Landon's latest

It's looking like it's going to be at least another year before we even get close to figuring out what's going on with our little buggy. He's going to have another year of tests and dr's visits. The good news is that we are eliminating all sorts of things. We found out that he doesn NOT have Celiac Disease, his Thyroid is fine, and everything came back normal in his blood work except for that he is allergic to milk which I had already guessed on my own. And now the not so good news. Apparently Landon's neurosurgeon didn't think it was important to tell us that part of Landon's brain didn't develop normally. The only reason we even know this now is because the pediatric developmental specialist that we were referred to told us that it was on the report from his last MRI. She's amazing by the way. Really the best dr we've seen so far. She's going to work with us while we get Landon genetic testing done and another MRI. Which will all be done this summer and fall. The MRI that Landon had in October showed the abnormal development but the radiologist said that since babies brain continue to mature until they are 2 we'd have to get another one done around his 2nd birthday. It will be more definitive and we'll be able to move from there. Now the reason for the genetic testing is to determine if Landon's developmental delays and his brain are something genetic. It's all really complicated . He'll also be getting his eyes checked, and getting a swallow test that will determine if he needs a feeding therapist. He'll also be getting a sleep test done because he wakes up in the middle of the night thrashing around in his bed and banging his head on the crib bars. It's all really overwhelming and we don't really want to freak out but there is a chance that he'll struggle for the rest of his life. We aren't going to freak out until we know for sure. Like I said this can take a loooooong time to figure out. For now we are just happy that he's happy. He's doing all the right things, just late. He's really close to walking. He's already taken a few steps and he's getting alot more confidence. He's into everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!!
So we'll keep everyone updated as we go along. Not a lot we can do right away. A lot of things have to wait until he's 2. Actually it will probably come a lot sooner than it sounds considering he'll be 18 months old on the 15th!!! He's still my little baby. Cute as can be and definately lots of fun!

Carlie's Dance Recital

Carlie's first dance recital was awesome. She was just perfect. She wasn't scared at all!!! I couldn't have been more proud. After she was finished she came down to where we were sitting and was so excited. She came right up to me and said, "I did it mommy, I did it!" She was so happy and she had a blast. She can't wait to do it again. She is the 2nd girl to go on stage. Unfortunately, she was on the opposite side of us so we didn't get the best videos but we do get a dvd of the show from her teacher. I wish you could all have been there. It was a great experience. We were very lucky to have Carlie's Grandpa Bob, Grandma Dixie, Aunt Nikki, and Aunt Amber there. They gave her a pink rose and she felt like a star :) We also gave her a glass cube that had a pictures of ballet slippers on the front and from behind showing through the phrase, Dance as if no one is watching. We couldn't ask for a better daughter!!! Here are some pics of her rehearsal and the recital

Carlie's 4th Birthday

I can't believe my little baby is 4 already. If it were up to her she'd be a teenager. She's always asking how old she has to be to wear makeup and reminding me that when she's old enough to wear a bra she wants one with a bow. She may have just turned 4 but sometimes she acts like a 13 year old.
Anyway, her birthday was like a 3 day celebration. Chance,Carlie,Landon, and I all had a small celebration on the 17th because Chance had the whole day off. We let her open a few gifts and I make little heart sugar cookies. We had a lot of fun taking pictures of each other with our new camera.
On Friday Chance had to work from 9am to 9pm so It was a day with just me and kids. Carlie loved getting all of the phone calls from her family. She loves talking on the phone. As luck would have it Chance was able to get home by 8:30 that night so we were able to take Carlie to the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork. She loves looking at Christmas lights and it a perfect outing for a family on a budget ;)
Then on Sunday we had a small party with Chance's family. We had a great dinner (thanks cassidee), she opened presents, and we ate Carlie's fabulous "C" cake.
Now she's asking me when she's going to be 5...this kid can't wait to grow up.
Here are some cute pictures of our little 4 year old

Our little ballerina

Carlie had her first dance class today and it was sooooo cute. She didn't want to stand in the line like the other girls she wanted to be in the front so she could see herself in the mirror. She also decided that she wanted to add her own moves to what the teacher was doing. It was adorable. I couldn't help but laugh because it was so cute to watch. I wish everyone could have been there it was so entertaining. All the little girls were so cute.
Here are some pics.

This is just a really funny video of Landon in the bath.

A very cute little boy turned 1

In some ways it seems like the longest year of our lives but in others it went by way too fast. Our little Landon turned one on August 15,2009. Most 1st birthday's are a big deal but for us this birthday was a huge deal. There were months when we wondered if he'd even make it to his first birhtday. We look back on the past year and are amazed at how much our little boy has been through. IV's, CT scans, MRI's,being put under anesthesia, spinal taps, a sweat test, almost needing feeding tubes, tons of medicine, nearly 10 ER visits, 4 hospital stays, throwing up everyday of his life, headaches, all his development issues....the list goes on and on. He's been through so much. You wouldn't know it by looking at him though. He's the cutest, happiest little goof ball ever. He's totally irresistable. I can't help but kiss him and sqeeze him all day. He says mama, but only when he's crying for me. He says dada all the time. He is getting really close to being able to really crawl. He's been sitting on his own for a couple months and he can now transition from laying to sitting and he is getting better at pulling himself up. He loves to stand and walk but he needs help still. He loves playing games and making people clap for him. He's eats a ton and only has 1 formula once before bed. He loves all food. He is growing really well now. He weighed 20 lbs 7 1/2 oz at his 1 year checkup. He's still only 28 in long but they're not worried. His head is also growing and we'll find out more on september 24th at his next MRI and appointment with the neurosurgeon.
Who would have thought that tiny screaming baby would have turned into such an amazing boy. He's tied for 1st place as the best thing that has ever happened to us. We can't get enough of him. We are so proud of both of our kids. Carlie is so smart, sensitive, compassionate, creative, and 100 % girl. Landon is a fighter, motivated, determined, funny, playful, and 100 % boy. We are so lucky!!!
Anyway, Landon had a great birthday! He made the day when he grabbed a fist full of cake and shoved it in his mouth. He got a lot of great presents and he's had fun playing with them everyday. Thanks for coming to his party and for all the fun gifts. We are so lucky to have such great families. We love you all so much!
Here are some pictures from Landon's 1st birthday, enjoy :)

Another visit to the emergency room :(

Late last night we took Landon to Primary Children's Hospital because he has been throwing up randomly for the past few weeks. He's also stopped sleeping. He can't nap and he wakes up 5 times a night screaming bloody murder. He's constantly hitting himself in the head and shaking his head, clear symptoms of a headache. His latest CT scan, that was done just a few days ago, showed that there was an increase in the fluid and his head has grown a little over an inch in the last two months. At least according to the neurosurgeon. Last night at the ER they said that the radiologist and the on call resident from neurosurgery couldn't see an increase at all. Who is right? We have no idea. No doctor really has any answers for us. They are agree there is something wrong, and they all agree that they don't know what it is. We have another MRI scheduled for the end of September and it looks like nothing will be done until then. They don't want to act prematurely and put in a shunt if it's not necessary. They examined him to see if there were something else causing these symptoms and they couldn't find anything, so we're left to believe that he's getting migraine like headaches. They only advice we were given is to give him Tylenol (which doesn't do anything for him). Even the neurosurgeon had no clue what is causing his problem. He's hoping the next MRI will show something that maybe couldn't be seen last time. He's assuming there is in fact a blockage in there but it was too small to detect last time. We still hope that the next tests will give us some answers, whether it be that they're not worried about him anymore(what we would all hope for) or finding out that he does need the surgery.

On a happier note, Landon is learning a lot of news tricks. He is now sitting up completely on his own and can kind of catch himself if he tips over. He's still not quite "crawling" but he's become very fast at scooting all over the house. He puts his arms up in the air when I say "so big", he claps, and he shakes his head no. He's tried saying a few words but they didn't come out quite right. He's very eager to start walking. He'll hold my hands and walk but it's still pretty unstable and he seems to skip more than walk. It's so adorable when he does walk. He takes very fast, small steps. And it looks like he's walking on his heels. He's eating really well. I've started making my own baby food which will save us some money. Thank you Bod and Dixie for my food processor, it's wonderful! Landon loves to eat everything he can get his hands on. I'm looking forward to letting him dig into his birhtday cake. He'll be turning 1 in just two weeks! I can't believe how fast it's gone. I hope his next year of life will be better!!!