The last first...

One of many last first's happened today….Bryleigh lost her 1^st tooth.  Sure, we have already had a lot of last firsts, she walked, she talked, etc...but this was big for me.  Maybe b/c I'm about to turn 40?  But this seemed like a huge milestone that makes me a little sad.During the tooth pull (which was very traumatic for both of us – she was acting like I was trying to murder her and after thought it was awesome her tooth was out, while I felt devastated my baby is growing up), I was sweaty and annoyed b/c she wouldn’t let me pull it.  It was hanging on by a thread and I didn’t want her to swallow it or lose it at school and not have something to put under her pillow.  Cadence swallowed one once, which I didn’t care about b/c at that point, we were about $20 deep with the tooth fairy.  But for the FIRST…well, I wanted her to go through the whole routine!

Anyway, after it happened, and I was driving to work, it occurred to me, this was the last-first tooth my children would have. 

Sure, grandbabies will lose teeth and I will be excited for them…but this is my baby…and she’s not a baby anymore and proof of that is in a baggie under her pillow. 

I may have shed a few tears on my way to work.  Hell, who I am I kidding, I bawled (my meds are not right) and then I thanked God for letting me have that moment. 

We tried so hard to have babies and lost more than are here before we finally had ours.  And the pregnancies were hard…and Bry’s labor was scary. 

So even though it was the last-first tooth that my babies will lose, I am thankful to have experienced it.

 

she thought she was going to be gushing blood...

 

Wordless Wednesday - Bryleigh's Fashion Edition

dress from Once Upon a Bowtique

My baby is SEVEN!!

I can't even believe this...my baby is SEVEN today.  How is she growing up so quickly?  Wasn't she just born?  ugh..my heart breaks a little knowing she keeps getting older, but on the other hand, I am proud of the wonderful person she is becoming. 

Yesterday, on the way to Church, after her very small b/day party, she asked if she could use her b/day money to give at church.  My heart was so full of pride.  So, she gave some of her $ when it was time.  Her smile was huge!

Next month the plan is to stay the night in Columbus and go to the American Girl Doll store and get her, her own doll.  Yay!

After Church, Gramma took us all out to dinner.  Bry chose Denny's.  She's a cheap date.  We dropped Gramma off at Aunt Vicki's and came home.  I was able to get a few shots of the girls still dressed in their Church clothes.

Seven things you've taught/reminded me:

It doesn’t matter if you’ve done pretty much the same things raising each of your children, they will grow and be completely different from one and other.

With the right will power, you can overcome anything.

Being a girl is hard work and requires lots of girly things.

Playing dolls is a great workout for your imagination.

You can be a tough little shit, but within seconds, the most gentle, loving little girl.

You are 100% Stacey.

No matter how big you get, there is always room for you on my lap, wrapped in my arms.

I love you, always & forever. 

Cleveland Cavaliers Cheerleaders tumbling clinic

Earlier this month, Bry's coach posted an upcoming clinic with the Cavaliers cheerleaders and suggested any girls able to attend, should.  Val & I signed Bella & Bry up, thinking it was in Cleveland.  The day before it was pointed out the clinic was actually being held in Columbus.  Ugh..

We left early in the am, driving through the NEVER ending construction down 75S.  Once we arrived, we signed the girls in and left.  It was INSANELY crowded in the gym, and we were both hungry.  We stopped at McD's a few miles down the road and headed back to the gym to eat.  We sat in the car for awhile, avoiding the chaos inside.  Finally, we headed in to get a look at what was happening.

They had a bunch of different stations set up for the girls to practice at.  Bry was working hard on her back handspring. 
One of the other stations was for flying.  She LOVED this one.  look at the smile!  :)

Val & I were in the viewing area for about 10 mins.  It was all I could handle.  The smell was awful.  Like old sweat and...I don't even know.  I just know it was making me nauseous! 

Once they were done tumbling, the Cavalier Cheerleaders did a short routine for the kids.  They were AMAZING!  The one guy went crazy high during his full twist. 

They got CheerMaxx backpacks, a cup, a pair of sunglasses and Cleveland t-shirts! 

We were happy to head home.  After a stop at McD's (for the girls) & Chipotle (for Val & I), we drove straight home and Bry & I climbed into my bed and fell asleep!!  I was not a happy camper when Dennis woke me up an hour later, but it was a good thing he did since it was only 5:30 and I would have never been able to get to bed that evening, otherwise.

While it was a great learning experience for her, if it is offered again in the future, I don't think she will partake.  It was much too far of a trip for 3 hrs of a clinic. 

All-Star Cheerleading

When Cadence was 3 yrs old, she was shy.  But not the normal 3 yr old shy.  Completely debilitating.  She would freeze if you spoke to her – she wouldn’t make eye contact.  She would walk away, as though you weren’t there.  Her dr suggested we put her in a group sport., where she’d perform in front of people.
I found a great gymnastics center and she LOVED it.  It took a few months for her to talk to the coaches and make eye contact.  But finally, she felt comfortable with them.  And even more, she loved doing the activities.  For 6 mos she was the happiest kid ever.  And it really did help.  She was still really anxious about talking to people, but it was better. 
Then summer came to an end and we were told of a schedule change & price increase.  Ugh.
I couldn’t work with the schedule change, unfortunately.   BUT, in its place, I found a tiny level cheer team.  I enrolled her and she’s been a cheerleader since. 

She again went back to not speaking very often, except with people she was friends with.  But at her first competition…she ate up the attention!  I was shocked.  I was sooo worried she’d go out on the mats, in front of 100’s of people and freeze while her teammates performed…but she was on it.  She loved it!  I am fairly certain I cried at her first competition!

 

1st year cheering - tiny

As the years have gone by, she’s been on a few teams.  She started w/CSE for 2 yrs…but the coach/owner ‘retired’ to take care of her kids and so ended a decade of a great team and coaches.

2nd year cheering - tiny

 

She started on a the team that ‘inherited’ CSE, but I wasn’t a fan of their head coach.  Luckily, two of her old coaches started their own team.  She moved there for 2 years.  But again, all good things must come to an end and SEA ended so both coaches could pursue their studies. 

 

3rd year cheering - mini

4th yr cheering - mini

As every season ended, I would ask her if she was sure she wanted to do it another season, b/c once she was signed up, there was no backing out.  And every year she said yes.

After SEA, I found Titans.  Honestly, the price & minimal amount of competitions is what caught my eye.  They were a good team…but their coach left A LOT to be desired. I have now learned, we were very spoiled with our previous coaching experiences.  What we had w/CSE & SEA is not normal, unfortunately.  When TCE season ended (THEY WERE NATIONAL CHAMPS!!), Cadence finally said no, she did not want to cheer the following season.  I was shocked and a tiny bit disappointed. 

5th year - youth L1

 As a mom, who sat through HOURS of practices, I was very lucky to be surrounded by AMAZING moms.  While she was with CSE, I made quite a few friends, who I am still friends with today.  Titans was a lot different than CSE & SEA, the families all stayed to themselves and they didn’t speak to other families.  It was weird for me, having come from such a warm, friendly team. 

 After a season off, Cadence begged me to find a team.  Again, I looked for one that was inexpensive (I use the term loosely, as all-star cheer is CRAZY expensive) and found COCG.  Two of my friends brought their daughters and it felt good to watch Cadence do her thing.  And Bryleigh was able to join in on their tiny team!  She was ecstatic.  It was a hard year.  Being off a year was hard for Cadence.  It was a lot of adjustment.  Also, being with a coach that she didn’t know, again, was hard.  She missed Morgan, Chelsea & Stacey.  These were the coaches that made her love the sport.  She got through her year as a ‘ruby’ (Youth L1) and considered not joining for the most current season. 

 

Cadence's 6th yr - youth L1 & Bry's 1st yr - tiny

But she was excited to go with her friend again and joined.  This has been a heard season for her.  She’s now cheering on a L2 team.  She spends 30 mins an evening practicing facials, or BWO or arm movements.  She holds cans of veggies in the air to build up strength since she’s a base.  The very beginning of the season she wanted to quit - but I don't believe in starting something and dropping out before you finish.  Her coach was tough, and I told her it’s b/c it’s a tough level.  I have to reassure her that her coach believes in her and likes her and that she should not let what some of her teammates have said to her, affect her (way easier said than done!)…but in July, she decided she was going to prove her teammates wrong.  She may not be the best – but she is probably the most dedicated.  She tells me all the time she just wants to be able to tell them suck it.  I am proud of her determination. 

She was sad to see her friend leave a few months into the season (so was I) but happy to have her cousin join!  She said at least she has one person she can trust and knows likes her.  It makes me sad she thinks this, but proud b/c she’s not letting it stop her from doing a sport she loves.

Bryleigh has wanted to cheer as long as she’s been able to walk.  She loved following her sister around cheering with her and stunting.  Last year, her first year, as a tiny, she was on a duo team.  They always looked so freaking adorable out there performing in front of everyone.  This year she is on the ‘sapphires’ youth L1.  She is excited to have been put as a flyer.  She works very hard, too. 

Two weeks ago they had their team pictures – omgosh – they all looked amazing. 

 

Bry & her teammate trying to stay warm waiting for pics on a chilly Nov afternoon

Bry's 2nd yr cheering - mini L1 & Cadence's 7th yr cheering - youth L2

And yesterday was their first competition of the season!  They didn’t place as well as they had hoped – but they did so much better than their showcase in Oct.  It was obvious the amount of work all the girls have put into their routines!  We were all very proud of them.

 

 

They have another competition in a few weeks.  I can only imagine how much better they will look.  I don’t know if this will be Cai’s last year or not…she’s endured a lot this season, emotionally, but even if it is, her hard work has made me so proud! 

 

Cheers!

 

Happy 6th b/day Duchess!

Even though Bryleigh turned 6 back in August, she really wanted to have a Halloween b/day party.  I, also, thought that sounded like a lot more fun than another summer one.  So, we set out to have a spooky celebration.

I went to pinterest for some fun ideas.

I have a huge tote of crafts, so I was able to use a lot of that…I found a lady to make an awesome cake and it was comparable to a plain, old sheet cake. 

 

 

I didn’t spend a lot in decorations, I had a lot from the previous year..I really only used orange & black table cloths on the tables & made a photo backdrop.  Saved money & stress!

Bryleigh & her cousins

 

The crafts I laid out were simple & basic.  I did the popsicle stick scarecrow/Frankenstein/witch and ghosts from cotton balls.

 For the popsicle stick craft, I glued the popsicle sticks together before the party and also painted the green ones.  The kids only had to cut construction paper to make a witch hat, Frankenstein or scarecrow.  There were googly eyes too!  I also glued magnets on the back to hang on the fridge!

Here is a link to the website I found it on:  Frankenstein  & Scarecrow

 

I had copied a ghost outline on some paper & laid those out for the kids to cut and glue cotton balls.  Cotton ball ghost template...

We had a cupcake/cookie/brownie decorating station.  We donated them to the fire dept.  One little girls was eating all the sprinkles that fell on the table – haha!

 

We played candy corn bingo, too.  There were quite a few girls from her cheer team there, so we had a lot of cheering & stunting going on!  It was insane, but fun!  There was also a costume contest.  An adorable Minion from her class won!

 

 

 

There was a spooky lunch...and lots of kids! 

 

 

Since we are at the age of 'drop off' parties, something new I did this time was had a couple (multiple arrivals could sign in at once) sign in sheets to list parents name, phone # & any allergies their child may have. 

 I have an amazing family and quite a few of them stayed after to help clean up.  I was so appreciative of that!  Do you go crazy with your kiddos b/day parties?

 

 

2015 Apraxia Walk

This was our 4^th year joining the Apraxia Walk and Bryleigh’s last year as a superhero.  When our family started the apraxia journey 4 yrs ago, I did NOT think we would

a.     Get through it this quickly

b.    Meet amazing people during this journey

c.     Find an amazing group that has taught me so much

 Shortly after Bry was dx, I was worried about how she would progress.  My only example was our nephew Dallas.  He is now 21 yrs old and still has a speech impediment.  If he speaks too quickly, it’s hard to understand him.  I didn’t want this for Bryleigh!   I made sure to put her into intense therapy, she did 2 summers of speech camp and we constantly worked on speech at home. 
A cheer mom told me about NWO Apraxia Support shortly after Bry was dx.  We attended their second walk and I was grateful to the wonderful items she rec’d in her superhero bag!  Shortly after, I applied for & she rec’d an iPad from NWO Apraxia Support during their grant cycle.  She had a ton of speech apps and some games.  I worried she would only use it for fun.  Then one day, I walked into the family room and she was on the couch with one of the speech apps going.  It showed you how to use your mouth.  She was mimicking the person on the app.  My eyes immediately teared up! 
Her hard work paid off when she was released from speech shortly after her 5^th b/day!

About a year and a half ago, they amended their mission statement to include ‘invisible disabilities’ i.e. physical or mental challenge that is not always obvious to the onlooker, but can sometimes or always limit daily activities.  It can range from mild challenges to severe limitations and vary from person to person.  This includes, but is not limited to ADHD, anxiety, epilepsy, autism, Tourette syndrome, SPD, non-specific learning disabilities, dyslexia, CAS and other speech and language disorders. 

We applied for and rec’d a therapy grant for Cadence.  It was a huge help for her speech therapy at BG.  Woo! 

The 2014 walk was the first time Cadence was a superhero.  She thought it was pretty neat, except the part about going on stage to receive her medal.  She gets anxious about attention being on her, alone.  But she did it, so I was proud of her for that. 
This year’s walk was at the Toledo Zoo.  This was the first time the venue changed since it started 5 yrs ago.  It was amazing!!  The SWAT team came in, dressed as superheroes and repelled down one of the walk ways.  The kids loved it.  Their superhero bags were out of this world.  I was absolutely shocked when we went through them after getting home.  They were filled to the top with amazing items!

This baby penguin loved Bryleigh

My friends & I donated art supplies for this basket.  Funds raised were donated to Shared Lives Studio

Each child gets a superhero prize.  Cadence rec’d a watch that I can set up reminders.  So at different times during the day, it will vibrate and remind her to pay attention, at lunch it’s set up to remind her to wipe her face while eating.  Other reminders are to ‘take a breath’, ‘use manners’, ‘give a compliment’, ‘use fidget’, use ‘chew necklace, not shirt’.  It’s an amazing piece of equipment!  Bryleigh rec’d Tiggly.  She LOVES it!

After I worked the raffle ticket table, my mom, the girls & I walked around the zoo for a little bit.  We finally headed back for the raffle drawing for an iPad mini.

Cadence won!!!  She was soooo happy!  She could not wait to get home and play on it. It has been an amazing tool for her as well.  She has a vision therapy app, spelling word apps, reading comprehension apps…all in the form of games and she loves them. 

I will sing praises to NWO Apraxia whenever anyone will listen!  They are truly amazing.