Those who have been following our blog awhile may remember the funny things Tobin said soon after Kenna was born (see this post for the full scoop). He was not quite 5 years old at the time, and his biggest fascination was with how babies are fed by their mommies.
Fast forward two years--the whole nursing routine seems to be not quite as big of a deal for Tobin. However, he did have one question: "Mom, is that the food side or the drink side?"
April 07, 2009
April 06, 2009
General Update
Whew, last week flew past in a blur. I expect that's how things will go these next few months! I'll see if I can capsulize the events around here. I apologize in advance for the long post, but I've included pictures, so that can help if there are too many words, LOL! Some of you know my blog is mostly for my own benefit--for remembering things when I finally get around to scrapbooking the events!!!
**************
Ted's mom drove from Denver for a very short but welcome visit. She drove all day on Sunday, March 29, and was here in time for dinner and evening activities. Then she was with us all day on Monday and had to leave on Tuesday to try to beat the incoming snowstorm. It was the first time she had been able to see any of our babies so soon after they were born--both of the girls were about a month old by the time Grandma J got to see them, and the boys were even older, 2 or 3 months. So it was a very special thing to have her visit us with Lucan only being a couple of days old. The older kids enjoyed spending time with Grandma, too, especially since she brought treats like painting workbooks and wooden crosses for decorating!
**************
Lucan's first few nights at home were difficult--he must have been confused on his nights and days, because he would wake to feed and proceed to be awake and fussy for quite awhile, not an ideal thing for letting Mommy and Daddy get some sleep. But then he seemed to settle into a pretty good routine of sleeping in between feedings. Saturday night was bad again (though we did all make it to church yesterday, hooray!), but last night was good...we went to bed at 9:30, and he woke at 12:07, 3:23, and 6:35. I can handle that!! At least I was able to sleep 2 hours or so in between feedings!
Overall Lucan seems to be a pretty content little guy. He is nursing great. Now and then there are some spit-up issues...I've never had a baby consistently splurt milk out of his nose, so we seem to be suctioning him pretty frequently. He likes to mouth everything that comes close to his face and gets irritated when there is no milk to be had from his blanket, fist, burp cloth, or whatever he's trying to suck on. This has also created a rather distinct aversion to pacifiers in general. Now and then he'll take one, but if he's at all alert to what's going on, he just seems to get mad that we're trying to give him something to suck that doesn't feed his belly at the same time!
**************
The kids all adore their new baby brother. Kenna is forever patting him and hovering over him, saying, "Awwww!" You know, that noise we all make when we see something cute--she has picked it up and constantly "awwwws" over every little thing Lucan does...even when he's screaming his head off! We're still trying to teach her to be gentle with the baby; she has nearly stepped on him twice while crawling all over the couch even with us right there, so we don't dare leave her alone with him! Kenna is mildly fascinated with the fact that Baby Lucan gets milk from Mommy--she thinks this comes from my "belly." I've caught her a few times with my tube of Lansinoh, and she is diligently applying it to her belly button.
Charis has been a great little mother's helper--you'd never know she was disappointed at first in having a brother instead of another sister. She fusses over Lucan and is so willing to do anything we need her to do. She was thrilled when I let her shampoo his hair during his last bathtime, and even more excited when she got to cuddle him afterwards (shown here). She is very gentle with him, and I trust her to pick him up and carry him around, though I've asked her not to do so up and down the stairs. She is the personality type that asks permission to do almost anything, so I always know what she's doing and when! That's a helpful thing when it comes to picking up the baby, though I do wonder when she'll realize there are a plethora of things she needn't bother asking about (like helping herself to more milk or going out in the backyard, for goodness' sake, LOL!).
The boys are both quite fond of their new brother. Tobin can't help remarking every time he sees him, "Lucan is so CUTE!" He's not as cuddly with the baby as the other kids are, but he does like to sit with me when I'm nursing Lucan so we can read together, sometimes aloud, sometimes our own reading projects. Arden enjoys holding Lucan (with supervision, LOL) and is always hugging and kissing him. Arden has always been a very affectionate guy, very tender and gentle, and I think he's especially happy to have a new baby in the family. He's so quiet (compared to Tobin, that is) that I have to be careful to single him out and give him special attention; otherwise it would be easy for him to blend in with all the commotion around him.
Truth be told, we have to deliberately give Tobin special attention, too, because otherwise he'll get attention for other reasons! We've dealt with a couple of very serious sin issues of late, and we're praying for wisdom and discernment as we teach and train him to obey the Lord Jesus instead of saying yes to Satan's temptations. Prayers in that area would be most appreciated.
**************
We've all enjoyed having Ted home the last week. Unfortunately, he has to go back to work tomorrow. However, my mom will arrive in the evening and will be able to stay for 2 weeks! I'm so thankful and excited to see her again. It's been so nice having the last week and a half with just our family. Ted grew a "baby beard" but shaved it before I could get a good picture of him, bummer! You can see him here, demonstrating the merits of the "football hold." ;-) Every time we are blessed with a new little one in the family, I marvel all over again what a wonderful husband God gave me in Ted. He is an amazing daddy to our kids, so tender and loving, and he takes such good care of me, too! I think the kids will miss him tremendously when he is back at work for most of the week days, and I know I certainly will.
As for me, I'm still in recovery mode...the stitches have caused no end of difficulties, much worse than when I tore with Charis--I'm sure the tear was much more jagged with Lucan being face up. Still, I was able to make it to church yesterday, and this morning I'm actually feeling like the end of the discomfort is in sight, so praise the Lord for that!! Yesterday was actually the first day in a very long stretch I wasn't able to get a nap (and that was due to having friends over for the afternoon, so a fun reason for skipping a nap!), so overall I feel I've gotten a reasonable amount of rest, though it's never quite the same coming in spurts as it is when you can get it all at once.
OK, this update is LONG ENOUGH!! For those who are on Facebook, there are more Lucan pictures on my profile if you haven't seen them already.
**************
Ted's mom drove from Denver for a very short but welcome visit. She drove all day on Sunday, March 29, and was here in time for dinner and evening activities. Then she was with us all day on Monday and had to leave on Tuesday to try to beat the incoming snowstorm. It was the first time she had been able to see any of our babies so soon after they were born--both of the girls were about a month old by the time Grandma J got to see them, and the boys were even older, 2 or 3 months. So it was a very special thing to have her visit us with Lucan only being a couple of days old. The older kids enjoyed spending time with Grandma, too, especially since she brought treats like painting workbooks and wooden crosses for decorating!**************
Lucan's first few nights at home were difficult--he must have been confused on his nights and days, because he would wake to feed and proceed to be awake and fussy for quite awhile, not an ideal thing for letting Mommy and Daddy get some sleep. But then he seemed to settle into a pretty good routine of sleeping in between feedings. Saturday night was bad again (though we did all make it to church yesterday, hooray!), but last night was good...we went to bed at 9:30, and he woke at 12:07, 3:23, and 6:35. I can handle that!! At least I was able to sleep 2 hours or so in between feedings!Overall Lucan seems to be a pretty content little guy. He is nursing great. Now and then there are some spit-up issues...I've never had a baby consistently splurt milk out of his nose, so we seem to be suctioning him pretty frequently. He likes to mouth everything that comes close to his face and gets irritated when there is no milk to be had from his blanket, fist, burp cloth, or whatever he's trying to suck on. This has also created a rather distinct aversion to pacifiers in general. Now and then he'll take one, but if he's at all alert to what's going on, he just seems to get mad that we're trying to give him something to suck that doesn't feed his belly at the same time!
**************
The kids all adore their new baby brother. Kenna is forever patting him and hovering over him, saying, "Awwww!" You know, that noise we all make when we see something cute--she has picked it up and constantly "awwwws" over every little thing Lucan does...even when he's screaming his head off! We're still trying to teach her to be gentle with the baby; she has nearly stepped on him twice while crawling all over the couch even with us right there, so we don't dare leave her alone with him! Kenna is mildly fascinated with the fact that Baby Lucan gets milk from Mommy--she thinks this comes from my "belly." I've caught her a few times with my tube of Lansinoh, and she is diligently applying it to her belly button.
Charis has been a great little mother's helper--you'd never know she was disappointed at first in having a brother instead of another sister. She fusses over Lucan and is so willing to do anything we need her to do. She was thrilled when I let her shampoo his hair during his last bathtime, and even more excited when she got to cuddle him afterwards (shown here). She is very gentle with him, and I trust her to pick him up and carry him around, though I've asked her not to do so up and down the stairs. She is the personality type that asks permission to do almost anything, so I always know what she's doing and when! That's a helpful thing when it comes to picking up the baby, though I do wonder when she'll realize there are a plethora of things she needn't bother asking about (like helping herself to more milk or going out in the backyard, for goodness' sake, LOL!).The boys are both quite fond of their new brother. Tobin can't help remarking every time he sees him, "Lucan is so CUTE!" He's not as cuddly with the baby as the other kids are, but he does like to sit with me when I'm nursing Lucan so we can read together, sometimes aloud, sometimes our own reading projects. Arden enjoys holding Lucan (with supervision, LOL) and is always hugging and kissing him. Arden has always been a very affectionate guy, very tender and gentle, and I think he's especially happy to have a new baby in the family. He's so quiet (compared to Tobin, that is) that I have to be careful to single him out and give him special attention; otherwise it would be easy for him to blend in with all the commotion around him.
Truth be told, we have to deliberately give Tobin special attention, too, because otherwise he'll get attention for other reasons! We've dealt with a couple of very serious sin issues of late, and we're praying for wisdom and discernment as we teach and train him to obey the Lord Jesus instead of saying yes to Satan's temptations. Prayers in that area would be most appreciated.
**************
We've all enjoyed having Ted home the last week. Unfortunately, he has to go back to work tomorrow. However, my mom will arrive in the evening and will be able to stay for 2 weeks! I'm so thankful and excited to see her again. It's been so nice having the last week and a half with just our family. Ted grew a "baby beard" but shaved it before I could get a good picture of him, bummer! You can see him here, demonstrating the merits of the "football hold." ;-) Every time we are blessed with a new little one in the family, I marvel all over again what a wonderful husband God gave me in Ted. He is an amazing daddy to our kids, so tender and loving, and he takes such good care of me, too! I think the kids will miss him tremendously when he is back at work for most of the week days, and I know I certainly will. As for me, I'm still in recovery mode...the stitches have caused no end of difficulties, much worse than when I tore with Charis--I'm sure the tear was much more jagged with Lucan being face up. Still, I was able to make it to church yesterday, and this morning I'm actually feeling like the end of the discomfort is in sight, so praise the Lord for that!! Yesterday was actually the first day in a very long stretch I wasn't able to get a nap (and that was due to having friends over for the afternoon, so a fun reason for skipping a nap!), so overall I feel I've gotten a reasonable amount of rest, though it's never quite the same coming in spurts as it is when you can get it all at once.
OK, this update is LONG ENOUGH!! For those who are on Facebook, there are more Lucan pictures on my profile if you haven't seen them already.
April 03, 2009
A Labor of Love
OK, here it is...the labor story in full, for those who are interested! It was a long ordeal, so I may have forgotten some of the details--but I don't want to wait to do this any longer or else I'll forget even more!
It all started early Thursday morning, around 3:30 a.m., about the time the last false labor had happened. The contractions were enough to wake me up, but I didn't even bother to start timing them. Been there, done that, to no avail! By the time I was awake for my quiet time, Ted had already decided he would stay home based on what was going on, just in case. (Really, he was happy for an excuse to miss work, ha!) The day progressed in a similar fashion to our last labor "scare" on March 16--I'd try to rest, contractions would intensify while I was lying down, then things would slow down for a bit, then start up again. Over and over, all throughout the day, but this time the contractions seemed to be much more noticeable than the previous sessions, so I was hopeful that we were finally getting somewhere.
By dinnertime they were indeed coming quite regularly, about 4-7 minutes apart, and were definitely getting more painful. We prepped the kids for a night at our neighbors' house, our brave neighbors Carmen and Joe, who were willing to keep all 4 kiddos (even Kenna!!) overnight. I do believe the kids were more excited about getting to spend the night with friends than they were about the fact that their baby brother was trying to make an appearance! (Of course, for all they knew, we'd be right back from the hospital with another false alarm!)
We left for base around 7:30 p.m. and got re-routed when we realized they had shut down the 215. As we parked and were walking inside the hospital, I suddenly realized just how long I had been awake dealing with these contractions...and I made the decision then that I would most likely get an epidural, because I was just so exhausted already, I didn't think I'd be able to make it through a natural childbirth, particularly if it was going to be prolonged. As it turned out, I was very thankful that I made that decision early!
I was 4 cm when we got in, and an hour later I was at 7. At that point I asked for an epidural--the pain was much more intense than I remembered with Kenna (my one and only natural childbirth), and I was just so tired. Ted, bless his heart, kept falling asleep in the chair next to my bed--I didn't wake him because I figured at least one of us was resting!! Getting the epidural wasn't fun; I had the shakes like crazy, and thankfully Ted was awake during that process to support me. I found much relief after it was in place and was actually able to relax and rest for a bit. It took about an hour longer to get to 8 cm.
I THINK that at that point is when the doctor broke my water. (I've never had my water break before labor--the first three times the doc broke it, and with Kenna it broke during my first push.) The next hour was spent waiting (with Ted sleeping) and feeling generally tired and uncomfortable (never a fun feeling with the liquid seeping out of your body). I was just starting to doze off when I suddenly felt the urge to push. This was approximately 11:30 p.m. I paged the nurses' station to tell them, Ted awoke with a start, and immediately things started happening around us.
The team got in place, the doctor breezed in, and she announced, "Get ready--she's a multiple--she'll sneeze and this baby will come flying out." I was all set for a quick delivery, figuring Lucan's birthday would be March 26. I started pushing when everyone was ready (somewhat difficult, since I was having trouble feeling any sensation, ha!)...but after a few pushes it was evident that something wasn't quite right. After getting nowhere, the doctor checked and found out that Lucan was face up. I guess the decision at that point was to wait and see if he would flip on his own (this is one of those parts I don't really remember), because everyone left except for one of the nurses and Ted. For a looooong time the three of us worked, me pushing during contractions and trying to vary positions to see if we could get anywhere. The nurse was very kind and encouraging, but really, it didn't seem as if anything was changing. At some point during this process the anesthesiologist had to come back, because I started feeling everything on my left side again, and it was HURTING!! My right side stayed totally numb (dead leg) throughout the whole ordeal.
Finally the doctor came in and asked if it would be OK for her to try to turn him manually. She jacked up the pain meds (she is definitely a pro-pain-medication person!!) to the point that I was totally relaxed, and then she made the attempt. She succeeded in getting him turned sideways, but he promptly turned himself back to the starting position. Sigh.
More pushing, and still nothing was happening, other than me getting more and more tired. Finally the doc asked if we would consider having her use the vacuum. Ted and I were very leery of this, but since it was quickly becoming apparent that we were running out of options, we decided to try it. By this point it was about 4:15 a.m. I asked Ted to call my parents (it was 6:15 their time) and ask them to pray--I just felt I needed some back-up! I was so exhausted, having been up for over 25 hours at this point, that I started to cry. The doc had said that if the vacuum didn't work, they were going to have to do a C-section. The thought of having to go through that after well over 4 hours of pushing was just too much. Of course I had been praying all through the night, but I began pleading with the Lord to let the whole ordeal end soon.
As more and more people came into the room, I was introduced to a new nurse, a male named Kirby. I couldn't help but laugh as I asked, "Isn't that the brand of a vacuum?!" I don't know if he was as amused as I was, but I needed a little laugh right about then! Two pushes later, and Lucan was born--why didn't anyone think of using the vacuum 4 hours earlier?!
For enduring such an ordeal, Lucan's Apgar scores were quite good--8 and 9. He was covered in blood and had a pubic-bone-shaped bruise on his head (poor li'l guy was slammed up against my bone how many times!). Ted was able to cut the cord and give Lucan his first bath while the doctor was stitching me up. I was content to lie quietly and watch my wonderful husband in his starring role as Daddy. Once we were both cleaned up, I got to hold Lucan and nurse him for the first time. He latched on like a champ, and we have had no feeding problems ever since (unlike the whole nursing strike Kenna went on when she was 4 days old!!).
So--thus arrived Lucan Thaniel, after many long hours of labor--but he's very much worth it!! With a nice head of dark hair, he resembles big brother Arden. After losing 13 ounces in the first 2 days, he is gaining weight again and doing quite well. He had a little bit of jaundice but not much, and his color looks great now.
As for me, it's been a week and I am still healing! I had a second-degree tear, which is what I think I had with Charis, but it's very jagged and so seems to be taking a lot longer to heal. I'm so thankful Ted has been on paternity leave, a nice change to Air Force policy. I truly don't know how we would have gotten through this week without him here. My mom comes in on Tuesday, which is perfect, since Ted has to go back to work next Wednesday. We're looking forward to having Grandma K here for 2 weeks.
And that, my dear friends, is the story! I'm off for a hot bath and then a nap! :-) Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support over the last few weeks as we geared up not once, not twice, but three times for Lucan's delivery!! I surely felt the prayers of everyone and am so thankful that God gave me the strength to deliver such a precious little bundle.
It all started early Thursday morning, around 3:30 a.m., about the time the last false labor had happened. The contractions were enough to wake me up, but I didn't even bother to start timing them. Been there, done that, to no avail! By the time I was awake for my quiet time, Ted had already decided he would stay home based on what was going on, just in case. (Really, he was happy for an excuse to miss work, ha!) The day progressed in a similar fashion to our last labor "scare" on March 16--I'd try to rest, contractions would intensify while I was lying down, then things would slow down for a bit, then start up again. Over and over, all throughout the day, but this time the contractions seemed to be much more noticeable than the previous sessions, so I was hopeful that we were finally getting somewhere.
By dinnertime they were indeed coming quite regularly, about 4-7 minutes apart, and were definitely getting more painful. We prepped the kids for a night at our neighbors' house, our brave neighbors Carmen and Joe, who were willing to keep all 4 kiddos (even Kenna!!) overnight. I do believe the kids were more excited about getting to spend the night with friends than they were about the fact that their baby brother was trying to make an appearance! (Of course, for all they knew, we'd be right back from the hospital with another false alarm!)
We left for base around 7:30 p.m. and got re-routed when we realized they had shut down the 215. As we parked and were walking inside the hospital, I suddenly realized just how long I had been awake dealing with these contractions...and I made the decision then that I would most likely get an epidural, because I was just so exhausted already, I didn't think I'd be able to make it through a natural childbirth, particularly if it was going to be prolonged. As it turned out, I was very thankful that I made that decision early!
I was 4 cm when we got in, and an hour later I was at 7. At that point I asked for an epidural--the pain was much more intense than I remembered with Kenna (my one and only natural childbirth), and I was just so tired. Ted, bless his heart, kept falling asleep in the chair next to my bed--I didn't wake him because I figured at least one of us was resting!! Getting the epidural wasn't fun; I had the shakes like crazy, and thankfully Ted was awake during that process to support me. I found much relief after it was in place and was actually able to relax and rest for a bit. It took about an hour longer to get to 8 cm.
I THINK that at that point is when the doctor broke my water. (I've never had my water break before labor--the first three times the doc broke it, and with Kenna it broke during my first push.) The next hour was spent waiting (with Ted sleeping) and feeling generally tired and uncomfortable (never a fun feeling with the liquid seeping out of your body). I was just starting to doze off when I suddenly felt the urge to push. This was approximately 11:30 p.m. I paged the nurses' station to tell them, Ted awoke with a start, and immediately things started happening around us.
The team got in place, the doctor breezed in, and she announced, "Get ready--she's a multiple--she'll sneeze and this baby will come flying out." I was all set for a quick delivery, figuring Lucan's birthday would be March 26. I started pushing when everyone was ready (somewhat difficult, since I was having trouble feeling any sensation, ha!)...but after a few pushes it was evident that something wasn't quite right. After getting nowhere, the doctor checked and found out that Lucan was face up. I guess the decision at that point was to wait and see if he would flip on his own (this is one of those parts I don't really remember), because everyone left except for one of the nurses and Ted. For a looooong time the three of us worked, me pushing during contractions and trying to vary positions to see if we could get anywhere. The nurse was very kind and encouraging, but really, it didn't seem as if anything was changing. At some point during this process the anesthesiologist had to come back, because I started feeling everything on my left side again, and it was HURTING!! My right side stayed totally numb (dead leg) throughout the whole ordeal.
Finally the doctor came in and asked if it would be OK for her to try to turn him manually. She jacked up the pain meds (she is definitely a pro-pain-medication person!!) to the point that I was totally relaxed, and then she made the attempt. She succeeded in getting him turned sideways, but he promptly turned himself back to the starting position. Sigh.
More pushing, and still nothing was happening, other than me getting more and more tired. Finally the doc asked if we would consider having her use the vacuum. Ted and I were very leery of this, but since it was quickly becoming apparent that we were running out of options, we decided to try it. By this point it was about 4:15 a.m. I asked Ted to call my parents (it was 6:15 their time) and ask them to pray--I just felt I needed some back-up! I was so exhausted, having been up for over 25 hours at this point, that I started to cry. The doc had said that if the vacuum didn't work, they were going to have to do a C-section. The thought of having to go through that after well over 4 hours of pushing was just too much. Of course I had been praying all through the night, but I began pleading with the Lord to let the whole ordeal end soon.
As more and more people came into the room, I was introduced to a new nurse, a male named Kirby. I couldn't help but laugh as I asked, "Isn't that the brand of a vacuum?!" I don't know if he was as amused as I was, but I needed a little laugh right about then! Two pushes later, and Lucan was born--why didn't anyone think of using the vacuum 4 hours earlier?!
For enduring such an ordeal, Lucan's Apgar scores were quite good--8 and 9. He was covered in blood and had a pubic-bone-shaped bruise on his head (poor li'l guy was slammed up against my bone how many times!). Ted was able to cut the cord and give Lucan his first bath while the doctor was stitching me up. I was content to lie quietly and watch my wonderful husband in his starring role as Daddy. Once we were both cleaned up, I got to hold Lucan and nurse him for the first time. He latched on like a champ, and we have had no feeding problems ever since (unlike the whole nursing strike Kenna went on when she was 4 days old!!).
So--thus arrived Lucan Thaniel, after many long hours of labor--but he's very much worth it!! With a nice head of dark hair, he resembles big brother Arden. After losing 13 ounces in the first 2 days, he is gaining weight again and doing quite well. He had a little bit of jaundice but not much, and his color looks great now.
As for me, it's been a week and I am still healing! I had a second-degree tear, which is what I think I had with Charis, but it's very jagged and so seems to be taking a lot longer to heal. I'm so thankful Ted has been on paternity leave, a nice change to Air Force policy. I truly don't know how we would have gotten through this week without him here. My mom comes in on Tuesday, which is perfect, since Ted has to go back to work next Wednesday. We're looking forward to having Grandma K here for 2 weeks.
And that, my dear friends, is the story! I'm off for a hot bath and then a nap! :-) Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support over the last few weeks as we geared up not once, not twice, but three times for Lucan's delivery!! I surely felt the prayers of everyone and am so thankful that God gave me the strength to deliver such a precious little bundle.
March 29, 2009
Introducing...
Lucan Thaniel
Lucan: Irish--"Light"
Thaniel: Hebrew (short for Nathaniel)--"Gift from God"
Born March 27, 2009, 4:26 a.m.
7 pounds, 13 ounces, 19 3/4 inches long
This L&D was by far my most difficult...pshaw to those who say it gets easier, ha! The fact that he was "sunny side up" (O.P.) made things a LOT harder, and for now I will just say, thank the good Lord for drugs!! Full story to come when I can sit for longer periods of time, LOL. We thank the Lord for a healthy baby boy.
March 25, 2009
Kenna's Tricks
Lately Kenna's favorite two activities are changing her clothes and washing her hands. She has a creative sense of fashion, and we're still working on putting clean clothes BACK into her drawers. I'm tempted to lock all her drawers, but it does keep her occupied. As for washing her hands, I find her hanging over the edge of the sink several times a day with the water running over her hands...at least she's concerned about good hygiene, LOL!
But the best trick happened Monday afternoon. I was sitting with my swollen feet and legs propped up on the couch, enjoying a good read. Kenna had been watching her Elmo potty DVD, but apparently she got bored during part of it and wandered off. She had an idea firmly fixed in her head--she had seen the phone that I brought with me to the couch in case anyone called and was a bit disgruntled that I wouldn't let her "talk." Well. She took matters into her own hands, apparently. A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was Ted. "I think Kenna just called me from your cell phone," he said. I looked into the kitchen, and sure enough, she had climbed up to get my cell phone from the counter and somehow managed to find the button to dial Ted's cell number! He said his phone rang, and when he answered it, he heard a little voice say, "Hi!" But that's all...he talked to her, but she didn't say anything else.
The kids and I sure giggled about that story for quite awhile!
But the best trick happened Monday afternoon. I was sitting with my swollen feet and legs propped up on the couch, enjoying a good read. Kenna had been watching her Elmo potty DVD, but apparently she got bored during part of it and wandered off. She had an idea firmly fixed in her head--she had seen the phone that I brought with me to the couch in case anyone called and was a bit disgruntled that I wouldn't let her "talk." Well. She took matters into her own hands, apparently. A few minutes later the phone rang, and it was Ted. "I think Kenna just called me from your cell phone," he said. I looked into the kitchen, and sure enough, she had climbed up to get my cell phone from the counter and somehow managed to find the button to dial Ted's cell number! He said his phone rang, and when he answered it, he heard a little voice say, "Hi!" But that's all...he talked to her, but she didn't say anything else.
The kids and I sure giggled about that story for quite awhile!
March 23, 2009
Happy Birthday, Ted!
Yesterday Ted turned 33! We hadn't been too sure whether we should really plan anything for his actual birthday or not, given the troubles Baby J has caused lately. In fact, I was up again for nearly 2 hours Saturday night with more painful contractions than I've had to date...seems like each false labor session gets more and more intense before things subside. Though the contractions were coming 5-6 minutes apart and lasting at least a minute each time, I was so reluctant to make another trip to the hospital...so I took a couple of Tylenol PMs and decided if I couldn't get back to sleep I would wake Ted up. I did go back to sleep and woke 3 hours later, and the contractions were back to "normal," meaning a few more or less painless ones each hour.
So, it was Ted's birthday, and we were determined to celebrate after all! We usually try to go out and enjoy an unusual experience, but again, this baby has made planning difficult, so any outing will have to wait until later. However, we did make plans for the T family to come over for dinner and games and fellowship. Ted's not a big party person, so I wasn't too surprised when he answered my "What do you want to do for your birthday" question with a fairly normal activity! Thankfully the T family was available (we didn't give them much notice!), and as it turned out, I was grateful for more than one reason that they could share our evening with us.
During Charis's and my shopping spree on Saturday, I found a foosball table at the homeschool garage sale. Those who know Ted know he LOVES foosball, so of course I asked how much the table was. Walt told me $50 and then quickly changed that, saying, "Actually, if you can haul it away, you can have it for 20 bucks." SOLD!! WE GOT A FOOSBALL TABLE FOR $20!! There weren't any balls with it, so Charis and I traveled to 3 different stores before we found any. I called the Ts to ask if they would be able to pick up the table with their truck and bring it over on Sunday afternoon, and Adam was happy to help. Charis and I were hard-pressed to keep our surprise a secret, but we managed. :-)
As soon as the T family arrived, we decided to have Ted open his presents. First he opened the Spiderman 3 DVD I had found before I realized I'd be buying a foosball table, LOL. Then he opened a package of table soccer balls, and it dawned on him why he wasn't supposed to go outside to see Adam's truck!! We traipsed outside, and Ted and Adam hauled the table in and put it in our school room, which was conveniently cleared of the school table since we had loaned all my tables to EAGLES for the garage sale. That is really the only place we have to put it anyway, so I'm assuming it will stay there until we move! Now I'll just need to figure out what to do when my stamp club meets, ha!
So, now we have a new diversion in the house, and it has already caused much trauma, but I suspect it will be useful for teaching good skills like self-control and sportsmanship, LOL! The boys had a great time playing last night while the girls played in Charis's room and the grown-ups played Phase 10 and Bananagrams. We ordered pizza and had carrot cake and ice cream for dessert, and all in all, it was a fun way to spend the afternoon and evening. We're thankful for such good friends, not only the ones who were with us yesterday, but all those who called and/or sent Facebook wishes for a happy birthday for Ted! He had a great day, and so did the rest of the family! Oh yes, and he finally did get to play on his foosball table, as you can see by the intense competition shown here between him and Adam!!
Kenna's 2-Year Portraits
A couple of weeks ago I took Kenna to Sears to get some updated pictures. I had a coupon for a $9.99 package and fully intended to JUST get the package, but of course they took so many darn CUTE pictures that I ended up adding to and enhancing the package. We still got the basic package using the pose shown here, but I paid a little extra for the nice enhancements around the edge. Then I added a portrait collage just for us--it's 5 of the cutest poses all together on an 8x10. I paid as much for that one print as for the rest of the order, but oh, well!!
Kenna was a great subject! I was a bit worried that she'd want to be crawling all over the studio, but it seems she's a natural ham. (No surprises there, eh?!) She did exactly what the photographer asked her to do and amazingly held all the poses until the pictures were snapped! I was impressed with the photographer, though a bit alarmed at how LOUD she was!! Good thing Kenna isn't shy or else that approach would have completely backfired. To see all of her adorable poses, go to this link here and click on the part where it says "Already a member." Then you'll enter my email address and the password "family" and be able to view all the poses. I think they'll be available to view for a couple of months or so.
March 21, 2009
Stuff
There really isn't much to announce for a baby update, but Megan told me people were "stalking" me, so I figured I'd share the latest. ;-) I saw the OB yesterday afternoon, and absolutely nothing had changed since Monday night--still 2 cm, only partially effaced, baby's head at -2. She did "stir things up" a little, and I had a few crampy contractions off and on the rest of the afternoon and evening, but I was able to sleep fairly well and haven't really had anything other than the usual tight contractions here and there today. So, looks like he still needs to "cook at little," as Ted would say!
Speaking of Ted, tomorrow is his birthday!! I did a little bday shopping for him after my appointment yesterday, and Charis and I found a great deal on another birthday item when we were out this morning. I wasn't really intending on having a day "out," but our homeschool group's garage sale was today, plus I needed to mail a package (Megan--your box should arrive next week!!), so out we went. It turned out to be a really fun girls' day!! At the garage sale, Charis was delighted to find a little indoor "tent" and spent a grand total of $2 for that and a little miniature doll house. She kept exclaiming over and over how she couldn't believe what a good deal she got!! I found a little "tutu" for Kenna to play dress-up with, and she looks darling in it. Plus I got her 2 pairs of sandals which fit great and will be wonderful for summer. Also got a few books for the boys plus a Spiderman mask with attached cape, which they will have to share, but for 25 cents I couldn't leave it!
After the garage sale, we headed to Walmart to look for some new shoes for Charis. I ended up splurging a little and got 3 pairs for her and 2 pairs for me for a grand total of $35, which I thought was pretty good! Charis really didn't have any comfortable spring/summer shoes, so we got her some casual flip-flops for everyday use, some nicer, dressy, pink flip-flops, plus some casual slip-ons. I haven't bought any shoes for myself in a really long time, and after wearing my Old Navy flip-flops for what seems like an eternity, I think I'll enjoy wearing something different when my feet aren't so puffy anymore!
Then it was off to Home Depot to get a new doorknob for the pantry, since a plastic part inside had broken, rendering it nearly impossible to open the door (which wasn't necessarily a BAD thing...). By the time we were finished there, it was just past noon, so I decided to treat us to lunch out. Charis chose Red Robin, which was just fine with me, so we enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading home. We were impressed by the service (we usually are there)--Charis had ordered mac and cheese but didn't really care for it; the cheese was gloppy and overall was just pretty creamy and fatty tasting. Well, she had gone to use the restroom when a manager stopped by to "remind" us that there was unlimited refills on the mac and cheese. I confessed that Charis probably wouldn't want any more, as she wasn't too keen on what she was eating to begin with! The manager offered to trade for something else, so I got a cheeseburger for her since Charis had been saying she wished she had ordered that instead. When she returned to her seat, Charis was delighted to find that she could indeed have her cheeseburger! Plus, on our ticket, they only charged us for the cheeseburger meal instead of the mac and cheese, which was a little more expensive. I took the time to fill out a POSITIVE comment card and left a nice tip. :-)
So, that's been most of our Saturday! I took a nap after getting home, and I should get started on Ted's birthday cake. We haven't planned much for his birthday, not knowing whether or not we'd be at the hospital, LOL, but we decided to invite the T family over for games tomorrow afternoon/evening. Later on, after Baby has arrived and we're in a good schedule, we plan to take in a good show since we'll be leaving LV this summer. Possibly Terry Fator, but not sure yet.
Guess that's all to report for now!
Speaking of Ted, tomorrow is his birthday!! I did a little bday shopping for him after my appointment yesterday, and Charis and I found a great deal on another birthday item when we were out this morning. I wasn't really intending on having a day "out," but our homeschool group's garage sale was today, plus I needed to mail a package (Megan--your box should arrive next week!!), so out we went. It turned out to be a really fun girls' day!! At the garage sale, Charis was delighted to find a little indoor "tent" and spent a grand total of $2 for that and a little miniature doll house. She kept exclaiming over and over how she couldn't believe what a good deal she got!! I found a little "tutu" for Kenna to play dress-up with, and she looks darling in it. Plus I got her 2 pairs of sandals which fit great and will be wonderful for summer. Also got a few books for the boys plus a Spiderman mask with attached cape, which they will have to share, but for 25 cents I couldn't leave it!
After the garage sale, we headed to Walmart to look for some new shoes for Charis. I ended up splurging a little and got 3 pairs for her and 2 pairs for me for a grand total of $35, which I thought was pretty good! Charis really didn't have any comfortable spring/summer shoes, so we got her some casual flip-flops for everyday use, some nicer, dressy, pink flip-flops, plus some casual slip-ons. I haven't bought any shoes for myself in a really long time, and after wearing my Old Navy flip-flops for what seems like an eternity, I think I'll enjoy wearing something different when my feet aren't so puffy anymore!
Then it was off to Home Depot to get a new doorknob for the pantry, since a plastic part inside had broken, rendering it nearly impossible to open the door (which wasn't necessarily a BAD thing...). By the time we were finished there, it was just past noon, so I decided to treat us to lunch out. Charis chose Red Robin, which was just fine with me, so we enjoyed a nice lunch together before heading home. We were impressed by the service (we usually are there)--Charis had ordered mac and cheese but didn't really care for it; the cheese was gloppy and overall was just pretty creamy and fatty tasting. Well, she had gone to use the restroom when a manager stopped by to "remind" us that there was unlimited refills on the mac and cheese. I confessed that Charis probably wouldn't want any more, as she wasn't too keen on what she was eating to begin with! The manager offered to trade for something else, so I got a cheeseburger for her since Charis had been saying she wished she had ordered that instead. When she returned to her seat, Charis was delighted to find that she could indeed have her cheeseburger! Plus, on our ticket, they only charged us for the cheeseburger meal instead of the mac and cheese, which was a little more expensive. I took the time to fill out a POSITIVE comment card and left a nice tip. :-)
So, that's been most of our Saturday! I took a nap after getting home, and I should get started on Ted's birthday cake. We haven't planned much for his birthday, not knowing whether or not we'd be at the hospital, LOL, but we decided to invite the T family over for games tomorrow afternoon/evening. Later on, after Baby has arrived and we're in a good schedule, we plan to take in a good show since we'll be leaving LV this summer. Possibly Terry Fator, but not sure yet.
Guess that's all to report for now!
March 19, 2009
Back to "Normal"
Yesterday we had a fairly "normal" day--Ted went back to work (not without a few sighs, however!), since there was no reason to keep him home...I hadn't had any painful contractions since our drive home from the hospital Monday night. I still am having contractions at the rate of a few per hour, but they are just the annoying, tightening ones that I've had for literally months, so nothing seems to be happening. Weird how my body seemed to gear up completely for labor and then stopped.
Anyway, we did some math and language arts in the morning, and then I packed a picnic lunch and took the kids to the park for over 2 hours. It was gorgeous outside, and I was hoping to ensure Kenna would take a good nap, but alas, she never did sleep yesterday afternoon. We did, however, spend a good hour on the couch (we as in the older 3 and I) doing our Sonlight reading, and then I got a pseudo-nap while listening for Kenna. We went to church last night and were home in time to watch American Idol (go Danny, Adam, and Megan!), then crashed.
This morning dawned bright and beautiful again. I am loving this weather! The older kids had PE, so I dropped them off and then grabbed a few groceries with Kenna before coming home to prep for my Stampin' Up! workshop tonight. I got everything packed and ready to go, and then Debi came over to have me help her sign up as a demonstrator online!! I'm so excited that she is finally joining my group of demonstrators--I know she will do fabulous with her outgoing personality, sales background, and of course passion for stamping and scrapbooking!
The kids just finished lunch, and Kenna is down for what will hopefully be a loooong nap to make up for yesterday's lack. (She was up early this morning, too!) I'm heading downstairs to finish our Sonlight reading for the week--we have stamp club here at the house tomorrow, so no afternoon school for us. Then, Lord willing, if Kenna is asleep, the other kids will get a movie while I get a nap!! If I'm going to have energy for tonight's stamping party, I need some zzz's!
Anyway, we did some math and language arts in the morning, and then I packed a picnic lunch and took the kids to the park for over 2 hours. It was gorgeous outside, and I was hoping to ensure Kenna would take a good nap, but alas, she never did sleep yesterday afternoon. We did, however, spend a good hour on the couch (we as in the older 3 and I) doing our Sonlight reading, and then I got a pseudo-nap while listening for Kenna. We went to church last night and were home in time to watch American Idol (go Danny, Adam, and Megan!), then crashed.
This morning dawned bright and beautiful again. I am loving this weather! The older kids had PE, so I dropped them off and then grabbed a few groceries with Kenna before coming home to prep for my Stampin' Up! workshop tonight. I got everything packed and ready to go, and then Debi came over to have me help her sign up as a demonstrator online!! I'm so excited that she is finally joining my group of demonstrators--I know she will do fabulous with her outgoing personality, sales background, and of course passion for stamping and scrapbooking!
The kids just finished lunch, and Kenna is down for what will hopefully be a loooong nap to make up for yesterday's lack. (She was up early this morning, too!) I'm heading downstairs to finish our Sonlight reading for the week--we have stamp club here at the house tomorrow, so no afternoon school for us. Then, Lord willing, if Kenna is asleep, the other kids will get a movie while I get a nap!! If I'm going to have energy for tonight's stamping party, I need some zzz's!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)