Em's Wedding

Well, I was trying to wait and post this when I had some pictures of the kids, but....

On the 30th, we went to my best friend, Emily's wedding. Between the happy couple of us alone, there were 11 kids - and they were not the only kids! After the wedding and eating, ALL of the kids went and stood under the disco ball on the dance floor and started chanting "disco ball" until it was all turned on.

OH MY GOODNESS!! The kids had a blast (so did the adults)! They took off their shoes and started by running and sliding on their feet across the floor. That led to some of the boys running, diving and sliding on their bellies across the floor. They were all pretty wild.

One really sweet thing happened though. Bryce had his first slow dance with a girl! He was dancing with Emily and one of her step-daughters. I went and took their hands and told them to dance together so that she could dance with her husband. I figured they would run in opposite directions, but they didn't - they danced the whole song together. It was SO CUTE!

Andrew even got into it. I put him on the dance floor under the disco ball and he was jamming to the songs too. When he wasn't dancing to the music he was chasing the lights from the disco ball.

I even got Paul out there to dance a couple of times. That is amazing - he hates dancing! We even got to do one dance WITHOUT Andrew - just the two of us!

By the time we left - the kids were EXHAUSTED (which is always a good thing at the end of a day)! They are STILL talking about the wedding.

When I get some pictures, I will post them.

Oh, by the way - the wedding was beautiful and the kids were awesome. They were all very well behaved for the number of kids that were there and for how long it has been since they have really seen each other.

Congrats to Emily and Cam! My boys would like to know when you will be having another wedding!

Navigator Alligator

I forgot, while we were geocaching, Paul let Isaac navigate with the GPS while we were following the trail to where the caches were. Bryce kept asking if he could be the "alligator next" We kept correcting him and saying it was "navigator" but he would always say alligator then correct himself.

First "Treasure Hunt" for Mom

Saturday we went geocaching. This is the first successful hunt I have been on. Noone got covered in ticks or any other bugs - just MUD!

We are actually doing our own cache. Paul ordered a travel bug and an ammo box to put the stuff in. The boys put some trinkets in the box to get it started. We went out to hide it this weekend (we actually did not intend on looking for one). When we got to the park we were going to hide it out, Paul got out the GPS and searched to see what caches were around us. There were a lot, so we decided NOT to hide ours there. Instead, we went and searched for some.

We did not plan very well though. We did not bring anything to carry Andrew in, we ended up carrying him in our arms the whole time. When we got to the general area of one of them, Paul held the boys back and let me make the find. I quickly found it, logged it and let the boys trade their trinkets.

On the second one, we were in the car and the GPS said we were about 100 feet away from it. Paul tried to pull off the road, and almost got stuck! So, Caleb, Bryce and I got out and started while Paul, Isaac and AJ went to find somewhere to park the car. Little did I know! I took the GPS and started following it. There was a creek we had to cross. It would not have been that bad except there was a steep drop down to the creek and then a steep climb back up the other side.

I got COVERED in mud. I found the cache and got it opened, then went and helped Paul with Andrew and Isaac across the creek and embankment. It was a good cache - lots of fun goodies! We took the trail back to the car - instead of trying our luck at the creek.

Geocaching is addictive. It is really fun, and the boys LOVE it! I can't wait until we can go hide ours, and watch as people find it and move the bug. This year is definently going better than our shot at it last year.

Unfortunately, I forgot the camera. We will have to start leaving the camera and lots of little trinkets in the car for impromptu searches.

Nine Months Old...Really? Already??

Where has the time gone? I can't believe Andrew is nine months old today. I am really taking him growing up hard. I know - it was bound to happen, but it seems like it has flown by even faster than with the others. It was even worse today when I went to make your next check-up appointment and it was your ONE YEAR APPT! I knew we were dangerously close to a year - but that still really knocked me in the head!

So here are his nine month stats.
Weight: 17 pounds 2 ounces! THAT IS RIGHT - WE HAVE GAINED WEIGHT AND GOTTEN ABOVE THE FIFTH PERCENTILE!!! (7th percentile)
Height: 28 1/2 inches (55%)
Head: 173/8 (40%)
Clothes: He is pretty tricky! He is long, but skinny so it is hard to find things that fit him well. Usually we buy it long enough, and a little big in the waist. Sunday, I went to go get him from the nursery and he was in a diaper, shirt and socks. She said that he kept kicking his shoes off and crawling out of his pants. After the third or fourth time of putting them back on - they gave up and left them off. Between that and the throwing up - that is why he stays in only his diaper most of the time when we are home.
Diapers: Size 2 as of a few days ago. He could technically still wear a one. When you put it on him the tabs still touch each other, but they are rubbing on the inside of his leg, so we moved him on up.
Sleep: He usually goes to sleep at around 8 or 8:30 at night and sleeps until about 7 or 7:30 in the morning. He still occasionally wakes up in the middle of the night or early morning for a bottle. If he gets a bottle early morning, he will sleep much later (as late as he can before we have to get him up to go to school, or whatever we have to do). He takes two pretty lengthy naps during the day. He usually goes back down around 10 am and sleeps until 1:30 or 2. Then goes back down around 4 for a couple of hours.

Everything looked great at his check-up (including his ears - HOORAY) except his iron count. They did not give any shots, just a finger poke to do the iron check and he did not even flinch at that. His iron is borderline right now. Dr does not want to give vitamins or any kind of iron because it will irritate his stomach. Thank goodness he agrees we already have enough stomach issues!!

Dr was shocked when he heard that AJ was completely off baby food. When I told him we were doing table foods he asked if we were putting it in the food processor. I told him no - we were just cutting it in smaller chunks and he was chewing it well with his (too) many teeth!

Dr was also surprised when he asked if AJ was pulling up on stuff yet and I started laughing. He asked what was so funny and I said that he had been walking for quite a while now (holding on to stuff) and that he was TOO close to letting go and going! So, dr quickly reminded of the importance of child-proofing.

So, here is just some stuff that AJ is doing: He doesn't spend a lot of time crawling on his hands and knees. Instead, he has started crawlking. He gets up on his feet and walks, but with his hands on the floor too. I will have to try and get a picture of him doing it - it is quite entertaining! When he is not crawlking, he is at the sofa or table walking.

He bites ALL THE TIME!! He will be using our arm or leg to stand up and all of a sudden we shreik with pain. His little sharp teeth HURT! When Bryce tried doing the biting thing I bit him back - it never happened again. He was quite a bit older though. I don't think Andrew is too the age of understanding WHY I am biting him. He doesn't do it to hurt us. However, if he keeps it up....

He plays with just about anything, and anyone. He definently has some favorite toys that he always chooses when given a choice, but he will play with (eat) anything you give him. His favorite is still is hammer, except Mommy left his hammer in CO. So, he still hammers - it is just much more painful for the person being hammered on now.

He talks all the time. He can say Mama and byebye although he usually just repeats Dada over and over and over. Sometimes he talks quiet and calm, and at times he is loud and squealy.

He is still overall a very happy baby. He tolerates a lot before getting upset, which is good and bad. He has the most adorable, sweetest sounding belly laugh. He is very ticklish, especially at his lower ribs (front and back). His favorite thing is for you to playfully bite him there, while making growling noises at him - oh the laugh that erupts from him!!!

He has not stopped the Linus thing yet. He sucks his left thumb and holds a blanket against his face with his right hand. It is so cute, but I know it won't be anymore when it is time to break him of this. Tabasco sauce, anyone?

He eats ALL the time. If he sees ANYONE eating - he thinks they should share with him. He has four teeth on top and two on bottom. The bottom two came in at the same time and the top four came in basically at the same time. He went a week or two with a hole up top because one broke through the gums, but then took its time coming out. It looked funny because he got one of the front teeth, then the two on either side of the front two - then the second front one came in.

Basically, he is a busy boy that gets into everything and is growing up WAY too fast! I will eventually get over it, in about 30 years when they are ALL grown and moved away and having families of their own (because then I will just steal THEIR kids).

Police Dept vs. Fire Dept

We went to get coffee this morning at our normal place. If you read here frequently you know about us running into the sheriff up there often and Caleb asking for our sheriff's autograph because he thought he was Dr. Phil.

We ran into him this morning. He got his coffee and walked out to his car. I was talking to a friend and Bryce was sitting on my lap. I hear and "excuse me" and turn around and the sheriff is standing there. "Young man, I know that you are a fireman - but would you like to have this badge and be my Junior Deputy?" Bryce took the badge with lots of excitement and politely said "thank you!"

Bryce was not wearing ANYTHING that had to do with firetrucks or firemen for once. He is well known for his belief that he is a fireman, I guess. What is so funny is that we get this a lot from policemen. The two policemen from the schools have both said that he needs some policeman clothes and accessories. We have had MANY policemen see him in his fireman costume and make comments. It is like the police dept is trying to recruit him from the fire dept.

It didn't work, exactly. They did not recruit him FROM the fire dept. Instead, says that he can now carry a gun and arrest bad guys AND he can put out fires. He is just an all-around HERO!!!

I don't think Mama can handle one son being a fireman AND a policeman. I am not sure Mama can handle ANY of her sons being in EITHER of the dangerous professions - although I salute those that are!

Mom is going to have a heart attack from worry!!!

A CALM Bedtime Story From ALL of the Boys

Daddy's bedtime story has spread - now the boys will tell a story TOGETHER! Enjoy - we love you and good night Daddy!!


If you REALLY thought it was going to be calm - you obviously don't know my boys!!

Who Are You

For the last couple of days Bryce keeps asking me "Mommy, who are you?" I don't know why he always ask goofy things like that, but he does. I tell him I am Mommy, and sometimes that is good enough, sometimes he keeps asking.

Tonight we are sitting at dinner. Bryce suddenly asks "Mommy, will you sign my pants?"

WHAT???

Strange child!!

Our Reindeer

We got these light-up reindeer ears and thought these pictures were SO cute!








Andrew just kept staring at them on Bryce's head like he was trying to figure out what they were. Do you think he even realized he was wearing the same goofy thing?

A Not-So-Pleasant Ride in the Jeep

Andrew got a rough ride in HIS jeep yesterday. We are having really nice temperatures (mid 70's) so yesterday we decided to do a little work in the garage - straighten it up, put some stuff in the attic that we have not done cause it is cold, etc. The boys were out riding the bikes Santa brought them and Andrew was in his jeep in the garage. Paul and I are working and Andrew starts crying. I turn around and Isaac has pushed the jeep down the driveway and is heading back up it. Poor little AJ's legs are going as fast as they can. He is trying to run to keep up with the jeep, but his feet keep ending up dragging the concrete. We yell at Isaac to stop, but the tops of Andrew's feet got a little road rash! As in the skin is missing of the tops of a couple of his toes.

Luckily, he got over it pretty quick. His toes are skinned up, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him much. He spends a lot of time acting like he is crawling, but being on his feet and hands instead of knees and hands, so that helps him from dragging them across the floor too much!

Painting

I FINALLY got finished painting our bedroom! It took six days - painting and then waiting a couple of days and painting some more, but I am finally finished. It may not have taken so long if I had some help (other than "suggestions" from my hubby!!). All I had left to do yesterday was about a three foot section. He did come offer to HELP me finish painting though - real nice since I had done everything else by myself!

He did help me with it yesterday - and it is done! I am not sure what room I am doing next, but I need a little time to recover from my room first. I really liked the color of the walls when we moved in, neutral but not white. I am, however, tired of looking at the same colored walls throughout the house. The only room in the house that is not the same color is the dining room - which is a brown. I am not planning on painting that room though. There are not handprints all over the walls in there yet, so it still looks good. Paul got me a CD that I can put pictures of the house in and change the wall colors to choose what color I want to do. It is hard to pick a color because it might look good on that little square sample, but look much different when it is four walls of the same color!

I will just assume that I will be doing this ON MY OWN! Then if I get help, it will be a welcomed surprise (plus that means Daddy has to take care of the kids every demand while I paint - a little vacation for me!)

Oh, the Changes....

Bryce just came out and asked if it was 2008. I told him it was and he started jumping up and down with excitement. "Then when do I start school?" I counted through the months to August. I told him two months after he turns five he will start school. I am so glad he is so excited!! Maybe between him and Isaac, they will rub off on Caleb!

Back to Reality

I ALMOST got used to Daddy being home again!! He has been on vacation or working here in town since mid-December, but today he wenet BACK to LA :(!! Lucky for us though, he is training someone this week so that he does not have to spend ALL the time there. I think they will start switching off every two weeks after training.

The kids also went back to school today. Isaac was glad, Caleb...well, Caleb has realized school isn't as great as he has always thought it was! In fact, he lectured me recently because I MADE him go to preschool and Bryce isn't going. I told him that where we lived offered preschool through the schools, and I did not have to pay for it. He quickly reminded me that even when we moved up here (which was during his preschool year) he went to a daycare that had a preschool program. I reminded him that I worked at the daycare JUST so that he could go there because he got REALLY mad when we moved and he found out he could not go to preschool. I also pointed out that I literally made NO money (I think I got less than $50 out of my last check) the entire time I worked at the daycare - after I paid tuition for three kids, I was strictly working JUST so HE could go to preschool! One of those many sacrifices a mother will make for her child's happiness and well-being! I asked him why he was so mad all of a sudden that I made him go to preschool because he has always loved school (up to the third grade, anyway). He said he hates it now and wished he had not had to start early. Isn't it a little late to gripe at me for something he LOVED at the time!!

Poor Isaac, though. I had to send a note to school with him explaining his ear situation to his teacher. I asked her to understand if he seems to ignore her, that he still cannot hear very well, especially if he doesn't know that you are talking to him.

His ears were looking better - they had stopped draining - until yesterday. I picked him up from Sunday school and his teacher asked me if he had an ear infection because his ears were draining bad. He said he wasn't feeling well and did not want to go to Children's Church, so we came home. They were draining bad! I spent all day wiping them because they were literally draining onto his clothes! This probably is not a good sign because he is STILL on his medication! I have the feeling that we will be paying off our deductible early again this year - I fear Isaac is getting his third set of tubes shortly!

The Downside to Him Loving the Jumperoo

I am glad Andrew likes to bounce in his jumperoo, but we have found a downside. Andrew loves to jump when he is NOT in the jumperoo. We have been trying to work with him at night because he is SO close to letting go and going! BUT, he just wants to bounce! It is even worse if he gets excited! So cute though!

Andrew LOVES Bathtime

He loves his baths - even when he is REALLY cold. The water was warm, but the bathroom was kind of chilly. Did not slow him down though. This is the first time he did a lot of splashing on his own. Usually he copies us if we do it, but does not initiate it or continue so long. And he is also quite talkative this evening!! Enjoy!

Isaac to the Doctor

Friday while we were in TX, I noticed that Isaac's ear was draining REALLY bad. Dad noticed that he was having a hard time hearing, so I decided that I would call the dr today (first day we were in town and they were open).

This morning, before the drs office was even open, I noticed that Isaac's other ear was draining really bad. We are not talking wax. His ears were draining green pussy looking stuff.

This is not unusual when you have tubes. It means the tubes are doing their job! Instead of the fluid building up behind your eardrum, it drains through the tube. The problem with us - he has not had tubes since before October. When he went to his checkup in October, the dr pulled one of the tubes out of his ear canal. He said the other one was no longer in place, but not to where he could pull it out.

He was able to pull it out today - after cleaning his ear out. The other ear is so bad that he could not even SEE his eardrum.

Isaac has RUPTURED BOTH eardrums. Somehow he did this without crying or complaining about any pain. I have asked him over and over if his ear hurts - he says no. I guess since he has had ear problems since birth and several surgeries in his short life - he is used to it. The problem he (we) are having right now is that he cannot hear. If he does not know that someone is trying to talk to him, you can expect to have to repeat yourself several times. When I called them to dinner - he did not hear. Everyone was sitting at the table ready to eat - NO ISAAC!! I had to go tap him on the shoulder and tell him it was time for dinner! We won't even discuss the fact that he has to yell everytime he trys to talk (but he doesn't know that he is yelling). While we were waiting for the dr to come in (our door was open and the dr was right across the hall) Isaac yells "Mom, how many days do I have to wait until the dr comes in to see me?"

We go back in two weeks. If the meds don't help clear up the ear or if there is still any fluid behind the ear, we will most likely end up with our third set of tubes. Because of his history with ear problems, and the fact that he ruptured both eardrums with it not bothering him at all - he is not willing to sit around and wait to see how many times it will happen. We definently don't want him to end up deaf! So we will go with what the dr says with this one!

Geocaching

The guys have been geogaching several times while Daddy was home for vacation. They went to Pinnacle Mountain when Papa was here and found three "treasures". Then when we were down in Texas last weekend they went to Purtis Creek and found three more.

If you don't know what geocaching is, click here. We have tried doing this before and Caleb somehow managed to get covered in some kind of mites - I mean head to toe! That was such a bad experience - we never tried again last summer. The boys are REALLY enjoying this activity though. In fact, Daddy is in the process of getting the stuff to hide a geocache of their own, but they are adding a travel bug . They found one here that went to TX and they found one in TX.

Here are a few pictures from their trip to Pinnacle Mountain. If I get some pictures from Dad - I will post them later.

My Car Got Hit

We were at Best Buy last week and someone hit my car while we were in the store. Of course it could not be someone honest, there was no name or number left - not even an "I am sorry for hitting your car!" ARGHHH!! I was not very happy! How can you hit someone hard enough to leave a dent and continue to pull in and scrape your car across someone elses car? You HAD to have heard - and felt - that!



And I can see how the big scrape and the dent got there, but what is this? How did you do this up underneath the bumper?

Why You Undress a Baby BEFORE He Eats!!

Especially if Daddy is going to give him a Reese's Peanut Butter cup for dessert!!

Christmas Morning

Seven in the morning - we can't wake the boys up! We were turning on lights, talking about Santa, everything short of shaking them - and ALL of them snored on!! Bryce had gotten up in the middle of the night and went to sleep in the living room on the chair. Santa had plenty of time to get the bikes to the front door before anyone had time to realize what was going on.

I did record the boys seeing their Santa surprises. Caleb was not too happy about his brothers getting his stuff - or the note. Bryce was happy with his remote (although he had NOTHING to go to the remote) and Candy Land. Isaac loved his trophy (even though it had Caleb's name on it) and puzzle.

Enjoy the video!

It's Been Awhile!

We have had a BUSY couple of weeks and we have been enjoying Daddy being home with us, so I have not taken time out to blog. I will work on getting back and caught up the next couple of days when I have time. I am painting though, so don't expect a lot after today. Hopefully I will get the bedroom done tomorrow (I have Lilah today - so won't have time to work on it) and have some more "free" time (do Moms EVER REALLY have free time?).

We had a good, relaxing Christmas. We enjoyed having Papa and Marmar here to spend it with us. I DID get video of the boys with their Santa surprise! I will try to get all of the video I have taken the last couple of weeks uploaded today and on here. The boys are not spending much time playing with their toys. We DID leave to go to TX on the 28th, but I don't think they have spent much, if any, time playing since we got home Monday (except Andrew).

Andrew loves the toys he got for Christmas. He has been playing non-stop when he is awake. I will try to get pictures of all of the boys with their Christmas presents up too!

AJ is fussing for something. I will post more later.