Just for you Candice!

Well this post almost didn't happen because I haven't written on my blog for such a long time that I almost didn't remember how to get to where I am now to write this post!!  A LOT has happened since I have written last!  I got pregnant and had another baby, so now I am a mother of 2!

Clara is 20 months old and will be 21 months on the 15th of this month!  She is doing very well and healthy which is a gift from God. She has to get MRI's every 6 months which is a huge difference than last year when she would have them every three months.  Her last MRI was in August, and it was perfect!  They also do her blood work when she is sedated before the MRI starts, and her AFP level had been elevated for some time, and that protein is her tumor tracker, so to say we were nervous about it is an understatement.  December 2012 her AFP was about 200 and normal is 5-10.  The Day after Christmas I found out I was pregnant with Gabe!  David was so excited, I was less than thrilled. Don't get me wrong I love Gabe so much now, but I was almost in my second trimester when I found out I was pregnant. Anyways AFP levels are the highest in pregnant women and developing fetus', and I was still breastfeeding Clara, and I thought I wonder if that protein is secreted through my breast milk. Our oncologist said that there wasn't much evidence that it did, but there wasn't much evidence that it didn't either.  Long story short my milk went away because my body couldn't keep up with growing a baby and producing milk, and I started Clara on formula, and her numbers started going down!!! And August 2013 was the first time her AFP was normal ever!
She is definitely a character!  She has the best manners ever, if you sneeze, burp, fart, or hiccup, she will either tell you excuse me or bless you!!  She can say tons of words, and when you give her something that she asks for she'll say, "Thank you dad", which drives me nuts.  She used to say thank you mom all of the time, but she has changed her tune.  When she needs help with getting a toy, reading a book, getting a "color"  for her coloring book, on of her favorite things!, getting up on the couch she will say "Help peas"!!  I can't get enough of her!!!!!!!!!  One more funny  thing, our yucky word used to be ca ca, and she would point to the garbage or the toilet, and say ca ca, bleh!, and stick her tongue out, but now she has shortened ca ca, and just says cock now!!!  AAAHHHH!!!  Needless to say our yucky word is just yucky now!

She loves to vacuum, I wish it actually picked up dirt, but then we'd have a lot more than dirt in her vacuum.

Gabriel is 6 months old, and he is such a sweetie.  He is such a happy baby!  He will smile, giggle, and laugh all the time.  Even when he is so hungry and tired you can still get a huge, gigantic, stop your heart for a second smile out of him. He loves his sister so much!  She is not really too fond of him.  She loves him at times, and ignores him usually.  Which is better than it used to be.  She use to ignore him completely, and hit him when she would give him attention.  Gabe is getting so big and sitting up by himself, and he would rather be sitting up, than laying down.  Once he starts movin I'm going to be in trouble!  He loves to roll his tongue and make a loud buzzing noise, it's his fav!!  He is just so sweet, and content.  I don't know how I got so lucky, and he is getting much better at sleeping at night, so that has been nice for this mamma too! 

My kids and David are seriously the best part my life!  I don't know how I got so lucky, but I did.  David has been working so hard for our family.  He is finishing up his administrative endorsement in June, and is eligible  to apply for principal jobs, which is awesome!  He works hard all day at a middle school, and we all know middle school kids are pretty much the spawns of satan!  Then he comes home, plays with our kids, helps me bathe them,  and put them to bed, and then he does his homework.  He is pretty incredible! I love that man! As for me, i'm lucky when I can get a shower, and get the house clean and a meal made, but now I have to cook all the time because for lent David and I gave up fast food, yes we ate it enough to be able to give it up!  Ash Wednesday was a week and a day ago and we are doing good.  The time change has screwed us all up and I usually don't get dinner ready until 8 p.m, so we are still adjusting.  

I don't remember when I started this post, but here's a quick up date, Clara had her MRI in on the 24th of February and everything looked great, she is still feisty as ever, and LOVES it when Gabe gets in trouble, because she is the one always getting in trouble.  She's so funny.  Gabe isn't sleeping well anymore.  That's just how it goes I suppose, at least with my kids.  He has two teeth and rolls every where Clara is and tries to take her toys, pull her hair, or hits her ( his hitting her is more just trying to get his big sisters attention, but she hates it!! ha ha ha!!)  Clara has also started trying to be more involved with Gabe play with him, talk with him, tickle him.  And he just eats it up!  He'll take whatever he can get! 

Here's a fun Picture Of Clara at Gabe's age, They could be twins!! 

I love my kids all of the time, and I usually like them, but they are soooooo good at driving me CRAZY!!!  This mom thing is a lot harder than our mothers ever let on, but I wouldn't want to do or be anywhere else but with my kids.