Well, I made it about 12 hours before I got pink on her. I did have her wrapped in a pink blanket though! She hates being unswaddled! She made a mess while we were changing her first diaper and the nurse forgot to bring us some more blankets.

They don't put tshirts on the babies here. They put disposable "gowns" on them. They velcro in the back, but don't stay velcroed. So she always had a gown around her face instead of her stomach. So, I put a tshirt on her. Pink and white stripes. The funniest part is, she was screaming when I unwrapped her to change her clothes. I put socks on her and she immediately stopped crying. She was unwrapped later when the nurse came in to check on her and she did not cry! She likes socks, I guess...which won't go well with the shoes I have gotten her!

She looks like a little girl now with all the pink on. Daddy and I are still amazed when we say her and she. You should have seen Daddy's face when she was dressed in all her pink. It HIT him!! He has a little girl! It was also VERY sweet when the dr delivered her and announced that she was indeed a girl. Such pride!

Introducing Madeleine Elizabeth...

Mady was born at 6:16 am. She weighed 7 lbs 5 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is very stubborn (like her Daddy) - which we already knew. She already sucks her finger or thumb, whichever makes it IN her mouth first.

We are very excited that she is, indeed, a GIRL and that the wait for her is over.

More pics to come when I get some sleep and am up to it! We have yet to go to sleep since last night!

At the Hospital.....Early

I am lying in a hospital bed....a little earlier than we anticipated, but this girl had plans of her own.

My water broke at about 11:30 last night. I had a few contractions, that were about three minutes apart, and after not hearing from the dr for a while decided to head to the hospital. Because this is the first time I have been home and gone into labor, I did not want to wait too long to go in. The only time I have gone into labor on my own was with Bryce, but I was already in the hospital. It was two hours first contraction to delivery with him....so I didn't want to take a chance.

On top of that, the weather is horrible. We were in the middle of heavy rain and very high winds. Didn't want to be deep in labor going through bad storms!

Paul was a little shocked when I told him my water had broke. Neither one of us really knew what to do, which is kind of sad since this is number 5 for us!

I am going to go rest between contractions. At four they will start giving me meds to move me along quicker.

Hiking Trip

Papa, Daddy and all four boys went on an all day adventure to a park right on the other side of the Mississippi border.

That's right....I had the WHOLE day to myself!

I spent some time shopping - alone! I don't remember the last time I did that. I spent the rest of the time trying to get everything ready for my stay in the hospital and bringing home a new baby.

The boys had a great time. You would think after hiking for 5 hours (literally - 5 hours) they would have been out in no time when they got to the car. NO ONE fell asleep in the car. Not even Andrew, and he HIKED over half way. Marmar would be proud. They taught him how to scoot where things were steep.

They all came in when they got home and told me about the snakes they saw (this is becoming a story I am tired of hearing...boys and danger - YUCK). I am ready to make them stay indoors all the time!

For some reason they had WAY too much energy still. Papa told them to wait outside until he got out of the Jeep and they would go for a walk around the neighborhood. He thought they would fight and say no. To all of the adults surprise they were ready to go! They didn't though.

The old men (Papa and Daddy) have taken their Aleve and are lounging comfortably now. The boys are in bed. If we are ALL lucky...they will sleep in in the morning.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Yeah right!

Snakes, Aliigators and.....Playgrounds?

Ever since we moved here the boys have been wanting to see an alligator in its "natural enviroment" (as Caleb puts it). The only place we have seen one is the zoo.

Today Papa took the boys to the playground down the road from our house. There is a playground, frisbee golf course and soccer fields. The playground is seperated by the fields by trees and a pond/creek. They were walking by the pond and Caleb noticed something that looked like an alligator. Papa thought it was a stick at first glance, but it started swimming.

They FINALLY got to see an alligator! They came home and one at a time came in yelling they saw an alligator. Caleb was first. He came in and said he saw it and I asked how big it was. "It was THIS big" he said with his hands about three feet apart.

Then Bryce came in yelling they saw it. I asked Bryce how big it was and he said "it was this big" with his hands seperated about six inches.

Isaac came in yelling about it and Papa and AJ were not far behind. When Papa came in I asked how big it was and he said it was about 18 inches long.

Last weekend Paul almost had a run in with a HUGE water snake. I am thinking I am not liking this playground much anymore. Maybe they need some "Beware of alligators and snakes" signs. Or....maybe it is a given in Louisiana to ALWAYS beware of alligators and snakes.

Papa is EVEN MORE awesome now because they were with HIM when they first saw a Louisiana alligator!

Caleb Knows Math

"Just one more decade and my Daddy will be FORTY!!"

OU-KEY

Instead of saying OUCHEY when Andrew has a boo-boo, he says OUKEY. He has spent so much time outside with Papa playing and running around that he has lots of boo-boos right now (he normally has quite a few anyway). He randomly stops what he is doing and comes up to me to show me his "oukey".

I love you is "Abu"

When most kids his age would be saying "mine" or "my" or "me" he says "I do" Or, if he sees you playing with something or eating something he wants he will run up to you and say "I do".

On the other hand, if it is something he doesn't want (whether you ask or not) he will say "I no do".

I love toddler language (especially when you figure out what is being said)!!

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY!!

Today Paul turns 30!!! I keep giving him a bad time that he is 30 and I am still in my 20's. He just proudly annouces he is the older man chasing a 20 something (which is fine as long as I am the 20 something!!) We won't discuss that I will only be a 20 something for two more months, though.

I was going to take a cake to his office for him, but he is only working half a day. So, I was VERY glad to hear that one of the ladies at work put signs up all over the office that said Happy 30th Birthday Paul. He has had lots of people come and tell him they were working at that plant when he was getting his diapers changed (he is one of the "young ones" up there. I am glad that he is getting teased about it and even more glad that I stay home and he can't do anything like that to me on my birthday!!!

I love you Sweetie, and hope you have a great day!

I Could Get Used to This

It has been great having my Dad here to help. He got here Saturday afternoon and the boys have yet to calm down, but he has been SUCH a big help...especially yesterday when Paul was in Mississippi.

He took the boys on three walks around the loop in our neighborhood, which is no easy task when there are four boys - two on bikes, one on a scooter and one crazy toddler on a tractor going EVERYWHERE! I am not sure who wore out who the most. I do know that I had two kids take a nap yesterday though!

I must say it was hard to force myself out of bed this morning because no kids come in my room in the mornings. AJ did this morning, until he "found" Papa. He was in my room saying "Papa" and when he heard Papas voice in Mady's room he was gone.

They are on a walk now (except Bryce who was playing with his railroad and didn't want to go). I could get used to these little spurts of quiet and someone taking care of all the kids every need. I am sure I would quickly miss it though.

We appreciate all your help more than you know Papa!!

He's READY!

It is so funny that Paul is so on the edge of his seat with this baby. I guess because I have had contractions off and on for so long. Or maybe, it is because it is his little girl, I don't know, but he cracks me up.

Last night we didn't sleep well because I was tossing and turning with contractions. He knew I was taking my dad to the hospital today, just so he could see how to get there. When we got home I IM'd Paul and told him we went to the hospital. I get back a "YOU DID?" "oh"

It immediately dawned on him that I meant we went to show Dad where to go, but it was quite funny that he instantly thought I meant I went because I was in labor.

More From the Mouthes of Babes

Papa and the boys were out playing when I got home from the dr. They decided they were going to go for a walk around the loop around the neighborhood. After a bit, I heard the doorbell. It was Caleb giving me the mail.

He went back down to where Papa was and told him "I had to get the mail for Mom. She is about to go in labor any minute and doesn't need to be in public."

I am not sure if I should think that is sweet that he is taking care of me or if he is embarrassed by me!!

38 Week Appointment

I just got back from my LAST drs appt. ONE WEEK TO GO!!!

Her heart rate was around 145 bpm, and as always she was busy moving around the whole time. I have dialated to a 1 1/2 which is progress from the nowhere I was over a week ago, but not really where I want to be either. She still has not dropped.

The dr said she was not concerned because I have had four kids and never had a problem with induction, but if this was my first baby, she would probably want to wait a little longer to do the induction.

I have been having contractions this morning. Hopefully they are actually doing something!

Either way....I have to be at the hospital at 5 Monday morning....FIVE AM!!!! They were apologizing for it being so early. I told her the sooner I went in and got going the sooner I had her! I doubt much sleep would be gotten that night anyway!

AJ's Second Birthday

Here are the pictures from Andrew's birthday today. The cake part was much more interesting this year than last year. I put the cake in front of him to blow out the candle. He blew it out and then started knawing at the corner of the cake. When I tried to take the cake to cut it, we had a bit of a tug-of-war with it. He finally let go so we could all have some!

He also enjoyed the ice cream, although he kept getting brain freezes. He would take a bite, shake his head no and after a minute shake his head yes to let Daddy know he was ready for more. Oh, the faces he was making with it though.

We were so glad to have Popeye here with us for his birthday. Oh....Popeye is Papa. Andrew calls him Popeye instead of Papa. I don't know why....but it is funny!

I'll take that

Let me taste. YUM

Tug-of-war with the cake. It IS his birthday cake!

Brain freeze

Brain freeze

Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew

Andrew turned two today :(

Daddy shaved his head yesterday :(

He is looking and acting all little boyish now :(

I will post pictures and more later....gonna go play with him and his tractor.

SOLD!!!

We sold the house!!!!

Our counter-offer split the difference of what we were asking and what they initially offered. Their realtor called our realtor this morning and said that they did not want to pay that much and asked for $2000 more off. Our realtor said we would did not want to accept anything less than what we countered and her clients agreed to the price.

They got their preapproval letter yesterday. They are going to their realtor tonight to sign the paperwork.

We are trying to stay calm and not get to excited until closing, because things happen all the time that screw up house sells, but YAY!!!!! This is a HUGE stress off of us. They are wanting to close by May 15th....keep fingers crossed and prayers said that it all works out!

As previously mentioned, last Thursday...the REALLY bad day....our gate that goes across the driveway (the new one) broke. The wind blew so hard that it bent the brackets and the post the brackets were attached too.

The guy that put the fence/gate up was supposed to come out Friday. He is pulling the same stuff he pulled with the fence and he never showed up, never called. He had told me that if the gate was bent from the storm insurance would have to be called and a claim made, but he would come give us an estimate for the insurance company.

Down here, you don't make insurance claims unless you REALLY need too. Insurance is horrible here and it doesn't take much in the way of claims to get dropped. We would rather "save" our insurance for when we have hurricane damage or something a little more serious that a bent fence post.

Paul is going to try and fix it on his own because I refuse to give this guy another cent. If he can't fix it I will find another fence company, but I am pretty sure he can do it. Here is what the brackets and bolts that hold the motorized arm onto the fence post look like:

The brackets should sit flat against each other and the post and the screws are not supposed to be bent at all. This shows how strong the wind was that it just twisted them all and those are heavy thick metal brackets!!

This is what I found when Andrew was sitting a foot away from his Daddy. Luckily they were outside.

I immediately took him to the bath. We tried nail polish remover, soap, dish soap and oxy clean. The dish soap seemed to do the most. This was what we ended up with after the bath:

He got mad when I said we were getting in the bath and cried throughout the bath. I am not sure if he was mad that we were washing away his art work or that he could not rub off the black (he kept rubbing his knees).

Bus Drama

Bryce came home crying today because he did not get candy on the bus (Isaac did). I asked if he got in trouble on the bus and he said yes, but could not speak to where he could be understood. I told him to go to his room until he could calm down.

He just came out and said he was ready to tell me what happened. I asked what happened and he said someone told him to yell at the top of his lungs a bad word.

Yes.....we HAVE already been through this!!

I asked what word he said...he said "skit bull"

I can assume what he meant, but just like last time, the fact that he can't repeat the word is proof enough that someone TOLD him to say it.

He is still in trouble though. We have already been through this and he was told not to do something that someone tells him to do if they are not willing to do it themselves.

I am wondering if the two and a half to three hours a day I am saving NOT sitting in lines is worth all the stuff we put up with on the bus!

Another Offer on the House

We got another offer on the house in Arkansas today. It is a CLEAN offer this time. Not the crap we got last time.

They offered less than we were asking (no surprise there), but they are not asking for us to pay anything. They are even paying for their own home warranty!!

We are countering the offer, but after speaking with the realtor and hearing some of the buyers info (how much they are putting down, etc) it sounds as though they are expecting a counter. They had three houses they were looking at, but ours was at the top of the list.

Our only concern right now is there is not a preapproval letter yet. They have verbally been preapproved, but there is not a letter. As part of the counter, we put that we need a preapproval letter within 5 days and the listing stays active in MLS until we receive the letter.

Keep your fingers crossed and say lots of prayers for us. It would be GREAT to get this stress off of us!!

Usually, I would not purchase this picture. I didn't think it was a great picture when I first saw it. Then, Caleb changed my mind. He had this conversation with me when he gave them to me and I had to wait all day to laugh (after he went to bed and I was telling Daddy about it).

First, here is the picture:

























He hands me the picture and tells me that we HAVE to buy the pictures. He said it was the BEST picture he had ever had taken and he looked "very mature" in it. He went on and on about how great the picture was and how he smiled the exact way they told him to.

I just agreed with him and said it was a good picture and we would see (trying to hold in the giggles). I put the picture away so I could tell Daddy about it AFTER they went to bed. He got a good laugh to.

I am still not sure what he was aiming for, but he looks like a gangsta or homeboy or something. I don't know, but I SOOOOO love the picture now and I laugh everytime I look at it and think of the conversation, so now...I have to buy them!

Another Year Coming to an End

School year that is.

After the boys Spring Break next week, they will only have 18 school days left. Three of those are half days. There are five field trips (four of which are for two kids and all in one week), 2 art shows, a musical performance, two honors programs and three parent/teacher conferences.

Let's hope for a QUICK recovery because it is going to be a whirlwind month before all the kids are home everyday!!

I am shortly going to have a FIFTH grader, SECOND grader and FIRST grader!! :(

Some Questions You Just Don't Ask....

For fear of the answer you will get.

Some things I am just better off not knowing.

Last night, instead of taking the dog out when he was whining in the middle of the night, Caleb and Isaac chose to ignore him and he peed on their floor. Caleb came out complaining about it this morning and I told him to go put the dog in the fenced in area for the dogs and NOT to let him run around because the gate was open (still broken because the man won't get his booty out here and look at it).

I look out the window to see the dog running towards the gate and Caleb peeing off my patio.

When he came in I gave him some towels and told him to go the mess until I could get the shampooer out and take care of it.

Later, I walk in the bathroom after all the boys had showered and the towels I had given Caleb to clean the pee up with were on the bathroom floor. There were no other towels out.

So, the question I DON'T want to know the answer to.....What did the boys dry off with? Did they use the towel that Caleb cleaned up dog pee with?

See, I told you....somethings you just really don't want an answer to!!

Kite Flying

Kite Flying

We got some kites for the kids this morning and after doing the yardwork and the sun coming out, we decided to go fly them. It has been pretty windy all day, but while we were there it was not as constant as it could have been!

The boys picked out some pretty small kites and they did not fly all that great. Andrew got a big kite (because we figured Daddy would be flying it more than AJ). His kite did awesome. We are going to get some more before we go to the beach.

The older boys took a bit to get down the flying techniques. Since their kites were smaller, they really had to work at it. Andrew did awesome. He got to where he was making his take off on his own. There were several times though that he had let all the string out and the kite was as high as it would go, but he would lose the spool and the kite would take off. The first time I was the one with him. I am so thankful we were alone at the soccer fields, because seeing a nine month pregnant woman run.....NOT PRETTY!! And it really hurt too! But I caught the kite. The rest of the time Daddy was with him and after chasing it a few times (Andrew decided it was funny to see us run after it), he held the string and AJ held the spool!

The boys had a blast. I don't remember the last time we flew kites. Isaac and Bryce probably never have :(

I took lots of pictures, but I am hurting REALLY bad tonight and honestly don't have it in me to post them. I need to lay down on my side and can't easily do that and type. I have a feeling if the next two weeks go like the last two days, I will be living on the couch or bed!! I am very uncomfortable and having lots of pain!

From the Mouths of Babes....

This conversation happened in the car on the way home from the grocery store this morning. We bought kites while we were there, for the kids to have over Spring Break (week after next).
The boys were asking if we could fly them today and I told them we had to get yard work done because it looked like it was going to rain and we can't fly them at the house.

Bryce was looking at his kite. Caleb says "If you break that kite you aren't going to have one for Spring Break. OH, and PAPA and MARMAR are going to be here over Spring Break!"

"THEY ARE?" Bryce and Isaac both yelled (guess they missed that conversation).

"No, Papa is coming next weekend and Marmar will be here the following weekend."

"Why are they coming and why aren't they coming together?" the boys all were asking.

I explained that Marmar had to work and Papa was coming a week early, just in case, to help out.

"Help out with what?" Bryce asked.

"Because Mommy and Daddy are going to be in the hospital giving birth to Mady" Caleb explains.

"Daddy will have to hold Mommy's hand the whole time to make her feel better." Isaac says.

"No, Mommy will just lay in bed and watch tv while she gives birth!" Bryce argues.

If only it were that simple!!!

Dr's Appt

I had a drs appt this morning. Unfortunately, there is nothing to report. I have not progressed at all and she has not dropped. :(

Her heart rate was between 156 and 160 bpm. As normal, the dr had to chase her to get the heart rate.

I have registered at the hospital, so that IF (hahaha) I go into labor, all I have to do is call the hospital on the way there and tell them I am coming and they will be ready for me when I get there.

I go back on Monday the 13th (they are closed next Friday for Good Friday). That should be my last appointment before they induce. YAY!!!!!

To Make the Day Even Better

because ruined wood floors and a leaking fishtank filter are not enough, we just had a bad storm. Lost electricity for about an hour. Broke our motorized gate over our driveway - it won't close. AND, I just went and looked out the front door and found that it rained in the door. There was a mat at the door and water was under it...ON THE WOOD FLOORS!

Guess who needs new wood floors!

Sitting in the dark hot house and listening to the neighbors full house generator was not AT ALL a tease!

I refuse to say it can't get any worse (I could go into labor with a broken gate across my driveway), but I think I should have gotten back in bed as soon as I saw the water on the floor this morning.

Bad Idea

I knew that a fishtank on hardwood floors was not an idea I was excited about. I woke up this morning to WHY it is a bad idea.

Last night, Paul commented that a lot of water had disappeared from the tank. I said it was probably on the floor. That was the end of it.

This morning....at 5:30....he again commented that there was a lot of water missing from the tank. He actually looked underneath the tank this time. There was water in the bottom of the stand and ont he floor. The filter has been leaking.

He took out the filter, couldn't find anything wrong with it. He put it back and left for work. He did leave a towel around the filter, just in case.

An hour later I checked to see if it was leaking. The towel was beyond soaked and there was even more water on the floor than there was this morning. The filter is now leaking from all four sides instead of just one.

I got the filter unplugged and in a plastic tub (only weighs about 40 pounds). Got all the water I could off the floor. I am now waiting on Paul to return home (should be here any minute) from work.

All of this, AND it is standerdized testing week. I had to get healthy breakfasts fixed (couldn't skimp even in a time of emergency), three kids dressed and to school on time. Bryce was in SLOW MOTION this morning. He got on the bus with a mouth full of food. I don't usually allow the tv on before the kids leave.....AJ has been parked in front of it this morning to keep him out of fishtank stuff.

The floors.....well, they are ruined. I can't help Paul move the tank. I am not even sure if the two of us could move it without emptying the water out. 105 GALLONS is a lot of weight, then add on the thick glass and all the wood, etc.

Not shaping up to be the best day!

So Sweet

Bryce asked what we were having for dinner tonight and I told him pizza. He gave me a hug and said "I love you so much Mom." I told him I love him too, but it was Daddy's idea. He said "I love Daddy so much too, even if he does fuss at me!"

We won't discuss that I am with him more than Daddy, so he hears more fussing from me!

Leap Test

Isaac has been telling us about his test everyday for a couple of weeks. Everytime he tells us, we tell him how exciting and fun it will be. So, today when he got home I asked if it was as fun and exciting as he thought it would be.

His eyes got big and in an exasperated voice he says "NO!! We had to sit for hours without talking or getting ANYTHING out. It was not fun at all!"

Okay, the truth is out. I don't know what to tell him for the next two days except enjoy when you ARE NOT testing!! I imagine sitting that still and quiet for that long is hard for any age, but especially first graders who have never experienced it before.

Note From School

Caleb came home Monday with a note from his teacher. She said that he was having problems staying focused on work. Last week he got in trouble for working on his homework during a lesson. Monday he got in trouble for reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea during his Spanish lesson.

I read the note, set it down and did not say anything other than "we will discuss it when your father gets home." He hates this response, so this is typically what I do. He is the type of kid that would rather suffer the consequence of his actions and get it over with. When I do this, he worries about what is going to happen. It is not that I want him to worry excessively, but it keeps him thinking about what he has done wrong.

So, he goes and locks himself in his room. He did not come out until I called him for dinner. He was expecting his lecture. We did not say anything. After dinner I told him to go clean his room. He just looked at me like "lets get this over with already."

After he got his room cleaned up we discussed what he had done and his punishment. We really were not that mad about what he had done. If this is the worst he gets in trouble for, we are doing good. At the same time, he does have to learn that there are lots of things we have to do in life that are not fun, rather boring, but we must do it anyway.

We made him write letters of apologies to the two teachers he was ignoring. I told him they had to be super neat and he had to show he was putting forth an effort. The first paper he came out with he had ripped out of his notebook. In one of the letters he wrote "I am sorry a read a book in your class." We made him go back and rewrite it because he should not be sorry he read a book in class (most teachers would want that at some point) but he needed to be sorry he read a book during a lesson and did not pay attention to what the teacher was teaching. I think he had to write one of the letters 3 or 4 times and the other one twice, but he finally got them.

Here is the big problem. Caleb did not get in to the GT program. In LA, you must take test to see where you are academically and psychologically. Caleb blew away the academics part. BUT, things like the above are why he did not blow away the psychological part. When it comes to maturity he is not where he is academically.

His scores on the academic part ranged from grade level to 10.9 (that would be TENTH GRADE NINTH MONTH....almost 11th grade). Which explains why he gets so bored, but does not excuse it. I am unhappy that he will not be challanged because he is not as mature as the school thinks he should be to be as smart as he is.

I have not told Caleb he did not make it yet. I have had the results for a couple of weeks, but he really wanted to be in GT because he wanted to have the oppurtunity to do projects and harder work. The standerdized testing he is doing this week and next determine whether he moves on. While I am not concerned whether he will pass, I did not want to put any more stress on him. We will probably wait and discuss it after school is out in May.

Leap Testing

The two oldest are doing standerdized testing the rest of this week (and first half of next for Caleb). The school has stressed to the parents and children that they need to go to bed early and eat a HEALTHY breakfast (which means no cereal or sugary food).

Between the almost daily notes home telling us this and the kids constantly telling us, I think we got the picture!

Yesterday when Caleb got home he reminded me (yet again) that today started the testing and he was NOT allowed to have cereal for breakfast this morning. I told him I knew and that he also had to go to sleep as soon as he was sent to bed and could not stay up playing and getting in trouble like they normally do. He argued with me and said that he could still stay up and play.

First off, I never fix cereal for breakfast. It is not that we are too good for cereal or that I am a better mother than those that do give cereal to their kids. We did cereal every morning for a while a long time ago. But, I had one that would never eat much and throw it all away and they all made huge messes with it. So, I stopped buying it. I have time in the mornings to make them a breakfast and do, every morning. So, not sure why they were both making such a big deal out of NOT eating cereal.

Secondly, when I send you to bed, you are supposed to go to bed. Whether there is testing the next day or not. I don't send you to bed to play and get in trouble. Caleb said he did not know what sleep had to do with testing. I said it had just as much to do with testing as a good breakfast. He says his teachers told him to eat a good breakfast, he doesn't know why. I asked if they said he should go to bed early, too (like all the notes that are sent home). He sheepishly said yes.

If you are going to listen to one part of the instructions (which by the way, is the part that really did not apply to us) then you need to listen to BOTH parts of the instructions and obey both because "my teacher said."

As I was serving breakfast to Isaac this morning (sausage/egg scramble and banana with a cup of milk) he lectured me on how he needed a HEALTHY breakfast today. I guess I did not serve healthy enough?