flu shots and physicals...

Both Tate and Cason had their annual well child appointments.  In addition, all 3 boys got their flu shots while we were there.

Tate...

He weighed 47lbs and I can't remember his height.  He was in the 55th percentile for weight and the 56th percentile for height.  He volunteered to go first for his flu shot and didn't shed a tear or whine whatsoever.  He flinched just a little bit and then hopped up and thanked the nurse.  Seriously...love that kid!

With the little reaction Tate made, Wesley volunteered to go 2nd.  He said "owie" and then said, "OH...ah done.", hopped up and was tearing apart the room like usual.  Yup...also amazing.

Then poor Cason.  He was giggling at me when the needle went in, then came the silent cry.  You know, the one where you're just begging them to take a breath.  He finally did.  It was so sad.  It was over and he was smiling again about 10 seconds later.  Love that kid.  He is progressing so well and weighed in at 23lbs.  He is much smaller on the scale...in about the 15th percentile for both height and weight.  However, the most exciting part of his appointment was finding out that his head grew 1 whole centimeter in just 3 months!!!!  This is HUGE people.  His head size is our biggest concern.  He is microcephalic and in order for him to continue to progress and develop, his head MUST GROW!  So I was soooo happy to hear this news!  His condition is different than some children with microcephaly.  His doctor said that unlike many other children with microcephaly, the growth of his brain will aid in his head growing.  This makes sense because us has learned a lot and done a lot more in these last 3 months...his brain is growing and so is his head! :) 

So proud of all of our boys!

Halloween Eve...

Our little monster and little skeleton...both very fitting costumes!

Is it bad that we didn't dress Cason up?  We talked about several ideas, but in the end, it was cold and we just didn't do anything to dress him up.

 

And Wesley slepped through trick or treating...for reals.  He was TIRED and we decided to put him up in his room to "rest" when he was getting a bit out of control and when Sean went to get him out after a few minutes, he was dead asleep.  He woke up about 30 seconds before Sean and Tate got home from Trick or Treating.  He didn't seem to care.  We put him in his costume and he handed some candy out with me and I took a picture.  He Trick or Trunked at Tate's school on Monday, so he didn't completely miss out.  Also, we're going to the Halloween parade tomorrow night, so maybe we'll put him in his costume for that too since it's a really warm costume. :)

 

I got to go to Tate's fieldtrip to Ridgecrest Nursing Home for Trick or Treating on Monday.  It was so fun to go!  Tate loved going there and it was fun to see how Tate is in his class and to meet some of his classmates.

Not sure what he's doing here, but his face cracks me up!  I posted this picture though so you could see that his "bleeding heart" on his costume, lights up...it's so cool.

And this little old lady was SO SWEET!  She played the Hokey Pokey and the kids danced.  She used to be a teacher and she just loved the kids being there!

 

And here's a cool story...
Tate talks a lot about Elliot from his class.  It seems that is one of the little guys he has befriended.  I get into the classroom to help a few minutes early and another mom arrived arond the same time.  We got to talking and I found out that she was Elliot's mom.  She goes on to tell me that Elliot talks about Tate all the time too!  After more conversation, we realize we are neighbors...they live 4 houses away from us on the same street.  Seriously.  SO COOL!  Tate and Elliot were so excited to learn that they are neighbors!  Anyway, his mom and I ended up riding to the nursing home together and chatting more.  She is a nurse and her husband is a teacher and they just seem like a really nice family.  We got to meet their little 3 year old tonight when they came by for trick or treating as well.  So maybe their little 3 year old boy, Owen and Wesley could start a little friendship as well!  Elliot is a good kid, so I'm glad that Tate started a friendship with him.  Looking forward to getting to know Elliot and his family better as time goes on. :)

Imitation

All the Stewart Cousins SPOOKIFIED!

 

Mom got all of the grandkids Halloween attire.  Such cute stuff!
They all loved it and so we decided to get a group picture...not always an easy task with this many little ones, but we managed to get a decent shot!
Love these kids!!!

Pumpkin Gut Fight 2012

A few years ago, Cassie and Paul started a messy tradition with their family while carving pumpkins. They would have a fight with the pumpkin guts. Well that tradition worked its way into the extended family apparently because we had quite the good time on Sunday while carving pumpkins together! :)

 

Good thing it was GORGEOUS outside and the mess wasn't inside!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So fun, so worth the mess!

And then the pumpkins were carved and TATE'S won the contest!!!

A new look and a new normal...

A new look!  I am thrilled to be able to have the faces of our newest boys grace this blog!

How have things been going for us?  They've been great!  It's been busy to say the least.  Turns out there's a lot of things to do once you finalize an adoption through foster care.  Name changes, insurance stuff, Social Security stuff, giving adoption decrees to the appropriate parties, signing releases for doctos, etc.  It's a lot.  However, we don't have social workers to juggle now and we also have the control, the ability to say "no", see the doctors/specialists we want to see WHEN we want to see them, not when we're told we have to. 

So not a whole lot has changed really, but yet it feels SO different!  Weird.  It's a new normal that we are still adjusting to, but we are really enjoying the adjustment! :)

We are happy and it all is still so surreal.  Really, we cannot believe these boys are ours forever.  It's a blessing beyond anything I ever dreamed for me or my family.  We worried every single day for MONTHS and months and guarded our hearts I think without even knowing it.  About an hour or 2 after the finalization, I got a migraine...a BAD migraine.  And to top it off, it lasted 3 days.  I swear it's because it was just a release after it was all over...a huge weight lifted.

So things are good...great really.  I feel like I need to send out about 800 thank you notes.  The love and support that was shown to us and all of the boys was unbelievable and the gifts we were all showered with were so unexpected!  I never expected anything and having you all there was so incredibly special and gift enough.  Man, we are so blessed by all of you!

I promise to be better at blogging here at A Peakin To Our Lives once these next couple of weeks have gone by.

Cason loves the trampoline!

Watch "Cason on the trampoline..." on YouTube
As you can see by the goose egg on Cason's forehead and the scrapes on his nose...he had a bit of a spill last night. He is just fine and clearly enjoys the trampoline!

My "other" blog is no longer private! :)

Since we accepted the placement of Cason back in December 2011, I have been keeping a private blog to document pictures, thoughts, daily things...just like this blog.  However, as you all know, I couldn't post those types of things publicly.  Well now, we can!  So I have opened up my private blog and made it public!

japeakin2.blogspot.com

Feel free to read it if you wish. :)  

Oh Cason

Watch "Licking the fridge" on YouTube
He does this ALL THE TIME...therefore I am cleaning my fridge ALL THE TIME!

6

Friday he turned 6.

Surrounded by all of our closest friends and family, Tate got old.

I am sorry, 6 just seems old to me.

He is a kindergartener and I can't spell things in front of him anymore and know he won't know what I am spelling.

I kissed him goodnight the night before his birthday and said, "This is the LAST time I'll be kissing me 5 year old...I am so sad!"  His response was worried, "Mommy, will you still kiss me when I'm 6?!"

Oh.My.Heart.

I want to freeze time.

He is an amazing little boy.

 

We love you Tate with all that we are and we can't imagine life without you!  We are so proud of you and the little boy you are becoming!
He got 2 little brother's and a trampoline (and LOTS of other amazing gifts!) for his birthday.
This one is one we'll never forget.
What an incredible day.
Happy Birthday, Tater Tot!

INTRODUCING....

WESLEY XANDER PEAKIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND...

 

CASON STEWART PEAKIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about them and pictures of us all together later.  I just couldn't wait to share their faces with you all first!