.JPG) |
| WEE!!! |
.JPG) |
| Look! No Hands! |
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| Quite the Climber |
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| George Ran So Much He Finally Laid Down to Rest |
.JPG) | ||
| They Gathered Firewood for a Camp Fire |
All 3 of them played the "game" in the video for 30 minutes.
Hope your weather was as fabulous as ours!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Way to End January
60+ degrees on January 31st? I'll take it. This afternoon Isaiah, Samara, George and I enjoyed some much needed time at the park.
All 3 of them played the "game" in the video for 30 minutes.
Hope your weather was as fabulous as ours!
All 3 of them played the "game" in the video for 30 minutes.
Hope your weather was as fabulous as ours!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thought I Was Leaving My Youth at the Dealership
Ever since before Christmas, our Honda Accord had transmission issues. It would act up at strange times; never a consistent pattern. After reading reviews on this particular year of Accord, we soon discovered that it was an incredibly common issue and Honda refused to recall it. And James also found that it was #2 on a list of worst cars to own due to the transmission. GAH! Three years ago we decided to spend the extra money for the "Honda" name and now we were faced with a huge decision. Do we spend thousands of dollars for the repair or find another car?
A few weeks ago James went to a dealership see what we could get out of the Honda. Because Honda keeps it's value extremely well, they offered us more than we were expecting. However, we didn't know what car we wanted to get so we didn't accept it. We thought about a mini-van, but it didn't get the kind of gas mileage as the Accord and since we drive that car to see family, we wanted something a little more economical. We considered getting another Ford Escape, but after James looked at one, he said that it was pretty small in the back and didn't want to see the kiddos so crammed back there. What to do, what to do?
The mechanic suggested we try to change the transmission fluid to see if that would help and so James did that a week or so ago. But soon it was obvious that it wasn't going to work. Monday James drove the car into Wichita and said it had major issues when he had to stop at lights. We decided that night that we would sell the car to the dealership and search for another car. It was our goal to keep the car budget limited to what we got out of the Accord and not to dip into our Emergency Fund unless absolutely necessary. We didn't want a car payment.
Wednesday afternoon James set out to find our new family vehicle. There were a few Pontiac Bonnevilles that were priced within our plan, the interior specs showed that it was roomier than the Accord, and they got excellent gas mileage. I was hopeful that one would work out for us. After looking at one, James texted me to say he thought the leg room was less than the Accord, but he was going to look at a nicer Bonneville at another dealer.
Around 6pmish, I got the call I was not prepared for. He said, "I found a Buick Park" and before he could say "Ave", I shouted, "NOOO!" No, no, no. Not a Grandpa Car; no way, no how. He asked that I hear him out. Ugh, ok. The car was an "Ultra" = "sporty" Grandpa car. Hmm...doubtful, but go ahead. The back seat had the same width as the Bonneville, but had more leg room. It was luxurious inside (duh, it was made for the geriatric clients!). It got the same mpg as the Pontiac, but was actually cheaper in price. The engine was super-charged and there many interesting features. Since it was so late, he couldn't take it to our mechanic to get checked out so he was going to put a small deposit down. I hurriedly read reviews and of course, it was loved by its owners and I couldn't find any major, common problems with the car. Dang!
James then went to sell the Accord and by the time he was ready for us to drive to Wichita, the kiddos were already asleep. I carried them to the truck and snuggled them in with blankies in hopes they would fall back asleep especially Malachi since it was a school night. But they stayed awake. By the time we got back home, it was 11pmish.
Yesterday James took the day off and we were back in Wichita at 9am to look at the Buick and to take it to our mechanic. I was trying to be a sport about it. Isaiah heard me call it a "Grandpa" car so he decided to call it that, too. I changed the name to a "G" car.
When we arrived at the dealer, Samara was immediately drawn to an 80's Mustang that was purple with yellow "fire" on the sides. She couldn't understand why this "awesome" car wouldn't work for us. And then we got down to the business at hand. The Buick. We packed Isaiah and Samara in the back seat and yes, they did have room. Yes, the car was luxurious, but it didn't feel comfortable. It felt stiff. I drove it and thought there was a little shake when I was going 55mph and there was a buzzing noise coming out of vent. We pulled back into the dealer and I then sat in the Bonneville. Poor James; I started to cry because that car was "me". It was big enough for the family, had the leather and upgrades we were used to, but it was "sporty mom", not "Grandpa". I told James I felt lost in the Buick (it didn't help that it's my emotional time of the month, too!) He just looked at me bewildered because he didn't know what to say to console me. The Bonneville would require us to dip into our Emergency Fund. Something we wanted to try to avoid. The Buick had more room and was cheaper. I finally told him that he should do what he thought is right and I wouldn't get mad; I would get over it.
So he drove the Buick to our town while I followed him. When we were close to Walmart, he called and told me the car shook horribly when he reached 70mph and he was going to get tired balanced to see if that would help. Also, the stereo sounded terrible. I tried not to get my hopes up. Afterward, James took the car back on the highway and he thought the shaking was a little better, but wanted my opinion. I asked God to clear my mind from all the negativity I had towards the car. In town, it was a very smooth ride. I was trying very hard to be unbiased. Then I got out of town. The shaking was both in the steering wheel and the seat. I could imagine how nauseous I would be after a car trip to KC. I came back and told him my thoughts. We both agreed that it should go back to the dealer and we would keep on looking. I told him that if he didn't think the Pontiac was the right car for us, then we should wait until we found exactly what we wanted. Not to rush. He drove off for Wichita.
About 20 minutes later, James rushed into the house. Handed me a set of keys and told me to drive it. What?!? I was confused. He told me that he stopped at a local dealer to see what cars they had within our budget. They only had one car. A Pontiac Bonneville! James was able to talk them down a little and it was going to be the cheapest car we had found. Ahh, it was a beaut. It was a metallic gold. Not Grandpa-y. The inside was very basic, no leather, sunroof =(, but it did have all the "power" features and a good stereo! I immediately felt at home in it. I drove it and found nothing major wrong. There was a ticking sound when I turned corners, but our mechanic was going to check it all out so I was hopeful that it would be ok.
Since it was close to the time to pick Malachi up, James decided to go look at another Bonneville in Wichita that was "loaded" to see what their bottom dollar was and then return the Buick. I would pick him up after Malachi was released. After making our 3rd trip into Wichita in the span of 18 hours, we were dunzo with the Buick. YIPPEE!!! On the way back to our town, James said that the Pontiac felt more comfortable and he really hoped it would work out. I was glad that he was ok with not getting the Buick.
Our mechanic said that the car runs great. It needs the normal repairs you would expect like new spark plugs and the tires will need to be replaced. However, there was a coolant leak in the manifold and it would cost $800 to repair. Yikes! So James went to the dealer (who also has a repair shop) and was able to bargain down to where we only pay $250 for the repair. James' reasoning was that for the extra $800 we could go into Wichita and get a Bonneville that was fully loaded. The dealer said that he would also work with us on giving us a good deal on the other "maintenance" items needed on the car. So on Tuesday, the car will get the repairs made and we should be *hopefully* be good to go for a long time =)
*As a side note, James took the car to work this morning and I woke up to a completely flat tire on the truck. Praise God we had the 2nd car or else it would have been a very cold and long walk to the school!*
A few weeks ago James went to a dealership see what we could get out of the Honda. Because Honda keeps it's value extremely well, they offered us more than we were expecting. However, we didn't know what car we wanted to get so we didn't accept it. We thought about a mini-van, but it didn't get the kind of gas mileage as the Accord and since we drive that car to see family, we wanted something a little more economical. We considered getting another Ford Escape, but after James looked at one, he said that it was pretty small in the back and didn't want to see the kiddos so crammed back there. What to do, what to do?
The mechanic suggested we try to change the transmission fluid to see if that would help and so James did that a week or so ago. But soon it was obvious that it wasn't going to work. Monday James drove the car into Wichita and said it had major issues when he had to stop at lights. We decided that night that we would sell the car to the dealership and search for another car. It was our goal to keep the car budget limited to what we got out of the Accord and not to dip into our Emergency Fund unless absolutely necessary. We didn't want a car payment.
Wednesday afternoon James set out to find our new family vehicle. There were a few Pontiac Bonnevilles that were priced within our plan, the interior specs showed that it was roomier than the Accord, and they got excellent gas mileage. I was hopeful that one would work out for us. After looking at one, James texted me to say he thought the leg room was less than the Accord, but he was going to look at a nicer Bonneville at another dealer.
Around 6pmish, I got the call I was not prepared for. He said, "I found a Buick Park" and before he could say "Ave", I shouted, "NOOO!" No, no, no. Not a Grandpa Car; no way, no how. He asked that I hear him out. Ugh, ok. The car was an "Ultra" = "sporty" Grandpa car. Hmm...doubtful, but go ahead. The back seat had the same width as the Bonneville, but had more leg room. It was luxurious inside (duh, it was made for the geriatric clients!). It got the same mpg as the Pontiac, but was actually cheaper in price. The engine was super-charged and there many interesting features. Since it was so late, he couldn't take it to our mechanic to get checked out so he was going to put a small deposit down. I hurriedly read reviews and of course, it was loved by its owners and I couldn't find any major, common problems with the car. Dang!
 |
| Here is the "G" car. Enough Said. |
James then went to sell the Accord and by the time he was ready for us to drive to Wichita, the kiddos were already asleep. I carried them to the truck and snuggled them in with blankies in hopes they would fall back asleep especially Malachi since it was a school night. But they stayed awake. By the time we got back home, it was 11pmish.
Yesterday James took the day off and we were back in Wichita at 9am to look at the Buick and to take it to our mechanic. I was trying to be a sport about it. Isaiah heard me call it a "Grandpa" car so he decided to call it that, too. I changed the name to a "G" car.
When we arrived at the dealer, Samara was immediately drawn to an 80's Mustang that was purple with yellow "fire" on the sides. She couldn't understand why this "awesome" car wouldn't work for us. And then we got down to the business at hand. The Buick. We packed Isaiah and Samara in the back seat and yes, they did have room. Yes, the car was luxurious, but it didn't feel comfortable. It felt stiff. I drove it and thought there was a little shake when I was going 55mph and there was a buzzing noise coming out of vent. We pulled back into the dealer and I then sat in the Bonneville. Poor James; I started to cry because that car was "me". It was big enough for the family, had the leather and upgrades we were used to, but it was "sporty mom", not "Grandpa". I told James I felt lost in the Buick (it didn't help that it's my emotional time of the month, too!) He just looked at me bewildered because he didn't know what to say to console me. The Bonneville would require us to dip into our Emergency Fund. Something we wanted to try to avoid. The Buick had more room and was cheaper. I finally told him that he should do what he thought is right and I wouldn't get mad; I would get over it.
So he drove the Buick to our town while I followed him. When we were close to Walmart, he called and told me the car shook horribly when he reached 70mph and he was going to get tired balanced to see if that would help. Also, the stereo sounded terrible. I tried not to get my hopes up. Afterward, James took the car back on the highway and he thought the shaking was a little better, but wanted my opinion. I asked God to clear my mind from all the negativity I had towards the car. In town, it was a very smooth ride. I was trying very hard to be unbiased. Then I got out of town. The shaking was both in the steering wheel and the seat. I could imagine how nauseous I would be after a car trip to KC. I came back and told him my thoughts. We both agreed that it should go back to the dealer and we would keep on looking. I told him that if he didn't think the Pontiac was the right car for us, then we should wait until we found exactly what we wanted. Not to rush. He drove off for Wichita.
About 20 minutes later, James rushed into the house. Handed me a set of keys and told me to drive it. What?!? I was confused. He told me that he stopped at a local dealer to see what cars they had within our budget. They only had one car. A Pontiac Bonneville! James was able to talk them down a little and it was going to be the cheapest car we had found. Ahh, it was a beaut. It was a metallic gold. Not Grandpa-y. The inside was very basic, no leather, sunroof =(, but it did have all the "power" features and a good stereo! I immediately felt at home in it. I drove it and found nothing major wrong. There was a ticking sound when I turned corners, but our mechanic was going to check it all out so I was hopeful that it would be ok.
Since it was close to the time to pick Malachi up, James decided to go look at another Bonneville in Wichita that was "loaded" to see what their bottom dollar was and then return the Buick. I would pick him up after Malachi was released. After making our 3rd trip into Wichita in the span of 18 hours, we were dunzo with the Buick. YIPPEE!!! On the way back to our town, James said that the Pontiac felt more comfortable and he really hoped it would work out. I was glad that he was ok with not getting the Buick.
Our mechanic said that the car runs great. It needs the normal repairs you would expect like new spark plugs and the tires will need to be replaced. However, there was a coolant leak in the manifold and it would cost $800 to repair. Yikes! So James went to the dealer (who also has a repair shop) and was able to bargain down to where we only pay $250 for the repair. James' reasoning was that for the extra $800 we could go into Wichita and get a Bonneville that was fully loaded. The dealer said that he would also work with us on giving us a good deal on the other "maintenance" items needed on the car. So on Tuesday, the car will get the repairs made and we should be *hopefully* be good to go for a long time =)
 |
| Welcome Home, Bonnie!!! |
*As a side note, James took the car to work this morning and I woke up to a completely flat tire on the truck. Praise God we had the 2nd car or else it would have been a very cold and long walk to the school!*
Sunday, January 22, 2012
"You Are My Honey"
Since the beginning of our relationship, James and I call each other "Honey". It has trickled down to us calling the kiddos "Honey" from time to time, too. Samara has caught onto this word and has adapted her own version of it. She will tell me (or James or the boys) that "You are my honey." Or if she sees a mom with her daughter she will say "That's her honey." Love it.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Junk Food Saturday
Normally I try to have the family eat healthy. I mean not ultra-super-extreme healthy, but I try to keep excess sugar and fat out of our every day diet. Well, today is the exception. I had some leftover Velveeta cheese so I bought a can of Rotel and a bag of tortilla chips. For lunch, we'll dine on cheese dip. After lunch, Malachi and I are going to make chocolate chip cookies. I don't think I'll restrict their cookie consumption as much as I normally do. Just for today ;-) And then for dinner, I have homemade, turkey sloppy joe's in the crock pot. This isn't quite so unhealthy, but I think I'll serve tater tots as a side. Enjoy it kiddos because as you know days like today doesn't come very often!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Can I Have My Purse Back, Please?
I remember when a woman's purse was a sacred place. Very few dared to enter into it. Men feared what was inside. But now that we are out of the stage of carrying a diaper bag, it has become the "catch-all" place. My purse is currently used as a snack-carrying, sippee-cup holding, coloring book/crayons hauling bag and as illustrated below,it's also a toy chest. It's pretty hard to find a set of car keys when it's buried under this mess. How long will this phase last??
P.S. I also found a box of safety pins in there, too, because you never know when you might need to pin a bunch of stuff up ;-)
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| Those Ridiculous, I Mean, Wonderful McDonald's Toys (x 3!) |
P.S. I also found a box of safety pins in there, too, because you never know when you might need to pin a bunch of stuff up ;-)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Kindergarten Love
Malachi came home last night and whispered in my ear that two girls, "C" and "K" have crushes on him. In early December, Malachi attended "K's" birthday party at Pizza Hut. I took him shopping for a gift. He picked out a black fedora hat with a sparkly pink ribbon around it and a Hello Kitty patch on one side. Simply cute. Anyway, "K" loved his present and proudly wore it the rest of the night. She was more excited about his gift than any other gift including a DS her parents gave her. She kept giving him hugs and then came to give me a hug, too. I had a feeling that she might be "crushing" on my son.
James asked Malachi if he held the girls' hands. He replied that yes he does, but not at the same time. I asked him if he liked one more than the other. "No, I like them both." I tried to explain that he might hurt their feelings if he was holding both of their hands. Later he said that when he was older he was going to have to buy a ring for one of them. I asked which girl he would choose. He didn't know so he would do "Eeny Meeny Miny Mo". Haha, the mind of a child!
While it is kind of adorable to see his shy smile while talking about these girls, I hope he doesn't get too girl crazy. I'm sure we'll have many years ahead of us for that!
James asked Malachi if he held the girls' hands. He replied that yes he does, but not at the same time. I asked him if he liked one more than the other. "No, I like them both." I tried to explain that he might hurt their feelings if he was holding both of their hands. Later he said that when he was older he was going to have to buy a ring for one of them. I asked which girl he would choose. He didn't know so he would do "Eeny Meeny Miny Mo". Haha, the mind of a child!
While it is kind of adorable to see his shy smile while talking about these girls, I hope he doesn't get too girl crazy. I'm sure we'll have many years ahead of us for that!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Isaiah's Birth Story
And finally, it's time for me to tell Isaiah's story. Isn't it amazing just how different each story is? I love to hear other women's account of bringing life into the world.
Spring of 2006. Malachi was 3 months old. I had returned to work and had started an 8-5 M-F nursing job. It was very difficult to have enough time to pump regularly so I decided to make the switch to just formula. As many nursing mothers know, before you can start taking birth control after breast feeding, you must first have a period. I had a period, but didn't make it into my OB/GYN in time to take a pregnancy test so they could prescribe my pills. I thought it wasn't a big deal since it had taken about 9 months to conceive Malachi. I'd wait until the next month; we'd just be careful.
It wasn't until mid-May that I was feeling extremely exhausted (falling asleep before 8pm) and slightly nauseous in the mornings. I didn't think too much about it because with working and having Malachi, I made up several reasons as to why I would feel this way. At work one day, some of the nurses told me they were pretty sure I was pregnant. I was super defensive that I couldn't be; I just couldn't be! I went to Walmart on my way home from work and picked up a Twin Pack because the first test would be negative and I would have a spare for when we were going to try for our 2nd kiddo. After coming home, I took the first test. Positive. NO WAY! NOOOO WAAAYYYY!!! Immediately, I popped out the 2nd test. (Because the first one had to be wrong!) Nope, positive again. I was overwhelmed. Malachi was now sleeping through the night; I was going to finish getting rid of the baby weight. Plus, it's slightly embarrassing to be a nurse and to have such a surprise child..."yes, Dad, I did take an OB class in nursing school and I do know where babies come from."
Of course, after the initial shock passed, I couldn't help but be excited. Was it a girl or a boy? Since I hadn't completely lost my previous pregnancy weight, I looked very pregnant early in this pregnancy. I'll never forget at merely 8 weeks along, a patient asked if I was due soon. Yeah, I really hope I answered that question appropriately ;-)
I credit not having to work 12-hour shifts at night as to why my pregnancy went much smoother than Malachi's. At every sonogram, this baby was sucking its thumb. I thought that was adorable! Malachi never was interested in a pacifer or thumb so I was kind of excited about this. Around the 28 week mark, I started having Braxton-Hicks contractions and a few weeks later, he dropped. At my 36 week appointment, I discovered that I was dilated to 5cm and 100% effaced. My doctor said that wherever my water broke was where I would deliver. He ordered me on bed rest for a week and then he would induce me. Of course, the following day I was supposed to have a baby shower at work, but I didn't get to make it.
The night before the induction my parents, sister, and bro-in-law came down. It's quite a different feeling going to bed knowing that the next day your little someone would be in your arms! I had to check-in at 5:30am. My parents came with James and I to the hospital and my sis and hubby stayed home and then took Malachi to daycare later in the morning. Since Malachi's birth took several hours, they thought there was plenty of time to get up there before the grand entrance of Baby #2 (as with Malachi, we didn't find out the gender).
6:00am Pitocin was on board. Oh I dreaded this drug! Mentally I had tried to prepare myself for a long labor with plenty of pushing. My OB/GYN doctor checked on me around 7:30ish (he seriously reminded me of Dr. Huxtable from The Cosby Show!). I was well on my way! He said that the nurse no longer needed to increase the Pitocin because I was progressing nicely. While that was wonderful news, I was nervous that not increasing it would somehow prolong the labor. James was able to once again get me in "the zone" so I could concentrate on digging deep within myself to ride out the horrendous pain. Because I had successfully given birth while on Pitocin and without any pain meds/epidurals, I knew that I could and yearned to do it again without any assistance.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to push. The nurse said that she had just checked me and I wasn't fully dilated, but she said she would check again. YES! I was dilated to a 10 and ready to meet our precious baby. I remember looking at the clock and was shocked that it was only 9:00am! The nurse had to page my doctor because he was at his office seeing patients. I kind of enjoyed being "that" patient that the doctor had to rush out to deliver =) Because he missed delivering Malachi, I really wanted him there. I had to resist the urge to push and the resident told me that if needed, he could deliver the baby. My doctor finally showed up (stupid road construction slowed him down). He prepped and then was ready for me to push. I pushed 3 times and at 9:30am out came Isaiah Mark!!! He greeted us by having a rather long peeing session that traveled quite the distance from what I was told. Isaiah settled down quickly by sucking his left thumb. His trademark. He weighed 8lb and was 19 1/2 inches long (yes, 8lb at 37 weeks!)
I was in awe of another beautiful, healthy boy. God is so good. My parents were loving on him when my sister and hubby arrived thinking that I would still be laboring. What a wonderful surprise for them! We stayed the night at the hospital and then came home mid-morning on Friday. It was a balmy 60 degrees, but there was a huge snow storm coming that night so we wanted to get settled in before its arrival. My family left and we were left at home to introduce Malachi to his new brother. Mind you, Malachi was only...drum roll please...12 months and 17 days old when Isaiah was born. He was as excited as someone that small could be.
Late the night, we noticed that our beloved cat, Bob, was not acting right. He was pretty lethargic and kept moaning. Finally around 11pm, he threw up a bright lime green color. I was extremely concerned. (Of course, I had given birth the day before so I was slightly more emotional than normal). I called the pet hospital in Wichita and they urged us to bring him in because it sounded very grave. The only real problem was that it was a blizzard outside. About a foot of snow/ice had fallen since early evening and the roads were not clear. James and I battled back and forth about it. Do we wait until morning? What if he doesn't make it until then? What if, what if? Finally at midnight, I loaded Bob up in the Escape and started out to Wichita. I could not forgive myself if we just watched and did nothing. James stayed home with the boys. What normally is a 45 minute drive took over 2 hours. There were times when I questioned my sanity, but Bob's moaning the whole way there was my motivation to get him help. Once I arrived, the vet told me that Bob had stones blocking his urinary tract and he needed surgery. When I called James to tell the diagnosis, treatment and cost, we were once again torn about what to do. But, I finally made the decision that he would get the surgery because it wouldn't be safe for me to drive home while sobbing over Bob's death. I left him there and drove another 2 hours home. It was worth it because Bob is still with us!
The transition between having 1 to 2 kiddos wasn't difficult. We started Isaiah on his routine and he thrived on it. He never lost any weight post delivery and weighed 12lbs on his actual due date. God knew that this boy needed to come out early! James' family lovingly called him "Tank" because he was such a stout infant/toddler. But don't let the outward appearance fool you. He has the sweetest heart, but has also struggled with being very stubborn and strong-willed, too. I don't remember exactly when, I know it was very young, but he became super-duper attached to "Bunny". Anyone who has spent any amount of time with him knows "Bunny" well. It's been Isaiah's best friend; they have shared almost every adventure together. There are very few pictures we have that doesn't include this precious stuffed animal. Of course, "Bunny" goes along with sucking his thumb.
I'm excited to see Isaiah blossom. He has so much to offer the world. Every day he says, "Mom, you're the best." To which I reply, "No, you're the best." He still wants to snuggle and is unbelievably animated when talking. His facial expressions crack me up.
Isaiah, you are going to be amazing in life. Remember, I'm your biggest cheerleader. Love you oodles and oodles!
Isaiah means "Salvation of God".
Spring of 2006. Malachi was 3 months old. I had returned to work and had started an 8-5 M-F nursing job. It was very difficult to have enough time to pump regularly so I decided to make the switch to just formula. As many nursing mothers know, before you can start taking birth control after breast feeding, you must first have a period. I had a period, but didn't make it into my OB/GYN in time to take a pregnancy test so they could prescribe my pills. I thought it wasn't a big deal since it had taken about 9 months to conceive Malachi. I'd wait until the next month; we'd just be careful.
It wasn't until mid-May that I was feeling extremely exhausted (falling asleep before 8pm) and slightly nauseous in the mornings. I didn't think too much about it because with working and having Malachi, I made up several reasons as to why I would feel this way. At work one day, some of the nurses told me they were pretty sure I was pregnant. I was super defensive that I couldn't be; I just couldn't be! I went to Walmart on my way home from work and picked up a Twin Pack because the first test would be negative and I would have a spare for when we were going to try for our 2nd kiddo. After coming home, I took the first test. Positive. NO WAY! NOOOO WAAAYYYY!!! Immediately, I popped out the 2nd test. (Because the first one had to be wrong!) Nope, positive again. I was overwhelmed. Malachi was now sleeping through the night; I was going to finish getting rid of the baby weight. Plus, it's slightly embarrassing to be a nurse and to have such a surprise child..."yes, Dad, I did take an OB class in nursing school and I do know where babies come from."
Of course, after the initial shock passed, I couldn't help but be excited. Was it a girl or a boy? Since I hadn't completely lost my previous pregnancy weight, I looked very pregnant early in this pregnancy. I'll never forget at merely 8 weeks along, a patient asked if I was due soon. Yeah, I really hope I answered that question appropriately ;-)
I credit not having to work 12-hour shifts at night as to why my pregnancy went much smoother than Malachi's. At every sonogram, this baby was sucking its thumb. I thought that was adorable! Malachi never was interested in a pacifer or thumb so I was kind of excited about this. Around the 28 week mark, I started having Braxton-Hicks contractions and a few weeks later, he dropped. At my 36 week appointment, I discovered that I was dilated to 5cm and 100% effaced. My doctor said that wherever my water broke was where I would deliver. He ordered me on bed rest for a week and then he would induce me. Of course, the following day I was supposed to have a baby shower at work, but I didn't get to make it.
The night before the induction my parents, sister, and bro-in-law came down. It's quite a different feeling going to bed knowing that the next day your little someone would be in your arms! I had to check-in at 5:30am. My parents came with James and I to the hospital and my sis and hubby stayed home and then took Malachi to daycare later in the morning. Since Malachi's birth took several hours, they thought there was plenty of time to get up there before the grand entrance of Baby #2 (as with Malachi, we didn't find out the gender).
6:00am Pitocin was on board. Oh I dreaded this drug! Mentally I had tried to prepare myself for a long labor with plenty of pushing. My OB/GYN doctor checked on me around 7:30ish (he seriously reminded me of Dr. Huxtable from The Cosby Show!). I was well on my way! He said that the nurse no longer needed to increase the Pitocin because I was progressing nicely. While that was wonderful news, I was nervous that not increasing it would somehow prolong the labor. James was able to once again get me in "the zone" so I could concentrate on digging deep within myself to ride out the horrendous pain. Because I had successfully given birth while on Pitocin and without any pain meds/epidurals, I knew that I could and yearned to do it again without any assistance.
Suddenly, I felt the urge to push. The nurse said that she had just checked me and I wasn't fully dilated, but she said she would check again. YES! I was dilated to a 10 and ready to meet our precious baby. I remember looking at the clock and was shocked that it was only 9:00am! The nurse had to page my doctor because he was at his office seeing patients. I kind of enjoyed being "that" patient that the doctor had to rush out to deliver =) Because he missed delivering Malachi, I really wanted him there. I had to resist the urge to push and the resident told me that if needed, he could deliver the baby. My doctor finally showed up (stupid road construction slowed him down). He prepped and then was ready for me to push. I pushed 3 times and at 9:30am out came Isaiah Mark!!! He greeted us by having a rather long peeing session that traveled quite the distance from what I was told. Isaiah settled down quickly by sucking his left thumb. His trademark. He weighed 8lb and was 19 1/2 inches long (yes, 8lb at 37 weeks!)
I was in awe of another beautiful, healthy boy. God is so good. My parents were loving on him when my sister and hubby arrived thinking that I would still be laboring. What a wonderful surprise for them! We stayed the night at the hospital and then came home mid-morning on Friday. It was a balmy 60 degrees, but there was a huge snow storm coming that night so we wanted to get settled in before its arrival. My family left and we were left at home to introduce Malachi to his new brother. Mind you, Malachi was only...drum roll please...12 months and 17 days old when Isaiah was born. He was as excited as someone that small could be.
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| Isaiah Mark at 1 Day Old |
The transition between having 1 to 2 kiddos wasn't difficult. We started Isaiah on his routine and he thrived on it. He never lost any weight post delivery and weighed 12lbs on his actual due date. God knew that this boy needed to come out early! James' family lovingly called him "Tank" because he was such a stout infant/toddler. But don't let the outward appearance fool you. He has the sweetest heart, but has also struggled with being very stubborn and strong-willed, too. I don't remember exactly when, I know it was very young, but he became super-duper attached to "Bunny". Anyone who has spent any amount of time with him knows "Bunny" well. It's been Isaiah's best friend; they have shared almost every adventure together. There are very few pictures we have that doesn't include this precious stuffed animal. Of course, "Bunny" goes along with sucking his thumb.
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| Our Little Tank with Grandma |
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| "Bunny" and Thumb While Watching Fireworks |
Isaiah, you are going to be amazing in life. Remember, I'm your biggest cheerleader. Love you oodles and oodles!
Isaiah means "Salvation of God".
Happy 5th Birthday, Isaiah!
And once again I'm reminded about how quickly time passes us by. Today was spent celebrating Isaiah's birthday; the big "5". He requested a SpongeBob cake (not my favorite character, but it's what he wanted.) I didn't have a mold for the cake and I'm NOT an artist (I can barely draw stick figures), but I found a simple cake design that I hope conveyed SpongeBob enough for him!
For dinner, we went to McDonald's and they enjoyed playing in the PlayPlace. Of course, a cheeseburger Happy Meal was on the menu! There was a little girl there who was obsessed with Isaiah and he took it all in stride. Finally, he told me that he was ready to go home to open presents and eat his cake. We gave him a SpongeBob hat and an "I Spy" memory game and book. Throughout the day, he received phone calls of family members calling to sing "Happy Birthday" and wish him well. He grinned from ear to ear; who doesn't enjoy being the center of attention?!?
With all of the hustle and bustle lately, I didn't have time to dwell on this monumental birthday like I did with Malachi. Or maybe I've seen that I can survive having kiddos 5 and older. That doesn't mean, though, that I'm ready to ship him off to school just yet. But on that note, while on his way to bed tonight, he did ask when I was going to take him school supply shopping. It may be a long few months while he awaits that fateful day. As for me, I'm not even mentally going there! Well, not until I absolutely have to.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Isaiah. You are loved and adored more than you can imagine!!!
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| The Birthday Boy and His Gang |
With all of the hustle and bustle lately, I didn't have time to dwell on this monumental birthday like I did with Malachi. Or maybe I've seen that I can survive having kiddos 5 and older. That doesn't mean, though, that I'm ready to ship him off to school just yet. But on that note, while on his way to bed tonight, he did ask when I was going to take him school supply shopping. It may be a long few months while he awaits that fateful day. As for me, I'm not even mentally going there! Well, not until I absolutely have to.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Isaiah. You are loved and adored more than you can imagine!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Birthing Day, Dance Class, and Birthday
The latter part of last week was bustling with activity. Late Thursday afternoon I got the call that Auntie Erin needed to report for duty because my sister was in labor!!! I rushed up to KC as quickly as I could, but was about 30 minutes too late for my little niece's arrival. Miss Sylvia Lois was born on 1/12/12 at 8:21pm and weighed 5lb 14 1/2 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. Sara was 37 weeks along and had been progressing the past week so I wasn't at all surprised she went a tad early. Oh, Sylvia is just presh! It's amazing how such a teeny-tiny little baby can bring so much love and happiness to one's soul. She was just content to be held and snuggled. And Auntie Erin couldn't object to that!
Initially, I had planned on coming home on Friday, but decided to spend one more night and then get up before the sun on Saturday to come home. Friday was spent hanging out at the hospital and running some errands with my mommy. It had been a long time since I had been able to bum around with her so I truly enjoyed it. We also dropped by to see a dear friend who had a handsome baby boy last year, but I hadn't officially met him. "Mr. Bundles" is definitely a bundle of joy and it was so nice to see her little family!
Samara started her dance class on Friday. James and Isaiah took her. They practiced "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", and some dance moves. She came out running to James declaring, "That was great!" I guess we'll go back again this week =)
Saturday was my birthday. It's the last year that I can be called a "20-something" year old. I definitely have mixed emotions about the looming birthday next year, but there's nothing I can do about it except to accept it so that's what I'm trying to do! My day started at 5:30am with my dad having a cup of coffee with me before I left. I had to rush home because even though we took our house off the market almost a month ago there were potential buyers who had seen it online while it was still listed and were at a point where they could start looking at a home to purchase. Even though it was my birthday I gave consent for them to view our house so I had to prepare for their visit. It's amazing how even a "clean" house can take 6 1/2 hours to get "show ready". I was definitely happy when we could get back home and enjoy the rest my birthday.
My parents gave me some necessities and fun things for organizing my big "Happy 30th Birthday" trip next year (folders, pen, fun plates for snacks which I will definitely need while researching the trip, etc). They also gave me a Tea Forte set. I'm definitely a coffee drinker, but I'm excited to try this out. My sister's family gave me a cozy, fleece jacket and a gift card to Starbucks which I enjoyed while I drove home early on Saturday! James gave me an Adele CD so I'll be jamming out to it in my car and around the house. The kiddos kept telling me "Happy Birthday" all day long and we enjoyed a pizza and cupcakes later that day.
What an incredible week and this week we will celebrate Isaiah's birthday. I am truly a blessed girl.
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| Proud Auntie Erin |
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| Sweet Mama Sara and Precious Sylvia |
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| My Mommy and Mr. Bundles |
Saturday was my birthday. It's the last year that I can be called a "20-something" year old. I definitely have mixed emotions about the looming birthday next year, but there's nothing I can do about it except to accept it so that's what I'm trying to do! My day started at 5:30am with my dad having a cup of coffee with me before I left. I had to rush home because even though we took our house off the market almost a month ago there were potential buyers who had seen it online while it was still listed and were at a point where they could start looking at a home to purchase. Even though it was my birthday I gave consent for them to view our house so I had to prepare for their visit. It's amazing how even a "clean" house can take 6 1/2 hours to get "show ready". I was definitely happy when we could get back home and enjoy the rest my birthday.
My parents gave me some necessities and fun things for organizing my big "Happy 30th Birthday" trip next year (folders, pen, fun plates for snacks which I will definitely need while researching the trip, etc). They also gave me a Tea Forte set. I'm definitely a coffee drinker, but I'm excited to try this out. My sister's family gave me a cozy, fleece jacket and a gift card to Starbucks which I enjoyed while I drove home early on Saturday! James gave me an Adele CD so I'll be jamming out to it in my car and around the house. The kiddos kept telling me "Happy Birthday" all day long and we enjoyed a pizza and cupcakes later that day.
What an incredible week and this week we will celebrate Isaiah's birthday. I am truly a blessed girl.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Birthday Celebrations, Karate, and Cute Shoes
As previously blogged about, Malachi's birthday was on New Year's. After spending a few days after Christmas with James' parents, the kiddos returned in the afternoon on Malachi's birthday. I was anxious to have our little people back and to celebrate his 6th birthday. The night before James baked the cake and then on Sunday I decorated it. Since they received Light Sabers for Christmas, I thought a "Star Wars" themed cake would be fun. A dear friend found the recipe for this cake and I executed it as best as this unprofessional could. The "Sabers" were made out of frosted Twinkies that were sprinkled with colored sugar granules. The handle was made out of chocolate ice cream cones. And the stars were melted Laffy Taffy pieces, rolled out and cut in the shape of the star. I did the best I could and both boys were pleased with the outcome (Before Malachi even saw the cake, he said it better be a Star Wars cake. Whew!)
Since Malachi couldn't celebrate his birthday with his classmates, I told him that he could bring cupcakes a few days after classes resumed. He was adament that the boys HAD to have blue cupcakes and the girls HAD to have pink cupcakes. Thursday night I asked him to get a headcount of how many boys and girls were in the class so we could make sure to frost enough of each color. Friday afternoon he came home with a print-out of his classmates names and then on the back of the paper he had counted how many boys vs girls and added the total number of cupcakes needed. Obsessed much?!? All weekend long he reminded me that after church we needed to get the cupcakes ready. Yes, sweet Malachi, Mommy would NOT dare to forget! So last night, I baked the cupcakes and he insisted on frosting the blue ones and I could do the yucky pink. Oh he was precious being so serious because you know cupcakes are quite the serious business when you're a 6 year old =)
This afternoon we made it a family affair and all of us went to his classroom so that we could participate in his class enjoying Malachi's birthday. It started off by Malachi standing on a chair while all of us kneeled on one knee and sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Then he chose a girl to help pass out the pink cupcakes because ewww! he couldn't touch that!!! Isaiah wanted to help, too, so I had him hold the pan for the little girl. All of the children had to wait until Malachi ate the first bite of his cupcake and then they could all enjoy their tasty treat. I also bought the crazy, swirly drinking straws that Malachi passed out as a little party favor. We ended the time by joining the class outside for their 3rd recess. James pushed Samara, Isaiah joined "Malachi's team", and I chit-chatted with Mrs. O. What an awesome afternoon!
We ended the day with the boys going to their first karate class. At first, Malachi didn't want to go, but we told him that he had to try it for a few times before deciding whether or not he wanted to keep at it. Of course, Isaiah was alllll about going. The teacher encouraged James to try the class out with them so he participated as well. Samara and I looked through the windows. James said that while Isaiah followed instructions he kept trying to talk quite a bit during the session. Isaiah a talker? No way! It will be interesting to see if they continue to pursue this or if they want to try other classes. Samara begins her dance class on Friday and I have no doubt she will love it...our little dancing queen!
As a complete side note, aren't these the cutest little shoes?!? I looked high and low for Samara's size (even checked online), but alas her feet are too big. Bummer.
This afternoon we made it a family affair and all of us went to his classroom so that we could participate in his class enjoying Malachi's birthday. It started off by Malachi standing on a chair while all of us kneeled on one knee and sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Then he chose a girl to help pass out the pink cupcakes because ewww! he couldn't touch that!!! Isaiah wanted to help, too, so I had him hold the pan for the little girl. All of the children had to wait until Malachi ate the first bite of his cupcake and then they could all enjoy their tasty treat. I also bought the crazy, swirly drinking straws that Malachi passed out as a little party favor. We ended the time by joining the class outside for their 3rd recess. James pushed Samara, Isaiah joined "Malachi's team", and I chit-chatted with Mrs. O. What an awesome afternoon!
We ended the day with the boys going to their first karate class. At first, Malachi didn't want to go, but we told him that he had to try it for a few times before deciding whether or not he wanted to keep at it. Of course, Isaiah was alllll about going. The teacher encouraged James to try the class out with them so he participated as well. Samara and I looked through the windows. James said that while Isaiah followed instructions he kept trying to talk quite a bit during the session. Isaiah a talker? No way! It will be interesting to see if they continue to pursue this or if they want to try other classes. Samara begins her dance class on Friday and I have no doubt she will love it...our little dancing queen!
As a complete side note, aren't these the cutest little shoes?!? I looked high and low for Samara's size (even checked online), but alas her feet are too big. Bummer.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Camp-Out Living Room Style
Yesterday was a gorgeous Saturday. James replaced the transmission fluid in my car (in hopes of it fixing the transmission issues we're having...that's a whole OTHER story). Malachi and Isaiah wanted to play outside with their Backyard Safari gear aka Spy Vests. I was inside getting a cranky Samara down for her nap. All of a sudden this huge commotion was going on in our foyer. I rushed down and saw the boys were overjoyed because the mailman brought their birthday gifts from James' folks. One box contained a camping tent and the other box had more gadgets for their vests. They couldn't sit still until the tent was put up and all their accessories were taken out of the boxes. Malachi had to hang his lantern on the ceiling of the tent for when it got dark. They brought toys for entertainment in the tent, as well.
Just for fun, we told the boys that they could sleep in the tent last night. They were overjoyed. Of course, Samara didn't like the fact that she couldn't sleep down there with them, but I have a feeling there will be plenty of tent-sleeping in her future. Isaiah woke me up this morning and said he had the most awesome sleep in the tent. This evening all 3 of them were pretty bummed about James putting it back in its bag; Mommy was happy to have the living room back to normal ;-) Can't wait for all the adventures that are up ahead!
Just for fun, we told the boys that they could sleep in the tent last night. They were overjoyed. Of course, Samara didn't like the fact that she couldn't sleep down there with them, but I have a feeling there will be plenty of tent-sleeping in her future. Isaiah woke me up this morning and said he had the most awesome sleep in the tent. This evening all 3 of them were pretty bummed about James putting it back in its bag; Mommy was happy to have the living room back to normal ;-) Can't wait for all the adventures that are up ahead!
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| Playing the DS |
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| Malachi's Lantern |
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| 1 Eagle Scout of the Year and 2 future Boy Scouts (I feel pretty safe camping in the wild with these fellas to protect us!) |
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| Nighty-night!!! (and then there was the fit by Samara to go sleep in her own bed) |
Friday, January 6, 2012
50 Rules for Dads of Daughters
This is crazy good...I think my dad did almost all of these. Thanks Dad =)
50 Rules for Dads of Daughters {by Michael Mitchell}
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About Michael
Michael Mitchell is an (almost) thirty-something dad who blogs daily tips and life lessons for dads of daughters at lifetoheryears.com. He spends his days practicing the arts of fatherhood and husbandry, while attempting to be a man of God and a professional raiser of philanthropic funds. On the rare occasion he’s not tied up with the aforementioned and other pursuits of awesomeness, he enjoys fighting street gangs for local charities and drinking from a cup that’s half full. Bookmark Life To Her Years, follow Michael on Twitter, and “like” him on Facebook for more “rules”.
2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.
5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.
9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.
11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”
12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.
Photo Credit :: Danielle Rocke Toews
17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.
18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.
22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.
23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.
25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.
30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.
33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.
34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.
37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.
38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.
40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.
41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.
44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.
46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.
48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.
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