Worried

Mr. Wally the Orkin man just left our house and of course Ella followed him out the door. Andy got her back inside and as she does when anyone leaves our house she stood at the door and watched him pull out of the driveway. As she watched Mr. Wally leave she and her daddy had a very interesting conversation.

Andy: "Ella, don't open that door?"

Ella: "I need to go outside."

Andy: "Why?"

Ella: "I need to go check on that."

Andy: "What?"

Ella: "That outside. I need to see what that is."

Andy: "There's nothing out there you need to worry about."

Ella: "I am worried about it!"

Oh, just one of the many reasonings she can come up with. You would never know that just six hours ago she was recovering from Outpatient Dental Surgery! Other than a being a little cranky when she came out of anesthesia and not wanting to wake up....she did GREAT and is back to her normal, playful self!

Updates

Ella & Paci
It's been one week without paci and Ella is doing GREAT!!! It's been much easier than I ever imagined. The first few nights were a little rough, but very manageable. However, she hasn't really even mentioned the paci in the past two days! Yeah Ella! We're so proud of you!

Brennan Bass
Keep the prayers coming!!! Brennan had an ok night and they did not take him back into surgery this morning. It's my understanding that this is a good thing because they feel his body is able to hold off so I assume the antibiotics are working. They postponed the surgery to give his body more time to get stronger. The doctors left the incision open so I think they will go back in in the morning to make clean him out again and make sure his body is fighting the infection and then close him up. His vital signs are good and his color is good. He is in an induced comma, but I got word a while ago that he squeezed his mommy's hand earlier today....PRAISE GOD!!! I know most of you do not know Brennan or his family, but please don't let that stop you from praying for them. God knows Brennan! Thanks for your prayers!

Calling all Prayer Warriors!!!!

Please, please, please be in prayer for Brennan Bass. His mom was Brady's K4 teacher. He's been sick for the last week and was not getting any better. From what I was told he had dehydrated and had a horrible night last night so he was sent to the hospital for a CAT scan. While they were preparing him for the CAT scan he coded. They were able to resuscitate and stabilize him and then transport him to the children's hospital. He went into exploratory surgery and they found his appendix had ruptured. They removed his appendix and cleaned him out b/c he was filled with infection. He is out of surgery and in ICU in critical condition. He is still very very sick and the next 12 hours are CRUCIAL. It is my understanding that his body was so terribely covered with infection that if they antibiotics don't work they may have to go back in in the next 12 hours. Please be in prayer with me and pray for Brennan. Pray for healing and pray his body responds to the antibiotics. Brennan is 8 or 9 years old....going into the 3rd grade. Thanks in advance for all your prayers! I'll keep you posted as I get updates!

Goodbye...

In the past two weeks we've said "goodbye" to two things in our household and in doing this not only have we lost those two things, but we've reached milestones in our life.....milestones in which we realized we no longer have "babies" in our house.

FIRST: Hudson got his very first "big boy" haircut. I had no intentions of cutting his hair.....we were just going for a little trim to clean it up. But something happened that day. Hudson decided he wanted "spiked up hair" like daddy's and Brady's. I tried everything to talk him out of it and as he sat in that chair and begged I realized he's not a baby anymore.....he'll soon be 5! His face lit up when I agreed and I knew it was more than "just a haircut". For Hudson, it was gaining a bit of independence and being just like his two favorite people - his daddy and his big brother. For me, it was heart wrenching....I couldn't watch. My stomach was in knots and my heart was broken. My little boy was growing up and I was having to let go a little and allow him grow. For those of you who know Hudson, you know his long hair fit him.....words can't explain it other than his precious hair was an example of his sweet, precious personality. Well, he's still such a sweet boy, but now just minus his precious hair. Here he is before and after!

My heartache was worth this smile!!!!

SECOND: Ella has been paci free for 2 days!!! HOORAY! I've been telling her she had to get rid of her paci when she turned 3. Well, her 3rd birthday came and went and her paci was still existent.....I guess it would have something to do with the fact that I was dreading giving up the paci more than she was because this girl is obsessed with her paci!! I finally decided this wasn't going to be an easy task and and there's no time like the present!! So long story short I created a little story about the paci fairy.....she's really into fairies and Tinkerbell. She took interest in this so I started talking it up and telling her that when the paci fairy sees that you're a big girl and you can do big girl things like ride a big girl bike and swim without floaties they come and get your paci's and leave you a special "big girl" suprise.....by this point she was all into it and telling the neighbor's what a big girl she was and she didn't need a paci anymore. So we went home and I distracted her while I did a quick run through the house making sure there weren't a stash of paci's anywhere. Andy and I both were thinking of any and everywhere she might put a paci....we searched the house hi and low and found not a one. Not sure where they are....I'm beginning to think the paci fairy may be not be make believe after all!! It's been much easier than I ever expected. Other than a few short crying spells in the middle of the night she has done GREAT!!! Way to go Ella....I'm so proud of you!!! Since the whole paci fairy was kind of on a whim, I told her that the paci fairy left money for her to go and pick out her own special suprise.....so today we're headed off to Target for Ella to pick out her very own big girl suprise!!!

Two of the few pics of Ella without a paci!

I know this post is about milestones for Hudson & Ella, but I just couldn't leave out this handsome big boy!!!

Ella's Birthday Party

Sunday is Ella's 3rd Birthday so we celebrated last night with a party at our neighborhood pool. I let Ella decide what kind of party she wanted to have and she chose Tinkerbell. Since we were having the party at the pool I wanted to do a "splish splash" or "flip flop" theme (she has the cutest smocked flip flop swimsuit) but she wouldn't even consider it.....she wanted Tinkerbell! It's her birthday, so she won! It was the perfect day for a pool party.....the heat and humidity made the pool even that more inviting! Ella had lots of fun and before the night was over she was swimming by herself! Hope you had fun Ella! We love you!!

Tinkerbell Cake....it was YUMMY!!!

Mommy & Ella

Lots of fun girly gifts!!

Trying out her new stroller...watch out Katharine!

Struting her stuff!

Look, I can dive!

Playing with Daddy...she loves her Daddy!

Hudson's new trick!

Brady relaxing in the pool!

Dressing up with Hudson & Ryleigh

Check out that pose!

Too Cute!!

Brady Graduates

Okay, so it's not quite high school graduation, but it's still a big moment at our house. I still cannot believe my baby, I mean my big boy, is old enough to have completed Kindergarten and enter 1st grade in August. I'm just not ready to let him grow up. I'm so proud of everything he has accomplished and how much he has learned, but it makes me so sad to admit he's leaving the little boy stage and becoming a "big" boy. Can we not put the brakes on and just slow this growing up thing down just a little bit!! I asked him the other day what he was most excited about going to the first grade and his response was, "staying all day like the other big kids and learning to write in cursive." Yes, he is eager to stay all day.....what kid wants to stay at school all day!! His school offered K5 half-day or full-day and I just couldn't send him all day. I guess he was ready, but of course mommy wasn't ready to let go. Of course like every other event at our house things were pretty hectic so I didn't get many great pictures, but here's a few of the one's I did get.


The Class of 2009

Is he excited or what!!!



I love that smile!

Thank You Hubby!!!

Many thanks to my dear sweet husband!!! Today is my birthday and this morning he and the kids gave me an iPod, which is exactly what I asked for - a simple iPod. After church he and the kids treated me to lunch at one of my favorite eateries, Sal and Mookies, and then we stopped at Andy's and the kids favorite store Best Buy!! Well, Best Buy turned out to be my favorite store today because my dear sweet hubby bought me a new laptop....Yippee!!! Thank you honey!!! So, I'm finally back into the world of blogging!! Brady graduated from kindergarten Tuesday so I'll post pictures of that tonight!!

Proofs are In!

Sorry for so few posts....still no home computer so I try to sneak on Andy's (or anyone else's) when I get a chance. Check out the proofs from our Spring Photo Session with Jeanelle. Go to www.jcarawayphotography.com click on client ordering and our password is Cruthirds. Sorry, but those are the only pics I have for the blog right now....I'm hoping to upload some pics from Easter this week!

Spring Photo Sneak Peak

Last week I had the kids pictures taken. I wasn't sure how they did because once we got there I handed them off to the photographer and then walked out of site. I just checked the photographers blog and she had a sneak peak of the pics she took on that day. Jeanelle Carraway is the photographer and she is WONDERFUL!!! I've only seen one of the pics, but I'm just amazed that it's a good shot of all three kids....that rarely happens!! Check it out at www.jcarawayphotography.com Then click on her blog and the post for Saturday, March 28. My kiddos are the 5th ones from the top. Many many thanks to Brittany for referring me to Jeanelle!!

Updates to come!

Once again I've neglected my blog.....but not on purpose. My computer went kuplump....dead.....it won't even turn on. Andy has been so kind to let me use his work laptop, but unfortunately the times when I've had a few spare moments to blog he's either been working or he's been out of town. And to be honest, I get easily frustrated when I use his laptop. It's a smaller laptop which means the keypad is smaller.....hence lots of typos from me!! Oh well, until we decide what type of pc or laptop we want to get I'll just suck it up and use Andy's laptop. I don't have time to upload any pictures right now but I promise I will do that over the weekend. Until then, here's an update on what's been going on in the Cruthirds corner!!

(1) Ella is COMPLETELY pottey trained!!!! Okay, so she's been tee-teeing on the potty since last June - she started right before her 2nd birthday. I put her in panties last September and she's did GREAT!! However, she would not take care of her dirty business in the potty. She would just go to her room put on a pull-up (we still sleep in pull-ups at night) take care of her business and then come tell me to change her and put her panties back on. She threw such a fit when I tried to get her to poop on the potty that I just gave in and let her do things her way. She NEVER once had an accident.....we could go anywhere in panties. Then about 2 months ago she told me she needed to get a pull-up and go poop. I asked her why don't you try to go on the potty and she suprisingly said Okay! And that was it.....she's been pooping on the potty every since then. I have no regrets about letting her do things her way because she was so easy!!! And she's still been accident free!!!

(2) Brady lost his first tooth and has a second one loose!

(3) Andy celebrated his 34th birthday on Wednesday!

Have a GREAT weekend and check back soon for pictures!

Brady's Baptism

What a special day for our Brady and our family.....Brady was baptized this morning!! Andy and I are so proud of Brady and his decision to accept Jesus as his Saviour. Words cannot even begin to express the excitement and joy I felt.....talk about a proud Momma!! Although he's only 6, he truly understands the Sacrifice Jesus made for him and what it means to be saved! When Brady started talking to us about accepting Christ as his Saviour we were a little hesitant because we were afraid he just wasn't ready or that he was too young to understand. Oh, how we were so wrong....he completely gets it. I wish I could take all the credit for this, but I have to give praises to his wonderful sunday school teachers at FBC and all of his teachers at PPCA! Andy and I are so grateful that our children are able to attend a christian school where learning GOD's word is just as important as academics. He's surrounded by an awesome group of Godly men and women. I'm amazed at the scripture Brady has learned and that not only has he learned so much scripture but he can explain it as well. Thank you to all of our family and friends that were there to support Brady. I think there were about 17 of us up there for him....we definitely brought a crowd. A special thanks to Brady's teacher Ms. Cole.....how sweet of her to come and watch one of her students get baptized. Congratulations Brady....I'm so proud of you...I love You!

Getting ready....check out that precious smile!

Chillin' with Dad!

Checking out all his "fans"

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!! Andy and I had a great night out to dinner last night and then spent today loving on our kiddos!! They are so precious and bring a whole new meaning to Valentine's Day! I made the kids heart-shaped cookies and I think we've eaten every one of them today!

Brady & Hudson had their Valentine's party at school yesterday. Thank goodness Andy was free Friday morning because their parties were at the same time. Andy & Ella joined Hudson first while I set things up for Brady's party and then we switched.....that way we were both able to go to both of their parties. I believe Hudson has a new Valentine.....this precious little girl, Claudia, sits next to him and he just adores her. When she left he said, "Bye, Claudia. Happy Valentine's Day....I love you!" He's such a hammm.....or should I say he's just like his daddy!

Happy Valentine's Brady!

Check out Brady's "big boy" haircut!

I think Hudson was excited to see me!

Do you think Ella might be a tad bit jealous???

100th Day of School

Last Tuesday Brady's school celebrated the 100th day of school. Unfortunately, Brady was home recovering from the stomach bug. He was so sad to miss the 100th day. He knew that his teacher had lots of fun things planned for them. I felt so bad for him not only because he didn't feel well, but I knew how disappointed he was that he wasn't going to be able to join his friends in all the fun. I decided we'd have our own celebration. That afternoon when he started feeling better I pulled out the M & M's I'd bought for him to take to school and let him count out 100 of them. He was excited....not sure if it was because he was so eager to count to 100 or the fact that I told him he could eat the M & M's after he counted out 100. So he counted his 100 and then made the number 100 from the M & M's he counted. He was even nice enough to share some of his M & M's with his mommy!

I Haven't Forgotten!

Okay, so yes I have neglected my blog for the past month. However, I haven't forgotten it completely. I have thought about it many times, but until now haven't had much free time to update. Like everyone else, our December was BUSY!! Between celebrating Christmas numerous times with family and friends, a New Years Celebration with our neighbors, and then a recent trip to San Francisco with our friends The Wells, I'm just now settling back into everyday life.

Christmas morning is always a little crazy around our house (a good crazy of course), so I wasn't able to get many pictures. But here's a few of what I did manage to get! (I understand most of you have moved on and are way past Christmas, but this is for my family before they completely disown me!!)