happy 18 months jax!

at 18 months, jaxon:

is such a little mess! he is inquisitive and loving and absolutely hilarious. his faces are a hoot and he wears his heart on his sleeve. you never have to question where you stand with him, he'll for sure let you know it! such a "drama king" but oh so much fun!

facts about Jax at 1 1/2:

-words include:

mama, daddy, brubie (brother), eat eat, juice, bui bui (milk in a bottle), bubbles, cheese, night night, "i you" (i love you), bye bye, duck, quack quack, dog, ball, bath, cookie, hot

and if he doesnt know the word the default is "buh". absolutely anything can be a "buh".

weighs a whopping 32 lbs!

he climbs anywhere and everywhere

gives great hugs and kisses and cuddles

loves balls and probably has over 20 of different sizes and types in his room. he has quite the arm and can hurl them at you; even when you least expect it.

hits you then says "ow" for you

takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon and goes to bed around 6:30 or 7:00 and sleeps 12 hours. it took a long time to get him there but the sleepless babe finally sleeps! glory!

STILL likes his milk warm and in a bottle....and i dont care. just want him to be my baby for as long as he will.

and brings lots of JOY to our house.

so thankful for our little Jax!

Lime Scented Mango Strawberry Salad

Made this for part of the Small Group Snacks tonight. Cannot wait to enjoy it!!!!

Lime-scented Mango-Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. grated lime zest
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
3 cups trimmed, sliced strawberries (about 2 lb)
3 cups peeled, diced mangoes (2 to 3 large mangoes)

Instructions:

Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from ehat and let cool. Stir in lime zest and juice; let cool to room temperature.

Cut up fruit and mix in a large bowl. Add syrup and gently stir until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Source:
All You Magazine

Notes:
You can use this same lime juice syrup with other fruits such as pineapple, bananas, papaya, or kiwi. You can vary the amount and type of fruits depending on what's available.

back on the market (not our house, but me)

it seems weird. marketing yourself. but that's exactly what I feel like i'm doing. after 4 + years without working....(believe me, I've worked the past 4 years, dont get me wrong!!!) But I mean, working, as in a job outside the home with responsibilities and people to report to and deadlines to meet....it's been 4 years since I've done THAT. and i (think) we're ready to take that step and for me to do that again. i know we'll have those that say we're crazy...but the fact is, most months there's a lot more month than money. And God has GRACIOUSLY provided. I'm not saying that...I'm just saying with therapies, and just stuff of life, many times we just cant do it on a "preachers salary"....and even with all my outside gigs, which take tons of time and energy away from family time, some times it just doesnt cut it. So we are in the process of seeing what is out there. What would provide a good job but also flexibility for my sweet family. it will be a transition. probably not seamless...but we feel like the timing is pretty good. J starts SCHOOL in August. Jax is 2 in August. It has been 4+ glorious years at home loving and mothering my boys....but the fact is I am not equipped to homeschool my precious J bug. He has needs that I cant meet...but I know God's already provided above and beyond....all I've heard is that his teaching is AMAZING. A miracle worker. And I cant wait. We've already seen great improvement and I cant wait to see how he does in School. I think he will love it. And I think Jax will love being around other kiddos.
All the details arent worked out. I am applying in a very bleak job market. Not many people need an Accountant, because, as one of my clients put it last night..."There isnt much money to count" :) But we are praying and seeking and waiting on an opportunity.
SO, if you know anyone that needs an Accountant, with 8 years experience and who multitasks with the best of them who may occasionally need to slip away to be a Mommy but would work really hard and be an asset to your Organization please let me know :) (Should I put that on my cover letter???)
and prayers would be appreciated.

great vaccine debate II

a while back i got many comments on our take on vaccines. An article came out today quoting Temple Grandin, one of our Autistic heroes and researchers. She's unique because she is living with Autism, and also a wonderful Advocate. I liked what she had to say in this article put out by the WSJ; which is along the lines of what our INCREDIBLE pediatrician has suggested we do for Jaxon. Because of the genetic link we will have them spaced out and no MMR until 2 years of age. While the study was recently retracted regarding the link between Autism and MMR; there are still many ongoing studies suggesting links between Vaccine Injury and Autism Spectrum.

We are not Anti-Vaccine. What we want to be is informed. Something I read elsewhere said it this way "What other office procedure requires you to sign away your rights to hold the doctor and Pharm. companies responsible for any damage done? Where will that doctor or Drug company be when your heart is breaking watching your once normal child struggle........."

I feel as if we've made the right choice and even our doctor admitted that while there's no proven link, it's not been disproven either.

Our "plan" is 2 shots at a time for Jax until he's caught up, in order of importance based on what our Pediatrician recommends. Very comfortable with our plan now...very thankful for a doctor who understands. She's cared for my boys well since Jordan was a newborn, and I'm very thankful that God led us to her!

rotten

here's messpot. he's into something new everytime you turn around......
and we love the tar outta him!

gamer

J enjoys playing his Vsmile games. He's gotten really good at them!

bubbles

got out on a dreary sunday afternoon for some outside time. grabbed some bubbles and had a blast!

You've got me feelin emotions!

Sorry, blast from the past on the title of this post. Gotta love Mariah Carey classics.....

J's been learning about emotions in speech. This is a good thing as many autists have trouble differentiating facial expressions, body language, etc.
So far he has all the simple ones down. We've been having fun with these. In this video he shows some of his emotion "faces". Enjoy :)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

my thoughts exactly, again

i swear i can relate so much to this mom's struggles...and successes!

though i may not be able to put it into words; each day brings a new opportunity for frustration or perseverance (Boy is the Lord refining us or what?)

I love being a mommy to my special guy.

Here's another story from the blog; Amalah; which I completely relate to.

CLICK HERE

olive garden soups

the past two weeks i've made 2 of Olive Gardens soups (copy cat recipes) for supper.
Both turned out awesome!

We usually order the soups instead of salad when we go out to Olive Garden because we love their soups so much.

Here are the recipes.

Minestrone (Asah's favorite)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth (Swanson is good *note: Do not use chicken broth!*)
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta


1. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
2. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.
4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
6. Makes about eight 1 1/2 cup servings.

Zuppa Toscana (my favorite!)

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale (I substitute spinach)

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

da boys

here are some long overdue pics of the boys. we are deep into the Spring Semester of "school" for Jordan and therapies. Looking into ABA in Baton Rouge as well. Lots of stuff going on and our lives are super busy but we're super blessed to have all of these services. Many have commented that they can tell a huge difference in Jordan. And that makes it all worth it!

Here's a peek into our week:

M-Special Instruction from his Teacher
Tu-Special Instruction and Speech at SLU
We-OFF
Th-OT and Speech at SLU
Fr-Special Instruction and Speech from School System

That's a lot of work for our almost 4 year old! I'm super proud of him and everything he's accomplishing. I'll post some pics of his drawings and art soon.

love to all!

tonights dinner

wanted something fancy and special. this did the trick. SUPER affordable and not too much time involved either. enjoy!

LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN
(from "All You" Magazine")

1 lemon
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 4-lb. whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Halve lemon and place inside cavity of chicken along with rosemary, garlic and 2 Tbsp. butter. Fold wings under chicken and tie legs together with string. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Place chicken, breast side up, on a small rack inside slow cooker. Cook on high until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180ºF, 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. Preheat broiler to high. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush chicken with melted butter and broil to brown skin, 2 to 3 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes on a cutting board before carving and serving.

SMASHED RED POTATOES W/ GARLIC

•2 pounds small red potatoes
•4 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced
•1 teaspoon salt
•3 tablespoons butter
•1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
•Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Scrub potatoes and cut into small chunks. Put potatoes and the sliced garlic in a medium saucepan; cover with water and add salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and drain well. Pour into a bowl and mash with the butter and milk or half-and-half. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I also added a little garlic salt)
Serves 4 to 6.

GREEN BEANS W/ FETA AND DILL
(From Athenos Feta Cheese packaging)
These were my favorite and I'll be making them again. And again!

2 lbs fresh green beans
1/2 c Italian Dressing
1/4 c crumbled Feta Cheese
Dill
Salt and Pepper

Boil green beans about 7-8 minutes until tender-crisp.
Tooss with remaining ingredients.

So, there ya go. Dinner is served! Enjoy!