The Horn Family

Play time with Will & Emma

2012-02-01T18:46:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest things about being a mom is watching you children happily play together. Seeing how much they love each other is the most rewarding thing in the world. Don't get me wrong....I do have to constantly intervene but there are enough moments for me to actually capture them on film!!!

Here are just a few from recent weeks....

Cousins Weekend

2012-01-23T13:15:00.000-06:00

Some of my fondest memories growing up are from when we had our own cousins nights, days and weekends. I have so many memories of all of us together and to this day we are all still very close and I want my children to grow up and have that same closeness. So this past weekend we had a cousin's weekend. We have had several in the past but I finally remembered to take pictures. This is also the first one Emma has been able to take part in (at least a little).

We did everything from showing Kali and Ava how to roast marshmallows in the fireplace to a jacuzzi bath to popcorn and a movie

Here is what happens when you have a bunch of kids and you put a mattess on the floor.

Emma has been doing great since her latest illness and had fun with all the big kids over the weekend!!

Peek-a-boo!!

Princess Emma and Sir William her knight

2012-01-20T14:44:00.000-06:00

I just love how they can play together right now and how Will uses his imagination and it just takes off when you give him ideas.

Here is Emma being pulled in her carriage by William...

Here is Emma in her castle made by Will.....

And here is Sir William her "Super" Knight.....

Protecting Emma from the fierce dragon....

Ohhhh...Nooo...The dragon attacked the castle....

Yay....Will got the dragon and saved the day!!!

9 Months!!

2012-01-14T21:20:00.000-06:00

Emma is 9 months and we have had a tough week. On Tuesday she tested positive for RSV and a double ear infection. BOOO!!! This hasn't been a fun week. We were sent home with a nebulizer and told to do breathing treatments every 4 hours. We had a hard time keeping food in her because after every treatment she was getting sick. I had to change sheets every night because she was coughing up lots of mucus and choking on it too. Poor baby has had a rough week. We went in again on Friday for a re-check and her 9 month well check and her lungs were sounding better but they were still "crackling". The ears were still a little red too. We got the all clear to go a little longer in between treatments but we still need to do them. Hopefully, we can keep some food in her now.

We were actually starting to make progress in the solid food department but that has all gone out the window.

Here are her 9 month stats:

Weight: 15lbs. 7oz. (5%)

Height: 27 3/4" (50%)

She is now pulling herself up on everything and is still scooting. We still have not officially crawled and I am thinking we will walk before we worry about crawling.

She just had to have a bite of Daddy's pizza.

Look at me mommy!!!

School Days

2012-01-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

Below is a a book of projects that Will has done over the last couple months at school. It will be fun to see how he progresses in all his projects. This is certainly not all of them but the ones that stood out for me.

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Random Videos

2012-01-09T10:27:00.000-06:00

This first video is Christmas morning. Emma was still sleeping and Will was extra eager to see if Santa came so we let him head down. His first question was "Where is my bat cave?"...Santa made him wait till he went to Mimi & Papa's.

These next 2 videos are from when we were in Kansas and watching the Polar Express. During the hot chocolate scene Will made everyone get up and dance. We had to rewind it so he could do it again plus I was able to catch it on video.

Here is Will punching everyone's tickets!!!

Christmas 2011 Take 2

2012-01-02T21:25:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas

On Monday, the day after Christmas we headed to Kansas. My wonderful husband drove us to Columbia where we met up with my wonderful parents and we did a car swap. I thank my lucky stars for my wonderful family who helps me avoid a 4 hour car ride by myself with 2 little ones. I know I could do it but I sure would need a drink when I was done. We had a great week in Kansas and got to do lots of neat things.

We got to see GiGi who is doing better and improving a little each day. Here are some good pics of GiGi and the kiddos:

We went to the mall where Will got to ride the carousel. We also went down to Union Station and Crown Center to see the trains and all the neat things Crown Center has outside. Will was amazed at all the trains and was so excited he got to ride one too. Crown Center had all sorts of huge wooden toys outside that the kids could climb on and have fun with. Will went crazy and I was lucky to get the pictures I did get because he wouldn't sit still for a second. Will really thought the iceskaters were pretty cool too and wanted to try it but maybe next year.

Emma's beautiful faces.......

Some great pictures from Christmas...

Will had to wait all week for Daddy to come before we could celebrate Christmas and boy was he ready. We celebrated Christmas on Saturday the 31st. The kids got some great things. The best were the batcave which Will got on Christmas day, the firetruck that shoots balls, his very own log cabin from Papa and a book that is just for him and Papa, a scooter and much more. Emma got some great things too.

Santa also sent him "The Elf on the Shelf". The show was on TV and we had recorded it and watched it many times during December. Will never actually said he wanted one but watched the movie many times. As soon as he opened it he knew exactly what it was and grabbed the book and hopped in his daddy's lap and asked him to read it to him. It was so funny to see him so excited about it. In the movie the name of the elf is Chippy so guess what our elf's name is...I can't wait to start this tradition.

The we celebrated Sarah's B-day. Happy Birthday Sis!! We had a great time ringing in the New Year with her and her husband along with several good friends.

This is the best picture I took the whole week!!!

The Polar Express

2011-12-29T23:27:00.000-06:00

We got to see my Grandma and Grandpa for just a short time this week before they headed back home and my Grandpa gave Will one of the best presents ever. Will has really been enjoying watching the Polar Express at home and gets really into it. Grandpa made Will his own Polar Express folder complete with an Honorary Driver certificate and 6 tickets for him to hand out for the Polar Express.

Will had so much fun handing out the tickets and then going around and pretending to punch everyone's tickets. He even made all of us get up and dance during the serving of hot chocolate and at the end when the elves sing and dance. Every time Tom Hanks says "In the name of Mike" Will stops and says hey that's my dad's name. He would walk around the room and say "All aboard". This is something at least I will always remember. Thank you for such an amazing gift Great Papa!!

Here is Will hanging out with both Papa and Great Papa.

Christmas 2011 Take 1

2011-12-27T14:02:00.001-06:00

This Christmas has been a great one and continues to be. Mike and I have 2 healthy happy children so we couldn't be happier. This year and last year we were home on Christmas Day and we are trying to start some of our own family traditions. Of course, on Christmas Eve we go to Church but I wanted some other traditions. We had a wonderful Christams Eve Day watcing Christmas movies and playing games. Here is something else we tried this year.....

Roasting Marshmallows by way of the fireplace on Christmas Eve Day!! (Even though it was 50 degrees out we had to light a fire)

I am quickly realizing that when you have 2 kids you will hardly ever be able to get a good picture of both at once. Here is my attempt at a good picture in front of our tree before I gave up.

I guess I will have to get used to cropping and cutting. Here is my hambone and my princess!!

Here is our family picture in front of our Christmsas tree!!! Ummmmm.... I think we need a new tree!! HeeeHeee!!! The tree we have is the one I got 10 years ago when I lived in a condo. It is only a 6 ft tree and when your husband is 6'4 posing in front of the tree........that just doesn't work. I didn't realize how small our treee was until I saw this picture.

It looks like someone was a very good boy. There were 2 things that Will wanted more than anything this year. He wanted a bat cave and a firetruck that shoots balls. Santa decided to make him sweat and didn't leave either gift at his house but he did leave lots of other cool toys.

Emma was most excited about eating all the wrapping paper. Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year.

After our little Christmas we headed to Mimi & Papa's for Christmas with them and the girls. The kids got some great stuff and we had some good family fun.

Here is my little elf and the all important bat cave that Santa brought!!!

Here are all 4 of the kids together!!

We are now off to Kansas for a 2nd round of Christmas and some more family fun!!

Day of Baking

2011-12-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

Today was a day of baking. We had Kali, Ava, Aunt Jen, Mimi and Papa out for some fun. We started with sugar cookies.....that we made from scratch. Probably not the best idea with little ones as the entire kitchen was covered in flour by the time we were done. We all had fun and that is what matters. We made 2 batches of sugar cookies and then we made 2 batches of chocolate chip cookies and a gingerbread house. We then sent the kids outside to try and burn of the sugar that they had eaten throughout the day. We are just missing one thing.....snow!!!!

The finished product!!!

8 Month Photo Shoot

2011-12-14T14:51:00.000-06:00

My mom found this adorable outfit from Mudpie and I just had to get some good pictures in it!!

I love how she is staring at the camera in all of these shots. I also love that both my kids were born on the 14th, it makes a lot of things so much easier.

I think we have finally hit the 15 pound mark. Emma is in 3-6 month clothes and is starting to grow out of some. We have tried on a few 6-9 month clothes but she just swims in them. She is in a size 2 diaper and there is no point discussing socks or shoes cause they never stay on. She is definitely on the move and although she still isn't crawling she can definitely get to where she wants. Food: we are still strictly breastfed and the only food I can get in her is by using her mesh thing. She will eat just about anything using it and her favorite food is frozen yogurt. She is down to 2 good naps a day with some car naps if we are out and about. She goes down around 7:00 p.m. but still wakes up a couple times to eat. I am working on weaning her off at night but it is a process when I am completely exhausted and I know how to get her to fall asleep right away. I just need some willpower (or earplugs)!!

3 1/2

2011-12-14T14:09:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Will is already 3 1/2. Here are some of his current stats. He is 42" tall and is 39 lbs., he wears size 11 shoe, size 4 pant and size 5 shirt. Will is full of life and energy. If only I could bottle it up and use it for myself. Will's imagination has just taken off and it is so much fun to just listen and watch him play. He is a wonderful big brother and truly loves his baby sister. We are just starting to get into the sibling rivalry stage as Emma becomes more mobile. Will loves to play with his trains and loves making forts and houses. He loves being the star of the show and loves to put on shows for us and will gather us and sit us down and say "Ladies and Gentlemen....introducing William Horn" and then he will do some sort of silly trick or show. Right now Will goes to preschool 3 days a week but only 1/2 days. He is always very excited to see me just after lunch until recently when he would rather stay with his friends then go home. I think I will stick to my guns till next year as they grow so fast already. He is still a pretty good eater and we don't have to hound too much. Right now he would rather snack than eat a meal. He always says "I'm not hungry, I just want a snack".
He is learning so much each and every day it just amazes me. He can recite the alphabet and count from 1 to 15. He can write a W...working on his name. He can completely dress himself, go to the potty, wash hands, put dirty dishes in the sink, make his bed, put dirty clothes in the washer and many more things. He is just growing so fast. I can't wait for the rest of this year as my big boy heads for the big #4!!!

Silly Will!!!

2011-12-09T10:18:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures of my wonderful, energetic, crazy and wild 3 year old boy!!

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-12-07T11:25:00.000-06:00

I can tell it is December as I have not had a chance to play on the computer in quite some time. Here is an update of what went on the last weeks of November. Will had his first school party and we both had so much fun. He had cupcakes, decorated cookies like turkeys, played pin the feather on the turkey, made playdoh and had story time. He had such a good time but I think I had more fun being there and just watching him interact with his classmates.

Immediately following Will's school party me and the kiddos headed to Kansas for some quality family time. We did several fun things but it wasn't quite the Thanksgiving we were hoping for because my Grandma (GiGi) ended up in the hospital and was acutally there the entire week. My mom and dad were at the hospital a lot and we went up to visit her several times. One of the fun things we did do was go the Bass Pro to see Santa with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Sean, Matt, Angela and Sydney. Will and Sydney had a blast and Will was having too much fun with all the activities he couldn't bother with Santa.

The whole week we stayed at Sarah and Sean's house and had a lot of fun. Sarah and Sean hosted the party for the annual KU vs. MU game. This is the last year for this game and being we have a divided family this is quite the rivalry.

The Tiger holding the Jayhawk!!

Will & Aunt Sarah having fun!!

Our 14lb Turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 Months and Sitting Pretty

2011-11-15T13:43:00.000-06:00

Emma is doing wonderful and I hope that all our scares are far behind us now. She has finally hit the 14 pound mark. We were making great strides in introducing solids before we hit the hospital. Ever since then with all the forced oral meds and everything she won't let me get a spoon near her mouth. She just closes her lips and if I do manage to get some in she spits it right back out. For now we have decided to just breastfeed because that is the most important anyway and solids are mainly for fun right now. She does love this mesh thing you can put foods in that they can suck on. We have done lots of frozen fruits and might start trying other things too.

Emma is officially a sitter. She can sit for 10+ minutes at a time. We are scooting and she is starting to really enjoy her walker. She is starting to babble and "talk" to us. Her hair is finally starting to come in and yes it is still red. Sleeping has been really bad ever since the hospital and she is waking every 2-3 hours but that it how often they would come and poke and prod at her. I guess I might have to try some sleep training here soon:(

She is still in 3-6 month clothing and we have a jacket that is 0-3 month. We are starting to finally fill out the clothes but we have quite a while before we graduate to 6-9 month. She is still wearing a size 1 diaper. I tried a size 2 but she kept leaking through them so we went back to the size 1. She is going to be petite!!

Will and her get along great and she is just enamored with him. Will is starting to not like her playing with his toys but it's not too bad right now. I am just truly enjoying being at home with my little ones and watching them change and grow!!

Ladies and Gentlemen.....Introducing William Horn

2011-11-14T09:28:00.000-06:00

The Star of the Show!!

Will had his very first school program. They did it early in the season to get it out of the way because everyone else has their programs in another month or so. Leading up to the program I would talk to other moms and they would ask if Will had been practicing because their child had been practicing every night. Will, on the other hand, would not tell us anything. He said it was a secret and we would have to wait. So we did.....it was worth the wait!! I have to warn you. I laughed until I cried. I hope you enjoy it

Entering and waving to mom and dad

"This is the day" & "In the Beginning"

"Trust and Obey"

"My God is So Great"

Here are the songs that just his class sang:
Zacchaeus, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Little Miss Muffet, Proverbs 17:17

All clear!!!!! And we're off...........

2011-11-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

We got the all clear from the doctor's and the biopsy results came back normal. Yay!!! I know that we we really didn't think they would but you still kind of hold your breath until you get the results. Emma's pediatrician basically said she doesn't want to see us again until her 9 month check up so we are shooting for that too. It is kind of weird to go from something so major to not going to the doctor at all.

I forgot to mention that she cut her first two teeth while in the hospital. They are the 2 bottom front teeth. She is officially "scooting" now and Will's toys are her number one target. Here is a video of her on the move.

Yay for Lymphadentitis staphylococcus aureus!!

2011-11-06T11:34:00.001-06:00

Weird title...but as you read on you will understand. I wanted to let everyone know what has been going on as I am sure some of you may have questions and so I don't have to tell the story over and over.

The last couple weeks have been an emotional roller coaster that we are still on but it is finally slowing down. I will start with the beginning of October. On Tuesday October 4th Emma came down with a fever of 103. Her fontanel (the soft spot) was a little enlarged so we did some blood work and everything came back normal so there was no reason to worry too much and we believed she just had a virus. She ran a high fever for 3 days and then on Saturday the 8th the fever went away and she presented with a rash. (Typically a clear sign it was a virus).

She was then completely fine and we even had her 6 month well check on October 14th where she received a glowing healthy report. Everything continued to be fine until Wednesday October 26th. Emma awoke to a large mass on the right side of her neck. Panic set in and I got her into the pediatrician right away. The mass measured 3cm by 4cm. Initially the doctor thought it was an enlarged lymph node but those are ususally only the size of a pea, Emma's was the size of a golf ball. The thought at the time was a bacterial infection. Emma is completely fine otherwise except when you touch the mass. There is no fever or other symptoms. The doctor did briefly mention tumor but said the chances of that were so slim she just wanted to calm my fears.

That day we proceeded to do lots of blood work, a chest xray and an ultrasound of the mass. Everything came back normal except she tested positive for Roseola (we assume was what she had at the beginning of the month and was still in her system). The doctor went ahead and prescribed an antibiotic just in case and said that it should go down but I was to follow up on Friday. On Friday the mass had not changed so we were then prescribed yet another round of antibiotics. Emma is now on 3 doses of anitbiotics a day.

We go through the weekend with no change and then Monday the 31st we are in the doctor's office first thing. The Pediatrician decides this has gone on long enough and we need a CT Scan and to see an ENT. She asks if I have a preference on ENT's and it was decided that we would go to the person who could see us the soonest. The way it worked out best was for us to go through the ER @ St. John's Mercy and proceed from there. It took us quite a while to do the CAT scan as you can't ask a 6 month old to sit still so they needed to sedate her and Emma is just as stubborn as I am so she fought it for quite a while.

Finally around 12:00 she fell asleep and we were able to do the scan. A few minutes later the doctor came in and said it looks like an abscess and they will have to go in and drain it. Not the best diagnosis but not the worst. Ten minutes later our world came crashing down on us. The doctor came in again and told us they got the radiology report back and it looked more serious then they had thought. It looked to be a tumor and due to the size and location it could not be removed but they would schedule her for a biopsy. Within minutes we had ENT's, oncologists and a chaplain in our room. Mike and I had no time to even digest the information before they were talking about how fierce this tumor looked and how when they do the biopsy they would like to go ahead and put in a shunt to administer future medicines.

My thoughts were how in the world did we go from an abscess to a possible tumor to assuming this tumor is cancer. Mike and I were devastated and didn't quite no what to do. We were scheduled for biopsy Tuesday morning at 11:00 and because Emma was having no other symptoms they gave us the option of admitting us overnight or going home. We chose to go home. Best decision in the world.

As we were getting ready to leave the hospital we got a call from our pediatrician who had been briefed on everything and was not liking the direction things were going. She actually was encouaging us to start over at another hospital first thing in the morning (even though she was the one who sent us to the first hospital). Initially I didn't like the idea of starting over worried that we may be wasting precious time but after speaking with her several times and going over things she was easing our fears saying that with all her experience it is very rare for a tumor to present this way and she is leaning more towards an infection of some sort. She said that she would have us directly admitted to St. Louis Children's Hospital and would have everyone come and see us that needed to.

We were admitted and in a room by 9:30 Tuesday morning. We were admitted to the Oncology wing which wasn't very reassuring but I knew that we were at one of the best Children's Hospitals in the United States. All I could do was pray. We had several doctors come and evaluate Emma and at about 2:00 we got the word that they did NOT think it was a tumor!! Praise the Lord!! It was an abscess and they would have to go in and drain it. By 3:00 Emma was in the OR and she did just fine. The went in and drained it and did do a biopsy just in case. She had a drain in for 2 days to drain out the rest of the infection. The infection did test positive for staphylococcus aureus in the lymph nodes. This is not anything to mess around with but compared to what we were looking at earlier we were estatic.

We are now home and just enjoying our family and thanking our lucky stars because this could have gone very differently. We are thankful that our pediatrician was watching out for us and trying to advise us as best she could. We are thankful for Mike's parents who kept Will while we were with Emma. We are thankful for my parents who were there offering support. We are thankful for the Doctor's who took great care of our little baby.

We still have follow up appointments both Monday and Tuesday and we don't have the biopsy results back but we are confident that nothing will come of it. What caused this whole thing we may never know. It was kind of a perfect storm of events.

This just goes to show you how quickly your world can change forever and how you have to be thankful and enjoy every minute God gives us on Earth. We ask that everyone continues to keep Emma in their prayers.

Lesson #2: when you are not comfortable with what doctor's are telling you, you can get a second opinion. Thank God we followed our Pediatrician's advice. I cringe just thinking about where we would be had we continued to move forward with the initial diagnosis.

Even with everything she has been through she is still smiling.

Here are us girls modeling our St. Louis Children's Hospital shirts!!

This is after the fact. You can see the lump (it is half the size of what is was). The incision is about 1 inch long and we are to leave it open to the air as much as possible to allow for continued drainage.

Hug your babies. Life is so precious!!

Happy Halloween (a little belated)

2011-11-06T09:47:00.000-06:00

This is a little late but I wanted to get some pictures up. We had a busy October and went to the pumpkin patch not only for Will's field trip but also with the family so everyone could enjoy.

Here is a picture of our pumpkin creations!!

My Sunflower

My Woody

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

Last Friday Will went on his first field trip. He went on his first bus ride too. His pre-school went to the Pumpkin Patch and he got to do everything from roasting marshmallows and eating smores to hayrides to tractor rides and finally picking out his own pumpkin. I think I was more excited than he was but we both had fun and I am looking forward to many more fun activites just like this.

There are a couple pictures of his entire class below. There are a total of 8 people (4 boys and 4 girls)

WeddingTime!!

2011-10-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

On October 1st my cousin Joey got married and we all had a blast. It was a beautiful wedding.

Congratulations Joey and Courtney!!!

Here are some pictures of everyone having fun!!

6 Months Old!!

2011-10-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

6 Month Stats:

Weight: 13 lbs. 6.5 ounces (10%)

Height: 26 1/2" (75%)

Head Circumference: 41.8 cm (25%)

Emma is doing great and is perfectly healthy. We have started to introduce real food to her and so far we have been successful with bananas and green beans. Believe it or not but I am actually making her baby food. I had every intention to do it with Will but never got around to it. With Emma it has been real easy, I just grab a banana puree it and viola!!

She is still nursing every 3 hours and still won't take a bottle but I am not that worried about it. I know in the coming months she will be nursing less and less and I will just enjoy her "neediness" for as long as it lasts. Emma is really close to sitting up but we are not quite there. She is in 3-6 month clothing but still swims in most clothes. We can still wear a few 0-3 month outfits. I have people ask me all the time if she was a preemie but she is just petite and that is just fine.

Priceless

2011-09-17T16:37:00.000-05:00

It is moments like this that you want to remember forever!!

5 Months Old!!

2011-09-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

According to my rough calculations Emma is 12 lbs. 6 oz. and 24 3/4" long. She is still a very happy baby and is still breastfeeding for all her feedings. I have actually tried to introduce the bottle but she refuses to take it right now. We have also introduced a little cereal to fatten her up. We started with oatmeal and she wouldn't eat it at all. I then introduced barley and she actually loves it. So for right now we are sticking with the barley because it works. She is starting to get a day time schedule. We actually get a good morning nap right now but the afternoon is still spotty. She goes down really good at night. I put her down between 7:30 and 8:00 and she is down for the night. She wakes up around 4 am for a feeding and then gets up again @ 7 am. I am very happy with that schedule right now!!

Here is a picture of both Will and Emma at 5 months!! Do they look like brother and sister or what????

Vacation Time

2011-09-12T15:48:00.001-05:00

As parents you want your children to experience the things you did as a kid and you look forward to sharing those experiences with them. At the same time you quickly learn how much work and how exhausting it is to take a vacation. The days of a relaxing vacation are long gone. Mike and I may have been a little too eager for this long of a trip with a 4 month old and a 3 year old but we all survived and had a good time.

We left on Friday August 26th for our 10 day road trip. Our plan was to head to the cabin in Osceola, MO for the weekend and then to Branson for 4 days and end up at my grandparents at Table Rock Lake.

We had a great time at the cabin and the boys got to do some fishing and boating. Will went on some treasure hunts and went through an entire package of caps for his cap gun while shooting at all the wildlife. This was probably the most relaxing part of the trip because there was nothing else but us and the wilderness. We had a few issues like the bed breaking in the middle of the night, the AC going out (luckily we had just the guy to fix it), no tv, flat tire on the tractor, and Mike getting electrocuted!!! These are the trips we will remember for a lifetime.

We left Osceola Monday morning and went to the Safari drive thru zoo which is just east of Springfield. We have driven past it 100 times and decided to finally go. We saw all sorts of crazy animals and will had fun just sitting in the front seat and feeding the animals.

One of the crazy animals we saw was this zedonkey, a cross between a zebra and a donkey. First time I have ever seen one!!

After the zoo we headed straight for Branson and stayed at the Grand Country Inn which had an indoor and outdoor waterpark a lazy river and a baby area. This was one of my backups if the weather didn't cooperate. We picked the perfect time to head to Branson as it was their least busiest time of the year other that the dead of winter. We enjoyed having a waterpark to go play at after being out in the 100 degree temps. Even Emma got in on some of the action.

We spent 3 nights in Branson and 2 days at Silver Dollar City. We were able to do all sorts of things because there were no lines. In Branson we rode the ducks and Will even got to drive, Mike and Will rode go karts and bumper boats, we also went miniature golfing. We even contemplated going to the Dixie Stampede but decided to wait a few years. At Silver Dollar City Emma went on her first carousel ride, Will went on all sorts of rides in the kiddie area. He even went on Fire in the Hole and the American Plunge, which didn't go so well. Of course we had to get picks in the giant Rocking Chair at SDC. I know somewhere there is a picture of me in that chair when I was Will's age.

Here is a picture of a very terrified boy. He said he really wanted to go on this ride but I think it was a little too much for him!!

After all this fun we still had plenty more to do. On Thursday we headed to my grandparents who live in Shell Knob, MO off Table Rock Lake. We had a nice time with all my family. It is so nice to get some quality time in.

Here is some pictures of my babies with their loved ones.

Will had a blast swimming in the lake, tubing and trying to surf on a piece of driftwood!!

Rolly Polly Emma!!

2011-09-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

I finally captured it on film. Not only is she all of a sudden rolling both directions all of the time but she is starting to dig in her feet to start to crawl. This video was taken on September 3rd while down at my Grandparents house in Shell Knob, MO. I guess she wanted to impress her great-grandparents.

Will's 1st day of 3 year old Pre-School!!

2011-08-19T10:49:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday August 17th Will had his first day of pre-school. He is going to First Baptist in Troy 3 days a week and only 1/2 days. He did really good on his first day and I got a great report from his teacher. He did a lot better than me and I did try and stay and spy on him a little but I had to get Emma home for nap. I have been trying for 3 years to get Will to pray and learn about God but after only 4 hours in a religious school I caught him praying in bed all by himself. YAY!!!

Here was his prayer: "I pray for my mommy and daddy to get married" Say what!!! So I guess he doesn't think we are married because he hasn't been to our wedding. We had some friends get married a couple weeks ago and he went and we have another wedding in about a month. With all the talk of weddings I guess he is waiting for ours!! You never know where they come up with some of these things.

I can't wait to see what this year brings and to see him blossum. I can't wait for field trips and any time I can volunteer.

Here is an example of one of his first projects from school. Above the dinosaur are the footprints he drew.

4 Months Old

2011-08-15T16:46:00.001-05:00

Emma is 4 months old and is such a good baby. She rolled over from her back to her stomach on Friday August 12th. She has only done it once and I am still trying to catch some of her rolling on camera.

She is completly healthy but we need to plump her up a little so we may start introducing cereal this next month to put some weight on her. Here are her stats:

Weight: 11 pounds, 11 ounces (10%)

Length: 24 1/4" (50%)

Head Circ.: 40.2cm (25%)

She is an itty bitty thing right now but is extremely alert. She is a very happy baby and doesn't give me any trouble unless she is tired or hungry. The being tired part she need to figure out on her own and we are working on that. She won't let you rock her to sleep and she won't take a pacifier. The only way she falls asleep is on her own. Sometimes it happens right away and sometimes she has to cry it out. It almost seems to young for me to let her cry it out, but it works. The more I go in and mess with her the worse I make it.

She has recently started playing in her exersaucer and lasts for quite a while in it. Will starts school on Wednesday so I am hopefully going to work on a daytime schedule with Emma then. We will see how that goes!!

John Deere Wedding

2011-08-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our friends Jason and Bobbi got married John Deere style. Will was the ring bearer and Mike was the bestman. It was a cute country wedding that unfortunately took place on a 100 degree day but we all made it through. Will did great and looked just too cute for words. Congratulations to our friends!!

T-Bones Game

2011-08-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

Will and Emma got to go to their first baseball game last Saturday. It was hotter than heck but we all had fun. Uncle Sean and Aunt Sarah have been wanting to take Will to his first baseball game and they finally got the chance. In celebration of Dad's 60th birthday we all (except for Tim) were able to go. What more does a kid need than a hot dog, cotton candy, snow cone, popcorn and pretzel. The game didn't start till 7:00 and we had to leave at the 5th inning (9:15) due to Emma. Will would have kept going if we let him. He started to really get into the game and cheer with the crowd. Hopefully we can do another game soon!! Thank you to my entire family who helped make the night a success!!

Family Pictures

2011-07-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

The first week of June we were able to take some family pictures. We wanted to get some outdoor shots but it was 100+ degrees that day so we stuck with just the indoor shots. It has been since Will was 6 months old that we had professional pictures taken and we were definitely due. Not only was Will just about to turn 3 but Emma was only 6 1/2 weeks old. We were able to get individual shots of them along with some great family shots as well. Here are some great pics of my babies.

Here is my beautiful little girl...

Here is my big boy, brother, son and grandon...

Kansas City Fun

2011-07-21T15:47:00.001-05:00

Last week we went to Kansas and the kids and I were able to spend some good time with the family and some friends too. We did a ton of things

One of the many things we did was go to Crown Center were we went to Kaliedascope, the Rainforest display and of course play in the water spouts. Will had a great time considering how hot it was. Emma just was hanging out in the stroller along for the ride.

Here are some pics showing all the fun we had!!

At the Rainforest display at Crown Center.

Enjoying the water on a very hot day!!

We also went to Deanna Rose Farmstead.

3 Months Old!!

2011-07-14T14:12:00.001-05:00

Emma is 3 months old today and is my sweet little angel. On June 17th just after turning 2 months Emma rolled over from her stomach to her back. She has done it several times since but I have failed to capture it on camera. She is close to rolling over from her back to her stomach. Emma is in 0-3 month clothing and fits great in them but in sleepers she is almost too big for them. Most of her length is in her legs but she is so skinny she looks funny in the 3-6 month clothing. According to my rough estimates she is about 11 lbs. and a couple ounces but we don't go back to the doctor until next month.

She is eating every 3 hours and giving me 7 hour stretches at night. She has started laughing and is very happy sitting up or walking around. She will play on her playmat for quite a while. She doesn't care for car rides too much. At the beginning of this month I moved her to her own room and she has done really well. Once a day or every other she gets what I call her "attitude" and for about an hour she throws a fit and nothing makes her happy. It is probably too much stimulation throughout the day.

We have been in Kansas this past week and I have been able to get pictures of Emma with some of her favorite people!!

Emma and Papa

Emma and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kim

Emma and GiGi

Emma and Aunt Sarah

4th of July

2011-07-06T16:53:00.001-05:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend. We did a lot of swimming went to a local carnival. We did our own fireworks and went to a parade. i think it will be a couple more years before we get to go to a real fireworks show.

Loaded up his trailer with fireworks!!

Every kid has to do sparklers

...and run through the smoke

Emma's 1st Swim

2011-07-03T13:31:00.000-05:00

Getting ready for my first swim on 4th of July weekend. Mommy had to doll me up!! We are enjoying a lazy Sunday with just the 4 of us.

The sunglasses wouldn't stay on but the picture is still adorable!!

Big brother loves to swim and does just fine all by himself. He is a little too brave for mommy!!

Birthday Party Time & Baptism

2011-06-29T14:51:00.000-05:00

Will turned 3 on June 14th but we just had his birthday party this past weekend along with Emma's baptism. I was very fortunate to have a lot of my family come and celebrate.

The pictures begin with Will's real birthday day:

Once Mike got off work we took Will to Incredible Pizza which is like a Chucky Cheese x 10. We had a great time just the 4 of us.

Miniature Bowling:

Shooting with Daddy:

Bumper Cars:

Pirate Party

"Shiver me Timbers, I'm 3"

Emma was able to wear the Baptismal gown my Aunt Becky made 32 years ago. It was absolutely beautiful and was the perfect touch to a perfect weekend with family.

Uncle Tim and Aunt Sarah the Godparents

Godparents with both their Godkids!!

2 Months Old!!

2011-06-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby girl. You are such a wonderful baby and I am so happy to be your mommy. You are starting to smile a lot right now and love to play on your Baby Einstein playmat. You are a great sleeper and have given me consistant 5 hour stretches at night with even one 7 hour stretch thrown in there!! You are still 100% breastfed and are nursing about every 3 hours. Our basic schedule during the day is to eat, then play for about an hour (we are trying to stretch that out a little), then we sleep, then we eat.....

As of today you are 10 lbs and 1/2 an ounce (25%) and 23" (75%). I guess mommy is going to be the short one of the bunch. You sure look like you are going to be a redhead like mommy but we will wait and see. I also think you are going to have blue eyes. You are such a beautiful baby and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you.

I know with your big brother running around you are going to want to try and catch up to him so for right now I am just treasuring every moment I have my baby girl because it goes by so fast.

I love you Emma!! Love, Mommy

The Big 3!!

2011-06-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my little boy is 3 years old today. You are growing so big and just amaze me every day.
As of today you are 33.8 (75%) and 39 1/2 " (90%). You wear a 3T bottom and are a 4t/5t on top. You wear a size 10 shoe (WOW!!) You sleeping is still something to be desired on behalf of mom and dad. We are very routine in a bed time of 8:00 but you have started with some night terrors along with wanting to come into our room at night because Emma is in there too. You get up anytime from 5:30 when your dad leaves for work to 7:00a.m. You are taking some good naps, from 1.5 to 2 hours long.
You eat just about everything you can get your hands on just like your daddy. You are potty trained with a few minor issues we are working on but all in all I can take you out and about in big boy pants.
You have become daddy's best buddy and are mommy's little helper. You are also a great big brother to Emma.
You love riding your John Deere and playing outside. You love playing on your park. Your imagination is so much fun to watch and I can't wait until you and Emma can play together.

Some of Will's most recent cute sayings:
"You are my best friend in the whole world" to mommy and daddy
"You are my little princess" while laying on the floor talking to Emma
"I'm gonna give you a knuckle sandwich" to mommy (apparantly heard it on tv)

I love you very much and you will always me mommy's baby!!

1 Month Old

2011-05-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

According to my calculations she is plumping up quite nicely and is 9.4lbs now. I don't know how accurate it is but we will go with it for now. We are working on getting a full 3 hours in between feedings. She gave us 4.5 hours last night. Yay!!!!!

Last week we went to Kansas and she got to meet all the family and was spoiled rotten by grandma and great-grandma. She is doing great and only gives me trouble every now and then.

Brotherly love

2011-04-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Will just loves his little sister and wants to help mom do everything. He wants to hold her and feed her and loves to bring her his animals and blankets. Will also loves to pretend to be a baby himself. He will grab a pacifier and pretend to be a baby, he will bring me the boppy and want to sit in it like Emma does. All this is just play for him and with everything that has happened I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

Emma is doing great and still is a wonderful sleepy baby who only cries when she is hungry. The only problem is that she likes to take just snacks about every 1-2 hours. We will have to work on extending that a tad. She is wearing out all her newborn clothes as we didn't have a whole lot because Will never really wore them at all. I know in probably another two weeks she will be in the 0-3 month and I will be wondering how she grew so fast!!

I got the all clear today from the doctor. I am going off my blood pressure medicine tomorrow and then need to closely monitor it for the next couple days and I should be as good as new. I can now get off my bed rest and 24 hour surveilance I was put on.

Enjoy the pictures!!!

My Easter Babies!!!

2011-04-26T15:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Easter. Thank you to Mimi and Papa for taking Will to see the Easter bunny and for dying eggs with him. We still were able to have a mini Easter egg hunt at home.

This is the best picture Will has ever taken with a mythical creature/person:

Emma Marie Horn

2011-04-25T13:26:00.013-05:00

Emma Marie Horn arrived on Thursday 4/14/2011 morning at 8:14 a.m. She was 7lbs 1oz and 19 3/4" long. She is an amazing baby who only cries when she is hungry. God has truly blessed us with a beautiful little girl.

Emma is 11 days old today and it has certainly been a crazy 11 days. Not the newborn crazy but an entirely different crazy. I will start with how she decided to arrive into this world. On Wedensday the 13th we went for a walk around our neighborhood and it wasn't too long before Emma started moving like crazy making me very uncomfortable. I had seen the doctor earlier that day and wasn't making much of any progress so I wasn't expecting anything. At 11:30 I awoke to my water breaking. Things were moving along quietly and normally and at 7:30 a.m I was only at 5 cm. That is when Emma decided she was ready to come out. In a matter of 15 minutes I went from 5 cm to fully dialated and she was out in 6 pushes. It sure beats the 3 hours I went through with Will. There were some scary moments when here heartrate dropped to the 60's but all was well when she came out screaming.

Things were going great and I was getting ready to brave the world with 2 kids. Then on Thursdary morning the 21st, exactly 1 week after giving birth I awoke with a horrible headache. Thank goodness my mom was still in town and when you mom looks at you and says "oh crap, something's wrong", you know she is right. Anyway, we decided to run into my general practioner to see what was up because they could see us right away. After seeing her I was told I needed to go to the ER....oh yay!!!! My blood pressure was way up there and my mom said my face looked like a cantelope. I have never had bp issues before and was very uncertain as to what was going on.

Mike met us at the ER and after about an hour or so in the ER with my blood pressure continuing to rise I was re-admitted to labor and delivery with postpartum pre-eclampsia. Yes, in very rare cases it can happen after you give birth. I was put on a 24 hour magnesium drip and blood pressure medicine. I am doing much better now and am home.

I am still not sure what this means and I see the doctor on Wednesday but it was a very scary time and I am so happy to be home with my babies!!! Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a mother and raise my babies.

Pregnancy Pictures

2011-03-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I am not entirely happy with these but they will work. They serve the purpose of showing just how huge I am. For Will, we took pictures every month and had some professionally done in the end. Sorry Emma but I guess it is not quite as fun the second time around.

Will's First Circus

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

We went to the Shriner's circus this past weekend and had a great time. Will was very unsure of things at first but eventually warmed up to everything and even went on an elephant ride with his daddy. He was so proud of himself in the end and talked about riding the elephant the rest of the weekend.

Second guessing this whole elephant thing...

Mike in the "rumble seat"...

The Nursery is complete!!

2011-03-16T22:11:00.006-05:00

The Nursery is finally complete...except for the little one herself. I would like to thank my entire family for helping with the nursery. Dad and Tim moved things around, Mom and Sarah helped decorate. Mom also had the great idea of painting the purple hutch. It was originally blue and now is a great addition to Emma's room. Of course my boys helped out a lot too. This little girl has more than she will ever need and we just can't wait to spoil her even more once she gets here. I am currently 35 weeks and counting....

Spring Fever

2011-02-21T14:07:00.014-06:00

Last week we finally thawed out here but there was quite the big wet sloppy mess. Boys will be boys and Will definitely proved it by getting out his fishing pole and shovel to play in the mud hole in our front yard.

We then went to play on his playground that he is so excited about. We finally got it put together in November and are just now able to play on it. Hopefully, this will entertain him this summer while I entertain the little one.

One afternoon last week we made a trip to Cuivre River State Park for some fun. It was beautiful out and Will just had to take his fishing pole.

Will saw these steps in the park and just had to see where they went. He went all the way to the top and back down. I stayed at the bottom and took pics.

Holy Moly!!

2011-02-17T13:49:00.004-06:00

Holy Moly!!! That is Will's new phrase. I guess it could be worse. This past weekend we finally got to celebrate a very belated Christmas with my family. We have been trying to get together since mid January but mother nature was not cooperating. Everyone came to us and got to see Will in his own element. Tim got to see our new house for the first time. Mom, Sarah and I started on the nursery and it is almost finished. I will put pictures up as soon as it is finished!! We are finally melting here and albe to see the grass. We definitely can't wait for Spring and hopes it comes soon and stays. Here is a video of our belated Christmas and some pictures:

Some Fun Things I have done lately......

2011-02-04T11:21:00.005-06:00

Dressed up like a pirate:

Went to the Magic House where I got to do all sorts of fun things:

Lined all my animals up on the steps and was quite proud of it:

Went to Playtime and actually went all way up into the play area just like the big kids:

Went to the doctor's with mommy to check up on my sissy:

Went to a cool train show where we all got to ride our own train:

Mommy and Daddy have been really good to me lately and I can't wait for my sissy to come. I love to climb in and out of her crib and break into the tote of baby toys. I have already promised mommy that I am going to be her helper because I am going to be a big brother soon!!!

Fun in the Snow!!

2011-01-30T21:26:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures from our last snowfall. It looks like we are going to be hit again with another big storm. That just means lots of indoor activities and more fun in the snow!!!

What do you do when there are no sledding hills near your house????

Everyone's got to eat a little snow!!!

One of Will's most favorite things to do is ride his John Deere. Does not matter if it is raining or snowing he can still make it go....

Dancing King

2011-01-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a video clip of Will trying to break dance. Thank goodness for DVR as I had to rewind 5 different times so he could keep dancing!!

POTTY TRAINING 101

2011-01-14T13:22:00.000-06:00

My goal was to not have 2 in diapers and I think I have achieved that task. I haven't wanted to jinx myself but I think it is now safe to say that Will is potty trained!!!!!!!!!YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

A little Will Potty Training History:

We had bought a potty chair about a year ago to try and get him used to it but after just a short time it actually turned into another toy and that just wasn't working. I had a great idea of over the summer taking a week, letting him run around naked and train him that way.......well, the summer got away from me and I actually didn't want him trained when we went to Yellowstone in late August so I just waited. Then when we got back from Yellowstone is when my pregnancy symptoms kicked in full force. I didn't have any energy and I was in the bathroom myself way too much. The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving I started to really push the potty training. I went out and bought stickers and a lot of candy. We also went out and bought big boy pullups with Buzz and Woody on them. Will and I made sticker charts together. There was no schedule at first but I started with right after he woke up, or went to bed, or ate, etc.... It started with if he went then great, if he didn't then that was okay too.

The week of Thanksgiving we really pushed it up a notch and he only got a treat when he actually went on the potty, rather than a treat for just trying. We also started every 30 minutes trying to go to the potty. Every 30 minutes is a lot. It is a lot for mom to take a 2 year old to the potty over 20 times in a day. He fought me a lot, but I was able to come up with different ways to coax him into the bathroom. Even at every 30 minutes he was able to go almost all the time. Yes, we still had accidents and yes there were times he refused to go. I am a firm believer that potty training is more for potty training the mom (or dad) to remember to take the child than it is to actually train the child.

Over the month of December he kept progressing and we are now up to about 1 hour in between bathroom visits and we are officially in regular big boy underwear. I still put a pullup on for naptime and at night but most naps are dry and we have actually had a couple dry nights. Will has also started to occasionally tell me he has to go potty rather than me always initiating. They are small steps and it definitely doesn't happen overnight but we are getting there. As of today the sticker charts are long gone but he still gets a treat (we found PEZ works the best for us). One for Will and one for the dinosaur!!!(LOL) He goes #2 in the potty quite often, as long as I am vigilant and watch for the face he makes.

Will turned 2.5 on December 14th so I can now say that Will was potty trained by 2.5.

YEAH WILL!!!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-10T13:49:00.005-06:00

Christmas this year turned into a wonderful Christmas with the help of the big man above (I'm not talking about Santa). In just the few days before Christmas we weren't quite sure how everything was going to end up. On Monday December 20th my dad had a quadruple bypass. The surgery went great and he actually came home from the hospital on Christmas Eve. It was such a relief to have my dad out of the hospital. He is recovering very well and has a new lease on life now. We are hoping, weather permitting, to head into Kansas this coming weekend to celebrate Christmas there. Here are some videos of Christmas morning at home. All Will could talk about in the weeks leading up to Christmas was that he wanted a kitchen. That is exactly what Santa brought him and he put it together too. In hindsight, maybe Santa should have hid it until he opened up some of his regular presents as he wanted nothing to do with the other presents. Mom and dad ended up opening most of them.

It's gonna be a girl!!!

2010-12-06T12:34:00.005-06:00

We are very excited to be expecting a healthy baby girl in April. Everything looked great on the ultrasound and we can now begin the shopping of all things purple and pink. If we thought Will was spoiled, I can't imagine the spoiling that is going to happen with this little one.

Here are some Thanksgiving pictures and other completley random pics from our time in Kansas with the family.

Already starting the regression!!!

Playing piano @ GiGi's

Visiting Uncle Tim @ the Station (we missed them going out on a call by 5 minutes)

Hamming it up with Syd!!

Cabin 2010

2010-11-10T10:46:00.008-06:00

Here are some fun pictures of our recent trip to the cabin. I can't believe it had been a year since we had been down there. We used to go several times a year but just can't find the time now. We had a great time fishing, riding atv's (all but me), shooting, hay rides, bon fires and just relaxing.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T10:20:00.008-06:00

Here are some pics from Halloween. Will was our little fisherman this year. He loves to fish and we already had everything to complete his costume. I tried to add on some gummy worms but he kept eating them. We had a great time even though he was done after 8 or so houses.

Things are going pretty good now. I am 17 weeks and anxiously awaiting November 29th. That is not only Mike's birthday but also the day we will find out if we are having another little boy or a little girl.

Enjoy the pics!!!

Big Brother Will

2010-10-07T08:44:00.005-05:00

Well it's official. We are expecting a new little bundle of joy next April. We are both really excited but Will has no idea what is going on. We tried taking him to the first doctor appt. to try and get him to understand but he just wanted to play with everything else in the room. Hopefully, as I start to grow he might start to ask questions.

Will and the new little one will almost be 3 years apart. I think that is just about right. Not too close and not too far apart.

So far this hasn't been the easiest pregnancy but I spoke with the little peanut and am sure that we are going to be over this hump very soon. We will find out the first week of December what we are having (just in time for Christmas).

Yellowstone

2010-08-30T12:55:00.002-05:00

We just got back from a family vacation in Yellowstone. We had a great time and got to see a lot of things from Old Faithful to the lower and upper waterfalls to Elk, Bison, Antelope and many other animals. Will got to ride on an airplane, ride in a bus and go for a short train ride. He was as perfect as a 2 year old could be.

Will is doing great and just blows our minds every day with all that he is learning. We are up to 5 or 6 word sentences now and he is ready for potty training, I just hope that I am up for the task. Here are some pics from our trip.

The New House

2010-06-14T15:03:00.007-05:00

I know a lot of you have been bugging me to get pictures up and I guess the entire months of April and May I was too busy with Will and putting the new house together. God has blessed us and allowed us to have such a beautiful home that under most circumstances we would never be able to afford. Enjoy!!!

This room is now officially Will's playroom because I don't know what else to do with it.

Dining Room

Living Room

Bonus Room/Upstairs Family Room

Master Bath w/ Jacuzzi Tub (Will uses it more than anyone else).
Yes, this is the master closet!!

Kitchen

Will's Room

The crib only lasted a week before he decided he was ready for a big boy bed.

The view from our back deck the other morning.

Our first Pool Party. The best part of the house.

The Big #2

2010-06-14T14:26:00.003-05:00

My baby boy is getting so big. I can't really call him my baby anymore. He is talking so much now and putting together 3 words at a time. We have moved to a big boy bed now and are working on potty training. He eats everything in sight and the only real big problem we have is sleeping. I guess mom and dad have spoiled him too much and he just doesn't want to sleep in his bed all alone. We have had a fun couple of weeks. He has had 2 birthday parites, been to a parade, concert and a carnival. Here are some pics so you can see how fast he is growing. We go in later this week for our checkup and we will see how tall this little guy is.

Watching the parade go by.

Just Chilling!!!

Moving Day!!

2010-04-07T12:43:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone--

I am so sorry for the blog slacking but I have a good excuse. Mike and I have been debating about moving for a while now and in the month of February we found a really good deal on a foreclosure. We went back in forth in negotiations over several weeks and during that time we were getting our house ready to put on the market. We finally listed our house on Tuesday March 16th in time for the tax credits. We had a contract on it in 48 hrs. We finally reached an agreement with the bank on the foreclosure and tomorrow April 8th is moving day. I can't believe how fast everything has happened but God definitely had a plan for us. I will be posting some pictures soon but I wanted to make the announcement so that everyone knew what was going on.

Will is doing great and has been mommy's little helper. He helps unpack the boxes just as quickly as I can pack them.

Wednesday Funday!!!

2010-03-11T08:59:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day and we definitely took advantage of that. During the day Will and I found a great park that had boardwalk with a lake on it. There were ducks and geese for him to watch. He had a great time running up and down the boardwalk. He is keeping us busy these days and growing like a weed. I think we have reached a hurdle and have not seen a doctor since he had tubes put. It is amazing how happy he is when we are not fighting a sickness.
We have also been very busy with getting our house ready to put on the market. We are hoping to have it for sale soon.

Once daddy got home from work we took Will down to the river and had a little picnic. We were hoping to see some boats but not even one came by. He had fun picking up sticks and playing in the dirt.

White Boys Can Dance

2010-02-01T14:20:00.002-06:00

Will is doing great. The ear surgery went well. I haven't noticed anything too different in him. Last week we had the flu but we are all doing better now. Here is a clip of how well Will dances. I figure I can use it as blackmail down the road.

19 Months!!

2010-01-14T20:07:00.000-06:00

Wow, my little guy is growing so fast. His vocabulary is growing every day, sometimes every hour. He can now say 2 words at once such as football & touchdown. When he says touchdown he throws his arms up in the air. We have his Papa to thank for the new words. His favorite show is Wonderpets and that is really the only show he will sit down and watch. We have been busy playing with all the new toys he got for Christmas but we are all definitely getting the winter blues. This week is warming up so hopefully we can get outside to play. Before Mike could get in 1 full week of work they cut back his hrs. but we are just thankful he has a job.
He is now 19 months old and we had to finally cave in and put tubes in his ears. His surgery is scheduled for tomorrow Friday the 15th @ 8:00a.m. Please keep Will in your prayers. I know this is a fairly routine surgery but there is nothing routine about sending you baby away to be operated on. He will be put under general anethesia and we should be home tomorrow afternoon. I will update as soon as I get a chance.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-11T19:00:00.003-06:00

Snow time 2009

2010-01-11T14:12:00.002-06:00

Best Laugh Ever!!!

2010-01-10T13:04:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-08T09:50:00.006-06:00

I am just a little late on this post but we have been really busy. Will and I were in Kansas from Christmas Eve until Sunday January 3rd. Mike made the trips back and forth for work. We had a great time and was able to enjoy some good quality time with the family. My little sister Sarah turned 30 yrs. old New Year's Day so I could not miss that one. Here are some pictures from Christmas morning. I have videos to post too but don't have time for that right now. We have also scheduled Will's surgery for this Friday the 15th.

18 Months & Tube Time

2009-12-21T20:55:00.003-06:00

We finally had Will's 18 month check up today along with a re-check on last week's ear infection. Diagnosis is double ear infection and time to get tubes. Poor baby. He is amazingly in good spirits. Hopefully, the new antibiotic will kick it to the curb so we can enjoy Christmas. I will call tomorrow but it looks like we probably won't be doing anything till after the 1st of the year. I knew sooner or later we would end up with tubes. Will is doing just fine otherwise. His stats are as follows:
Weight 26lbs. (50%)
Length 35" (97%)
Head Circ. 46.8cm (25%)
We were going to do the H1N1 shot b/c they said they had it in stock. He got the regular flu shot back in Sept. and they did not have the baby H1N1 then. Then the nurse came and talked to me and told me that he would actually be getting the adult H1N1 and that the state had just approved it for babies. The reason why they have 2 different shots is because in the adult shot there is a specific ingredient that some people think can cause autism. The baby shots don't have that specific ingredient. I made a judgement call that we would not be getting that shot. I hope I made the right choice. If they do end up receiving the baby shots we will probably get one but until then we will keep our fingers crossed.
We had Parents as Teachers 2 weeks ago and he had high scores on his evaluation with her. He can say the following words: Mama, Dad, Papa, milk, cookie, gun (thanks to his dad), door, water, cheese, snow, tree, hot, night, ball, choo choo, more, chair, out, bye, down, bath, balloon (loon), bubble. He is just a ball of energy these days and his favorite new activity is jumping and dancing. I can't believe my baby is a year and a half.
In other news, Mike was called back to work last Thursday. YEAH!!! Hopefully, he is in it for the long stretch.

Santa Claus

2009-12-17T09:07:00.004-06:00

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3 (at least I got him off my lap)

Can you tell these 3 are cousins? Will just loves his cousin Kali.

Family Vacation

2009-11-11T11:16:00.006-06:00

Last week Mike, Will and I went on a nice long family vacation to the cabin. You see when Mike and I both were laid off last March and April we sat around and did nothing to save money. Then once he went back to work we both couldn't believe that for 2 months we didn't do anything so we agreed that if we had the opportunity again we would go somewhere. To save money we went to the cabin in Osceola. We left on Monday the 2nd and didn't get back until the 8th. We had a great time relaxing and having fun. The rest of my family came and joined up with us over the weekend.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-10-30T20:22:00.008-05:00

Here is Mike and I's first attempt in a long time of acutally carving pumpkins. I think they turned out pretty good.

We tried to get Will to grab a handfull of pumpkin seeds but this was about as close as he got.

Here Will is showing off his skeleton shirt.

We have several halloween shirts that he got to wear this week.

Last year mommy got to pick out his froggy costume so this year daddy go to choose. The cuteness factor isn't as great but here is mommy's "Little Ninja"

First Art Project

2009-10-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

My Little Cowboy

2009-10-21T08:40:00.006-05:00

Over the weekend we went to our friend Christine's for her Oktoberfest. Will had a great time checking out the horses and ponies, rolling barrels around, throwing straw. We also got him his first pair of real leather cowboy boots and he was wearing his Wrangler's.

Just Like Daddy

2009-10-10T14:06:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-07T10:02:00.007-05:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch over the weekend when we were in Kansas. We actually went to a Cider Mill that also had a Pumpkin Patch. We were able to go with my parents, an aunt and uncle, and my grandma even was able to come along. Will had a great time rolling pumpins around and doing all sorts of fun new stuff. We tried to put him in a bouncy house for little kids but he wasn't quite ready for that.
Congratulations to Dave and Rachel who got married on Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding.

This pumpkin is too heavy.

Sharing an apple cider doughnut with Great Grandma

My first pony ride.

Chuck E Cheese Take 2

2009-09-22T07:58:00.007-05:00

Not only did we go to the zoo this past weekend we also celebrated Ava's 3rd birthday @ Chuck E Cheese. We were there earlier this summer celebrating Kali's 8th birthday. It is amazing how in just a few short months Will can go from just checking things out to actually playing.

I just love this picture.

He loved playing skeeball.

First Trip to the Zoo

2009-09-20T19:58:00.010-05:00

We have been trying to get to the zoo all summer but something always came up. We finally had an opportunity and the weather was beautiful. We had a great time spending time with our nieces and Mimi & Papa.

Lounging w/Dad

What's that thing?

All tuckered out!!

15 Month Update

2009-09-16T09:31:00.004-05:00

I can't believe Will is already 15 months. I wanted to give an update on what he has been up to. Will is all over the place and there is no room that is "Willproof". Just the other day he climbed up on one of the kitchen chairs and took a seat just like mommy and daddy. I guess it is time to start looking for a booster seat. He is really climbing on everything now and I know it won't be long before the crib has to go.

Favorite foods are hotdogs, mac&cheese and cheetos (all the healthy foods). He loves to take drinks out of our cups and loves to drink from a straw. He is slowly but surely starting to say words. He is very good a bye, ball, baba, ba (which is bath). He definitely know what he wants and shows us by pointing and grunting, so we are definitely trying to get him to tell us. When he doesn't want something he shakes his head no and thinks that is funny.

He notices clouds and planes in the sky, tilts his head back as far as he can without falling over, points up and says "ohhhhhh".

At last check he was 23lbs. He is in 18 month clothing. Although, we are already wearing some 24 month and 2T tops. His legs need to catch up with his torso. Will has 10 teeth, the front four top & bottom and 1 molar on each side on the top.

His favorite game is to be chased himself and he loves to chase balls down the hill but doesn't like to come back up.

Every day he makes us smile and melts our hearts. I will be posting updated pictures soon.

Firefighter Will

2009-08-17T12:01:00.004-05:00

We went to Kansas City over the weekend to meet up with some of my old friends and we also got to go visit Tim at the Fire Station. Will had a great time visiting with his Uncle Tim and checking out the fire truck. Tim has even decked Will out with his own Lenexa Firefighter t-shirt.

Double Fisting It

2009-08-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun!!!

2009-08-11T20:17:00.003-05:00

Everything is going great here. I am still waiting on my real estate license so I can actually start working. I just thought I would post some pics of Will. He is doing great but I think he is working on more teeth.

July Update!!

2009-07-31T19:35:00.004-05:00

It has been a very busy month. I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up and the verdict is a Real Estate Agent. The past three weeks I have been going to class and studying at night and I passed the Real Estate Exam the first time. I will be working for Prudential Patterson Realtors out of Troy, MO. It is so nice to know what I am going to do rather than just sitting and waiting for something to come along. Who knows where this will take us but we just hope it is a fun ride.

Will is growing like crazy and doing really well. Here are some pictures of what he has been up to this month.

4th of July

2009-07-06T13:30:00.007-05:00

We headed to Shell Knob, MO over the holiday to spend it with my grandparents and parents. We had a great time boating, swimming & relaxing. Will is feeling so much better and has added another tooth to his mouth. He now has a total of 7 and is working on his 8th.

Helping Daddy drive

Driving a boat is hard work

He just loves to drive anything

It's nice when they have a handle to grab

Cake Eating Part 2

2009-06-29T12:38:00.007-05:00

Cake Eating

2009-06-28T19:44:00.005-05:00

Here is part 1 of Will's first time eating cake. He is doing much better now and this third round of anitbiotics seems to be working.

No Tubes Please!!!

2009-06-25T10:24:00.002-05:00

The past two weeks have been kind of crappy and happy. Will turned 1 and at the same time can't seem to fight off an ear infection. Here is the lowdown on what has been going on:

Easter 2009--Diagnosed with 1st ear infection and found out allergy to amoxicillian

Wednesday June 10th--Went to Urgent Care in K.C. after a sleepless night and Will was diagnosed with an ear infection in the right ear.

Thursday June 18th--One year check up, ears not infected but still a lot of fluid, finished antibiotic that night

Monday June 22nd--Back to the doctor after another sleepless night, ear infection in the left ear this time, another round of antibiotics

Thursday June 25th--Something is not right, antibiotics are no longer working, full blown double ear infection, right eardrum about to burst, prescribed zithromax and ear drops

Fingers crossed and just watching and waiting. If this doesn't work we will be doing tubes next week. WE DON'T WANT THAT.

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-22T12:26:00.005-05:00

I would just like to wish my wonderful husband and my own dad a happy father's day. I have truly been blessed by having been raised by a great father and then to marry someone who would become the best father there is to our child. Father's Day will always be extra special to us b/c one year ago Father's Day weekend we brought our beautiful little boy into the world.

Father's Day 2008...

Father's Day 2009...

Birthday Party #2

2009-06-22T12:17:00.005-05:00

Is he spoiled or what? On Saturday we had birthday party #2 with Mike's side of the family and with our friends in STL. We had a great time and so did Will. Hopefully he doesn't expect this every year. Oh well, I guess he's worth it.

12 Month Stats

2009-06-20T09:29:00.002-05:00

The shots aren't as bad as they used to be. Right after the prick he got an animal cracker and perked right up. I think it was after both his 3 & 6 month shots I had to nurse him so he would quit crying. He got 3 shots today and I have to take him to get blood drawn to check his lead levels. I guess to make sure he isn't chewing on any window sills that are painted with lead based paint. They also ask the strangest questions now. Are you mom? Does he live with mom and dad? Does he have his own bed? Do you have smoke detectors? It is unfortunate that they do have to ask these question.

Height: 32.25" (98%)
Weight: 22lbs. (40%)
Head: 45 cm (15%)

America's Funniest Home Videos

2009-06-18T12:59:00.008-05:00

Will has smiled at himself in the mirror before but never really interacted with the little boy in the mirror before. The closet doors in his room are full mirrors. I caught him doing this just before nap time. There are 2 separate videos that are priceless and I am actually pondering submitting them to America's Funniest Home Videos. I am so happy I got it on video so daddy can see it when he gets home. Enjoy!!!

The Big #1

2009-06-15T09:42:00.007-05:00

We made it. YEAH!!! Our little boy has turned one and it seems like just overnight has turned into a toddler. We celebrated with friends in family in Kansas over the weekend. Will's got to see his great grandparents for the first time since Christmas. The theme for the party was construction. We had caution tape and orange caution cones as decoration.

Will had a great time and got lots of great gifts. This month has been a month for a lot of firsts. We got our first haircut, we got our first real pair of shoes, we swam in a pool for the first time and of course we turned one. It is just amazing how fast they grow. Will has a total of 6 teeth ( 2 on the bottom, 4 up top). He is such a climber now and we are really having to watch him b/c things we thought were safe before are no longer. We are in the process of introducing whole milk and have been working on the sippy cup for quite a while but he still won't hold it on his own. He loves to cuddle with his blankets for sleepy time and he just loves to be outside doing anything. His birthday week is not over yet as we still have our St. Louis birthday party this coming weekend.

First Haircut

2009-06-08T13:34:00.006-05:00

As you can see Will's hair has gotten pretty long in some areas to allow us to give him cool hairstyles like the one above. It was really long in the back and was starting to look bad. All he really needed was a snip here and a snip there but Mike and I were too scared to go near him with a pair of scissors since he won't sit still. We ended up going to a hair salon for kids called the Hairy Elephant. It was a really cool place and very kid friendly. Will got to sit in a little jeep while they cut his hair. They entertained him with bubbles and tried with the TV (he is still not interested in TV). After it was over he received his 1st haircut certificate. Doesn't he look cute.

Will's 1 year Pictures

2009-05-31T15:24:00.011-05:00

Today we went to the park and got Will's 1 year pictures taken. It was such a beautiful day we just couldn't not do outside pics. He was able to chase ducks around and play with rocks and sticks. Please ignore the pictures with snot and slobber. He has a little cold and is teething. I think they turned out great. You can see all of them @ http://picasaweb.google.com/HornFamilyAlbum but here are a few of my favorite. I can't believe my little guy is almost 1.

Learning to Climb

2009-05-29T09:08:00.005-05:00

This video clip is from this past weekend at the cabin. First of all, the couch and chair there are lower to the ground than ours at home and Will had is cousins Kali and Ava to learn from. It is funny to watch him go from such frustration to such happiness. Daddy only helped a little. I am sure we will have many more frustrating moments like this as he tries to do things he is not quite ready for.

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-26T10:50:00.012-05:00

Off to the cabin again. This time with the Horn side of the family. We arrived late Thursday night after Will slept the entire way. YEAH!!! He really does not like to be confined to the car seat especially since it is still rear facing. We awoke Friday morning and noticed something was missing. Apparantly the storms had been pretty fierce the weekend before and the dock washed away. It is resting down by the dam.

They all want to ride the little ATV.

We had a great time riding the ATV's, fishing, playing games and just relaxing. Will certainly enjoyed exploring and getting dirty.

Here is a picture of Will fishing with his Daddy and yes that is a barbie fishing pole.

Nice catch Kali

Here is a cute picture of Will hanging out with his cousins Kali and Ava. Ava doesn't look too happy that Will's fingers are in her mouth.

Will driving (don't worry it was on my parent's property)

Spoiled Rotten

2009-05-19T14:26:00.005-05:00

It's not even his birthday and he has these cool new toys. The swing was a gift from Grandma from Easter that we finally put up and the little bike his other Grandma found at a Flea Market. Gotta love Grandma's.

Good Morning Sleepyhead

2009-05-19T14:21:00.003-05:00

Mom's shoes are so much fun

Happy 1st Birthday Sydney!!!

2009-05-13T10:59:00.004-05:00

Will's cousin Sydney turned 1 yesterday and we celebrated over the weekend. It is hard to believe that it has already been a year. Will and Sydney are just 1 month and 2 days apart which means Will's 1st birthday is just around the corner. Happy Birthday Sydney and I hope you enjoy life to the fullest. Love always, Lisa, Mike and Will.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-13T10:47:00.005-05:00

I had a wonderful 1st Mother's Day and enjoyed it with my entire family. My little boy got me a beautiful necklace (thank you daddy). I love being a mom and can't imagine life without my little Willbo. I was able to spend Mother's Day with my mom as well. I haven't been able to spend the actual day with her in quite some time so it was really nice. All of us kids were together so we got some good pics.

Will's 1st Tree Climbing

Weekend at the Cabin

2009-04-28T10:49:00.010-05:00

Riding Grandpa's Tractor

I'm not afraid of fish

Ready to go