Felicity's glasses

So about a week before Thanksgiving, I was sitting watching Felicity practice piano and noticed she was having a lot of trouble readying the music.

So after Justin and I both tested her, we decided that she needed to get her eyes checked..... And sure enough, She's practically BLIND (not really, but she sure acted like it by her lack of sight)!!

Justin and I had a hard time not laughing during her exam, due to her lack of being able to see...

When the doctor told her to watch the red balloon, while she took pictures of her eyes, Felicity replied: What Balloon? I can't see anything at all.... :-)

So she ended up being, near sighted, far sighted and has a stigmatism as well (we knew she couldn't see far away, whatever that's called)!! 

But the good thing is, that catching it while she's so young, can actually possibly correct her stigmatism and her near sightedness.

 

 

James 5 months old!

It's hard to believe that our baby is already five months old! He is such a happy little guy and we all adore him, even jonathan loves to "love" on him....which isn't always so loving!

James is very sensitive to noise and will start to sob if things become to noisy, even if one of his siblings starts to cry while holding him or standing near him, it'll often bring him to tears!

James continues to grow. He can sit by himself and has started teething, putting everything in his mouth!

Sicknesses

The end of November, beginning of December has brought a lot of sickness and unusual happenings in our family....

It started with Justin having to take me to the ER, with a severe Gallstone attach.... We've decided that most people must die in the waiting room while waiting to be seen!

Two months ago I honestly didn't even know where my gallbladder was, but I now know exactly where it is or was, I should say!

When James was about 12 weeks old I started having these "attaches",  that started happening about once a week, in the middle of the night. The first time it happened, I thought I had done to many sit ups, but then about a week later it happened again.....

It wasn't till the fourth "attach" that we actually figured out what was going on, though it had crossed my mind that, due to the extreme pain I would have, that it could be gallstones, kidney stones or appendix etc.

After the fourth attach I was convinced it was gallstones, due to location of pain and symptoms! Justin and I fervently asked God to take the pain/ episodes away, which He did for a month. But then after Thanksgiving the attachs came back with greater intensity!

After our ER visit, they scheduled and removed my gallbladder Dec 2nd..... That very Day, Justin came down with a horrible flu and by the next day, all five kids had it as well! 

Jonathan ready a training magazine, getting pointers on how to behave....

In the ER all night....they finally had to give me morphine just to take the pain away (nothing else was working)...... (And I'm not sleeping, It's called "pain management")

Appointment and Pre -OP....

James worst diaper yet, he was covered from his shoulders to his feet.....(the picture doesn't do it justice)! 

 

James heart appointment

James had his Heart appointment Monday, which went very well. His heart isn't shunting anymore (a very dangerous thing), Praise the Lord,  so Dr Saidi doesn't need to see him back until June for a follow up visit. 

Dr Saidi, James Cardiologist....

James having his EKG done.... He has to lay still or it doesn't get a good reading (imagine trying to keep an active baby perfectly still while he's awake).... He did very good (with the help of him being mezmorized by the nurses phone that she had playing "Silent Night" on... Very smart nurse)!

 

James having his Echo done..... He looked so grown up during it! It was so cute, In the beginning he was intently watching the tv, but as time went on he kept grunting, and towards the end he was trying to sit up and then when that didn't work he started trying to suck on the mans hand....  But he actually did a really good job, didn't cry or anything and layed perfectly still except for the last 2-3 minutes!

Our Christmas tree

  

Every Black Friday we go pick out a fresh Christmas tree, as our family tradition, for the Christmas season.... The children always enjoy helping decorate the tree and somehow it just feels colder outside with a decorated tree in the house, sometimes :-)

It's exciting to watch the newest member watch in awe, as the light are turned on.....Its also a great training tool, the tree, learning not to touch for the newer members or eat things off the tree!

The other day I went out to get the mail and when I got back inside, I found that Jonathan had taken four candy canes off the tree, had broken them in half and so kindly sucked on each one! It was actually kinda funny, but hope he's  learned his lesson well!