Jacob Porter Hardin is here!!

After a very long and hard road getting here, Jake finally made it. I am sure if you have seen my sister's blog, you would have already received this news.

Jake was born late Wednesday night, September 10 at 11:39pm after being induced nearly 48 hours early and ended in a very scary emergency Cesarean. But all is well. Jake, his birth mother and everyone involved is now doing wonderful.

Jake had a lot of brain swelling,bruising and ran a fever because of his traumatic delivery but with in a few hours, the fever reduced and brain was back to normal by our in office Dr appt this week. We have to get his hearing retested because he failed his test, but it is due to fluid in the ears from birth. No biggy.

Ohh my gosh you guys, he is perfect. He is gorgeous and EASY. The most laid back baby I have ever been around. Ella has taken to him like icing on a cake. The first thing she asks in the mornings when she wakes up is 1)where is here daddy and 2) where is her baby. She is a pro at holding him, feeding him and watching the diaper changing!! hee hee. I am sure with this new guy in our family, we will have many more adventures to post about.

NO kissing at school

We had meet the teacher night on Thursday at Ella's preschool. Geoff had to work late and I got to take Ella. As soon as we drove up, Peyton and his family was getting out of the car. I am so happy that we are going to school with him. They are not in the same class but their classes do a lot together. Ella needs to branch out and meet new friends. Meet the teacher went fine.

When we were getting ready to leave, Teresa and I were talking in front of our car. Peyton and Ella were talking in front of mine. I just stood there watching them as they would talk, hug, talk, hug etc. Peyton started towards his car and Ella asked if she could kiss him. I told her if Peyton wanted a kiss. He turned it down for the moment.

I am putting Ella in her car seat and here comes that sweet cute little Peyton. He has changed his mind and wanted to give Ella a kiss. They exchanged kisses on the cheek when Teresa and I realized, this could be a problem.

Teresa and I told the kids that they could not kiss at school. I have told Ella many times over the weekend how excited I am about her starting school etc. Yesterday when I dropped her off for the first day of MDO, she got out and said, "Mom, I promise I will never ever ever kiss Peyton at school." I just laughed and agreed. But how sad is it that Teresa and I are having to tell our kiddos not to display public affection at age THREE!!! lol

Gi Gi and Ga Ga

As most of you know, Ella has quite the imagination. She has created two imaginary friends who seem to keep popping up more and more. I have had to turn the car around once we left the drive way because we left one of them in the house. One time at the grocery store, I had to turn the cart back to the previous isle because GiGi was not listening and she got out of the cart. I somehow left her on isle 5.

Monday was Labor Day and we hung out with our friends, the Willefords. This would Peyton's family. Sigh....... Ohh young love. Anyways, Ella came down stairs whining about how Peyton was not being nice to GiGi and GaGa. My first thought was, well he can not SEE them and 2) he thinks you probably have three toys and he has one. So I just told her not to worry about it and GiGi and GaGa would find other toys to play with.

The second time she came down stairs saying GiGi and GaGa were not being nice to Peyton. So I took new steps with these imaginary friends. I know Teresa and Bob must think we are crazy dealing with these "friends" but they are so real in Ella's world.

I told Ella to make GiGi and GaGa come to the stairs. Then I told all three of them ( Ella, GiGi and GaGa) that since GiGi and GaGa could not play nice, they had to come down stairs and sit on the couch for time out. Ella went on and we never heard about her friends the rest of the day.

It has come down to imaginary friends going to time out. Ohhh brother.....

Another ER visit today

Since it has been TWO months since we had to have an emergency visit and Ella JUST got her cast off, karma has a sense of humor. Ella did not sleep well last night but I thought it was because her arm was hurting. No other symptoms of ANYTHING.

Today we were eating lunch; she had finished and was enjoying some Cinderella fruit snacks. The only way I can get her to eat is to bribe her with those. Well she stopped eating them and complained her ear was hurting. No her head. No her mouth. I thought she had bitten her mouth and was just being dramatic. Her usual self.

I had to run to Joanns to get some stuff for Kaitlin and while I was there Ella started screaming. I dont mean whining, I mean high pitched screaming. I HAD to go get Alison and take her to airport. It was too late to get someone else to do it and Ella is screaming.

By the time I get her to the ER clinic, she has conked out and asleep. Poor thing had just screamed till she crashed. ( Alison helped me since she was the queen of ear infections. THANK YOU AL!!! )

We got there and the Dr says that she has a bad middle ear infection and her ear drum will burst befor antibiotics will work. Her ear drum was already buldging. Not to worry though, she will not be in any more pain when that happens. WHATEVER. Not a good thing to tell a worried mom.

She is acutally doing much better so I am wondering if it has bursted now. We are in there and they are asking for her medical history. I start listing off all the incidents in her life, hospitalazations, dog bite, broken arm, etc. The nurse looks up at me and aske "how old is she??" I know. I know.

My first fear was how was I going to juggle a sick kid and a new baby coming any minute. Ella is not contagious and as long as she is fever free, which she has been, we are good. She is snuggled up next to me watching Little Bear as we speak.

Ella Bella, kiddo. I have my work cut out for me...

Fiberglass free!!!

After a very typical dramatic day yesterday, Ella ended it with GETTING HER CAST OFF!!! Ten weeks for that poor little thing. Her arm is in a brace for a bit, but at least that horrible hard thing is OFF!!! Last night she did not sleep well and complained of it hurting. I gave her some motrin to help, but does not seem that it did much. We are so happy to get out of that thing!!

I asked him what was the likely hood of her doing this again. He asked "how old is she?" "Just turned three." "Many many years....."

Poor Ella Bella

Tad poles

We live just down the street from a creek and little pond all of the little neighborhood boys like to fish in. It was so nice last week Ella and I went almost every day down there. We take Angie for a walk and usually come back soaked head to toe from playing in the water.

On Saturday, Geoff, Ella, Angie and I went for a walk to get out of the house. Geoff took a mason jar with us and the three of us spent an hour or so catching teeny minows
(like the size of my pinky nail) and tadpoles. We have come home with a jar full of 13 tadpoles, three minute minnows and several snails surrounded by pond scum which is at the bottom of the jar.

Geoff and I thought this would be a great way to teach Ella about nature, God's world, etc. Saturday night I googled tad poles to make sure I did not kill these little things. I thought they probably took about three or so weeks to become frogs. WRONG. It takes about 6 to 12 weeks. I think we took on a project that I had not planned on.

They are in a jar sitting on our kitchen counter. Little slimmy things swimming around. I told Ella, once they start to grow their legs etc, we are going to have to put them back in the creek. The last thing I need is 12 fromgs hopping around my house!!!

Ella is APC- accident prone child

ella sitting in a warm load of clean clothes

Ella has been in the hospital 6 times before she turned three. Hospitalized 4 times for dehydration and complications from the ROTO virus, one for the dog bite and one for the broken arm. That is NOT including all the other Dr visits we have had with two concussions, private area injuries ( 2, dont ask, just dont let your kid slam down in the bath tub with toys around and PRAY that you have boys so you do not have to worry about that) and who knows what else we have been in the dr for.

So last night Geoff was putting Ella into bed and she was being silly. She slammed her face down into the pillow ( noticing a slamming habit??!!!) and I had propped her pillow up against the head board. She did not know that and the next thing I hear is SCREAMING and Geoff trying to comfort Ella. He told me what happened so I laid down with her thinking this over exaggeration of emotions was due to the fact that she was beyond tired. I lay down with her, cuddle her up and start to kiss her head. I was brushing her hair out of her face when I noticed something. Geoff was still in the room sitting on the bed with us and I asked him to turn on the light. As soon as he did, I see blood dripping down her forehead. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!

I asked Geoff if it was ok that she come and lay in bed with us so I could watch her and make sure she was going to be ok. She was and drifted off the sleep about 45 min later. I woke up this morning and asked Geoff what in the WORLD are we going to do when social services comes to do our home study for the adoption. "Yes, sir, please may we adopt this child. Yes, our daughter is fine. She is in a cast, with bruises all over her ohhh and a slice in her forehead." How fast do you think they are going to run out my door!!!! Geez. She has her fathers very large head and her mothers inability to walk in a straight line or watch what she is doing. Not a good combination......