Spring Break 2010 - March 15-19

Wow, I'm verrrrrrry behind. Spring Break was AWESOME! Deb came in from Little Rock to spend time with me & the kiddos. It was so wonderful to have Alex home for the entire week-- no schedules (except for C's nap). Just fun! We stayed very busy...the way we like it!

Here are pics from Deb's first visit to Fossil Rim (record breaking attendance day...took over 4 hours to drive through the park):

The Darby girls are ready for an adventure!

The famous giraffe. There were 9 (several new babies).

Deb catching a moment on film.

We could hear the boys making gun shot noises in our heads :)

My beauty

Look at the pure joy on her face!

Alex feeding an Aoudad.

And feeding a "beautiful Bambi"

Mel braving the aggressive Ostrich so the family could get a laugh. He was actually much more gentle than several of the past encounters. IT'S A BIG BURD :)
--
Next stop: The Butterfly House at Fair Park. Heaven for a little girl that adores butterflies. She even wore her butterfly dress for the occasion. It was amazing. The Butterfly House hosts species of butterflies from all over the world. Alex asked great questions and loved every minute. They keep the inside temperate similar to "rain forest climate"-- so it was very, very warm and humid. We were soaked by the time we left. It was so worth it though. Carson tracked a butterfly or two...as usual, he was along for the ride. Alex's favorites: the Adonis Blue Butterfly and the Zebra Butterfly. Here are a few pics:

The fam out front

Sweet girl so excited to go inside

Andonis Blue Butterfly (gorgeous turquoise wings when they open)

Amazing

Carson hangin' in there...

DeDe and Carson catch their breath

Beautiful girls

Can you see the joy? I can!

The Zebra butterfly

Thousands of chrysalis - each marked with species type, origin and life span.

I adore this photo. She is so grown up!

--

Finally, we go from 78 degrees to 5 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. Only in Texas, right? Here is a picture of a brave DeDe trying to make Alex happy before she had to go back home. You are awesome, DeDe!

Good times!

ECI - Carson update

Today, Carson was evaluated by ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). ECI is a state agency focused on helping children (birth to age 3) that are experiencing delays or developmental issues. I wasn't sure if Carson would qualify for help, but I thought it was worth checking out.

ECI is amazing. I just wish I had known to call them ages ago. We had a therapist come to our home today to learn more about Carson and to assess him to see how he is doing.

I'll just get to it...she said he has a large speech delay :( She said he is at a 10-12 month old level...and he is 19 months old. Needless to say, that was very hard for me to hear. I went and found Alex's newsletter and she was using around 50 words at this age. He's using less than 10 words. He is still not clapping or pointing, and behind in social interaction, etc. The best way I can describe it is that I feel like he is developing in slow motion. It's hard to hear about all of the kids his age and what they are doing right now...he's just not there.

I am still holding on to the idea that Carson has been dealing with serious stomach issues and has high levels of toxins in his blood that are creating a "less than ideal" environment for his growth and development. Just in the past 10 weeks, we've hit the ground running with a new diet and supplements. I am hoping and PRAYING that it will just take some time for his body to clear up and catch up.

The Gonino clinic called today and they have Carson's blood work results. I will take him next Tuesday to hear the results and hopefully get some direction.

Just trying to stay encouraged. Sigh. Some days are much easier than others. Today...it's been a harder day. Hearing your child has a "massive speech delay" is crushing. I am thankful we will be getting some help though. Thank goodness for capable professionals that are dedicated to helping him (and me). It's felt a bit lonely on this journey at times...so I am thrilled to take any help offered.

Keep our little man in your prayers.

"As you go through this day, trust Me to provide strength that you need moment by moment. Don't waste energy wondering whether you are adequate for today's journey. My Spirit within you is more than sufficient to handle whatever this day may bring."

Funny, funny girl

Alex and my mom (YaYa) have a Monday tradition-- dollar movie Monday! Almost every week they go to the movies and have a blast. I just love these moments Sherree & Alex are spending together...precious and priceless. As usual, my mom comes back announcing she has Alex stories to share. This one was worth posting, I thought.

Today, the girls went and saw Tooth Fairy, starring Dwayne Johnson aka, "The Rock." Apparently, he was walking out the shower and they could just see him wrapping a towel around his waist and he was shirtless. My mom said, "um, wow." And Alex says, "No YaYa, we can't watch this, he is showing us his privacy!"

HAAAA!

Way to go, Alex! :)