The Versatile Blogger Award | 7 Facts About Me

Thank you so much!

Thank you to Lana from Finding Inspiration in the Chaos for the nomination.

I am definitely, definitely humbled. I've been nominated for three blogger awards the last couple months. It truly means a lot to me, even if it is a "chain mail" for bloggers. It means that people appreciate what you write, and appreciate you. Thank you girl!

Rules for the Versatile Blogger Award

• Thank the person who nominated you.
• Include a link to their blog in your post.
• Nominate 15 bloggers of your choosing to keep spreading the love.
• Share 7 facts about yourself.

Seven Facts About Me

1. I suffer from anxiety, not many know. I use to get overly anxious going anywhere by myself, I always thought the worst. I hated that feeling and I sought help.

2. I use to be a third degree black belt, I studied Martial Arts for 10 years. Could've even opened up my own dojo but I gave up--wish I never did!

3. I was an Air Force brat growing up, and had the luxury of seeing Germany, Italy, Belgium, France, and Holland. I really enjoyed the Black Forest during the winter months, so beautiful!

4. I drew a lot growing up--mostly Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball Z characters.

5. I love reading romance novels, haha. Crazy, I know!

6. I have an unhealthy obsession with coffee cups. It drives my husband absolutely bonkers.

7. Lastly, I have a Bachelor's of Science in Health Administration and almost done with Medical Billing and Coding. Graduating March 2019!

My 15 Nominations Are:

1. Sonila from Mediterranean Latin Love Affair 

2. Linda from Witte's World

3. Kimberly from A Minor Bump in the Road

4. Tammy from Midlife Milestones

5. Tonya from The Kettlebell Mom

6. Sheila from The Empty Next Lifestyle

7. Vicky from Leave It To Mema

8. Nikki from She Saves She Travels

9. Monica from A Coordinated Life

10. Edel from Pacemaker Blog

11. Marianne from Luxe With Me

12. Anita from My Road My Story

13. Kristi from Way Beyond the Norm

14. Veniece from Innate Motherhood

15. Brandie from In-Ov8rs

Sincerely,

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Mommy and JJ Movie Date | The Grinch 3D

I was fortunate enough to take our oldest son JJ to the movies this past Saturday. It was long over due! I try to make it a point to spend time with him whether it's a trip to the ice cream parlor, the park, and movies. I spend so much of my time with his little brother, I don't want him to feel as if I don't love him or forgot about him. 

The Movies

We didn't make it to the 1:40 showing of the Grinch, they sold out right before we got to the ticket stand. We ended up going with the 3D showing of the Grinch at 2:30 so we had a lot of time to kill. That was okay because they had an arcade to keep us busy. We traded in our cash for tokens and battled the Terminators and raced the tracks. It was very fun! 

I am not one to win but I was able to win JJ an emoji ball and emoji pillow! I guess I had luck on my side that day, I normally waste all my money on trying to win something. I loved the look he gave me when I won him those two things. Melted my heart.

We went to the concession stand and bought some popcorn and icee, he was in heaven. Almost had heart failure with the amount we spent on the snacks. I usually pack a bunch of snacks in a small bag or purse but didn't get a chance to, it was last minute. 

The Regal movie theater was one of the most comfiest movie theaters I have ever been to. They had reclining chairs! I also liked that you pre-paid for your seats so you weren't trying to find a spot to sit--you already had it reserved prior to going in. We sat back, kicked our feet up, and watched the Grinch in 3D. 

If you get a chance to, definitely watch it in 3D! It was awesome.  

Candy Store

Stopped and took photos in front of the beautiful Christmas tree, JJ had to take a photo with an "emoji face." He's such a goofball. 

The movie theater is located in the mall so there are plenty of shopping and goodies around. I promised JJ I would take him to the candy store after the movie. He was ecstatic, there was so many candy to choose from! He grabbed a bunch of gummies, his favorite, and we went on our way to the car. We were meeting daddy and little brother for some pizza!

I love these moments with JJ, I can't wait to go on another little mommy and JJ date!

As always, thank you for reading!

The Sunshine Blogger Award | Peer Recognition

The Sunshine Blogger Award

A couple weeks ago I was nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award. I am humbled to be nominated and I thank The Sublime Mom Life for nominating me. There are days where I think I'm not doing enough or not doing great and when I get these nominations it makes me feel a whole lot better. Thank you!

What Is The Sunshine Blogger Award

The Sunshine Blogger Award is, basically, peer recognition among the blogger community.  Bloggers nominate other bloggers that they feel are “creative, positive, and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.”

A blogger chain letter, if you will. Yeah, we all hate those emails that say you’re gonna have gloom and doom if you don’t pass it on to another 50,000 people. However, I appreciate this “chain letter” award because it’s a nice pat on the back, letting you know that you have somehow touched someone out in the blogging world with something you have written. Kinda like saying, “hey, you aren’t doing this for nothing.”

Rules For The Sunshine Blogger Award

Let’s cover some rules for participation in the Sunshine Blogger Award.

-Thank the blogger who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
-Answer the 11 questions that the blogger asked you.
-Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the blogger award and write them 11 new questions.
-List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post/and or your blog.

Questions From The Nominator For The Sunshine Blogger Award

1. What made you want to begin a blog?

I started blogging back in June 2018 because our youngest son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Dyrk1a Syndrome. There wasn’t much information about his condition and I found that majority of the parents in the support group went through the same difficulties as us. I wanted to share our struggles publicly in hopes to help another family and reach an undiagnosed family.

2. What do you find to be the hardest part of blogging?

In my opinion finding content to write. I do write a lot about Jaxson and his adventures with Dyrk1a Syndrome but I decided to add my life as a military spouse and my love for health and fitness.

3. What do you wish you had known before you began your blog?

I wish I did more research! I went with Blogger and honestly, I wish I went with Wordpress. They have many plug-ins you can use and when you transfer your blog to a domain and host it is super easy!

4. What accomplishment are you the most proud of?

Going back to school. I decided to go back to school for Medical Billing and Coding in May when we received Jaxson’s diagnosis. I wanted to be able to work from home and take care of him when he got older and aged out of school.

5. Using one word, how would you describe yourself?

Determined. I fight to ensure that our kids get the care and help they need. I fight to better myself with my Olympic lifts.

6. Do you hang your toilet paper over or under?

I hang it over. You’re a monster if you don’t, haha. Totally kidding!

7. If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

This is tough. I am going to go with brawling haha. I’m a pretty chill person but if someone threatens my family, I will start swinging.

8. What is the most outrageous food you’ve tried?

Another tough question. I grew up in Okinawa so we ate a lot of different foods, most can’t say that they’ve eaten outrageous foods. I guess I will have to go with a lollipop with a cricket inside of it, it’s actually pretty yummy if you can get over that there is a cricket in it haha.

9. What’s your favorite season?

Fall! I absolutely love fall. I love the changing of the leaves, pumpkin comes back, and you start to feel a little crisp early in the mornings. It’s also a time to go out to the farms to spend the day with my family pumpkin picking, hay rides, corn maze, etc.

10. Who was your first celebrity crush?

I would have to say, Heath Ledger. I loved the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, I can quote every line of that movie.

11. What’s your absolute most favorite thing to do?

I absolutely love to work out in our garage. It is definitely a big stress reliever in my life. I am a busy stay-at-home mom, I go to school full-time, and I take care of our special needs son during the day.

And the Nominees Are

I am nominating you because I love what you do and think that you all are amazing bloggers. 

Mediterranean Latin Love Affair

Midlife Milestones

The Penny Pinching Wife

Witte's World

Leave it to Mema

Empty Next Lifestyle

Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Joy

The Unorthodox Delta Girl

A Minor Bump in the Road

Salty Pearl Crochet

Dates in the States

And the Questions Are

1. What is your favorite season?

2. What is your guilty pleasure?

3. What is your favorite thing to watch on TV?

4. What do you find is the hardest part of blogging?

5. Who was your first celebrity crush?

6. What is your favorite animal?

7. What are your blogging goals for the next five years?

8. If you could go one place in the world, where would it be?

9. What made you start blogging?

10. What is your favorite food, and why?

11. What is your favorite song?

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Jaxson Update | 11.09.18

Occupational Therapy: 

Jaxson had his Occupational Therapy consult a couple weeks ago. The therapist recommended one hour therapy sessions twice a week, which looks like it'll be on Monday and Thursday mornings. They will be focusing on mostly Sensory (SPD) with a side of Feeding and Fine Motor skills (as mentioned before). They want to strengthen his pincer grip as well.

Physical Therapy:

Jaxson had his Physical Therapy consult last Tuesday and the therapist was pleased with what she saw. She mentioned that he was at age for gross motor skills but was concerned with his feet. She felt that his ankles were extremely relaxed or loose. She recommended we see an Orthopedist to be fitted for AFO (ankle foot orthosis) to correct his feet and hopefully help with his balance. She wants to see him once a week for a few months to work on core and leg strength.

Other Therapies/Referrals:

We had to post-pone his ENT appointment because the referral fell through the cracks some how. The office got the referral from our pediatrician but the insurance didn't. We finally received the boy's medical records from the Naval Hospital in Pensacola. The lady handling their records here will be putting their information on a disc for us. I do have most of Jaxson's referrals and genetic notes but I do not have the rest.

We are waiting to get in with the Neurologist, Sleep Center, Gastroenterologist, Ophthalmologist, and Genetics over in Raleigh.

Communication:

Jaxson has been babbling more and more. Mostly it sounds as if he's saying JJ's name, it's so sweet. He usually says it the most when JJ is at school, I know he misses him a lot during the day. He was so use to JJ being home with us but now he is gone from 7:30 to 4:30 (such a long day!). He also says something that sounds like "da-da," I guess this momma is chopped liver.

The Speech Therapist from CDSA (early steps) has me being more hands on with Jaxson as far as signs. However, when I ask him to do please, all done, and eat he does the sign for "more" or claps. They will be coming by on Friday next week to see how he's responding to me teaching him.

Overall, he's doing well!

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Top 10 Toys, Jaxson Approved!

10 Toys that Jaxson loved!

I've been playing with the idea of compiling a list of toys that Jaxson (and his brother) and I loved over the past year. As most of you know Jaxson is special needs, he was diagnosed with DYRK1A Syndrome back in April of this year. He was a potato baby up until he was eight months old, before that he was only in his Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo, Rock n Play, or Play Mat. 

The list I am about to share with you all have been tried and loved by both of my boys and I. I wouldn't have added them on my list of Must Haves if we didn't love them! Between outpatient therapy and home, here's what we loved!

*This post may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure for more information.

1. Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo

Since Jaxson wasn't mobile until he was 8 months old, we used the jumperoo a lot in the beginning. I used it mostly when I was trying to workout in the garage while his big brother was at school. His Physical Therapist didn't recommend the jumperoo but it was the only way momma could get a workout in for 30-45 minutes. Lots of flashy lights and music for the little ones, and he was able to jump around and rock back and forth to sleep!

2. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Servin' Up Fun Food Truck

Our boys LOVE this toy, I am so glad my mom bought this for Jaxson on his first birthday. It is extremely educational: ABC songs, numbers, and allows both my boys to explore and use their imaginations. It is sometimes known as the "chicken nugget" house. I love that this toy can be used for years to come!

3. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Car

Jaxson received this for Christmas last year. He really didn't start using it for it's intent until he was about 14-15 months old (don't forget, he is developmentally/intellectually delayed). When he does play with it, he plays for awhile! Like the toys listed above, it has fun and educational songs, shiny and bright dashboard, three different stages, etc. There are small little compartments for him to practice his fine motor skill by pushing triangles, circles, or squares into their assigned holes. 

4. Fisher Price Go Baby Go! Gumball

I didn't buy this for Jaxson until I found how much he loved it at his Speech Therapies. He loved that every time he put the ball into the gum ball that it would light up and play music. He was able to learn to push the knob down to allow the balls to come out. I was able to find the exact one he used at therapy at a consignment shop near the house.

5. Fisher Price Musical Lion Walker

I've had this push toy for years, we bought it when our oldest turned one. We decided to keep it and I'm glad we did. Jaxson has been able to learn to pull up and push the walker. The walker is helping Jaxson strengthen his leg muscles to walk unassisted. 

6. Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks

We got this for Jaxson for his first Christmas. It's small and simple yet it helps Jaxson work on his cognitive and fine motor skills. 

7. Vtech Sit-to-Stand Alphabet Train

Jaxson absolutely loved this toy. The Vtech train allows him to take the Alphabet cubes and insert it at the top, it's a small opening so it definitely works his fine motor skills. He giggles every time it shoots out to the back. It's also nice for riding and pushing!

8. Vtech Sort & Discover Activity Cube

Bright and fun! The activity cube helps with Jaxson's hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. There are also little "book pages" to help Jaxson work on his pincer grip by turning the pages.

9. Vtech GearZooz Spin & Laugh Gearaffe

Very fun and unique. I love that the little pieces go on like a "gear"and he's able to turn the knob to make the Gearaffe sing and laugh. It also teaches the kids their colors and shapes! There are wheels on the bottom as well so it enables him to push the toy, he makes "vroom" noises with it. He loves to imitate his brother, it is the sweetest thing. There are other pieces you can buy for your little ones to turn the Gearaffe into a train.

10. Vtech Chomp and Count Dino

Just like the lion walker, we got this for our oldest son and passed it down to Jaxson. Like the Alphabet Train, the chomp and count dino allows Jaxson to push or pull the toy. When he gets older it will also allow him to learn the different food pieces, color, shapes, and numbers.

I hope that you found this post informative and that you find something that will help your little one!

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