Look, we can fit in one seat together!
The car can fit everyone!!!
The new Cox family vehicle.
Our Family
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Our new car!!!
After the accident we were left without a car. We used a rental for a week, but then decided to give it back and we lived on just our minivan. We searched for a vehicle, found vehicles, decided not to get those vehicles after close inspection, and continued to look some more. We finally found a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica on Craigslist. We read many mixed reviews on this model of vehicle, but the car was beautiful and practical for us...and a GREAT price, so we bought it. Today we finished all the paperwork and it is officially our car. The girls love it because it has a DVD player in it...if only they would realize that it won't get used often because they will only ride in this car for a short distance. We are grateful to have found a car that had such a loving previous owner and at a price we can afford.
Monday, March 26, 2012
March Madness...in the Cox World
Wow...it has been a while since our last update. Life has "slowed" down just a little to give us a moment to update this site. We have enjoyed swimming, gymnastics, church choir, princesses on ice, school, and much more. First, the kids...
Ashlyn just finished spring break, where she spent each day with Nana or Grandma. She spent the night at least three times, went to a movie, played games, colored, went shopping, and many other fun things. Ashlyn is continuing to find books she enjoys reading, she is working on subtracting 3 digit numbers, and her favorite...counting money. She is still taking piano lessons and soccer will start up in a month. Ashlyn has been having tummy pains recently, so painful that she would start crying and not be able to get comfortable. After three days, we started to worry it was her appendix or something, but after a evening trip to the ER...we found out she just needed some help emptying her "system"...to put it nicely. She did get a copy of her abdominal x-ray, which she loves. All is good now and we are thankful it was something easy.
Aubrie had conferences for preschool...she is doing awesome!! She just attended her first official big kid birthday party and had a blast. She is looking forward to beginning soccer in April, she did so well last fall, we are excited to see what she can do now. Swimming just came to an end as well as gymnastics, both will be back in summer.
Sabrina and Kadence are still working on potty training. It will be done soon enough and then no more potty training for us!!!! Both girls are talking a ton and are so funny. Their facial expressions are enough to make a person laugh. They are 3, so along with that there is plenty of whining, but the hugs and cuddling are the best!! They are enjoying church school and daycare and are hoping to take gymnastics this summer. Goodness knows they do plenty of "gymnastics" in their bedroom when they should be sleeping.
Mommy and Daddy have been busy with concerts and all state auditions. March is a very busy month, but Spring Break is here!!! (which is the reason we can update) Daddy is sad that Iowa didn't make the NCAA tournament and they didn't play well in the NIT as well :( He is also looking forward to MLB season starting up!!!
Mommy has had an eventful March...on the 13th, she was involved in an accident. Our lovely Pontiac Sunfire is no longer part of our family...it was totaled in the accident, but Mommy walked away with only sore muscles and headaches. We have been dealing with lots of paperwork and car shopping since then. We did just find a very nice used vehicle that we will purchase this week. The paperwork is almost complete! Mommy also had vocal cord surgery...another saline injection into her scar tissue. With spring break here, it is a good time to rest up and get ready to teach the rest of the year. We are hoping this procedure makes it a little less effort to speak and teach.
We hope all is well and we are looking forward to Spring in MN....it is already showing itself and it is beautiful. Although, today is 38 and rainy...not so wonderful, but it will be short lived :)
Ashlyn just finished spring break, where she spent each day with Nana or Grandma. She spent the night at least three times, went to a movie, played games, colored, went shopping, and many other fun things. Ashlyn is continuing to find books she enjoys reading, she is working on subtracting 3 digit numbers, and her favorite...counting money. She is still taking piano lessons and soccer will start up in a month. Ashlyn has been having tummy pains recently, so painful that she would start crying and not be able to get comfortable. After three days, we started to worry it was her appendix or something, but after a evening trip to the ER...we found out she just needed some help emptying her "system"...to put it nicely. She did get a copy of her abdominal x-ray, which she loves. All is good now and we are thankful it was something easy.
Aubrie had conferences for preschool...she is doing awesome!! She just attended her first official big kid birthday party and had a blast. She is looking forward to beginning soccer in April, she did so well last fall, we are excited to see what she can do now. Swimming just came to an end as well as gymnastics, both will be back in summer.
Sabrina and Kadence are still working on potty training. It will be done soon enough and then no more potty training for us!!!! Both girls are talking a ton and are so funny. Their facial expressions are enough to make a person laugh. They are 3, so along with that there is plenty of whining, but the hugs and cuddling are the best!! They are enjoying church school and daycare and are hoping to take gymnastics this summer. Goodness knows they do plenty of "gymnastics" in their bedroom when they should be sleeping.
Our princesses while at "Princesses on Ice"
Enjoying the Spring weather!
Potty training fun :)
Even Dora enjoys the weather
Mommy and Daddy have been busy with concerts and all state auditions. March is a very busy month, but Spring Break is here!!! (which is the reason we can update) Daddy is sad that Iowa didn't make the NCAA tournament and they didn't play well in the NIT as well :( He is also looking forward to MLB season starting up!!!
Mommy has had an eventful March...on the 13th, she was involved in an accident. Our lovely Pontiac Sunfire is no longer part of our family...it was totaled in the accident, but Mommy walked away with only sore muscles and headaches. We have been dealing with lots of paperwork and car shopping since then. We did just find a very nice used vehicle that we will purchase this week. The paperwork is almost complete! Mommy also had vocal cord surgery...another saline injection into her scar tissue. With spring break here, it is a good time to rest up and get ready to teach the rest of the year. We are hoping this procedure makes it a little less effort to speak and teach.
We hope all is well and we are looking forward to Spring in MN....it is already showing itself and it is beautiful. Although, today is 38 and rainy...not so wonderful, but it will be short lived :)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
3 Year Check Up
We have been to the doctor so much recently, it was nice to go for a "well check". Sabrina and Kadence were both hesitant about going to the doctor and Kadence kept saying "doctor no look in throat"...I guess she remembers have a throat culture. Luckily, there were no "ouches" on this trip to the doctor, hopefully next time they have to go they will think of this trip.
Sabrina was born first, so I will start with her. Sabrina has always been our little peanut and that will continue. She is still growing at a great rate, she is just tiny for our family. She weighed in at 29 lbs, which places her in the 31% when in comparison to other kids her age. She is 37.5 inches tall, which is at the 62%. Her blood pressure was 86/40 and her BMI puts her at the 13 percentile in comparison to other kids her age.
Kadence seems like a beast compared to Sabrina, but she is about where Aubrie was at this age...Ashlyn out did them all when it comes to height and weight. Kadence weighed 32.4 lbs, which puts her in the 67%. She is 38.5 inches tall and that places her at the 82%. Kadence and Sabrina are holding strong to their 3 lbs weight difference and 1 inch height difference...it always seems to be about that. Kadence's blood pressure was 90/50 (very similar to Mommy who was 92/60 at her last check). Her BMI places her at the 38 percentile when compared to other kids her age.
Kadence was a perfect angel during her hearing and vision screening. She was so serious with the headset on and wouldn't move a muscle in her body, except her finger to point to the photos. She loved the vision check and when it was Sabrina's turn Kadence would try to help Sabrina out by pointing to the right letter or Kadence would shout "O"...when Sabrina was to point to the "O" on the wall. It was funny and very cute.
Overall, our girls are healthy and lively. We called them our unexpected blessings from the beginning and they are our blessings for sure. Our life is hectic, but we wouldn't trade it in for anything....well, maybe a great night sleep, a cleaning elf, or a money tree......nah, not even those.
Sabrina was born first, so I will start with her. Sabrina has always been our little peanut and that will continue. She is still growing at a great rate, she is just tiny for our family. She weighed in at 29 lbs, which places her in the 31% when in comparison to other kids her age. She is 37.5 inches tall, which is at the 62%. Her blood pressure was 86/40 and her BMI puts her at the 13 percentile in comparison to other kids her age.
Sabrina did great with her vision and hearing check, although she got bored of the nurse's "game". She was pointing to photos as the man in her headset told her to and by the end she went one picture at a time and pointed to each one and then would choose a photo to spread her hand out on and see if she could cover the whole photo. She was playing and no longer listening, although we could tell she was hearing just fine. It was a little funny to watch...that is so much her personality.
Sabrina's chest was a little congested when the doctor listened to her, probably the RSV still lingering. We are trying a steroid (Pulmacort) in her nebulizer to see if that helps. That is medicine to help control asthma, especially during these winter months (were illnesses are worse). We are trying it and we will decided after a 2 week trial if this is a medication we wish to continue daily. Sabrina also has excema all over her torso, a little on her scalp, and then other areas that flare (like behind her knee). We are continuing to cream her up after baths and we have steroid cream to use during flare ups...like right now. The poor little thing itches and itches until she bleeds.
Kadence seems like a beast compared to Sabrina, but she is about where Aubrie was at this age...Ashlyn out did them all when it comes to height and weight. Kadence weighed 32.4 lbs, which puts her in the 67%. She is 38.5 inches tall and that places her at the 82%. Kadence and Sabrina are holding strong to their 3 lbs weight difference and 1 inch height difference...it always seems to be about that. Kadence's blood pressure was 90/50 (very similar to Mommy who was 92/60 at her last check). Her BMI places her at the 38 percentile when compared to other kids her age.
Kadence was a perfect angel during her hearing and vision screening. She was so serious with the headset on and wouldn't move a muscle in her body, except her finger to point to the photos. She loved the vision check and when it was Sabrina's turn Kadence would try to help Sabrina out by pointing to the right letter or Kadence would shout "O"...when Sabrina was to point to the "O" on the wall. It was funny and very cute.
Overall, our girls are healthy and lively. We called them our unexpected blessings from the beginning and they are our blessings for sure. Our life is hectic, but we wouldn't trade it in for anything....well, maybe a great night sleep, a cleaning elf, or a money tree......nah, not even those.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
3rd Birthday Fun!
Our little babies are 3...so hard to believe. It feels like yesterday we were adding two new girls into our family. They have grown into 2 beautiful little girls. It is hard to see the baby and toddler years end, but we look forward to what is to come. The idea of being finished with diapers and pull-ups also excites us...we have been changing diapers for almost 8 years...and we can now see the end of the tunnel.
On Thursday, Feb. 9 we woke up the little girls by singing happy birthday to them...the older girls thought that was the best, but I think Sabrina and Kadence would disagree. They put on their birthday outfits and were ready for daycare. We gave them a quick surprise before we left...2 donut holes with a candle in one.
The girls had a great day at daycare...including a little birthday celebration...thank you, Lori!! We weren't planning on celebrating their birthday that evening (we were waiting until Saturday), but we wanted to make it special. We made them a very friendly kid dinner consisting of pigs in a blanket, mac 'n cheese and cheetos (ugh!). We also made a run to dairy queen to get them a little birthday sundae. Uncle Jeff and Heather came over (who both just celebrated birthdays as well) and we had a little present opening time with them.
On Saturday, we celebrated with the rest of the family. The girls had their 3 year old photos taken, which if you are friends with us on Facebook, we posted the link to see their photos on our pages. They both did very well!! We had an early dinner at Red Robin...our family's favorite birthday restaurant. The kids enjoyed their mac' n cheese, spaghetti, and pizza :) Uncle Scott and Chris gave the girls some presents at the table and they LOVE their new dolls and their hair accessories.
We went home and opened more presents and ate our dessert...Mommy made cake pops :) The girls received many wonderful presents...they are a little spoiled by everyone. I think we now own every Disney princess doll. This is the first time we let the girls pick their own birthday theme, we figure they are old enough to talk, so they can have some input. Kadence wanted Smurfs and Sabrina wanted Princess and the Frog. I guess having twins we have to learn how to please both kids, so we did. We split the table down the middle and Kadence's side was all Smurf...cake pops were blue and white, the table cloth, plates and napkins were all Smurf...as well as her birthday shirt from Thursday. Sabrina's half was all green and purple and full of Princess Tiana. Each girl got their own birthday song and moment to blow their candle out.
Overall, the girls had a great birthday! We are excited to see our little girls grow, but can't help to think back to three years ago when we were still in the hospital with them...our little 5 1/2 pound babies. Happy birthday Sabrina and Kadence...Mommy, Daddy, Ashlyn and Aubrie love you very much :)
On Thursday, Feb. 9 we woke up the little girls by singing happy birthday to them...the older girls thought that was the best, but I think Sabrina and Kadence would disagree. They put on their birthday outfits and were ready for daycare. We gave them a quick surprise before we left...2 donut holes with a candle in one.
On Saturday, we celebrated with the rest of the family. The girls had their 3 year old photos taken, which if you are friends with us on Facebook, we posted the link to see their photos on our pages. They both did very well!! We had an early dinner at Red Robin...our family's favorite birthday restaurant. The kids enjoyed their mac' n cheese, spaghetti, and pizza :) Uncle Scott and Chris gave the girls some presents at the table and they LOVE their new dolls and their hair accessories.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Illnesses Galore!
Since Christmas, our family has been ill. I made a comment on Dec. 23 that our family has been extremely healthy when compared to previous years...well, I cursed our family. Christmas Eve Sabrina threw up, two days later Ashlyn, then Aubrie...January brought coughs. Then fevers hit in the middle of the month as well as more coughing and strep throat. After 3 weeks of coughing, we went into the pediatrician's office...again, they know us pretty well these days...and now we have RSV. Both little girls and mommy have Asthma issues so inhalers, nebulizers and steroids are in use, but we are all fine. We can't wait to open our windows and get out of our house. Ashlyn has been the healthiest of all the kids and we hope that stays...I hate having her miss school and she hates it too.
Other than illnesses...we have kept a busy schedule (although some things have been rescheduled due to health issues. Ashlyn has Allegro Choral Academy (which started back in late January), piano, swimming, and church choir. Aubrie has swimming and gymnastics. Sabrina and Kadence just have to be hauled all over and get to have many cool babysitters :)
The parents, we just take our kids all over, we have our high school music ensembles, bell choir, second jobs...and all the normal household jobs of cleaning, bill paying, laundry, and grocery shopping. Coburn's Delivers has been a favorite for us (online grocery shopping). We have also slacked a little in the cleaning department...oops.
Exciting news for Jim and I...we booked our 10 year anniversary vacation. We always told ourselves we would go somewhere on our 10 year anniversary. Although we don't totally have the money for it...we need it, so we booked it. In July we will head to El Dorado Casita Royale...we will have a beautiful, romantic room with a jacuzzi and our own swimming pool on a second floor balcony. It is Mexico and we have never been to Mexico (well, Jim went on a mission trip once, but not a vacation)...should be fun. We have a few months to find daycare...any takers :)
Next up...the little girls will be 3!!! I can't believe that our "babies" will be 3 this Thursday. I get a little sentimental each birthday the girls have...no more kids, means no more milestones :( Here is a little photo or two of our "babies".
Other than illnesses...we have kept a busy schedule (although some things have been rescheduled due to health issues. Ashlyn has Allegro Choral Academy (which started back in late January), piano, swimming, and church choir. Aubrie has swimming and gymnastics. Sabrina and Kadence just have to be hauled all over and get to have many cool babysitters :)
The parents, we just take our kids all over, we have our high school music ensembles, bell choir, second jobs...and all the normal household jobs of cleaning, bill paying, laundry, and grocery shopping. Coburn's Delivers has been a favorite for us (online grocery shopping). We have also slacked a little in the cleaning department...oops.
Exciting news for Jim and I...we booked our 10 year anniversary vacation. We always told ourselves we would go somewhere on our 10 year anniversary. Although we don't totally have the money for it...we need it, so we booked it. In July we will head to El Dorado Casita Royale...we will have a beautiful, romantic room with a jacuzzi and our own swimming pool on a second floor balcony. It is Mexico and we have never been to Mexico (well, Jim went on a mission trip once, but not a vacation)...should be fun. We have a few months to find daycare...any takers :)
Next up...the little girls will be 3!!! I can't believe that our "babies" will be 3 this Thursday. I get a little sentimental each birthday the girls have...no more kids, means no more milestones :( Here is a little photo or two of our "babies".
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sabrina's Scans
Today was scan day for Sabrina. These days are always very long for Sabrina. We leave early in the morning, arrive at Children's by 7:30, her scans start around 8:30 and end around 9:45 or so. Her appointment with her Oncology doctor was at 11 am, which gave Sabrina plenty of time to scream for 45 minutes after waking from her sedation...a very LONG 45 minutes. Finally, an orange sucker made her happy and the tears stopped. According to some of the nurses, the frantic screaming is a possible side effect of the sedation meds...quite a side effect.
The most important part of today....Sabrina's scans are "stable"!!! That means everything looks clean and clear of cancer. She still has a small mass, which they have been watching, but it has remained the same size, so no fears (well...let's be honest, no mass would be better).
Jim and I took Sabrina out to lunch and home for "nap"...that didn't really happen. Here are some photos of her day... if you wish to read the LONG story, you can visit Sabrina's Caring Bridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sabrinacox.
Happily playing in the waiting room when we arrived at the radiology department.
She loved her bracelet...something she would cry about in the past.
Being a great patient, having her blood pressure and oxygen checked.
Giggling with the nurse, who was trying to figure out where he should listen, her nose, her forehead, or on her polka dots.
Sabrina's first time using EMLA, a numbing cream...although we question how well it really worked.
Sitting on Mommy's lap...seeing the IV supplies...a little fear set in at this point.
The aftermath...blood already drawn, but IV stayed in for the sedation medicine.
The miracle orange sucker that made the 45 minutes of screaming end...God bless that sucker!!
The most important part of today....Sabrina's scans are "stable"!!! That means everything looks clean and clear of cancer. She still has a small mass, which they have been watching, but it has remained the same size, so no fears (well...let's be honest, no mass would be better).
Jim and I took Sabrina out to lunch and home for "nap"...that didn't really happen. Here are some photos of her day... if you wish to read the LONG story, you can visit Sabrina's Caring Bridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sabrinacox.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Oh my...time has gotten away from me...
As I looked at our website today, I realize our last entry was right after Christmas. It is now January 17 and so much has happen. The last week of December was full of vomit (to be completely honest). It hit each kid one by one, but luckily Jim and I were able to remain healthy. Ashlyn and Aubrie went to shows with Nana (their Christmas presents). Ashlyn went to Cinderella (she had to go a different date than planned due to her tummy illness) and Aubrie went to Wizard of Oz. Both girls dressed up for the occasion and had a wonderful time. For those of you wondering...yes, I let Ashlyn wear some make up for her show...it was New Year's Eve after all :)
Once 2012 hit, the kids started to get healthy. Kadence had quite a chest illness for a while, but that has since cleared up. We all got back into the swing of work, school, and activities. Ashlyn and Aubrie started swimming lessons again and Aubrie started gymnastics...which she has missed. The girls love having their "big girl" time and we enjoy watching them. Ashlyn is continuing her piano lessons, church choir and her Allegro Choral Academy choir starts up later this month. Aubrie is enjoying her preschool and loves when she has a "job" (line leader, weather person, snack helper).
Jim and I have been working and driving our kids everywhere they need to be...which can be difficult when you have only one car that can carry multiple people. The two of us left for Washington, DC this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of our friend Liz and her fiance (now husband), Kevin. The rehearsal, wedding and reception were all beautiful, full of fun, and an overall great experience. While in the area, Jim and I did some sight-seeing. We enjoyed being adults without children. We were able to rent a normal size vehicle with NO car seats :) We went to Georgetown Cupcakes, the place on the show "DC Cupcakes" on TLC. We enjoyed a few of their cupcakes over the weekend. So delicious...so worth the money. We also went into DC and walked for 7 1/2 hours seeing all the monuments and buildings. I have not been there since 8th grade and Jim had never been there before. It was chilly and windy and we walked forever...needless to say, we were in a lot of pain by the end of the day. We did drive past the Pentagon and walked around Arlington. Once we left Arlington, we were hurting pretty badly so we drove by Iwo Jima, but couldn't get out of the car. We are so out of shape. It was great to spend time together and having a mini vacation.
Hanging with the bride at the rehearsal dinner.
Georgetown Cupcakes
The Luther gang at the reception.
The White House...before we were forced to back away due to security...someone was coming in or out of the House.
Washington Monument
Jim and I chillin' with Lincoln
Vietnam Memorial
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial...on MLK, Jr weekend (so cool)
Jefferson Memorial
The Pentagon
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
We came back to a sick Sabrina. She got a fever Sunday and it reached 104 by Monday when we returned. We took her to the doctor hoping she had strep since she had all the symptoms, but the test was negative. We are still waiting for that call that says it turned positive. So far we have had 3 days of a fever ranging from 101-104, a red nasty throat, a rash on her back, and she is complaining of pain on her right side. We have been to the doctor twice...and nothing. We hope she gets better soon, or at least gets diagnosed with something so she can rest and get medicine.
Sabrina has her oncology appointment and scans on Jan. 31st. She has a physical next week and she needs to be healthy to be okayed for her sedation. Send healthy vibes her way!!
Well, hopefully the next update won't take so long...sorry.
Once 2012 hit, the kids started to get healthy. Kadence had quite a chest illness for a while, but that has since cleared up. We all got back into the swing of work, school, and activities. Ashlyn and Aubrie started swimming lessons again and Aubrie started gymnastics...which she has missed. The girls love having their "big girl" time and we enjoy watching them. Ashlyn is continuing her piano lessons, church choir and her Allegro Choral Academy choir starts up later this month. Aubrie is enjoying her preschool and loves when she has a "job" (line leader, weather person, snack helper).
Jim and I have been working and driving our kids everywhere they need to be...which can be difficult when you have only one car that can carry multiple people. The two of us left for Washington, DC this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of our friend Liz and her fiance (now husband), Kevin. The rehearsal, wedding and reception were all beautiful, full of fun, and an overall great experience. While in the area, Jim and I did some sight-seeing. We enjoyed being adults without children. We were able to rent a normal size vehicle with NO car seats :) We went to Georgetown Cupcakes, the place on the show "DC Cupcakes" on TLC. We enjoyed a few of their cupcakes over the weekend. So delicious...so worth the money. We also went into DC and walked for 7 1/2 hours seeing all the monuments and buildings. I have not been there since 8th grade and Jim had never been there before. It was chilly and windy and we walked forever...needless to say, we were in a lot of pain by the end of the day. We did drive past the Pentagon and walked around Arlington. Once we left Arlington, we were hurting pretty badly so we drove by Iwo Jima, but couldn't get out of the car. We are so out of shape. It was great to spend time together and having a mini vacation.
We came back to a sick Sabrina. She got a fever Sunday and it reached 104 by Monday when we returned. We took her to the doctor hoping she had strep since she had all the symptoms, but the test was negative. We are still waiting for that call that says it turned positive. So far we have had 3 days of a fever ranging from 101-104, a red nasty throat, a rash on her back, and she is complaining of pain on her right side. We have been to the doctor twice...and nothing. We hope she gets better soon, or at least gets diagnosed with something so she can rest and get medicine.
Sabrina has her oncology appointment and scans on Jan. 31st. She has a physical next week and she needs to be healthy to be okayed for her sedation. Send healthy vibes her way!!
Well, hopefully the next update won't take so long...sorry.
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