Catch Up

Well I have lots to catch up on. For thanksgiving we went up to the San Juan Islands for the week. We rented a house and just did a whole lot of relaxing. It was so nice to get away with just the family. We did some exploring of the island which was fun and watched lots of movies and played lots of nintendo :) It was a really fun trip!

One More

I forgot to add this to my previous post. I came in to check on the girls before going to bed and this is what I saw.
I thought it was so cute. Sadie put Maddie's teddy bear snuggling her...notice the bears arm draped over her back. I wonder how long Sadie spent arranging the bear just so :)

We've been busy

Well it has been quite awhile. I just feel like I don't have much to say- I do the same things every day :) But some new stuff has happened- Kyle passed level 2 swim lessons!! yeah! Mostly I just wanted him to be able to learn to swim so he's not like 10 wearing arm floaties :) And he can do freestyle with the correct breathing. He is excited about that. I think we'll test his skills this weekend at the hotel. We are going on vacation ... did I mention that? I'm SOOO excited. We're staying in a hotel up by Anacortes Sunday night, then taking the ferry over to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island- staying in a little vacation home on the water overlooking Victoria until Friday. Supposed to be a good place to see whales. That would be awesome! I've already cooked, and cut up and frozen our turkey so I don't have to spend the day cooking :)

In other news Maddie is really coming to life. I just can't believe how much they change from sleeping all the time to being alert of her surroundings. For a couple of weeks now you can totally see her tense up when she hears Zach coming near. I don't blame her...I tense up too :) He's usually pretty good but he's a rough and tumble kid so he tries to be soft but his soft is not really. She belly laughed a few times last night which was adorable. and she is willing herself to roll over. Which i'm not a big fan of actually. I remember trying to change zach and everytime i'd let go of his leg he'd flip over onto his stomach. just a little annoying :) She likes being on her stomach (that's how she sleeps- all swaddled up tight which by the way when do you stop swaddling? I've never had a baby like it) Before I had Madelyn I bought some cute hair bows for her...me willing her to have hair. But as we've seen no such luck. So I keep them in a little tupperware for when she's like 3 and has hair :) sadie's favorite thing to do with her is "show" her all of her bows and the colors. It's really cute Maddie is starting to interact with her and Sadie thinks it's so fun. Usually Sadie's first thought is "Where's Mads" (a nickname that the kids love)

Zach's new things is to wear this backpack everywhere that looks a horse. On Sunday we didn't bring it to church...come one it's a HORSE anyway he he was SOOO mad. It set him off for the next like 1 1/2 hours. I finally told him that his horse backpack was in his bed sleeping with his blanket. For some reason that was OK with him. i don't get him sometimes.

In other news I've spent about 4 hours on the phone with Comcast over the past 4 days. On sunday our cable and internet went out...they came and fixed it monday. THen my computer wouldn't pick up wireless anymore. I tried googleing it to fix it , but did more damage then good so they came out again yesterday afternoon. For 3 hours!!! and the conclusion was my 2 month old computers wireless card is broken....i'll bet. I was so mad and frustrated. So he gave me something to plug into my computer to get wireless. Well this morning i tried to get on and didn't have the password so i called again. and guess what ... in a matter of 10 minutes the guy had me back online (my wireless card WASN't broken afterall) . That always happens. I get different info everytime i call back then they try to tell me my computer is broke. Comcast is just as annoying as the dentist. I know nothing about computers (or in the dds case my cavities) so you just have to trust them.

It's Halloween

We love Halloween however I haven't really gotten into it this year...ok i never really get into it the way lots of people do....but we like to do a few things. No spider web on the bushes this year...i really hate picking that stuff off in the rain, and we didn't carve pumpkins yet.

Kyle is Batman...he's wanted to be him for years. And this batman has "muscles" so it's an added bonus :)

Sadie is a ladybug...I made the costume entirely myself...thanks to my friend and old college roommate Tanya who has great crafts on her blog. I'm pretty impressed with the costume :) and sadie loves it because of the tutu skirt. We had to get away from princess this year :)

Zachy is "doctor frog" I'm not sure how that started...I think with kyle and sadie pretending zach was an evil doctor....then he put on the frog suit and he became Dr. Frog....fitting isn't it :) If you ask him what he is for Halloween he'll tell you Dr. Frog not just a frog :)

And Madelyn is a little pumpkin....ok it's just a sleeper....a few years ago i let an old neighbor borrow Sadie's baby clothes and this magically appeared in it when I pulled them out a few months ago :) Anyway Happy Halloween :)

2 Months Old

Today we had Madelyn's 2 month appointment. I can't believe it...she's getting so big. She weights 10 lbs 14 oz and I can't remember her height (give me a break i literally had the 3 children crying when she told me :) )but i do remember she is both 50% in height and 50% for weight....she's slowed her growth a bit :)

She is starting to smile more often and ok to just lay down and look around. Once she wakes up in the morning and does the initial few cries she'll lay quietly and look around. Not as much as Sadie from what I remember .... Ben used to call it "Sadie in the mornings" because she would just open her eyes and lay there and look around for the longest time.

Saturday the girls and I are going to have a fun day out...ok the boys will probably end up coming too but we're doing all things girl- We're going to the mall and for me a little makeup clinic at the make up counter (i can choose something for them to help me with...i choose my eyes...then get some free makeup) then we'll let Sadie choose some new earings since she is actually wearing them all the time for the past few months (she hasn't worn them really since she was about 1 1/2 or 2) then best for last.....Madelyn joins our girl club by getting her ears pierced :) I know lots of people think that's cruel, and taking away her choice when she gets over and whatever...but I like it and Sadie didn't have any problem with it after i calmed her down right after having it done. It'll be a fun afternoon :)

These is My Words

Can I just say I absolutely loved this book?! I had to mention it on my blog. This is by far the best book I've read in a long time. The author is a fabulous writer - I can't wait to read the next 2. If you haven't read this book I recommend it (for what that's worth :) It's a woman's journal from the late 1800s in the Arizona Territory....her life, trials, joys. It's so great. Happy Reading :)

Feeling Good

Last night was a good night...well started out kinda bad I went visiting teaching and Maddie screamed for most of it. Right as i'd get her asleep I'd have to put her in her car seat to which she'd scream again. Then we had the missionaries over and she couldn't fall asleep then either for some reason...she napped for a bit then was up till 11:30 which is totally unusual for her. But she didn't wake up again until 4:30! Woo hoo. That's 6 1/2 hours since she had last eaten. she did that once last week too...maybe it will start to be more frequent. But wow how good it feels to get that much uninterupted sleep.

I can't believe she is 2 months now! We go to the dr tomorrow for her checkup and to much surprise of my other kids hopefully get the H1N1 vaccine. :) More to come after that :) Isn't her cherries onesie cute? My friend Jamie made it as a gift for her - with another that says "Made with Love" which I think is hilarious, and some matching burp clothes....you can check them out here Baby Bundles Ok well that's all for now hope everyone has a good day...I think i will :)

My Babies

Sometimes I find it fun to torment my children. Especially Zachy, since we all know he can be a PILL (I know he can also be very cute/sweet .... sometimes) So ben and I thought it would be funny to swaddle Zach, as I was swaddling Madelyn. So we did. Zachy did not find it funny...not even a little....but we sure did. So here are my babies..... (not a great picture but i was working with very limited time to run and get the camera and take the picture :) )

4 More Days!

That's right 4 more days until my husband returns. He left last Monday- business to Portland, came home for 1 night then we took him to the airport to go hunting with his dad and brothers, tomorrow morning we pick him up so that he can come home, for a few hours pack again and leave until Friday night. It's been a long week. We've had too much rain to really go outside....so now my kids are cooped up and bored. I think it's been longer because Madelyn is super congested, and now even her little cry is hoarse. Congested babies are the worst...she can't really sleep, she can't really eat. Last week it was worse then got mostly better and came back again for the weekend.... Zach had a cold but is getting better now...but as of last night guess who else is sick...that's right ME- sore thoat, fever, so congested i can't breath through my nose but then it drys out and hurts my throat, and now the beginnings of a cough. Ugh sleeping is the worst. What did i do to deserve that?! I need a vacation :)

Pumpkin Patch

The kids love the pumpkin patch- so far though I've gotten away with just going to one that you pick a pumpkin and get a free hayride (we didn't know it was free last year). We haven't gone to one of the really fun ones yet that is like a mini fair on someones farm. But they have lots of fun chosing a pumpkin. It's a big decision- Sadie picked on then put hers back a few times and Kyle chose one but kept looking and comparing. Kyles weighed almost 30 pounds I think Ben said...and the rule in our house is if you can lift it into the wheel barrel you can get it....so he did :)he rolled it to where we were then lift it. Pretty fun trip :)

Madelyn's Day

Just wanted to post a few pictures from Madelyn's baby blessing day. She really started smiling lots on Saturday so it was fun to get some of her smiling. I love when babies first learn to smile, it's a full body effort- her arms move, her head tries to find the right position, and she stretches out.

Ben's dad came for a short visit- it was really nice to have him here for the weekend. I've got some fun pictures from the pumpkin patch i'll post later.

Sisters and more

I always dreamed of having a sister. It would have been fun to share clothes, friends, make-up, shopping....all those girl things. Sadie absolutely loves Madelyn. She sings to her (songs made up by Sadie usually), covers her....tells the boys to be careful around her, and of course tells her "stop crying Madelyn" I keep trying to explain that won't help :) Also we had a little "fairy" party for sadie last week...it was her bday. All of her friends came dressed as fairies. We made fairy wands, colored fairies...it was lots of fun!

Zachy is unusually kind to the baby. If she is in the swing he'll stop it so he can rub her hair (that is his affectionate touch for her) or he'll ask me where she is and what she is doing. That picture is what zach will do for hours- drive his cars in the "woods" next to our house...it's his favorite thing to do!

And Kyle enjoys holding her, and helping me give her a bath. If he sees me stressed he asks how he can help or tries to quiet Maddie down. Kyle started swimming lessons this week and LOVES it. I have been putting that off because I have an issue with paying someone to do what I used to can could. But i have no place to do it, and nowhere for the other kids. He'll put his face in the water to do what the teacher asks and comes up smiling! While we are watching him the high school kids are swimming on the other side of the pool. wow that really made me miss the days when i used to swim. surprising!

I feel like since Madelyn was born, and the kids started school all about the same time I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath. We get up at about 7 (since I have the kids in a GOOD habit now of 7:30-8 bedtime HOORAY), I exercise, run errands or take sadie to school, rush back to get kyle to school, then naps so I can get something done around the house, kyle comes home (he walks with his neighbor friend now so I don't have to drag the kids out in the rain and stuff for the walk home) then watch the kids while they play outside- and get dinner ready. Then it's not rest time yet, dinner, clean up, baths, reading, and finally bed. But Maddie's just getting started it's a bit of a grumpy time for her she just wants to be held. Last night she went to bed at 8 I think she knew I needed it :) I'll usually put her in the bjorn at night so i can finish cleaning up, laundry, and ironing ben's shirts before i sit down for an hour or so of "good" tv. Wow it's so busy. Partly my fault. I've been uptight about keeping the house clean, my mom was here last week and since then I've been cleaning out closets and organizing.

Yesterday i finally caved and set up the toddler bed for zach. He's done great for his nap, bedtime. IT was time he was in and out of the crib all the time now. but i have one of those doorknob toddler lock things so he can't get out :)

As I mentioned up there my mom came last week to help me out since ben was gone again. It was great. An extra set of hands was so nice. She made food for my freezer, and was so helpful. i was a little out of my regular routine at the beginning of the week because I didn't have help :)

Ben always is telling me that he works so I don't have to and that means I need to enjoy what i'm doing and relax sometimes. So i've justified a 20 minute nap here and there because "ben would want me to :) I constantly try to remind myselft to slow down and enjoy the kids. I remember my mom used to have this saying on her wall "cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep" I keep thinking that in my head while I'm sitting with Maddie to remind myself it's ok to just let the house wait a bit :) Well those are my thoughts for today...

First Day

Kyle had his first day of school on Tuesday after a teacher strike that lasted 2 weeks! (for those of you not up here in WA and hadn't heard about it) :) For me it actually worked out ok because of having the baby right before school would have started. This way I was able to get used to things a little before throwing in another schedule :) So everyday at 12:30 the kids and i walk over to the school to drop off kyle and then walk over again at 3 to pick him up. He loves it so far! He was a little nervous the first day I think, though he wouldn't admit it :) He has 21 kids in his class he told me and has learned to rewrite his name "kindergarten style" :)

The Pharmacy is not my friend

Crazy lady with 4 kids is the only way to describe my morning. I took Madelyn to the dr because she has a plugged tear duct that has been constantly causing goop for the past week and her eye last night was red and swollen (I'll spare you the picture i took to show the dr when it didn't look as bad at the appt this morning- that's been happening since Thurs) anyway i told him to call the prescription into walgreens (because they have a drive through, and i am so DONE with walmart. The last time I went there for meds I had to go back FIVE times before it was actually ready. Ben waited for 2 hours when he went to get the stuff for after the baby and it still wasn't done! needless to say he wasn't happy) so the drive through was closed today OF COURSE because they were repaving the parking lot. So I had given the dr 2 hours and last time it was sent immediately so I figured we'd be in and out in 5 minutes. No. They first couldn't find it, so they called the dr. had it re faxed over and he said it'd be 10 minutes. ONE HOUR LATER after my kids had practically ripped the entire wall of ace bandages down, rolled all over the floor, and looked at the Halloween stuff 5 times it was ready. IT was the longest hour of my life. I almost cried 3 times. I looked ridiculous. The kids were crazy and i did not have it together. Pharmacies bring out the best in me :) Why don't they say an hour if it's going to be an hour? I would have gladly come back. But after all that time i didn't want to leave for them to call my name 2 minutes later you know?? On top of that i was there ahead of all the other drop offs and why did they pick theirs up before me??? Why did it take them an hour to take a preboxed tube of eye cream off the shelf and slap a label that says Madelyn on it??? i don't get it. And i don't like feeling out of control.

Talents

Yesteday Ben and Kyle were having conversation about talents. They were talking about why people choose certain professions and how I stay at home with the kids. During the conversation Kyle said "Mom doesn't have any talents right-because all she does is clean". Nice.

The New Addition

So I'll go back to Friday night, August 28 (2 days before my due date :) ) We went to the mall to walk around, begging my body to go into labor, and then we went to the airport to pick up my mom in law. After we got her we stopped for dinner. They had panda express, I happily walked across the parking lot to Chipotle...i've been wanting that for awhile. And yes I did get spicy salsa maybe that would start my labor :) On the way home after stopping at a few quick stores Sadie complained her stomach hurt. I didn't think much of it, because her stomach "hurts" alot...like when she's hungry, or doesn't want to do something....so we got home and put the kids to bed. About an hour later Sadie woke up throwing up. ugh. When my mom in law came for me to have Zach guess what happened the night before...Sadie got a terrible stomach flu. Anyway i wasn't feeling that great after that but figured it was from dealing with Sadie. NO at 2:30 i woke up because Sadie needed a drink and i started throwing up and did all night. That morning at 10 i thought maybe I should call the dr because it wasn't getting better, and i couldn't even keep down water. The dr wanted me to come in and get an IV with fluids so to the hospital we went with my hospital bag just in case :) Since i was going to be induced on monday i hoped they would just do it. They gave me fluids for dehydration, and some meds through the iv for anti nausea .... it worked great. They ran blood tests since i've had low platelets and everything seemed fine...the dr checked me when i first got there, and again when they were about to send me home since i'd been having small contractions. She said I'd progressed alittle (i think she was totally lying, and just was being nice- and it helps that my labors are FAST) so I was admitted. At 2 i got the first dose of the group b strep medicine. At 5 they started petocin...2 drops an hour. At 6 I got my next dose of the meds. They gradually were turning up the petocin. At 7:30 it really wasn't going all that fast, so the dr broke my water. I had made sure the nurse understood i didn't want to miss the epidural again like i did with zach so they were all set to get it right after my water broke. The dr. was in with someone else, and by the time he got to me i thought I was going to miss my chance again. I got the epidural by 8:30. It didn't work all that well actually. I had a "window" the nurse called it...in my right side about the size of a softball where i could feel everything just as if i had no paid meds at all. anyway at 9 ben thought it'd be funny to send out an email to some friends to place bets on the time of delivery and weight of the baby. I almost guess 10:30 but my nurse wanted in and she guessed 1:30. soooo I guessed i would have the baby at 12:30....no one had really replied by the time the baby came actually. I ended up having Madelyn at 9:40. (Stephanie was one of the few that replied in time and won the bet- ben needs to pay up by the way $10) and i think I was closest on weight...but can't remember. ANyway she weight 8lbs 8 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long (practically the same as Sadie and Kyle)

She is an amazing baby. After having Zach with colic for MONTHS i was terrified to be honest. Nothing instills fear in someone like a baby with colic. It must be because she is #4 and I needed an easy one :) She seems very laid back and go with the flow...so far knock on wood :) IT's amazing to me that she doesn't even flinch while Zach screams at the top of his lungs, or Kyle runs by singing a song loudly, or sadie sings her a song while "mothering" her...fixing blankets, or binkies, or what little hair/fuzz she has :) She must have known her siblings long before coming, and gotten used to them while in my stomach?! that's all i can figure. Everyone loves baby Madelyn and we all feel very blessed to have her in our family.