March for Babies

So, I'm sure all of you have noticed my new sidebar image. There is a cute little baby on it with big blue eyes. :0)
In light of recent events within the Burnham family, I decided to participate in this years March For Babies. It is a 6 mile walk to raise money for The March of Dimes will help support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start. The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. What could be a better cause?
I've read several blogs where mothers have had babies prematurely, or with medical conditions and can only imagine the frustration and sadness they feel when their babies are put into the NICU. I truly felt for my BIL and SIL as they dealt with having to leave their new son in the NICU. My heart broke for them. Thankfully he is doing well, and they were able to take him home last week, though he is still on oxygen and has to be handled with care.
Anyway, if you feel so inclined, click on the link on the sidebar, or go here and you will be taken to my website where you can donate money to this great cause. My goal is to raise $250 as noted on the sidebar there. Not very much when you consider how many thousands of dollars new parents have to pay in medical costs when their baby has a prolonged hospital stay.
OR, if you are feeling up to it...walk with me! The walk is on June 14 at 10:00 a.m. We meet at the City Park. You can sign up through my website. I'd love to have you join me. The six miles will go by much quicker with good friends and family to chat with. :0)

It's Jaysen NOT Jason.....

So, I thought since I posted all about my kiddos, that I would share about the hubby too. Why not, right? This blog is a form of journaling and attempting to keep up with the scrapbooking that I swear I am never going to get to. :0)

Look at the chubby baby! He's 4 months old in this picture. Jaysen's mom said he cried for the first year of his life. I blame Mackenzee's temperment on him. :0)

This is our engagement photo. I wish I was still that skinny. :0)

Some things you may not know about the hubby. I did a post all about him when it was his birthday. So, I revealed quite a bit already. :0) With his approval of course!

He has a degree in photography, but isn't a photographer.

Would play golf every day if his mean wife let him. :0)

Wishes his wife would golf so he could have the excuse of "family time" for golf time. :0)

Loves to watch movies.

Favorite movies are based on a true story or history movies.

Loves the history channel.

Doesn't have a favorite color. {who doesn't have a favorite color?}

LOVES Mexican food.

Thinks he's funny. :0) I could tell you stories....sigh.

Makes the best milkshakes.

Is six years older than his YOUNG wife. :0)

Is the best daddy and loves to spoil his kids.

So, now you know. From cranky baby to OLD man. :0) We love him very much and are so glad to have him for our own.

Best Friends...

Now that you have learned all about our oldest child, it's Mackenzee time. As usual. She is the diva of our home and has her daddy wrapped around her finger. She was supposed to be born on my mom's birthday, thus she has my mom's middle name. Unfortunately {for me} she was four days late.

2 weeks

4 months

6 months

1 year

18 months

2 years

Some things you may not know about our little Mackenzee...

Loves to give big hugs and kisses

Thinks she is as big as her brother.

Favorite color is pink.

Loves to be outside. She would live outside if we let her.

Loves ALL animals.

Is scared of bugs, especially spiders. {she takes after her mommy on the spider thing}

Loves to help. Cook, clean, do homework....you name it, she wants to help you do it.

Is a big ball of energy. She hates to be tied down and always has. She hated being in her high chair, and we gave up fighting with her when she turned one. Refuses to ride in her stroller, she'd rather push it. Only agrees to sit in her car seat because I tell her the police will take her away if she doesn't.

Loves to sing and dance and does so all day long.

Loves having friends. She is happiest when surrounded by lots of family and friends. :0)

She is a mommy's girl. And though she loves her daddy immensely, is usually glued to my side.

I love hearing her tell me that I'm her best friend. I ask her AT LEAST 5 times every day, "Who's your best friend?" The response is always the same. LOVE IT! I hope it lasts....

Another one for you Jodi!

Here the much awaited pictures of the final product! Tah dah!

That's Jordan down there. :0)

Here are the pretty new countertops and the beautiful tile backsplash. I love the diamond design through the middle there.

THe new sink....BIG and black. :0) Kenzee could take a bath in this baby!

I couldn't remember if the pictures I posted before had the top part of the cabinets in them. So, here they are now...again?

This last week they tiled the front entryway too.

There you have it! I hope this helps you picture everything better!

Landon

Yeah...my guessing game wasn't very hard. Landon was the first picture {in color}. You were all right. It didn't help that one was taken with a film camera...it was a bit fuzzy. :0)


Anyway....this is my Landon.
3 months

He was born two days before Christmas at the end of the 20th century. :0) He was the best Christmas present I got that year. He was born with DARK hair that quickly fell out and grew into the blonde locks you all know him to have. He's had big feet from the moment he was born.

6 months

12 months

19 months

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years

8 years

Some things you may not know about my oldest child....

Loves art projects. He has loved to draw pictures since he was two. He makes his own comic books now. He loves painting and making clay objects as well. Last year he made a Spiderman out of clay. Mackenzee broke his head off though....

Loves to read. His favorite books are the Captain Underpants books. He has read them each 3 times over. Is currently reading Judy Blume books such as Superfudge and How to Eat Fried Green Worms.

Loves to play sports like soccer, tennis, golf, and basketball.

Loves to play with his Pokemon cards and wants to be a Pokemon Master.

Can play on the HARD level on Guitar Hero.

Is THIS close to winning a this years trophy for 50 in a minute for math. He placed second in his class last year and is working hard to take first this year. He just has to get through the eights and nines in division to win it!

Loves to be a big brother to his little sister and even lowers himself to having tea parties with her.

Is a momma's boy. But I don't mind.




And now you know! He is a little stud muffin of a man and I love him to the sky. :0)

Such a big boy!

Check this out people! A week and a half later and look at little baby Jeremy! No tubes in his mouth...no IV in his head....you can actually see all of him now!
The hospital called Steve and Beckie on Saturday telling them their baby was crying and needed someone to hold him. Crying! And as horrible as it sounds to be so excited about a crying baby...it meant that the tube was out and his cries could be HEARD.
Last night Jaysen took the kids over to the hospital to see him. They weren't able to go into the NICU last Thursday when we had gone over and were disappointed about it. When I asked them if they wanted to go last night, both of them were jumping up and down because they were so excited it got to be their turn to see him. I stayed home hoping to get my finals done in the peace and quiet. I wish I would have gone. :0( I did get some of my work done, but the trip would have been way more fun. They actually let the kids inside the doorway of the NICU. We were told they could only see him through the window. But, they got lucky.
He still has things to work through, but we are so grateful for the progress he has made so far. Such a sweet baby. It appears he's a tough kid though. He sure has taken a lot in his first weeks of life.

Guess Who?

I don't even know if this will be hard for any of you. But it's a little game of guess who. Which baby is which? It was hard for me to find pictures for this fun game. Where one baby is a boy and the other is a girl, they were dressed VERY differently. So, is this Mackenzee? Or is it Landon? {BTW...if you haven't ever used this fabulous foam bath thingees for your babies, I totally suggest using them. I used them for both of my kids and they loved it! It was the only way I could get Kenzee to not scream during bath time.}

What about this one. Is this Kenzee? Or Landon? Landon or Kenzee? Hmmm.......

I honestly don't think this will be very hard for you. I wish I had access to more of Landon's baby pictures so I could make this REALLY hard. But....these will have to do.

Good luck!

A Glimpse....

We were allowed in the NICU to see our new nephew, Jeremy, on Thursday. I was thrilled! Firstly, for the obvious reason....if they were letting people in, that must mean that he is doing better. And then second, so that I could finally see him. Besides being a mommy, being an aunt is my favorite "job". My neices and nephews are like extended children for me. Which means I've got a lot of kids. :0) It also means that my heart is full. :0)

Anyway, to be able to physically see him already was a surprise to me. My BIL, Steve, was there and gave me the "clean up" instructions of washing and putting on the yellow hospital gown before I could go back to Jeremy's special room.

It had snowed on Thursday, and though it had warmed up enough to melt the snow outside, it was still very cold. Which meant, I had super cold hands. I didn't dare touch him because of it. No need to shock the wee one. He's got enough to deal with right now. They did allow me to take this picture of him, though.

He has been taken off of the really big, fancy machine and put on the "normal" fancy machine {this is how Steve described it to me}, which means he is doing better. He's still got a lot of work ahead of him, and they fear he may have a touch of pneumonia, but baby steps is all takes. Right?

He is a beautiful baby. Tubes and all. Perfect porcelain skin and those cute baby fists.

No princesses around here!

Haven't you been enjoying this nice weather? I know we have. The kids are playing outside, we've been barbecuing, and the fertilizer is on the lawn {it's starting to green up!} It's been great!

Mackenzee LOVES to be outside. She would eat, sleep, and basically live outside if we let her.

Yesterday we decided to grill some steaks for the big NCAA tournament finals. So, the kids are out playing on the swingset, Jaysen is at the grill...I'm inside getting the rest of dinner ready {sigh!}...it's a rather nice evening at our house. For the moment.

Landon comes inside begging to play video games. I told him no way Jose! Go outside and enjoy the weather! He instead stomps off to his room to pout. SIGH.

Then I hear Mackenzee yell, I POTTY! {which is what she says when she needs to go potty} She runs to the backdoor and Jaysen asks her if she needs to go potty. She thinks about it for a minute and then says, "Ummm no." And then turns around and runs back to the swingset. {this is normal for her, she likes to "pretend" to go have to go potty to drive her mommy crazy} So, we all continue doing whatever it was that we were doing. Jaysen grilling, mommy cooking, Landon pouting, and Kenzee playing in her "clubhouse".

All is well. Sort of. I realize I am hearing Jaysen laughing outside. So, I walk to the back door and ask him what is so funny. He points to the corner of the yard where the swingset is. Mackenzee is crouching in the corner with her pants pulled down. What? And he just lets her? And then he says, grab the camera and I'll take a picture. What? Shouldn't we be running and yelling at her to stop?

Whatever. I grab the camera, but the time Jaysen gets over to her, she's already done. My daughter peed on the grass. Sort of. I think she ended up peeing more on her pants than on the grass....sigh. Jaysen thought it was hilarious. I explain to him that he is only encouraging her to do it again by laughing and telling her that she's silly. Then I get to be the mean mom {again} and tell Kenzee how naughty she was for going potty outside. Princesses don't pee pee on the grass. She doesn't get it. She thinks it's funny. So much for being a princess I guess. She has no hope. Between Landon teaching her it's funny to toot and Jaysen telling her how silly she is for peeing on the grass....she's a lost cause. :0) No princesses around here!

Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down

The newest member of the Burnham family was born on Friday afternoon. Jaysen's brother, Steve, and his wife Beckie, added Jeremy Cale {I hope I spelled his middle name right!} to their little family. I say little family, but Jeremy is child #5 for them. He came after they thought their family was complete. Their youngest child is 5 1/2. :0) Apparently God had different plans for them. We couldn't be happier about it.

I wish I had a picture to post for you. He has dark hair like his daddy {the bald spot too!}. I haven't been able to see him yet.

He was born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension, or PPHN. You can read all about it at the link I provided, but basically it means that he's having trouble breathing. When babies are in the womb, as the blood circulates through their bodies, it is diverted from their lungs. They don't need to be used yet because they get their oxygen from the placenta. When babies are born, as soon as they take their first breath, their little bodies kick into gear and the blood immediately starts pumping through their lungs. Unfortunately, for a few, it doesn't go as smoothly. The circulatory system doesn't switch over and the blood continues to bypass the lungs. The blood returns to the heart low on oxygen, which then in turn affects all of the other organs in the body.

Our prayers are with Steve and Beckie. We love you! We are always available for helping out if you need us. ALWAYS.

We can't wait to have you get to go home Jeremy! We're all dying to see you and tell you how much we love you!

And they called it puppy love....

So, do you remember this picture? It was from back in October. Our new six week old puppy....

Isn't he so adorable? You could just pick him up and carry him around. Even Mackenzee did it because he was so small.

It didn't last long......

Look how huge he is now. He's 6 months old. ONLY 6 months. Yeah....

The kids love him so much and he loves them too. Now that Spring is finally here {sort of} the kids have been able to go outside and play, and Toby has been eating it up. I'll send the kids out and not long afterwards I will hear hysterical giggles from Landon. Their favorite game to play is "wrestling". Landon will get on his swing and Toby will "knock" him down off of it and they will wrestle around on the ground while Toby licks Landon's face.

Unfortunately, Toby tries to play this game with Mackenzee, but she's far too small to wrestle back. :0) I picked a Golden Retriever because I knew they were good dogs for kids. I'm glad I wasn't wrong on this one. He plays so well with them. Even when Landon is wrestling with him, I see him pretend to nip him on the arm like he's "getting" Landon, but no biting. {thankfully}

Yesterday Landon ran inside and told me I had to come out and take pictures of him with his dog because "Toby loves me so much mom! See, he gives me hugs." Then he proceeded to walk outside and tell Toby to give him a hug. Toby jumped up and actually gave him a hug!

Doesn't he look like he's even smiling for the picture? I think it's hilarious. :0)