Another week in the books!

We have been busy the last few weeks, which has been wonderful. Great to get outside and get some fresh air. This past week Nash rode in the St Patty's day parade with Randy Kuehl Honda and Miss Rodeo Iowa. He feel to sleep in his aunts arms ad then rode sleeping through the entire parade in his carseat. I was sort of bummed... I knew he would have loved watching all the people out the truck window... They were hooting and hollaring... Don't even know how he slept through taht and the firetruck we were following... He was out cold... He normally doesn't nap, but he decided to this day. We had a water pressure tank break in the basement. Water shooting everywhere so no water. We got up early and went to CR to take a shower at Angie's. Kaitlyn was excited about it, but it threw a wrench in Nash's day so he was a crab. Angie and Kaitlyn rode in the parade with us. Kaitlyn loved it!!

After the parade we loaded up the mini van and headed to Shriners Hosp in MN. Nash had a good report. We go back in five months to get fit for new braces and a walker. They feel it would be best for Nash to have a walker while he is in school. To give him better balance and not get knocked over.

We got home Friday afternoon... Just in time to have our water fixed and back on. We had a great trip to MN. There was an outdoor zoo that we went too. The weather was 65* so it was perfect. nash did not care about most of the animals that much, but shocked us when calling out the names of a few of them. He was more happy to be outside walking around. We of course avoided being close to people. Still a lot of stuff going around out there. Nash had a cold a week and a half ago, but did well getting over it. it was wonderful... A normal cold! Nothing that drug on for weeks. Three days and done. Yipee. Great job immune system! Praise God.

After the zoo we went swimming. Nash is a fish... He LOVES swimming. It is soooooo good for him. He now swims five to eight feet underwater. He moves more freely then ever when in the water. Well if the water is above 80*.

I will have to post some pictures, when I get them off the camera. Oh uncle Evan got engaged so Nash will have a new aunt Emily.

I better go finish breakfast for the boys... Nate and Nash just got up. Hurgry no doubt.

Related to the Blairs!

Nash definitely has a head cold. He is running a little temp and watching lots of videos. I asked him a little bit ago what he wanted to eat to make him feel better… He responded with “BACON… I want bacon please… thank you.” I thought WOW is he related to his Gpa Blair!

Finally!! Some pictures of Nash!!

Hello everyone! Mom got a new camera for Christmas and she has been taking lots of pictures. I am eating, cooking, swimming, sledding, and yes... pooping. Ahhhh the good life! You'll have to tilt your head for a couple. Mom did not edit them before posting. Silly Mommy! I am off to play farm in my room. Hope you get a few good giggles!

I love to cook with mom... Well I like to eat what we are cooking better. I get to do a little adding and mixing and a whole lot of eating!! I am a chef in training!!!

I am warm, but I cannot move... Mom and Dad say I look like Randy from the Christmas Story!

Gpa Blair's Redneck Sled!!! I loved it!! Who knew I weighed that much that I needed a tow rope to pull me sledding!! Thanks Gpa and Gma Blair! I had LOTS of fun!

Iowa Rodeo King! I think kissing the queen during the contest really helped!!! I love my Aunt Jordanne! And Uncle Evan.... We make an awesome pair. Chick Magnet duo!! Don't worry mom you are still my only girlfriend!!

Hee hee!! Someday my mom is going to get in trouble for this one. Sitting on the potty while watching Elmo Potty Time video! Now if only I would go more on the potty like they do in the video... Mom and Dad would be super proud! Accidents happen right mom!! Hee hee... Got you back!

The side view of swimming!! I loves it, I love it, I love it! We swim almost two hours a day. I can swim at least 5 Ft under water. I am a dolphin!

Sooo I am not the best blogger!!! Catching up in 2010!!!

Ahhhh! I just keep thinking I need to blog again. Afterall this is a great account of our lives. What a great thing for Nash and us to look back on someday and laugh our tails off!! I think of all the things we have been through and the more distant they get the more we laugh!!

2010... Wow a new decade! Yipee! Now Nate is 30 and I am 31, and getting a couple gray hairs! Yep... I told Nate it amazes me how I feel women gray sooner.... He said, "You are going to blame it on me... Ha ha ha... Not cool!" Reality ladies... Men soooo have something to do with it!! All is good fun!

Nash has been amazing me more and more each day. Talking so much more. Walking is getting super good and swimming.... Boy can he swim. We go everyday and he LOVES it! He swims at least 5 foot alone... under the water. He then tells himeself, "Good Job!" and occasionally thinks he is a dolphin!

I do this thing some days where I look at him and think... WOW, my baby is SOOOOO not a baby anymore! Such a little man. I just have to step back and smile and think... "Thank you God for this blessing. Thank you for letting me and his dad, raise your wonderfully made child."

Nash is reading nearly 100 words. He even came up to me and read my shirt the other day. He said, "March of Diapers".... Close it was March of Dimes! Still amazed and even laughed at the reality is... We do march for babies and they do wear diapers.

Speaking of diapers. Potty training is coming along. He tells me afterwards, which is getting there. He LOVES his Elmo Potty Video!! Nash cracks up when they use words for potty. Pee pee and poo poo. Wee wee and woo woo! Amazes me how potty things are funny even at 3!

We have been sledding a lot. There has been snow on the ground since we first got snow in Dec.... So what else is there to do, besides sled in it!!

In January we went to Jordanne's Queen Corination for Miss Rodeo Iowa 2010, where Nash was crowned Rodeo King. He had a Blast walking around in his chaps and vest Aunt Jordanne got for him Christmas... Speaking of Christmas we had a good one... Despite a little wrinkle in travel plans we have Christmas Eve with Gpa and Gma Kuehl and Darrell and JoAnn. Then headed to Evan and Jordanne's house where got to stay the night and have Christmas. We played Charades and it was something I will never forget... Nate pretended to sled and looked like Clark W Griswald off of Christmas Vacation and Great Gpa Evans was a kill! Of course again Nash got spoiled!! Hopefully he will have a sibling or cousin some day to spread the love!!!

Speaking of siblings... I had my 4th miscarriage in January. Even prior to that we had started researching adoption. We are really looking forward to adopting a baby. We are praying that God leads us to the perfect child for our family. I get so excited sometimes thinking of having another child in our family, but then step back and think... "It is all in God's hands." He knows the desire of our hearts so we know in His time we will be the proud parents and big brother of another baby! And yes in heaven we will have five children waiting for us. Just knowing we will get to see them and wrap our arms around them someday makes the loss a little easier.

We are planning our first family vacation to the beach later this May. South Carolina, here we come!!! I cannot wait to let Nash walk in the sand and play in the ocean. And with winter.... A vacation away from the frozen tundra will be great! Yes, we are going in Spring, but anytime anyone can go on a family vacation it is good!

We've been busy... Which is sooooo good in the winter. Helps it go faster! Nash really misses riding the lawnmower, so I am sure summer cannot come soon enough for him. He did get to ride on the skidloader with Gpa Blair to move snow and that was super cool!!! Deep down inside we must all like winter a little or we would not be living in Iowa.

Well I better be signing off.... I hope this helps update you on us and provides us with some good memories 20 years down the road.

I've got to write blogging into my calendar! I do love to do it!

Hope to post pics soon... Got a new camera for Christmas... YIPEE!

Love & Blessings in 2010
Jayme

Official Germ Hater

In the past few years we have become germ-a-phobias. House arrest must not be enough to keep these yuckie germs away from Nash. Trying to figure out where in the world he got this last cold/flu... CRAP!

My only conclusion it that I let him be a big boy and try and open the door at therapy... Hmmmm could it have been that door handle... I thought, to myself... "I should wash his hands, OK Jayme just a door handle... People will think your are psycho."

As much as we try to protect him these germs seem to find their way into little Nash... Starting last Thursday with a sore throat... To a runny nose, lots of coughing, to throwing up last night... Slight fever today and boy who will just lays on the couch, won't eat, and asked for Naps... If you know Nash you know he eats all the time and has not been taking naps for months.

So like normal he decided to share his germs with his mom... Yep... Really moms how do we escape getting sick when our kids are caughing, sneezing, and barfing on us... Impossible! That and the lack of sleep are a sure way to get sick too. I am thinking I need to invent a mom body suit with built in Vit C filters!!!

Ahhh with all this our smoke detecters decided to go off at 4 AM Sunday AM. Yeah, ran out of the house... Not fire Praise God... Thought they were Carbon Dioxide detecter too, so we called the service guy... Only to find out after a $110.00 service call at 5 AM that we have electric heat and they cannot produce Carbon Dioxide... Yeah... Bet they are laughing at the shop this morning... DUH!!! Reality is all is better then a fire. Electrician came today... Faulty detector. Probably will get that service bill too... Still all far better then a fire.

Through Nash's cold he still thought it was super cool to ride in the back of the car laying with me while we drove to the service guys office to read the phone number off one of the trucks... Yep, Crazy Kuehls... If it were something bad we knew we should not go into the home... So we took a car ride and Nash smiled!!

Overall Nash is doing well. He has been talking more... WE LOVE IT!!! I want to write more on his progress, but he is asking for a cracker and I soooooo need to get food in him so I got to run... Hopefully, he is turning the corner!!!

Funny or Naughter... How about Both!

I find myself lately wondering if things Nash does and say are Funny or Naughty. I am now realizing they are both... Slightly Naughty and darn funny!

With Nash's slow development of language we often have wondered what is going on in his mind... With his ability to get a few more words out we are finding out. And sometimes it is down right hilarious.

Besides saying... "Toot" every time someone lets one go, he has expanded to giggling along with it and often times really cracking up at his own gas!

He stuck his fingers in his mouth and gaged a little and to my surprise he looked and me and said, "Puke!" Ummm.. Totally got that from me saying... "Stop that or you will puke." Nash's gag reflexes are crazy. One little thing and he gags and often pukes... Prefect a bulimic 3 year old.

While holding play dough up to his mouth he says... "No no don't eat it!" Followed of course by a bite or he rubs it on his mouth smiling at me...

One of my favorites is... He does something he knows is pleasing to us or he accomplishes something we have been working on and he says... "Good Boy Good Boy." We laugh and say, "You're right you are a good boy." He just smiles.

He reached in my mouth last week and grabbed my tongue and said "Tongue." I was shocked he know what it was... He saw something on TV and named it and again I was shocked. He must have these things in his head, but often times cannot make the connection to get them out. I do however LOVE that it is all coming together more and more. I just hope and pray someday he will be able to talk freely... I am ready for those embarrassing moments at the store. I am ready for the night sitting by his bed for an hour telling it is time to go to sleep and he just keeps on talking. We love his little voice and are SOOOOO Thankful we get to hear it!

However, we are not sure he will ever talk much in Speech therapy. This week he talked throughout the hour of PT only to say one word in his half hour speech session & that word was "Bye." Yep, spaced out the entire time and would not say a word. We were making pretend Ice Cream cones. He loves Ice Cream, but not a word. I was going nuts, because of course I just told the therapist he talked a lot during PT. AHHHH kids they will make liars out of you!

And wouldn't you know we got into the van and he says, "I.... want.... Ice Cream.... Please." So it was in there, but at that time he did not want to talk about ice cream at all. Little stinker!! Yep, getting more gray hair!

Sometimes I laugh, because sometimes I just cannot help it. He can be one funny little guy. Who stops and gives me all kinds of kisses when I ask... Less of course when I ask while he is in speech therapy.

I find myself many days smiling more and giggling more with Nash. Having fun! Living a little life sometimes that we call "normal." You know the norm for other people that we don't often have... Some days we are having "normal" and it is AWESOME!

Tonight as the respite worker came to help out while I was going to run errands... Didn't happen, which is besides my point... Anyway, Nash after eating dinner I gave him some pumpkin dessert he was smashing on the counter, rolling it in his hands, licking it off, and making a REAL big mess.

She said, "Oh no Nash you are making a real bug mess..." I said, "Don't worry about it, what other age in life is it ok or as fun to play in your food." She said... "Nash you are lucky to have your mommy." As I cleaned up and she put him in the bathtub I started crying a bit... For one of the first times I let that sink in... She is right Nash is lucky (blessed) to have me. I sometimes beat myself up with thinking there is always more I could do to help him. I should this... I should that... If only he wasn't born so early... So many things us moms try to do and burdens we carry. Reality is nothing could have changed where we are today and he is blessed to have a mom and dad who care soooo much and would do anything in the world they could do for him. We are also sooo blessed to have Nash... He has taught me more about life, true love, faith, strength, and determination then anyone I have ever met. God did know what He was doing when He gave me His child Nash to raise.

Words... In reflection... They are soooooo strong. Every word said can never be taken back... Words can be funny, inspiring, hurtful, and just plain wonderful when your three year old is finally using a few. They can bring tears to your eyes or laughter to your soul.

I say... Bring on more words... And keep coming with Funny, but keep naughty at a minimal!

Ahhh... Finally a Moment

These days it has been getting harder and harder to find that moment when I can sit down and update our Blog.

Nash has been phasing out naps... So that two hours a day where I did my work for the IH Waiver is gone... Trying to find other opportunities to sneak away to the computer and do work. Admitting that it often becomes video time for Nash... Yes, the major "No No" according to many articles... Do not let your TV become your child's baby-sitter... Well, how about educational videos?? Well, they are from time to time and frankly some days help me keep my sanity.

Some days I find my son sitting on my lap watching U-Tube videos on how to count to 50, colors and shapes, days of the week, months of the year, and his favorite "Our God is an Awesome God," while I am on the phone with families. Having to say, while is is slightly difficult it has been working in several ways... He can count to 50 and the families I am talking to have no idea my child is on my lap while I am working.

Nate often calls me "Super Mom." Juggling a million things at once doesn't make me feel like a super mom, but super inane sometimes... Reality is some nights I sit down with Nash falling to sleep in my arms around 8 PM and Nate is still at work and I do think... "WOW we accomplished a lot today." Then after thanking God for making it through my mind jogs to "whats on the agenda for tomorrow?"

Speaking to the many mothers I talk with whose childern have special needs I think they are all "Super Moms" the amount of stress dealing with doctors, insurance, DHS, paperwork, therapies, oh and of course caring for the child is down right nuts sometimes... Understanding it... Well, I have now realized it is impossible unless you are walking in the shoes. I find myself advocating for families and realizing I am fighting a giant Government. Often not on my to do list each day, because I am not even sure where to start... Yikes... Maybe someday!

Now for the real reason why you probably checkt our Blog updates!! Nash!! After Christmas I promise to get some pictures up... I asked for a new camera... Mine has not worked for months.

Nash is trying to talk more. Engaging in some short conversations. He for the most part answers simple questions. We just keep hoping and praying that his language will continue to develop so he can get out his thoughts instead of being frustrated. Little by little he says phases and this is making our lives a bit easier.

Walking... Pretty good... Up on the toes again... He is growing in more so his muscles get tighter as the bones grow. This makes him walk on his toes. Hence the reason for casting his legs at the beginning of Sept. Physical Therapist thought casting would occur three times a year for a month each... Now we see why. All this work now will hopefully prevent him from being wheelchair bound as he gets older. There are surgeries, however we do not feel cutting into Nash's legs or spine are the right answers. At least for now in his life... When he gets older and has opinions we will take those into consideration. For now we will do anything to prevent surgery... Cutting into the body always has some sort of negative side effect. Medications are similar, so we are trying the natural ways for now.

Nash has been a pretty happy little guy. Funny at times, which I LOVE!! Ah and his kisses he comes and gives me are the BEST thing ever!!

We are on what we call, "House Arrest" again this winter. Avoiding germs. Last year we tried minimal house arrest and it led to several colds and two vomitting flu bugs, and a hospital stay. The doctor felt with this year supposing to be the worst flu season ever to keep Nash at home. We agree! We also opted not to get the H1N1 shot, because of all the negative side affects. We are being very careful, taking probiotics and Vit D3. Hoping and praying that we avoid this flu season.

Yeah... If you haven't noticed we do LOTS of hoping and praying. Trying to avoid the worrying, which unfortunately comes with all children, but often more with childen who have special needs. Working so hard to help your child get where they are today, you want to avoid at all costs something that will set them back or cause them harm... That tends to bring ona little worry that you try to sqaush with prayers and faith!

Potty training... Sort of working on it... Many other people have said to wait or not to worry about it. Most people would be freaking out if their 3 year old was not going on the potty. Us... well thankful he knows what the potty is and that he is getting closer to being able to pull down his pants. Which not is super funny... When I go pee or Nate goes pee Nash says "P...ISSSSS." You're thinking... They taught him piss... No we did not! However, when we sit Nash down to try to go potty make the noise... "PSSSSS." Which Nash loves, however says "P..ISSSS." First time Nash did it was with me and I thought Nate taught him the word... Then Nate thought I did... Only to realize he said it was because of the noise I made.... Ahhh... super cute! But not what I was intending! We find ourselves having a quick chuckle and telling him "Good Boy for relating the noise with the activity." Then we make the noise correctly hoping that sooner then later he will pick it up!

Oh speaking of Good Boy.... Sometimes Nash tells us he is a "Good Boy" after doing something he knows we will say "Good Boy" to him... Example... Scooping his cereal on his own... After chewing a bit he says, "Good Boy!" Knowing we would say that to him. It is sooooo cute! Just makes us super thankful for progress!!

Fridays are Nate's day off and he and Nash went to drop something off at Gpa and Gma Kuehls... I hear they are home... Better go make lunch! Glad I finally had a moment....

Writing this Blog often helps me see how far Nash has come and how thankful we are to have such a wonderful blessing from God!