Crew is Turning {ONE} !!!

Our Stud is turning 1.
Crew Cotton Snell was one of the biggest surprises of my life.

I was scared for most of my pregnancy with him:
How am I going to DO this?

He has been here a year and without a doubt- one of the COOLEST babies I have ever known, and the absolute perfect ending to our family's creation.

He was born an old soul.
An understanding of life- a patience and calmness that I haven't even mastered.

He started walking at nine months.
Running at 11 months.
He says 7 words and signs four more.
He dances and laughs at jokes- plays chase and endless rounds of hide mommy's keys.
He hugs and kisses his sisters.
Pets and pulls on Molly.

Hates getting his diaper changed.
Loves being snuggled and smooched.

Still wakes up three times a night
But rarely cries during the day.

Eats more food than Carter.
Is stronger than Quinn.

Our sweet boy, Crew.

As tradition in our family, we ask for those who want to celebrate his first year of life, to give an hour of community service.

With Quinny we collected a little more than 500 pounds of canned food for the Oregon Food Bank.
For Carter, we raised $200 for the Perry Center in Portland.
And now for Crew, we ask for hours of time and love for those who love our Crew.

For those of you who wish to celebrate Crew's first year of life in giving love back, PLEASE send me a picture- I would love for him to see the difference the world saw because he turned ONE.

Crew.
You bring so much joy and laughter to your sisters, Daddy and me.
Thank you for coming to us.
Thank you for choosing us as your family.
You're the perfect flank to our crazy and the perfect fit for our souls.
You'll be adored and loved for eternity.
Happiest of Birthdays to you always.
Mommy.

Kindergarten- WE did it!

A little while ago, I got a pep talk from a friend of mine.
Amongst her words, the ones I will always remember are these:

"You need to trust your parenting more."

Last spring when Jake and I sat through Quinny's IEP (individualized education plan/ ie. a group of six-ish professionals sit around a table, talking about your child's special needs and how their school can and will accommodate such) we left almost in tears.

Yamhill Carlton school district was and is not able to accommodate Quinny's needs- she is too high functioning, but too "disabled".
The main stream classroom was not going to work.
The special education classroom was not going to work.
The "plan" they had set out for Quinny was (in our opinion) detrimental to her self worth and ability set.
It was horrible.

After a lot of talking to Q's therapists, doctors, Patty, mom's I trust, Lou's teacher...Jake and I decided that Home Schooling Lou was going to be the best option.
We would FIND social scenarios to enhance and practice social skills and develop more friendships, but we will have her learn in a calm, quiet, SAFE environment.

And then Carter's body started to mal-function and the thought of balancing doctors, therapies, working, home stuff AND home schooling was just TOO damn much for this scallywhompis brain of mine.
Not to mention Quinny started to ask us to go to "normal school" once the back to school commercials came on in august.

Deciding to move back to Forest Grove is turning out to be one of the best decisions we have ever made.

We listened to our friend's advice (trust in our parenting) and we listened to our Quinny's wishes:

Quinn's first IEP meeting at her new elementary school (Harvey Clarke) was incredible.
Jake said:
"It feels like we're getting hugged!"

-Quinny needs occupational therapy, but the transition to special ed for such services would defeat the whole damn purpose of such- NO PROBLEM THEY SAY! We'll have a skilled aid in her classroom so she can do her OT throughout the typical day, in a typical classroom!
What? No problem?
-Quinny needs a touch screen computer, as her cross coordination brain activity is a huge deficit- NO PROBLEM...and they hooked it up WHILE WE WERE THERE!
-Quinny needs special adaptations with her fine motor skill work
-Quinny needs visuals to help her transition from activity to activity
-Quinny needs a special seat to sit in and a special heavy lap pillow for circle time
-Quinny needs sensory breaks, numerous times throughout her day (ie. playing with playdough, lining up small objects, joint compressions)
-Quinny needs visual reminders throughout her classroom to combat her constant anxiety
-Quinny needs someone SKILLED in social skills to help her navigate her peers
-Quinny needs someone SKILLED to help her get "un-stuck" when something doesn't go as planned
-Quinny needs a heads up when a fire drill will be happening, and a safe place to flee during an assembly
-Quinny needs extra time on activities...

NO PROBLEM THEY SAY!!!

Quinnlyn Julia Snell, is in a MAINSTREAM classroom, ALL class time- with an incredible (and according to Lou, "Calming") SKILLED aid to help her navigate over all of her barriers.

Grateful doesn't begin to describe mine and Jake's feelings right now.

It is still early in the game, but we see a team of teachers and therapists who are looking out for our Lou, with the resources to match their belief in her.

Excited.

HOPEFUL.

Our Bitty Bungalow: GARAGE SALE!

Although just 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom- this house was built by Jake, full of love, and couldn't be cuter.

These pictures are when we had one kid- shoving three babes into 800 square feet will be a challenge- first item of business:

GARAGE SALE!

140 S. Olive Street Yamhill OR. 97148

Friday August 30th- Monday September 2nd (yes four days...we have a lot to sell!)

More Info. to come as we get closer.

Moving: embracing change and the unknown

Come September, we will be moving back into our little wee house in Forest Grove.
We will be putting our Yamhill house up for rent, and starting a life full of unknowns within the security of the four walls that surrounds us at 1113 Gales Creek Road.

Four years ago, Jake re-built his grandpa's little two bedroom bungalow- we lived in and loved that house until positive pregnancy test with Crew came around and finding a bigger home with a warm, loving community, became our focus.

We found both in sweet, beautiful Yamhill Oregon.
An incredible blessing we found.
A preschool that developed our Lou's self worth, a teacher who adored her, guided her, and believed in her.
Friends and parents of friends who understood the differences, and accepted them.
Evenings with wine and laughter, with new friends whom I connected with, and trusted.
Wood shop and beer drinking for Jake with his best bud.
Our besties- so loyal and so loving.

Kindness.
Community.
Home.

Heartbreaking, this decision is- but necessary.

Keeping a solid foundation, near both sets of grandparents, near the doctors and hospitals, is critical for us staying hopeful and grounded.

Keeping a balance between work, health, therapies, survival, learning, creating, adventures, love, laughter and stability- it is going to be super hard. Especially since we don't know where or what we're headed towards.

Keeping perspective about what is important in life. What we want our children to learn from and about adversity. What we want them to remember about their childhood and remember about us, as parents.

We firmly believe that a childhood that has stability, love that has no bounds, creative adventure seeking, parents who honor and enrich each child as an individual, and food that nourishes and heals, will be far more beneficial than a big house full of stuff and parents stretched to thin to remember what really matters.

So.
For a lady who has historically, needed to plan every minute into her future- this is going to be the ultimate trust exercise.

I'm trusting that we're making the right choices.
I'm trusting that we're given what we can handle- even when you might not feel it at the time.
I'm trusting in my partner.
I'm trusting in God.
I'm trusting myself.

Wish us luck-

All American Meal

Earlier this week, the kids got to eat curly fries from the Yamhill County Fair. They chopped the potatoes right there, cooked them in oil, and put into our hands. 

It was really fun to find an American classic food that the babes could eat AT the fair!

So in that same spirit, tonight, our menu consists of All American pieces.

This is also my kid's first hot dog experience- wish them well!

We went big here- pre packaged Applegate (organic, no nitrates, no preservatives) hot dogs and Amy's GF baked beans!

The fancy comes from the pre packaged-ness...I'm a little excited to just open something and heat it up!

And for dessert?

Homemade GFCF peach cobbler (oh my, one of the best desserts I've ever made!)

6 big peaches skinned and sliced 

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 tbsp lemon juice 

A bit of cinnamon 

Cook over medium heat for a little while.

Topping

Gf ap flour mix 2 cups ish

Bit of vanilla

Bit of baking powder

Bit of salt

1/4 cup cold coconut oil

Rice milk to moisten

Stir with hands and crumble on top peaches

Bake 375  30 ish minutes

Throwing some corn on the cob on the BBQ and we've got ourselves a perfect 'Merica Meal!

Garden and Pickin'

The two reasons I dig the summer months are:

Gardening and Picking.

I'm really not into heat (I'm a sweaty hot mess year round- 80 degrees and higher just makes things ridiculous).

But heat brings crops to garden and to harvest!

Since Quinny's first year of life, and every year since, we spend much of our summer days (now mornings- avoiding sun from 10a- 4p for Roo Roo) picking our fruits and veggies and canning, freezing, preserving.

Today was peach picking with Papa and peach preserving with Grammy.

We also went to Jake's parents farm and tended to our big garden. My mom in law is so damn good with this stuff- loving learning from her!

The crop is coming in and the kids (and the Mama) are having a rad rad time.

We may be avoiding the sun but we appreciate all the sun is gifting to us!

Benign Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia

Benign Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalemia.

We found out what has been cooking with our sweet Carter.
Still working on the details- but the gist is that she was born without calcium receptors. A mutation on her 3rd chromosome.

They are telling us to take (almost all) vitamin D out of her life (sun and food sourced).

We've started the second and third opinion process, but a few things we know for sure:

We have to make some major changes.

We have to make some financial changes and some lifestyle changes.

We've got to re-prioritize our priorities and make sure ALL of our babes are honored and fulfilled with the extra barriers in the way.

We have GOT to make some bitchin' lemonade from these SUPER sour, damn lemons.

And we have to stay positive and know that our sweet sweet girl will be A-ok, with the help of doctors and with some good old gumption from her crazy clan.