Thursday, February 28, 2013
Because every once in a while
Life lately, in a nutshell
We're in the having everything happen all at once portion of life these days. Hence the insatiable need for naps, early bedtimes, and late wake-ups for the mama of the house. Workouts and, therefore, time with friends, along with reading has dwindled to a bare minimum as I fill my days with tending to Audrey, entertaining all the kids, feeding them, teaching them, and trying to keep the house looking kinda sorta like it was when Patti left it in ship-shape form. I actually got really sad tonight when some water from a pot splattered onto the formerly pristine stovetop surface. (It's the little things, ya know?)
Oh, plus there's lots and lots of sleeping due to all of the aforementioned activities, not to mention that whole baby growing business that is somehow the last thing on my mind lately. I'm sneaking up on 16 weeks pregnant. To which I say, "What the what!? How did that happen? I have my ultrasound in just a few weeks. I suppose I should consider getting some maternity clothes, picking some baby names, deciding when to rearrange the kids' bedrooms, deciding on a new vehicle, and trying to remember what kind of cheese is off limits to pregnant women. (I keep dreaming I have the option to order gorgonzola cheese at a restaurant, but I can't remember if I'm allowed to have it while pregnant. Weird, huh?) But, all of that can wait a while because we're kind of busy over here having everything happen all at once.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
random tidbits
1-Now that Audrey is casted, we can jimmy rig a chair and a step stool and a whole lot of pillows and she can sit at the table with us during meals. Gosh, we missed chatting with her at the table and she is so happy to have a change of scenery. Plus it's amazing how drastically her presence at the table reduced the number of fart and toilet conversations among the young male set in our family.
2-I am attempting to singlehandedly solidify the correlation between stress and pimples. It's bad. Really bad. This is especially insulting considering the fact that my face was soft and smooth as a sweet little baby's butt with my other three pregnancies. How rude.(no photographic proof of this random tidbit)
3-Elliot is in a learning frenzy. He is all about letters and numbers and writing, sporting those big dimples with each new success. He is so proud, which is wonderful since he usually compares himself to his big siblings instead of what other 4-year-olds can do. He has also developed an obsession with Monopoly, Jr. He played it Monday night, Tuesday, and was walking around our house at 6:50 this morning looking for someone, anyone to take him on in a game. He finally got Isaac to play and they are up in his room gobbling up real estate and giggling.
4-Isaac is all about snowboarding these days. He snowboarded a blue last Monday and is excited to head back with Jim soon. He heads out the door to sled and snowboard on our little hill as soon as we finish school each day.
His other favorite pasttime is cribbage. His poppy made him a cribbage board for his birthday and he and Jim try to play one game before bed every night. Then when I go in to read or say goodnight, he likes to give me the play by play. He'll have to teach me how to play one of these days.
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| Three silly cuties at our dinner table. YEAH! |
3-Elliot is in a learning frenzy. He is all about letters and numbers and writing, sporting those big dimples with each new success. He is so proud, which is wonderful since he usually compares himself to his big siblings instead of what other 4-year-olds can do. He has also developed an obsession with Monopoly, Jr. He played it Monday night, Tuesday, and was walking around our house at 6:50 this morning looking for someone, anyone to take him on in a game. He finally got Isaac to play and they are up in his room gobbling up real estate and giggling.
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| math: making a fish using an assortment of shapes |
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| Monopoly, Jr. at 6:50 am on a Wednesday. When I didn't see them in the living room I figured they were downstairs wrestling or playing basketball. Nope. Monopoly time. |
His other favorite pasttime is cribbage. His poppy made him a cribbage board for his birthday and he and Jim try to play one game before bed every night. Then when I go in to read or say goodnight, he likes to give me the play by play. He'll have to teach me how to play one of these days.
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| if you're looking for this guy, head for a snowy hill and you're almost sure to find him. |
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A shout out to Monday
Oh, Monday, Audrey needed that. We all needed that. After a really bad Monday last week followed by an almost hilariously junky Tuesday which led to a week of yuck, we needed a good Monday. One might not think that having a cast put on a 6-year-old would lend itself to a good day, but it really did. We are breathing a huge sigh of relief!
Audrey had built up her casting day into a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. She cried about it every day because she was scared and nervous. She is smart enough to know she needed it, so she had lots of confusing, conflicting emotions. She kept saying, "I'm scared and excited and nervous." That's a lot of emotion for one little girl to handle in the midst of pain and uncertainty. So, she fretted and worried and generally freaked herself out. I tried to comfort her by saying her dad and I would be there and God was watching over her and so many people were thinking of her and praying for her, but she had bad last Monday and junky last Tuesday fresh in her mind and she couldn't forget all of that pain. I can't say I blame her, but I sure wish I could have taken it away from her.
A half hour before her appointment, we dosed her up with some hard core pain meds in hopes it would ease the pain. We went to the hospital and she got x-rayed first. Then it was time to get the splint off and the new cast on. Thankfully we opened the door and Issacc, the man she wanted to do her splint last week, was waiting for her with a huge smile and a "What's up, girl?" She smiled. We looked around to see his helper, her orthopedic doctor, his assistant, and the nurse. Guess they didn't want to take any chances this time. We talked about what would happen and then I set Audrey down on the bed. Cue the waterworks. She clung to me, starting to cry from the very beginning, and saying it was going to hurt. She was terrified. Issacc handled it perfectly and started by asking if he wanted her to tell him what he was doing or if he should just do it. Audrey wanted to know in advance, so he explained in just the right amount of detail.
She cried and whimpered a bit as they took the splint off, then settled in for the new cast. She was still certain it would hurt. The good news is that approximately every five minutes she'd slowly loosen her grip on me. First she was clinging to my body, then she was grasping both hands tightly, then one hand, but I had to be leaning over her, then one hand, but I could stand up, and finally, no hands. It never hurt. She was so brave and strong. We were so proud of her. And then, voila, the cast was on. Or, to be specific, the blue with glow in the dark stripes cast was on. It's pretty much the coolest cast.
The even better news is that she feels no pain when we move her around the house. Her smile and confidence grew as the day continued. She is still self-conscious about having a wheelchair. For example, she doesn't want to sing with her choir in church on Sunday and when we talk about the spring musical, she cries and says she doesn't want to be in it at all, she just wants to watch. That makes me really sad for her because it is usually something she loves to be a part of, but it is her decision and if she isn't comfortable, then she isn't comfortable. I hope that these uncertain, self conscious feelings will go away as she gets used to it.
At any rate, Monday went really, really well. In fact, it went about as well as I could have hoped. She'll be in this cast for at least 5 weeks, then she'll get re-x-rayed to see if there's enough new bone growth for a shorter cast. In total, she'll be casted for at least eight weeks and will probably require PT to gain muscle strength and mobility after such an extended period of inactivity. She'll probably relearn walking with the use of a walker at some point, but for now we carry her around the house and use a wheelchair when we go places. One of our next stops is the DMV to get a temporary handicapped sticker for the car. Today we were able to complete a full day of school so it feels good to get back to a new, temporary "normal." (The irony of the fact that we put our homeschool room in the basement and were able to use it for exactly five days before Audrey's big break forced us to stay on the main floor is not lost on me. BoOOOOOO.)
None of this is ideal, obviously, but we are thankful for a healthy, happy, patient, smart daughter who is handling this about as well as could be expected. We appreciate all of the prayers, well-wishes, care packages, and cards that bring a smile to her face.
Audrey had built up her casting day into a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. She cried about it every day because she was scared and nervous. She is smart enough to know she needed it, so she had lots of confusing, conflicting emotions. She kept saying, "I'm scared and excited and nervous." That's a lot of emotion for one little girl to handle in the midst of pain and uncertainty. So, she fretted and worried and generally freaked herself out. I tried to comfort her by saying her dad and I would be there and God was watching over her and so many people were thinking of her and praying for her, but she had bad last Monday and junky last Tuesday fresh in her mind and she couldn't forget all of that pain. I can't say I blame her, but I sure wish I could have taken it away from her.
A half hour before her appointment, we dosed her up with some hard core pain meds in hopes it would ease the pain. We went to the hospital and she got x-rayed first. Then it was time to get the splint off and the new cast on. Thankfully we opened the door and Issacc, the man she wanted to do her splint last week, was waiting for her with a huge smile and a "What's up, girl?" She smiled. We looked around to see his helper, her orthopedic doctor, his assistant, and the nurse. Guess they didn't want to take any chances this time. We talked about what would happen and then I set Audrey down on the bed. Cue the waterworks. She clung to me, starting to cry from the very beginning, and saying it was going to hurt. She was terrified. Issacc handled it perfectly and started by asking if he wanted her to tell him what he was doing or if he should just do it. Audrey wanted to know in advance, so he explained in just the right amount of detail.
She cried and whimpered a bit as they took the splint off, then settled in for the new cast. She was still certain it would hurt. The good news is that approximately every five minutes she'd slowly loosen her grip on me. First she was clinging to my body, then she was grasping both hands tightly, then one hand, but I had to be leaning over her, then one hand, but I could stand up, and finally, no hands. It never hurt. She was so brave and strong. We were so proud of her. And then, voila, the cast was on. Or, to be specific, the blue with glow in the dark stripes cast was on. It's pretty much the coolest cast.
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| That's a sweet cast on a smiling girl (the stripes glow in the dark) |
At any rate, Monday went really, really well. In fact, it went about as well as I could have hoped. She'll be in this cast for at least 5 weeks, then she'll get re-x-rayed to see if there's enough new bone growth for a shorter cast. In total, she'll be casted for at least eight weeks and will probably require PT to gain muscle strength and mobility after such an extended period of inactivity. She'll probably relearn walking with the use of a walker at some point, but for now we carry her around the house and use a wheelchair when we go places. One of our next stops is the DMV to get a temporary handicapped sticker for the car. Today we were able to complete a full day of school so it feels good to get back to a new, temporary "normal." (The irony of the fact that we put our homeschool room in the basement and were able to use it for exactly five days before Audrey's big break forced us to stay on the main floor is not lost on me. BoOOOOOO.)
None of this is ideal, obviously, but we are thankful for a healthy, happy, patient, smart daughter who is handling this about as well as could be expected. We appreciate all of the prayers, well-wishes, care packages, and cards that bring a smile to her face.
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| Another rousing game of Monopoly, Jr. to break up the monotony of book after book after book after craft project. |
Sunday, February 24, 2013
yesterday
Yesterday was a good day, but a hard day. We had so many people here helping us and we took Audrey out in her wheelchair for the first time to watch Isaac's basketball game. Jim's sister is still visiting to play with the boys and entertain Audrey and cook and run errands and graciously and lovingly do anything we need her to do. My dad, Patti, Mason, and Hollin came to deep clean our house from top to bottom, play with the kids, bring us snacks and meals, and just generally love on us. Our house has never looked better and it is such a blessing to feel on top of that one little part of my life, even if I had nothing to do with it.
Those were all of the fantastically good parts of Saturday.
Unfortunately, all of the excitement was a bit much for Audrey. She stayed up later than usual. She got overly tired and that exacerbated every little discomfort and fear. At bedtime, she cried because her leg hurt and because she didn't want to go to church with her splint on and because she didn't want to sing in church next week since she's in a wheelchair and because she was hot and because she really wanted to bend her leg and because she didn't want to go to Mason and Hollin's with her cast on because she wouldn't be able to do anything and it was too long to be there and she'd need too much help. Then she cried because she was crying so much that her nose was stuffy and she couldn't breathe well and . . . You get the picture. It was a cycle of sadness and discomfort and fear.
And I hate seeing that in my tenacious, bold daughter. Hearing her murmur, then cry, sad, scared tears streaming down her face, "Mama, I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm just so scared it's going to hurt again. I'm just so scared." So I hold her leg steady until she gets confident enough to try to let me carry her to the bathroom again or rearrange her on the pillows. I wait for the moment she takes a big, brave breath and says, "OK. I'm ready." And we try again.
I reassured her that she didn't have to do anything until she was ready and that she would be so much more comfortable and confident once she has her cast on. And I prayed that her fears would go away with her uncomfortable splint and that her memories of pain would be replaced with memories of love shown and fun had.
Yesterday was a good day, but a hard day. Here's hoping for a Sunday of healing and comfort.
Those were all of the fantastically good parts of Saturday.
Unfortunately, all of the excitement was a bit much for Audrey. She stayed up later than usual. She got overly tired and that exacerbated every little discomfort and fear. At bedtime, she cried because her leg hurt and because she didn't want to go to church with her splint on and because she didn't want to sing in church next week since she's in a wheelchair and because she was hot and because she really wanted to bend her leg and because she didn't want to go to Mason and Hollin's with her cast on because she wouldn't be able to do anything and it was too long to be there and she'd need too much help. Then she cried because she was crying so much that her nose was stuffy and she couldn't breathe well and . . . You get the picture. It was a cycle of sadness and discomfort and fear.
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| Audrey in December |
And I hate seeing that in my tenacious, bold daughter. Hearing her murmur, then cry, sad, scared tears streaming down her face, "Mama, I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm just so scared it's going to hurt again. I'm just so scared." So I hold her leg steady until she gets confident enough to try to let me carry her to the bathroom again or rearrange her on the pillows. I wait for the moment she takes a big, brave breath and says, "OK. I'm ready." And we try again.
I reassured her that she didn't have to do anything until she was ready and that she would be so much more comfortable and confident once she has her cast on. And I prayed that her fears would go away with her uncomfortable splint and that her memories of pain would be replaced with memories of love shown and fun had.
Friday, February 22, 2013
bebe news-favorite picture ideas
Our first three children were born in a whirlwind. 2004, 2006, 2008. Pinterest didn't exist then so I didn't have a whole smorgasbord of picture ideas to choose from regarding everything from pictures to take in the hospital to birth announcements to first family photos. Plus I was too steeped in the mothering of many little people to care much beyond ensuring that all of us were in the picture and we were looking in the same general direction. In my opinion, setting expectations low is key when photographing children.
Now that we're expecting our whipped cream on top of our ice cream sundae of a family and this is really, seriously the last time I'll ever be pregnant and have all of these "first" moments, I am feeling nostalgic and want to really do this.
So, of course, I'm going to the place where everyone is photogenic, no pregnant woman looks fat, and babies don't have coneheads or squooshed up faces: Pinterest. Apparently I want to give my 35 year old pregnant self a royal complex. My goal: Replicate these pictures with older, wrinklier, chubbier versions of the gorgeous people photographed. Again, setting my expectations low.
And hopefully hiring a wicked good photographer who excels at photoshopping. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" because lots of other pregnant women have pinned it with the same dreams of looking well-rested and gorgeous while about to give birth or after recently giving birth. Hence, the photoshopping skills I'm counting on.
Continue reading to be wowed by some amazing photographs.
http://brittanygphotography.com/blog/?p=1597 follow link to the website of the genius behind these stunning photos
How amazing is that? It just captures everything I want to remember about our baby's birth day.
I must have this picture of Audrey with her baby brother or sister. It is just too precious.
So, sometime in August I'll sit at this computer and blog and share the pictures that we really took at the hospital. I assume they'll be somewhere in between the shots of us with our other three bebes and the works of art I'm hoping for. Either way, we're excited to capture those first moments of life with our little baby Cuatro.
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| First picture as a family of three |
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| My baby! |
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| Two years later, big brother meets little sister |
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| And we're a family of four. And I'm wearing a muumuu. Attractive, I know. |
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| Our third baby, another boy |
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| And we're a family of five |
Now that we're expecting our whipped cream on top of our ice cream sundae of a family and this is really, seriously the last time I'll ever be pregnant and have all of these "first" moments, I am feeling nostalgic and want to really do this.
So, of course, I'm going to the place where everyone is photogenic, no pregnant woman looks fat, and babies don't have coneheads or squooshed up faces: Pinterest. Apparently I want to give my 35 year old pregnant self a royal complex. My goal: Replicate these pictures with older, wrinklier, chubbier versions of the gorgeous people photographed. Again, setting my expectations low.
And hopefully hiring a wicked good photographer who excels at photoshopping. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" because lots of other pregnant women have pinned it with the same dreams of looking well-rested and gorgeous while about to give birth or after recently giving birth. Hence, the photoshopping skills I'm counting on.
Continue reading to be wowed by some amazing photographs.
http://brittanygphotography.com/blog/?p=1597 follow link to the website of the genius behind these stunning photos
How amazing is that? It just captures everything I want to remember about our baby's birth day.
I must have this picture of Audrey with her baby brother or sister. It is just too precious.
So, sometime in August I'll sit at this computer and blog and share the pictures that we really took at the hospital. I assume they'll be somewhere in between the shots of us with our other three bebes and the works of art I'm hoping for. Either way, we're excited to capture those first moments of life with our little baby Cuatro.
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