for the wonderful family I have and 2 great parents that loved me enough to cloth me, feed me, and provide me (the things we sometimes take for granted). I can also say when I married Brandon I gained another GREAT family that I am so blessed to have!
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Snow in Jackson

Last night/early morning Jackson Tn received something we have not seen ever (well that I can remember)....8-10 INCHES OF SNOW!!!

I was a little bummed it came on the Sunday that I have anticipated and prayed about for months.....The kickoff of the Year of Jubilee at West Jackson. We woke this Sunday morning to 8" of snow in our backyard and our driveway. We immediately bundled Aiden up and rushed outside. This is the first snow he isn't sick. He probably would have rather been sick than face planted in the snow which is where he spent most of the day. He did fall once and landed face first on the only part of our back porch without snow. The snow was up to Aiden's knees and he could definitely not walk in it. After Aiden's afternoon nap which is another funny story in itself we went to Gram's to play. Brandon pulled Aiden in our homemade sled/box, haha, which Aiden loved. We made a snow man and tried to enjoy the snow more before it melts. We were very bummed our 4 wheeler is still in Hornsby because that would have been tons of fun! But Aiden was actually happy to go inside for the first time ever, good thing we live in the south because he is not a fan of this snow! I took pics of just the snow so Nonna could see all the snow we got: Our chair in back yard

Flower Bed and Trees

Can't stand!!! Attempt to ride his 4 wheeler, it wouldn't go
After playing in the snow at our house, Aiden was playing inside. I noticed he got quite when I looked up there he was laying in his chair....

ASLEEP!!!

After nap we were back at it,
Riding in our homemade sled

Gram making our snowman

The finished product

He wanted to push it!

"That's it I've had enough I'm going in!"