Kiki Renee'

My teeth are like fingers......

2010-07-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

So, I'll start explaining the title of this post by going back about 4-5 years. I had a root canal done on #19. (My sister explained to me that you start counting teeth from the upper right in the back, all the way around to the left, straight down and all the way around to the right again. This also includes wisdom teeth, even if they have been pulled.) The root canal didn't work. I was still in pain. Went back to the dentist for a second root canal on the same tooth about 6 months later.He was very rude to me and asked if I have bad things happen to me often; while working on my tooth without gloves or a mask on. He said he didn't see anything wrong. There was nothing more he could do. He filled the crown and gave me some antibiotics. I should also mention that while he worked on me the second time, the shots didn't work. I felt everything. Now I'm suspicious that he even gave me anything since it came out of his pocket. Later, during routine x-rays, I found out he left a file inside my tooth. A few months after the second root canal, my crown broke. The side of it chipped off. Wouldn't you know that for the next 4 years after that I was either pregnant or nursing and not able to go back and have it replaced? Do I really want him back in my mouth anyway? NO WAY! So to make a long story short, I have been battling with a chipped, painful, food collecting tooth for a long time!

I was out on a photo session the other day, chewing a piece of gum and wouldn't you know it that filling came out of the center and crumbled. I didn't want to explain or stop shooting so I quickly mixed the pieces in with my gum and tucked it into the side of my mouth. Full service photographer right there!! JK

I went in to an oral surgeon and found that the reason I have been in pain so long is that the original dentist did not go all the way down into the root, leaving underlying infection in there. This has caused some bone degeneration. What next? Pull the tooth! Just pull it! I'll figure the rest out later! Seriously. The Dentist recommended sedation because of the way he would have to cut the tooth out. For financial reasons, I opted for the local and some laughing gas. It saved me three hundred dollars and gave me a whole new perspective on the connection I have with my teeth.

Here comes the crazy stuff. I went in at 6:45 yesterday morning. They got me settled in the chair with a blanket and some oxygen. Then came the laughing gas. As I started to feel my body relax, I remembered: this uncomfortable, yet familiar state of sub-conscious. Breathing from my nose but feeling the urge to swallow every five seconds. And not really knowing what to do with the rest of my body. I have always felt in tune with my body but I never realized it did not include my teeth. This has changed. I started praying that God would direct these Dr.s and everything would turn out well. I asked God to forgive me for not taking better care of my teeth as a young adult. As I heard the cracking and popping of this tooth being pulled from my mouth, and realized that something that was as alive and a part of me as a limb or finger, was going to be tossed into the trash, I was saddened. I felt as though I had failed my mouth.

I remember the sound of the saw as it cut down through my gums to get to the roots, occasionally hitting my jaw and coming to a jagged halt. My entire head would shake. I suddenly became aware of the beauty of dentistry. The miraculous way God decided to connect every part of us. The detail put into the way our teeth are joined to our bodies. It was incredible. There was a point they couldn't decide if the job was done or if there was something beyond the blood and bone. This dentist was determined! I am thankful. As he pulled the last piece out he exclaimed "We did it!" as if it were a sport for him. The infection was cleaned out and the hole was sewn up, and I am eternally grateful for my remaining teeth.

Warm Summer Rain

2010-05-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, I won't even go there. I know.

I've been busy and it seems that my childrens' lives have been a huge part

of my photography business. So, here I am with a little slice of Heaven.

Just as I was getting Micah down from the highchair and ready for the bath, it started pooring.

I was a bit confused by the sound because the windows were glowing with their normal evening glow. It was raining and bright and sunny.

So we took advantage..........

A lot of Things

2009-12-31T15:20:00.001-08:00

So, a lot has been going on in our neck of the woods......I have been requested to take a lot of pictures over the years. Eventually, I was told to start charging for them. In fear that I might not enjoy photography anymore, or not be able to produce quality work, I couldn't quite take the initial steps necessary. Until recently that is. I'm taking baby steps and just going with it. I think this next year holds much growth! Happy new year, All! Try, try, and try again!

Throwing rocks into a nearby pond

Waiting to see if the throw was a success.....

Hanging on with hope.............

And its good!

Victory!

Busted..........

No pics this time.

2009-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

I just need to get some stuff off my chest. Wow, my kids have been crazy the last week. Maybe it came in with the cooler weather?? So Ben got a hold of a bottle of nail polish off the island. He came into the bathroom saying "Mommy, I need help!" He had it everywhere! All over his hands and face. This afternoon, I was trying to finish an order and he and Micah went into the pantry to explore..........never a good thing. I went in to check on them thinking maybe they were eating all the cereal or chips or something pretty typical. NO!!! As I walked in Ben was pouring a package of grape kool-aid into Micah's hair. They were both covered in two shades of red. By the time I had it cleaned up, They had swam in 6 packets of kool-aid. They both went to bed with pink faces tonight. AJ watched them in the tub for me so I could clean up the mess. When I returned to the bathroom, Ben had thrown some toys at AJ and the floor was covered in water. I guess that's pretty normal though. Ben dumped out 4 different types of legos today while I was finishing up 3 e-mails! We have been going round and round with the pooing on the potty thing. He holds it until my back is turned. Today he did a little dance and sang "ha ha, I pottied in my pants." As if he were doing it just to irritate me! Little toot! Is this a cry for attention or what?? I'm in the process of planning Benny-pie day. We'll see if things calm down after a few of those.

..........smell my feet

2009-11-01T12:13:00.001-08:00

The kids had a great time last night. Ben said "Trick or Treat" this year. Micah just sucked on the candy wrappers, and AJ was in a hurry!

Silly ninja

where's my candy?

If you dont open it, I will!

perusing the pumpkin patch

2009-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ben picked a flower for his sista

Ben couldn't pick up the pumpkin, so when he saw AJ pick it up, he thought he was "stwong"

cutie

found the tractor of course

This tree was pretty cool.....

She got her own.

..and the Pumpkin patch was a success!

Another accident!

2009-09-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Poor Ben. He just seems to be accident prone. He was running toward his brother and a cousin who were playing tennis with a squishy ball. As he approached them, the cousin was swinging the racket around and Ben ran right into it. Knocked one tooth back and broke the two on either side of it. He is really sore today. We are hoping the one tooth moves back into place by itself. In the meantime, we will be visiting a dentist to make sure there was no serious damage to the gums or permanent teeth in there. This breaks my heart. He keeps saying,"My toof boken, Mommy!"

This weeks stuffings

2009-09-25T08:21:00.001-07:00

Micah cut 3 teeth over the last week. That makes a total of 8 !

Ben learned how to drive and I didn't even know it! After Pre-school on Tues., It was raining. A co-teacher waited with the kids while I got the van. I got Micah out of the stroller first and buckled her in her car seat. I got Ben, folded up the stroller and was going to take them to the van at the same time but hesitated and decided to come back for the stroller. I put Ben in the van, told him to get in his seat, and went back for the stroller only ten steps away. As I turned back around, I saw the van rolling away with Ben in the driver seat. I have no idea what came out of my mouth but I started running! Thanked God the doors were un-locked and running, trying to catch up with it, I finally jumped in on the passenger side. I through the gear into park but it failed to catch. The gears were making a loud grinding sound as I reached over to press the break pedal with my right hand. We finally stopped less than 50 feet from several parked cars in the doomed path. Another teacher came around to Ben's aid as I tried to regroup. I was choking on my heart as Ben kept repeating "I'm sorry Mommy, I'm sorry Mommy," With a clouded mind I tried explaining how dangerous it was. Ben said,"That was funny!" I said "NO BEN, that was NOT funny!! That was scary!"

Karate was exciting. AJ finally started on Thurs. He gets his GEE next week. The class was pretty big. I was surprised at how many people were there. I can totally see AJ excelling at this!

AJ is the kid in the orange shirt, middle frame, towards the back. I couldn't see him very well the whole time from where I was sitting. He did do a great job at following instructions though!

Fearless and fearful all at the same time!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-09-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

First day of school and pigtails...

2009-08-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here they are! I have been waiting a long time for these little pigtails. She moves so much this is as good as they got. A little crooked but cute. They curl under perfectly.

While AJ was at school we went to celebrate a friend's birthday at Safari Park in Southlake. It was pretty cute.

Here is AJ's first day of school. He was very excited.

Mr Cory next door treated us to Mr softee. What a treat! They dip in chocolate and sprinkles galore. Right at you curbside, too! We ate it all before we took the pic, oops! It was too good for waiting.

Where is Father Time????

2009-08-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

I've been playing with no flash photography and photo shop while random shooting, without using the viewfinder. Here are some shots I came up with...

Under biting

Used a flash here

Salon 306- where Cat and her Wedding party got there hair done. I was the first to arrive and wanted pics of the time

Candle in the sitting area

Ben in Mica's crib with a paci????( with flash)

My beautiful niece, Anna, sharing in the celebration (with water of course)

Mimosas

Bride in position, thinking very hard about something?A very sweet moment between the Bride and Groom. It was really dark in there!

Goofball(with flash)

Galveston wknd

2009-07-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the Cody man. So much fun to be around!

G-pa pulling the babies to the coast.

Micah and Cody enthralled.

Aj building a sandcastle. I have big plans for future sandcastles! It's too hard while they're so little.

Ben digging a hole.

Micah and a snack. As if she would be doing anything else!

Cody pooped out.

And Micah did soon there after.

The last morning we went shelling.

They had a lot of fun.

Handsome!

Chasing the birds

And this is how we all felt when we got home.

4TH

2009-07-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

We had a full day on the 4th of July. We decided to forgo our traditional bash with the neighbors and be with family this yr.

we have been enjoying watermellon frequently this summer. It is so refreshing!

Micah wanted the camera.

Here is Ben in all his cuteness!

Catching up..or trying to!

co part 5

2009-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

going up, up, up

Ahhh! This could be home!

Scoping his escape route..

We were all so happy up there!

Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

What an adventure!

Hanging out!

Took it all in, breath by breath.

Fed the chipmunks...

I think they should be ready for next winter.

Viewfinders, hmmmm?

We are ready to go back.

Co Part 4

2009-07-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Camping in Estes Park!! We camped for two nights at Jellystone, with a 6 yr old, 4 yr old 2 two yr olds and two babies!! It was a lot of work which we expected, but it was really a lot of fun! Here is Andy and Ryon setting up camp.

The nap time challenge..... What to do with babies when your tent is too hot to sleep in? Well, here is the beginning of the walk.
And here they are at the end of our walk and stop at the park.

This is our last morning at the campsite. In between there was a lot of exploring to be done. No time for picture taking then.

Here I was standing upright with both feet on the ground and Ben was above my head. That is how big this boulder was.

Of course we had to run into Yogi!!

This view was from our campsite. Wish I had taken a full shot of our setup.

COLD at night. I would guess near 35 degrees. During the day it was a bit toasty.

Waiting on breakfast.

Still waiting.............

This was actually taken when we first got there. Just uploaded out of reverse order.

CO part:3

2009-07-03T19:00:00.001-07:00

We did a lot of hanging around enjoying each others' company. Played with babies..........

Spied on babies...........
This is something the girls do often I guess. Standing at the window picking leaves off the vine throwing them out after being shredded into millions of tiny pieces. Sounds like fun, yes?

Ben is going to get me for this.When we're at home he likes to change clothes a lot!! like 3-4 times a day. We call him our own personal Fashion Consultant. He usually goes for his P.J.s. He loves pajama day!

I guess he decided it was ok to make himself at home. Found some pink ferry pajamas that seemed soft enough. After the laugh I took him to the room to get his clothes back on. He had the girls underwear and pink socks on as well!!!! I couldn't believe it. He didn't see any difference. This is what he does on a daily basis. What the heck??

Hope you enjoyed that at Ben's expense!!

CO: Part2

2009-07-02T10:37:00.001-07:00

The second or third day we went to a great park and fed the ducks, and had a picnic. So much fun! Andy and I both got burnt. The kids had sunblock on. I always neglect myself when it comes to sunblock?

This sweetheart has a blue tongue from an m&m cookie. It was a challenge to get her to look up at the camera. I finally got it later on in the week.

In this picture it looks like Ben has fallen in. Well, he didn't but AJ did. I didn't take any pictures of it because he was embarrassed.

Micah had a rough time. She cut a tooth and had tummy issues while we were visiting. And possibly altitude sickness?

This beauty was exactly like Ben, only the girl version. I was excited to finally get a chance to live around her and watch her. Her and Ben didn't get along very well. they had moments though.

Here they are, all three. Three tiny people whom I adore. I miss this family so much .

Baby El was a charmer! He smiled and laughed basiclly the whole time we were there. Thank you El for sharing your room with Micah! We miss you.

This is the youngest and the first time I got to meet him. Sad, but true.

Colorado: Part1

2009-06-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

We left the house at 7pm with intentions on driving through the night, while the kids slept. Ben had a rough time of it. He could not get comfortable. I couldn't believe what we saw. Flat plains of Colorado. Were we lost?This is the East side, or Nebraska side, of CO. I didn't realize there was so much farm land.
This is El. He has a superb Superman impression. Don't ya think? He is about 3 weeks older than Micah. Though she is a lot taller.

I don't remember what time we arrived, hang on, let me count. I think it was some time around 11am. Colorado is an hour behind us, and we still haven't got back on Texas time.

Anyway, we just lounged around, enjoyed the kids and drank until the sun went down. The temp was perfect and the food was good.Here is their first dinner together! 6 kids under the same roof is fun! Yes, fun!

2009-06-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am a post thief.....I think.
Thanks Katherine

Crazy Eights....

Tag Rules

1. Mention the person who tagged you.

2. Complete the list of 8's

3. Tag 8 of your wonderful blog friends.

8 things I look forward to...

1.Working

2.Thanksgiving

3.Christmas

4.Crisp cool air

5.pumpkins

6.Andy working Days instead of nights

7.reading 8 more entries similar to this one (no need to list any names)

8.fires in the fireplace

Behave or be hived

2009-05-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Ben has followed A.J. around for a long time now. I guess he has been copying him since he could walk. He now wants everything to be exactly like A.J.'s. I don't necessarily remember my little sister being that way. I do recall a time when it was impossible to be alone for more than 2 minutes at a time. Long enough to go to the bathroom. A.J. is o.k. with it at the moment. I pray that he remains patient with Ben. Here they are, "surviving". Survival is a game that A.J. loves to play, but never cleans up. Hes always looking for "supplies" and stuffing bags full of everything he deems necessary. They are cuteness!

Micah, had a rough weekend. We went to Southlake Town Square on Thursday and had coconut gelatin at PICCOMOLO. Of course we had to share the goodness. she also just finished Amoxicillin 3 days before. So there is an allergy that we have narrowed down. She woke up covered in hives Sat. morning. Poor baby. After lots of sleep and a dose of Zyrtec. She is in recovery. The hives aren't completely gone but looking much better!

I thought she looked really strong in this picture. A natural Superwoman.

2009-05-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse of the 80's party. This one is me after I had been drinking and took off my humongo heart hoop earrings!

I don't like any of the pictures that were taken with me in them. This one is the worst! My shirt is sitting on me in a funny way. Check out our neighbors though. Look at the Zebra striped spandex. He also had on black cowboy boots and a hand drawn tat. We had a blast. I wish more people had dressed up!

huffin and puffin, my house was blown down

2009-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Not really. It just feels like it. I think? Cat pee, self dressed 2 yr old, Kiss impressions, Doggy visits and night long coughing. Forgive me for the lack of interesting content. Been up with a hacking child last couple nights.

Apparently I need to go back to school because Ben seems to think I don't know which is front and which is back. He changes clothes at least 3 times a day and if I try to help him, He always redoes it.

Here is Andy teaching Ben how to make a Kiss face. This is their thing.

Stoli is visiting for the week. He is A.J.'s favorite Dog ever! A,J, is a little upset with him tonight because Stoli won't snuggle.

Oh, The Cat pee. I woke up around 12am the other night and smelled cat pee. The worst smell! I thought maybe my cat had an infection or something and I would hunt for it in the morning. 1:30 rolls around and I wake to my cat fighting another cat in the hallway, right in front of Micah's door. Naya chased the other cat away. There was cat hair everywhere. The next morning, I discovered that my rug and recliner and a couple pillows were sprayed by this mystery cat. GRRRRRRR! Relieved Naya didn't get hurt. Someone elses' cat must have though! The pet door is eternally shut now!

We luv Visits....

2009-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

So sorry I have slacked on the blog.........Gotta let some things slide for awhile. I have not even had time to take pictures. Guess how many were on my camera when I downloaded just now? 7 - yes, It was quick! Normally I take any where between 50 and 100 a week. I do have to say some of my free time has been retrieved. It was taking 3 or 4 times to dry one load of laundry. We had some Air hawks put in and it now takes only once! They cleaned the existing air hawk where the dryer vents through. Thanks "worker man"!

My kids seem to need every second of mine.

Andy's Dad and Step-mom visited last week. That was nice! The kids love their Nanna and Bopa!

Playing piggies!!

Easter

2009-04-12T19:02:00.001-07:00

I woke the kids up around 8 am so we could do our egg hunt and Easter

treats before Church. G-pa joined us this morning and for lunch after church. I always take those colored eggs and make deviled eggs out of them. Or egg salad sandwiches. Ben did not want his picture taken so this was the best I got.

After all the festivities I was exhausted!!. I plopped down on the couch and watched the kids play out back. There was such a nice breeze and I got that sleepy feeling. I sometimes think I could possibly be borderline narcoleptic. In a matter of seconds I find myself nodding off during the most non-nap time moments. So to keep myself entertained, I tried taking some self portraits. After all, I'm always the one behind the camera. My profile pic is some 2 years old? Anyway, the most depressing thing happened Saturday. I went shopping for Easter attire. It was so, aweful. I use to love shopping for clothes. After that day and thumbing through the self portraits, I have been hard on myself. I can tell I'm aging, duh, and it isn't pretty from the side I am on. I know, Motherhood, x 3, self neglect, gravity, and the fact that nursing is draining all the life out of my skin and hair! please keep your comments to yourself. I really am working this out with God. In the grand scheme of things, I really am looking to captivate him, right!

So fresh and so .... dirty

2009-04-09T10:11:00.001-07:00

I'll give you the low down on the fresh first. Blueberry, banana muffins That's right, mmmmmm. I have the best recipe for muffins. You can cook them with any type of fruit you want!

I also love, love, love making my own salsa.

I like it chunky. Want the recipe? O.K. I'll give it up.

1 large very ripe tomato- chopped

1 can original Rotel

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup of chopped cilantro

1/4 cup of diced red onion

(Garlic salt
sea salt

and cracked black pepper

To Taste)
MIX it UP- yummy!

For the dirty part..........

A.J. and I planted flowers.

He did a great job choosing what to put in which pot!

Then I let the boys have their way with the backyard.

I'm not sure what they are doing, but they were having fun!!

They both got very dirty! I know that much!

hum-de-dum

2009-04-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Andy volunteered to chaperon Zoo day for A.J.'s kindergarten class. Actually, I volunteered him, but he was a great sport. It was just A.J. and a boy in his class named Shane. They had a great time. A.J. is still a cutie pie. Even with all his front teeth missing.

Ben was being really loving towards Micah during breakfast one morning. I had to get a picture of them holding hands.

Cutie pie #2

Cutie pie #3

My full life....

2009-03-23T14:33:00.001-07:00

A tooth pulling, potty training, boogie dancing, baby food spitting, toe painting good time.

A.J. lost tooth #4. He was very happy about this.

Ben is wearing big boy under ware now! Current status: The last pair lasted about 4 hours, we are doing well! Much better than expected.

This is Ben's tee tee dance. Much cuter in person. Look at how long his hair is getting!

Baby girl loves sweet potatoes, and carrots, and peaches. I guess its an orange thing.

This is one of the things we did during spring break. A lot of fun. We also made many trips to the park, went fishing, played in the mud a couple times. Mostly just stayed outside!

Here is A.J.'s support for Ben.

Love you all,

Busted Muffins

2009-03-15T20:07:00.001-07:00

Ben would not stay in bed! I probably put him back in bed 20 times, at least. I went to check on him and finally found him hiding right here. Pretty clever.

After I put him back in bed once more, I went to the kitchen where my banana muffins were cooling. Yes, I should have known! We have a squirrel. His name is Ben.

wake-up call

2009-03-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.blindchildren.org/edu_dev/3_5_3.html
This is a link to Blind Kids' resource center

Friday morning we went to the Dr. for a release. A.j. has the wiggles and is itching for some running, jumping, climbing fun. We thought he would be able to go back to being a "normal kid" after this appointment. A.j.'s elbow is not healing as quickly as it should. 6 more weeks of idle A.J. This breaks my heart for a 6 year old athletic boy. He said, " I wish I didn't have this arm. I just wish I weren't A.J." So of course I talked to him about some kids being born without arms and how lucky he is to have this opportunity to learn about himself and capabilities he didn't know he had. Where does this stuff come from? I realized that while sitting in the waiting room, there was a 4-5 year old blind boy. He came in with his Mom's hand in one hand and a pole in the other. Feeling his way around, his mom put his hand on the padded chair next to hers and said "Stay right here for a moment." The boy started feeling the chair and then just put his head down on the seat until his mommy was ready. I looked at Micah who looked back at me and smiled. I looked at Ben who was on the floor playing with an airplane. I looked at A.J. who was watching 101 Dalmatians on the T.V. to the right. I said a little prayer of thanks and wondered what my life might be like if each one of my children were blind. How fortunate we are!

We went to the evening service last night since it was just me and the kids. Usually they have cookies but this time they didn't. I thought I would never hear the end of it. During service our Pastor asked for anyone who had lost there job to please stand up and come to the front of the room. Our congregation prayed for these families. Then Toby (our Pastor) proceeded to say that We had received the largest offering ever the Sunday before, and God had put it on his heart to give some of this money to people who needed it. Each one of those families got some money to take home with them. I was weeping by the end of it. I went to get the boys from their classes and A.J. started in with the cookie thing again. I firmly grabbed his shoulder and asked him to wait to discuss this until we got in the car. I explained to him that the kids walking next to him didn't have dinner. Their parents lost their job and didn't have money for groceries, and here he was complaining about cookies. That got his attention. He said we could go home and get some of our groceries, and take it to them. Sweet. I can't help but feel like God prepares me for these situations. So even though there might not be a manual for raising my kids, God is right there walking us through it step by step. I pray that he continues to open my eyes, and keep me awake for the things I need to be aware of.

2009-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

I don't get to take as many pictures of A.J. these days. I usually snap a shot here or there when he is at school. We might have to go on a shoot one day soon. Just him and I. I love this face.

I also love this hand. Dimples, MMMM.

Since A.J. taught Ben how to eat oreos, anything sandwhiched together is eaten in this manner. I think we got a handle on the pbj 's though.

I love this face, too.

A glimps into the future.

Happy? Valentines

2009-02-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Eve I planned on making this stuffed pepper dinner that we love. I cut open the third pepper (recipe calls for 4) and found this little guy. Needless to say, all 4 peppers went into the trash!

I think we ended up having something lame like sandwiches or cereal?

My little sunshine woke-up at 3:30 am crying, until 7:30. I got her to the Dr. around 9 to find she had a double ear infection and chest congestion. She was visibly sick. When the Dr. looked in her ear he couldn't even see anything so they had to do a wash. That broke my heart! I got home to my sweet husband who had a bouquet of roses and day lilies waiting and sent us both back to bed. Micah and I both took a three hour nap. Andy cleaned the house for me and took care of anything else.

Micah is doing better having been on antibiotic(sp?) which I really don't like but couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain and discomfort. And I haven't had more than 4 hrs of sleep in 3 solid weeks. Antibiotics suppress the immune system and my worry was about doing this in the middle of Flu season. Guess what? A.J. came home from school with a fever of 102. I am done with illnesses!! I keep telling myself that this will all benefit them in the future.

On a better note, Ben can spell his name!

random

2009-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

These are some infant cloth shoes that I made. They stay on better than any baby shoes, ANY! I made the white pair for Micah and the colorful pair for the upcoming Cecilia (Is and Michelle's baby)

This is an outfit Sandy gave Micah. This is a great picture. She has been sick and not her normal happy self. Its nice to remember that there is a happy baby in there.

We went to a sock hop at the elementary. Ben had so much fun running around with all the big kids.

A.J. took a friend with him. These boys always have so much fun and bring out the silly side of each other.

PS-Aj got his cast off this morning! HHHh.........

this and that

2009-01-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

My Appologies!!!!

2009-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have realized how crazy busy my life is with three kids, one being in elementary, One being a toddler multiplied by 3, and one being an infant. I have minimum amounts of free-time (blog time). I tossed around the idea of discontinuing my blog, though I know there are many people that keep up with me and my children this way. So there will be a lot less journaling and a lot more pictures. You will have to use your imaginations, and feel free to leave comments and ask questions!

Thanks,

kiki

Happy B-day Jesus!!

2008-12-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Chilluns keeping warm...

Yum, Yum.

Here are the snowmen I made out of donuts. The black gel icing bled onto the powdered sugar, and they look as though they have black eyes. lol

Here is chef AJ helping me make cupcakes for the party.

Here is Micah and Kason. Not sure about the spelling on his name. Micah was very sleepy and grumpy as you can see.

Wed. night we had a party with some of our neighbors. It was a lot of fun. The kids played so well together. We had a ton of food! We also exchanged ornaments and that was a lot of fun as well. We need to do it again!

Gravity sets in.......

2008-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Alright this is a weight loss update that is good, but I am down about my body. I still have ten pounds to loose. This is the quickest I have lost pregnancy weight. I never thought I would be this vain but I am considering surgical options for relief. Comparing my body to a woman who delivered three kids vaginally is something I shouldn't do, comparing my body to any woman is not good. But I do it. The toll that age, pregnancy, and 3 major abdominal surgeries has taken on me, leaves me feeling less than beautiful. Bless my husband for trying. No amount of exercise is going to bring back the elasticity in my skin. If I put 1 dollar away for every time I have to tuck myself into my jeans, how long do you think it would take me to save for a tummy tuck? Or a boob job? Or both? I probably would have to put away $20 every time. That would still take me about 4-5 yrs. Am I having a midlife crisis already? Approaching thirty doesn't seem so bad. I definitely need to exercise. And eat better. It is getting easier. Although I just had some Oreos for lunch ;) I'm just so hungry all the time! Adding 500 calories to a daily diet of 2000 is not as easy as it sounds! Especially when it needs to be healthy food. One of my goals for 2009 is to not buy soda for the house. I would like it better if we only had it on special occasions, and when we are out. Have any of you thought about your goals?

Thanksgiving and more

2008-12-04T10:27:00.001-08:00

A.J. loving on Andy before he left for training one night.A.J. has been such a great help with Micah!Ben being naughty once again at the dinner table.

Our visit with the newest family member.

G-pa and Ben peeping.

The kids at Thanksgiving.....The boys love to play with their cousins!
Me and A.J. decorating the tree.....to be continued.
I was trying to get updated pictures of Micah and she was being such a wiggle worm.
I think she was just being defiant!

what is Ben up to?

2008-11-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

This is what I get for letting him try to be a big boy. Why is it that he likes to wipe his hands in his hair? Can't he use his shirt or pants like normal kids? Better yet, ask for a napkin? And then he likes to see how far he can fling sticky, sugary, cereal milk across the kitchen. Oh, spankings?
Sure, I give him spankings. Usually a swat on the hand will do it, but if he is in one of his selfish moods.......forget it! No kind of non-abusive punishment will have any effect on him. A lot of times I find that I have to be there to direct him. Sure, that is my job. But what if I am not available? For instance, I was nursing Micah on the couch sitting next to him, and talking to my sister on the phone while he watched Baby Einstein-My first Signs, and ate some goldfish, when he decided to take a drink of water and spit it onto my shoe! If that isn't a cry for attention? After that, I put Micah down for her nap and went to unload groceries from the car. My first trip back inside, he had already went to the dishwasher, got out a bowl, poured his crackers in it and threw away his trash. Too bad the dishwasher was dirty!
Then there are moments like these.....

I sure do love that boy!

Santa?No?

2008-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article I recently read that reflects some of my thoughts.

Why be honest with your children about Santa?

Isn't Santa Claus supposed to be a magical childhood experience that enriches the lives of children? Before you answer yes to that question you may want to take a closer look at how the Santa "concept" really effects children. What appears to be a delightful childhood fantasy is actually an out dated concept that uses lies, threats and the promises of rewards to control children. When children discover the truth about Santa they experience sadness, regrets and a sense of betrayal. Where is the magic in that?
Many families claim that the value of the fantasy far outweighs the disappointments that children feel when they find out that Santa is only make-believe. They recount their childhood stories of all the excitement and anticipation of the presents they received from Santa and express how cherished those memories are. They want to recreate those experiences for their children so they continue to tell the Santa myth and sing the Santa song and pretend there really is a Santa.
Let's take a closer at the Santa Claus Is Coming to Town song. It says, ". he knows when you have been bad or good so be good for goodness sake". Or as many children hear, "Santa is watching you, you better be good". "If you are not good Santa won't bring you toys." What happened to be good for goodness sake?
One woman who worked at a department store during the holidays told me that she had the perfect way to make customers' children behave. Whenever a child wasn't listening to their parent she would tell them that Santa had cameras all over the store and he could see them being bad. So they better stop or they wouldn't get any toys this year. She took great pride in the fact that this trick worked every time. What a creepy idea that Santa is watching you all the time and is judging you and may even punish you.
Then there are the contradictions to the "being good" theory. A little girl was placed in my childcare through child protective service because of neglect and abuse. After the holidays several children were talking about the exciting gifts they got from Santa. One child said that she was so good that Santa brought her the bike she really wanted. Later, in a very meek voice, the little girl who had suffered abuse said she had been good too so when was Santa going to bring her bike? It was heartbreaking. This is only one of many examples of the how the Santa myth sets children up for disappointment and self-doubt.
At about age five children start to wonder and even ask, "Is Santa Claus real? How can he make it to all the houses in one night? How can he fit down the chimney? We don't have a chimney so how can Santa come to my house? How can this be Santa when we just saw him at another store? Do reindeer really fly?" For every one of these questions there must be more fantasy (lies) to keep the myth alive just a little longer.
When children finally figure out for themselves or their parents confess that Santa is make-believe it can feel like a huge betrayal. People that they trust the most have been telling them that Santa is real. Some adults think that it is okay to lie to children when it is for their own good. That may be true in some cases but where is the good of a short-term fantasy that damages a child's core sense of trust?
Times have changed. We cannot recreate our childhood fantasies for our children because the world we grew up in doesn't exist anymore. I am not suggesting that we do away with the Santa myth all together. What I recommend to families is that they teach their children the Santa Game.
Children are excellent at pretend games and enjoy them immensely. The Santa game is just pretend too but the difference is that all the players know it is a game. Adults can explain to children that not all families play the game or that some children don't know it is a game. This information explains why Santa doesn't come to all families or why some children think Santa is real. It also clears up why some children don't get what they want from Santa even when they have been "good".
My two grandsons, now ages nine and ten, were taught the Santa game and equally enjoyed the magic and excitement that other children get from the Santa myth. The most important difference is that they didn't suffer the disillusionment and sense of betrayal that other children have with the Santa myth. So, "You better not lie, I am telling you why," a child's trust and happiness is at stake.
===
Dawn Fry is the founder and CEO of Helping Our Children Productions, a publishing company that provides educational CD's giving practical help to parents and childcare providers resulting in happier, friendlier children. Ms. Fry has been a licensed childcare provider and educator for twenty-two years. She has more than 60,000 hours of professional experience working with children. Dawn Fry is also a mother and a grandmother.

Welcome baby Cody!!

2008-11-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

I will post pictures later but I just wanted everyone to know that Robyn had her baby last night. he was 8.6. and 19 inches long. He has light brn hair and a healthy set of lungs. She didn't tear or get cut. Way to go Robyn!! I am so excited!!

Quick info

2008-11-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

I just took an infant, a two year old, and a cat to a clinic for a rabies shot after going to the store for a pet taxi, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And it was all done before 10:00 am. I also am getting my computer time in. Feeling pretty good!!

Andy is expected to come home for the weekend.

I have girls' night out with my Aunt and cousins tomorrow night.

We are going to see some acquaintances in concert at Christ Fellowship Sunday morning.

It will be a busy weekend, and I promise honey, next weekend is empty.

And, Robyn was induced this morning around 5:45. I'm so excited to meet baby Cody! Keep her in your prayers and I will try to keep you all updated. Thanks,
cg

"Mommy am I 10?"

2008-11-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

He asked me that several times!

A.J. made a friend last weekend.

I love Breakfast parties! Yes, I am a morning person. There is something great about 9am b-days at the park in November. It has to be a mixture of the perfect weather, the best food, and getting it done so that we have the rest of the day to............attend other parties?

We had so much fun. The donuts and Starbucks' coffee were a hit!

A.J. opening gifts...

Ben had some help. Can you see him?

Micah was so excited about the festivities!

Happy birthday Bud!

Happy 2nd

2008-11-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Started like a one year old............

Finished like a two year old!
Happy birthday Benny-pie!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

We had a lot !! of trick or treaters this year. I ran out of candy quickly. Andy took the boys around the block while Micah napped and I handed out candy. Then we set up our fire pit out front and neighbors joined us for beer and fun!!

Ben wasn't crazy about his costume but he kept it on for Andy. He got a lot of oohs and ahhhs.

Detective A.J. checking out his candy....We painted his hair black.

Goodbye for now.......

2008-10-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Grandpa passed on Sat.

He was an Honorable Man

Served his country

Served his Heavenly Father

Served his family

Always sharing laughter, and tears

Always having fun

until the end

He suffered

But not for long

God is Good!

I love you Grandpa. There will always be a place for you in my heart!

Selfish??

2008-10-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

So I just read a blog about a wonderful mom, who after six weeks of pumping milk for her baby, decided to quit. I think She might have felt a little bad about her choice but regardless, it was HER choice to make and I hope she is confident in herself. Anyway it got me thinking, about my reasons for nursing. Obviously I believe that breast is best and it seems so much easier than cleaning bottles and warming milk. If I really think about my reasons for not quiting though, I always come back to my own gain. I loose my pregnancy weight faster from all the extra calories I burn. It is also so convenient. No matter where I go I always have milk right there ready to go. It is less expensive as well. I am not spending extra money on all that over priced formula. And if I did switch, I would want to use bottled water because our tap is nasty. Nursing keeps me conscious of the foods I put into my body. "Keep the caffeine to a minimum, get plenty of vegetables and fruits." And "oh, I can eat this chocolate cake because I will burn it of anyway." Of course there is always the size and mass of my breasts while they are full of milk. I'm sure my husband appreciates them. And did I mention the lack of a menstrual cycle? Wow, What a break! I'm sure there are some things I have not mentioned, but this seems so beneficial to me. Is that selfish? If it is, I'm sorry baby.

Age the goof

2008-10-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ben is getting ideas!

He is always kidding around.....at home that is. For the most part, A.J. is reserved. But when he gets going..........

sissa- 7 wks old now!

2008-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Always smiling...

Singing With Daddy

All of my children sleep this way. I think they get it from me. I have woken up in this position several times. Andy should get a picture of that.

Benny-pie

2008-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

There is a little Man in my life that brings me much joy. His smile and laughter is contagious. He has a sweet disposition that often hides behind aggression and power. He will be busy and successful and fun~! He brings a tender touch and an overflowing heart as well as much testosterone. I adore him!

We live outside for now. That's his favorite place to be.....

I was trying to get him to look directly into the camera and for some reason he thought he needed to get lower for me.( Please pay no attention to the icky sticky toddler goo on my walls. Fresh spring paint is in store.)

Look at these big browns will ya?

For some reason, this little guy has a wild streak. I wonder where he gets it from?

"Mommy?Mommy?Mommy?Mommy?..........."

2008-10-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

As much as I love hearing this, I am that busy. Sorry, too busy for pictures, blogging, reading, anything fun and relaxing. I use my "Me Time" these days to find things. At some point in finding my way on my own with three kids, I lost control of any organization that I might have done pre-baby. A.J. insists on repeating my name over and over and over until I actually look at him and give him my full, undivided attention. Regularly, he just wants to know where something is. He doesn't believe I am listening until we make eye contact. Which is true. He totally got this from me. I always make him look at me so that I know he is listening. Great skills, really! The problem is nobody else gets it. Most adults just think he is being irritating or stutters a bit. That is when I get defensive for my children and feel that the world needs an explanation so not to be irritated with us. Why do I do that. Should I really not care? Anyway back on topic.
I spent so much time preparing for the arrival of our new addition and the post pardum state only to give it all up while re-learning how to nurse an infant, making sure that I showered every other day (at least) and getting my feet back on the ground. Now, I get to re-do all that organizing and obsessive cleaning. It is amazing how dirty and dusty my house got in just a few weeks!! Once I am finished, I can get Micah's nursery done. Then I can post pictures. Then I can blog and read and have fun and relax!

She is 5 wks old

2008-10-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

and gettin cuter!! I will try to talk myself into taking some good pictures soon. I just don't have the time or energy to put into it right now. I will be trying to get Micah's schedule figured out soon. As soon as I do, I will be able to plan a few more things. Like potty training Ben. We plan on going to Colorado in March so maybe in May we will potty train. I think Ben will be ready before then and I don't want to pass up that window of opportunity.

Pied Piper where are you?

2008-10-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

I went to a neighborhood party Friday night and heard several of the people down at the end of the street were having a problem with mice!! I decided those mice need to stay down at the end of the street. Saturday morning I woke up to some gifts that my cat left on the back porch (if you know what I mean.) There were two of them about the size of my thumb. Today, Ben went out to play. I heard him giggling and running across the side yard. I thought, " How cute, he is playing with Naya." I went out to see and there was this rat running the fence line with my little guy. I think we will be calling the city today!

Following up........

2008-09-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Micah is growing so fast! Three weeks old now. She definitely has my smile and my toes which I got from my Dad. I wish I had a scanner so you could all compare my baby picture to her. There are a lot of close calls. Beautiful lips! She loves being outside which means she will fit right in. Music calms her down. Particularly female vocalists. Of course she doesn't really ever get too upset. Only when she is hungry. Ben Loves her!!! He likes to hug her a lot which can be a little scary : / A.J. loves to hold her. It makes him happy when he is the one to calm her. Daddy is in heaven. This little girl is loved so much. We all feel very loved these days. Andy had to go back to work yesterday and my in-laws left this morning so I am completely on my own now. YIKES! It is going o.k. so far except that Ben has been running fever the last two days and very clingy. I think we are getting through it though. Now, I must prepare a new schedule for our family to live by so we can make this three kid thing work.

Adios...

Catch up

2008-09-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

Pictures I haven't had time to download/upload.....................................................

Ben looking so much like daddy.

Haircuts.......

Just a few fun times......

A.J. on the first day of school. We went to Sonic afterwards to make up for me forgetting my camera that morning.

Here is a picture of the boys spoiling me.

Here is a picture of Micah and me a few hours before delivery.

Sugar Sugar

2008-09-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

That is what she is.......sweet. Waking up only once or twice a night to eat and immediately going back to sleep. She eats every 3-4 hours during the day and is awake a few hours all together, if that. She is focusing on my face for longer amounts of time and mostly just looking cute. We went for the two week check-up today. She is back up to her birth weight and very healthy. Second PKU test was done. I cant stand that test. I wish there was a better way of doing that. I have a lot of pictures to upload. No time........

Introducing.........Micah Carys

2008-09-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

My baby girl was born on Labor day. How appropriate. So here is the scoop. I went in Mon. morning for blood work and pre-op stuff. After that, the anticipation nagged at me. We met my Dad for dinner and to hand off the boys. I wanted to cry as they drove away. I had a hard time getting to sleep. We woke-up around 4 am to load up the car and get to the Hospital by 6am. Once there, we began getting ready for her big appearance. My blood work from the day before showed low platelets so we had to wait an hour for new blood work that still came back low. They were the same and didn't dip so we went ahead with the surgery. I was immediately irritated with the I.V. It was very uncomfortable. Around 8am they wheeled me back to the freezing cold O R and moved me onto The Table. Anesthesia gave me the spinal which was a problem . The first one wouldn't go in but the second time was fine. I think I gained some more back problems from that little failure but only time will tell. Once they laid me back down and put up the shield Andy came in Dr. got started. She must have been very gentle because I didn't have near as much tugging and pulling as I did with the boys. It seemed like only a few minutes and there was my beautiful baby girl's face looking over the shield at me. My first thought with the boys was that they looked like their daddy but I was stumped with this one. She began crying and I began crying. Andy followed her over to be weighed and cleaned 8 lb.s and 7 oz. 20 inches long. Hardly any hair........little black fuzzies. The Dr. said, "O.K. I'm tying tubes, last chance!" I said O.K. go for it. She then proceeded to say that it was a really good decision because the lower part of my uterus, under previous scars, was worn so thin that if I had labored there is a very good chance it would have ruptured. We got all fixed up and as they were getting ready to wheel me into recovery they stopped, took the baby from Andy, put her in my arms, and said " Mommy carried her in here and she gets to carry her out." As I looked at her I decided she reminds me of Ben. Only more.... girly.

A gift from God, Love. Those are the meanings of her names. I can not even explain the way my heart becomes so tender every time I look at her.

Sometime before Monday

2008-08-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

This baby will be born! Time is going all too fast and so slow. I can't believe I have made it this far. I have two days before the scheduled birth of my last child. Please Lord give me comfort and allow me to go into labor before then. I don't want this to happen without your timing.

I went to see the Dr. yesterday and she basically just told me that I'm a walking time bomb. Baby is at a -1 station and I am effaced. Obviously I am not dilated since my body doesn't work that way. I think I have been losing parts of my mucus plug. I'm pretty sure anyway. SOOOOOOOOOOOO many contractions! Its getting harder to make them stop. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...........

Still holding at a 32 pound weight gain, according to the Dr.s office. At home it's a 30 LB gain. WoHoooooo! Hope I can lose it all this time. Surely the next time I blog it will be about my beautiful daughter and our hospital experience.

Adios

Big girls don't cry?

2008-08-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, I am a very big girl at the moment, and I cry about everything! What is it with my emotions this time around? I don't remember being this way with either of the boys. I cried after dropping A.J. off at kindergarten. I remembered his lunch, supplies, vitamin, to brush his teeth and style his hair, Ben's stroller, and we were 5 minutes early. But I forgot to take pictures. I feel awful! What kind of mom would do such a thing? I guess the kind that is thirty eight weeks pregnant and can't remember anything to save her life. I know I am a good mom, but this morning, I wasn't good enough. I will get pictures after school I guess. I feared this when I found out my due date. That him starting school around the same time I'm due would be hard. I guess the end is near and all I can do is put on my happy face for him and share his excitement. Pics to come.........

Not good at sharing......

2008-08-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

As an adult I'm sure most people would think that I have learned this task but over time I have realized that I am not very good at sharing. How can I expect my children to learn this if I don't like to do it. Do I really want them to share? I guess most things yes.

For instance, we did our school supplies shopping which I was actually excited about. I have always enjoyed buying new school supplies for as long as I remember. I now understand why my parents disliked it so much. It can be fun until you get down to the details. The list asked for a 48 count of construction paper times 6. The packages come in 40 count. So do you buy an extra package and why does each student need so much paper anyway. You can't convince me that my 5 year old is going to use all of that paper. The spiral notebook that they ask for is supposed to be 70 pages. Well we found 60 and 80. Go figure. They ask for 3 school glues and three glue sticks. You have to be kidding me. Come to find out all these supplies are shared. What if my kid wants the specials and another kid doesn't get them. Like the glitter glue or the action figure scissors with the spinning head. Do these specials go into the community box and he gets them if he gets lucky? That isn't fair. Are we conforming to private school where every kid has to have the same and look the same to avoid conflict? Anyway, back to not sharing. Here is a list of things I don't like to share.

My food
My drinks
Friends- I get jealous :/
Bed space
Bath stuff
Makeup
My husband's time

Some things I don't mind sharing- in small quantities.

18 days and counting

2008-08-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

I got rid of the counter because it kept messing up. Annoying! Anyway, I went to my last appointment with Dr. High Risk today. He didn't measure my cervix because baby estimated 7 lbs and 4 oz and looks very healthy. He said she could be born any day and be just fine. If I make it another 2 weeks she could weigh around 8.4 lbs. Healthy girl!! I go see my OBGYN tomorrow and she might check to see if my cervix is doing anything. My Braxton Hicks contractions are getting stronger and more frequent. I lost a pound! That is normal for me. Now I get to go buy fabric this afternoon for the crib bumpers. Yea!

Making it..... until lunch time....

2008-08-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

You would have to get a second opinion from Andy, but I feel like I am the most irritable with this pregnancy. I do pretty good from the time Ben gets up around 7-ish, until lunch around 1-ish. From then until bedtime, I am the last person anyone would want to be around. I find myself apologizing to A.J. and Ben a few times each afternoon and they are both very forgiving. Andy just brushes it off and starts his day over every ten minutes or so. Poor thing. Last night he made the comment "I can't wait until Micah gets here." Of course I read into it, "I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over." I am sure I had been short with him just before. It isn't just my huge uncomfortable body that doesn't feel like it belongs to me anymore. It isn't just the heat that seems to be surrounding me in a huge bubble everywhere I go. I also get the pleasure of being a host to an unknown parasite living next door to my unborn child. Yes I know! I have found a few long spaghetti like creatures in my stools and will be dropping off a sample to the Dr. sometime in the next few days. Please pray that Micah is not harmed and that I can be safely rid of these things.

Thanks!

Dr.

2008-08-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Another perfect stress test! She is definitely a happy baby. I do have a pulled muscle from choking on some water. It is a lot better now. Holding steady on the weight. That is about it. Not too exciting.
later-

Diaper bags

2008-08-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

I have looked at so many diaper bags! Found a lot that I liked and were definitely out of my price range. Wouldn't you know my favorite one, I got on clearance for $12.00 at TJMAX! I thought I would give between 20-40 for one but this is awesome!

This has been my favorite so far!

I love the options on the strap! And the front pocket is very functional. should have taken a picture of the inside.

It all sets in....

2008-08-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is already starting. I have been a little stressed. What will the first month with my daughter be like. Will anyone understand! Do I really have to explain myself? Can't my husband just read my mind and handle everything for me. Visitors, visitors, visitors. Doesn't the answer no mean anything? I just want to take care of my baby with my husband and anyone who wants to help out there are a million other things we need help with. Until the post pardum and newness wears off. Then you can change diapers if you really just have the urge. Will I remember all this for when my kids have their babies. Am I just being hormonal, or selfish, or both?

Nesting...........that is what I have been doing! I have a whole weeks worth of last minute things to do. But not yet. The next two weeks will consist of partially resting, getting my household on a school based sleep schedule, and preparing for the inevitable, Emotional havoc. I already question my own reasoning for anything I feel. Does that make any sense? I know how I want things to work out but does that offend anyone and do I really have any say? Is anyone I know going to try to come in and take over? Probably not, but that is a fear of mine. Wow, I really need to see a professional about my control issues. Maybe it is a fear of failure as a Mother. Is that why I am so controlling? HMMMMM?

That Phase.......

2008-08-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. My son, soon to be 6, has entered the stage in his life where he thinks everything is cool. Even when it isn't. He comes up with some of the goofiest scenarios. I know it is great that he is thinking about cause and effect. Sometimes I don't really know how to respond without shooting him down. For instance, he will say something like, "Hey Mommy, what if lalalalalala blahblahblah lalalalala." and then I am like " Well, then lalalalalala blahblahblah lalalalalala." Catch my drift? Anyway, I'm praying that some of this calms down when he starts kindergarten. I love my son and his imagination. Sometimes I love them separately. So I am asking for input from any of you Moms of grade school children. Where do I go with this?

Dr.

2008-07-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. Monday morning. I go every week now. Only one more visit with Dr. high risk. So, Monday was pretty low key. everything is fine. Scheduled c-section for Sept. 1st at 8:00 am. I am hoping baby comes Sat. before though. I want it to actually be time. I don't care for this whole scheduling thing. that is not how God intended it. They did a stress test on baby. She is happy. No stress there. I did show some uterine irritability which I believe are Braxton Hicks contractions. So I go back on Tues. That is really about it.
Ciao

Miniature cupcakes

2008-07-29T06:42:00.001-07:00

Thank you Bakerella for such a cute thing. I made these for a friends birthday and they were YUMMY! Don't look too close. Next time I will have to make a better point to have the two chocolates meet.

Sugar crystals.........

2008-07-29T06:23:00.001-07:00

Remember these? We finally got something. The pics dont do them justice. A.J. had a good time eating them!

Claiming "Big Boy" status

2008-07-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very unusual day in our household. First, my little Benny-pie woke up at 7:30. Then he played in his bed during his 3 hr nap time. Happily, I might add. Finally, at 7:15 I put Ben in his bed and it made him mad!! Normally he would play for anywhere from 1-2 hrs and then go to sleep. This time, he was so angry and I couldn't figure out why, until I could hear his crying getting closer and closer to the kitchen table. He decided his bed was not good enough for him and climbed out of it 4 times in a five minute period. He was so upset that I picked him up and rocked him for a few. I made up some song and he then wanted A.J.'s bed. Reaching for it! So I put him in it. I hope that was not a mistake. He laid there and listened to me sing and then climbed down to get the cup of water he angrily threw from his crib, and then climbed back up. That was it. I left the room and he stayed there awake for a good 5-10 minutes, and the next time I checked on him he was fast asleep. I think he just decided it was time to be a big boy. He even refused his crib after I took off the outside rail. To him, it was still a crib. Andy is picking up the bunk beds the second weekend of Aug. so until then, A.J. might be stuck in a muck.

___pressed

2008-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Fill in the blank. Sorry my blogging has lacked emotion recently. I decided I could fill you in on why. I don't typically share my relationship stress but, eh, why not. Being married is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much work. It involves sharing intimate moments, even when you don't feel like it ( no complaints ), agreeing on the best way to raise our children, or not, privacy invasion, trusting each other even when you aren't really sure that you should, crying, laughing, putting up with bad habits, selfishness, selflessness, beer, online gaming, and on and on and on. O.k. some of the things I just listed are my own flaws. They don't all belong to Andy. The best part is, just when I think the whole thing is falling apart and slipping away, I realize that if something should happen to my beloved husband I would never find anyone comparable. Then I pray. Then comes more work. And then, a breakthrough. Andy and I have been together for the last ten years just this week. If you had asked me 10 years ago what I thought our relationship would be like by now I would have probably said We would have it all worked out and running it smooth. It isn't all worked out. And from what I hear it won't ever be ALL worked out. We will spend the rest of our lives together becoming one. I am so excited about that. That I get to live and feel loved, by another human. That I have someone to share my life with, who loves me. And not just someone, but Andy. So the reason my posts have lacked emotion is because I have been pouring it all into my marriage. With my current pregnant state, once our bickering, disagreeing, agreeing, and make up session is over, I am drained. Whatever is left in the reserve tank is given to my children. And that is all. Here's to TEN....

Dr. today

2008-07-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. today. Both obgyn and high risk. -Dr. high risk was first. My cervix measured at 2.2 cm . Baby measured at 4lb.s and 13 oz. Almost 5 lb.s which he said is very generous for a baby at this gest. age. -Because she measured so big my EDD changed to August 31st. That's 10 days earlier. I pray that she doesn't come before the 28th. A.J. starts kindergarten the 26th and I would like to get through the first 2-3 days of school before baby Micah gets here. My OBGYN said absolutely nothing in the vagina for a few weeks at least. She doesn't want labor to be triggered yet. I don't think that will happen but I also don't want a preemie either. In the next day we should get the FFN test back which I also don't think really means anything. I wish I knew everything...........;) Anyway- all is well including my 28 lb. weight gain. Wish me luck in my choice of foods over the next few weeks.

Look at my boys. I can't believe Ben is going to be a big brother. hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The corner's edge......

2008-07-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know anything about applique? I think that is how I am going to do the crib bumper. I want it to look hand done and a little less than perfect. And yes......I added red to my color palette once again. Here are a few things I have already done. Should I make a cover for this old chair?

ON TO WK 32

2008-07-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

Why do I insist on having my belly photos taken in front of a white wall? I guess we really don't have any pretty landscaping around here. Especially now that everything is beginning to turn brown from that scorching sun.
I have officially entered the part of my pregnancy that makes me feel old. I can't cut my own toe nails, It is really hard to wipe (actually takes longer than peeing), my back constantly hurts, the only thing I want to eat is sugar, I have banned bending over to pick anything up, Not sleeping well, hearty heart heart burn...........need I go on? I am looking forward to not being prego anymore! Part of me enjoys the fact that my work load has not gotten harder quite yet. As soon as Micah gets here only a few of those things will pass but will be replaced with many others. I also have been really needy of Andy's attention lately. It's a good thing he loves me...........

Here I am at 32 weeks.

Friends

2008-07-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

Yummy, yummy cookies.........

A.J. found these fossils at Bebe's.

Some of our very close friends moved to CO. a few years ago and their oldest little girl came to visit for a week. She is three and talks like a ten year old. Here are a few pictures of the fun we had at Bebe's house. They have this huge water slide. We had enormous burgers which I wish I had taken pictures of, and the boys and I took Snicker doodles.

A moment of compassion

2008-07-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

This picture says quite a bit....

We decided to have a lemonade stand some time ago and have not had the time!! Our sub-division is very active in the evenings from March to Dec. There are a lot of walkers around here. To support good health we decided to quench their thirst with a few sips of lemonade. I believe it was a 100 degree day. We only had two recipients before a huge storm blew in taking everything with it. It is kind of funny to think of myself juggling a big belly, a toddler, a camera, a pitcher of lemonade, cups, two lawn chairs and a small plastic table in the gusty wind. The tip bag blew away. Good thing our friends next door were out there helping us. We would have lost it all!

Independence

2008-07-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

A.J. is on the bike with the balloons on the front.

We celebrated Independence day with our subdivision. Every year we have lots of food and kid stuff and parades and even a kids bike decorating competition. You know I only got a few pictures. My Dad even came out to celebrate with us and I didn't get any pictures of that either.

A.J. was very disappointed because his non-competitive mom forgot about the competition part and sent him on his way with a partially decorated bike to the kids parade. Daddy assured him he would come to his aid next year. I tried to make up for it by painting his face. That got his mind off it.

1-2-3

2008-07-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

Ben has learned the concept of counting to three. It started at the pool. Now we have moved on to the couch. He kept trying to jump onto the hard floor so A.J. made him a pillow puddle to jump into. He did this over and over for about 45 min.

What does Hard Knock Life mean?

2008-07-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

I sure do wish my husband had the same days off every week. It isn't easy scheduling Dr. appointments and errands and outings for the kids when your husband needs the car for work and his days off change every week. I do sort of enjoy living the simple life. I don't mean easy. I guess what I mean is that I enjoy trying to live the way people did a hundred years ago. As Americans, I think we tend to over use the Earth's resources, because we feel that we need all this stuff. For example, my husband went around to every light fixture in our house and unscrewed every light bulb but one in each fixture. Why on earth do we need 10 huge bulbs blaring at us in the bathroom. Two seems to get the job done. I am about to start drying our clothes out on a clothesline as well. Obviously not the undies!! The dryer produces so much heat, which in turn makes our air conditioner work that much harder. I wonder how much we will cut out of our electric bill? I think the boys and I might try walking into town one morning. It will probably take about twenty minutes and we could get donuts! I wish we had a farmers market! That would be fun! Then we could hit the pool on the way back to cool off before lunch. I could be getting in way over my head so we will just call it an adventure and see what happens.

The last couple days ....

2008-07-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

We have been to the pool a couple times. I am so thankful that we have a pool within walking distance. If that wasn't there I might rip out my hair. We pretty much stay indoors because of the heat, and at home because we are a one car family. It really isn't that bad living with one car, I just forget how spoiled we are. I think it challenges me to be positive and creative and to do things most Americans look down upon.

We went to the movies yesterday. It was Andy's day off so we took the boys to see "Kung Fu Panda". It was really a cute movie. Ben did exceptionally well. I only took him out twice. He isn't a movie watcher like A.J. has always been. He is too busy.

Today, A.J. and I started the first part of growing sugar crystals. (See pic above) In about a week we should have some rock candy to nibble on. If it turns out, we might make them for a party favor sometime.

Just for you!

2008-06-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Here is your favorite puppy, A.Kathy. He even just got a bath yesterday!

Yum-me

2008-06-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, Jump on in!

I have been eating a lot of treats lately. Seriously! I think of how nice it would be if I just whipped up one of my husbands favs but then I have eaten the entire thing before he even gets home. I had a little more self control when I was pregnant with Ben but I did the same thing with my first pregnancy. I guess that is why I gained ten more pounds with him than I did with Ben. So I made turtle brownies this afternoon. I just told myself last week that I needed to kill my bad eating habits now so that when Micah is born, it wont be so hard. And just like that I forgot about it. Has it changed? NO!! I'm not so sure I want to. Until I start thinking about how I could turn into one of those frumpy old moms whose kids make fun of the way her legs wobble and have to help her tie her shoes. Who wants that? So yes, I want to be better. Maybe when I am done being pregnant.

Drip Drop Drip

2008-06-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a homemade popcicle.....

And there it runs...........

Trying to keep cool through this blazing heat-

CAUTION!!! Highly personal feminine content

2008-06-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you don't want too much info please be advised. Do Not Read!!
Those of you who do not mind and understand that life happens, here we go.....So, I guess this falls into the third pregnancy category. I went to the Dr. on Wed. and the nurse asked her usual questions that included, "Anything changed since your last visit?" I said no but I am still feeling a lot of pressure. She tried to convince me that it was round ligament pains which I am very familiar with and I said " I do have that but this is different." She very hurriedly said OK go ahead and get undressed and she can do a pelvic exam, and left the room immediately. I think our personalities clash or something because I always feel slided by her. My Dr. came in and asked "Why does she have you undressed?" So I had to explain to her. She took one look and said that I have Vulva Varicoses. That is varicose veins in the vagina. No wonder I have been so sore and swollen. Apparently it is pretty common in multiple pregnancies and should go away after the baby is born. Whew. I had never heard of such a thing. I am still learning about pregnancy things all the time. Anyway, I do not wish this on anyone!

28 WK pic

2008-06-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! Baby Micah is in there!

So here it is...The big baby ball. I have pretty much carried all my children the same except I'm not getting as big with this one (in the stomach area anyway) I do have additional love handles and back fat and my rear seems to be growing a bit. Do you think its because it's a girl this time or just #3? Now don't mistake the fabric under my butt for droopiness. I swear it is just extra fabric from pulling my front down a little. And I love that you can't see my stretch marks in this photo. Most of them are all on the left side of my body. How did that happen?

Big Boy-

2008-06-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that he is such a snuggler. He loves his mickey.

Sweet Boy.........

This picture was taken yesterday of Ben snuggling up to Naya. You can see his little arm over the top of her.

Isn't it cute to see such a little guy in such a big bed? We don't have Ben's new bed yet and won't for a few months but I only have twelve weeks to transition him so we had to start somewhere.

Week 28

2008-06-09T08:06:00.001-07:00

That's right! I'm starting week 28 so 12 more weeks until baby girl gets here. She has been really gentle for the most part until recently. The other day she was kicking really hard. Still not as hard as Ben did. I think that boy just wanted out and was trying to find a way starting at week 20. I am so excited! Almost ready. I am so thankful God gives us 9 months to prepare for the new addition. I was anxious to have A.J.- ready to not be pregnant anymore with Ben- and I'm just enjoying the little breaks that I get now before this one arrives. I really don't care for being pregnant. But I love bringing new lives into the world. The first time you hold and kiss your new little one can be a little awkward, but the most touching at the same time. I am excited to see how the boys react to their new baby sister. I also can't wait to see Andy holding his perfect baby girl. Fun Fun Fun. As soon as I get dressed I will take a picture of my fat babyness.

Holly Hobbie

2008-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a duplicate I did out of an old Holly Hobbie book. I use to love her as a little girl. I don't remember the stories but I do remember some plaques that my mom had hanging in our bathroom. I wish I had those. I have really been inspired by illustrations in old children's' books. If you would like to request anything please feel free. If they turn out good enough I might consider opening an Etsy Shop and selling them.

Dr. High Risk

2008-06-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's who I saw today. Have I mentioned how much he resembles Gene Wilder? It is kind of funny. He is a very good Dr. So I waited in the waiting room for an hour before they saw me. I was a little upset about it until I found out why. There were two girls in Labor in there. One of them was only 30 weeks and I didn't here how far the other one was. The 30 week er was so upset ! Crying and scared. It took all I had to not run out and hug her and ask her if I could pray with her. My heart just wanted to jump into her wheelchair. I came upon a similar experience at the er with AJ. (I might not have mentioned that I took him there but that is how bad his tooth was at first.) One of the reasons we had to wait so long is that A very pregnant girl was there in Labor. I overheard her telling the nurses that she hadn't had any medical care and didn't care who delivered. She was very thin and smelt of cigarette smoke. My heart sank. I loved her and didn't even know her. Maybe some kind of pregnancy care is in my future. Anyway, I got distracted. So I finally got to see the Dr. and have my 15th TV sono......or something close to that. I measured at 3 cm, better than last time. Then I had a regular sono and baby measured great. Dr. said She is growing like a champ. 2.2 pounds and head down. He wants to check it again in two weeks. You can only imagine how many medical bills are adding up. I was approved for Medicaid thank God! That should cover anything insurance doesn't cover. We will see. Thats all for now! Check in later--

Snaggle Tooth

2008-06-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last night, after the bleeding..........

This morning.........

After the Dentist............

So, Here is the scoop. We were out front talking to the neighbor and out of the corner of my eye I see A.J. crashing to the ground. Apparently he was running in front of my car and his pants snagged on the license plate sending him straight down on his face. I was hurt. It looks as though the tooth is loose and we could just pull it out but that was not the case! It was firmly out of place!

Bits and pieces

2008-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh! Stoli love.......

Here is A.J. searching for fossils and Ben doing whatever big brother is doing.

We have started our Sat. night rituals again. A lot of roasted marshmellows, camping out, and late nights full of fun. Well, no late nights for Ben anyway.

Here is baby girl's picture from 5 weeks ago that I've been meaning to share! I can't wait to meet her!

Wow!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

No pictures this time but maybe in a couple days. I've had no time to do anything other than what is on my list. Which seems to grow every time I scratch something off. I didn't think it was supposed to work that way. I have been de cluttering, and reorganizing my entire house! From under the beds to the tops of my cabinets and everything in between. I also-Oh, I just thought of something else to add to my list-I also have been going through all the boys clothes, books and toys, and have started moving Ben over to share a room with A.J. These days, something that I should be able to complete in one day, I have to allow a week or two! I also have to stop a lot to play with my kids so they don't feel neglected.

It is also time for me to start seeing my regular OBGYN every two weeks. I can't believe It is already time for that!

I would type up my list for you all but I have to get back to work. I promise I will be back soon!

sorry!!

2008-05-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

I know its been a while! I'm getting some work done and then I'll be back to post a FEW blogs!

Dr. Appt

2008-05-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

I measured at 2.3 cm this time. He said everything looks pretty firm right now. Not too concerned about doing surgery right away, but he still needs to keep an eye on it and will check it again in three weeks. Still, all the same rules apply. I guess it was good news to hear I don't need surgery right away. It would be better if it were set in stone.
Baby Micah is doing great. I think she turned head down a couple nights ago. I kept waking up all night feeling like she was stretching from the left side of my belly to the right. It was a sore, getting kicked in the stomach, kind of feeling.
I'm having a hard time controlling my sugar intake, as I had with my other two. There have been too many occasions to bake a cake for, or make cookies. So sweets seem to be everywhere for me. The temptation is too strong. I dumped the rest of the cake this morning so I wouldn't eat anymore. I am going to try to make broccoli salad for lunch. Hopefully, it still sounds good to me by then. Oh, my broccoli went bad already. That didn't take long. O.K., chicken salad. No, cookies! J/K

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

The wonderful Man who pulled it all off !!!!!

Wow! What a Great day! We started out going to breakfast at the Lonesome Spur in town, which I have to say, has the largest portions of any restaurant I've ever been to. I had the Cowboy omelet. That was loaded with cheese, sausage, ham, bacon, Jalps, onions and tomatoes! Yum! A.J. had a short stack that may have been short, but carried a very large diameter. Wish I had my camera. Andy had a concoction of scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon on top of biscuits and smothered in gravy. Ben just had a little of everything! Then we headed out to Grapevine lake to find some shells, rocks, do a little fishing and get messy! After that, we came home for a nice afternoon nap. We woke up and I was treated with nice greetings, a great spaghetti dinner and my favorite, vanilla cake with chocolate icing. We then sat out front and played as the sun set, and soon, turned in for the night!

At some point in the day I realized that Mother's Day was mine. But, there was nothing else I'd rather do, than to Mother. My kids are amazing! I also realized that I have no memories of Mother's day with my own Mom. I'm sure they were amazing to her. I just don't remember them.

We went to Church last night so we could sleep in! Which was wonderful! There was a very touching testimony that related to the Holiday. Go to http://www.crosstimberschurch.org/ to see the service for yourself.

Happy Mother's Day to all you spectacular mommies out there!

Brother + Bat = Booboo

2008-05-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, I was searching for proof of residency so we could sign A.J. up for school and while I was rushing that, the boys snuck out back to play until I had what I needed. Next thing I know I hear a TING and a WHAAAA! I dropped everything except my heart which was in my throat, and ran outside. I asked what was wrong with Ben and A.J. said he accidentally hit Ben in the mouth but didn't see anything. Well, it wasn't his mouth..............

Ben is pretty tough........cried for 1 min.

Here are today's pictures.

The swelling went down a lot but the bruising is definitely there!!!!!!!

May Fest......

2008-05-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, we bit the bullet and ran out to may fest to waist money on a few cavities and extra poundage. That is how it feels. We really had a lot of fun. Spending money on the overpriced food and rides comes with the package. We were only there for two hours, which was plenty! We have started a Total Money Makeover and Dave Ramsey would not approve! Well, Enjoy the pics.

UGGGGGH!!

2008-05-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

22 weeks - +10 lb.s

I went to the Dr. wed. and got some not so good news. I want to back up and tell you again how this works. 4 cm or more is a good measurement. 3-4 is o.k. 2-3 cm is a very grey area and anything less than two needs a cerclage. The first measurement was 3 cm. My second measurement was 3.4 cm so I had good news. Yesterday's measurement was 2.4 :( within a matter of three weeks I dropped a whole cm. I have to get measured again in two weeks, on my birthday, and if it is less than two they will operate. The Dr. acts like it is no big deal but then they say things like, no traveling, High risk, Take it easy, incompetent cervix, keep your eyes open for any additional mucus, pinkish discharge, pre-labor symptoms and if you have any of this or anything abnormal we really need you to let us know. So, the researcher in me gets on the Internet to find out all I can about this operation and my symptoms. It isn't ever a good idea to do that when you have something like this.

I have moved Ben's changing pad to the floor, put away his high chair and gave him a seat at the small table, and taught him how to climb into his car seat. ( I don't want to risk lifting him ) Maybe by taking it easy I will reduce the risk of an operation that we really can't afford.

So, I have to say goodbye to the Destin trip. Really to any trip at all until we figure this out. And a lot of other things I planned on doing before little Micah gets here. Oh, and I think we have a middle name picked out but we aren't telling anyone until its on the birth certificate. We got a couple people trying to talk us out of the name Micah, which we love, and if they don't like that name, they're really not going to like the middle name. Maybe this will help them keep their disappointment to themselves. Or not?

Sharing a broken heart........

2008-04-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

How can I do it? We have a Destin, Fl. trip planned with Andy's family for May 10th-17th. Andy knew he couldn't get off the whole week but maybe part of it. We found out yesterday he doesn't get any days off. I am fuming. After flying by myself to Vegas I know I wouldn't be able to do it with two kids, and be a good Mommy, or one at all. We have been talking about this family vacation for months! A.J. is so excited about looking for seashells and building huge castles! How can I , after feeling my own heart being broken, break his heart? and everyone else's? I can think of a couple options. One would be to rent a car, and find someone to drive there with me. (WHO?) Another would be to just wait, and go to Galveston with Andy and the boys later. It isn't as beautiful and we will miss hanging out with family but at least the kids will be able to go to the beach. I just don't understand how a company can cancel your plans and cost you a lot of money at the last minute whenever they want. What if we had purchased $1200.00 each plane tickets for three of us to the Caribbean? Well, I'm sure we would have had them insured with that kind of money, but still! I'm lost and limited in a black hole of broken words. I need help!

Vegas Baby, Vegas!

2008-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my, I had so much fun. Except that my sister was miserable. She is still in her first trimester and not dealing with it very well. There was so much to do and see. We didn't see any shows. There was not enough time. My total winnings rounded out to about $285.00. After winning and losing and winning and losing I brought home a profit of about $145.00. Not to shabby, eh. I am a "seasoned gambler" now, as Dad likes to call me. We stayed at the MGM Grand which is just that! GRAND! That is where I had the most fun with the slots. Here are a few silly pics of Robyn and a few of us together. The one of the three of us at the table is a funny story. I made resv. at BOA over the internet which says an avg price of 25 per person. We got there and that avg price was actually $50. We didn't eat there! I will be going back to Vegas! With my husband and un-pregnant! I came home to a not as dirty as I expected house, and three excited boys! Fun, fun, fun!

Company

2008-04-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have had some visitors recently. Nanna and Bopa came into town. The boys absolutely love them. It was a nice visit and we will be seeing them again in a couple weeks. My browser isn't working so I will post those pics later.

Ryon and Becca and the girls were in town for a couple weeks. We got to visit with them for a while. Not long enough. The girls are adorable!!! I just want to eat them up!!