GOOD NEWS.....

hello family & friends!!

we hope everyone is doing GREAT!! if you are in san antonio, i hope you have your BOATS available with all this RAIN!!! you gotta love when they say that the aquifer is FULL and can't take any more rain! when have you EVER heard that?!?!?! anyway, i for one, am HAPPY that we are not in a drought like usual but BOY my grass is SOOO HIGH and it just keeps GROWING! gotta love that ( just wish james was home!!!)

anyway, all is well on matthew front! he is getting over his cold that he picked up THREE WEEKS AGO! yep, that is what is SOOOOOO IMPORTANT for these kids....if you are sick or think you are sick, DON'T get near this kiddos!!! honestly, for you and i, we get over it in a couple of days, this little one will go thru the DRAMA for a couple of WEEKS while on neb treatments, suctioning, CPT treatments, oral steroids, blood work, chest xrays, oxygen, antibiotics and possibly hospitalization (although this time we did NOT need to be there, THANK YOU GOD) but everything else happened!! and unfortunatly, we probably picked this up just being on out and about even after we are always careful on cleaning our hands and making sure to becareful with him....we can't keep him in a bubble and we don't want to because we want him to be able to experience life and such but MAN, you sure do wish you did when they get sick like this!!! he is currently getting better but is still on antibiotics & neb/cpt treatments and we are trying to get his feeds back up to speed! but he is MUCH better now, THANK YOU GOD! he is doing great on walking and pulling up to stand. on sunday, he actually pulled to STAND all by himself (he was chasing my phone on a chair) but he DID IT!! :) SOOOOO PROUD OF HIM! and he is talking more and using his signs too. he LOVES to talk to daddy on the phone...and he says I LOVE YOU, DADDA to james and we just MELT!! he looks better standing and he LOVES to pull up on me when i am sitting on the floor! and he just love to be right in the middle of everything. he is also interacting with cartoon such as DORA and clapping his hands when they tell you too and also shaking or nodding his head if they ask a question!! it is SOOOO CUTE to watch him do it!!!! he is also enjoying eating again. he is soooo cute when he is yelling at me to give him whatever i am eating... he is LOVING his PT POOL THERAPY!! he LOVES IT!! :) he looks soooo cute when he is swimming!! it has been a BUSY BUSY BUSY month and we having been going NON STOP now for about 2 weeks. EVERYDAY from early in the am till usually 3 or 4 pm....ALL DAY LONG....appts, therapy etc....CRAZY!

alex is doing great! he is getting SOOOOO BIG! it is just AMAZING to see him and hear him! his speech is so advance and he is really reading well now. slowly but surely he is improving his reading. he LOVES puzzle books and he LOVES TRANSFORMERS!!! he is not going to see the movie. everyone asks me if he will and i just think it is just TOO MUCH for him and his age so i will not let him see it. i don't know if i am over protective but i just don't like for him to watch anything not G rated..you know? i know he wants to but he get's it now because if you ask him if he is going to see it, he will tell you, 'no, it is to big for me. i am too little to see it!" he is such a cutie! this year, we will NOT be having a party for him. he says he is NOT turning 5 because daddy is not home....i am soooo sad about that but i have to respect that for him. he really gets upset if you question him about his birthday and he will tell you he is NOT turning 5 this year. my baby...i am sad for him because it is about daddy not being here. so we are just going to do something small for him on his birthday, maybe take him to chuckechees or something on his birthday. something fun. i am soooooo proud of this little boy! he is getting ready to start his KINDER curr. for homeschool. i think it will again be review but i might really get thru it and maybe start him on 1st grade stuff...not too much but maybe on things he is good at and slow down on things he is struggling with. he can sound out all his words and figure them out so we have to be careful!! james was funny and said that he has to watch him if he takes him to a public restroom on what is on the WALLS because he will start to sound it out and READ IT!! lol...i am still looking at getting him into a playgroup for homeschoolers....should be FUN!!

here is some of the EXCITING NEWS that came last week!! we have a DATE for our scheduled c-section.....

AUG 24TH, 2007!!!

WE ARE SOOOOO EXCITED!! it is EARLIER than the one originally thought i would have (30th) so that james could spend some time with the baby! BUT and here is the BIG BUT (not mine!! :) i have to have an AMNIO if i have a scheduled c/s BEFORE 39 weeks!!! can you believe that?! i refused the one earier but now i HAVE to have it if i want one before 39 weeks!!! YIKES! but it is to check his lungs....so i guess i will do it!! we are EXCITED.....our nurse will also be watching matthew on FRI, SAT,SUN during the day so that is a LOAD off my mind!! hopefully we will get a night or evening nurse to help out too! things WILL work out, GOD WILLING!

well, onto the OTHER exciting news.....on MONDAY we got the news that............JAMES WILL BE COMING HOME ON AUG 23RD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is SOOOOOOOOO AWESOME and we are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!! we did NOT think he would be able to make the delivery but we were just hoping he could spend some time home with him and his boys!!! he will be home with us until AUG 28TH and we are SOOOO HOPING it will be extended, which MIGHT happen! WHATEVER as long as we get to see him before he LEAVES!! right now, he will be in IRAQ on SEPT 1st.....wow, not tooo far away now. but we are ready! he will be in CAMP BUCCA in iraq which is a prison there. he is ready to get it all over with. we are HAPPY he will be at a prison....not away from us BUT at this prison for us is where we think is the best right now (is there a best?!) anyway, we just want him to finish and GET HOME as soon as possible, healthy and safe!!! but he is doing GREAT right now...just the usual, TIRED and working 7 days a week. he has been learning all those things he needs to do his job there at the prison....use your imagination! :) also, he now has to carry his weapon everywhere and i teased him that he has to sleep with it and sing that famous song from the movie FULL METAL JACKET "this is my rifle, this is my gun....etc, etc" and he laughs! i always try to keep it light and just tease him and make him laugh....and boy, do i miss him and his sense of humor!!!!

anyway, all is going well with the family. just dealing with the the day to day living and enjoying LIFE! i have been having TONS of issue with my fibro mixed with pg pain....it has been a bit painful but i am dealing with it. the boys are doing fine and just having fun and learning!!! i was also given a SURPISE baby shower yesterday with my good friends (even one from far away!)!! it was SOOOOO AWESOME and joshua got some CUTE outfits!! it was actually just GREAT seeing them there!! THANK YOU!!! :)

ok, take care everyone and i will update with any new news!!! just PRAY that james makes it home and that we DO have the baby on the 24th!!! WHAT A BLESSING!!!

take care everyone and GOD BLESS....

love,
JAMES, MARIA, ALEX, MATTHEW & JOSHUA (8/24/07)