the sprouse house

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY NIKOLAS

2011-11-09T07:05:00.002-06:00

WE LOVE YOU!!

"Happy Birthday Nate"

2010-05-02T23:56:00.006-05:00

I cannot beleive my baby is 7 years old today!!! He is growing up way too fast!! He is such a blessing to us. I don't know how we ever survived with out him. He has been through so much this past year. Yet He continues to amaze us.

We Love You Nate and are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy that God chose us to be your Mommy and Daddy!!!!

May 2003

May 2010

"My little FIRST BASEMAN"

2010-04-23T13:36:00.004-05:00

Nate is really loving baseball this year. He absolutely loves being the first baseman. He said there is nothing like getting a guy out at 1st. lol Last week, we played Summiton and their boys were so much bigger than Nate. It looked like the Varsity playing Pee Wee!!!

We talked to the neurologist about him playing ball and the only condition he had was that he couldn't wear a hat. (because he doesn't sweat!) So we ordered him a visor instead. He knows when he's getting too hot and he runs off of the field for someone to wet him down. I really hate that he has to deal with this at such a young age. But his doctor seems to think that changing his medicine would do more harm than good. So for now He is doing a wonderful job dealing it. He amazes me everytime he steps out on the baseball field. He has come so far since the diagnosis last summer!! Please continue to pray for him!!

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-18T12:41:00.005-05:00

Matt took off a couple of days this week and we went to Gatlinburg. We left early Monday morning and came back Wednesday night. It was a short but fun trip and I think the boys had a blast. Here are a few pics:

The boys LOVED the snow!!

It's Baseball Time Again!!!!

2010-02-18T13:08:00.002-06:00

Its that time again!!! Since Nate is doing so much better, and after discussing it with Dr. Fequiere we have decided to let him play baseball again. He has been begging to play since they gave out the notes at school. He went back to the doctor a few weeks ago and he is doing great. We still have weekly migraines but we are learning to deal with them.

"Gotta Have His Boots"

2010-02-18T12:57:00.002-06:00

Every morning when Nikolas wakes up, the first thing he looks for is his boots. If you will notice, they are a little big. They were Nate's Croc boots and Nikolas found them in his closet and FELL IN LOVE with them, especially since they were his bubby's... He wants to wear them all the time!! With socks, without socks, with pants.................."WITHOUT PANTS"

"Soooooooooooooooo Much Better"

2009-09-03T17:54:00.002-05:00

Nate is doing wonderful. He loves first grade and absolutely loves his teacher, Mrs. McCown. He has been sleeping through the night since school started. He has also been sleeping in his bed. We went for the MRI about 3 weeks ago and it was NORMAL. Thank You LORD. He still has the epilepsy but there is no tumor causing it. Which means that it can be treated with medication. He is still taking Topamax, they have increased it to 75 mg daily. One in the am and 2 in the pm. We go back to Dr. Dabbs next week and to Childrens in a couple of weeks to meet with a neurologist and for an over-night EEG to make sure the meds are working like they want them to. He has NOT had any seizures that we know of in weeks. Thank you all for your prayers. They are greatly appreciated. We still need them.

"Not So Great"

2009-07-23T00:53:00.002-05:00

Nate started out doing great on his medicine until....... they changed it to 2 a day. The first day, he laid in bed all day. We couldn't get him up. He said that he just felt like it was a lazy day and he didn't feel like getting up. The second day, he tried to do the same thing but Matt and I decided to get him out of the house and take him to the IMAX to see Transformers 2. That was great until that night. I guess it was too much excitement and he had 2 seizures during the night. So, he slept all day the next day. This week has been terrible. He is sooooo scared of EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING. He will not even go to the bathroom by himself. So, that means Mommy can't go by herself either. I find myself getting aggravated at him a lot, but I just have to keep telling myself "He can't help it" I just really wish he could be his old self. Before he was so mischievous. Now, he's a couch potato. It amazes me that one day everything is fine and the next, your whole world and way of living is turned up side down. The fits that the doctor warned us about has started. He has moment where he gets sooooo upset about the smallest of things. One minute he's fine and the next he has these rages of anger. And I think he has started to realize it too. Tonight he got upset and started to scream and stomp around and he looked at me and said, "Mommy just hold me down". What do I do? It is so hard. I am SCARED TO DEATH to send him to school in 3 weeks. He starts to school on the 11th and then the 13th he goes to Children's Hospital for more tests. Keep your fingers crossed that when we go to Children's we will get answers.

NIKOLAS: is doing great. I haven't even mentioned him in a while. (I know, I'm a bad Mom) He is 19 months old and the last few day he has used to potty more times than his diaper. He will run through the house yelling "Potty Mommy" It is so cute and sad at the same time. He is sooo smart. My goal is to have him completely out of diapers by his 2nd birthday. And right now his big thing is Nate's Nintendo DS. He really thinks he's playing the games and he cries for it when Nate has it. And he cries to go and see my Mom and Dad every morning. I forgot my camera at my Moms but as soon as I get it back I will post recent pictures of him and Nate.

BAD DAY (for Mommy)

2009-07-04T01:50:00.003-05:00

Since finding out what was wrong with Nate. He has been so excited to start taking his new medicine. When Dr. Dabbs was telling us about the Topamax he said, "I am going to prescribe him the Topamax Sprinkles, they are capsules that you can break open and sprinkle on ice cream." Well, I don't think he quite had Nate's attention until the moment he said ICE-CREAM!!! After that, He was ALL EARS

After we left the doctors office we went to absolutely every pharmacy in Jasper and NO ONE had it and said it would be next week until they could get it. SO we came home and I called around and still couldn't find it. Luckily Matt's aunt works at the Son's Pharmacy in Parrish and I called her and she said they would have it the next day. I went to pick it up and guess what? THEY DON'T ACCEPT OUR INSURANCE!!!!!!! The pharmacist said, "You could just pay for if you would like." I said, "Sure, how much is it?" I have a flex card with a $1500 dollar limit so I thought hey, a hundred dollars maybe even two won't be so bad. She said "SEVEN-HUNDRED EIGHT -FOUR DOLLARS." I could have died. I was SO upset... So I took the prescription back and went home. Matt's mom does a ladies nails from the Jasper store so she called her. I called them and gave them all of Nate's information and it went right through. So, they sent someone to the Parrish store to pick it up. She called me and said, "Its here run up here, give me the prescription and I will run it through and you will be in and out in no time." So I did and when I got there she was gone and they told me it would be an hour and a half wait. So I waited..... and waited ..... and waited..... Finally, they called me up there and I gave them my flex card and GUESS WHAT????? They don't accept them!!!! I mean it was only $41.30. But all I had was my flex card. No wallet. I forgot it at home. I was devastated. I ran to the car, got my cell phone and called Matt I was crying and SO upset I could barely talk. He said, "Baby, just come on home its 7:30 and they close in 15 minutes and I don't have time to get there. He will be okay tonight and we will get it tomorrow. CALM DOWN" Well, I turned around to look to see if there were any cars coming so I could leave and guess who drove up? My MOM AND DAD!!!! He had been to Urgent Care and was stopping by to get water. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see anyone. So I jumped out of the car and ran over there and he said, "What is wrong?" So I tried to tell them, while crying, by this time I was crying because I was so glad to see them. My Dad said, "Come on, lets go and get my little buddy's sprinkles."
When I got home, Nate met me at the car because he was ready for some ice cream with SPRINKLES. So we came inside and I got it out of the bottle and he said, "WHAT? That's not sprinkles, that's medicine. Don't them crazy people know that if they would make those sprinkles different colors little kids might like them?" (these were solid white) We got so tickled at him. He decided that he would be a big boy and just swallow it because he thinks bedtime is not a good time to be eating ice cream. I couldn't believe those words just came out of his mouth. Matt checked his forehead for fever! :) and said "Did he just say that?" And he did he popped it right in and swallowed it. Just like a BIG BOY!
He has now had 2 doses and I don't know how long it should take it to really get into his system and start working but, we only got up once last night. Yay!!! And today he was layed back and easy going. He wasn't hyper at all. Matt said that when he stared taking it, He could tell a difference in the way he felt immediately. Keep your fingers crossed that he will respond to it like they are hoping.

All about Nate

2009-07-03T02:35:00.000-05:00

Nate had a special visitor today. Since Nate started school I could not tell you how many times I had to go and pick him up because he had a migraine. Mrs. Norris, his teacher has a son (12 years old) who has them so she knew when he was really sick. Every week she would ask have you found out anything about his headaches? And each week I would say No. Well, Wednesday morning I called her to let her know that we finally had answers. She was so excited and told me to tell Nate that she would be praying for him and she loved him. Well, yesterday morning she called and said, "I'm at Wal-Mart. I thought I would pick Nate up a few things that he could do inside the house since he can't spend a lot of time outside. Do you mind if I come by to see him?" I thought that was a great idea because he has been asking when he could go and see her. She came and he was so happy. She brought a gift back packed full of goodies. Coloring books, crayons, dinosaurs, cowboys and Indians, books and puzzles. She even had a surprise for Nikolas.
She sat and talked with Nate for a few minutes and told him that she had put him on the prayer list at church. He said I really appreciate that because I have been worrying and worrying and worrying. I still don't think he quite understand any of this. But he does enjoy the attention and the inside toys he's been getting.
Mrs. Norris turned out to be a wonderful teacher and we love her so much. I just pray that his first grade teacher will be as understanding with the things that Nate is dealing with.

"Benign Occipital Epilepsy"

2009-07-01T23:06:00.008-05:00

I know I have been a terrible blogger, I can't believe its been so long since I have posted. But we have had a pretty busy/rough few months. After alot of sleepless nights and wonderful doctors and tests. We finally have a diagnosis for Nate.... I never posted about this when it happened but....

A few weeks ago we went to my nephew Conner's 1st Birthday party. It was on Sunday afternoon and it was really hot but a beautiful day and Micky and Amy decided to have it outside so that all of the kids could just play and have fun. We got there and Nate started to play with all of the other kids. He played for about an hour and I noticed he was sitting on the golf cart with his Uncle Mick Mick. They were talking and I thought everything was fine. And before I knew it..... Nate was standing beside me saying that he didn't feel so well. He said, "My tummy hurts, I think I am going to be sick." My Mom asked him if his head hurt and he said "Yes really bad" (His migraines hit him all at once. No warning he goes from not having a headache at all to a full blown make him throw up Migraine) Then my mom said "Jana look at that baby, get him." He was turning really pale. Then before I could get to him, he fell over onto my Moms lap and I thought he was throwing up so I ran around to him and his eyes were rolled back into his head and he was BLUE. I scooped him up and started screaming for Amy (she's an RN) He went as limp as a dishrag and I almost dropped him. Micky ran to get him from me and he got REALLY REALLY STIFF. We ran in the house where Amy was and she said, "Lay him down he's having a seizure." He laid there just staring for a few minutes and he finally started to talk to us. He couldn't raise his arms or legs he could just talk. He was SO tired and wanted to go to sleep so I carried him to the tub to cool him off and he still couldn't walk and was still SO pale no color what so ever his lips were so white. I was SO scared. We went to the ER and after we were there for about 30 minutes he finally started getting his color back. They had no answers for us. They just said watch him and if it happens again call 911. Which wasn't good enough. I put him between Matt and me and I watched him all night. I think I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. Monday morning we were at Dr Dabbs office first thing because I wanted answers.. He checked him over really good and said that we need to go to Children's Hospital for test. So we did.....
They did an EEG and we got the results yesterday. He has Benign Occipital Epilepsy. It is in the back lower part of his brain. The epilepsy causes him to have migraines because of where its at. And the migraines causes him to have seizures. He said that its like the Migraine and the Epilepsy are butting heads constantly. He said that on a scale of 1 to 10 Nate's migraines are a 15....completely off the chart. During the EEG, Nate had 3 seizures. 90% of his seizures happen while he is sleeping. And they cause hallucinations. (Which explains ALOT) He woke up last night screaming for me to come and help him because there were snakes everywhere in the house. And I keep telling him No baby there are no snakes and after about 15 minutes he started to calm down. I could not tell you how many times he has woke me up because he has seen things. I thought he was dreaming but now we know he was having seizures and he really thinks these things are real. I have also noticed that some nights he would go to bed early and sleep really late, and still lay around the rest of the day. I thought it was because he was just tired. Dr. Dabbs said that it was probably because he had seized most of the night and his body was just so drained. We go back to Children's Hospital next week for a MRI. They just want to be 100% sure that there is nothing else back there causing him to seize. He starts taking Topamax 25 mg tomorrow night. He will take that for 2 weeks and then they will increase it to 50 mg a day. Which is really scary because Matt takes 50 mg a day. He's 28 and Nate's only 6. The neurologist at Children's said that he has never prescribed it to anyone as young as Nate and it has not even been approved by the FDA for children. But Nate needs it because it treats the migraine and the epilepsy. He said, "We will be trying to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." He will take this for 2 months and then we will go back to Children's for another EEG to determine whether or not the Topamax is controlling the seizures. While on this medicine, they don't want him to get too hot because it could cause a Heat Stroke. Nate has always been one to play outside from dawn to dusk but since the seizure at Micky's house, he has been scared to go outside and play. He goes out for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time and comes inside to lay down. Thank the Good Lord above he hasn't had another "awake seizure" as he calls it.
I feel so bad, because after reading about all of the symptoms and side effects of BOE, I now understand a lot of the different things I have noticed about Nate.
Please keep him in your prayers. Pray that the meds will do what the Doctors want them to do. And pray that Matt and I will be the parents that Nate needs us to be. And that we will make the best decisions for him.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Phil. 4:13

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALAH

2009-02-26T10:34:00.003-06:00

Hope you have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY , We Love You!!!!

"Welcome Baby Wes"

2009-02-10T18:33:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Ben and Jennifer on the birth of Baby Wes. He was born this evening via C-section. He weighed 6lbs. 12 oz. and 19 in. long. Mom and baby are doing great. We are all so excited to have another little one in the family. We Love You!!

"Total Loss"

2008-12-12T06:47:00.007-06:00

Matt and I were up most of the night on Tuesday night watching the weather. After he left for work, I turned the television back on and there was report of a possible tornado hitting Oakman Elementary. So, school was cancelled for that day. I never dreamed in a million years that the school would look like it did. I received a phone call from the automated service from Dr. Willingham, that the school received substantial damage and that there would be no school for the remainder of the week. Well, that has turned into NO SCHOOL UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS!!!!

The structural engineer that came to inspect the school said that the structure was no longer safe for the students. Vonda Beaty, the superintendent said she hopes to be able to build a new school, but said the first order of business is creating a temporary campus using modular buildings that she said should be be up-and-running by January. “We’ll make every effort to get it declared a total loss,” Beatty said. “Hopefully we can secure a new school in that area because they deserve one.” I have to agree

Nate's teacher, Mrs. Norris called last night and said that they went in on Wednesday and worked really hard to try and get things cleaned up and when they left that afternoon, things were looking better. But they went in yesterday morning and the entire school was flooded again. The plastic on the roof was just no match for all the rain we received the night before. She said that she and Mrs. Watson were able to salvage most of their things. But Mrs. Sanford lost everything. She said with the help from me and a couple other mothers we would try and make the new room look as much like the old one as possible.

I have to say, Oakman is a wonderful school. The teachers there are great. And Dr. Willingham is an awesome principal. Nate loves it. I took him by the school Wednesday to see the damage and he cried and cried. He was just devastated. I didn't think it would have that effect on him. But that's HIS school and he loves it there. He was so upset about not getting to see his teacher and his friends. But when Mrs. Norris called last night, she said that she missed Nate so much and asked to talk to him. She told him that he would have a long CHRISTmas break. She said, " Enjoy the time with your family and when school starts back in January we will have a new classroom". She told him that she loves and misses him so much. And when they go back they will have their CHRISTmas party and program. Mrs Norris is such an awesome teacher. We had a few problems when school started but I have to say that she has made such a difference in Nate. He loves her so much.

Dr. Willingham showing the damage

The baseball fields behind the school

(The bleachers and press box at the football field were also destroyed)

"Tegan is Here"

2008-12-05T17:56:00.004-06:00

We have a new baby in the family. Tegan Brye Cook was born last night. Jessica was supposed to have a scheduled c section today. But he decided he wanted to come last night. Congrats to Brett, Jessica, Jaci and Breeson!! WE LOVE YOU!!! What an awesome CHRISTmas present..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIKOLAS

2008-11-09T15:37:00.004-06:00

Today, my baby is ONE year old. It is so hard to beleive that he's already been with us that long. It just seems like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. This was Matts weekend to work so we are going to have his party next weekend. So we had him a little party with just the four of us. He wasn't too thrilled with the cake on his hands. Usually he is tickled to be able to feed himself. But as you can see in the picture below I think he was a little too tired to party.

"Happy Birthday Nikolas"

"We Finally Have a Tooth"

2008-11-08T00:22:00.002-06:00

Just shy of his first birthday, Nikolas has finally cut his first tooth. He also has two more coming in right behind it. And he is walking everywhere. I can't believe my baby will turn 1 tomorrow. He is such a mess. For someone so small he can make the biggest messes in no time at all. I have been dreading the first birthday because when Nate turned one we took his bottle away and Nikolas really loves his. So Matt and I talked about it and since is cutting his teeth VERY slow we decided to wait. Maybe we won't have any trouble taking it when the time is right.

"Beach Bound"

2008-09-19T23:54:00.003-05:00

We are leaving at 5 o'clock in the morning for PCB. We are going down for bike week which isn't until next weekend but we wanted a few days to play on the beach with the boys. Matt's Mom and Dad will be coming down next Wednesday to stay with us until the 28th to help with the boys next weekend. We can't wait. Nate is soooooooooooo excited!!!

"Happy Birthday Maw Dorthy"

2008-09-07T20:38:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Maw Dorthy's 90th birthday today. She is Matt's Great-Grandmother. I'm not sure how many people were there, but as you can see from the picture below she has a lot of family.

Happy Birthday Maw Dorthy!!! We Love You!!!

Maw Dorthy with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren

"So Sweet"

2008-08-27T10:30:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, I went to Matt's Mom's to get my nails done and Matt kept the boys. It took me about 45 minutes, and I never expected to find this when I returned....

"Growing up toooooooooo fast"

2008-08-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

Nikolas is almost 10 months old. He is finally cutting his first tooth. He is crawling around everywhere and pulling up. I caught him letting go a couple of times yesterday. So the days of sitting him in the floor with toys or putting him in the bouncy seat are OVER!!! He can't be still for more than 5 seconds. He can make really big messes too. He's into everything. Everything he picks up goes straight to the mouth.

Finally Settling In

2008-08-20T17:28:00.004-05:00

Nate is doing great at school this week. 3 smiley faces so far. His teacher came up to me yesterday afternoon when I was picking him up and told me that he is such a joy to teach. She also apologized for last week. She said that she felt like the problems were her fault and that she was very sorry for the week that Nate had. She also said that he is the most well behaved child in her classroom. Hearing that made me feel so much better. I was so dreading school this week, but it has turned out to be a wonderful week so far. Nate wakes up every morning ready to go. He told me this morning that he loves learning new things. They are already learning how to spell. By CHRISTmas they will be reading. It has changed so much over the years.

Nate and Daddy on the first day of school

KINDERGARTEN

2008-08-13T22:54:00.004-05:00

Nate started his first day of kindergarten last Friday. Matt and I took him to his class room and he went right to his seat, cleaned out his backpack and looked at us and wanted to know when we were leaving. So we kissed him goodbye and left him. He didn't even cry. Neither did I, but it wasn't because I didn't want to. I really missed him. I couldn't wait until 2:55 to get here. He ran right to me. He was just as happy to see me as I was him. He said that he had a great day and he had a smiley face hanging around his neck so I assumed that meant he was good. However on Monday afternoon when I went to pick him up he had a note in his backpack that he had to go to the office for disobeying the teacher and a Sad Face . Therefore I had a conference with Dr. Willingham the principal on Tuesday morning. Come to find out, this happened on Friday. I might be wrong but if he was in trouble on Friday, why did he get a smiley face and why when I took him to school on Monday and talked to his teacher did she not mention it. She said that they had a great first day of school. So Mrs. Norris called me around 12:30 to let me know that Nate was doing great. Today however when I went to pick him up, he kind of looked like he had been crying. Apparently he and a couple more little boys were horse playing in the gym so therefore Nate got a paddling. Keep in mind Nate being the only one to be punished because the other little boys had not been in as much trouble as Nate. I found this out because one of the little boys went home and asked his mom why did Nate get a paddling and he didn't. I might be wrong again but it really sounds to me like they are trying to set an example with my child. 1. He is 5 years old. 2. Little boys are going to play. and 3. Don't just punish my child for what others are doing also. He keeps telling me that his teacher is mean to him. So, what do I do? I am going to give it until Monday, If things don't get better my only alternative is to have him put in a different classroom... When I found out whose class he was in, a lot of people told me to have him transferred to a different class but I thought I would just see. Well, maybe I should have listened. If any of you have any advice I am open to hearing it.

I can see right now that Oakman is a lot different from Berry.

"Fun Day"

2008-08-06T15:23:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Matt was off so we decided to take Nate out for a fun day. We let him plan everything. We were going to take him to Six Flags or Alabama Adventure, but we wanted to do something that we thought Nikolas would enjoy too. So first, we went to the Birmingham Zoo. they loved it. Nate's favorite animal was the camels. He rode one of them and his name was Dude. Matt and I were really surprised that he wanted to. They saw lots of animals, from snakes and frogs to lions and tigers. We got there around 12:00 and we were ready to leave around 3:30. But before we left we took them over to ride the train. Both of them really enjoyed that. I think we picked one of the hottest days to go.
Nate and Dude"Smile"

Next stop was The Vulcan. We toured the museum and then went to the observation deck. Nate absoulutely loved it. We thought he might be scared 100 feet up in the air. But No he wasn't. It was really nice up there until Nate decided that he wanted to walk down all 159 steps instead of riding the elevator down. Matt and I were exhausted by the time we got back down to the car.

Then it was off to Chuck E. Cheese. Nate and Matt played games for over 2 hours. I thought they would never run out of tokens. Nikolas even got to ride the Barney car. I forgot my camera in the car, so the only picture of them there was taken with Matt's cell phone and I haven't downloaded it yet. When we were getting ready to leave there, Nate just kept telling us thank you for an awesome day.

Last stop was The Vulcan again. When we were there earlier in the day, the lady at the desk told Nate to make sure he came back after dark so that he could see all the lights of Birmingham. So he would have it no other way.

Meet Sam

2008-08-03T16:23:00.007-05:00

"SAM"

Well, it looks as if George isn't coming home so we now own a horse. Not really, but he's a lot Bigger than George, weighing in at a whopping 145 pounds. A really nice couple in Birmingham gave him to Nate. His name is Sam. He is a 4 year old weimaraner. After seeing Sam, it made me realize that George was still just a puppy.

This isn't a very good picture but I wanted you so see just how big Sam is.

Kindergarten Orientation

2008-08-03T16:16:00.003-05:00

Today was kindergarten orientation at Oakman Elementary. Nate will be starting to school on Friday. He will be in Mrs. Norris' class. We met her today and she seemed really nice. She hasn't been teaching very long because she decided she wanted to spend time with her children before choosing a career. Nate is really excited. He said, "Mommy can't I just stay today?" I can't beleive my baby is going to school in less than a week. I am really going to miss him. Being a stay at home mom has its advantages, but then again, it has disadvantages. I have never really been away from Nate. Sure he goes to Granny and Papaw's but he could come home when he wanted. I just hope he adjusts easily to being on a schedule.

Still No George!!!

2008-07-28T20:21:00.003-05:00

Well, It's been almost a week and still no sign of George. Matt and Nate went looking for him this morning and then we went again this afternoon. The neighbors all said that they haven't seen him. I think Nate has given up hope of finding him. He finally sleep all night last night. But he said a while ago that he is still very sad :( It just breaks my heart not knowing what happened to him. I just hope that whoever has him will take very good care of him.

"Lost Dog"

2008-07-23T22:29:00.002-05:00

For the last few weeks, someone has been trying to steal George, our weimaraner. Well, when Matt got up to go to work yesterday morning he was in the front yard. But now he is no where to be found. Nate and I have called him and went looking for him on the 4 wheeler but still can't find him. So, we have a very upset little boy on our hands. I told him that tomorrow we would make flyers to put in the neighbors mailboxes. So I think that made him feel a little better

"Nikolas is 8 months old"

2008-07-13T17:49:00.003-05:00

I can't believe our lil' man is already 8 months old. He is getting so independent. He wants to hold his own bottle. He is scooting around everywhere. I went in his bedroom to check on him while he was napping and he was trying to pull up on the side of his baby bed. Before I know it he will be walking.

Its A ............

2008-07-09T00:18:00.002-05:00

Brett and Jessica found out yesterday that they will be having another little boy. We are so excited and can't wait to meet him.

Pics

2008-07-08T11:52:00.005-05:00

Breeson, Jaci, and Nate

Jaci and Nate

Please Pray for My Mamaw

2008-06-26T17:09:00.003-05:00

My Mamaw just hasn't been feeling well, so today she had an arteriogram done and they had to insert 2 stints. The doctor said she needed more but he didn't think he should do them all at this time. He said that he wanted to watch her closely to make absolutely sure that this works, if so he will do the others at a later date. So please say a little prayer for her when praying. Thanks

Conner is finally Here!!!

2008-06-18T23:31:00.004-05:00

Conner Edward Cook was born on Tuesday June 3. He weighed 7 pounds 7 oz. and 20 in. long. I have to say that I think he looks a lot like his Daddy, but he also looks like his mommy. He is so tiny. Its hard to believe that just 7 months ago Nikolas was that small. I think Nate, Brady, Blake, Jaci, and Breeson were as excited as Micky and Amy. Nate had to stop in the hospital gift shop and buy Micky some "It's a Boy" cigars to give out. He's only 5 but he thinks of everything.

Smiling already (I think it's because his Aunt Jana was holding him)

Conner

Daddy and Conner

We will have another baby in December. Brett and Jessica are expecting Baby #3. We are so excited and can't wait until next month to find out what this one will be.

"Thunder Beach"

2008-05-14T21:16:00.003-05:00

We went to Panama City a couple of weeks ago for the Thunder Beach Bike Rally. We usually go every year but this was the first time Matt had a bike to take. We had a great time. We got there on Thursday night around midnight. Friday morning we got up and Granny took Nate to the beach, Papaw kept Nikolas in the room and Matt and I took off on his bike. We rode pretty much all day. There were so many bikes down there I wouldn't be afraid to say that there were over 50 thousand. After riding most of the day, we went back to the room and got everyone else. Nate decided we would go and eat at Hooters. I think he was a little embarrassed when they found out it was his birthday on Saturday. I don't think I have ever seen him as quiet as he was when they were wishing him a happy birthday in front of the entire restaurant. He said, "Mommy, I never want to have another birthday at Hooters again." After we left there, we took him to ride the go-carts. I think thats what he was looking forward to the most.

Saturday was his 5Th birthday. We let him plan the day. First, he wanted to go to Alvin's Island so that his brother could see the alligators for the first time. Then, he wanted to go shopping for a birthday present. I think we went to every store along the beach and he couldn't find anything. So, we decided to go in to Panama City to Toys R Us. But still no luck. Finally he said, "I want to go to Walmart and get a Nintendo DS and some games to go with it." By this time Matt and I were so tired, we agreed. We thought it would be perfect for the trip home. Later that night, after the boys were in bed we decided to go out and get something to eat. It was really nice to get away just the two of us, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

We had a nice time but I think we decided that if we go back for bike week, we would go a week before so that we could enjoy the beach with the boys. It just wasn't the same. Matt and I didn't even go down to the beach. So, that means another beach trip is in our near future

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE"

2008-03-29T22:11:00.003-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday George!!

Our Trip to Boaz

2008-03-28T10:18:00.003-05:00

GEORGE

We left at 5:30 yesterday afternoon for Boaz. We met George at 8:00 and Nate absolutely fell in love with him. We played Frisbee with him in their back yard. Then we went into the house to talk for a bit about him and we decided we would bring him home. He did pretty good riding in the car until he decided he needed to help Matt drive. We stopped at Walgreen's and put him in the back of my Trailblazer but by the time we were at Walmart he was back behind the steering wheel. We went in there and got a few pet supplies and when we got back to the car he was sitting there just as pretty as could be, he hadn't messed with anything. Matt ended up getting his leash and tying it the the cargo latch in the back of the car so that he could drive. We hated to do that but that was our only option at the time. He did really good last night. We got home around 12:30 and he slept all night. He and Nate have been wide open all day. That was the plan though, get Nate a dog that would wear him out so that he would go to bed at night :) (We are still not crazy about the name so if anyone has any ideas we would love to hear them.)

Nate really loves him but you can't tell by the look on his face!!! :)

"Meet George"

2008-03-27T13:13:00.005-05:00

Nate has been begging for a dog for the past few months. His granny and papaw have a miniature yorkie and Nate is so aggressive with him. We decided he needs a big dog. So, I have been searching for a Weimaraner. We think they are just beautiful. Last night I decided to look on PuppyFind.com and thats when I found George. He is in Boaz. So, in a little while Matt and I are going to Boaz to pick him up. (too bad I won't be able to shop while I'm there) :( I wasn't too keen on the name but hey maybe it will fit him.

Sleeping in our own bed

2008-03-18T00:50:00.004-05:00

For the first time since Nikolas was born. We are all sleeping in our own beds. When he first came home, Matt and I put him in our room in his cradle. Slowly he moved from the cradle to our bed. Which was my fault. Because knowing that I won't be able to have anymore babies, I wanted to savor every minute of him being a baby. Oh, and he loves to cuddle when he's sleeping. There were many nights that Matt and I woke up to find another little boy had joined us. So that meant the four of us in a Queen size bed. The nights that Matt has to work, the boys sleep with me anyway. I can't stand the thought of them being on the other side of the house away from me when he's not here. Last week I decided that it was time for Nikolas to learn to sleep in his bed away from Mommy. That first night I think I must have gotten up about a dozen times to check on him and he never moved a muscle. He has been sleeping through the night for a while but I thought it was because he was in the bed with me, But he's doing pretty good in his own bed.

"Baseball"

2008-03-18T00:25:00.003-05:00

Nate is playing T-Ball at Oakman this year. He has been practicing for about 2 weeks. The first day he said, "Daddy, I'm going to be the pitcher" and Matt said, "Nate, you will play the position that Coach Jason says that you will play." Nate then said, "Ok, Daddy, but he's going to tell me that I'm the pitcher." They began to practice and Nate was running and getting all of the balls and everyone couldn't believe it was his first year to play. So, Coach Jason then told him to get in the pitcher position and see how he likes that. When he did that he looked over at his Daddy and winked. :) After practice Jason came over with a face mask, and tried it on Nate and said, "How would you like to be our pitcher little man?" and Nate said, "Hold on a minute and looked at Matt and said, "I TOLD YOU SO DADDY". Then he looked back at Jason and said, "I thought you would never ask." So he has been playing that position for 2 weeks now and let me tell you, they still need a lot of practice but it is so cute to see 3 to 6 year olds playing baseball. It takes everything they have got to get it from one base to another. And it also takes a lot of patience. Jason is doing really good with the kids. Their first game is Saturday April 5th. We can't wait.

Nate on 3rd Base

Nikolas is 4 Months Old

2008-03-10T14:27:00.005-05:00

Nikolas turned 4 months old on Sunday. He is such a happy baby, smiling and laughing all the time. He laughs at everything Nate says or does. He loves to sit in his bouncey seat in front of the tv and watch cartoons with him. He just started turning over.

"Road Trip"

2008-02-12T19:22:00.000-06:00

Sunday was Matts birthday and ever since we got married, we have always tried to do something special for each other's birthday. This year, Matt wanted to go for a ride on his motorcycle. Friday night we went to the bike shop and bought each other new riding gear for his birthday and valentines day. So, Matt and I and one of his buddies left out on Saturday at 12:00 and decided to just go and ride until we got tired. We got to Huntsville around 8:00 that night and got a room at the Hilton. We got up on Sunday morning and headed home. We stopped by the Game Stop and got Nate a new Playstation game because Granny and Papaw said that he was really good. We got home around 5 o'clock that evening. I think we had 2 little boys that missed us just as much as we missed them. We had a great time and believe it or not, it wasn't really cold at all on the bike. It was nice to get away for a night. We haven't done that in a really long time.

3 Months Old

2008-02-12T19:05:00.001-06:00

Nikolas turned 3 months old on Saturday. He is a lot more alert now. He is smiling all the time and laughing out loud. He is sleeping through the night, which is really great. He loves his big brother. They enjoy watching cartoons together.

"World of Wheels"

2008-02-11T13:11:00.000-06:00

We had a very busy weekend. On Friday night, we took Nate to the World of Wheels. He saw on TV that Lightning McQueen was going to be there for pictures with the kids and he had to go. We let him plan the night. First we went to a Cycle shop to get Daddy something for his birthday, and Mommy something for Daddys birthday.:) Then, we went to eat, then on to the Civic Center for the World of Wheels. He saw Lightning McQueen, the Heros monster truck and lots of cool bikes like Daddy's. He also raced the remote control cars. It was really hard but he finished 4th. We had a really good time.

Nate and Lighning McQueen

"Another Sick Little Boy"

2008-01-30T08:21:00.000-06:00

It seems that someone is always sick around our house these days. Nikolas is finally well and now I guess Nate has a VIRUS. I have been up with him most of the night. He fell asleep fairly early last night, earlier than usual and I didn't think anything about it until he woke up at 10 o'clock with a fever of 102. So I gave him some Tylenol and put him back to bed. And I knew he wasn't feeling well because he didn't give us any trouble about going to bed. I had to get up with Nikolas at 1 for a feeding so I went and checked on Nate again and his fever was back, this time it was 103. So I gave him more Tylenol and stayed in there with him. At 4:30 this morning he woke up screaming with a head-ache and I checked his temperature then and it was back up to 103.7. I gave him more Tylenol and Matt got up to go to a class at 5 o'clock and he checked on him and his temperature was still going higher. Just as Matt was about to leave Nate started vomiting. So he stayed and he cleaned Nate up while I cleaned everything else up. "Thanks Daddy" His fever finally broke about 7 and it is still down and he's feeling much better. We have a doctors appointment this afternoon just to make sure it is a virus.

It kinda worries me about Nate having a headache, because Matt has Migraines. He started having them when he was 5 years old, and Nate is almost 5. I pray that Nate doesn't have to go through what his Daddy did, but the doctor said that its quite possible that one or both of our boys could have inherited it. Matt takes Topomax now for a preventative and it seems to help but when he has one, he takes a Immitrex pill and if that doesn't work he takes an injection. He quit smoking 11 weeks ago, and I think that has helped with the headaches. We are so proud of him.

5 shots!!!

2008-01-23T12:58:00.001-06:00

I took Nikolas to see Dr. Dabbs this morning for his 2 month check up. He weighed 13 lbs. and 14 oz. He said that the ear infection was completely gone and his ears looked great. Therefore he could go ahead and get his immunization shots. He also had to have the PKU (newborn screening) repeated, he said that he thought the lab had made some kind of mistake but nothing to be worried about because all of them had to be redone. He said that Nikolas is right on schedule and doing great. He is also trying to cut 2 teeth on bottom. Nate didn't have the 1st tooth until he was about 13 months old. So, whoever said that no 2 are alike was RIGHT .

"Hunting with Daddy"

2008-01-20T10:39:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday, Matt decided he would take Nate hunting. But, he told him that he couldn't go unless he could be very still, and quiet. "I can be quiet, because I am going to kill a deer" he said. So then we began to put warm clothes on. It was really cold outside. Nate had so many clothes on that I didn't think Matt had to worry about him moving. Well, they stayed gone for about an hour. Matt said that he wanted to talk the whole time, and had to use the bathroom about a dozen times. And every time he would tell him to be quiet because he thought he heard something, he said that Nate would get louder. Needless to say I think that was Nate's last hunting trip for a while. After all, he's just 4

SNOW!!!!

2008-01-16T14:03:00.000-06:00

Its been snowing at my house all day. At first it was sleeting, then sleet and snow, and now its just snow. HUGE snowflakes. Nate was having a fit to go outside and catch it on his tongue. So his Daddy let him go out just for a second. Needless to say, a second wasn't long enough. I wish we could get enough snow for him to play , I can't remember the last time it snowed here.

"My Blood Sugar is Dropping"

2008-01-14T17:18:00.000-06:00

Nate and I went to the processor to pick up Matt's deer today and the lady asked Nate if he could carry one of the bags for me and he said "Sure, I am really strong and I help my mommy all the time". But, when we got in the car to leave he said, "Mommy, I don't think I can help you anymore today because carrying that heavy bag made my blood sugar drop". Where do kids come up with the things they say? I have no idea where he heard that. So when we got home I told him that since his blood sugar dropped he needed to get on the couch and lay down and rest for a little while. So, he did and I got the thermometer and checked his temperature and it's 101. I guess he has what Nikolas has had all week. Its funny, he knew he wasn't feeling well and used that statement at the right time.

SHIFT!!!!!

2008-01-14T12:20:00.000-06:00

CMC moved Matt to shift. So instead of working Monday thru Thursday, he now works swing shift. This week he works Monday and Tuesday night. Off Wednesday and Thursday, and works Friday, Saturday, and Sunday days. (12 hour shifts) I think he is going to like it once he gets used to it. The only thing I don't like is the nights. He has a lot more time off. He only works 15 days a month. He likes it right now because he has more time to Deer hunt. And he will like it this summer because he will have more time to ride his bike, and more time to spend with the boys.

Upset Little Boy

2008-01-14T11:58:00.000-06:00

Well, Nate is pretty upset with us right now. He wanted to go to Atlanta on Saturday to see the Monster Trucks, but Nikolas is still sick and we really didn't want to leave him. So we promised him that we would take him to the Circus. He just doesn't understand why we can't go and do things like we used to. I told him that it wouldn't be much longer and his brother would be able to go out and do a lot more things with us. Last night he wanted me to lay him in the floor so that he could see if he could crawl yet. I had to explain to him that it would be a while before he could crawl. He said, "But Mommy I will show him how." I told him he could show him when he got a little bigger, because if he shows him now he would just forget.

Sick Baby Update

2008-01-10T05:28:00.000-06:00

Well, Nikolas has his first ear infection. So no shots yet. Dr Dabbs said that there is nothing he can do for the runny nose but he can treat the ear. So maybe the medicine for the ear will help the head cold. He has to take that for 2 weeks then go back to the doctor for the 2 month check-up and shots. He weighed 13 pounds. I can't believe he weighed that much.

2 Months Old

2008-01-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

I can't believe my baby is 2 months old already. Time is flying by. He has to go to the doctor today for his 2 month check-up and supposed to get 5 shots, but I doubt he gets any because he got up this morning with a terrible cough and runny nose. I guess we will see. He doesn't act like he feels bad. As you can see from the picture he is all smiles.

Nikolas

It's A Boy!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-09T08:54:00.000-06:00

Well, It's official. Micky and Amy are having a BOY. That will make 4 boys in our family and Jaci. So I guess she will have to learn to play with trucks and cars until someone else decides to have another.

Happy New Year.....

2008-01-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

I can't believe 2008 is already here. Here are just a few highlights from the past year:

2007:

In January, we took Nate to Atlanta to the Superbowl of Motor sports. Monster Jam. We got there at 3 p.m. for the Pit party. It was pretty awesome to see Nate's face when he realized Maximum Destruction and Grave Digger were both there. Those are his favorites. He watches Monster Jam on the Speed Channel everyday. We had a great time. January was also a very sad month for our family. After many months of fighting, my uncle Bobby lost his battle with cancer on January 22. We miss him very much.

Nate and his Daddy

Matt celebrated his 26th birthday in February

In March, I found out that I was pregnant. I had thought I was for a few days. I just felt tired and achy. So I decided I would get a home test. And of course it was POSITIVE. I was so excited. Matt was in shock and Nate was excited, but only if it meant he was having a brother.

In May we had the Relay for Life, Nate turned 4, and I celebrated my 30th birthday.

In June we found out that Nate had been right all along. ITS A BOY!!!

I was pretty miserable the months of July and August...

September was finally vacation time. We always go to the beach in September. I was pretty miserable then. It was BIKE week while we were there. We came home on October 1st and on October 6th, Matt bought an Ironhorse Slammer. Those of you who have no idea what this is, its a motorcycle that cost more than my '06 Trailblazer did new. We celebrated our anniversary on the 26th so needless to say that was his Anniversary gift.

Nate at the Beach

November was the busiest month so far, On November 9th, at 1:34 p.m. Nikolas McCade Sprouse made his grand entrance into the BIG BUSY WORLD. He weighed 7lbs. 11oz. and was 20 in. long. Nate is an awesome BIG brother. He is so helpful. Then we had Thanksgiving, Nikolas was only a couple of weeks old so we stayed home. The day after, Matt got up early and went shopping for me and got the things I needed for gifts plus a few more things he saw that he had to have for the boys. This helped me a lot. That afternoon Matt's Mom decided she wanted to spend the afternoon with the boys, so they stayed with Granny and Papaw while we braved the crowd and went to Birmingham. We got almost all of our shopping done that day. Thanks Granny

December was busy as well. Christmas is always a busy time of the year. But this year, I didn't get to go shopping like I usually do. Having a newborn and recovering from a C-section. On the 22nd, Brandon, Amy, Triston and Austin came in from Virginia, and we had Christmas with Matt's Mamaw and the 23rd with my Mamaw. The 24th was my Dad's birthday so we always celebrate Christmas with them that day. Christmas morning Santa came and that afternoon we celebrated with Matt's family.

"My Dad's Birthday"

Nate decided he wanted to have papaw a birthday party. So I took him to Walmart and let him pick out the cake and of course he wanted to buy hats, plates and napkins. So my Dad had a transformer birthday party.

My Dad, Bresson, Jaci and Nate in their Bumble Bee Hats

.........I will post more pics later

I hope everyone has a Happy and safe New Year!!

Getting Started

2007-12-13T10:31:00.000-06:00

I am sitting here holding Nikolas and trying to type with one hand. He is 1-month old and he thinks I should be holding him when I'm trying to do something. Its funny how they know things like that. We are going to my Moms today to help her finish her decorating for a Christmas party. That should be really fun with a newborn and a 4 year old. But maybe Nate will be a big help. He has grown up so much since his little brother got here. It makes me sad thinking that my little man is growing up. It seems like yesterday I was holding him while trying to type...