Brave

Back in November we noticed that Quinn had a bluish/purple bump on the outside of her left cheek that wouldn't seem to go away. It looked like a bruise but when you touched it was like a hard ball. Quinn's pediatrician suspected it to be a polyp but suggested we keep an eye on it for a month or so to see if it went away. It didn't go away and seemed to get a little darker in color so she then suggested we see a Pediatric Plastic surgeon. After meeting with him he suspected it to be a Pilomatrixoma, or to the non-doctors a benign tumor. We would only be 100% sure what it was if we surgically removed it. This brings us to last week. Quinn was scheduled to have surgery on March 4 so my mom made flight arrangements to be here and help out with Joshua and Quinn after the surgery. Well my Mom arrives and then the day before Quinn's surgery we got a call from her doctor to let us know that her surgery was going to be rescheduled for today, March 12 due to an emergency surgery that came up. So on the bright side of thins we were able to spend more time doing fun stuff with my Mom but also at the same time I felt so bad that she traveled here only to have it rescheduled!

So today was our surgery day and I really can't even believe just how BRAVE Quinn was! She was such a little trooper and didn't shed one single tear. She tightly clung onto a stuffed bunny that was given to her by her buddy Easton for her surgery day and rolled down the hallway on her bed to the surgery room as we watched her off. Not a fun thing for a parent to go through but just another reminder at how precious life is and how truly blessed we are to have such a sweet gift from God. Here are a couple pictures of her post-op. She was a little out of sorts but not too disoriented to remember her true love for popsicles.

 

Story through iPhone pics

Part of the reason I have been so horrible about blogging lately is that I use my iPhone to capture photos rather than using my camera mainly because I always have my phone with me and my camera is kind of large and annoying to constantly carry with me. But after looking at the quality of these pictures I really need to start carrying the big camera with me daily! Here is a story through iPhone pictures of the past few months, a little out of order:

Grandma Juanita came to visit the first week of March and found herself reading 1,567,345 books to the kids

Look closely and you will see our Elf on a Shelf.  Quinn really wanted to take a picture of this by herself

A trip to the Austin Zoo!

Two buds fast asleep while watching the tube, classic!

One day Joshua is really going to be upset that all of his hand-me-downs are pink and purple!

Dancing dude!

Homemade play-doh!

A baby in a box!

This is a minor example of the tornado that follows in Joshua's path

Freedom to run!

This little costume was my brother's Halloween costume when he was about Joshua's age.  He didn't like it at all! 

All the energy this little man expends wears him out!

Sweet baby boy...

Cinderfella

You give this guy some wheels and he is in heaven

Trying to help Quinn do dishes!

Mall rides- leverage for good behavior while trying to "shop"

Donuts at HEB- lets face it, sometimes the only way I can complete my grocery shopping

Quinn is trying to teach Joshua to color

Let's read!

Quinn did her own lipstick!

Loving this homemade play-doh!

Quinn got a big girl bed for Christmas.  She has so much fun playing barbies on it!

Such a good big sis!

Roller skating for the first time.  This girl can scoot on those wheels!

Spidey Quinn

Trial of Lights and the next best thing to a good family portrait, ha!

 

Full Circle

Quinn started gymnastics again this spring and has really looked forward to every class. She is now in the 3-4 year old class and is learning so many new skills. Gym equipment and sure work up an appetite on a three year old- she's always starving and asking for a snack when she gets out. Joshua and I watch as she does her class from behind the glass windows at the YMCA. And by watch I mean walk/run up and down the hall, eat snacks, wonder into the exercise rooms- you get it, he's a busy man! I don't even have any pictures to show of the class yet because of this! My mom sent a box of my old dance clothing from when I was little and Quinn was so excited to try some of it on. She's pumped to wear this one to her next gymnastics class!

 

Christmas 2012

Yikes! I'm officially the worst blogger! Here we are in March and I'm just now getting around to blogging about Christmas. So much has gone on since then but for now I'll post about our holidays. We started off the month of December in New Mexico celebrating the several graduations. My brother Eric graduated from the Albuquerque Fire Academy and we were all just so proud that we was one of the twenty out of hundreds that made it through the rigorous sixteen week program. He is now working full time as a fire fighter and is absolutely loving it. I'm so jealous, what a blessing to be able to do something you just love for a living! Jaime's sister Elissa also graduated from UNM with a degree in biochemistry. We got to meet her sweet new baby boy Cole, what a cutie! We returned to Austin to celebrate Christmas with Mama Rose and Papa James. Quinn was soooo eager to celebrate Christmas as she would admire her gifts under the tree every day. Christmas is just such a magical time with young children, we love every minute of it!!

Joshua got this train table from us and it has been the one of the best purchases we've made!  Both Quinn and he have spent countless hours playing with it since Christmas!

Quinn asked us for a Furby.  It talks, sings and dances, its hilarious!