Mito

Jackson's been having a lot of health issues lately and we've been seeing some new doctors as well. I wanted to update family and friends on how he's doing but it's difficult when most don't understand whats going on. Also some people have been asking questions about what exactly is going on with Jackson and why things are the way they are, so I wanted to explain a little bit about what it is Jackson is dealing with.

Ever since Jackson was born he's had a variety of symptoms, seen countless doctors, had lots of tests and procedures. His current main diagnosis is mitochondrial disease. Mito is a difficult thing to diagnose and, for many people, requires many tests over long period of time to find out for certain if they have it. A lot of doctors say that it's "as clear as mud" in trying to figure things out. For Jackson we are still in the process of finding the exact cause, so he has a "clinical" mito diagnosis. We haven't found the exact genetic mutation, but the doctors feel Jackson meets the clinical picture, and many tests point to mito being what he has. Because of the nature of this disease we are treating him as if we know for sure he has it.

I wanted to explain a little bit about what mitochondrial disease is.

What is Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. The disease primarily affects children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common.

Diseases of the mitochondria appear to cause the most damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems.

Depending on which cells are affected, symptoms may include loss of motor control, muscle weakness and pain, gastro-intestinal disorders and swallowing difficulties, poor growth, cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory complications, seizures, visual/hearing problems, lactic acidosis, developmental delays and susceptibility to infection

Prognosis

As more research dollars are raised to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure, some of the affected children and adults are living fairly normal lives with mitochondrial disease. At the opposite end of the spectrum, many are severely affected, and some children do not live past their teenage years.

When are they at greatest risk?

The child or adult is at risk for neurological or organ damage during and for the two weeks following an illness. Therefore even a simple flu or cold virus can have devastating effects on the patient, even death. Any illness must be treated immediately with medical interventions, like IV fluids and IV antibiotics.

You can find out more about mito on the website umdf.org

There is no cure for mitochondrial disease. The only treatments are treating symptoms that can be managed and taking the "mito cocktail". The cocktail is group of supplements that help the body improve function and may slow the progression of the disease. Jackson has recently started taking some of the supplements and we've some great improvements.

Some of the symptoms that Jackson deals with that are common in mito:
Developmental delays, autistic features, dysautonomia(temperature,blood pressure and blood sugars mostly), seizures, Weakness, cramping, dysmotility, hypotonia, muscle pain, diarrhea/constipation, fatigue, cyclic vomiting syndrome and other various symptoms.

Jackson is getting a stroller/wheelchair very soon. This is very common for children that have mito. It's mostly because of how quickly he fatigues and gets weak. Its also for his pain. Jackson's fatigue varies day to day. Some days he's able to walk and play then there's days that he needs help walking more then 10 yards. The stroller will allow him to do more on the days he's to weak to walk and also on the days that aren't too bad preserve his energy for more important things.

Our Halloween

Leading up to Halloween Jackson was pretty hesitant about all of it. We had talked about it quite a bit before hand and planning some things. Hoping this year would be better than last year. Last year was a horrible experience but we did learn what not to do. Jackson's school was doing a halloween costume parade and party. I knew he would want to dress up once he saw all the other kids in his class getting their costumes on. He really likes being with his friends. We came up with a lot of suggestions, took him to look at costumes but I told him it was up to him if he wanted to dress up or not. I wasn't going to force him. In the end he decided to wear the costume from last year(it was a little snug but still fit). I think it was because it was familiar since he's worn it several times over the past year and its been hanging in his closet. I sent it to school in his back pack unsure if he would wear it. I was a little late getting up there for the parade and missed most of it. But I was able to go to his class and be with him during the party. It was a lot of fun. Jackson was pretty cute and kept saying how much he loved me, asking me to sit right next to him, and for lots of hugs. Its fun getting to see him while he's at school.



Holidays(or any planned event for that matter) are a little different around here. With Jackson you never can count on how things will go. We've learned to just hope for the best. Saturday night was our wards(church) trunk or treat and chili cook off. It started at 6 so I tried really hard to make sure both boys had good naps that day. Jackson took about an hour nap around noon and Noah slept from 2-4. I thought we would be good. Just after getting in the car to go up to church Jackson fell asleep. We drove slow and made a little errand so he could sleep a little longer. Sometimes thats enough to get him through a hour or two outing. We got there a little late and everyone was mostly done eating. We hurried and got some food. Jackson was a complete zombie. Sitting in the chair with dark circles, unable to talk and make since. I figured it was the combination from still being tired and being overloaded sensory wise. Jackson does not handle loud things very well and it was extremely unnecessarily loud in there. Noah was very hungry so I hurried and fed him so that we could get Jackson out of there to make sure it wasn't more going on. With that look on his face sometimes you never whats going to come up. After we got outside Jackson did perk up a bit and Noah and him walked around doing the trunk or treat. Jackson was still a little groggy and had some trouble talking but he walked all by himself.

On Halloween we went up to my grandma's nursing home. They do a little trick or treat every year where all the residents come out front and let kids go through to get something from everyone. We got there a little early where sitting there talking with my mom and grandma. Within minutes Jackson was asleep on the chair and slept through the entire thing. Jackson fatigues so quickly everything going on was a bit much for him. I took Noah around and everyone loved him of course. After that we went back to my parents house for dinner and to hang out. Jackson and Noah mostly rested. They started getting a few trick or treaters and Jackson really loved giving out candy. He got excited to go out too. We took Noah and Jackson out to go do some real trick or treating around the neighborhood. We made sure to take the double stroller with us. We would push it right up to where you would have to walk up to the door and let the kids get out to walk up. They both loved it so much. We only went to maybe 10 houses but they loved every second of it and thought it was the best thing in the world. They where both pretty much done after that.








Monday morning came and Jackson was again zombie like. Dark circles, barely moving, to weak to walk down the stairs. I let him to stay home from school that day hoping that it would quickly pass again. It did. Within a few hours of resting on the couch he was back to playing. I hated that he missed school again. Its just so hard because any time we do anything extra it takes so much out of him. Overall though it was a great Halloween.

Pregnancy update

So, a few months ago Jackson and I where talking and he told me that he had a baby sister and that she needed to come right now. He told me her name and said he talked to her all the time. I told him that someday he might have a baby sister but right now he just as a little baby brother. A couple weeks later I found out I was pregnant. When I told Jackson that he was getting a new sibling he was like yeah I know I talk to her all the time, no big news. He talks about his baby sister all the time. Sometimes its just casual and asking how big the baby is now. He'll talk to my belly and tell the baby how excited he his. But sometimes he's still pretty serious about it. He talks about her like they've had a relationship for a long time. Like they've been talking to each other recently. Jackson likes looking at the picture of the baby from the ultrasound. He likes knowing how big the baby is and asks every few days.

Right now I'm 11 weeks and the baby is the size of a lime. Jackson really liked that. Last week I had another check up with the midwife. Everything was really good. I got to hear the heartbeat of the baby. So, now I've seen and heard the baby's heartbeat. Which makes me feel so much better and I'm a lot less nervous now. After having 2 miscarriages for weeks I really thought the same thing would happen again. I hated going to the bathroom. Now that there is a really good strong heartbeat that I've heard I know there's a baby doing good in there and I can breath a little easier. I really like my midwife a lot. She's a lot more in line with my way of thinking. I would love to have a homebirth with a really natural midwife but its just not possibility with me and my babies. So, I'll have to do a natural hospital birth with this midwife. She is all for natural delivery and a lot of the things I do and don't want during pregnancy. Since I'm still considered high risk I will see the perinatoligist for my 20 week check up and level 2 ultrasound(where we will be finding out if its for sure a girl or a boy and that will be right before Christmas so that will be fun). After that I'll go over his recommendations with my midwife on what we feel is a good course of action for the rest of the pregnancy( like any more ultrasounds, NST's and such)

I've been really sick with this pregnancy. It's been different for every one. With Jackson I had hyperemesis. I was throwing up constantly and needed a PICC line for daily IV fluids and medicine. It lasted the entire pregnancy. With Noah I was sick and had morning sickness stuff. I was constantly nauseous but was able to eat and function. This time its in between. I'm constantly feeling like I'm going to throw up 24/7. I can hardly eat or drink anything. Most food sounds horrible although I do get occasional craving that last a day or two. I've had to go in to get IV fluids because I was so dehydrated once. I'm hoping this ends soon. I don't want to go the entire pregnancy like this. I really hope before the holidays come. Although its probably a good thing for halloween that I still don't feel like eating anything.

Bittersweet

I knew this day would come I just didn't expect it to be this soon.

After Jackson was born he immediately had some problems from the beginning. His entire first year there was so much going on. In and out of the hospital we didn't really know where things where going. After he turned one and closer to 2 we knew that his life would be different and he was not simply going to "grow out of" the things he was going through. I knew that having another child would be difficult but I felt very strongly that Jackson needed a sibling. He needed that relationship. He needed someone to be there for him in ways that I wouldn't be able to. That was one of the many reasons why we had Noah. Ever since Noah was born I've felt a very different relationship with him compared to Jackson. Noah and adores his big brother. Wants to do everything his big brother does. Jackson loves his little brother. (most of the time,except when he's stealing trains). They have a very special bond and its very clear to see it. I knew there would come a day that Noah would pass Jackson up and in a way become the big brother. I figured it would be a few more years and Noah would cognitively pass him. But in a way in happened today. This afternoon we went for a short walk up the street. We don't go for walks very often because Jackson fatigues so quickly he can't walk very far before needing to be carried. Between the 2 of them I can't carry both of them. Today they both where running around outside enjoying the fall crisp air we decided to walk for a little bit. Jackson running as fast as his tall 4 year legs would carry him and Noah running as fast as his little 20 month legs would carry him we all ran up the street. Most of the way of the street the where side by side, giggling the entire way up. Best friends. But as we got closer to the top Noah was still going and Jackson was slowing. I could see the pain and frustration in Jackson's eyes. His little body failing him. How desperately he wanted to run more, to get to the top of the hill, to be with his best friend. But he couldn't. His body giving out and not allowing him what his little heart longed for. Within seconds of passing Jackson Noah realized he was passed his brother and turned towards him. He slowed down and waited for his brother. For the last few feet to top of the hill the walked together. Jackson collapsing at the top and crying to be carried home. Noah wanting to run and play more. It had happened. At 20 months old Noah can do more then his brother physically, can fun faster, can go farther. At 4 Jackson realized this today. It hurt him. But his brother was there. He waited for him and they where best friends walking to the end. Just how imagined it when Noah was born. It was bittersweet to see Noah running faster then his little legs could carry him but also passing his brother was heart wrenching. I know there will come more and more times where Noah will pass Jackson. This will be the first of many. I just hope and pray that they will be always be there for each other like they where today. Finishing hand in hand as a best friends.

Jackson spilled the beans

We have a secret!!

Big Brothers in mid May!!!!

I had to share another photo. This is Noah's face now any time we take a picture.

I was putting Jackson on the bus this morning and his aide said "congrats, I hear your expecting!"
What? Jackson had told them yesterday on the bus so I guess its out now.

Our Trip

We took a trip out to Utah for my BIL Matt's wedding. We had a great time.

First day we drove to Colorado and stayed at Michael's moms house. We spent about 12 hours in the car. We stopped in the middle of kansas at a rest stop to have a picnic lunch and let the kids run around. Despite being in the car for so many hours the kids did really good. I was really worried about how the kids would do in the car. I even thought about buying a dvd player for the car(which normally I wouldn't do). But I loaded up a box of books, crayons, small toys, and favorite stuffed animals and put in between their seats. We brought tons of favorite snacks and all of the kids music.



The second day we drove from Colorado to Utah. The kids did ok in the car. It was less hours in the car but I don't think we timed the rest stops as well. We got to Utah and stayed with Michael's aunt for a couple of nights. The boys got to play with their cousins Brenden and Malcolm. They got along really well. Too bad we don't live closer to them still.

Then Friday night we upto Layton/Bountiful area for the wedding. Friday and Saturday nights we stayed in hotel. Jackson loved getting to swim the hotel pool. The first night it took him awhile to be ok with the water,he's still scared for an incident earlier this summer. But thanks to Aunt Nicole, who swims at BYU-I and his lifeguard, got him out in the water and having fun.

Saturday morning was the wedding at the Bountiful temple. Here is the happy couple coming out after the wonderful sealing.

Jackson and Noah waited outside the temple. They looked so handsome dressed up. We didn't get a great picture of them together but they really looked cute.



The wedding reception was the later that day. It was a beautiful reception that was outside. It was incredibly hot that day and I was worried about Jackson over heating so we let him wear shorts to the reception. The boys loved dancing around to the music and playing with cousin Brenden.

We had another fun night playing in the hotel that night.


Sunday we drove down to Salt Lake and stopped at temple square. We didn't have a lot of time but we walked around outside the temple and went in the visitors center to look at the Cristus statue.

After that we drove back down to provo and stopped by to visit our friends Derrick and Stephanie. They where our best friends when we lived in Provo. It was great see them again. It didn't take Jackson any time at all to start playing with them and running all over the house.

After leaving Provo we drove back to colorado and got there about 1 in the morning. The next morning we got up and spent some more time visiting and saying goodbye to family. Then we got on the road to head back to Missouri. This last drive was the worst day of driving out of the 4 days we spent driving. One kid would sleep 30 minutes, while the other was upset, then the other would fall asleep and one wake up and start screaming. Then after a couple hours they both went to pretty much crying the rest of the way home. We had to stop a lot at random places because they where crying so much. During a stretch in Kansas in the middle of no where Noah was screaming. There was no where to pull over at all. I had a thought to sing primary songs to the boys and then we sang their songs we sing at night. After like 45 minutes of singing they both fell asleep. Although it was rough we made it home in the middle the night. Poor Jackson had to get up the next morning for his first day of school. Not the best way to start the school year but it all worked out.

Other highlights of our trip. Getting to visit with lots of family, aunts, grandparents, cousins. Eating at bajio, cafe rio, and fudruckers. (Why do we have no good food places in Missouri, seriously!) We also had lots of good food prepared by wonderful family. Stopping at the BYU campus and going to the bookstore. I wanted to get Jackson a souvenir from our Utah trip so we got him his first scripture case that has a BYU logo on it. Now he can take his own Book of Mormon to church on Sundays. Noah got a little BYU basketball on it. Noah still absolutely loves any ball. Watching Jackson see and learn lots of knew things. In Kansas there is lots of oil rigs pumping. Jackson loved watching them and learning about oil. It was pretty funny too. There was some that weren't pumping and Jackson said they where sick and needed some medicine so they could pump again for its friends. There where also lots of wind turbines spinning. Jackson learned about the turbines making energy. On our drive from colorado to Utah Jackson got see mountains( he doesn't remember living in Utah and seeing them before) His favorite part was driving through the tunnels and getting to go through the mountains. We probably listened to the polar express soundtrack over 30 times. Jackson now asks to stop at rest stops so he can "rest" because he's tired but he really just wants to run around and play. Over all it was a great trip and the boys had so much fun.

Extended Breastfeeding

It's World Breastfeeding Week and so I chose to do some post this week devoted to breastfeeding. This first one I've wanted to write for awhile because its the most relevant to me right now.

This picture isn't the greatest of me. But its real. If you came over at nap time this is what you would find. Jackson and Noah just finished nursing together and had fallen asleep.


One thing that always seems to be a big deal with people is extended breastfeeding. A lot of people are really surprised to hear that I'm still nursing a 4 year old(yes, a 4 year old). A lot of people have a hard time with this including some close family and friends. I think its a little easier for them to except it being that my son has special needs but yet it still bothers them. So I 've been wanting to share my experience in hopes of that there will be more understanding of me and other woman who choose extended breastfeeding.
I didn't set out to be nursing a preschooler. I even once was of those who believed that once a baby was old enough to ask for it they shouldn't be nursing. I don't even know why as a teenager I would think this or have any idea that I knew what I was talking about. But after the birth of my first baby my goal was to be make to a year. At that time that what everyone was saying was best. My journey of that first year of nursing was full of lots of ups and downs. But mostly it was the most wonderful thing. A year came and went and it didn't even occur to me to wean him. Why after we had worked so hard to get things to be good. Why stop when he was so very much still a baby. I didn't even have idea then how long I would nurse I was just going with the flow of things. During that next year my son and more and more health problems and was considered at one point failure to thrive because of losing weight due to his health problems. Breastfeeding was the only way he was able to continue getting anything and kept him going. We continued right along with breastfeeding on demand. When my older son was 2 years old I found out I was expecting again. During the pregnancy I did encourage him to nurse less often for my own sake. Towards the end of the pregnancy I did have drop in supply and my milk changed to colostrum. He cut back to nursing only once or twice a day. After I had the baby I continued to nurse both of them. It took me a few days to get used to nursing a newborn and only nursed them one at a time. After those initial first days I was able to nurse them together. Jackson really enjoyed this time bonding with his new brother. Jackson will rub his brothers head, sometimes they hold hands, and sometimes they kick each other. If Noah is ever nursing, Jackson comes up and simply says “share” and he wants to “share mommy milk”. Its a special time for all of us. I've been tandem nursing both of them for 18 months now. Over time I've learned more about the importance of breastfeeding and child-led weaning. I plan on letting Jackson nurse as long as he desires. That maybe next week or it still may be awhile. Right now he is still nursing a lot, some days its only 2 or 3. Others it's 6 or 7. Jackson still very much needs it. He has trouble with his blood sugars and nursing is sure way of getting his sugars up. Also Jackson has a lot of sensory issues and nursing helps calm him down and deal with what his body is going through. Jackson maybe needs it more so then other children is age. I've continued to breastfeed him because I realized the importance of it for him! I didn't plan on breastfeeding a preschooler but somehow my little newborn became a toddler and now is growing preschooler. After 4 years of nursing Jackson I changed. I've leaned more. I don't think I'll do anything different with Noah. I also plan on letting him wean himself, whenever that will be. He's 18 months right now and nurses anywhere from 4-8 times a day. It depends on when both of them nurse if they nurse together or not. Usually at least once a day they will together and sometimes its every time. So, some days I nurse 8 times a day and sometimes up to 15 or even 20 if its a rough day. Yeah, it's a lot and can be frustrating. But I wouldn't change a thing.

Why I believe in nursing past a 1 year and child led weaning.
brain myelination is not complete until age 2 The high fat content of human milk greatly helps this process. Improper myelination means slower brain function.

Young children are at the peak of getting sick. Their exploring their worlds and always putting things in their mouths. Breastmilk has antibodies and helps boost their immune system.

Breastmilk contains Alpha-lactalbumin which causes fast growing cells, like cancer cells, to self destruct. The more of these maybe less likely of childhood cancers.

Breast milk contains stem cells!

The book Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives contains a wonderful section called “A Time to Wean: The Hominid Blueprint for a Natural Age of Weaning in Modern Human Populations.” by Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. Dr. Dettwyler is an award winning anthropologist, professor, and breastfed her daughter until she was 4 years old. In the section Dettwyler compares various primates, including humans, to find what the biological norm would be for humans. She found that the natural age for modern humans based on our size, development, and life span is between 2.5 years and 7 years. A child still nursing at 4 years old is normal, natural, and OK.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that breastfeeding continue throughout the first year of life and that "As recommended by the WHO, breastfeeding should ideally continue beyond infancy, but this is not the cultural norm in the United States and requires ongoing support and encouragement. It has been estimated that a natural weaning age for humans is between two and seven years. Family physicians should be knowledgeable regarding the ongoing benefits to the child of extended breastfeeding, including continued immune protection, better social adjustment, and having a sustainable food source in times of emergency. The longer women breastfeed, the greater the decrease in their risk of breast cancer." They also note that "If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned." (AAFP 2008)

The World Health Organization recommends “infants should be exclusively breastfed(1) for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health(2). Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.“

"Breast milk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year of life, especially protein, fat, and most vitamins."
-- Dewey 2001
In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
29% of energy requirements
43% of protein requirements
36% of calcium requirements
75% of vitamin A requirements
76% of folate requirements
94% of vitamin B12 requirements
60% of vitamin C requirements
-- Dewey 2001

The longer a woman breastfeeds she greatly reduces her chances of getting breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancers.

Jackson in a cycle

It started again today. "That look" Jackson has, has taken over and stolen everything that I know to be my little boy. The light in his eyes his gone. This vicious cycle has started. Jackson stopped eating. He's regressing. Loosing skills he fought so hard for. My little boy is not my little boy. He's confused and no longer able to communicate. Its hard to describe watching him in these days. He's too weak to do anything. Words he's able to make are stuttered. Its like I'm at the top of the mountain with him. He stumbles and starts to slide. I reach for his hand to hold on. Day by day we loose our grip and he slips more and more out of my hand. I feel him slipping and there's nothing I can do to hold onto him. I know whats coming. Then I hear it. The awful whimper before it all gets worse. His face goes pale, his jaw trembling, the trickle down his chin. The vomiting takes over. His body now limp as I carry him to the couch. I make a bed for him surrounded by towels, buckets and monkey. The vomiting continues. Soon, he is too weak to even hold himself up. I hold him on his side to let it run from his mouth. His body now trembling and his temperature dropping. I check to see where he's at and just like that his temperature is 92. I hold him close to me to warm him up. Knowing more vomiting is soon to come and I have to get his temperature up before it does. There is nothing I can do but keep is body stable while whatever it is takes over. All I can do now is rock him, hold him, sing to him and pray that soon I will see the light in his eyes again. The tears run down my face and all I want to do is rip my heart out so I don't have to feel it ache anymore. The vomiting continues over and over again. He's to the point of only retching. His body shaking uncontrollably. The pain is almost too much for him to take. Then again he goes limp. He is able to have some relief from the pain and sleep. This is the way it will be for days. He will sleep and throw up. There will be moments in there he will be awake and trying to talk. Just to remind me he is gone. It is still not my Jackson. He will talk but not make any sense. Sometimes a little glimmer of hope as meaningful words come out. "mommy, snuggle me closer" I hold him closer. The tears sting my eyes yet again. Somewhere deep inside is my bright eyed little boy struggling to come back to me. I stare at his face trying to memorize every little freckle. I wonder where he goes and how much he is aware of whats happening to him. Praying he's not in a lot of pain. The petechiae(tiny bruises from his bleeding issues) have come and will soon out number the freckles on his face. The vomiting has stopped now. He is finally able to really sleep. Hours later he wakes up and slowly opens his eyes to look for me. I see him. Its my Jackson! He's come back to me. Whatever took over his body is now gone. The animation in my son has returned. Happy tears that he's returned from the dark place. But then we wait. Wait to see what all he lost. This time its motor skills. He can longer walk up and down stairs. He has to relearn. Rebuild all those muscles. He is 4 and relearning to go up stairs. This cycle lasted 6 weeks. His longest yet. He missed most of the summer. We had so many plans to head to the pool, the park, the zoo. Instead we spent days and days on the couch. Now that the cycle is over emotions try to take over. I'm overjoyed that I look at my son and he is there. The light in his beautiful eyes shines at me. He whispers sweet "I love yous". Underneath I'm still sad at what we missed. At what he missed. I try to focus on the moment. Making the most of the next few weeks of summer. Playing with the boys as much as possible. Making myself not worry about when the next cycle will start and cherish the good times we have. For now life is good!

The pictures go through the start of a cycle to when the vomiting starts. These cycles Jackson has had ever since birth. Sometimes we have months in between sometimes only days. Some are worse then others and include different symptoms. A lot of the times they include seizures too. This last one he no seizures but was his longest one.

First Post

Picture taken of Jackson and Noah driving the fire truck on the playground

So after deciding on starting this blog I couldn't decide on what to do as my first post. I kept thinking about the different topics that I would post about or describing myself but what it came down to is being a mother. That's why I started this blog. I have found my greatest joy in being a mother. I've grown and changed over the past 4 years and learned so many new things. My children are my joy and make me want to be a better mother for them. This will be about my family with updates on my kids, things I've learned, and things that have helped me be the mother I am. Topics may include, of course, my kids, natural family living, breastfeeding, c0 sleeping, gentle parenting, babywearing, and anything about homemaking. I will also be updating about health concerns of my boys and navigating our way through special needs parenting.

To start off I will tell you about my boys. Jackson is 4 years old. His greatest love is for trains! He is the sweetest funniest little boy who keeps us laughing about all the random fun things he comes up with. He deals with many health concerns daily. Noah is 17 months and adores is big brother. He loves to chase him around. Nothing else matters if Jackson is around to play with. He also has a love for any balls. Any time he's playing he usually has a ball in his hand. I'll update more about them more specifically later.