The Messy Monkey

Happy Birthday Aubrey!

2011-01-18T12:41:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Welcome 2011!

2011-01-12T16:00:00.018-06:00

Here's a recap of 2010... and we can't wait to see what the LORD has for us in 2011!

January-
Birth of Aubrey!

Febuary
Moved to CT

March
Went and visited our friends in TX

April
Easter

Visit w/Amanda
May
we got to see our TX friends again in New Mexico

June
Curts Bday, lots of berry picking

July
My bday, family here

August
Great Aunt Bobbie passed away

Andrew was potty trained!

September

October
FALL!!! Halloween Andrew was a Clown and Pirate, Aubrey was a ladybug

Went on a family trip to Portland, Maine

November
Went to TX to see our fav Aunt get married to this great man, and my fav niece!

We spent time with our buddies too!

December
Andrew turned 3!!!!

picked our Christmas tree, played on ice

Happy Birthday Andrew!

2010-12-06T20:37:00.005-06:00

Wow! Three years ago we were in the hospital not knowing what was ahead of us! The LORD has brought us so far since then! Andrew has been doing great! He still receives Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy. We are seeing a lot of progress with the Botox treatments too. He still does not have much use of "righty", but he has become more aware of it and uses it to assist "lefty".
Andrew also started Preschool today and loved it! It was snowing so I hope to have some pictures when he goes again on Friday.

I love you buddy! You are growing so fast! I pray that the greatest gift we can give you is Christ! Happy Birthday!

The Hand-Me-Down House

2010-10-27T07:33:00.005-05:00

I love a good Hand-me-down! Nothing is better! Curt and I have recently been blessed with the opportunity to buy the house he grew up in, and that we are currently living in. It is so great! It has a great big yard and plenty of room for our family and friends to come stay too! It needs some updates here in there but that will be part of the fun of making it "ours."

(View from the front yard)

(View from the back yard and our next door neighbors will soon be my sister and brother-in-law)

Here are all their names from when they built the house back in 1983.

This is a height chart that was started by Curt and his sister, and we have now added the next generation of Chadwick kids.

So here's to the next 20 something years the house has to offer!

Aubrey 7 months

2010-09-09T19:42:00.003-05:00

Aubrey and Andrew at about the same age

Weekend Fun

2010-08-01T20:36:00.007-05:00

This weekend my mother-in-law and I took Andrew and Aubrey to the CT shore. It was a beautiful day! We went some new friends and had a blast! Aubrey keep going after the sand and Andrew had a great time digging holes and playing with his trucks!

Also Aubrey has now started CRAWLING!!!! She sure is busy! Here is the video:

And Aubrey's 6 month photos:

( and just cause he is so cute i put this one on here)

Mi Casa Su Casa

2010-06-22T20:46:00.003-05:00

It has been three months since we left our friends and family back in Texas (writing this is bringing tears to my eyes thinking of you all!) Aubrey has grown so fast these couple months, she is rolling over , scooting all over the place, and almost sitting on her own. Andrew has given up his paci (which was probably harder on me than it was for him), talking all the time now, and sleeping in a big boy bed. Potty training is next on our list! Curt is hard at work comutting back and forth from here to D.C., enjoying the challenges that being a Caption brings! I am still able to stay home with the kids, for now. Raising a child with special needs is a job all of it's own. I am so blessed to be settling in here in our "new" house. Our family has been so helpful and they have blessed us in so many ways! Nothing is more important than family and friends! We are still looking for a church in the area. With Curt working weekends it has made it a challange. But I am reminded of God's beauty every time I look out my window and see the rolling hills, the fireflys, the flowers and the faces of my children. It is through times like these that remind me to just be still and see Him at work in our lives. I am also reminded that it is nothing of my own doing that has me where I am, it is all Him and Him alone!

You can check out photos of the last couple months here

We Moved!

2010-05-15T20:21:00.005-05:00

It's official! We have sold the house and have moved to Connecticut! Curt made the LONG drive with his Dad this week and they named themselves, "Nick" and "Chip!" Which despite the name, everything made it in one piece. (Our guest bed frame flew out of the truck but that was on the road after we unloaded it!)

We will be moving into the house Curt grew up in! How neat is that! What's even better is, in the next couple months my sister-in-law and her husband will be building on the lot next door, so they will be our neighbors! I'll try to post some pics soon of the house. But I lost my camera today when we took Andrew and Aubrey to see Thomas (more on that later).

On a side note Aubrey turns 4 months in a couple days! I can't believe it! She is such a happy baby, loves to smile at everyone! Andrew is a great big brother!

Update

2010-03-18T20:02:00.005-05:00

Wow! Where do I start? The last two months have been pretty crazy for us. It started when our family of three turned into a family of four, with the birth of our daughter, Aubrey Noel. Then Curt got promoted to Captain! Yeah husband!!! So instead of commuting to Atlanta every week, now it's DC. After one week of the new commute we realized this was not going to work, we had to move! So a week and half later with the help of my mother-in-law, father-in-law and our friends, we started the first phase of our move. We packed and moved to Connecticut. Which is where we are now, waiting and praying for our house to sell and figure out where we are going to settle.

Aubrey is 10 1/2 weeks and getting so big! So far she has been to TX, CT, UT, GA and MN(via the airport). She is cooing and smiling all the time. It is amazing how fast they grow!

Andrew is getting big and doing great! He went for his second round of botox a couple weeeks ago in TX. I can see a huge diffrence. Now we are trying to figure out the best therapy here in CT for him. It is very overwhellming because there are so many opptions! We started swim therapy here at the YMCA and he loves it!
Also for Easter Andrew rode a pony! He loved it!

Curt has been busy flying and tinkering on his RC plane when he is home.

It is so nice to be here enjoying the time with family.
(Here is Curt's Great-Aunt Barbara w/Aubrey.)

Video of Andrew and Aubrey

2010-01-24T10:42:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the awkward angle!

Updated photos

2010-01-20T11:00:00.002-06:00

Here are some more pics of Aubrey! More to follow...

Aubrey Noel Chadwick

2010-01-18T17:09:00.002-06:00

Aubrey Noel Chizzlewick born 1259 6 lbs. 1 oz. looks like her poppa! Mom and baby are doing well, resting. If your around and wanna come meet her give me a call we are at Harris Meathodist in Hurst. Blessed. - Curt

Andrew Turned TWO!!!

2009-12-07T13:58:00.003-06:00

Last weekend ( I know I am late at writing this), we celebrated Andrew's 2nd birthday! We are so thankful for all our family and friends that shared this exciting time with us! Thank you all so much for everything! Everything was perfect! I am such a bad mom though, I have no pictures from the party! So after the Grandma's sends me some, I will share.

These are just a few from our Thanksgiving and pics w/Santa:

Andrew also had Botox done last week and they say it takes about a week to take effect Already we are seeing improvement. It is not a permanent fix, but it should help stretch out his muscles and help him use "righty."

Surprise Shower

2009-11-07T20:50:00.002-06:00

My girlfriends gave me a Surprise Baby Shower today, and boy (or I should say 'girl') was I surprised! I am so blessed to have such a great group of girlfriends! They even surprised me with my mom being there! It was great! Thank you all so such, I love you all!

I am 29 weeks now and definitely getting bigger! It is now impossible to tie my shoes, paint my toes, and almost impossible to bend down. I guess you forget these things, cause we end up doing it all over again!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:24:00.002-06:00

Here are some photos from our Halloween:

http://picasaweb.google.com/curtmandychadwick

Videos

2009-10-21T14:35:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple new videos of Andrew.

This is when we went and rode the kids train, and Andrew loved it! He was a little nervous but was waving to everyone by the end. This is the only video/picture I have cause I didn't charge the battery!

This has become a regular night time activity. He sure loves playing with his daddy!

This is a hint at what is in the next post!

It's a.....

2009-09-10T19:08:00.003-05:00

So we had our 20 week sono appointment today. Everything looked great! Baby is healthy and getting big. Our sono tech did a great job in keeping it a secret from us since we (mostly Curt) didn't want to know.
After as I was talking to the nurses and joking with them that my husband is the one that wanted to wait, and that I wanted to find out, and we weren't going to find out because of him. It was then that one of them decided to go ask the sono tech and then come and whisper it in my ear! Needless to say I wasn't asked if I wanted to know, but now we know! So the moment you all have been waiting for........

It's a GIRL!!!! Praise God she is healthy and we couldn't have asked for anything more than that!

Lake House

2009-09-10T10:36:00.005-05:00

Here are a few photos from our time in CT:

No trip is complete without going picking... this time was apples and blueberries. Andrew ate one blueberry for every two we picked!

Daddy and Drew went on a kayak ride:

Playing in the water:

And of course Curt had a blast flying his plane:

CT Wedding

2009-09-10T10:19:00.004-05:00

We had the privilege of witnessing my sister in-law, Cary, and my new brother in-law, James, getting married this last weekend in CT. It was so pretty! They held it at an eco-friendly farmhouse and the ceremony was outside in front. The flowers were awesome and of course she looked GREAT!!!!!! It was so special and everything went smoothly, despite a couple hiccups!

Andrew had a blast and did really well. He was the ring bearer (with some help from Daddy). He loved watching everyone dance and and even got on the dance floor himself a couple times.

We were so blessed to have shared in this special time with our family! We love you Aunt Cary and Uncle James! Have fun in the Galapagos!

Pregnancy Update

2009-09-10T10:13:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture from last week that I am finally updating. We also go today for our 20 week sonogram. Yea! So I will post an update on that later.

Chuck E. Cheese

2009-09-10T10:05:00.003-05:00

I am a big fan of Chuck E. Cheese! For those of you that don't know, I used to work there when I was in H.S. So we decided to have a Family Fun Night there last weekend.

It was great cause we ran into some dear friends of ours from my old job.

Andrew had a blast ridding all the movable rides and watching Daddy shoot the bad guys!

Andrew's 1st "professional" Hair Cut

2009-09-10T09:53:00.003-05:00

Andrew was such a good sport and looked so handsome! Now, if only I can fix it like she does!

Time Flies!

2009-07-21T21:18:00.005-05:00

Wow! Has it really been more than a month since I last posted? Yikes!

To update you on Drew, he has been doing really good! He has stopped PT, due to meeting all the milestones and goals she had for him (at this time)! Praise God! He is walking all the time and is getting really good at it too! Started speech therapy last week, so we will be working on him talking more. He can say a few things and it always amazes me how fast he picks it up.

We have been super busy (as usual) this summer with visiting family in CT, family in OK, and friends and family in FL. It has been great getting to see everyone.

Also I don't think we have officially blogged: WE ARE PREGNANT! 13 weeks! So Drew is going to be a big brother come January. So far the pregnancy is going well. We are glad to be past the first trimester.

Yes, our house is still for sell. We are waiting on the Lords timing and for the perfect buyer. It helps that we aren't in any big rush, but it would be nice to "move" on if that were we are supposed to be.

So, this is where we are at. I will try to keep you updated sooner!

Etsy Site

2009-06-06T08:52:00.004-05:00

My very talented sister and bro-in-law have recently started their own Etsy shop. They have some very cute baby bibs, burp clothes, and onesies. So if you need a baby gift go check it out!

The Winner Is....

2009-06-01T07:58:00.002-05:00

I decided to do a winner for all three types of burp cloths. Thank you all for trying, and I can't wait to do it again next year! SO the winner's are:

Boys- Ammie said...

These are cute cute cute. I would choose the boy colors. At five months, we seem to be using more burp cloths!

I am liking vegetarian food lately, and I found a tasty veggie egg roll recipe. Mmmm.

May 28, 2009 10:01 AM

Girls- Stacey - Elle Belle said...

My favorite meal is italian beef in the crock pot. I'd like to win the girl set!

May 27, 2009 8:12 PM

Neutral-Brittany said...

I love the boy ones, but since my sister is being patient and leaving it a surprise until birth, I'm going to have to go with gender neutral.

I like making pasta. I know it sounds weird, but try this sometime: pasta with asparagus. Cut the asparagus and cook it with some minced garlic in lemon or orange fancy soda. You know, like San Pelligrino or the kind that come in glass bottles (Target has some great ones). The soda makes the asparugus slightly sweet so that even my four year old will eat it! My husband, however, will not.

Hope you enjoy!!!!

May Giveaway Day!

2009-05-25T20:49:00.010-05:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

May Giveaway Day! Starting May 27th- May 31st my readers will have a chance to win a set of three homemade burp cloths (possibly different fabric than what is pictured).

For a chance to win, please tell me your favorite meal to make or bake. Also let me know if it will be for a boy, a girl, or gender neutral (not pictured). Then I will randomly select a winner. Thanks and good luck!

Andrew is going to be a "Little Heroes"

2009-05-16T14:07:00.005-05:00

The Littlest Heroes Project provides the following photograph services; Photo sessions for children infant- 21 who are dealing or have delt with any type of serious illness, children who have been a part of any type of serious illness resulting in illness or disability, photo sessions for families who have lost children within the last 3 years due to a serious accident or illness, organizations or foundations holding events/ fundraisers for a child or for children suffering from serious illnesses.

http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/Littlest_Heroes_Project/Home.html

Constraint Induced Therapy (CIP)

2009-05-13T13:01:00.002-05:00

Next Tuesday we go for our first appoint to get Andrew casted with a bivalve cast. It means that it will go on his good arm and we can take it off at the end of the day. I am a little nervous and excited all at the same time. I know he is going to HATE it and am not looking forward to it but I know it will help him greatly to use "Righty". So any advice you who have already done this have for us is greatly appreciated. Thanks!! (You can see how tight and fisted he is in these pics)

Just a heads up

2009-05-13T12:42:00.003-05:00

Sew, Mama, Sew! is hosting another Giveaway Day! This is a really fun event and I encourage everyone that can to participate. The list of participating blogs will be posted on May 27. SMS is hoping to make things run more smoothly this time around by a) extending the time that each giveaway is open, and b) arranging their list of participating blogs by what is being given away.

Find out how to participate here, and check back on the 27th to enter my giveaway!

another giveaway!

2009-05-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

go visit Baby Bug Creations She has some really cute handmade baby items she is giving away!

Scoop Give Away!

2009-05-06T21:38:00.003-05:00

I found this very talented graphic designer from a friend of mine who won a blog make-over recently. She is now giving away another one! So hurry on over here to and sign up and win a new blog make-over!

Walking!

2009-05-01T22:17:00.004-05:00

Andrew has finally started to walk. He still has a long way to go but we are super thankful for what the Lord has done in his life. Check it out here at the youtube site.

Andrew at seventeen months (in 5 days)
-weighs 23 lbs
-starting to use a spoon
-walking
-talking says... light, dada, mama, cracker, that, night-night
-signs "all done", "please", "bye-bye"
-blows kisses
-still in OT, PT and soon Speech Therapy
-wearing a leg brace and hand brace
-loves to rough house with Daddy
-loves to Skype with Grandparents
-fav food is pasta and mandarin oranges
-loves his dog JAX
-loves the outdoors

Every time we hit one of these new milestones we Praise God!!!!

Sewing Madness!

2009-04-29T10:18:00.003-05:00

I recently got the bug for sewing! Here are a few things I have done so far:

Movie Time

2009-04-28T09:26:00.003-05:00

A

Andrew blowing kisses!

Good times!

2009-04-23T13:14:00.004-05:00

I just got back from a long weekend with my sister and brother-in-law in Florida, and it was great! My sister had a beautiful baby girl, Zoli, in February and I had not yet met her.

A BIG thank you to Grandma Chadwick for coming and watching Drew for us!

I was able to get my baby fix in and learn some new sewing skills while there. We made a few things I will post later but check out this onesie: (Look at how cute she is too!)

Here is my sis while working hard at the sewing machine (not happy with what we were doing):

My bro-in-law also spoiled me with lots of yummy food (thanks David!):

Love you guys and can't wait to see you all again soon!

Not Moving...

2009-04-02T20:36:00.002-05:00

The contract on our house did not go through this week. The lady that was interested could not get a loan. So... The Chadwick's are not yet moving! I think we learned that next time we wait till it is final to tell everyone.

Moving right along!

2009-03-31T08:04:00.004-05:00

Yes it is true... we sold our house! So Lord willing, Atlanta here we come! We still have no idea where we are going to live in the city but I am sure after a few trips out there we will find something to make our home. We will miss all out dear friends and family here but feel it is time to move forward in life. So please keep us in your prayers as we seek His will in this and all that is ahead of us! Thanks for your support!

If your ever in Atlanta please come stop by and say hi!

Also on a side note, we decided not to do Botox at this time. Which now with us having to find all new Doctors I think it was a good decision.

here is the little goober after he decided he needed to empty the whole tissue box

Long time no write!

2009-03-22T13:06:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know it has been forever since I last posted! We have been busy here as usual. We just returned from a whorl wind trip to the Big Apple and visiting our family in CT. We were accompanied by our dear friends, The Sappington's! It was great! We go to spend a day in Massachusetts's, and two days in NYC. The kiddos stayed with Grandma, Pops and Aunt Cary. Thank you guys again for helping!

Curt will be home this week, unfortunately because he has the flu! Hopefully he can keep it to himself!

We also start Botox this week for Andrew. I am a little nervous because there are so many things we don't know about it and the shots really hurt. But it is supposed to help a great deal with Drew's spasticity in his arm and leg. So if you have any advice on this please let me know.

Still no buyers for the house. So we are just waiting to see what God is going to do. It is comforting to know he is in control!

Glen Rose, TX

2009-03-03T09:34:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we went on our first family vacation to Glen Rose, TX. It was a really neat place. They has animals right outside our door, hiking trails and a river right behind our cabin. We grilled chicken and steaks and of course smores for dessert! Curt is in the process of putting together a short video so once he is done with that I will post it.

But for now here are some pics:

A time to weep and a time to mourn

2009-03-01T22:04:00.005-06:00

On Friday we got some devastating news, we had a miscarriage. It was a very hard time for us but as the weekend has come and gone... God is good! This reality has hit Curt and I both with so many emotions. First and foremost we are thankful for our heavenly Father who knows every situation that comes before us and gives us the strength we need to make it each day. We are so thankful for our beautiful son Andrew and we are thankful for the opportunity to try again! We have been surrounded by love, prayers and encouragement from our friends and family who we are also so thankful for! Thank you all for your prayers and support! God is good all the time! We have drawn near to the throne of grace where and we receive mercy in a time of need!

4 sale

2009-02-21T16:08:00.003-06:00

We officially have our house on the market as of last Friday. We are thankful we are not in any kind of rush to sell, but pray we do find a buyer. Curt commutes back and forth to Atlanta so, Lord willing, that will be where we move.

Tutu Cute!

2009-02-19T14:15:00.002-06:00

For those of you out there that have girls, check out this blog and her Etsy shop. This is a friend of mine from college who is very talented! (Makes me hope this next one might be a girl!)

Movie Monday

2009-02-09T10:47:00.004-06:00

OT at Home-

Here is a little example of making Andrew use "righty"

Movie Wendsday

2009-02-04T15:19:00.005-06:00

I am wanting to start "Movie Monday's," but I can't wait till next Monday so I did it today! Enjoy!

Craft time

2009-02-02T19:18:00.003-06:00

The last couple days we have had craft time here in the Chadwick house. I painted a picture for some friends of ours:

Then today we got creative and painted with puffy paint on Andrew's socks.

Now that he is getting up and walking the furniture and pushing his cart he needed some traction when he isn't wearing shoes. I got Curt to help decorate and I thought he would only want to do one or two but guess who did all but a few! What fun!

Andrew is going to be a BIG brother!

2009-01-23T15:17:00.003-06:00

It is confirmed! We are expecting baby #2, due end of September! Please keep us and the little one in your prayers. Thanks!

Skype

2009-01-22T10:35:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! You all need to get Skype so we can video chat for free! It is so cool! Our Skype name is caachadwick, call us!

Business 2009

2009-01-16T20:47:00.004-06:00

We have started 2009 in the traditional Chadwick manner.... BUSY! It never seems to slow down around here. Between three or four Dr. appointments a week for Andrew, Dr. appointments for Curt and I, working on the house and spending time together as a family things are a little crazy!

Andrew went in Yesterday for his one year check-up and all went well besides the fact he has a double ear infection. Andrew has been doing very well with his therapy. We are trying hard to have our own OT session and make him use "Righty." He also tolerates his brace really well. He still struggles with crawling and walking but loves using his walker to practice. We have not gotten any new signs out of him, still only Bye-Bye and "all done." He is pointing to things he wants and were are working on "please" but still no luck.

Curt has been home all week which has been a huge help cause I have been battling a sinus infection and now found out today I blew my ear drum! Talk about major pain! Who knew blowing your nose could cause such a serious injury!

We are still praying for direction and wisdom in the move to Atlanta. Curt and I know that God is BIG and has called us to the Inner City there. Curt is such an encouragement to me in that he wants to be bold for Christ! I got him a new bible for our anniversary and he has been so excited to study the word, even till 4 o'clock in the morning. I love my husband!

Here a couple of cute videos hope you enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/acchadwick

Frugal Moms

2009-01-04T09:58:00.002-06:00

Hey I wanted to share with you a couple of websites I found that are great for freebies and coupons on the web. Here they are:

http://www.momadvice.com/blog/

http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/

Make sure you add them to your RSS feed cause almost everyday they have new stuff.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T12:04:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!
Love,
The Chadwick's

Heavens Very Special Child

2008-12-21T15:35:00.002-06:00

I found this poem on one of my favorite blogs, it brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of this verse:
"13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13-14

It also reminds me how special Andrew is and how blessed we are to have been given such a special son!

Heavens Very Special Child (Author Edna Massionilla, December 1981)

A meeting was held quite far from Earth!
It's time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the LORD above,
This Special Child will need much love.

His progress may be very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show.
And he'll require extra care
From the folks he meets down there.

He may not run or laugh or play,
His thoughts may seem quite far away,
In many ways he won't adapt,
And he'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where he's sent,
We want his life to be content.
Please LORD, find the parents who
Will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play,
But with this child sent from above
Comes stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from Heaven.
Their precious charge, so meek and mild,
Is HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD.


by Edna Massionilla
December 1981
The Optomist- newsletter for PROUD
Parents Regional Outreach for Understanding Down's Inc.

Date Night

2008-12-17T20:32:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we were very blessed to have a group date with some of our dear friends. We started the evening at Chilli's for dinner and then headed to the main event...but it was a SURPRISE! My sweet friend Shannon had this evening all planned out for us as part of our Christmas gift.

The main event turned out to be tickets to see the ballet, The Night Before Christmas, in Dallas. It was a great show and after ended up back at Chilli's for their yummy dessert. It was so nice to get to spend the evening with our friends and with my best friend, my husband (and no crying babies).

Thanks again Shannon for the tickets, I am so thankful for your friendship!

Chadwick Style Therapy

2008-12-14T19:37:00.005-06:00

I love my husband! He is so encouraging and very creative in ways we can make Drew use his hand so it still is fun (notice the rope and the sock). Here is a little example of Andrew and our "Chadwick Style" therapy.

slip n slide

2008-12-12T08:33:00.002-06:00

This is Curt and Andrew's favorite thing to do together.... I think it is a guy thing!

Update on Drew

2008-12-04T10:03:00.005-06:00

Last week Andrew went to see a Doctor who does Cranial Osteopathy (head chiropractor). The Dr is seeing another little girl who also had a in-utero stroke and has seen huge progress with her development. He said the recovery of his other patient is nothing short of miraculous! As well, he is encouraged at how much Andrew has changed since he first started treatment and would like to see him more.

What the dr is doing is shaping Andrew's growing skull to allow the proper flow of blood to the various portions of the brain. By doing this, we pray that the damaged areas will be able to recover as remaining stem cells generate into brain tissue. It sounds crazy but even after the appointment Drew was opening his hand a little more. Another interesting note is that our friend who is in medical school in Ft worth just happened to call us that very same night saying "you gotta see this guy in Dallas, he has two patients like Andrew who had strokes and are making great progress..." As it turns out Andrew is one of those patients! I love these subtle reminders that no matter how much we think we are in control we really aren't. It is the LORD who heals and I believe He will use anyone or anything!

Also on a side note Andrew has not had any seizures for the last four weeks! Praise GOD! As quickly as they came they left! He is still on meds but soon we will decrease the dosage.

Next week we go back to a orthopedist that Andrew saw a couple weeks ago to get a brace for his leg. I am not sure the type of brace, but it will cover his right foot and leg. He will wear it all the time when he is awake. It should help him to stand and keep his foot flat. He tends to want to stand on his toe. Once we go I will try to get a photo.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

Andrew's First Birthday Party

2008-12-04T09:50:00.003-06:00

This Saturday is Andrew's birthday. We had his party last Sunday and it was a blast! He really had a great time playing with all his friends and sharing all his new toys. We are so thankful to be celebrating that he is ONE!!!! This has been a rough year with all we have been finding out and learning, but it has also been an encouraging one to see all that he is doing despite the odds! We love you Andrew, Happy Birthday!

Here he is in all his glory, he devoured his cupcake!

Here are some of my dear friends and their little ones:

For some videos of the party check out: http://www.youtube.com/user/acchadwick

And more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/curtmandychadwick

Happy Birthday, Jadyn

2008-11-18T08:57:00.002-06:00

This weekend Andrew's best buddy Jadyn turned ONE!!!! Jadyn we love you and are so thankful we could celebrate this with you!

In the beginning:

Good Times!!!!!

You guys share everything!

First Kiss!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADYN!!!!

Crawling and Pulling Up

2008-11-13T15:02:00.000-06:00

Andrew is finally pulling himself up on things. The first time he pulled up was when I went into his room and he was standing in the crib. I love walking in and seeing him do this:

Next it was standing at the table he plays at.

Now it is pulling up to the couch to usually touch the computer or to get the remote. Sorry about the background noise :-) (I love my husband!!!!! He makes me laugh!)

These are big milestones for us cause we really don't know what he is going to be able to do or not to do.

Then today he started to get on his knees and actually crawl. He still tends to do the belly crawl but he is trying to crawl so I am super excited. I can't believe he is about to turn ONE!!!! We are so thankful for all that the Lord is doing and will continue to do! He is still having sezuires so please continue to keep him in your prayers! Thanks so much!!!!

Also in the last couple days he has started dancing when he hears music, I will try to get it on video soon.

Quilt givaway

2008-11-12T13:40:00.002-06:00

Dana at Old Red Barn is having another quilt qiveaway! Go on over and check them out! She is not giving one away, but three!

The Delgados

2008-11-11T22:33:00.002-06:00

Please pray for our friends the delgados, they had their babies tonight. Needless to say it was an emotional evening but God is good.

Halloween

2008-11-02T09:43:00.004-06:00

This was Drew's first Halloween and we all had a blast. First Drew helped his Daddy carve a pumpkin:

Then we toasted some seeds:

Then later that day we took some photos:

Last but not least Drew and Curt went Trick or Treating :

Which resulted in candy and Drew's second lollipop, thanks to his daddy!
Also due to the lollipop Andrew had a major sugar rush which resulted in one wild and crazy baby.

Our Little Messy Monkey

2008-10-24T15:20:00.005-05:00

Isn't he cute! Grandma made his Halloween costume and so we just had to try it on! Here he is:

Update on Drew

2008-10-24T15:10:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! Here are the notes we got from Dr Kelfer, Andrew's Neurologist, thank you all again for keeping us in your prayers! We have a mighty God and He loves our little guy more than we could even imagine!

1. What is Andrew's diagnosis? Cerebral Palsy (aka CP) and Epilepsy from the stroke which is the main diagnoses along with brain damage and seizures. The types of seizures are partial complex seizures, which means it happens on only the right side
2. Does Andrew have hemiplegia CP? Yes right sided
3. Are his seizures epileptic or non-epileptic? epileptic
4. Are they Petit mal? no
5. How necessary is it to treat the seizure's with Medication? Can this be treated without medication? What happens if you don't treat it with medication? Very important it would not be good stop it. Seizures beget more seizures
6. Can you tell is there any sensory loss on his rt. side? he didn't know this we will tell with time
7. When will one be able to tell if there are any profound disabilities? after year and if he has not reached any verbal milestones(mama, Dada) and pincher/ grasping skills, and if not he will need speech therapy. Also there was some concern if these do not happen there could be some mental delays/disabilities
8. Will he be able to walk? need extensive, lifelong care?????? cant tell yet
9. Do you think he needs orthotic device for hand/or foot area? that is up to PT and OT, recommended s to see Dr Marks who is a spasisity Dr, helps with tone
10. Exactly what area of the brain is this damage? what lobe??? temporal, parietal? almost the whole left side not so much any particular lobe
11.What are the side effects of his medication? new med has less than phenobarb, low sodium and increase in appetite
12. How long will he be on it? How will we know when to discontinue it? a year and after they test him to see if he is still having seizures
13. Does it effect liver functions or blood count?no
14. How do you feel about cranial sacral adjustments?similar to chiropractic it will not make a huge difference and did not cause the seizures but could make him feel better
15. Can you recommend another pediatrician that actually works with brain damage/special needs children. Someone that is aware of the developmental delays. Someone trained to identify any weaknesses or potential problem? no the one we have is fine
16. How do you feel about water therapy for Andrew? Do you think this would help his RT side? Would you write a RX for it? yes it would be helpful if we can find it
17. Is Andrew drooling because of motor problems? how long will this last? will it get better? there is medicine if it does not get better that he can take, but it could make him constipated
18. He appears to get startled a lot- loud noises bothering him....explain that. just a symptom of the brain damage
19 How do you tell if he has any visual problems? no (we actually went today to have his eyes check and they were good)

Seizures are very unpredictable. if they do continue there our other meds he can try and they will need to bring him in for an overnight evaluation.

Go vote!

2008-10-20T21:33:00.002-05:00

In a couple of weeks we will all be voting (I hope). So in preparation for this big event us Chadwick's have our own voting going on.....so please go check it out and vote!

Artwork

2008-10-20T15:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went to Michaels Craft Store for one thing and of course came out with a lot more than I expected.
I recently saw on another Blog a sign that a mom did for her baby with his name. I have been looking for the last year for something like this and was encouraged, thinking I too could just do it myself. So here is how it turned out:

I am thinking of putting it here:

Also on a side note: the one thing I went in for I forgot to get!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-20T14:38:00.003-05:00

Once again I love this time of year! The weather here has been so nice. Last weekend we decided to get out and enjoy it, so we took Drew to a pumpkin patch along with some of our dear friends. It was fun we even came home with a souvenir: a PUMPKIN!

I too echo my husband

2008-10-18T19:39:00.002-05:00

As most of you have heard either from here or from me personally, you know about our friends, The Delgado's. I too am urging everyone to pray! Pray for them that God would give them wisdom in the days ahead, pray that if it is the Lord's will he would heal those precious babies, pray that all who don't know Him will be drawn to Him through this, and pray for the doctors that they would have wisdom likewise. I am so encouraged by this family faith! They never cease to amaze me in the way that they are always pointing everything back to our loving father. I know I too question why? But who are we to question the workings of our father. Who knows what His plan is for them through this, and who knows what His plan is for any of us in any situation we face. But one thing we do know is that we are called to trust in Him despite the situation and be still and know that He is God!

Yummy Goodness

2008-10-15T14:47:00.003-05:00

I found a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Little Momma and Company, and decided to make them today. Nothing like warm cookies fresh from the oven on a yucky cloudy day. They are super easy and take no time at all.

Soft cake box cookies
1 package of cake mix
1/3 C oil
2 eggs
Heat oven to 375. Stir together cake mix, oil and eggs with a spoon until well blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets to make 22 cookies.
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until puffed and almost no indentation remains when touched. Cool 1 minute, remove onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

We made it after a very long couple days and we are home! Andrew is having seizures and they have started him on medicine to help. Unfortunately we will not know more until we go see our Neurologist in two weeks. So until then... we are thankful for all that God is doing and reminded that he is in control.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. Heb 10:23

What!? A seizure?

2008-10-08T15:24:00.004-05:00

Yes so the other day I started noticing Andrew was doing some out of the norm movements. As I further investigated and thanks to his Mimi, I suspected they were seizures. So after a call to the doctor and a week later, we are here in the hospital for a 24 hour evaluation to monitor and evaluate for any seizure activity. They have hooked Andrew up to a EEG machine and he has leads all over his head, he looks very silly, so the can check his brain waves when it happens. Well it happened thankfully while we were here and they came in and were able to catch it. The nurses have not come back to tell us all the details but please be keeping the little messy monkey in your prayers! As far as what the future holds we are not sure but we know who holds it!

One is silver and the others gold!

2008-09-29T08:28:00.006-05:00

For those of you that ever did girl scouts you will remember the song we used to sing "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold!!!!" This was just a reminder to me of all the friends I have all across the world and how special each and everyone of you are!

This weekend my dear friend Shannon threw me a Surprise-Belated-Birthday-Scavenger-Bash! It was great! The day started with the first clue that led us to Shannon's house for a awesome lunch and the greatest part was it was just us girls!!! (more pictures to come)

Then came the second clue which led us to going to get a pedicure and manicure. What girl wouldn't want that!

Then the third clue led us to dinner with the rest of the gang... our husbands and kiddos.

It still went on to the last clue and destination being our house for yummy dessert and fellowship! It was a great day and just reminded me of how thankful we are for all our friends.

Fall!

2008-09-16T10:09:00.004-05:00

The dog days of summer are behind us we opened up all the windows here the last couple days. It has been so nice out! This is my favorite time of year. Actually I think I say that twice a year, once now and again at springtime. Those of you who know how HOT Texas can be know that we welcome Fall.

My Mother and Father-in-law came and spent the weekend with us and even though it was a short time we accomplished a lot. We Went to the Civil War Museum, had dinner with family, and I learned how to embroider. Andrew also had a fitting for his Halloween costume that Grandma is making and just to keep you in suspense I am going to wait to tell you what it is! We had a great time! Can' t wait to see you all again soon!

To Flu Or Not To Flu

2008-09-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

Andrew went today to his 9 month check up and the Dr said he looked great and was right were he should be. It has been very encouraging watching Andrew lately as he is progressing in milestones. Due to Andrews stroke we did not know what would be ahead of us and what he would struggle with. But God is good and each day we continue to look to Him and see what He will do in Andrew's life. I am encouraged that he is scooting and moving right along. Still has not said any words like Dada or Mama but we are hoping he will one day soon. Also on a side note he has been going to OT weekly and recently we took him to a neck and back Dr. that specializes in head injuries or traumatic births for kids. After we could tell a difference in how lose Andrews hand was and he was using it more. We go back in a couple weeks and the Dr will look at Andrew again.

Also the pediatrician recommended we give Andrew the Flu shot, what are your thoughts? I am thinking of not doing it but if you have any advice please let me know, thanks!!

Our dear friends

2008-09-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

Some of you know our dear friends, The Delgado's. But those of you that don't here is their blog that tells their story. Please go see what awesome things God is doing! I am so encouraged by their faith and I hope you will be too!

Good Times Delgado Style

Andrew's first hair cut

2008-09-01T18:15:00.004-05:00

So today Curt gave Andrew his first official hair cut. I didn't know if I was going to cry or laugh. It started with us just just using scissors and it ended with Curt and the clippers! Let me also tell you not only was this Andrew's first haircut it was Curt's first time giving a haircut. The good news is it will always grow back. I think next time we are going to the professionals.

It was after this that we decided to break out the clippers

Like father like son

The Chooch Skooch

2008-08-31T14:09:00.003-05:00

What my husband calls Andrew's new moves.

Atlanta

2008-08-22T09:53:00.004-05:00

Curt wrote a summery of our trip to Atlanta, to check it out go here. On a side note: I had a great time with my friend Julie and her two little girls. We got to hang out at a coffee shop for moms, it provides day care in the back of the shop so moms can sit and talk. Gee what a great concept we need more of those! Then on Wednesday we took all the kiddos to the zoo and had a blast seeing all the animals.

Thanks Julie for a great time, can't wait to see you all again soon!

Here is a little video of Julie's oldest making Andrew laugh. And listen closely to the end.

Yes she says he has a lot of poopy on his face ( AKA spit up) :) Isn't she cute!

Chapter 1- Atlanta

2008-08-16T12:17:00.003-05:00

Okay so most of you know we are about to start a new chapter in our lives titled, Atlanta. So we are here now in the Atlanta area scoping it out for the next five day to see what the LORD has for us. Please keep us in your prayers that we would be open to all He wants for us and for direction, thanks!

new necklace

2008-08-11T20:32:00.004-05:00

Today I received my b-day gift from my mom. It was this new piece of jewelry:

I found this cool necklace at this Etsy link. So go check out her stuff, she has some really neat pieces.

(Thanks Mom! Love you!)

Pre Crawl

2008-08-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a little video of Andrew. He is not crawling yet just rotating in a circle, and usually always in the same direction, to the right.

Isn't he cute!

2008-08-07T09:39:00.003-05:00

This is how Andrew likes to sleep these days........ isn't it cute!!!!

Teething Times

2008-08-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

So recently Andrew started teething! This was a day I was waiting for. I kept wondering, when is it going to happen? I knew it would be closer to one before he got any teeth cause Curt and I both were late bloomers. Now I am sure you moms who have already experienced this time in your little ones lives are smiling when I say I was "looking forward to it". Who knew those pesky teeth were going to cause so much trouble. Andrew has been sooooooooo fussy because of it, today being one of those. Granted we are just in the beginning, right now I can only feel those two little bumps on the bottom of his gums, but I know they are there and soon they will pop out and be seen. So any advice on how to keep a fussy teething baby happy please let me know, it would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Mad skills

2008-07-30T17:29:00.013-05:00

This is one of Baby Drew's best buddies Jadyn. Jadyn came over for a play date but Andrew thought it was a real date! Here is what they were saying:

"Hey Jadyn, my mom says I am cute, what do you think?" Jadyn is more interested in the camera.

"Jadyn, do you mind if I put my hand here?" Again Jadyn is not to impressed, so he keeps trying.

"See Jadyn, he won't hurt you." "Jax sit!" "Good boy!"

It was after seeing Andrew's mad skills that Jadyn now wanted a piece of Andrew!

P>S> Notice the tie-die! We made these cute onesie's when we where in CT. Thanks to all the friends and family who helped!

Surprise!!!

2008-07-28T21:15:00.003-05:00

Today I received the sweetest surprise, a care package from my best friend Amanda!
Inside were a couple great books, a journal, a devotional, a cool tote bag and to top it all off a gift card to Starbucks. I am so excited to start reading them and can't wait to have some quite time at Starbucks digging in Gods word. Thanks Amanda!

Summer Fun

2008-07-23T17:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Andrew had his very first swim lesson. Thanks to Shannon he is now not afraid of the water as he once was. As you can see he was not a happy camper if any water got splashed on him. But after being dunked a couple times he actually got used to it. It's such fun when we all get together,
cant wait till the next swim party!

Trash or Treasure

2008-07-21T21:19:00.004-05:00

I love that old saying that goes, "One persons trash is another persons treasure." My mom and I went and hit up some garage sales this past weekend and I actually found some great buys. I don't think I will ever pay FULL price for toys or baby clothes again. We found all these toys and some clothes (not all pictured) for under $20. Andrew outgrows his clothes so fast that most of them he only wears a couple times, it is ridiculous. I think you can get way better deals at garage sales than at resale shops too. The down side is some days you can find a ton but then other days nothing. So if you ever want to go to a garage sale , let me know I'd love to see what treasures we can find.

Cherry Pickin

2008-07-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

Also here are some cute pics of Andrew's first time pickin cherries in CT. We had a blast with Grandma! We had a blast with grandma and grandpa Chadwick for 4th of July! Cant wait to see them again soon!

Quilt Give Away

2008-07-15T16:28:00.000-05:00

Some of you know I am wanting to learn how to sew. Well there are so many awesome Blogs out there that have some great ideas and some really cool quilts. I have found a lady that is giving away a BEAUTIFUL quilt here is how she describes it:
the front is made with the incredibly fabulous fabric from designer Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller fabrics. The fabric comes from Sandi's first fabric collection called Ginger Blossom which is bright, fresh but a little bit vintage-y feeling.
But you will have to go to her web site and see the wonderful pictures she took and vote for me so maybe I could win......hint hint! Thanks! Here is the site: old red barn
Please go and check it out!

Friends and Family

2008-07-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

OK we are finally back from all the many wonderful vacations we have been on. Drew has been to Florida twice, CT twice, and Utah! All in the seven months he has been alive. It is such a blessing having a husband who works for the airlines. Well some of you know we had a garage sale last weekend and it was a great success. If it were up to my husband we would have sold every item in the house, but with much persuasion we still have some furniture. The reason for the garage sale..... we are praying about moving to Atlanta. HUGE bummer!!!! We have so many great friends and family here that it is such a hard decision, but I think one we must do. Please keep us in your prayers as we wait on the LORD for His direction!

Just to let you know Andrew has been rolling all over and now is starting to do the army crawl!! I cant believe how fast he is growing!

First Blog!!!!

2008-06-29T00:23:00.000-05:00

Okay many of you have kept in touch with us through Curt's Blog so I finally decided it was time to start my own.

We are leaving for our third vacation this summer and summer is only half way over. We are very blessed to be able to visit family in many different states. So far we have been to Florida, Utah and soon Connecticut. I am also starting a new hobby: sewing. If any of you have any advice on what kind of sewing machine would be good for a beginner like myself please let me know. My goal by fall is to make a tote bag, and to start a quilt. I am totally inspired by all the cool fabric out there and can't wait to see what I can find.

On a side note Drew is doing very well we are still going to therapy and he is rolling over and sitting by himself. He is such a blessing!!!