Spring Picture Day

Today was spring picture day at school for our boys!  Brady doesn't have preschool on Thursdays, but I brought him to school so he could be in the group photo with his classmates and teachers.  He also had individual spring pictures taken.  He ran away a few times, and didn't smile, but I was able to capture a smile at home!  When he was waiting for his turn, I said, "Look at the flash, Brady!" and he said, "ash!"  He repeated the word again at home.  SO exciting!  Earlier this week, during his speech session, I could hear him repeating, "No" ("oo") and "up".  I even managed to capture him saying all three words on video!  We are so excited about the progress he is making!

Tyler was a good sport about wearing the outfit I chose for him for picture day...at home for a picture with his brother!  Then he changed into an outfit of his own choosing.  We can't wait to see Tyler and Brady's class photos!  :-)

Valentine's Day

We had a great Valentine's Day!  Dan had the day off and I had a haircut scheduled in the morning.  Dan picked Brady up from school, then my parents came over to watch Brady so that we could attend his IEP.  After the meeting, we were able to have a relaxing lunch to celebrate our 15th (!!!) Valentine's Day together.  :-)

It was optional this year for Tyler to bring in valentines.  Thankfully, after first resisting the idea, he ended up writing one to each of his classmates and to his teacher!  I even managed to get him to wear a red and white shirt!  :-)  The artwork Brady made at school for Valentine's Day is adorable!

Brady has gotten so much since his first Valentine's Day!  :-)

Missing Jenna

Sweet little Jenna the cat went to heaven at the end of last month.  We will all miss her so much.  We believe she was born sometime in 2005, and she was rescued during Hurricane Katrina.  Dan was her foster dad and then adopted her, and she lived with him in Maryland for over a year.  She actually moved in with me in Virginia before Dan did!  She lived in our house from early 2007 until 2011.  Tyler is technically allergic to cats, so she moved in with my parents and enjoyed all of their love and attention for almost nine years.  I'm sure she enjoyed the peace and quiet too!  Though she never lived with Sydney the dog, long term, they did enjoy each other's company every now and then.  She also enjoyed playing with my aunt Barbara's dog, Bella, when she would stay over.

Tyler absolutely loved Jenna and was very sad when he heard the news.  He decided to wear a white shirt to school in her honor, and we taped a special note he wrote to his shirt.  I told him that they probably shared such a special bond because when I was pregnant with him, Jenna and I would spend hours cuddling on the couch each day, and she was always on or close to my belly.  She probably even felt Tyler kick!  I am so thankful that we have so many pictures of her and great memories.  We were very lucky that she made her way into our lives and we will always remember her.  We think she had a long and happy life, and now she is up in heaven running around with Sydney!  :-)