Snow Cream

You can't let a snow come and go without having snow cream! Here is the recipe we used...

Snow Ice Cream:
Large Bowl of Snow
4 Cups of Milk
2 Cups of Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Tablespoons of Vanilla

1. Gather a large bowl full of CLEAN SNOW.
2. Whisk EGGS together until bubbly.

3. Add MILK and whisk. Whisk, whisk away until you have LOTS of bubbles.

4. Add VANILLA and whisk to your hearts desire.
5. Add SUGAR and KEEP WHISKING!
6. Then Begin adding SCOOPS OF SNOW as you whisk.

I recruited help by this point! ; )

After all that hard work when you think your arm is about to fall off you have this yummy SNOW CREAM to enjoy! Emma Claire added a little chocolate to hers and Camp opted for plain with sprinkles. ; )

It was so yummy. It tasted just like the old snow cones I used to get in high school called Ice Cream w/ Cream. It brought back lots of fun memories!

Our First Snow this Winter

I wish I had my video camera on the night before when I went into our kids rooms and told them that it was snowing! They could not stop squealing and went straight out to the back porch in the freezing cold to watch it come down. The next morning they were up and dressed before 8am to go play in it. It wasn't much but enough to make a mess! ; )

The sad part was that it wasn't the fun soft snow but layered with ice. They couldn't even get it to ball up into a snowball.

However, Camp had a ball driving his car on all the ice!

Camp's First Shiner

Camp got his very first shiner a few days ago. This picture was take FIVE days after it happened. He was playing in Emma Claire's room while she was gone to school and somehow fell and hit his eye on her window seal. It seemed to get worse every day but he never acted like it bothered him. I'm sure there will be many more of these in our future!

They're Calling for Snow Today

 

They are calling for snow today and this is how my kids are dressed! ; )

What do we do while we're stuck inside? Make rocket ships, of course!

Emma Claire's First Report Cards

In the fall Emma Claire got her very first report card for quarter one! : )

I had forgotten to post it then but here it is! She has done a wonderful job and we were so proud of her progress.

Here is how she was scored:

Performance Levels:
A           Above grade level
E           Excelling at grade level
P           Progressing at grade level
N          Needs assistance to achieve grade level
N/A       Does not apply

She received all P's!!!

(You can click on either picture below to enlarge it.)

Teacher Comments for Quarter 1:

Emma Claire is progressing nicely in phonics and math.  I see improvement in remembering her vowels and reading blends.  She is a joy to have in my class.

And since I had forgotten to post her report card in the fall she has already received her second one for quarter 2. She did even better on this one!

She recieved all P's and a couple E's. E standing for Excelling at grade level.

Here E's were in:

• Recites Weekly Verse
• Reads Sounds of Alphabet
• Contributes to Discussions

Teacher Comments for Quarter 2:

Emma Claire has made wonderful progress since the first 9 weeks of school.  She is sounding out words more easily.  She is a precious girl and we love having her in our class.



Keep up with the good work Emma Claire!!! You are doing a wonderful job and we are so, so proud of you!

Notes to God

'Dear God, thank you for miracles' Love finding these sweet notes written in the words of my sweet girl. She asked what God's address was and how He could pick up his letter. :)

Sent from my iPhone

Ashley Quinn  : )

Fingernail Day

I don't think I could have done them much better than my 5 year old! :)

Just Hangin' Out

Sent from my iPhone

Ashley Quinn  : )

My Battle With Thrush

I haven't posted an update about my battle with thrush because it is something that just makes me shiver to think about. It was one of the worst things I have ever dealt with and the pain was almost unbearable.  There were times when I honestly felt like I was going to pass out from the pain.  I told Benjamin I wanted a bumper sticker that said....

"I Beat THRUSH"

It may sound silly to someone who has never had it but here is an example of the regiment I went through every 3 hours....

Along with these I was also taking an antibiotic, a pro-biotic, and eating 2 yogurts a day.

I think what made it worse is that I knew the pain was coming every 3 hours. I found myself dreading to nurse and trying to put it off as long as possible. I felt horrible about it because I didn't want this resentment to be towards my sweet baby. This had nothing to do with Dawson and I didn't want to take it out on him. When I talked with my doctor about treatment she told me that it is almost impossible to get over thrush when nursing because you and the baby continue to pass it back and forth. She herself had it and told me that I needed to go ahead and prepare myself because this was something that I couldn't control and I needed to be ready to start giving Dawson formula. Let me just say that I'm not opposed to using formula (Emma Claire was a formula baby), I just didn't want to let this beat me. I wanted to nurse my baby and I wanted to fight this!

I went through 2 rounds of antibiotics and after trying this cream (thanks to Stephanie Lyon for the suggestion) I was thrush free 2 months later!

Dr. Jack Newman's All Purpose Nipple Ointment

It contains an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, and a anti-fungal. 

You do have to find a pharmacy that will compound this cream because most commercial pharmacies will not. We were able to find a local family owned pharmacy that would do it for us with a smile on their face. ; )

I honestly don't know what finally got rid of it. I don't know if it was the constant prayer for healing, the 2 rounds of antibiotics, all of the natural remedies, the cream, or just the combination of them all. But thank the Lord it was gone. I just want to encourage anyone who gets thrush to push your doctor for help with treatment. Because it's a pain to get rid of most of them will just tell you to quit nursing and move to formula. You CAN beat it. Know what your options are and present them to your doctor and demand for help.

I am SO THANKFUL that I've been thrush-free for a month!! Happy nursing! : )

Napping

I mean I really hate I just spent the last two hours on the couch like this with this guy. NOT!

Mornin'!

Love My Job!

My BOYS!

This is what happens when you're taking pictures with your boys and the one who hasn't gone potty in 5 days explodes in your lap as your taking the picture!

Dawson Giggling

Here is a little clip of Dawson giggling at Benjamin. You probably only want to watch the first minute. The rest of the video is us trying to get him to laugh with no avail.

Click Here.

We Found This on EC's Door

It means....

'No brothers allowed!'

Love Finding Little Surprises Like this in My Notepad

BQ2

Dawson Has Found His Hand!!

And....maybe a thumb! Oh no. I'm redirecting this ASAP. We use a paci, sweet boy, not your thumb. I won't be able to cut it off when it's time to stop. ; )

Camp's First Dude Day

"Dude Day" was a blast!  On Saturday we began with Just Tires (let's not talk about how much $ we spent there), then to Wendy's before hitting up Lowes and the Rolesville city park playground. 

Camp was a trooper.  Of course, he's still 3 so having an Ipad or smartphone nearby is recommended to help entertain when needed.

I asked him at Wendy's what was his favorite part about preschool; he said "going to chapel with you.  I like you!"  Love this guy!

At Lowes he got bored quick, but hung in there.  When we left he said, "That was so much fun!"  I said, "Really? Do you want to go back?"  Camp:"Umm, no, I wanna go to the playground."  So, after a quick visit to Food Lion off we went to the playground...great times. 

See the pics of my little man below scaling a 9ft climbing wall wearing cowboy boots.

Dawson's 2 Month Check-Up

Today I took Dawson for his 2 month check-up even though he is already 12 weeks old. Because of sickness and the holidays they had to push our appointment out so I'm hoping it doesn't mess his shot schedule up too much. : /

We received a great report. He is a BIG healthy boy! : ) Here are the stats...

Height: 25.25 inches, 90th percentile
Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz, 85th percentile
Head Circ: 41.25 cm, 80th percentile

Wow. I can't believe how fast he is growing! Let's compare his stats to Camp's....

Camp @ 9 Weeks             Dawson @ 12 Weeks

Height: 23.5 inches             Height: 25.25 inches

Weight: 13 lbs 10 oz             Weight: 15 lbs 12 oz

Head Circ: 40.5 cm                Head Circ: 41.25

Dawson did have an extra 3 weeks on his stats but Camp also had almost a 2 lb lead on him when he was born.  Looks like we might have 2 linemen for Alabama!

Dr. Rule said he was doing great. His reflux is still controlled with the meds and he is growing like a weed.

The only negative from today's visit....1 oral vaccine and 3 shots. Boo! I think my sweet boy did better than I did. He let out a big squeal when he got the shots but as soon as I picked him up he didn't make a peep and was fast asleep on my shoulder in less than 5 minutes. Good job buddy!

I love you sweet boy!

Update on the Kiddos

Dawson @ 12 Weeks:

• Dawson is such a champ. He is such a good baby and has a wonderful personality. 
• Last night he slept 9 hours straight! AmAzInG! He has been sleeping well since he was born but last night was just icing on the cake. The first night home from the hospital he even slept 7 hours straight. Some nights he does better than others, but I have absolutely nothing to complain about. If he wakes up he falls asleep while nursing and goes straight back to bed. This momma thrives on sleep. : )
• Dawson is so strong. He has already rolled over from belly to back when he was just  3 weeks old. He loves to be held sitting up and if you put him on your shoulder he holds his head up on his own to look around.
• He is on path to be bigger than Camp. At 8 weeks Camp weighed 13 lbs 10 oz and Dawson weighed 12 lbs 4 oz at his 6 week check-up. Camp even had 2 pounds on him at his birth weight! He had gained one pound per week for the last 4 weeks!
• At his 6 week check-up Dr. Rule decided to put him Zantac for acid reflux. He doesn't have the projectile spit-up like Emma Claire and Camp did but his is the silent reflux. He would have episodes of choking and would scare us to death in the middle of the night. He would also scream out in pain often when laid flat on his back. He is doing MUCH better now and seems to be adjusting to the awful tasting medicine.
• He is eating every 3 hours during the day and occasionally at night if he wakes up. I'm not sure how much he is eating but the other day I pumped a bottle and had 5 1/2 ounces in 5 minutes. I would say he is taking in a lot!
• Dawson is very much a snuggler. Neither of my other two ever liked to be cuddled or be rocked but Dawson loves it. And..... Mommy loves it!
• He is definitely already a Momma's boy! He loves for his mommy to hold and love on him.
• Dawson is Camp's twin. He looks identical to what he did when he was small. Benjamin has some pretty strong genes in our family! ; 0
• Camp and Emma Claire absolutely loved their swing. They lived in it every day and that is where they were the happiest. Dawson on the other hand doesn't care for it. He would much rather sit in his vibrating bouncy seat. I have tried to get him accustom to it so he will be ready for the infant room at work. After he eats he will sit in it for a few minutes with the music on but the swing part off.  Baby steps right?!
• He does very well taking a bottle if I am able to pump. However, he takes it better from Emma Claire than he does anyone else. She is our official bottle holder.

Camp @ 3 Years 3 Months:

• Camp....what can I say? This boy is FULL of it. He is so full of life and energy. He goes all or none.  Not in an uncontrollable energy kind of way; but an extreme intensity kind of way.  Everything he does is...well, intense!
• Camp is our tender hearted one.  Don't get me wrong he is still very strong willed, but when he is punished it really breaks his little heart. He is much harder to punish. 
• Camp loves trains, balls, flashlights, riding his bike, watching Cars 1 & 2, playing with anything electronic, and playing with his big sister. 
• Camp adores Emma Claire. On the days she is at school he can't wait for her to get home and play. He plays very well alone but it's much more fun when she is home! Of course, they still have their brother/sister moments and that's all I'm gonna say about that!
• Camp is doing amazing with his speech! In March he was only saying a handful of words and now he is singing songs and telling stories like a pro. I'll blog more about his speech progress later.
• We never had terrible two's with Camp but I think we are having more of the terrible three's. He has begun fit throwing when he doesn't get his way and deliberately disobeying. There has been much more punishment here lately.
• One of Camp's most favorite things to do is ride his cars bike. He BEGS to go outside and ride his bike even on rainy days. 
• Camp still has a great sleep schedule. He goes to bed at 8:00pm and sleeps til 7:30ish. He also still takes about a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Every morning when he wakes up he stumbles in our room still droggy and says 'I had a hung rest, I want breakfast now.' Adorable. We have no clue what hung rest means but he says it every morning. If I asked if he had a good rest he will say, yes, so I'm assuming that is what it means.
• Camp loves breakfast type food. In one day he ate waffles for breakfast, oatmeal for lunch, and cereal for dinner. I know, bad parenting, but I was having a bad day. He is still a very picky eater but making improvement. It seems to be more of a texture thing. He will eat certain things when we make him but sometimes they make him gag. He will do his best to chew and swallow them because Daddy says it will give him hair on his chest. : ) 
• He is still in a pull-up at night. To be honest we haven't pushed it. He doesn't have accidents during the day so I'm happy. Every now and then he will have an accident during nap time but he is doing very well over all.

 Emma Claire @ 5 Years 10 Months:

•  Emma Claire is still our princess. Most of the time you can find her wearing a dress, heels, jewelry, and carrying a purse. Of course there must always be something pink!
• She is loving kindergarten and enjoys going everyday. They are beginning to read sentences and she is thrilled with her progress. At the first of the year she had trouble with getting her vowels but once she mastered that skill she has been well on her way!
• Emma Claire still has a small petite build. She keeps asking me why her friends that are younger than her are taller than she is. ; ) She wears a size 4 pants in the waste but a size 5 in the length.
• She is such a wonderful big sister! Emma Claire loves her brothers very much and is very motherly. They still have their sibling rivalry but many times you can find her helping Camp clean his room or singing to Dawson so he will stop crying.
• Speaking of singing...and she LOVES to sing...we're thinking about singing lessons. ; )
• Her new phrases are 'by the way' and 'just so you know'. Yesterday she told me, 'I don't think you understand.'
• Emma Claire's favorite foods are pizza, spaghetti, chocolate gravy, and fish.
• She has taken off on riding her bike without training wheels! Within a week she was riding it like a pro!
• She and her daddy make regular visits to the Border (local greasy spoon) where she always orders 3 little pigs (sausage wrapped in pancakes).
• Emma Claire still loves to dance. We plan to start hip-hop classes soon per her request. I'm not sure she will like it but we shall see! 
• She's funny about crowds and attention: She isn't shy at all when she thinks people aren't paying attention.  She sings to the top of her lungs, and dances her little heart out.  But the second the crowd turns toward her, she turns beat red, ducks her head, and clams up with 5yr old giggles.  Precious! 
• Emma Claire has really taken to arts and crafts. She will sit in her room for her entire 'rest time' drawing, coloring, cutting and pasting. Actually her drawing has gotten really good. Just today she looked at a picture of a cat and drew a picture that looked just like it. She definitely got her drawing skills from her daddy! ; 0
• She has lost 1 tooth and has 3 more that are loose! I'm not ready for these big steps. It's all happening WAY to fast.

Camp-Out Night

The kids were so excited when we agreed to let them camp out in their tents in the SAME room for the night!

BUT..... At some point in the night this is what happened. Camp woke up scared so we let him move his tent into our room. Then at about 3am Emma Claire woke up and saw that Camp had 'moved out' and wanted to come into our room, too. Let me just say that I had taken two Benedryls when I went to bed so I would say yes to just about anything to be able to go back to sleep.

SO, here we are. In a 1800 square foot home, all in one room.

I should have taken a picture of Dawson in his cradle.

He was camping out too!

Dawson's First Cereal

My baby is growing up way to quick!

I took him to the nutritionist yesterday and she suggested we start him on a little cereal each day because of his size and how hungry he was. She said, 'that boy is ready to eat!'. ; )

Here is what we started with...

I gave him about a 2 tablespoons of dry cereal mixed with water and a tad of Karo syrup. The syrup gives it a tad of flavor but also keeps it from 'stopping' him up. We like to keep things regular around here. ; )

Getting ready for our first bite! Can you tell how excited he is?!

Click Here to watch a snip it of his first bite. : )

Bottom Right: I promise he liked it! Notice how clean his face is? That's because he didn't miss one bit of his meal!

I'm not sure how we are going to keep another boy fed in this family. Camp needs a meal plan just for himself! : 0

Dawson's First Day of School

Fall Pictures 2012

I missed putting the kids fall school pics on here so here they are!