sweet kalen

as many of you may know, my five-year-old nephew, kalen, was diagnosed with chiari malformation last february. chiari malformation is a serious neurological disorder where the bottom part of the brain - the cerebellum - descends out of the skull and crows the spinal cord, putting pressure on both the brain and spine and causing many symptoms. (source)

the symptoms for chiari are wide ranging, diverse, and affect everyone differently. some common symptoms include: severe headaches; extreme pain in the neck & shoulders; trouble swallowing and sometimes speaking; loss of bladder & bowel control; loss of fine motor control; weakness, stiffness, and pain the the arms & legs; balance problems; numbness in hands & feet; and the inability to feel hot & cold.

tomorrow, kalen and his parents (jake & stephanie maine) will travel to chicago and prepare for kalen's decompression surgery, which will be done on monday, march 26. during decompression surgery, kalen's neurosurgeon (dr. frim) will remove a piece of kalen's skull to make more room for his brain. the surgery will last approximately 3-4 hours, and he will spend about a week in the hospital. recovery can take several months.

kalen jacob maine. my nephew & my hero.
photo by Cast of Thousands Photography

i am telling you all of this so you know how you can help. wilton is a small community and in a way, we are one big family. on may 19 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, the first annual team kalen carnival for chiari will be held at the wilton high school track and field. there will be a variety of activities in which to take part, such as: a run/walk-a-thon, bounce house, children's games, raffle, concession stands, baked goods, kid's dash, cake walk, face paintings, and many more. it will be a great day to gather up the family, have fun, make memories, bring awareness to the chiari foundation, as well as raise money for a good cause. all proceeds will go to kalen's medial bills as well as the chiari foundation.

the maine family.
kaedon, steph (holding kinnick), krue, jake, and kalen

together we can raise awareness! please visit our website for more information. if you are interested in volunteering, donating, becoming a team kalen sponsor or joining the run/walk-a-thon, please contact us at goteamkalen@gmail.com

we hope to see everyone there!

piglets and other springtime adventures

i can't complain about this past winter in iowa. it has been pretty easy, and now it seems spring is making an earlier than expected arrival. (knock on wood.) today was absolutely beautiful. it was in the mid-to-low 70s and sunny. we totaled 3 walks around town (one with steph and 3/4 of the maine boys), 2+ hours of fun in the sun, and an evening of grilling out. charlotte is extremely interested in the sounds of the outdoors. she was intrigued by passing cars, walking children, and bicycles. she also got to see & hear her first set of cardinals! (grandma alsman is always close by!)

just a few of charlie's favorite cousins!

today in our front yard, enjoying some vitamin d!

last weekend we visited some adorable 3-week-old piglets at morgan's parent's house. charlotte was initially startled, as the piggies loudly and rowdily decided to eat. (man, am i happy i am NOT a mama sow... those pigs are ROUGH!) one piglet locked eyes with charlotte and that's when the water works began. it didn't last long - daddy got her calmed down and she soon became extremely curious. it wasn't long before she was sticking her little hand out and petting the piglets. she's already more of a farm girl than i ever was!

on sunday, charlotte and i went shopping with my mom and sister. we stopped at theissen's (no, i do not shop there... cassie and mom wanted to stop!) and they had sweet little baby chickens for sale!! charlotte was IN LOVE with them. i would have brought some home had i known where to keep them. i took a short little video of them and charlie watches it every day, giggling and clapping the entire time!

charlotte has also started saying "kitty cat" whenever our family cat, weasley, enters the room. he hates her - it's pretty sad. she is absolutely obsessed with him and follows him everywhere, whispering "kitty cat, kitty cat" over and over. he is a giant jerk and runs away, usually hissing. charlie also got a new tooth (an eye tooth - vampire baby!) and is eating solids like a champ. papa mays proudly taught her how to lift up her arms when we say she is SOOOOO big! she follows this action with a big grin and lots of clapping.   :)

this saturday we will head to vanderveer park to get her 9-month photos taken. i can't believe how fast this is going! it seems like only yesterday we were heading to the hospital to birth our sweet babe!

terrorizing weasley, ironically in her orange kitty cat jammies

-the mays'

procrastination!

i always think i'll find time to get to the blog, but time seems to slip away from me! it appears as though it has been 6 months (GASP) since my last blog. this also means that my sweet daughter is 6 months older - which makes me a little bit sad.

a recap of the past few months:

october: we had our first annual outing to wilson's orchard to get our pumpkins. charlotte was a cat for halloween. she was pretty cute.

november: we ate turkey. charlotte had her usual - milk. had a fun visit from morgan's cousin, damian, and his wife, victoria.

december: big month for charlie girl. she got her first tooth, learned how to sit unassisted, and started eating foods (started with avocado - she is not a fan, btw.) we celebrated our first christmas as a family and had an absolute blast. we also got to visit with our kentucky family - we love and miss them!

january: more baby milestones! charlie began clapping and pulling herself up to stand. (yikes.) i quit my job and began staying home with charlotte full time! WOOOOOO!!! charlie became the most popular baby at area wrestling meets. we also started a business.

february: baby girl is on a roll - she began waving bye-bye and crawling. (charlotte officially needs a helmet.) celebrated valentine's day and spent lots of time snuggling! charlie got her first "real" booboo - a picture frame fell and hit her on the head:(  also celebrated uncle logan's sweet 16!

that brings us to march - hello, march! so far this month, sweet charlie girl surprised me by using sign language for the first time!! we have been signing with charlie since she was 6 months old (just a few things for now, such as: milk, more, finished, bath.) yesterday afternoon she signed to me that she would like some milk! so off we went to nurse. i was so proud, i could have bursted!

so to touch on a couple of things i mentioned about the last 6 months....

I AM NOW A STAY AT HOME MOM (SAHM)!!!!!!!! easily the best decision i have ever made. there is nothing better than being there for every breath of charlotte's life. i swear she looks at me differently now, knowing that i'm by her side every single day.

the only way i am able to stay home is through the business we have started, which is already off to a good start. we are so excited to get everything rolling!!

we just re-painted our the entire downstairs of our house... i must say - WE LOVE IT. my sister-in-law, steph, chose all of our colors (because i am design-illiterate) and they look absolutely amazing. i will post photos when i have a chance.

i have been trying to stay busy by helping with the Carnival for Chiari. our nephew, kalen, was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation last winter and requires brain surgery - which will take place march 26 in chicago. we are putting on a carnival to raise money for the medical bills they have sustained as well as for the chiari foundation. the Carnival will take place on may 19 at the wilton high school track. if anyone is interested in being a part of the carnival or donating their time, please let me know!! we need all the help and support we can get.

i'm going to try to get back into my groove with a weekly blog. i may need a reminder from time to time so feel free to harass me:)

dinner and baby girl are calling....

-the mays'