5 years

Marrying Shaun has been the best decision I have ever made! I knew he was wonderful and amazing before we got married, but I didn't realize how perfect he was for me! 

Friday night we went to the temple to kick off the weekend. Our temple is 2 hours away so we enjoyed chatting in the car and reminiscing about the wedding festivities, the experiences we have had together and everything in between. Although life can bring some tough things I'm so grateful I have a supportive husband who loves me unconditionally.  

Even though it doesn't seem possible, everyday I love this man more and more!  

Happy 5 years honey! 

Miracles around us

I've heard the saying that, "Being a parent will be one of the hardest things you will ever do, but will also be one of the most rewarding." 

     This past month falls into the category of hard. I took Claire in at the beginning of December for her 15 month appointment. Up until this point she has been gaining about 1 pound a month. At this appointment, however, we realized that she had actually lost weight. The doctor told me that if she doesn't gain in a month that we would need to do some testing and take her to a feeding therapist.

     To make a long story short I was blessed to be reconnected with a friend from high school who is currently working in Oregon as a feeding therapist. I also felt prompted to make an appointment with the pediatric dietitian in Cleveland. (The feeding clinic in Cleveland has a 3 month waiting list so this was a good place to start.  

      The combination of these two amazing sources of help have been amazing. My friend has provided almost mini sessions via email and has really opened my eyes to how much there really does go into eating. The the dietitian was also extremely helpful. 

Unfortunately there is not a quick solution to helping Claire eat. It is a day to day process that requires a lot of patience. One day, after an incredibly frustrating day Claire had not even eaten 500 calories. Her goal is 800+. Shaun was sick with the flu and Claire had not taken a bite of anything on her plate. I cried as I sat there overwhelmed with what to do. I decided to put her in the bath tub and while watching her play I did what any girl would do, I called my mom. 

       After I got Claire and Shaun tucked in bed I cried some more and earnestly prayed for understanding. During the quiet time that followed my mind filled with simple thoughts from above. I knew the things that I needed to improve upon with our eating approach. They were based on what my friend and the dietitian had recommended but we very personalized for our situation. 

Well,  I woke up the next morning with great enthusiasm. It was going to be a great eating day at the Broderick's house. That day Claire came down with the stomach bug. This was definitely not going to help with the weight gain. :( 

Still feeling overwhelmed I called my siblings and parents and asked them to fast for Claire. 

The day Claire started feeling better she ate almost 700 Calories. It was a miracle. But even more than a miracle is since our big fast Claire will actually taste most of the food on her plate. New things she still usually spits out, and sometimes we have really messy meals (according to the therapist all rules at the table go out the window until later.) This is  another area where patience comes in. 

But I am happy to report that she has gained 1 pound in the last four weeks which is so great! 

 I am so grateful for the guidance and help we have received. I know that there are angels round about us helping us along. 

Thank you to those who have included us in your prayers and fasts. We are definitely feeling great peace. We still have our rough days but we are making great progress. Baby steps, right. 

*If you need suggestions for helping your kids eat more I am becoming quite the expert. :) 

Speaking of baby...mine isn't quite looking like a baby anymore. 

Love this cutie! 

16 months old! 

Weight 17 pounds 8 oz. 

What do you do when you get the flu?

You snuggle with your favorite Elmo blanket and watch baby Einstein. 

Last week was rough for us but hopefully we all can start feeling better very soon! 

Christmas Break

What a wonderful time of year! We were so happy that we got to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. Being alone for Thanksgiving was not fun at all. Here are some highlights from the trip. 

All dressed up for church 

Claire really enjoyed her cousins. Daphne had this awesome shopping cart that Claire loved to put things in and out of. 

Christmas Eve pjs. I forgot to get a picture while we were there, but this is right after a bath. Love snugly pjs!  

Having fun with Daphne's new princess kitchen, the bounce house and Collin decorated a train. 

Shaun made this triple chocolate cake for Christmas Eve/Christmas. It was delicious! 

While we were there it snowed a lot! My sister gave us their sled that you can zip up in the back so the little kiddos stay nice and warm. Claire LOVES it! 

Claire got this cute new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Broderick 

Because of all the snow we were stuck in NY another day, *Shucks* so we went to the mall to ride the carosale. 

Claire really liked it. :) 

Look at all of this snow! 

We had such a great time! One night our cousin came over and baby sat so we could go on a double date to the movie, The Hobbit. It was great! We also really enjoyed playing a family favorite game called, Wackee Six. 

My sister is quite the hostess and even stapled a sheet to her basement wall so Claire could have her own sleeping area. 

We loved being able to skype with family, partake of the spirit and see the joy Christmas brings to young and old. 

Thank you everyone for your kindness and love to us! We are so blessed!