You guys loving Nolan!!!

Amy over at Amy's Finer Things has this little blog awesome sauce thing about Finer thing Fridays. So I thought I would participate.

I am so thankful for all the people who love our family and are supporting us in our hearing impairment journey. It makes it easier to know we have so many supporting us and loving us when someone who is ignorant (and I was that word as it should truly be used!) and cares not to understand and instead chooses fear.

Fear of the unknown or the atypical cause some to strike out in anger and hurtful words and sometimes they do it in front of my other children.

Leanna learned a valuable lesson this week as well. (This is unfortunately her third lesson regarding this.) Hudson well he just doesn't understand that way of people yet, thankfully.

However so many of you choose to love my little guy for who he is as a person and not what he can/cannot hear. Or how he looks. Or how sometimes our routine has to be different.

So thank you for loving him. He is pretty special to us because he is a beautiful boy not because he is hearing impaired. Our family just likes to think that gives him a little "Flava" or extra "sumpin sumpin".

Family and Friends loving our boy? Most definitely a finer thing.

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

P.S. Nolan is #153!!! So if you haven't voted yet here is the link! NOLAN BY SURPRISE

Outside Adventures

We have been spending a ton of time outside lately. It has been so pretty and the sun has been shining and the breeze has been blowing. That and there were a couple of really really hot days in there and it was get out or turn the AC on. We chose to get out.

So bike riding has been high on the list of to-do when we are outside which is just fine with this mama. Nolan, thankfully, LOVES his stroller for exactly two hours. Think I am joking take two days ago for instance we were outside for 6 hours riding bikes and walking and stopping at the playground not to far from our house.

Jaunt 1:

Nolan placed in stroller at 9:58am. We walk the bigger small people ride bikes. At 10:22 we arrive at small park on street. Swinging and jungle gyming (yup just made that a verb)take place. 10:42 we begin walking riding again....there is a mail box circle at the beginning of our subdivision it is a great place for riding to take place. At 11:01 we begin our walk back down the street. 11:22 more swinging and jungle gyming (there is that word again) take place 11:33 Nolan begins to quietly protest. Walking/Riding home 11:52 Nolan is wailing I tell him we are almost home shhhh shhhh shhhh. We arrive home at 11:57.

Repeat that from 2-4 = Jaunt 2.

Repeat that again from 5:30 - 7:30 = Jaunt 3.

We came home took showers and baths. Had Taco Bell (it's what's for dinner), which was brought home by Daddy, for a late dinner. Then myself, Leanna and Hudson all curled up on the couch to watch a little Kung Fu Panda together and that is where (apparently as I do not remember) all three of us fell asleep.

It was a great and exhausting day for us. A later than normal day as bedtime usually happens between 8 and 8:30 here. So a 9:00 bedtime is pretty late. A successful day at keeping outside and busy, exhausting energies of small people and thoroughly exhausting this momma's socks off!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Just some updates...

So it has been a minute and I thought I would run through some updates of things going on in our lives....

Clear out the clutter.... Still working on it :) Pictures will happen. I need to find ten (cotton pickin') minutes that I don't have kids diggin' things out of the trash pile saying, "but momma I love this scribbled on piece of paper that I haven't touched in one whole year" and hiding it back away!!!

Leanna needs to see an optometrist to register for Kindergarten apparently that is a new state law. Who knew? Well not me obviously so I am working on that and a few other things to get her registered.

Hudson, well one day he makes me sad and the next he makes my heart smile. I love him! He also has recently learned how to spell his name. He can tell you it and will several times over know if I could only get him to try to write it :)

Nolan is having surgery on Friday to have tubes put into his ears. To help alleviate some negative pressure in his ears. Not to mention to drain the fluid that is ever present and is further hampering his already hampered hearing abilities :) He is honestly one of the happiest kids I have ever met. He smiles and laughs and is just a joy to be around.

Josh had a birthday on the 18th. His 27th to be exact. We had a nice time. He got a new BBQ grill and a couple of new movies. Some yummy poke cake and a good old fashioned game of freeze tag while Nolan was napping in the play pen. He is also testing for a promotion tomorrow or today depending on when I finish writing this post. So hopefully (and praying) that it goes well.

I am sleepy :) Okay... when am I not sleepy? I am trying to keep things together and not lose my sanity. However I don't know any other moms that aren't trying to do the same things :) It is going. We are looking at trying to get that house (mentioned in post below), get things organized, clear things out, get a camping trip in here somewhere and enjoy the gorgeous weather.
We have been outside A LOT! Bike rides, walks and trips to the park. Anything to be moving and exerting our energies outside. The sad part is that the inside of my house... well... with the next 4 days consisting of pretty much rain, I will hopefully get things done! Hahaha or string up the small people who will be bouncing off the walls. Shockingly I actually have some projects to hopefully keep them busy the next couple of days while I work. We will see how that goes.

So basically we are well.... living life. It is crazy, it is chaotic and yet some where in there with the grace of God, love for each other and love for Jesus we manage to hang in there, love one another through the faults and find contentment in the chaos (or at least try to) and the majesty in the mundane.

May God continue to help me see the beauty in the beast, the creation in the crazy, the love in the small things, the good in the bad and may He continue to forgive this momma who just doesn't seem to always be able to pull it all off. Thank you for your son and the grace you give me even when I don't deserve it!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

House Prayers

So Josh and I have been looking for a new house for a little while now. We have been looking all over. Well recently we have switched from all areas to just in Arnold.

Our littlest guy Nolan has some special issues that require some special things. So since our IFSP is set up in Arnold school district, we LOVE our speech therapist, the special school district in Arnold is one of the better ones and Josh's job isn't far from here. After some serious discussions and thoughts from both of us and some prayer, we truly feel like this is the area where we need to be right now. Which is great except for one thing OUR budget doesn't really fit the area.

Amazingly enough a nice lady from church and her husband are going to be moving to Wyoming. They need to sell there house here to move there. It is in our budgeted amount, in the area we feel we need to stay, it is everything we have been looking for. We are really hoping and praying this was put in our paths for a reason.

So I have a few specific things to ask my friends to pray for...

1. That we can get another pre-approval since I am no longer working that still covers the amount.

2. That this is really what we are supposed to be doing.

3. That we can sell our current home QUICKLY.

4. That good attitudes and spirits remain through the outcome of this whatever it may be. We had something a few months ago that we had to let fall through due to some unforeseen circumstances that happened and discouraged barely begins to cover it.

So if you think of us could you please be praying for us and possibly our new home!

Thank you
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

SIX MONTHS!?!?!?!?!?!

I can't help but want to cry just thinking about that.

He is 6 months old. Where has that time gone? Why did it go so fast?

Nolan turns 6 months old today. He is such a fun addition to our family. I am so thankful for him and his sweet smile. He has added some new "speed bumps" as well. However mostly (so far) they have been manageable and a little crazy although the sign language we have been learning has been a fun thing. I am enjoying it a lot.

The kids think it is cool to have a little brother who always smiles at them. Hudson can make Nolan laugh and laugh and laugh. Leanna loves to mother hen him. She talks to him all the time and pays attention during his speech therapy so she can make sure she is "doing things the good way" and she loves to "help Hudson remember" too. Even if he doesn't like it.

All in all the little guy has made our lives so wonderful and we are so blessed that God decided to give us Nolan.

Some exciting stats I don't want to forget.

Nolan you are....

18.8 pounds!!!!
You are eating almost all baby food now. Although your favorites are peas, carrots, any fruit and sweet potatoes.
You HATE green beans and squash A LOT.
You have been rolling over and over and over.
You are sleeping through the night (12 hours).
Your speech therapy is going very well and Ms. Cathy thinks that you are an extremely smart little guy.
Your trying to sit alone but you tripod for a few minutes then weeble and wobble and fall over. Soon hopefully.
You are really starting to reach out and grab for toys and well at least chew on them now.
No teeth yet but boy are you working on them.

I think that is enough for now. I love you Nolan Scott. You continue to amaze me and I pray all the time that your little life and spirit continue to touch people.

We love you buddy, big guy, little man, FAT head, puddin' nose, tubby bubby there are still a few more but... You get the idea!

Clear the Clutter Part Deux

So in the Brewer household we are still working hard at clearing the clutter. I think I just going to show before pictures today again. As we are still hard at work and sometimes it is always the darkest before the dawn right?

Well that is my prayer would you please pray it with me too?

We are working on Laundry and kitchen stuff and my own personal job is going through Nolan's clothes and getting rid of the ones he has outgrown (some he never even got to wear!!!) and also the mail carrier or as I like to call it... "The Bill Holder of DEATH...."

So here are some before pictures for your viewing pleasure (again these are 100% real photos of ugly so please take caution before going any further)...

This is my medicine/baby food cabinet. It is in serious need of an overhaul and for old medicines to be disposed of and organized so it is a capable of holding more baby food since he is eating more and so it is easier to just look in there and grab what we need.

Keepin' It Real: This is my laundry room currently. It is a scary scary scary place right now. We are working on fixing that today.

This is a trouble spot in our kitchen. The spot by the microwave/refrigerator is always crammed full of stuff and I need to fix that as well.

This is a handy counter area that separates the living room and kitchen. Do you know what would make it even more handy? If it wasn't covered in junk! And yes those are empty Easter baskets that haven't yet been put away.

This is our coat rack by our door. There are still WINTER coats hanging on it. With gloves and knit hats. It needs to be exchanged for ball caps and jackets. The winter stuff must go. TODAY!


So those are just a few of the things I am working on today and possibly tomorrow. We shall see what gets accomplished. Which means I must end this and get moving. Plus Nolan is pissed that is is 11:30 am and he hasn't had his third bottle and 2nd jar of baby food. Yes you read that right. That would be the reason my not quite 6 month old son weighs 18 pounds. No don't rub your eyes or blink you read that right 18 pounds.

Peace Out
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

We briefly interrupt...

We briefly interrupt this clear the clutter challenge to bring to you.... well anything besides cleaning (although those pictures will be taken tonight and posted I promise)!

That is right ladies and well ladies... cause well lets be honest here no gentlemen read this blog.

Today was full of appointments for the kids. We had an appointment to look into head start preschool for him. Keeping our options open. I still would like to look into homeschooling some more but I also want to make sure that I can enroll them if we so choose.

Then we went to look into a weatherization program for our house. Since I have quit work it has given us some options for some programs we were not previously qualifying for. This weatherization program will help us update our windows and our front door (at least!) at a fraction of the cost normally. Which is nice because even when I was working our budget wasn't big enough to warrant the costs. Which will then help us keep our energy bills lower too.

After that we grabbed some lunch at Burger King (I know healthy right but it sure was delicious and the kids were happy for the treat) and a stop at a friends house with a nice backyard to play in and eat.

Then we had to move it to SJID (St. Joseph's Institute for the Deaf) to pick up his new ear molds and have some hearing tests done. The molds fit amazingly and the hearing aids are back in working order as well.

Then we attempted a hearing test with my two bigger small people there as well. It was a little crazy but we did manage to get one ear tested (only with hearing aids today no without) and they are pleased with the amount of sound he is hearing and responding too. It is hard to test the exact level of hearing a baby has due to the fact that they just can't tell you and they still move and wiggle and get distracted when they should be listening. So we will be having several hearing tests over the next few months. As a matter of fact the next one will be May 5th. So anyone want to babysit so the two bigger small people don't have to attend?

So all in all a great day!

Sincerely,
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

P.S. These pictures have absolutely nothing to do with this post. It is my blog and well I can do what I wanna right ;)

Day 1 Clear Out the Clutter

I decided to start our challenge in the living room.

Over Easter Weekend we had some out of town guests come to stay. While that is always fun. We also know how quickly our homes can become over run. Especially if you have a small home (like me (: ). Plus with the craziness of Easter (which was a lot of fun and will post about soon) it has just become a little crazy.

These pictures are completely real and honest. I apologize if they gross anyone out.



Like I said it has gotten a little out of control.

So I will check back at the end of today with hopefully a much improved living room!

Thanks
*Shay*

Clear out the Clutter!

Money Saving Mom (a blog I read occasionally) is having a Clear out the Clutter Challenge this week.

I thought about it for about 2.5 seconds. Then I took a look around and said yup that is just the thing to get my rear in gear.

I have been feeling a little sluggish lately. Tired and a little run down. I know it has a lot to do with our schedule which is partly my fault of getting overbooked and partly the fault of some (not his fault) little boys appointments here lately. (New molds made, double ear infection, virus, hearing aid malfunction, hearing tests and new molds to be fitted and left with... these are just from the last three weeks!)

So this week is a LITTLE less busy for us and I truly believe the other reason I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and run down is my home. It has gotten a little out of control between the appointments, the fun, the out of town guests, the holiday and well just everyday life.

So I will be trying to rid our lives of the clutter. The broken toys, the outgrown clothes (for Leanna anyway), packing up Hudson's old clothes for Nolan, taking the baby stuff to Once Upon a Child, going through our craft buckets, the top of the fridge the cupboard. Our home lacks storage so I don't really have the option of hanging on to everything. So I must truly love, need, want, use or wish for the children to have it for it to remain here :)

So stay tuned this week and if you want join in as I Clear the Clutter!