Cardinal
Cardinal gets her name "Cardinal" from her most noticable feature, her red hair! If there was a bird who was courageous, a mighty protector, or even brave, she would have been named after that bird....but, there isn't...so, she's Cardinal. She is the most amazing little girl you will ever meet and she comes with quite a story. She has triumphed over so much in her life and no words can express how proud I am of her. When she's not being a "mini me", she loves reading and researching ghosts. She's a writer like her mom, and I'm sure she will have a best seller some day but in the meantime, she can be found blogging at Cardinal's Corner
Hawk (Ferruginous Hawk, to be exact)
Hawk gets his name "Hawk" because, like a Ferruginious Hawk, he has territiorial conflicts with other species...and because he thought it was a cool bird, lol. This guy doesn't like to be messed with and can become aggressive if someone enters his space uninvited. When he's not playing video games, he can be found ghost hunting with his sister or blogging at Hawks Hideout. He is very loving, helpful.
Eagle
Eagle gets his name "Eagle" because, like an Eagle, he is different than my other birds (although, honestly, they are each so different and unique)...but he really needed a name. He was diagnosed with SPD/SID (Sensory Integration) when he was 2 and underwent diagnosis for ASD (Autism) a few years ago. While he tested on the spectrum, we still did not get an Autism diagnosis. While he is so "high functioning" it nearly goes unnoticed, I am beginning the fight to get a proper diagnosis for him. He was also diagnosed as a severe asthmatic when he was 2 and he has continued to get worse rather than better through the years. He finally sees a Pulmonologist who has brought him from critical condition to stable. Eagle also has severe allergies, including his very odd "cold urticaria"...yes, he is allergic to "cold"...so, his name "Eagle" fits him well! He is such a loving little guy, but often his constant need for sensory input really annoys everyone. He loves building and his ability to do so is unbelievable! 
Macaw
Macaw gets her name "Macaw" because, like a Macaw, she is an active bird, and she loves to climb around, talk, mimic, sing, whistle, and of course, an occasional screech is sometimes in order! She is quite the little ham....she loves attention, loves the camera...dancing, singing, dress up, dolls. Gosh, this girl just loves life and quite often it's contagious! She has the look, personality and desire to be an award winning model...someday, I hope to have enough money to get that portfolio done so that her dream can finally come true.
Emu
Emu gets his name "Emu" because, like a Emu, he is curious and docile! This guys loves to figure out how everything works, he has a need for things to remain routine and he does NOT deal with change very well! He is very much like Eagle and it is certain that he is also on the Autism Spectrum. Although he is not as high functioning as Eagle, his symptoms still go nearly unnoticed by someone who wouldn't otherwise know any better (most people just see him as an overenergetic little boy). Previously, I had decided not to get a diagnosis, although with recent family changes his symptoms are progressively getting worse, so I am now actively seeking a diagnosis for him. Emu is my kid who truly stays little (growing only 3/4 of an inch in in 2 1/2 years!) at age 4 1/2 he wears size 18month clothes. After more than a year of being monitored and a complete work-up by his Endocrinologist, it was discovered that he is growth hormone deficient...although not quite enough to qualify under a diagnosis of "growth hormone deficient". With his diagnosis of ISS, he still qualifies for growth hormone therapy and we anxiously await to start his daily injections. He is my child who literally forces you to "stop and smell the roses". He is so easily distracted and gets off task very easily (even walking through an aisle in the grocery store is a challenge, if we can manage to get from the car to inside, lol). Keeping him safe is my biggest challenge. This guy has really taught me what life is about and everyday, he is sure to have some reminder. He not only tests my patience, but he also teaches me patience. I often say "If God was going to bless me with Emu, he should have blessed me with the patience to deal with him".
Duckling
Ahhhh.....my lil' duckling! She really should have been named "Sunshine"....but, she is the baby of the flock, so she must be called duckling! This baby girl entered into an unfair world of uncertainty and even though, I was brought up to never question God...she came to us at a time when we (including my parents) questioned why God would bring her here at such a traumatic time in our life. In the end, she was very lucky to have survived her time in the womb and we couldn't have been more blessed than we have been with her. We quickly learned God's reasoning and realized that she was brought to this world to brighten every day and to be the best medicine anyone could give my ailing mother! Duckling was born with a set of her own problems...she was born deaf (so far her deafness remains in just one ear), she was very tiny, as an infant she suffered numerous unexplained ALTE's, numerous food allergies, developmental and speech delays. Now, she is an active preschooler, who is thriving and she has developmentally caught up to all of her peers except for her language skills which still slightly lag behind (language being the words she is capable of using, not her speech which is phenominal). She is followed by a mound of specialists for her ongoing medical issues and she also faces possible surgeries (femoral derotation osteotomy, a cochlear implant and/or strabismus surgery) in the years ahead. She currently wears a Ponto System (a bone anchored hearing aid). 
Dove
Dove, is the absolute most high demanding and challenging child I have ever had. He is also such a joy and truly a blessing and I can not imagine my life without him. My life has been such a whirlwind since he has come into this world. My pregnancy, labor and delivery proved to be very difficult and he has proven to be no different. We have done things much different with him than I did with my other kids and he is much healthier because of our choices. "When you know better, you do better." He has taught me so much in his short time here.
In loving memory of
Parrot
