Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you' all! Some for you were wondering how was Austin doing for Christmas. Where were we during christmas? We went to Athens, ALto see my (Heather's) family and stayed there for 2 days. Austin got a lot of books and cookies! After we visited my family in Athens, we went to Smiths, AL (near Phenix city) to be with Andy's family for Christmas. Austin got more books, little peoplewith airplane, wagon, table with chairs, and etc. We learned that Austin is easily satisfied with a few presents, for example, he opened one or two presents andhe didn't want to open more because he wanted to play with this toy. I gave him more presents and Austin said "NO"! Now, we know that he is easily satisfied with a few presents so next year, we will know what to get for him. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

SMILE!!!!

Happy Halloween!

Pictures from my new digital camera

OH!!!

Oh!! I forgot to tell you that I got a new digital camera from Andy for my birthday! I will update some pictures from my new digital camera soon!

GO WAR EAGLES!!!

looking in the mirror

Hello y'all,

Sighs... Have you ever looked in the mirror and say, "Is that me? Wow, I have changed!" It feels like you have went so far and fast in life and its hard to catch up on reminiscing about the things we did in life. That's how I feel now.

Heather's a senior at University of Montevallo, I just got a decent job at ASD, and Austin is already almost 20 months old. When I stop and think about all of the above, it's overwhelming. But, if you just stay busy and not think about it, then those thoughts are deferred at a later time. Don't defer it for so long, or it will hit you hard, lets say when my son is going off to college and ready to leave home, oh boy.

I know for some of you are confused about me not going to school. I dropped all of my classes because I found out I am eligible to get into a grad school with the current degree I have now. Plus, I need to work to bring home some more bacon for my family. We appreciate all your prayers and support. God bless.

P.S. Today is Heather's birthday, Happy birthday Heather!

Yours Truly,

Andy

Austin's nap mat

I made a nap mat for Austin to use at school (CDC). I bought fabric and fleece from Thrift store and they only cost me about 6 dollars. I use a sheet as a fabric to sew together because it's cute and cheap. I took the pictures of Austin's nap mat from my Blackberry.

settled down, finally!

Sorry for not updating about our moving back to Montevallo sooner. We moved back to Montevallo on the second weekend of August. We live near University of Montevallo campus. I could walk to the campus so I don't have to drive back and forward and eat up all the gas and waste it. You know gas is cost so high and we couldn't afford to keep drive around.
I am going back to school on Monday, August 25th. Austin will go to a child development center on the same day I go to classes. Andy dropped classes for this semester because He doesn't want to waste his time to get another bachelor degree. He needs a master degree instead getting second bachelor degree. Andy has applied for a job at AIDB and he have to wait and see if he will get a job or not. Please pray for him to get a job so he could support us. Thanks!
Our home is small but COZY! The carpet was so filthy and got black on our feet! Andy asked our landlord about the carpet and he told Andy that a lady shampooed the carpet 2 times, I don't believe that because the carpet looked like never been vacuumed before! We had to rent the doctor vacuum to clean all the carpet. Our carpet is VERY clean now!
Some of you were wondering how was Boparoo doing when he moved in with us to Montevallo. When he used to live in Athens for few months, he won't go in any room expect living room. Now, he moved in with us and he's happy and went in all of rooms and played. His favorite place is the kitchen. He knows the kitchen is the one that have all food. He thinks he is a dog! Every time, we accidently drop food on the floor, he run and ate it like a dog! He sit under the table and waiting for the food! haha.
When Puffy moved in and met Boparoo. Puffy was hissed at him but Boparoo couldn't hear her hissing. He walked toward to her and Puffy was puzzled. Haha. They are doing okay but Boparoo likes to bully Puffy for some reasons. We have to give them some time to accept each other like Puffy did with our previous cat, Tigger. They were taking along in 2 or 3 months after they met. So I think Boparoo and Puffy will be ok in few months.
Austin is doing GREAT and learning something new everyday. His brain is like a sponge! haha. He knows about 85 words in sign language so far. He was thrilled that he got a little tikes car (yellow and red). He played and played with it and never tired of it! Every morning, he get out of his crib, He signs "car" and look for it. When he is done changing dirty diaper, he went to a car at the first thing. He doesn't care about his breakfast or sesame street show! All he wants to play with his car. haha.
I am sorry for not update the pictures because my digital camera is broken and I couldn't use it anymore. :o(

The Pictures

Those pictures were taken by Kristian Ogden. Check out on her website, www.kristianogdenphotography.blogspot.com

Austin is a big boy!

Austin is a big boy because he is no longer using a pacifier! Yay! That night when he stop taking a pacifier, He was so tired and Andy's mother put him in bed. He fell asleep and Andy's mother decided to take a pacifier away. Austin slept thur the night without a pacifier. He never ask for a pacifier again!

Austin is 18 months old. He LOVES any cars! Every time he sees a car, he signs "car" and he uses his imagination to play like he is driving in a car! He's cute!

I am still working on get Austin potty training. I know he is too young but he knows what to do when he sees a toilet. He did pee but missed. I bought a potty for him and he saw it and saying "Mommie, (pointed) pee!"

Austin signs alot! When he comes to me and tell me what he does want or need. He knows about 30 words so far. :)

Chair

BEFORE

AFTER

I got 2 old chairs from The House... Here the pictures of old and new chairs. I upholstered one chair, it took me finished about a month. *Should be finished in 3 or 4 days* But Something was coming up around the house. Andy's parents wanted to remodel their bathrooms so I had stop working on this chair until the bathrooms are finished. I came back to work on this chair and finally, it is done last night! Yay!

At first, I thought it was easy to do this but I made few mistakes and I had to adjusted some. I know this chair look not perfect but I DID it on my own! :)

I will work on the second one later because we will move back to Montevallo on the second week of August so I don't think I will have time to work on second one. I am thinking about put a second one in our bedroom and use it for a while. :D

Austin's first hair cut

Austin got his first hair cut today. He sat on my lap and let a lady cut his hair but he kept moving. He turned front of me and hugged me. He won't be still so I had to find something to distract him so he read/playing with a book and it works! After a lady is done cutting his hair. Andy was going to pay her but she told us that Austin got his first hair cut and it's free! :)

"B".....

I learned that Boparoo has bad balance. He couldn't jump high from the floor. He have to jump on the sides until he gets on the top. And he will fall when he is trying to get down from the top. He couldn't jump down with his four paws at the same time. He have to figure out how to get on the top or get down.
Ah! Good news!!! Boparoo finally gets used to not eat wet food everyday! Yay!! Now, he only eats wet food 2 or 3 times per week. He loves his dry food, He emptied the bowl everyday!

Puffy's new haircut!

I had been looking for a picture of Puffy's full body ad I only found one old picture that I was pregnant with Austin. Anyway... Every summer Puffy gets her hair shaved because when the summer comes, her hair fall on everywhere and I had to vaccum on the floor everyday! Here are the pictures of Puffy's new haircut! :)
P.S. Sorry for a little blur because my digital camera is broken and I had use my mobile phone to take the pictures.

Gally and Montevallo?

I am sure that some of you want to know what's going on with Gally and why we have decided to go to Montevallo instead Gally? You know we were on waiting list for Kendall (dorm for the family). We were number 23 last summer and we got a message from the office recently that we are number 28 right now. Of course, we are upset and wondered why we are in high number than before. Andy emailed a lady and ask why we are number 28, we were number 23 on the waiting list? She said deaf adults with deaf children are come first and to her estimate we will get a room in 2 or 3 years. We gave up and don't want to wait longer so we decided to go back to Montevallo. I only have about 2 and half more years to finish. I don't want us to be in a limbo until we get a room.
We will look for a place to live near our school so we don't have to drive back and forward and eat up all of the gas. It will be nice if we can walk to school instead drive in the car like last year. We hope we will find a place near the campus!
We found a good daycare for Austin! we were on waiting list for Austin get in. We just heard from them and he might will get in soon! I hope he will love to go to day care to be with the kids! I noticed Austin loves to go to nursery at church and play with other kids. He loves to play with kitchen (sink, stove, and more). he stir with a spoon and bowl on the stove. He look like he will become a chef when he gets older! haha.
I guess that's it for now. :)

I am superman!!

I am SUPERMAN! I am gonna to save the world!


Cameron helping me fly!


Here is my cape!

"B"

"B" is doing fine! He loves to steal people's food! haha.. One time, my brother left a plate with food on his computer desk, went back to the kitchen, and get something to drink.. He came back and a bacon was gone! "B" ate his bacon! Haha!

Boparoo

Today is 5th day for Boparoo had been in home environment. He seems doing pretty good. We want to try to feed him with dry food daily and give him wet food 2 to 3 times a week. He only
wants wet food. This morning, I mixed dry food in wet food. He ate it all. You know we have another cat, Puffy. She likes wet food too but we only give her wet food 2 to 3 times a week.. We are trying to do the same thing to Boparoo. We bought a new bed for Boparoo, he's so happy and slept in his new bed all day and all night!
Few days ago, Austin wanted to play with Boparoo and he accepts Austin. You know most cats are not
crazy about small kids. Boparoo is doing good to Austin. Boparoo let him lay his head on Boparoo. I am glad that Boparoo accepts Austin! :o)

Introduction to Boparoo

Last Monday, we went to metro cat clinic on Valleydale road in Hoover. We adopted a deaf cat. His name is Boparoo. People at Metro cat clinic named him Boparoo because his head bops alot. He has eyes crossed which is so cute! When he is trying to look at something, his head tilts.
After we bought him home, He hide behind the chair all day and won't get out. We had to give him some time to adjust because Boparoo had been in that clinic since he was 6 weeks old. He never been in home environment. 2 days later, he is almost back to normal as himself. He wanted our attentions and we played with him with his a new toy, fisher with a feather. He is so strong cat! He could break it!
We kept forgetting that he couldn't hear when we were trying to get his attention! haha... We stomp out feet on the floor so Boparoo will know that we were trying to get his attention. We are trying to teach him some sign language. Right now, He won't eyes contact with us. I guess we will have give more time to know us better so can learn how to trust us and give us his eyes contact. I will update more about Boparoo when we get to know him well.

p.s. picture on the right, took picture by Metro Cat Clinic.

Matt and Andy

We went to Deaf expo on the first week of May. We saw Matt Hamill at deaf expo. He is so cool! We would like to meet him again! :)

Back to Montevallo, feeling kinda nostalgic...Share

Andy's comment:

We are going back to Montevallo this fall. Heather will be finishing up her photography degree, and I will be working on my second bachelors in Deaf Education.

We are trying to get out of our temporary "limbo", so we cannot wait to get back to Montevallo.

I know that when we get back to Montevallo those nostalgic feelings will come. Montevallo is is a place that we consider our home.

We will see.

Andy

Happy Easter!

Austin did some easter egg hunting. He didn't understand that he was supposed to pick the eggs and put them in the basket. He picked up then put back to same place where they were.

Walked.. so close!

Austin started to learn to walk about 2 and half weeks ago. He learned to walk longer from the kids at Cameron and Meghann's home when they babysat another 5 kids including Sama.

Austin's haircut

Austin's front hair was in his eyes and bothered him. I was planning to leave his hair grow until he's 2 years old but he wasn't happy with his front hair. I put a tape on his forehead to keep hair straight. After I cut his hair, he was happy to have his eyes free from his hair.

videos???

I'm trying to upload some videos, but the website seems not working. I will try to download them tomorrow. Please come back and check out! :-)

Puffy

I forgot to update about my other cat, Puffy. I updated an orange cat, Tigger (gave away). Some of you may think we only have Tigger. We used to have 2 cats, Tigger and Puffy. We gave Tigger away and we still have Puffy. So here is picture of Puffy.

New Picture!

YOUNG!

This picture, we were in 10th grade. We looked so so so young!