Too much to do!

I am one tired momma:-) Christmastime always makes me more tired, but add baby who has suddenly stopped sleeping through the night and this momma is more than tired:-(. Here is all I have done over the past few weeks:

ordered gifts for all family members, even a few for myself

wrapped said gifts

bought more gift bags/tissue paper/etc

made 2 cakes with homemade frosting for class parties

bought sprinkles, m&m's , and treat bags for parties

made food for teacher gifts

bought gifts for teacher gifts

helped with a school science project

went up to the school to see daughter present said project

strained back getting youngest back into the car after viewing said project

bought all food for Christmas at our house this year

determined menu for Christmas and made list after list after list

made sure Santa had his ducks in a row for gifts this year

ordered shirts for Christmas cards

took pictures for Christmas cards

ordered cards

addressed and mailed out 50 plus cards

decorated the house for Christmas (with help from the kids and the husband)

made sure the kids were fed and bathed while everything was going on

laundry, laundry, laundry

cleaning, cleaning, cleaning

moving furniture to make room for the tree

This is all that has gone on over the past few weeks in our home. I love Christmastime--it is my favorite holiday. I hope I don't sound ungrateful or like I am whining. I just want this to look back on to remind myself to START EARLIER next year:-) I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and remembers the true reason we celebrate!

4 month well child check-up

Will had his 4 month check up today. He weighed 14 lbs 14 oz, which was the 50th %, and was 25 1/2 in long which was the 75th %. He got 3 shots today and did really well with them--he only cried for about 1 minute. He has slept a bit more today, which worked out great for me. We were able to run some errands this morning, which meant I was able to go to Best Buy, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart before I had to pick up Jake from school. I had to go to Hobby Lobby to try and find some things to make a tree topper with, as Emma pointed out we didn't have one. I will post a picture of how it turned out--not sure I'm crazy about it but it works for this year:-) I also picked up our Christmas cards and will hopefully get those out by Friday. I was going to order from shutterfly but they wouldn't arrive until the 20th:-)

We didn't do too much else today--Caleb had mail club after school so I decided to make cube steak in the oven for supper--quick prep and easy meal. Hopefully I can keep posting more often--I really want to be able to look back and remember this crazy time in our lives:-)

It's (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I just wanted to show some pictures of our decorating thus far--Shon and the kids really pitched in and helped out:-) Here you go!

4 months old!

Will you are 4 months old today! Here are some highlights from the last month:

You went on your first road trip--we drove to Mountain Home and then Fayetteville for a wedding. You also traveled to Lepanto for Thanksgiving. You did great in the car--only fussing when you were hungry.

You weighed 14.5 lbs at your ENT appointment last week:)

You have been mostly sleeping through the night, save for a few days this week.

You still eat about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day.

You have started giggling, which I love to hear.

You are wearing 3-6 month clothes and they fit:)

You love to bounce up and down so we got you a jumparoo--your feet don't touch the floor yet but we think you will really like it when you get a little taller.

You are still on Zantac 1.3 ml TID for your reflux. We tried Prevacid but it did not agree with your tummy.

We cannot wait to see what you are doing next month!

3 months old

Will, you are 3 months old as of yesterday! You have gained a bit of weight in the past month (some in our family call you chunky, but mommy would never say that:=) You are smiling at everything and have even giggled a few times. You have slept through the night a few times here and there but still wake up at least once during the night usually. We stopped swaddling you for bed this week, and you have awakened a bit more often but are getting used to having your hands free:-) You still take a pacifier but this week have started sucking on your first 2 fingers.

You have moved from 0-3 month to 3-6 month clothes for the most part:-) You nap 2-3 times a day for at least 30 minutes but usually at least an hour at a time. You still like your Mama roo and your baby gym. You also really like being held. You did very well at your 2 month check up--you weighed 12 lbs and were 24 inches long. You had 3 shots and 1 oral med and did very well--you calmed right down after I picked you up. At your 2 month check up, our pediatrician agreed with me about your noisy breathing and spitting up and made us an appointment with a pediatric ENT doctor (ear, nose and throat). We went to that appointment and discovered you have laryngomalacia--which basically means that his larynx is a little floppy because the cartilages hasn't formed completely yet. He will grow out of it by age 2. He also was diagnosed with reflux, and has been on Zantac which is helping a lot with his spitting up--we aren't changing near as many outfits:-)

Your siblings are still being very good with you, although Jake has been in trouble a few times for waking you up. We are so happy to have you in our family and can't wait to see all the fun things you will show us as you grow!

Candy Corn Cupcakes

So on Saturday I decided to make cupcakes for the kids for Halloween. I loved the cake idea from Angela's blog but thought cupcakes would be easier. I followed this recipe for the batter:

1 white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
yellow and orange food coloring gel (I found mine at Wal-Mart)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix on high for 2 minutes. Divide your batter in half and color. Below are the pictures of the colors.

Next use a cookie scoop to evenly fill each liner with batter--yellow on bottom. orange on top.

Here they are after baking for about 22 minutes.

Finally you can add your frosting. Store bought would be fine, but here is a really yummy recipe:

5 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup sugar

Begin by whisking together your flour and milk in a saucepan and heating it until it thickens up--then put it in the fridge to cool it down. Once it is cool, add your vanilla. While it is cooling, cream together your butter and sugar until all the sugar is incorporate--no grainy texture:-) When the flour mix is cool, pour it into the butter/sugar mix and beat on medium high for 7-8 minutes--yes, minutes. That is why this works great with a kitchen aid mixer. I used the wire attachment and just left it alone. When it was done, the frosting was phenomenal--very light and not too sweet but it stacked up high on the cupcakes.

A few orange sprinkles and you are done! I think I am going to make some for Christmas that are red and green:-) The kids loved them and the taste was very good--Shon even ate one and he doesn't like sweets.

Perception

Isn't it amazing how one little piece of news can change your perceptions. I have had a long week--Shon was home sick all week and the 4 kids were basically mine to deal with (he doesn't do sickness well:-) I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and was short with the kids, wondering when I was going to finally have a break and some time to myself (short of locking myself in the bathroom, which doesn't work because they still come in/knock on the door). Then on Saturday I found out one of my best friends from middle school on has a 4 year old little boy who was diagnosed with leukemia on Friday. Today they are in St. Jude's in Memphis waiting for chemotherapy to start, central lines to be put in, and bone marrow to be tested to find out what kind of fight they are up against. It really put my petty complaints into perspective. So what if my house isn't cleaned up and my kids still step over their toys rather than pick them up and take them upstairs? They are all healthy and happy for the most part--and I need to remember to be more thankful. Same goes for my husband--yes he tends to be more crabby and helpless when sick, but he is a wonderful provider and helper when he feels well and I should try to have more sympathy when he is ill:-)

I pray that I will remember to let the little things go, as the time the kids are little is so fleeting. I pray I will try to laugh more and make things fun instead of always telling them something they need to be doing to clean up or help out with their younger sibling, etc. I want them to look back on their childhood and remember it fondly. I also pray that my friend Mandi's little boy Eli will be miraculously healed of his cancer and this will be just a bump in the road of his very long life. More later....

10-10-10 Happy 2 months Will!

I thought for your 2 month I would leave you with a video of Will and Jake:-) You are getting so big! You have your 2 month check up on Wednesday, so I will have all of your stats then. You are sleeping about 5-6 hours at a time at night, which averages to me waking about once, usually. However, at times it will take you about an hour to an hour and 1/2 to get back to sleep, so I 'm still not doing great with sleep:-) The kids are all still taken with you--they love to hold you and get upset when they miss a day. You have moved from newborn to 0-3 month clothing. You are exclusively breast fed--which is another reason mommy is more tired:-) You have started to lose your hair in the back, and you are definitely more alert. You love your new swing daddy bought you--it is called a Mamma Roo (I'll put a picture on here). You are also enjoying your baby gym, although you have only been using it this past week. You are smiling and generally happy unless you are hungry, and then you make your presence known quite loudly. You have been to church a few times but had to leave the service both times:-) We all love you and can't believe you are already 2 months old!

One month old!

Will is 1 month old today! How is that possible? It really doesn't feel that long in some ways, and in other ways (mainly the sleep-deprived category) it feels like he has been here forever.

Here are some statistics just for me to remember:-)

Weight: 7lb 13 oz at 2 week check up
Length: 21 in at 2 week check up
You are sleeping between 4 and 5 hours at a stretch at night, and going about 3 hours between feedings during the day.
You have some periods of fussiness that last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.
You do not like the swing at all, and really only tolerate the bouncy seat, car seat, and the newest contraption, the MamRoo.
Your favorite sleeping position seems to be on mom or dad's chest:-)
Your siblings all love you and will fight to see who can hold you first.
You are our last little one and we are so excited to see the person you are becoming!
We love you Will--happy 1 month birthday!

More baby pictures and the first day of school

And finally, tired baby at the end of the day--I love how he curls up like this.

And here is one from yesterday--wide awake and actually in clothes for only the second time as opposed to pajamas and gowns:-)

We were not having any cute pictures in our hat--apparently we don't like them at all:-)

Precious baby feet--love how little they are:-)

Will on his beautiful blanket from Jennifer--so soft and I love the personalization.

Will and daddy--too cute!

Second real bath but we didn't get pictures of the first one--such is the life of a 4th child.

Thought this was cute of Will--love the tongue out:-)

A shot of Will with with Nana--at least her shirt:-)

Trying to get a good shot of Will with his eyes open--and I really can't tell now what color they are:-)

Proud big brother--although his arms tend to get tired very quickly--especially if Will starts crying:-)

First day of school--and yes, every picture of Emma she had her eyes closed:-)

And once again I managed to put in every pictures backwards--it's a talent I have:-)

Baby is here:-)

Our newest bundle of joy arrived on August 10th at 5 pm and weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 20 in long. We started out our morning headed to my routine doctor's appointment. While there, our doctor asked when we would want to have the baby--and he decided that we would be able to go over to the hospital right then and get induced! We went next door and were admitted and set up pretty quickly. Shon was completely unprepared and was in a suit for work, so he ran home and got all of our stuff while I was being prepped for induction---they started the IV and got the antibiotic started due to me being Group B strep positive ( a first for me). They started Penicillin, and I immediately became sick to my stomach and threw up. The nurse was unsure if it was from the meds or from the strong contraction I had just had, so we waited a few minutes and tried again. That's when things got fun:-) A few minutes after restarting the medicine, I felt myself get very light-headed and then everything went black. I could hear the nurse but that was about it--she told me that my blood pressure had bottomed out at 70/30, and that we would definitely stop the penicillin and try something else! Shon felt really bad that he was not with me but there really wasn't anything he could have done. Anyway, they got orders from the doctor to stop the penicillin and start Vancomycin instead. That went in fine until about the last 5 minutes when my scalp started itching very bad and my palms and in between my fingers were itching. So they had to stop that as well but I got most of the dose. Then I got a dose of Benadryl and felt fine--it was so strange for me to have all these reactions as I have never had a problem before.

She had the Pitocin going during this time and my contractions were regular but not very strong, so she came back in after about an hour and doubled the dose--after feeling about 4 of those contractions, I opted to have my epidural put in:-) That went fine this time ( I had issues during my epidural with Jake) and I was not feeling any pain:-) My water broke on its own while the epidural was being put in, and I think that helped speed things up as well. I was able to rest a bit over the next hour or so, and then apparently the baby's heartbeat was going down with the contractions so they put on an internal monitor and then another monitor to measure the baby's heartbeat a little better. I think I was about a 6 at that point. About 20 minutes later I felt a lot of pressure and I was at a 10.

Mom and dad had left Mountain Home about 12:30 and made it to Columbia about 4:50pm. Mom was able to come into the room just as I was getting ready to start pushing:-) We had my doctor, a medical student, 2 residents, and Shon and my mom in the room--it was pretty crowded! I pushed 2 times, and Will was born! He did so well and was able to be put right on my chest--he cried right away and had a great color--I thought he looked just like Jake!

They took him to be cleaned up and weighed/measured and then brought him back all snug and secure. After everyone cleared out of the room, dad was able to come in and see him for the first time. My nurse and the doctors were all wonderful that day--everything went great!

The kids were able to come that evening and see him--along with my mother-in-law. They helped us when we had to move to the post-partum room:-) All of the kids did really well around the baby--something I was very happy about.

We went home after 2 days in the hospital-we were able to leave after 24 hours but I was given the option to stay another night and I took it:-) I knew I needed more rest than what I would receive at home and it was nice to send Will to the nursery in between feedings. Shon and my mom were able to come and help us get home while my mom-in-law stayed with the other 3 kids. Dad had to go back to Mountain Home after the first day, so mom has been with us since he was born and has been such a big help. My mother-in-law was here up until he was born and she was a huge help as well-we have been very blessed with our family support.

Will is doing great so far--he goes about 4 hours between feedings at night and 3 hours during the day. The kids only fight about whose turn it is to hold him:-) They are all very gentle and loving with him. I am learning to survive on less sleep again and trying to nap at least once a day right now. I will post more later but wanted to get a few pictures up while I had the chance (sorry about the order of them--not sure how to change that).

2 weeks or less to go!

So don't fall over, but yes, this is another post:-) I went back to the doctor today--still only dilated to 2 but he said anytime the contractions start and are regular to head straight to the hospital--I can't believe I am already 38 weeks! It has been SOOOOO hot here, as I know it is everywhere else but I have really just been trying to stay in and soak up the AC as long as possible. I have washed all the baby clothes, put the pack n play together, the swing is ready, now all that is left is to put the car seat in the car and pack my hospital bag.

My older 2 kids arrived home after 3 weeks away on Saturday. My mother-in-law is staying with us right now and I am very thankful for her--not only did she have my older 2 the past 3 weeks, she is going to stay until this baby arrives:-) I was worried it would be just me alone in the delivery room while Shon dealt with our other 3 but now that she is here I feel much better about things.

We are just trying to get the house more organized and cleaned and get everything in its place. I hope everyone stays cool and I will post more when I know more:-)

Finally a post!

Well, it has been too long and this post is likely to be short, but I wanted to catch up and say that we are finally moved to Columbia! It was an eventful move--one I don't want to repeat anytime soon:-) You never really realize how much stuff you have until you try to box it up and make it fit into a truck. I am so thankful we had a team of packers and people to load and unload the truck for us--I can't imagine trying to do everything on our own. My in-laws came and helped with getting the rest of the things that were not allowed to be on the truck ( it was quite a list and we ended up having to rent a uhaul to get everything to fit). They were also gracious enough to take my 2 oldest back with them so it has been me and Jake for the past week or so. I have been unpacking boxes when I am not too tired--I did manage to unpack the kitchen in 2 days ( we had 25 boxes for it alone:-) The bedrooms are coming along, as is the living room. Shon had his birthday recliner delivered today, so we finally have somewhere comfortable to sit in the living room ( we got rid of our couch and recliner rather than bring it with us).

I have been having sporadic contractions for the last week, and am really at the point where I just get tired very easily--which is frustrating because I feel like there is a lot I need to get done--I guess the nesting mode has hit:-) I just really want everything in its place before we have to go to the hospital. I already bought all the kids school supplies and have them labeled and put in their backpacks. I have been cleaning when I can and just want all the odds and ends to have a place to go right now.

Well, this is a pretty boring post but does let you know what we have been up to the last few weeks. I will try to blog about the beginning of our summer soon but who knows when that will actually happen:-)

Happy Birthday Caleb

Today my oldest is 9--where has the time gone? I can remember the day he was born so clearly--everyone in the family was there because I was being induced at 39 weeks and because he was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. Renessa was there as well because she only lived an hour away at the time. My sister was unable to come because she was in college at the time, but everyone else waited patiently. Shon and I arrived at the hospital around 6 am and we had the I.V. and Pitocin started pretty soon after 7am. I was ready to push at 12pm and Caleb was born at 2:14pm on that Wednesday. It was so special having all the family there, and none of the other kids have been able to have that.

Caleb is a sensitive, loving, headstrong, strong-willed, fun-loving child whom I have been given the privilege of helping to raise up to love God and others. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us as we move to a new area and take on the particular challenges that come with it. Caleb, I love you and am so very proud to share this Mother's Day with your special day.

Columbia for Spring Break--and some baby news:-)

So mom and I headed out with the kids on Monday morning to go to Columbia for Spring Break. The trip took about 5 hours so we arrived right at 5pm--thankfully the traffic wasn't bad. We met Shon at the hotel and got checked in and then headed to Ruby Tuesday's for supper. After that we got ready for bed and everyone settled in to watch a little tv. The next morning Shon had the day off so we got ready and went down to the hotel restaurant for a yummy breakfast. Then we headed out for the day. Shon showed the kids and mom around Columbia. We saw the University of Missouri and went around to several different areas. We ate lunch at a a Mexican restaurant called Chevy's--it was fabulous! The kids really enjoyed it. Then we headed to one of the many parks in the area. After that everyone was ready to head back to the hotel. Mom and I took the kids swimming in the indoor pool. After about an hour of that everyone was ready for a rest. We piled on the beds and turned on a movie. Jake fell asleep about 30 minutes in and slept until we were ready to go to supper. Everyone was in the mood for pizza, so we went to CiCi's. It was a cheap meal but not necessarily the best food:-) The next day Shon had to work again, so mom and I took the kids to breakfast and then I headed to my nurse's appointment. Mom took the kids to Barnes and Noble, the mall, and Target while I met with the OB nurse. We then headed to Fuddrucker's for lunch and then went back to the hotel for some rest. Jake and I took a nap and mom had the older 2 rest and then headed to the pool. We then got ready and went for a drive and to buy a new fan for Emma ( hers had died the day before). Once we bought the fan we went to McDonald's for a quick snack of ice cream cones and then went on a drive around town. We came back and got ready for supper. The family decided on Macaroni Grill--Jake decided that would be a perfect place to have a meltdown about some smell that was making him sick--he refused to eat anything and would only drink water. So we ate fairly quickly and then headed back to the hotel for an early night. Today I had another appointment, this time with the OB in Columbia. We had a bit of a discrepancy on the due date, so I had an ultrasound this am as well. Shon and I headed out at 7:30 to make the 8 am appointment, where we found out that we are having.........a BOY! The kids were very excited when they were told--even Emma, whom I was sure would be upset. After all the appointments we headed back to the hotel to pack up and head home. Mom and I stopped at Target to get her some medicine (she has come down with a sinus/sore throat thing) and then we headed home. We ate at Culver's in Osage Beach and made it home around 4:30pm. We are relaxing as we speak and getting ready to put the kids down for bed so we can both go as well--it has been a long week! Tomorrow we wait for the washing machine repair man again--second time in 1 week!

Funnies for the week

Here are just a few items I want to remember my kids saying:

From Jake:

On Monday I spiked Jake's hair because it was getting to long to do anything else with (haircut time). So I had him look in the mirror and said, "What do you think of your hair?" He said, " I don't think my people will like it." I have no idea where he got that saying from, but he has said it a few more times when talking about his friends at Kids Day Out.

From Emma:

On the way to Friday night out we passed a car that had 2 dogs leaning out the windows--1 in front and 1 in back. Emma said, " I can tell if they are boy dogs or girl dogs by their ears." Shon and I both smiled and held back a laugh:-)

Still on the way to FNO: Emma told us that today all the kids in her class had to go and kiss a rock and that she didn't do it--she told us, " I didn't want to kiss that bologna stone." I said, " You mean blarney stone. " She said, " Oh yeah, I can never remember what that thing is called."

Just a few good memories to make me laugh when I look back on them.:-)

Movin' on up (north)

Shon's job with Cerner has taken him to Columbia, MO since August of last year. The University signed a 10 year contract with Cerner, so they are asking Shon to relocate to Columbia. After visiting there this weekend (just the 2 of us--thanks MeMe and Papa for watching the kids) we are in agreement that a move is the best thing for our family at this time.

As sad as I am about leaving friends and not being as close to my family, I am thrilled that we will all be back together in the same town. It has been hard on the kids, particularly Caleb, myself, and Shon during the time he is traveling. Right now our plan is to fix a few cosmetic issues up in our home and put it on the market soon. We are planning to move to Columbia by the end of June if everything works out. Please pray that our house will sell quickly so we don't have to try and sell from long-distance (been there, done that before, hated it the entire time). We also need prayer to determine where the best fit will be for our family with a new church, school, etc. We are looking forward to the journey that God will be taking us on, but will definitely miss everyone here.

Ice Storm 2010

So we are back with more bad weather--same time as last year--at least this year Shon is home and we have not lost electricity (yet). Last year my sweet friend Jennifer took us into her home and we ended up being their house guests (me and the kids) for 1 week--they never lost power and were very hospitable to us, especially when you consider we had 6 kids 7 and under in the house at 1 time:-) When Shon was finally able to fly back into town, we drove to his parents house and stayed there for the weekend and finally came home once we knew the power was on. We lost a lot of food (since I had just gone to the grocery store before the power went out) but that was all, aside from the expense of the gasoline. I just hated the helpless feeling of being here alone with the kids without power.

So this year we bought a generator and stocked up on flashlights and gasoline to make sure we were more prepared. Shon drove home a day early from his work and we managed to get accomplished everything I think we needed to before the storm hit. He even went out last night and got me my craving of Chinese food:-) What a great hubby! So today we are hunkered down watching the beautiful snow falling (it finally changed to snow about 11 am for us). It almost looks like a blizzard outside with the wind swirling the snow all around. I am snuggled up in my Snuggie (thanks dad:-) and have the fireplace on and the laptop fired up--the kid are quiet for now and life is good! Hopefully the power will stay on since we are overly prepared this time:-) Hope everyone stays safe during the storm!

Blog failure--for a good reason this time:-)

Well, I once again have been failing majorly at blogging--at least this time I have a good excuse. We found out right before Christmas that baby #4 is on its way--due date sometime in August. We were initially very surprised but are now very excited that this blessing is coming. However, I have been exhausted even with napping with Jake and most days do not even have the energy to pick up toys, much less find the time to blog. So I have fallen behind.

We did have a great Christmas--we spent a week at my in-laws and it was a lot of fun. However, I think it will be the last year we can travel--with 4 kids and all of their stuff, we would have to rent a trailer to pull behind the van to carry everything:-) As it was, Caleb was squished next to a bike and a Handy Manny repair shop on the way home:-) The kids had a great time opening everything all week long. They were allowed to open presents from my in-laws as soon as they arrived, and then on the Sunday before Christmas they opened presents from my sister-in-law and then on Christmas eve they opened 1 gift. Then of course, there was Christmas morning. Caleb received a Nintendo DS from Santa, Emma received a bike, and Jake received the Handy Manny repair shop. Jake and Emma also got game systems--a Leapster 2 for Jake and a Didj for Emma (great sale at leafrog.com right before Christmas). Caleb got some Star Wars people and they all received books.

My mother-in-law got sick while we were there, so I did a lot of the cooking--which was fun. We had told our parents about the baby but held off on telling the kids until after the first appointment. So they understood my need to sleep a lot:-)

My first OB appointment was during the very cold, very icy week that everyone was out of school. It happened to occur on a day when every one of my kids had no school. So I bundled them all up and took them with me:-) The nurse was wonderful and let them stay in the office playing their video games while I had my appointment. I was able to hear and see the heartbeat, and so when Shon arrived home later that night we told the kids. Their reactions were quite amusing--Caleb said he hoped the baby was different from the other 2 kids, Emma wanted to know if she could name the baby, and Jake surprisingly said the baby could share his room. Then a few days later, Jake asked me if what I did was make people:-)

So, all in all, right now I am tired and nauseous in the afternoons--mornings seem to be ok for me. I went for my prenatal nurse visit today and got lab drawn and answered all the medical history questions (Jake was ready to go by that point--he told me --all you are doing is saying no mom--let's go!) Hopefully I will do a better job of keeping up with this blog once the 2nd trimester is reached, but no promises.