Pepper AC & Heating.... It's a family affair (Favorite Foto Friday #8)

Pepper Air Conditioning & Heating .... It's a family affair!

The kids went to work with me this week. It was only Tuesday & Thursday. They did AWESOME! I was able to get everything done. We set up a nursery/playroom for the kids. Berkley mainly hung out in her take-a-long swing while Zane watched movies & played with what little toys we took up. They both took great naps both days! It was so very nice having them right there with me.

Zane on his nap mat. His smile is priceless!

Berkley hanging out in her mega saucer.

I'm one of those moms .... Big Bow Baby

Yes, I am one of those moms .... the one that people look at their baby & feel sorry for them due to the big bow & headband! I am addicted to bows for Berkley! I just feel they make the outfit. The pictures below is a bow I had made to match one of her outfits (Froggie dress, pictures posted earlier on another post). I got it in the mail today & thought it was so cute that I had Berkley model it before bath time. Zane went running by & said, "WOW! Berkley gots a BIG bow!" Maybe that's my sign that I need to calm down! But, I've said a dozen times, she's a present sent straight from God! Don't all presents come with bows!???!!! And, yes Patrick HATES them! (Bow made by Princess Pickle Boutique)

Our little present .... Berkley Marie I could eat her up she is so very cute!!!
Red is her color. Too precious!
It was determined this week that Berkley is allergic to Gerber rice cereal. Who would have thought? Anyway, she had multiple nasty diapers with obvious blood in her stools. I had mentioned to Patrick that it was very odd, but she had just had her 4 month shots so I thought maybe she was having a bad reaction. Her shots were on Monday, she had 4 nasty diapers on Tuesday, & then 2 more before 10:00am on Wednesday morning. About 11:00am Wednesday morning, she began screaming with huge crocodile tears. Very unlike Berkley. She is always calm & happy. But, it was evident her tummy was hurting. She then screamed again for a full 3 hours prior to bed. Yes, it was blood in her stool, & the cause is Gerber cereal. I guess it soy/lactose based & Berkley is allergic. We are now moving to organic foods only along with her liquid gold formula (Elecare). We discontinued the cereal & she has been a happy, calm baby. It is so frustrating when you don't know & you have to try various things at the cost of pain to your little one. I am just so very glad that we were able to determine her pain.

Mom completes her first week of radiation tomorrow (Friday). She has done so well. Praise God! The count down has began, one week down & six to go! Please continue to pray that things go as expected & there are no surprises.

Have a great weekend! I am posting early due to Nana & Papa Cassidy (Patrick's parents) coming into town. They have dibs on the upstairs bedroom which is where I upload photos. We are excited for their visit.

~Patsi~

North Texas State Fair & Rodeo

North Texas State Fair & Rodeo

We took the kids to the fair on Friday night. This is right up Zane's alley. He LOVED it! We did not watch the rodeo, as we weren't sure how Berkley would do & how long we would be staying. Zane rode the rides & had a great time! We ended up staying late as Berkley did so very well. It was nice getting out of the house & just having fun with the kids.

Daddy & Zane walking into the fair grounds. Princess Berkley
Zane watching the sheep show.
Riding the dinosaur ride.

The motorcycles were his favorite.
He rode the motorcycles twice. He said this ride was his favorite.
Riding the teacups
Zane & Daddy - Mom's favorite men

Mom had her first radiation treatment today. It didn't last long at all. I am not sure how it has affected her yet, it may take a couple of days to see the effects. She did mention the back side of the area was burning. She will go in 5 days a week for 7 weeks. Let the countdown begin! Please keep her in your prayers as she finishes kicking cancers butt!

Berkley had her 4 month check up today. She weighed 13.2 pounds, putting her in the 40th percentile. She was 25 inches long, putting her in the 80th percentile. She is catching up! The doctor & nurses were so excited to see how happy she was. She just smiles all the time! Pure joy!

~Patsi~

Favorite Foto Friday #7

Favorite Foto Friday #7

Yes, it is late again. Busy week! The kids are doing well. Not too much to report. Berkley has her 4 month doctor's appointment on Monday. I am excited to see what percentile she ranks in. We get to meet Zane's Mother's Day Out teacher on Thursday. FUN! The babysitter will be going back to school, so this will be the first week for the kids to be at the shop with me on Tuesday & Thursday. We are spending the day tomorrow getting the nursery prepared. I am anxious & excited to see how it works out. Here are my favorite pics from this week.

To the left: Berkley hanging out in her Bumbo seat! This was a great invention!

Berkley & Zane watching TV

I LOVE Zane's smile ..... a true smile! Berkley playing with her toys.
Okay, this is something I did as a child. My mom couldn't even put me in footed pajamas cause I would eat the toes out. I caught Zane biting his toe nails. GROSS!
Berkley with cousin Madison (Tonya's beautiful daughter). This is who we learn our "diva" stuff from!
Berkley in her froggie dress.

Mom begins radiation on Monday. She goes in 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) at 10:30am. She will complete the radiation in 7 weeks. Please storm heaven with prayers that all goes as plan & mom takes the radiation as expected. Pray that she has "Kicked cancer's Butt" for a 2nd time!

We took the kids to the North Texas State Fair. I will post pictures by Monday. Come back & check them out.

~Patsi~

4 month birthday

Princess Berkley turns 4 months old today

Hard to believe, but true, Berkley Marie is 4 months old today & as you can see, PRECIOUS & ADORABLE! She loves to smile at big brother, & daddy can really get her to talking & laughing loudly. I must say, this little girl has stole our hearts, & we love her more & more each & every day (if that's possible). She did have her 1st ear infection on Saturday. I had to take her into the pedi's office first thing Saturday morning, as she awoke at 5:30am screaming. And, anyone who knows Berkley, knows this is totally out of character. I couldn't get her to calm down so I gave her a bottle. She would suck a little & scream. Real tears falling, just breaking my heart. She finally finished the bottle & was back to bed at about 6:40am only to wake again at 7:30am screaming. I gave her some Tylenol at 7:40am, & after a few minutes she finally calmed down. Of course with Zane battling ear infections since 5 weeks of age, I was pretty positive Berkley had one. It was confirmed that she had an infected left ear. Poor thing! Oh, & baby girl weighed in at 13 pounds & 3.2 ounces! She's catching up quickly! Check her out, happy as can be once again.

Berkley Marie - 4 months old

I love this face! She does this a lot when she sees the camera flash.
This was while we were eating out today. She's such a good baby!
Daddy getting her going this afternoon. She loves her daddy!
~Patsi~

Berkley gets cereal & Favorite Foto Friday #6

Berkley gets "real" food ....

Yes, Princess Berkley gets to eat cereal for the first time, as she will be 4 months old on Sunday. She HATES the cereal & gags at every single bite, but she has eaten it 3 nights this week. I love the "first eating" pictures as they are SOOOO messy & cute! She really has taken to the spoon pretty well. I decided to start her a week early as she is wetting SOOOO much at night. (Wetting through her diaper every night & she is sleeping in a diaper a size bigger than she would normally wear). And, she was waking up eating her poor little hands until they were so very red. After talking to a couple of friends, I thought I would give it a shot since we were close enough to the 4 month marker. I have not given it to her every night as with the gagging I am not sure she is 100% ready. We go for her 4 month check-up on August 25th. I can't wait to see her stats! She is chunking up!

Favorite Foto Friday #6

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the week. I cannot believe that summer is coming to an end so quickly. The kids are growing up all too quickly! As you can see in the pictures (& many have pointed out to me lately) Zane is really slimming up & looking more like a boy rather than a toddler. And boy, is he seeing how far he can go & letting us know just how independent he wants to be. But, he still has those sparkling baby blues! Berkley is really starting to catch up with her growth. I am so very excited to see what her percentages are with her weight at her 4 month check up on the 25th of this month.

Berkley Marie, almost 4 months

Zane always ask for me to put Berkley on his back & take a picture. I think she likes it too!
She how much she is growing!
Zane took this picture of Berkley & I. (I did the editing! But he did pretty good for a 3 year old.)
Mommy's babies

Zane (3 years) & Berkley (4 months)

~Patsi~
(excuse mistakses, no time to edit)

To the dentist ....

Zane had his first trip to the dentist. I think I was a little misleading in my last post. The trip was actually very good. I was highly impressed with the care & attention that Zane got. Anyone who knows him, knows he is very active & a little toot. The hygienist, x-ray tech, & dentist were AWESOME with him! After looking at the x-rays, I was in HUGE shock! I never expected his mouth to be a mess & sure enough, it is. The dentist immediately knew from looking at the x-rays that Zane suffers from acid reflux (stating his teeth looked like that of a bulimic patient), & he immediately thought that Zane was highly asthmatic (due to damage to the front of his teeth from breathing treatments). As of now, Zane will have his molars capped with stainless steel caps. He won't loose these molars for many, many more years, & the damage is on the verge of causing him a great deal of pain. Problem is with is age he must be put under by IV in the office or put into the hospital. We have chose the cheaper route, IV in office on September 12th. It makes me a nervous wreck knowing that once again he is having to be sedated for another procedure (5th in 3 years), but looking at all the options & doing my own research, we don't see any other way around it. Again, the pediatric dentist office was very good & really did an excellent job with my little man. Excuse the quality of the pictures, I forgot the camera at home so I had to use my cell phone camera & e-mail them to myself.

Zane set up for x-rays.

He did SO good. Although it took some time, & his gag reflex is so "touchy".
Checking out the hygienist's tools.

Sunglasses for the bright light! Too cute!
Getting his teeth cleaned.

Mom had her first scans with the radiologist today. She had a simulator CT Scan done to see exactly what area to target. She will have another test ran on August 22nd & then have her first radiation the following Monday. She will then have radiation 5 days a week for 7 weeks. Please continue to pray that all goes at planned!

I am officially an Olympic watching freak! I LOVE it! The 4X100 meter men's swimming relay was absolutely amazing! And if you were watching & not jumping up & down you are just flat crazy! I must say it was one of the most, if not the most, AMAZING race I have ever seen! I flat in AWWWWEEE of the outcome! I am always impressed with the American athletes & just love to watch them succeed & their hard work pay off! This year I have also been impressed with the athlete's from China. Amazing! I could spend my entire day watching these Olympic games & still not get enough! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!

We also had a visit with the GI specialist on Monday for Zane. He is back on his reflux medicines, as his problem is not clearing up. (The dentist told me this last week!) Anyhow, Dr. Oshumtokom was nice enough to take a look at Berkley as well. Our pedi thought that we would possibly begin to wean Berkley off of the Elecare formula at her 4 month check up, the GI specialist says, "No way, WAY too early." He basically said if we had put her on the formula due to crying, cramping, or just colic behaviors then it would be okay, but due to having TRUE physical evidence (such as blood in her stool, as she had on several occasions) we are looking at a real food allergy. Real food allergies are not outgrown in just a few months. He said we would probably have to wait until 1 year of age & maybe, maybe 9 months. But, he was nice enough to give me FOUR cans of formula! We love him!

That's all for now. Check back on Friday for Berkley's 1st feeding of cereal pictures! (Which she HATES & gags every bite!)

~Patsi~

Favorite Foto Friday #5: Having a Ball

Having a Ball

I had to search long & hard for the following pictures to follow the "Having a Ball" theme for this Favorite Foto Friday. (I actually just caught on that there were even themes, I was just posting favorite pictures from the week.) This should have been easy as we are a family full of sporting events, games & practices with all the nieces & nephews. You name the game & we have a niece or nephew playing, but when it came time to find the photos, I struggled. With me being a FORMER coach, you would have thought I would have had pictures everywhere. Again, I had to search. I wasn't able to scan any in so I had to use pictures saved to the computer. You will see how much Zane has really grown from looking at the pictures below. Here is the outcome of my search:

Summer 2006

Zane is approximately 16 months old.

My nephew Kaleb & a friend of his are showing Zane how to "dunk" the ball!

Zane's a quick learner!
Hanging from the rim!
April 2007: My nephews, Clay & Norman
Baseball is my favorite so I LOVE the following pictures!
Zane is two years old!
Check out that swing!

Zane had his 1st dental appointment this morning. I forgot the camera so I had to take them with the cell phone & e-mail them. I will try & post them first thing next week. Let's just say the day was not as well as I had expected. The kids mouth is a mess! Totally unexpected! Granted, we let him drink juice (still mixing it with water) & he eats some junk food, but he does brush his teeth. I learned today at the dentist that breathing treatments & acid reflux can RUIN teeth. Makes sense, but never knew that! An expensive lesson to learn. I will post the pictures later & give more about my horror story!

~Patsi~

Home from Houston

HOME FROM HOUSTON

We had a great visit with Patrick's family. The kids did wonderful! Berkley is an awesome baby, even when we travel! Zane had a great time playing with his cousins! He hated to come back to Justin without them. Sweet Baby Skyler is just waiting to give Zane a run for his money in the Cassidy family. She is active & just about ready to get after the older ones! She looks just like her older sister, Leigh, & is almost as active as Zane was! Too cute! Can't wait to continue to see her little personality soar. Berkley is so calm & quite! Her personality so far was very evident while on our trip. Zane sticks out like a sore thumb no matter where we are. He just has a personality that makes himself known. Unless Berkley is really hungry, at times you forget she is in the room. She is such a good baby!

We got a group picture of the kids before leaving. Getting 5 young kids to cooperate for a group picture is much harder than it sounds. The electricity went out just before we were leaving. So, yes we had to try & capture a group picture in the dark! Enjoy!

Berkley & Skyler checking one another out

Zane holding Skyler. Check out Skyler's big brown eyes!
Zane (3), Leigh (7), & Jarrett (10)
Skyler has herself all tangled up! (I love this picture! She is so pretty in blue!)
Skyler touching Berkley. How sweet is this?
Berkley was smiling at Jarrett.
The baby girls: Berkley (3 months) & Skyler (6 months)
Berkley is SOOO long!
This is typical! They are already fighting!
Skyler is really unhappy with Berkley.
The Cassidy Grandkids
Skyer (6 months), Leigh (7), Zane (3), Jarrett (10), & Berkley (3 months)

Zane & Berkley
Leigh, Skyler & Jarrett
Check back for an update on Friday. Favorite Foto Friday: Having a Ball pictures!
~Patsi~