We've been fighting sickness on and off for a couple of weeks now and so we really haven't done all that much.
The big boys had their final Choir performance Sunday evening. Nana and Grandad were able to come. Robert and William did great! Robert was particularly on point during his group's solo song and William knew all of the words. I am so glad they liked choir and look forward to them getting to participate next year!
Hannah had her ballet performance in class on Tuesday evening. Francis and the kids joined me to watch her. She did her routine for us twice and did great both times! She loved having an ornament exchange and a cookie too.
Wednesday we went to the Children's Museum, yesterday morning we went to the Museum of Natural History in town and last night we went out with our Sunday School class to eat at Rudy's and tour the lights in Central Park. All were fun! Other all this we've been home. It feels weird to be home as much as we have, but since we will be gone for a week for Christmas, I guess some home time is not bad.
Andrew is getting really good in his walker. He's attacked the Christmas tree twice and removed a few ornaments, but he's been relatively gentle and nothing has been hurt. He's also good at rolling so laying him on his mat is no longer a guarantee he won't travel. He has his 6 month check up today (he turns 6 months tomorrow), so we'll see how he's grown. He's an expressive guy and it's never hard to guess how he's feeling. Having him as part of our family is such a blessing. I can't wait to see what wonderful things his first Christmas holds!
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2018
Monday, December 10, 2018
December 10, 2018
Life has been moving along at the Phillips' house. December 1, we headed to Austin in the morning for a day to have breakfast at the Capitol building. Mom and dad met us there and we had a fun morning with good food, face painting, crafts, a balloon man and Santa. Now we don't "do" Santa so my kids were yet again suspicious when the man in red asked them what they wanted for Christmas. It's slightly funny. It was fun to see my parents and the gets got to tour where mom will be working. We even got a picture with the kids at Mom's House seat. So so cool!
Last Tuesday was the last CC of the year. We had fun at the end with a Christmas party, mini concert and funwith friends. My kids are sad to go on break, but they will be refreshed when we go back after the New Year!
Thursday was a big day in College Station. At noon the kids, Francis and I went and found our spot to wait hours to see the processional as they brought President George H. W. Bush to be buried at his presidential library. The weather was cold and rainy, but it was worth it. It was a special time and the people around us were amazing. One man knew both president Bushs for over 30 years and had been at both their inaugurations. He had been pen pals with the elder Bush for many years. It was amazing the stories he had. During the processional George W Bush waved at the kids as he passed with his family. The kids waved flags, stood quietly and smiled at him. They were perfect and though they may not remember it, they have had a former president wave at them! After the processional there was a 21 plane fly over. The last plane peeled off and flew up into the clouds and disappeared. The clouds that swallowed it lit up somehow and Robert recognized that it represented leaving for heaven. I had been good up until that point, but tears streamed down my face. I won't forget that moment.
Thursday evening we went to Chick-fil-a for their spirit night. We saw Santa yet again and did crafts and had yummy food. Saturday Andrew and I drove to Houston for Cyndy's baby shower. There was a great turn out and Jackson got so many wonderful things, due in no small part to him having two amazing grandmothers. We made it back home mid afternoon and still had much of the day together as a family. We took the kids to the dollar store so they could shop for their siblings and cousins. They had so much fun hiding their gifts from each other in the store and have started to wrap their gifts. It's fun seeing them begin to cultivate the spirit of giving and not just getting.
What else? Andrew has mastered the walker. The other day he maneuvered it over to the tree but couldn't figure out how to reach across the front tray to get to the tree. I've got to keep an eye on him. He's also rolling like crazy and starting to lift into a crawl position so setting him on the ground isn't safe either. He's cute as can be though and loving his new found mobility. He is also loving to "talk" to his siblings. They enjoy telling him all sorts of things and he responds!
Hannah is still a "big girl" and keeps her brothers in line. She is loving ballet and tap class and has her winter performance a week from tomorrow. She's the first volunteer whenever I need a helper. She is making good friends and is a second mother to Andrew (which he has mixed feelings about). She loves hanging out with me most and it makes me smile that she's my girl!
Robert is beginning to take off as a reader. It he puts his mind to it, he can read most things now. He has mastered single digit addition, had moved onto subtraction and can even do a little multiplication when the mood strikes him. He is the first to want to pray at dinner and loves making art and stories for others. He feels strong and deep and takes after his momma. I can always count on him (and Hannah too) for a good dance party. I love him!
William is beginning multiple digit multiplication. He is working for CC memory master so we have been spending time working on learning all of his school facts. He stepped way out of his comfort zone this year and took Choir with Robert. Their Christmas performance is a week from Sunday. He devours any book you hand him and loved explaining the plots to his siblings. He enjoys thinking deep and asking beyond the surface. He's getting big so fast and I love seeing him grow!
Last Tuesday was the last CC of the year. We had fun at the end with a Christmas party, mini concert and funwith friends. My kids are sad to go on break, but they will be refreshed when we go back after the New Year!
Thursday was a big day in College Station. At noon the kids, Francis and I went and found our spot to wait hours to see the processional as they brought President George H. W. Bush to be buried at his presidential library. The weather was cold and rainy, but it was worth it. It was a special time and the people around us were amazing. One man knew both president Bushs for over 30 years and had been at both their inaugurations. He had been pen pals with the elder Bush for many years. It was amazing the stories he had. During the processional George W Bush waved at the kids as he passed with his family. The kids waved flags, stood quietly and smiled at him. They were perfect and though they may not remember it, they have had a former president wave at them! After the processional there was a 21 plane fly over. The last plane peeled off and flew up into the clouds and disappeared. The clouds that swallowed it lit up somehow and Robert recognized that it represented leaving for heaven. I had been good up until that point, but tears streamed down my face. I won't forget that moment.
Thursday evening we went to Chick-fil-a for their spirit night. We saw Santa yet again and did crafts and had yummy food. Saturday Andrew and I drove to Houston for Cyndy's baby shower. There was a great turn out and Jackson got so many wonderful things, due in no small part to him having two amazing grandmothers. We made it back home mid afternoon and still had much of the day together as a family. We took the kids to the dollar store so they could shop for their siblings and cousins. They had so much fun hiding their gifts from each other in the store and have started to wrap their gifts. It's fun seeing them begin to cultivate the spirit of giving and not just getting.
What else? Andrew has mastered the walker. The other day he maneuvered it over to the tree but couldn't figure out how to reach across the front tray to get to the tree. I've got to keep an eye on him. He's also rolling like crazy and starting to lift into a crawl position so setting him on the ground isn't safe either. He's cute as can be though and loving his new found mobility. He is also loving to "talk" to his siblings. They enjoy telling him all sorts of things and he responds!
Hannah is still a "big girl" and keeps her brothers in line. She is loving ballet and tap class and has her winter performance a week from tomorrow. She's the first volunteer whenever I need a helper. She is making good friends and is a second mother to Andrew (which he has mixed feelings about). She loves hanging out with me most and it makes me smile that she's my girl!
Robert is beginning to take off as a reader. It he puts his mind to it, he can read most things now. He has mastered single digit addition, had moved onto subtraction and can even do a little multiplication when the mood strikes him. He is the first to want to pray at dinner and loves making art and stories for others. He feels strong and deep and takes after his momma. I can always count on him (and Hannah too) for a good dance party. I love him!
William is beginning multiple digit multiplication. He is working for CC memory master so we have been spending time working on learning all of his school facts. He stepped way out of his comfort zone this year and took Choir with Robert. Their Christmas performance is a week from Sunday. He devours any book you hand him and loved explaining the plots to his siblings. He enjoys thinking deep and asking beyond the surface. He's getting big so fast and I love seeing him grow!
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
November 28
The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur. Andrew started rolling back to front a few Fridays back before Parents Night Out (so glad I was there for it!) and is now quite proficient at rolling around as soon as I put him down. His hand eye coordination is also improving and things he grab go directly to his mouth. time to double check the baby proofing and give the "safe obejcts" talk to the bigger kids!
I mentioned we had parent's night out. Francis and I went and saw The Nutcracker movie at the new swanky meal-and-movie place. the movie was fine but the ambiance and food were really good! Past that, the week before Thanksgiving flew by with packing and prepping. Tuesday evening after CC, Hannah's class had a Parent night, which meant I took the class with her. I didn't know about it ahead of time (missed the email) so Andrew and I had a great time in Hannah's class as a result. Doing ballet while holding a baby is not for the faint of heart, but I pulled it off somehow.
Friday we went with the Brower family and Burgess family to tour the Compassion International trailer set up at our church. The Burgess family came in town just to do it with us. Afterward we decided to sponsor a little boy named Stephen. I look forward to my kids being able to write him and vice versa. After the tour we all had dinner together before Francis, the kids and I drove to Dallas. We got to my in-laws' house late, but still managed to stay up even later talking and playing. Good times. Saturday was the big twin cousins' birthday party. I can't believe they are 3! We played at KidMania and Andrew got to meet Mom Noble (my paternal grandmother) for the first time. It was Mom Noble's actual birthday so afterward the entire Noble Clan took her out to lunch at BJs. Yum! We headed back to my in-laws' afterward and played before visiting a local Greek place that is Francis's parents' second home. All the staff welcomed us and the owner even carried Andrew for a little bit. Also, it turns out William likes lamb! Hannah and Robert liked the pita bread and chicken skewers. I guess we all like Greek food.
Sunday we went to Prestonwood and had lunch a with my parents before heading back Frankie's parents' house. The boys played video games much of the afternoon and I got to read a book while Nana played with Hannah and Andrew. It was actually pretty relaxing. Francis had to go back to College Station after we had dinner at a Thai place. I ate at this place nearly 15 years ago and have been wanting to go back ever since. It did not disappoint! Monday The kids and I moved over to my parents' house where christian and her kids joined us for some fun. We ended up ordering Chick-fil-a for lunch, and when christian left to pick it up, I had all 8 kids including 3 screaming babies. Fear not, for when Danielle arrived (which was shortly before Christian came back), all kids were happy and or sleeping. I made Dani take a picture because I could hardly believe it myself. Hannah and Alexandra were joined at the hip all week and coordinated outfits before meeting up. Issac liked beign on of the big boys and the babies were just happy to be around other babies. Mom, Dad and Kevin arrived in time for dinner so we played the afternoon away together and ate happily. Tuesday we all met up again and went shopping at the mall with mom. she managed to get what she needed as well as some Christmas presents for the kids thanks to her "elf" Danielle. While in line for lunch at the mall with William, I was suddenly hugged from behind. William looked shocked and I was trying to think who would hug me that he didn't recognize. Turns out it was Ashley (my best friend from childhood)!!! He was further weirded out that she knew his name and other things about him. It was so good to see her. She ended up joining my parents, Danielle, Kevin, the kids and I for dinner that evening and a rousing game of Oh Heck, which I was still pretty decent at even while holding a baby.
Wednesday was the big twins actual birthday. We did a little more shopping, but left the men and big boys at home. Hannah and Alexandra were dressed alike so they looked like twins and the 3 babies looked like triplets. I ended up taking all 5 kids outside by myself when we were leaving. You should have seen people's faces! I didn't know eyes could bulge out that far. Kevin picked up Francis from where he was dropped off in town (thanks Kevin!), and we all had pizza together (including Francis's parents) and ate my birthday cake (a day early). Chad was able to join us for present opening for me. I got some super cute clothes! Dad picked up Japapa from the airport in time for him to meet Andrew for the first time and enjoy a piece of cake (second for me) before bed. Andrew smiled at Japapa right away. I got the sweetest picture. It was a good day.
Thursday was both my birthday and Thanksgiving. We went to Aunt Bup's house with my cream corn in tow. We had lunch early (what?!) which left plenty of time for all the men to ride in Uncle Don's newly built Cobra car. Francis said he could feel the power under the hood. The football game was good (Go Cowboys!) and after dinner, the kids, Francis and I made the long drive to San Antonio.
Friday Francis, the kids and I went on a river cruise on the Riverwalk in the morning. It was so relaxing and all the kids really enjoyed it. We picked up lunch and spent some time at Sea World riding rides and seeing a show before we went back to the hotel. Francis's parents, Cyndy and Abby had arrived. We played board games, ate pizza, and watched the parade all from the comfort of the hotel. Oh, and I got a second birthday cake (both red velvet, YUM!)! Saturday morning after breakfast, Francis went back to College Station to attend the A&M game with my mom in the Chancellor's box. It turned out to be the game of the year with 7 OTs leading to an Aggie victory. Francis and my mom also got to be on the field for the band to play during half time as well as meet the A&M chancellor. It was the experience of a lifetime and although we missed him, I am so happy he got to go. The rest of us went to Sea World. We rode rides, saw show, played and then had dinner with Santa. The food was so good this year an the Santa and other actors were magical. Robert particularly liked the mime character who interacted with them playfully and naturally. I got a sweet picture of all my kids with Santa. William and Robert are branching out on the type of rides they like. I'm looking forward to very soon riding "big" rides with them. All the kids are at fun ages, and I look forward to getting to do more with them as they get older.
My in-laws helped me get back home on Sunday (thank you!). After unpacking the car, all six of us (well maybe not Andrew) took to decorating the house for Christmas. Francis got new programmable lights that he is going to put up around the garage. I'm excited to see how it all turns out! Monday my washing machine was finally fixed after being broken for 2 weeks, and so I spent the bulk of the day washing and putting away clothing, shopping online for Christmas presents, cleaning and finishing decorating. It was a full day. Yesterday we were back at CC where a friend lent me the second book in a series she recommended (we've read the first). William is hounding me to read it so that he can get his hands on it. I guess I better get back to reality.
Till next time!
I mentioned we had parent's night out. Francis and I went and saw The Nutcracker movie at the new swanky meal-and-movie place. the movie was fine but the ambiance and food were really good! Past that, the week before Thanksgiving flew by with packing and prepping. Tuesday evening after CC, Hannah's class had a Parent night, which meant I took the class with her. I didn't know about it ahead of time (missed the email) so Andrew and I had a great time in Hannah's class as a result. Doing ballet while holding a baby is not for the faint of heart, but I pulled it off somehow.
Friday we went with the Brower family and Burgess family to tour the Compassion International trailer set up at our church. The Burgess family came in town just to do it with us. Afterward we decided to sponsor a little boy named Stephen. I look forward to my kids being able to write him and vice versa. After the tour we all had dinner together before Francis, the kids and I drove to Dallas. We got to my in-laws' house late, but still managed to stay up even later talking and playing. Good times. Saturday was the big twin cousins' birthday party. I can't believe they are 3! We played at KidMania and Andrew got to meet Mom Noble (my paternal grandmother) for the first time. It was Mom Noble's actual birthday so afterward the entire Noble Clan took her out to lunch at BJs. Yum! We headed back to my in-laws' afterward and played before visiting a local Greek place that is Francis's parents' second home. All the staff welcomed us and the owner even carried Andrew for a little bit. Also, it turns out William likes lamb! Hannah and Robert liked the pita bread and chicken skewers. I guess we all like Greek food.
Sunday we went to Prestonwood and had lunch a with my parents before heading back Frankie's parents' house. The boys played video games much of the afternoon and I got to read a book while Nana played with Hannah and Andrew. It was actually pretty relaxing. Francis had to go back to College Station after we had dinner at a Thai place. I ate at this place nearly 15 years ago and have been wanting to go back ever since. It did not disappoint! Monday The kids and I moved over to my parents' house where christian and her kids joined us for some fun. We ended up ordering Chick-fil-a for lunch, and when christian left to pick it up, I had all 8 kids including 3 screaming babies. Fear not, for when Danielle arrived (which was shortly before Christian came back), all kids were happy and or sleeping. I made Dani take a picture because I could hardly believe it myself. Hannah and Alexandra were joined at the hip all week and coordinated outfits before meeting up. Issac liked beign on of the big boys and the babies were just happy to be around other babies. Mom, Dad and Kevin arrived in time for dinner so we played the afternoon away together and ate happily. Tuesday we all met up again and went shopping at the mall with mom. she managed to get what she needed as well as some Christmas presents for the kids thanks to her "elf" Danielle. While in line for lunch at the mall with William, I was suddenly hugged from behind. William looked shocked and I was trying to think who would hug me that he didn't recognize. Turns out it was Ashley (my best friend from childhood)!!! He was further weirded out that she knew his name and other things about him. It was so good to see her. She ended up joining my parents, Danielle, Kevin, the kids and I for dinner that evening and a rousing game of Oh Heck, which I was still pretty decent at even while holding a baby.
Wednesday was the big twins actual birthday. We did a little more shopping, but left the men and big boys at home. Hannah and Alexandra were dressed alike so they looked like twins and the 3 babies looked like triplets. I ended up taking all 5 kids outside by myself when we were leaving. You should have seen people's faces! I didn't know eyes could bulge out that far. Kevin picked up Francis from where he was dropped off in town (thanks Kevin!), and we all had pizza together (including Francis's parents) and ate my birthday cake (a day early). Chad was able to join us for present opening for me. I got some super cute clothes! Dad picked up Japapa from the airport in time for him to meet Andrew for the first time and enjoy a piece of cake (second for me) before bed. Andrew smiled at Japapa right away. I got the sweetest picture. It was a good day.
Thursday was both my birthday and Thanksgiving. We went to Aunt Bup's house with my cream corn in tow. We had lunch early (what?!) which left plenty of time for all the men to ride in Uncle Don's newly built Cobra car. Francis said he could feel the power under the hood. The football game was good (Go Cowboys!) and after dinner, the kids, Francis and I made the long drive to San Antonio.
Friday Francis, the kids and I went on a river cruise on the Riverwalk in the morning. It was so relaxing and all the kids really enjoyed it. We picked up lunch and spent some time at Sea World riding rides and seeing a show before we went back to the hotel. Francis's parents, Cyndy and Abby had arrived. We played board games, ate pizza, and watched the parade all from the comfort of the hotel. Oh, and I got a second birthday cake (both red velvet, YUM!)! Saturday morning after breakfast, Francis went back to College Station to attend the A&M game with my mom in the Chancellor's box. It turned out to be the game of the year with 7 OTs leading to an Aggie victory. Francis and my mom also got to be on the field for the band to play during half time as well as meet the A&M chancellor. It was the experience of a lifetime and although we missed him, I am so happy he got to go. The rest of us went to Sea World. We rode rides, saw show, played and then had dinner with Santa. The food was so good this year an the Santa and other actors were magical. Robert particularly liked the mime character who interacted with them playfully and naturally. I got a sweet picture of all my kids with Santa. William and Robert are branching out on the type of rides they like. I'm looking forward to very soon riding "big" rides with them. All the kids are at fun ages, and I look forward to getting to do more with them as they get older.
My in-laws helped me get back home on Sunday (thank you!). After unpacking the car, all six of us (well maybe not Andrew) took to decorating the house for Christmas. Francis got new programmable lights that he is going to put up around the garage. I'm excited to see how it all turns out! Monday my washing machine was finally fixed after being broken for 2 weeks, and so I spent the bulk of the day washing and putting away clothing, shopping online for Christmas presents, cleaning and finishing decorating. It was a full day. Yesterday we were back at CC where a friend lent me the second book in a series she recommended (we've read the first). William is hounding me to read it so that he can get his hands on it. I guess I better get back to reality.
Till next time!
Thursday, November 8, 2018
November 11, 2018
Weekend before last we went with the Phillips clan to Blessington Farms for an afternoon of fall activities. The kids enjoyed some cousin time, and the weather was perfect. Andrew slept much of the time we were there, but when he awoke, he loved looking around at all the various activities going on. The top thing this year seemed to be the over-sized trikes. The boys loved "jailing" Uncle Chris and Hannah loved riding on her dad's and grandad's shoulders as the rode around. Abby also joined in the hoopla to the delight of all.
Sunday after church the kids dressed up and we attended the trick or treat event at the George Bush Library Museum. The kids toured the museum and got candy, eventually exiting the building to a bunch of booths and inflatables. After a ton of fun there, we went to our church for Fall Fest. Good food, many inflatable and carnival games were the order of the evening. It was an big and exhausting day, but I'm so glad we did it!
Last week we spent most of the week home. Hannah, Robert and Andrew all contracted Hand Foot and Mouth. William has had it before and so he spent much of the week ready to get out of the house. It was stormy and raining all Halloween and that coupled with sick kids meant we dressed up and had pizza and a "candy hunt" at home. Andrew looked cute in his Pilot costume and his Superman costume on Sunday as well. Thursday William and I went on a date just the two of us. Since he was healthy, it was natural his week should come first. we went out for gourmet ice cream and then I took him trick or treating. That may sound odd when you realize it was November 1st, but because everything got rained out the night before, many people posted on our nextdoor neighborhood site that they were giving out candy. We actually found a street that had games and inflatables in addition to candy. William loved wearing his Dusty costume and getting to hang out with me. I loved it too!!!
This week we have gotten back into routine. Monday afternoon the kids were able to attend Jude's birthday party at Urban Air. The party had the place to ourselves so the kids played while moms watched and chatted. It was a good time and the kids all slept GREAT! Tuesday was CC class and Hannah had dance. After dance I was able to take Robert out on a date with me. He chose to get ice cream (after William's endorsement, he had to have some!) and then we went shopping just the two of us around HEB. That may sound weird, but I've been doing grocery pick up since Andrew was born and Robert missed riding in the car shopping cart, looking at the toys, the buddy bucks machine, and the face to face time he had during that time. We had a blast looking through all the stuff and he picked out a book for himself and his siblings too. He's so thoughtful.
Yesterday we went on a field trip to Basecamp Farms where we learned about how they grow and harvest flowers. My kids had loads of questions (some more relevant than others). Hannah particularly loved smelling and looking at all the pretty flowers. She loves all things beautiful!
In Bible Study Robert presented one of his key verses to all the ladies with a small group of kids. I love how he is learning and loving God's word!
Duty calls. Till next time!
Sunday after church the kids dressed up and we attended the trick or treat event at the George Bush Library Museum. The kids toured the museum and got candy, eventually exiting the building to a bunch of booths and inflatables. After a ton of fun there, we went to our church for Fall Fest. Good food, many inflatable and carnival games were the order of the evening. It was an big and exhausting day, but I'm so glad we did it!
Last week we spent most of the week home. Hannah, Robert and Andrew all contracted Hand Foot and Mouth. William has had it before and so he spent much of the week ready to get out of the house. It was stormy and raining all Halloween and that coupled with sick kids meant we dressed up and had pizza and a "candy hunt" at home. Andrew looked cute in his Pilot costume and his Superman costume on Sunday as well. Thursday William and I went on a date just the two of us. Since he was healthy, it was natural his week should come first. we went out for gourmet ice cream and then I took him trick or treating. That may sound odd when you realize it was November 1st, but because everything got rained out the night before, many people posted on our nextdoor neighborhood site that they were giving out candy. We actually found a street that had games and inflatables in addition to candy. William loved wearing his Dusty costume and getting to hang out with me. I loved it too!!!
This week we have gotten back into routine. Monday afternoon the kids were able to attend Jude's birthday party at Urban Air. The party had the place to ourselves so the kids played while moms watched and chatted. It was a good time and the kids all slept GREAT! Tuesday was CC class and Hannah had dance. After dance I was able to take Robert out on a date with me. He chose to get ice cream (after William's endorsement, he had to have some!) and then we went shopping just the two of us around HEB. That may sound weird, but I've been doing grocery pick up since Andrew was born and Robert missed riding in the car shopping cart, looking at the toys, the buddy bucks machine, and the face to face time he had during that time. We had a blast looking through all the stuff and he picked out a book for himself and his siblings too. He's so thoughtful.
Yesterday we went on a field trip to Basecamp Farms where we learned about how they grow and harvest flowers. My kids had loads of questions (some more relevant than others). Hannah particularly loved smelling and looking at all the pretty flowers. She loves all things beautiful!
In Bible Study Robert presented one of his key verses to all the ladies with a small group of kids. I love how he is learning and loving God's word!
Duty calls. Till next time!
Friday, October 26, 2018
October 26. 2018
Francis has been taking each of the kids out for one on one time on different Thursdays this month. William was the first week and chose Chuck E Cheese. Robert the following week chose the same. Last nigh Hannah chose Chuck E Cheese until Francis pulled into the mall parking lot and all the dazzling lights of the travelling carnival lured her to want to ride rides and eat funnel cake instead. All three had a blast with their dad. I get to take them out one on one in November. What a fun way to spend my birthday month!
Last weekend we actually managed to remain in town. We were out and about, but got some chores done too. Monday was our stay home day and also the day Andrew turned 4 months! He's getting so big. He can almost roll both ways (he gets caught on his elbow). Has good head and body control, laughs hysterically at anything he finds funny, finds and grabs things quicker than I can get them away, still naps (Hallelujah, praise God!), and is a joy to all of us.
Tuesday we had CC and then Hannah had dance and Robert had his last skating lesson that evening. Robert passed Basic 1! He has learned so much in the past two months, and we look forward to continuing to practice on our own while we take a break from lessons.
Wednesday we made our final trip to the close library before it closes for 7 months of renovations. We will miss our time there, but can't wait to see the new look! Wednesday was also Andrew's 4 month check up. He is 27 inches long and 16 lbs 3 oz. His head is off the charts (as is his length). I've got another smart kiddo here! The doctor was very impressed with his laughing skills and Andrew as a trooper when it came to shots. He's getting so big!
Yesterday the big three had dentist appointments. They all passed with flying colors! We then went to Bible Study where William did a presentation in front of all the ladies of why he felt like he should pray for those who don't know Jesus. He had put much thought into it and did a great job. After Bible Study we went to the Children's Barnyard at A&M. They had some livestock and farm animals with interesting facts about each and A&M students available to answer any questions. It was a busy but fun day!
We have some friends arriving a shortly so I need to get ready. They are moving houses this week and so I'm watching the oldest three kids for the day. My kids are super excited. I'm actually pretty pumped too. 7 kids here all day should make for some lively adventures!
Till next time!
Last weekend we actually managed to remain in town. We were out and about, but got some chores done too. Monday was our stay home day and also the day Andrew turned 4 months! He's getting so big. He can almost roll both ways (he gets caught on his elbow). Has good head and body control, laughs hysterically at anything he finds funny, finds and grabs things quicker than I can get them away, still naps (Hallelujah, praise God!), and is a joy to all of us.
Tuesday we had CC and then Hannah had dance and Robert had his last skating lesson that evening. Robert passed Basic 1! He has learned so much in the past two months, and we look forward to continuing to practice on our own while we take a break from lessons.
Wednesday we made our final trip to the close library before it closes for 7 months of renovations. We will miss our time there, but can't wait to see the new look! Wednesday was also Andrew's 4 month check up. He is 27 inches long and 16 lbs 3 oz. His head is off the charts (as is his length). I've got another smart kiddo here! The doctor was very impressed with his laughing skills and Andrew as a trooper when it came to shots. He's getting so big!
Yesterday the big three had dentist appointments. They all passed with flying colors! We then went to Bible Study where William did a presentation in front of all the ladies of why he felt like he should pray for those who don't know Jesus. He had put much thought into it and did a great job. After Bible Study we went to the Children's Barnyard at A&M. They had some livestock and farm animals with interesting facts about each and A&M students available to answer any questions. It was a busy but fun day!
We have some friends arriving a shortly so I need to get ready. They are moving houses this week and so I'm watching the oldest three kids for the day. My kids are super excited. I'm actually pretty pumped too. 7 kids here all day should make for some lively adventures!
Till next time!
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
October 17, 2018
Thursday before last, the kids and I left for Dallas after Bible Study. It was a long trip, but Andrew handled it like a champ. I prayed most of the way because it was my first time going that far with all four kids, and when I did it this same time 3 years ago with 3 kids...it didn't go well. This trip was smooth, thank goodness! We had dinner with my parents and the Drakes to celebrate my mom's birthday a few days early. We went back to my parents' house and met Danielle and Kevin for cake and present opening. A good time was had by all, especially the cousins who all ran around and enjoyed each other immensely.
Friday the kids and I went about an hour from my in-laws' house to do tour an apple orchard with our CC class friends. As an added bonus, Kristi and her kids (who live nearby) and Christian and her kids were able to join us! To have so many of my favorite people in one places filled my hear to overflowing. We learned about the dam, honey bees, native creatures, and all about apples and how they are picked. After the field trip, Christian, Kristi and I went to a nearby Chick-fil-a with our TWELVE kids. 8 of them were 3 and under and all of them were 8 and under. The Chick-fil-a staff went over and above to take care of us. It was amazing. Friday evening the kids and I went to eat with my mother-in-law and the boys (minus Andrew) got haircuts after.
Saturday William and Robert went fishing with my dad. William caught his first fish! He was so proud. The boys also got to shoot air soft guns and play video games at my parents' house. Needless to say they can't wait to go back! Hannah, Andrew, Frankie's mom and I all went on a girl/baby shopping trip. Hannah had the best time trying on clothes and came out of it with a new winter wardrobe. I'm not sure she ever wanted her day to end. After all this excitement, we regrouped and Frankie's mom, my mom, the kids and I all went to the Wylie rodeo for dinner, games and entertainment. My mother had received VIP tickets so we were driven straight to the entrance of the VIP section where food and face painting for the kids awaited. They had a few carnival games, some bounce houses and a few other things for us to enjoy before the rodeo started. We were on the front row of the rodeo so the kids had a close up view to the bucking broncos and bulls, horse riding and clowns too. The kids unanimously liked the bull riding best. It was a fun first rodeo!
Sunday the Noble clan and Frankie's mom all went to the State Fair of Texas! We did the petting zoo, saw a magic show, watched the kids perform in the backyard circus, ate great food, watched a great light show and enjoyed fireworks. Robert and William were lions in the backyard circus while Hannah and Alexandra were butterfly ballerinas. Issac decided to jump ship as the show was starting and jumped off the stage while break dancing. Andrew was a great sport. He was delightful and flexible all day. He slept right through the fireworks which was just amazing to me. I drove home that night from the fair and arrived around 11:30 to a waiting Francis. It was good to be home after such an amazing trip!
Monday was catch up day. Tuesday was CC, Wednesday was library day and Thursday was Bible Study. These days whizzed by too fast to even know what was happening sometimes and by Friday the kids and I were off to Abilene. Francis stayed home again due to his new work, a list of projects he needed to complete at home without kids, and his general desire to avoid crowds. We took most of the day to get to Abilene, stopping at a very impressive McDonalds to for a lengthy break and lunch. The kids all did amazing, especially Andrew who was awake most of the way but happy none the less. Friday night we ate on Hardin-Simmons campus in the rain, enjoyed a pep rally and hung out with friends including the kids' friend Jonas and watched fireworks from inside HSU stadium. The homecoming events continued Saturday where the kids and I attended the kids club activities, had lunch in the school cafeteria (where the kids once again got crepes) and attended the homecoming football game (we won!). We headed back after half time and made it to College station in time for a late dinner with Francis. It was a great trip and I'm so happy to have seen so many amazing people including my mom and Danielle and Kevin (all 4 of us are HSU alumni). Also seeing my friends Rebecca and Rachel were special as well.
Sunday our church had their "Chruch had Left the Building" event, where we go out and serve in the commmunity. The boys, Francis, and I (Hannah stayed at church) went out with our Life group to Kingdom Ranch: a camp for special needs campers. The many kids in our group cleaned the cabins, the mattresses, and the bathrooms. It was hard work and the kids all did great! We also cleaned the kitchen and main building. Some people painted and many did the difficult job of shoring up and reinforcing the foundation of the main building. All left tired but glad to have helped.
Monday is got bitter cold and started raining. We had an appointment to get Andrew's first passport and renew Robert's and my passports also. We went out in the cold and got soaked in the process, but we completed our mission. Monday evening we went out to celebrate Francis's birthday. He chose Texas Roadhouse. It was a perfect fit for the weather, and everyone nearly cleared their plates.
Tuesday was Francis's actual birthday. After class, the kids and I spent the afternoon doing and decorating Francis's carrot cake (a tradition), decorating the house and placing the presents in place. I made Francis's favorite food, lasagna, for dinner. Francis loved his gifts that the kids picked and the cake was delicious. Happy Birthday, Francis! I love you more than words, and look forward to enjoying this year and many more with you.
Today we did our usual trip to the library only to discover they were having special story time scheduled for 5 minutes after we arrived! A class of high school girls was hosting the story time, and they were each dressed up to match their story book. My kids and 2 others were the only ones to come, so they all got a lot of love an attention. It was a good time!
I really left out more detail than I would like, but there we are. Life is calling me back to it. Till next time!
Friday the kids and I went about an hour from my in-laws' house to do tour an apple orchard with our CC class friends. As an added bonus, Kristi and her kids (who live nearby) and Christian and her kids were able to join us! To have so many of my favorite people in one places filled my hear to overflowing. We learned about the dam, honey bees, native creatures, and all about apples and how they are picked. After the field trip, Christian, Kristi and I went to a nearby Chick-fil-a with our TWELVE kids. 8 of them were 3 and under and all of them were 8 and under. The Chick-fil-a staff went over and above to take care of us. It was amazing. Friday evening the kids and I went to eat with my mother-in-law and the boys (minus Andrew) got haircuts after.
Saturday William and Robert went fishing with my dad. William caught his first fish! He was so proud. The boys also got to shoot air soft guns and play video games at my parents' house. Needless to say they can't wait to go back! Hannah, Andrew, Frankie's mom and I all went on a girl/baby shopping trip. Hannah had the best time trying on clothes and came out of it with a new winter wardrobe. I'm not sure she ever wanted her day to end. After all this excitement, we regrouped and Frankie's mom, my mom, the kids and I all went to the Wylie rodeo for dinner, games and entertainment. My mother had received VIP tickets so we were driven straight to the entrance of the VIP section where food and face painting for the kids awaited. They had a few carnival games, some bounce houses and a few other things for us to enjoy before the rodeo started. We were on the front row of the rodeo so the kids had a close up view to the bucking broncos and bulls, horse riding and clowns too. The kids unanimously liked the bull riding best. It was a fun first rodeo!
Sunday the Noble clan and Frankie's mom all went to the State Fair of Texas! We did the petting zoo, saw a magic show, watched the kids perform in the backyard circus, ate great food, watched a great light show and enjoyed fireworks. Robert and William were lions in the backyard circus while Hannah and Alexandra were butterfly ballerinas. Issac decided to jump ship as the show was starting and jumped off the stage while break dancing. Andrew was a great sport. He was delightful and flexible all day. He slept right through the fireworks which was just amazing to me. I drove home that night from the fair and arrived around 11:30 to a waiting Francis. It was good to be home after such an amazing trip!
Monday was catch up day. Tuesday was CC, Wednesday was library day and Thursday was Bible Study. These days whizzed by too fast to even know what was happening sometimes and by Friday the kids and I were off to Abilene. Francis stayed home again due to his new work, a list of projects he needed to complete at home without kids, and his general desire to avoid crowds. We took most of the day to get to Abilene, stopping at a very impressive McDonalds to for a lengthy break and lunch. The kids all did amazing, especially Andrew who was awake most of the way but happy none the less. Friday night we ate on Hardin-Simmons campus in the rain, enjoyed a pep rally and hung out with friends including the kids' friend Jonas and watched fireworks from inside HSU stadium. The homecoming events continued Saturday where the kids and I attended the kids club activities, had lunch in the school cafeteria (where the kids once again got crepes) and attended the homecoming football game (we won!). We headed back after half time and made it to College station in time for a late dinner with Francis. It was a great trip and I'm so happy to have seen so many amazing people including my mom and Danielle and Kevin (all 4 of us are HSU alumni). Also seeing my friends Rebecca and Rachel were special as well.
Sunday our church had their "Chruch had Left the Building" event, where we go out and serve in the commmunity. The boys, Francis, and I (Hannah stayed at church) went out with our Life group to Kingdom Ranch: a camp for special needs campers. The many kids in our group cleaned the cabins, the mattresses, and the bathrooms. It was hard work and the kids all did great! We also cleaned the kitchen and main building. Some people painted and many did the difficult job of shoring up and reinforcing the foundation of the main building. All left tired but glad to have helped.
Monday is got bitter cold and started raining. We had an appointment to get Andrew's first passport and renew Robert's and my passports also. We went out in the cold and got soaked in the process, but we completed our mission. Monday evening we went out to celebrate Francis's birthday. He chose Texas Roadhouse. It was a perfect fit for the weather, and everyone nearly cleared their plates.
Tuesday was Francis's actual birthday. After class, the kids and I spent the afternoon doing and decorating Francis's carrot cake (a tradition), decorating the house and placing the presents in place. I made Francis's favorite food, lasagna, for dinner. Francis loved his gifts that the kids picked and the cake was delicious. Happy Birthday, Francis! I love you more than words, and look forward to enjoying this year and many more with you.
Today we did our usual trip to the library only to discover they were having special story time scheduled for 5 minutes after we arrived! A class of high school girls was hosting the story time, and they were each dressed up to match their story book. My kids and 2 others were the only ones to come, so they all got a lot of love an attention. It was a good time!
I really left out more detail than I would like, but there we are. Life is calling me back to it. Till next time!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
October 2, 2018
Last Tuesday evening Hannah has her first little performance for dance. The parents got to come in for the last 5 minutes of class and the girls did a tap dance to "Just can't wait to be King" from the Lion King. It was adorable! Wednesday we made our weekly trip to the library and then we all managed to go to Wednesday evening service to see William and Robert sing in their first choir performance. It made my heart swell to overflowing to hear them sing about Jesus. Something about kids worshiping the Almighty is just special.
Thursday we had Bible Study. I cannot say enough good things about the Bible Study both for me and for the kids. They are learning so much. William is completing his weekly work and discussing it on a level with his peers in a depth that is unbelievable. The younger kids, though they don't have homework, are being taught truths that they can carry with them forever. Thursday evening we made a family trip to the park. It's been so hot and then so rainy we haven't been able to go much, so the trip walk was so welcome and freeing.
Friday we got to play with friends (the Williams family) at Altitude Trampoline Park. We had hours of fun running and jumping and climbing. It was hard to let it end. Saturday we did chores and ran errands all day, to the exhaustion of all of us. We came back and tried to rest, but although we'd been busy, we hadn't really been active. That's when Francis and I hatched a plan. We have an app on our phones called Safe to Save where we get points for driving without using our phones (which we should be doing anyway). The kids also got prizes for summer reading which included cards to Grand Station for an hour of unlimited arcade games. So with our points we were able to bowl for an hour and a half and play a game of laser tag for free. Then we played unlimited arcade games after that. The only thing we had to pay for was dinner (Pizza) while we bowled, so the whole nigh cost us less than $20!
Sunday we had Church and AWANAS. Monday was a home day, and today we had CC community day. Life's busy, but overall very good. It's far from perfect but I'm glad it's mine.
Andrew is sleeping well (except last night) and is trying to roll from front to back. He's so close! He's also discovered how to grab things, but he is still honing his aim. He's such a sweet boy and his siblings love him. We all do!
Till next time!
Thursday we had Bible Study. I cannot say enough good things about the Bible Study both for me and for the kids. They are learning so much. William is completing his weekly work and discussing it on a level with his peers in a depth that is unbelievable. The younger kids, though they don't have homework, are being taught truths that they can carry with them forever. Thursday evening we made a family trip to the park. It's been so hot and then so rainy we haven't been able to go much, so the trip walk was so welcome and freeing.
Friday we got to play with friends (the Williams family) at Altitude Trampoline Park. We had hours of fun running and jumping and climbing. It was hard to let it end. Saturday we did chores and ran errands all day, to the exhaustion of all of us. We came back and tried to rest, but although we'd been busy, we hadn't really been active. That's when Francis and I hatched a plan. We have an app on our phones called Safe to Save where we get points for driving without using our phones (which we should be doing anyway). The kids also got prizes for summer reading which included cards to Grand Station for an hour of unlimited arcade games. So with our points we were able to bowl for an hour and a half and play a game of laser tag for free. Then we played unlimited arcade games after that. The only thing we had to pay for was dinner (Pizza) while we bowled, so the whole nigh cost us less than $20!
Sunday we had Church and AWANAS. Monday was a home day, and today we had CC community day. Life's busy, but overall very good. It's far from perfect but I'm glad it's mine.
Andrew is sleeping well (except last night) and is trying to roll from front to back. He's so close! He's also discovered how to grab things, but he is still honing his aim. He's such a sweet boy and his siblings love him. We all do!
Till next time!
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
September 25, 2018
Friday before last was Parents' night out. Francis and I went to Casa do Brazil (a Brazilian steakhouse) for dinner to finally celebrate our 10 year anniversary over a month before. The food and company were top notch!
Saturday before last was a very special day. Francis's sister had a gender reveal party for the family and it's a BOY! This new nephew of mine has been long awaited and prayed for more than he will ever know. My heart delights in the Lord's goodness every time I think about it. WE love you miracle boy and cannot wait for February!
Sundays are busy due to church and AWANAS, but I get my only 1 on 1 time with Andrew on Sunday evenings. We have taken to doing grocery pick-up while he naps and then cuddle time (as I do all my other chores) when he wakes up. He is starting to be more and more interactive which makes me take breaks more and mroe each day for peek-a-boo and to tell him how completely adorable he is. He is growing so fast, and I hope that our Sunday evenings together can be a special bonding time.
Last Monday (and this one for that matter), we stayed home all day to do all the big schoolwork and relax. I am beginning to like this because it gets us off on the right foot for the week. The kids like it because it means they can stay in their pajamas all day. We are becoming that homeschool family, I'm afraid, lol. Last Tuesday we had CC and then dance and skating lessons in the evening. All the kids are making progress in their chosen activities. It is so fun to see how they grow and learn in things they enjoy! Wednesday is our usual library day and Thursday is Bible Study. I am still liking both and love that our routine includes reading books and studying God's word. I've been trying to pre-read William's books both so I can ask him questions about what he has read and so that I can screen them. His reading level and speed are advanced for his age and so finding books that are at his level and age maturity appropriate can sometimes be a challenge. He is loving fantasy books. I gave him a 250 page novel I had just finished at 7:30 last night and he finished it before he fell asleep at 10pm (later than he should have been up, mind you). He asked for the next book in the trilogy, and he was disappointed to find I hadn't started it yet.
Friday morning Hannah and I went to one of her friend's birthday party. The moms and daughters dressed up and went to a crepe place and a candy store next door. It was so fun! The boys got to hang our with the attending girls' brothers as a couple of the dad's volunteered to watch them while we were out. A good time was had by all and William even lost a front top tooth while there. He was drinking Gatorade and it came out in his drink. Robert didn't want to leave but he was glad we also had a Life Group (sunday school) class social Friday evening. It meant he could play with his friends twice in one day! It was a good old potluck and everyone had a blast. I love our class and how we are getting to know each other better.
Saturday Andrew turned 3 months. How did that happen?! He's rolling from front to back, has good control of his head most of the time, "talks" constantly, sleeps at night for a 5-7 hour stretch (which I didn't know was possible, lol), and is the joy of his brothers' and sister. He's expressive and smiles and laughts when he thinks things are funny. He is relaxed most of the time until he isn't...then the banshee scream will still make an appearance. I can't imagine life without him and am thankful for him. I love you Andrew!
Today it was our week off from CC and we made two trips to the Children's Museum. One to play and one to retrieve the special baby doll Hannah left behind. It was fine, but I'm glad to be home.
Till next time!
Saturday before last was a very special day. Francis's sister had a gender reveal party for the family and it's a BOY! This new nephew of mine has been long awaited and prayed for more than he will ever know. My heart delights in the Lord's goodness every time I think about it. WE love you miracle boy and cannot wait for February!
Sundays are busy due to church and AWANAS, but I get my only 1 on 1 time with Andrew on Sunday evenings. We have taken to doing grocery pick-up while he naps and then cuddle time (as I do all my other chores) when he wakes up. He is starting to be more and more interactive which makes me take breaks more and mroe each day for peek-a-boo and to tell him how completely adorable he is. He is growing so fast, and I hope that our Sunday evenings together can be a special bonding time.
Last Monday (and this one for that matter), we stayed home all day to do all the big schoolwork and relax. I am beginning to like this because it gets us off on the right foot for the week. The kids like it because it means they can stay in their pajamas all day. We are becoming that homeschool family, I'm afraid, lol. Last Tuesday we had CC and then dance and skating lessons in the evening. All the kids are making progress in their chosen activities. It is so fun to see how they grow and learn in things they enjoy! Wednesday is our usual library day and Thursday is Bible Study. I am still liking both and love that our routine includes reading books and studying God's word. I've been trying to pre-read William's books both so I can ask him questions about what he has read and so that I can screen them. His reading level and speed are advanced for his age and so finding books that are at his level and age maturity appropriate can sometimes be a challenge. He is loving fantasy books. I gave him a 250 page novel I had just finished at 7:30 last night and he finished it before he fell asleep at 10pm (later than he should have been up, mind you). He asked for the next book in the trilogy, and he was disappointed to find I hadn't started it yet.
Friday morning Hannah and I went to one of her friend's birthday party. The moms and daughters dressed up and went to a crepe place and a candy store next door. It was so fun! The boys got to hang our with the attending girls' brothers as a couple of the dad's volunteered to watch them while we were out. A good time was had by all and William even lost a front top tooth while there. He was drinking Gatorade and it came out in his drink. Robert didn't want to leave but he was glad we also had a Life Group (sunday school) class social Friday evening. It meant he could play with his friends twice in one day! It was a good old potluck and everyone had a blast. I love our class and how we are getting to know each other better.
Saturday Andrew turned 3 months. How did that happen?! He's rolling from front to back, has good control of his head most of the time, "talks" constantly, sleeps at night for a 5-7 hour stretch (which I didn't know was possible, lol), and is the joy of his brothers' and sister. He's expressive and smiles and laughts when he thinks things are funny. He is relaxed most of the time until he isn't...then the banshee scream will still make an appearance. I can't imagine life without him and am thankful for him. I love you Andrew!
Today it was our week off from CC and we made two trips to the Children's Museum. One to play and one to retrieve the special baby doll Hannah left behind. It was fine, but I'm glad to be home.
Till next time!
Friday, September 14, 2018
September 14, 2018
It's been a crazy week. AWANAS started up on Sunday evening. It's Hannah's first year to be in Cubbies and her teacher is Francis. She is super excited. It's Robert's first year in Sparks and William's third. It's going to be an amazing year of learning scripture!
Robert's 5th birthday was on Monday. He opened his presents, had a breakfast of pancakes, a lunch of McDonald's, an afternoon of building the Mario K'nex he recieved and dinner at Olive Garden. The staff at Olive Garden were amazing, recognizing him as a birthday boy the entire time we were there. It was so special! We had a very cute Mario cake that evening, Overall a great day! Robert is growing so fast. He is excelling in kindergarten, reading short books almost on his own. He knows his CC memory work and loves singing in choir. He is so kind and loving and brings joy to those around him. I can't imaging life without him. I love you, Robert!
We had CC on Tuesday and dance/skating lessons on Tuesday night. We did yearly pictures at Robin's house on Wednesday. It was bit of a struggle, but I think we got a couple of good shots of each kid. Robin is a seriously good sport! Thursday we started a new Bible study class. It has groups for birth through adult, so all the kids could go. The three little ones have just a weekly lesson, but William has a legitimate book and work each day to study and prepare for the next week. What's even cooler is that I have the adult version of the Bible Study book for my class. This means we can discuss our lessons even though they are for different levels! I am loving it and it's only been a day.
Today we have a big day. Francis had his 10 year college reunion today and tomorrow. We are joining him for a tour of the wind tunnels out at the airport. Then we are going to Bricks 4 Kidz to do Robert's birthday activity (it wasn't open on Monday). Finally we will have lunch and the three big kids with go to Junction (Parent's night out) so that Francis and I can celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a dinner for two (well, plus Andrew). It's going to be a great day!
Till next time!
Robert's 5th birthday was on Monday. He opened his presents, had a breakfast of pancakes, a lunch of McDonald's, an afternoon of building the Mario K'nex he recieved and dinner at Olive Garden. The staff at Olive Garden were amazing, recognizing him as a birthday boy the entire time we were there. It was so special! We had a very cute Mario cake that evening, Overall a great day! Robert is growing so fast. He is excelling in kindergarten, reading short books almost on his own. He knows his CC memory work and loves singing in choir. He is so kind and loving and brings joy to those around him. I can't imaging life without him. I love you, Robert!
We had CC on Tuesday and dance/skating lessons on Tuesday night. We did yearly pictures at Robin's house on Wednesday. It was bit of a struggle, but I think we got a couple of good shots of each kid. Robin is a seriously good sport! Thursday we started a new Bible study class. It has groups for birth through adult, so all the kids could go. The three little ones have just a weekly lesson, but William has a legitimate book and work each day to study and prepare for the next week. What's even cooler is that I have the adult version of the Bible Study book for my class. This means we can discuss our lessons even though they are for different levels! I am loving it and it's only been a day.
Today we have a big day. Francis had his 10 year college reunion today and tomorrow. We are joining him for a tour of the wind tunnels out at the airport. Then we are going to Bricks 4 Kidz to do Robert's birthday activity (it wasn't open on Monday). Finally we will have lunch and the three big kids with go to Junction (Parent's night out) so that Francis and I can celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a dinner for two (well, plus Andrew). It's going to be a great day!
Till next time!
Friday, September 7, 2018
September 7, 2018
With the exception of this weekend, we've mostly been home. Saturday the big boys and Francis went to church all day for a work day. Hannah, Andrew and I went to Home Depot to do their craft, went clothes shopping, went to Barnes and Noble to pickup Hannah's new "school books" she selected, had lunch at Chick-fil-a where we ran into friends, and went by Walmart to get some items we needed. With "just" two kids, it was easy, and Andrew slept or ate the whole time. Hannah loves shopping and was a trooper. I would NEVER have done this when I had just William and Robert many moons ago, so I chalk that up to personal growth! That evening we had Family Movie night at home. We watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The kids loved it, but were very confused by the intermission in the middle. Gotta love old movies! Sunday we had church and then went out to Cici's Pizza for dinner (kids' choice). The Tvs were playing Finding Nemo and Paw Patrol. The kids were in Heaven!
Sunday late Hannah started not feeling well and by Tuesday she was worse. She stayed home from CC while I took the boys all to class. Turns out she had an ear infection and strep. She's been on medicine and is improving. I hate to see my kids sick! William and Robert had their check ups yesterday. Both have grown inches and pounds. Both passed their hearing and vision tests too! Thankfully no shots so everyone left happy!
Little Andrew is growing by leaps and bounds. He's got decent control of his head now, and loves looking around at whatever his siblings are doing. He smiles and laughs when the mood strikes him, but has a very expressive face of every sort of emotion under the sun. I've taken to calling him "little person" as a term of endearment because that's exactly what he looks like: a miniature adult with all the feeling and expression therein. My mother has said of my father that he was born old (ie. mature) and I can't help but think this might be what he was like as an infant. No complaints if so, he's an amazing father and human being! Andrew also managed to do something none of my kids have ecer done as babies and certainly not at 2 months: he slept 8 hours straight at night! He fell asleep around 8 last night and didn't wake until a little after 4!! If he can repeat that and the other kids will stop waking up too, I might get my first decent sleep in 8 years! I won't get my hopes up though. I've probably jinxed it by even voicing the thought...still....
That's all for now!
Friday, August 31, 2018
August 31, 2018
Last weekend was busy. My parents and in-laws came in Saturday afternoon, and the kids got to go swimming at one of the hotels. Before that I introduced them to the Wizard of Oz. They watched with great interest and now wish to see many more old movies. I taped the kids reaction when the movie goes into color so I can always remember their smiles and amazement. After swimming, all 10 of us (6 plus grandparents) ate at Saltgrass for dinner. I am loving all the time we have had to spend with our parents lately. I wish it was this frequent all the time. After dinner my parents and Frankie's mom came back to the house to help put the kids to bed and watch the Christian comedy "Mom's Night Out". If you haven't seen it and like good clean humor, this movie is for you!
Sunday was Parent Dedication. Andrew looked super handsome and all the kids behaved well on stage. We dedicated ourselves to raise Andrew under God's direction and love. May he come to know Jesus as he grows in wisdom and stature. It was a beautiful time and having the grandparents there made it that much sweeter. We all had lunch at Red Lobster before everyone headed home. Andrew was a dream through it all, not crying and staying awake until we reached the car for lunch. He's a sweet baby all the time, to be honest. He's starting to smile more and more often which melts my heart even more than I thought was possible.
Monday we had a field trip to tour the back of Blue Baker. We've done this trip before but it is always fun and informative. Because most of the kids were school aged, the tour guide went much more in depth with how bread is made. the kids all listened closely and asked great questions, which impressed the lady. At the end the kids got to make their own loaf of bread (add mix-ins to premade dough) which we all enjoyed that evening.
Tuesday was our first day of Classical Conversations for the year. We had no nursery workers, so Hannah and Andrew joined me in Robert's class, but otherwise everything went off without a hitch. Both the littles were excellent in class; Andrew slept and Hannah participated or played quietly in the back. William was in class alone for the first time ever, but his tutor assured me he did amazing. I look forward to being in his class next week! Tuesday evening Hannah had her second dance class and is still in love with it. The teachers work well with her and she has come out with a sucker for good work both times.
Wednesday we went to the library and checked out way too many books. We are studying space right now among other things, and so we have a bunch from the library now. I also checked out Ella Enchanted, one of my favorite books at one time, in order to read it aloud to the kids. It's only been two days, but I've read over 100 pages out loud. The kids are hooked and nearly pitch a fit every time I stop. It's been fun to be the keeper of the story. I hope to be able to continue.
Thursday I took the kids to the children's museum. That evening I was able to attend the first Aggie football game of the season. I've only been to 1 other A&M game 12 years ago (after all I'm not an Aggie), so this was quite an experience. I can't explain the "spirit of Aggieland" feeling except to say Aggies are loyal and you can feel it in the air. It was such a fun time with these ladies, and I hope we are all able to hang out again. soon!
Today we had our last playgroup with Robin and Emerson. We went to Tarrow Splash-pad. I will miss our Fridays together. I am taking up the task of picking the spots, but it won't be the same!
Francis started his new job with Army Research Lab on Monday (yay for an official job!!). We are still learning exactly what will be expected, but for now we will rejoice in having a job. I"m so proud of him and how far we have come. He's a keeper!
The kids have all been growing faster than I can record. William is loving his new CC class, has 2 loose teeth (one that can turn sideways, ew!), and has a vocabulary that astonishes me and others. Robert has passed 42 inches, is reading pretty well now (spelling any word he can ), and doing simple addition in his head quickly. Hannah is such a sweetie: loving dance, clothes, babies and her brothers. She is starting to correctly sing her ABCs and count to 15 (more or less). Andrew is smiling so much these days, laughing, cooing and talking when engaged, and just yesterday realized he can hit things consistently with his hand when he tries. He's close to rolling from back to front and sleeps better than any of his siblings at this age (which honestly isn't saying much). Overall I'm tired and happy. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Till next time!
Sunday was Parent Dedication. Andrew looked super handsome and all the kids behaved well on stage. We dedicated ourselves to raise Andrew under God's direction and love. May he come to know Jesus as he grows in wisdom and stature. It was a beautiful time and having the grandparents there made it that much sweeter. We all had lunch at Red Lobster before everyone headed home. Andrew was a dream through it all, not crying and staying awake until we reached the car for lunch. He's a sweet baby all the time, to be honest. He's starting to smile more and more often which melts my heart even more than I thought was possible.
Monday we had a field trip to tour the back of Blue Baker. We've done this trip before but it is always fun and informative. Because most of the kids were school aged, the tour guide went much more in depth with how bread is made. the kids all listened closely and asked great questions, which impressed the lady. At the end the kids got to make their own loaf of bread (add mix-ins to premade dough) which we all enjoyed that evening.
Tuesday was our first day of Classical Conversations for the year. We had no nursery workers, so Hannah and Andrew joined me in Robert's class, but otherwise everything went off without a hitch. Both the littles were excellent in class; Andrew slept and Hannah participated or played quietly in the back. William was in class alone for the first time ever, but his tutor assured me he did amazing. I look forward to being in his class next week! Tuesday evening Hannah had her second dance class and is still in love with it. The teachers work well with her and she has come out with a sucker for good work both times.
Wednesday we went to the library and checked out way too many books. We are studying space right now among other things, and so we have a bunch from the library now. I also checked out Ella Enchanted, one of my favorite books at one time, in order to read it aloud to the kids. It's only been two days, but I've read over 100 pages out loud. The kids are hooked and nearly pitch a fit every time I stop. It's been fun to be the keeper of the story. I hope to be able to continue.
Thursday I took the kids to the children's museum. That evening I was able to attend the first Aggie football game of the season. I've only been to 1 other A&M game 12 years ago (after all I'm not an Aggie), so this was quite an experience. I can't explain the "spirit of Aggieland" feeling except to say Aggies are loyal and you can feel it in the air. It was such a fun time with these ladies, and I hope we are all able to hang out again. soon!
Today we had our last playgroup with Robin and Emerson. We went to Tarrow Splash-pad. I will miss our Fridays together. I am taking up the task of picking the spots, but it won't be the same!
Francis started his new job with Army Research Lab on Monday (yay for an official job!!). We are still learning exactly what will be expected, but for now we will rejoice in having a job. I"m so proud of him and how far we have come. He's a keeper!
The kids have all been growing faster than I can record. William is loving his new CC class, has 2 loose teeth (one that can turn sideways, ew!), and has a vocabulary that astonishes me and others. Robert has passed 42 inches, is reading pretty well now (spelling any word he can ), and doing simple addition in his head quickly. Hannah is such a sweetie: loving dance, clothes, babies and her brothers. She is starting to correctly sing her ABCs and count to 15 (more or less). Andrew is smiling so much these days, laughing, cooing and talking when engaged, and just yesterday realized he can hit things consistently with his hand when he tries. He's close to rolling from back to front and sleeps better than any of his siblings at this age (which honestly isn't saying much). Overall I'm tired and happy. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Till next time!
Thursday, August 23, 2018
August 23, 2018
It's been a crazy 2 weeks! Friday before last Francis graduated with his Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering. His whole family and my parents gathered with us to celebrate him walking the stage and officially becoming Dr. Phillips. I happily admit I shed tears when he walked the stage. It was such a special moment and even more so because the kids were all there to witness Francis's accomplishments. We had a dinner with just the adults (us, my parents, my in-laws and Cyndy and Chris) at a Brazilian steakhouse while the kids went with Abby up to our church for a movie night and pizza (accompanied by a babysitter). It was one of the top 10 days in my entire life and not one I will ever forget.
Saturday was William's 7th birthday. We had lunch as Sweet Paris and dinner at Taco Bell (per his request). We also played Pokemon Go and had a movie night at home. It was a perfect day for him. William is bright, handsome (though he hates me saying so), inquisitive, and always reading and learning. He's a problem solver and I love to see how he is growing. Keep it up, big guy!
Sunday we had church and parent dedication meeting. Monday, oh Monday! Monday we packed up the car and headed to a glorious few days in Galveston. We had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, took a tour of the ship Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum, and finally took a tour of the harbor where we saw so many dolphins and a sunken ship! By the time we got to our condo (the most amazing condo ever, FYI) and had dinner, we had just enough time for a late evening swim in the lazy river at our complex before going to bed. Tuesday Hannah and Andrew had their first trip to the beach and ocean. Andrew was not so very enthusiastic when a little wave lapped up on his legs as I held him at the shoreline, but Hannah was sold! She loved everything about the beach: the water, sand and shells. Andrew spent most of his time resting under our canopy on a pallet of towels, so the rest of us were all able to swim, build castles and bury each other together. After lunch we visited the game room and another pool at the complex and had some ice cream. Before dinner we made it back over to the pool by our condo so Francis could cook us steaks while I watched the kids. We finished off the evening with a family movie night. Wednesday we were back at the beach bright and early. Another perfect day of weather and Andrew again resting on his pallet led to pure perfection. We finally made it back to the condo for lunch, an afternoon movie (complete with parental naps) and a family game of monopoly. For dinner the kids selected Golden Corral (the wanted the ice cream and chocolate fountain). We went to the beach across the street after dinner to swim and watch the sunset. This beach was not as manicured as the one by our condo and held a treasure trove of shells for Hannah to collect. She pretended to be Ariel with her "collection". After the sun went down we took the drive back to our hotel. Before we even went up to the room, we took one last dip in the pool by our condo as we watched the stars come out. Robert loved this pool but his favorite was "the big pool with all the sand" (aka the ocean). Thursday it was time to head home, but we made a stop on the way. Where? The perfect place for someone with a doctorate in aerospace engineering: Johnson Space Center. We spent the day learning about space and taking a tour of where astronauts train. William found the training rather daunting and began to reconsider his future chosen profession. Francis loved telling the kids all about the exhibits and they enjoyed hearing it (so did I!). We made it home that evening tired but utterly happy.
Friday I had to regroup to get the house clean-ish and all the stuff put away from our trip. After playgroup at a splashpad, I worked as much as I could to make the house presentable. Why? Because Saturday was William and Robert's birthday party! Although the party was not at the house, we were happy to have the whole family at the house before and after. The party itself was at Bricks Kidz- a local lego place. The theme was Pokemon and Bricks 4 Kidz did a great job. When we left the kids were already asking when we could go again! Thank you to everyone who came out. We all felt so very loved, especially the boys!!!
This week we have started up some of our activities for during the school year. We had CC orientation where the kids were able to meet their teachers. Hannah had her first dance class (ballet and tap dance) on Tuesday evening. She loved being all dressed up and loved the dance instruction even more. It's going to be a great year! Andrew turned 2 months and had check up yesterday. He is 13lbs 1 oz, 25.25 in long and has a head to match his big smart brain. He is smiling, getting head control and talking up a storm. I love seeing him awake and happy! So far he is an excellent car baby and fits in so beautifully with this family. He is adored by his sibilngs and is patient as he gets (possibly too much) love from them.
I would write more, but time has gotten away from me.
Saturday was William's 7th birthday. We had lunch as Sweet Paris and dinner at Taco Bell (per his request). We also played Pokemon Go and had a movie night at home. It was a perfect day for him. William is bright, handsome (though he hates me saying so), inquisitive, and always reading and learning. He's a problem solver and I love to see how he is growing. Keep it up, big guy!
Sunday we had church and parent dedication meeting. Monday, oh Monday! Monday we packed up the car and headed to a glorious few days in Galveston. We had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, took a tour of the ship Elissa and the Texas Seaport Museum, and finally took a tour of the harbor where we saw so many dolphins and a sunken ship! By the time we got to our condo (the most amazing condo ever, FYI) and had dinner, we had just enough time for a late evening swim in the lazy river at our complex before going to bed. Tuesday Hannah and Andrew had their first trip to the beach and ocean. Andrew was not so very enthusiastic when a little wave lapped up on his legs as I held him at the shoreline, but Hannah was sold! She loved everything about the beach: the water, sand and shells. Andrew spent most of his time resting under our canopy on a pallet of towels, so the rest of us were all able to swim, build castles and bury each other together. After lunch we visited the game room and another pool at the complex and had some ice cream. Before dinner we made it back over to the pool by our condo so Francis could cook us steaks while I watched the kids. We finished off the evening with a family movie night. Wednesday we were back at the beach bright and early. Another perfect day of weather and Andrew again resting on his pallet led to pure perfection. We finally made it back to the condo for lunch, an afternoon movie (complete with parental naps) and a family game of monopoly. For dinner the kids selected Golden Corral (the wanted the ice cream and chocolate fountain). We went to the beach across the street after dinner to swim and watch the sunset. This beach was not as manicured as the one by our condo and held a treasure trove of shells for Hannah to collect. She pretended to be Ariel with her "collection". After the sun went down we took the drive back to our hotel. Before we even went up to the room, we took one last dip in the pool by our condo as we watched the stars come out. Robert loved this pool but his favorite was "the big pool with all the sand" (aka the ocean). Thursday it was time to head home, but we made a stop on the way. Where? The perfect place for someone with a doctorate in aerospace engineering: Johnson Space Center. We spent the day learning about space and taking a tour of where astronauts train. William found the training rather daunting and began to reconsider his future chosen profession. Francis loved telling the kids all about the exhibits and they enjoyed hearing it (so did I!). We made it home that evening tired but utterly happy.
Friday I had to regroup to get the house clean-ish and all the stuff put away from our trip. After playgroup at a splashpad, I worked as much as I could to make the house presentable. Why? Because Saturday was William and Robert's birthday party! Although the party was not at the house, we were happy to have the whole family at the house before and after. The party itself was at Bricks Kidz- a local lego place. The theme was Pokemon and Bricks 4 Kidz did a great job. When we left the kids were already asking when we could go again! Thank you to everyone who came out. We all felt so very loved, especially the boys!!!
This week we have started up some of our activities for during the school year. We had CC orientation where the kids were able to meet their teachers. Hannah had her first dance class (ballet and tap dance) on Tuesday evening. She loved being all dressed up and loved the dance instruction even more. It's going to be a great year! Andrew turned 2 months and had check up yesterday. He is 13lbs 1 oz, 25.25 in long and has a head to match his big smart brain. He is smiling, getting head control and talking up a storm. I love seeing him awake and happy! So far he is an excellent car baby and fits in so beautifully with this family. He is adored by his sibilngs and is patient as he gets (possibly too much) love from them.
I would write more, but time has gotten away from me.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
August 9, 2018
There is a robe hanging in my laundry room. Not a bath robe or anything like that; it's much more special. In many ways it represents the last ten years but especially the last three. Out of our ten years of marriage, Francis has been in school 5 of those, and tomorrow he graduates with his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering. As I stare at the maroon and black regalia, I reflect on the long amazing road that God has brought us down. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
For our 10 year anniversary, Francis got me a family portrait on canvas and I got his a letter of my memories. It was long and made him tear up, and he is glad to have that record of our life together. We had dinner at Olive garden with the kids (yay no cooking!) and had a quiet evening.
Friday we went to play group. It was one of the last ones with our Sunday school....excuse me our Life Group... class because school is starting up and most of the kids are school aged or going to mother's day out on Fridays. Saturday we hit up home depot for their kid's craft time. We cleaned the car, did the lawn and completed as many chores as we could. Sunday we took it easy after church. Even that requires some energy because the kids never stop!
Monday we had a fun time at the Browers' house, Tuesday the library, and yesterday we went to a CC playdate at the new church playground. Today I'm being short and sweet so I can get some cleaning done (we'll see how that goes) and possibly go somewhere this afternoon so the kids can get out all their energy. Pray for us as tomorrow is a big and very busy day. We will hit the ground running at 8 and likely not stop until bedtime. It's going to be a sweet, memorable time.
Till next time!
For our 10 year anniversary, Francis got me a family portrait on canvas and I got his a letter of my memories. It was long and made him tear up, and he is glad to have that record of our life together. We had dinner at Olive garden with the kids (yay no cooking!) and had a quiet evening.
Friday we went to play group. It was one of the last ones with our Sunday school....excuse me our Life Group... class because school is starting up and most of the kids are school aged or going to mother's day out on Fridays. Saturday we hit up home depot for their kid's craft time. We cleaned the car, did the lawn and completed as many chores as we could. Sunday we took it easy after church. Even that requires some energy because the kids never stop!
Monday we had a fun time at the Browers' house, Tuesday the library, and yesterday we went to a CC playdate at the new church playground. Today I'm being short and sweet so I can get some cleaning done (we'll see how that goes) and possibly go somewhere this afternoon so the kids can get out all their energy. Pray for us as tomorrow is a big and very busy day. We will hit the ground running at 8 and likely not stop until bedtime. It's going to be a sweet, memorable time.
Till next time!
Thursday, August 2, 2018
August 2, 2018
This week has been busy. Last Thursday after picking up the middle kids from church, we went ot pick up William from Urban Air trampoline Park. William announced he wanted to do this for his birthday in a couple of weeks. I told him it was way too expensive. I realized that his pass from the morning was good for all day and that they had a special going for kids 5 and under. I told him if he wanted to do his birthday activity right then, we could stay until dinner. He jumped for joy and so did Hannah and Robert. We stayed nearly 5 more hours (bringing William's total time there all day to nearly 8 hours). They had a blast with the ninja warrior course, the tubes, the overhead roped course, the trampolines, the climbing walls, slides, and so much more. I was exhausted just watching and Andrew slept through most of it. It was a long but good day.
Friday we went to playgroup at the children's museum. The kids played with friends for over 3 hours. You think they'd be tired, but nope! My kids might as well be wind up toys, haha. So full of energy! Friday afternoon was Hannah's 3 year check up. She's 37 inches and over 30 lbs. She's moved up to the 50th and 42 percentile in each (up from 42 and 21 respectively). She's healthy and thriving. she and the doctor had a nice chat about favorite colors and pretty dresses and princesses. I love our doctor and how she really cares.
Saturday William, Robert, and Francis went up to church for a workday with the media ministry. I went on a cleaning rampage (my body made me pay for it later), and then took Hannah and Andrew to the new Crepe place in town: Sweet Paris. It's hard and slightly scary to take a newborn and a 3 year old to a new restaurant by yourself, but I wanted to do something special with Hannah. Hannah got all dressed up from head to toe. She was adorable. We ordered a savory crepe and a dessert crepe as well as a waffle for Hannah. All three were completely devoured by the two of us. The food was delicious!!
Sunday we had church, class lunch and a brief time at home. That evening our Robert had his Big Kid graduation from the preschool wing at church. Oh, be still my heart! It was just Francis, Robert and I (and Andrew sleeping in the stroller in the corner). They fed us snack food that you can pack in your lunch and gave each child a lunch box. Robert got to announce he would be home-schooled and stand up with all the other now Kindergartners. I made it through mostly without tearing up, especially because he is so excited to be on the same side of the building as William. You are going to do great things, my Robert. I'm so blessed to be able to watch.
Monday we had our first CC play date of the year. It was up at church at their new indoor playground. The kids had fun and the mommas got to catch up on what's been going on over the summer. Tuesday we had our last summer Bible Study. It was Robert's last time on the preschool side of the building before promotion Sunday this week. My baby is growing up! Yesterday we went to the library and somehow stayed for story time. Today we had a play date with William's friend....William (and his sister and mom). It was fun and I'm glad we were able to set it up!
Today Francis and I have been married 10 years. It's passed in the blink of an eye. Ten years, nine million laughs and giggles, eight thousand times things didn't go as planned, seventy times seven "I love yous", six(teen) yearly family trips, five Canadian vacations, four kids, three houses, two people, and one love-- After everything, I'd still choose him again in a heartbeat. I love you, Francis. Happy Anniversary.
Till next time!
Friday we went to playgroup at the children's museum. The kids played with friends for over 3 hours. You think they'd be tired, but nope! My kids might as well be wind up toys, haha. So full of energy! Friday afternoon was Hannah's 3 year check up. She's 37 inches and over 30 lbs. She's moved up to the 50th and 42 percentile in each (up from 42 and 21 respectively). She's healthy and thriving. she and the doctor had a nice chat about favorite colors and pretty dresses and princesses. I love our doctor and how she really cares.
Saturday William, Robert, and Francis went up to church for a workday with the media ministry. I went on a cleaning rampage (my body made me pay for it later), and then took Hannah and Andrew to the new Crepe place in town: Sweet Paris. It's hard and slightly scary to take a newborn and a 3 year old to a new restaurant by yourself, but I wanted to do something special with Hannah. Hannah got all dressed up from head to toe. She was adorable. We ordered a savory crepe and a dessert crepe as well as a waffle for Hannah. All three were completely devoured by the two of us. The food was delicious!!
Sunday we had church, class lunch and a brief time at home. That evening our Robert had his Big Kid graduation from the preschool wing at church. Oh, be still my heart! It was just Francis, Robert and I (and Andrew sleeping in the stroller in the corner). They fed us snack food that you can pack in your lunch and gave each child a lunch box. Robert got to announce he would be home-schooled and stand up with all the other now Kindergartners. I made it through mostly without tearing up, especially because he is so excited to be on the same side of the building as William. You are going to do great things, my Robert. I'm so blessed to be able to watch.
Monday we had our first CC play date of the year. It was up at church at their new indoor playground. The kids had fun and the mommas got to catch up on what's been going on over the summer. Tuesday we had our last summer Bible Study. It was Robert's last time on the preschool side of the building before promotion Sunday this week. My baby is growing up! Yesterday we went to the library and somehow stayed for story time. Today we had a play date with William's friend....William (and his sister and mom). It was fun and I'm glad we were able to set it up!
Today Francis and I have been married 10 years. It's passed in the blink of an eye. Ten years, nine million laughs and giggles, eight thousand times things didn't go as planned, seventy times seven "I love yous", six(teen) yearly family trips, five Canadian vacations, four kids, three houses, two people, and one love-- After everything, I'd still choose him again in a heartbeat. I love you, Francis. Happy Anniversary.
Till next time!
Thursday, July 26, 2018
July 26, 2018
Whew! Another week for the history books. Last Friday Andrew turned 4 weeks! I can’t even believe it. He is so much more alert, looking at anything and everything. He still seems to prefer a steady stream of noise over quiet, but anything sudden startles and upsets him. He is a constant back-archer, preferring to see the world upside down as much as possible. Even when I try to hold him upright, he will arch his back until he is upside down before relaxing. He is still taking the very occasional bottle (hallelujah!) and will begrudgingly take a pacifier if he isn’t too hungry. I’ve even managed to get him to nap in the bassinet or crib for more than 10 minutes (something none of my other kids ever seemed to do). He’s a sweet boy who loves his momma most and the rest of his family too. He’s outgrown newborn size clothing and diapers, and is super long. We saw a baby that is a week younger than him a couple days ago and he looked huge in comparison. They grow so fast! I love Andrew so much. My baby boy!
Friday morning we went to play group at McDonald’s. It was too hot outside so their playground was perfect. We had a great time and stayed for a long time playing and snacking on our food. Friday night we had Family Movie Night at church. They played Cinderella (the old cartoon version) and served pizza. The boys were not thrilled when they heard the choice but watched it. Afterward they agreed that it was much better than they were expecting. Go figure. Saturday we did some stuff around the house, the boys went out and played pokemon and Hannah and I had some girl time (with Andrew). Sunday was a busy day! We had church, class lunch at a burger place, then picked up groceries, came home for a little bit and had dinner, then we went to the church-wide pool party at Adamson Lagoon. Andrew and I did not swim (we snacked and chatted), but the kids and Francis had a blast on the slides, in the pools and playing around with friends. It was such a good time.
Monday we celebrated Hannah’s birthday a day early by spending the morning at Altitude Trampoline Park. It was her choice and she made some friends while she was there, making it extra special. Tuesday was my baby girl Hannah’s 3rd birthday. How did this happen so fast?! We went to Bible Study in the morning after Hannah opened presents. One of the presents contained a ballet set compete with leotard, tiara, tights and ballet slippers. I told her that she was going to get to attend her very first dance class with me that evening. She has been asking for this for a while and was over the moon excited when the time came. She danced the whole class (checking herself out in the mirror with delight). When she came out her face was positively shining. She wouldn’t take off her ballet gear, so she ended up wearing it to dinner at BJs. We met Francis and the boys there. After a yummy meal, we all headed home for mermaid cake and cupcakes. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I’m so glad, baby girl! Hannah is so smart, funny, beautiful inside and out and she LOVES to dance. She tells funny jokes, takes care of her brothers at all times (whether they like it or not) and is particularly fond of holding Andrew. She has taken to wearing outfits to match her baby dolls most days and brings her “baby” whenever she can. She is a precious gift.
Wednesday we went to the Library and then to my post-partum doctor appointment. Without going into detail, everything seems to be healing nicely. The doctor is very happy with how my C-section recovery is going. I still need to take it easy, but I am on the road to recovery! Today the three bigs are at the last Summer Fun Days. Robert and Hannah are at church having an inflatable jumping day and William is at a Trampoline park jumping also. I am thankful for a church that pours into my kids. They love being with church and so do I!
Robert and William are also doing well (since I didn’t say much about them). Robert is growing and has hit the 42 inch mark, which means he was able to ride on the big slide at Adamson Lagoon on Sunday. His imagination is still unparalleled and I don’t always know how to answer his deep questions. He has been asking about what it means to have Jesus in your heart. Please pray I answer in the way the Spirit leads. He’s also becoming a pretty good reader, especially for his age. So smart! William is also growing. He’s reading faster than I can check out books from the library. He has been known to read a book or two while we are at the library and put it back on the shelf. William is an amazing big brother and has taken on a lot of responsibility. If I need him to do something for himself, the dogs, or one of his siblings, he will do it right away. He can unbuckle Hannah and Robert in the car, which is a bigger help than he will ever know. The other night he looked at me and cried because he was happy being 6 and wasn’t sure he wanted to grow up any more because he will have to eventually stop doing things that kids do. He is so my kid because I did this as a child too. I cried with him a little as we talked about how there are new things to do even as old things go away. He agreed and was fine after a while. Oh the joys and pains of growing up!
That’s all for now!
Friday morning we went to play group at McDonald’s. It was too hot outside so their playground was perfect. We had a great time and stayed for a long time playing and snacking on our food. Friday night we had Family Movie Night at church. They played Cinderella (the old cartoon version) and served pizza. The boys were not thrilled when they heard the choice but watched it. Afterward they agreed that it was much better than they were expecting. Go figure. Saturday we did some stuff around the house, the boys went out and played pokemon and Hannah and I had some girl time (with Andrew). Sunday was a busy day! We had church, class lunch at a burger place, then picked up groceries, came home for a little bit and had dinner, then we went to the church-wide pool party at Adamson Lagoon. Andrew and I did not swim (we snacked and chatted), but the kids and Francis had a blast on the slides, in the pools and playing around with friends. It was such a good time.
Monday we celebrated Hannah’s birthday a day early by spending the morning at Altitude Trampoline Park. It was her choice and she made some friends while she was there, making it extra special. Tuesday was my baby girl Hannah’s 3rd birthday. How did this happen so fast?! We went to Bible Study in the morning after Hannah opened presents. One of the presents contained a ballet set compete with leotard, tiara, tights and ballet slippers. I told her that she was going to get to attend her very first dance class with me that evening. She has been asking for this for a while and was over the moon excited when the time came. She danced the whole class (checking herself out in the mirror with delight). When she came out her face was positively shining. She wouldn’t take off her ballet gear, so she ended up wearing it to dinner at BJs. We met Francis and the boys there. After a yummy meal, we all headed home for mermaid cake and cupcakes. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I’m so glad, baby girl! Hannah is so smart, funny, beautiful inside and out and she LOVES to dance. She tells funny jokes, takes care of her brothers at all times (whether they like it or not) and is particularly fond of holding Andrew. She has taken to wearing outfits to match her baby dolls most days and brings her “baby” whenever she can. She is a precious gift.
Wednesday we went to the Library and then to my post-partum doctor appointment. Without going into detail, everything seems to be healing nicely. The doctor is very happy with how my C-section recovery is going. I still need to take it easy, but I am on the road to recovery! Today the three bigs are at the last Summer Fun Days. Robert and Hannah are at church having an inflatable jumping day and William is at a Trampoline park jumping also. I am thankful for a church that pours into my kids. They love being with church and so do I!
Robert and William are also doing well (since I didn’t say much about them). Robert is growing and has hit the 42 inch mark, which means he was able to ride on the big slide at Adamson Lagoon on Sunday. His imagination is still unparalleled and I don’t always know how to answer his deep questions. He has been asking about what it means to have Jesus in your heart. Please pray I answer in the way the Spirit leads. He’s also becoming a pretty good reader, especially for his age. So smart! William is also growing. He’s reading faster than I can check out books from the library. He has been known to read a book or two while we are at the library and put it back on the shelf. William is an amazing big brother and has taken on a lot of responsibility. If I need him to do something for himself, the dogs, or one of his siblings, he will do it right away. He can unbuckle Hannah and Robert in the car, which is a bigger help than he will ever know. The other night he looked at me and cried because he was happy being 6 and wasn’t sure he wanted to grow up any more because he will have to eventually stop doing things that kids do. He is so my kid because I did this as a child too. I cried with him a little as we talked about how there are new things to do even as old things go away. He agreed and was fine after a while. Oh the joys and pains of growing up!
That’s all for now!
Thursday, July 19, 2018
July 19, 2018
I left off last time with our trip home from the hospital. Due to my C-section, I was unable to drive (among other restrictions) for 2 weeks, so my mother stayed with us during that time. I say stayed...we did not do much staying. Thursday after Andrew got out of the hospital, we made a trip to Toys R Us on their closing day. There wasn't much left but we got many things for very cheap. The kids were glad Andrew got at least one trip there. We had lunch at Fuddrucker's and went to a check up for Andrew. He did great! Andrew had lost hardly any weight (which is amazing for being in the NICU) and everything looked normal. Hooray! Friday evening we went to the Family movie night at church (free food!). They showed the old Swiss Family Robinson. The kids loved it, especially the antics used to ward off the pirates!!! Mom and I didn't stay for the movie. Instead we took Andrew shopping to get clothing for his newborn pictures the next day and get birthday gifts for Hannah and Danielle. He was so sweet and we got so much done!
Saturday and Sunday passed quickly. Francis was amazing and took the big kids out to play Pokemon and to church so mom and I could rest and prepare for the coming week. Monday came and mom and I packed up the van, the dogs and the kids and headed to Dallas. You read that right. I'm nuts. I wasn't able to drive, but riding in the passenger seat and taking breaks to eat/feed Andrew worked out just fine. We made it to my parents' house in time for (most of us, not me) to swim and run around outside. Francis came along in a separate car after he finished working. Tuesday we did all the fun sorts of things around the house and outside. Mostly the kids were swimming. I'm so glad they were able to do this. They also got to play some games and drive the little cars around the land. It was a relaxing day and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. We even got to finish the day having dinner with Francis's parents. Icing on the cake! Wednesday was my favorite day of the year- 4th of July. I know that's a weird choice of favorite, but I love it because I get to spend time with all my family (both mine and Francis's) in a fun and relatively low stress way (plus...the FIREWORKS!). We started off the day at the Plano parade (in which my mom was able to ride on a float). Andrew got to meet Christian, Chad and the cousins along with a few family friends. the kids had a great time getting candy and cheering, "Happy 4th!" at each group that passed. Then we had BBQ at my parents' house. YUM!!! We also managed to squeeze in some bonus fun: Hannah's 3rd Birthday party. She wanted an Ariel swim party with her cousin Alexandra and that's exactly what she got. It was so fun! She got wonderful presents, had a delicious Ariel cake and was able to swim with Alexandra (and everyone else) to her heart's content. She really loved all the Ariel toys, the dollie and me clothes, and her brand new princess bike. We had our annual snowball fight in the pool too. I videoed since I couldn't swim. Good times. Brandon and Bethany Nine stopped by. It was so fun to chat with them and show off our sweet Andrew. Finally it was time to head to fireworks. We always set up camp out there and eat. play games and talk until the fireworks start. Aunt Dani and Papa both brought light up gear, so we were glowing along with the lights overhead. Andrew loved the fireworks. Even at just over a week old, he stared at the colors and made all sorts of amazed faces. He's very expressive.
We had to head home on Thursday, but the trip was totally worth it. Friday Andrew had his 2 week check up. Mom and I were able to drop off the kids at play group (thanks Rachel!!) and go with just baby boy. He exceeded his birth weight by 2 oz (8lbs 9 oz) and had grown half an inch. everything about his was just perfect. He didn't love his blood being drawn, but he even did that like a champ. I love him more every time I look at him. He's sleeping on me as I type this and my little heart is close to bursting each time he makes a little baby noise in his sleep. It's all just a miracle. Saturday mom started to get the house clean in preparation of her departure. While it was so wonderful of her to do, I slightly dreaded each thing she it because it meant one step closer to her leaving. Sunday we all went to church and lunch. Then mom finished cleaning. Monday was the day I could start driving again, so she helped me get all the grocery shopping done and put away before she headed out. I made it through the afternoon having all 4 kids by myself, but when Francis got home I was tired. I was thankful for Bible Study the next morning both because I knew the kids would be well taken care of and I could spend some time with fellow ladies studying His word. Wednesday we made it to the library (later than normal) and while I was nursing Andrew, the kids decided they wanted to go to story time with a friend from church who happened to be there too. So what should have been a short trip turned into a long, but enjoyable, one. Thursday, sweet Thursday. One week ago today was the first Summer fun day with church. Hannah and Robert went to church for the morning and William spent time at Spirit Ice Arena. And I got to catch up on things at home that needed to get done (like write on my blog). The kids came home worn out and so we cuddled and watched a little TV in the afternoon. Thursday evening we went to a friend's going away party. While it is bittersweet to say goodbye, it was so good for my soul to be around others from our Sunday school class and spend time with them. The kids had so much fun too. They now think Rachel's house (where we were) is "almost as cool as Disney World". That's high praise!
Friday we made it to play group! And at a splash pad no less. The weather was mild (though not as remarkable mild as it was on the 4th of July), so in the shade it was perfectly pleasant to sit and watch the kids play. And play they did. We had a good group of both kids and moms, so a good time was had by all. Saturday Francis took the big 3 ice skating for over 3 hours. They came home for dinner still full of energy (what??) and after eating, Francis and the boys went back to skate for another 2 hours. Hannah. Andrew and I watched a some TV and cuddled until they fell asleep. Sunday we made it to church again and even made it to class lunch afterward. Having a baby does not seem to have slowed us down too much, but Andrew doesn't seem to notice. I'm glad he is super chill about being in the car. Fortunately everything except the trip to Dallas has been very short trips.
This week we've been to the grocery store, Bible Study, and the library. Yesterday the Bryan library had a bunch of science experiments which the kids were able to do. The Williams family came too, so it was extra special. Today is the second Summer Fun Day. All three big kids are at church this time. William is doing a special Bricks 4 Kidz program and the younger two are making pizza among other things. Whew! I caught up!
Andrew is growing so fast. They older three adore him and want to talk/hold/play with him constantly. Taking turns is hard but necessary. Tummy time is fun because all 4 kids kid on their tummies. The big three love it when he raises his head and try to encourage him as much as possible. Andrew can roll from front to back already. When I put him down for tummy time last Friday, he lifted his head and managed to get his arm underneath (he was mad and flailing). Then he did his famous back arch and suddenly flipped onto his back. He was so stunned he didn't know what to do for a moment. He has since repeated this phenomena and is stunned every time. It cracks me up a little to see his eyes get huge with "what happened?". He's been up at night quite a bit, but he isn't screaming, so although I am tired, at least my ears are in tact. I'm recovering well. I overdo it once in a while and have to back off, but mostly I have been good. I've had no more joint problems and my stones have not flared up. I'm so much better than I was a month ago, and so very thankful for that.
That's all for now!
Saturday and Sunday passed quickly. Francis was amazing and took the big kids out to play Pokemon and to church so mom and I could rest and prepare for the coming week. Monday came and mom and I packed up the van, the dogs and the kids and headed to Dallas. You read that right. I'm nuts. I wasn't able to drive, but riding in the passenger seat and taking breaks to eat/feed Andrew worked out just fine. We made it to my parents' house in time for (most of us, not me) to swim and run around outside. Francis came along in a separate car after he finished working. Tuesday we did all the fun sorts of things around the house and outside. Mostly the kids were swimming. I'm so glad they were able to do this. They also got to play some games and drive the little cars around the land. It was a relaxing day and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. We even got to finish the day having dinner with Francis's parents. Icing on the cake! Wednesday was my favorite day of the year- 4th of July. I know that's a weird choice of favorite, but I love it because I get to spend time with all my family (both mine and Francis's) in a fun and relatively low stress way (plus...the FIREWORKS!). We started off the day at the Plano parade (in which my mom was able to ride on a float). Andrew got to meet Christian, Chad and the cousins along with a few family friends. the kids had a great time getting candy and cheering, "Happy 4th!" at each group that passed. Then we had BBQ at my parents' house. YUM!!! We also managed to squeeze in some bonus fun: Hannah's 3rd Birthday party. She wanted an Ariel swim party with her cousin Alexandra and that's exactly what she got. It was so fun! She got wonderful presents, had a delicious Ariel cake and was able to swim with Alexandra (and everyone else) to her heart's content. She really loved all the Ariel toys, the dollie and me clothes, and her brand new princess bike. We had our annual snowball fight in the pool too. I videoed since I couldn't swim. Good times. Brandon and Bethany Nine stopped by. It was so fun to chat with them and show off our sweet Andrew. Finally it was time to head to fireworks. We always set up camp out there and eat. play games and talk until the fireworks start. Aunt Dani and Papa both brought light up gear, so we were glowing along with the lights overhead. Andrew loved the fireworks. Even at just over a week old, he stared at the colors and made all sorts of amazed faces. He's very expressive.
We had to head home on Thursday, but the trip was totally worth it. Friday Andrew had his 2 week check up. Mom and I were able to drop off the kids at play group (thanks Rachel!!) and go with just baby boy. He exceeded his birth weight by 2 oz (8lbs 9 oz) and had grown half an inch. everything about his was just perfect. He didn't love his blood being drawn, but he even did that like a champ. I love him more every time I look at him. He's sleeping on me as I type this and my little heart is close to bursting each time he makes a little baby noise in his sleep. It's all just a miracle. Saturday mom started to get the house clean in preparation of her departure. While it was so wonderful of her to do, I slightly dreaded each thing she it because it meant one step closer to her leaving. Sunday we all went to church and lunch. Then mom finished cleaning. Monday was the day I could start driving again, so she helped me get all the grocery shopping done and put away before she headed out. I made it through the afternoon having all 4 kids by myself, but when Francis got home I was tired. I was thankful for Bible Study the next morning both because I knew the kids would be well taken care of and I could spend some time with fellow ladies studying His word. Wednesday we made it to the library (later than normal) and while I was nursing Andrew, the kids decided they wanted to go to story time with a friend from church who happened to be there too. So what should have been a short trip turned into a long, but enjoyable, one. Thursday, sweet Thursday. One week ago today was the first Summer fun day with church. Hannah and Robert went to church for the morning and William spent time at Spirit Ice Arena. And I got to catch up on things at home that needed to get done (like write on my blog). The kids came home worn out and so we cuddled and watched a little TV in the afternoon. Thursday evening we went to a friend's going away party. While it is bittersweet to say goodbye, it was so good for my soul to be around others from our Sunday school class and spend time with them. The kids had so much fun too. They now think Rachel's house (where we were) is "almost as cool as Disney World". That's high praise!
Friday we made it to play group! And at a splash pad no less. The weather was mild (though not as remarkable mild as it was on the 4th of July), so in the shade it was perfectly pleasant to sit and watch the kids play. And play they did. We had a good group of both kids and moms, so a good time was had by all. Saturday Francis took the big 3 ice skating for over 3 hours. They came home for dinner still full of energy (what??) and after eating, Francis and the boys went back to skate for another 2 hours. Hannah. Andrew and I watched a some TV and cuddled until they fell asleep. Sunday we made it to church again and even made it to class lunch afterward. Having a baby does not seem to have slowed us down too much, but Andrew doesn't seem to notice. I'm glad he is super chill about being in the car. Fortunately everything except the trip to Dallas has been very short trips.
This week we've been to the grocery store, Bible Study, and the library. Yesterday the Bryan library had a bunch of science experiments which the kids were able to do. The Williams family came too, so it was extra special. Today is the second Summer Fun Day. All three big kids are at church this time. William is doing a special Bricks 4 Kidz program and the younger two are making pizza among other things. Whew! I caught up!
Andrew is growing so fast. They older three adore him and want to talk/hold/play with him constantly. Taking turns is hard but necessary. Tummy time is fun because all 4 kids kid on their tummies. The big three love it when he raises his head and try to encourage him as much as possible. Andrew can roll from front to back already. When I put him down for tummy time last Friday, he lifted his head and managed to get his arm underneath (he was mad and flailing). Then he did his famous back arch and suddenly flipped onto his back. He was so stunned he didn't know what to do for a moment. He has since repeated this phenomena and is stunned every time. It cracks me up a little to see his eyes get huge with "what happened?". He's been up at night quite a bit, but he isn't screaming, so although I am tired, at least my ears are in tact. I'm recovering well. I overdo it once in a while and have to back off, but mostly I have been good. I've had no more joint problems and my stones have not flared up. I'm so much better than I was a month ago, and so very thankful for that.
That's all for now!
Thursday, July 12, 2018
July 12 Part 3 The NICU stay
It was Saturday, and Andrew was only 19 hours old. How could this be happening? After receiving the shock that they were taking Andrew to the NICU because he was breathing too fast, my eyes welled up. I tried to be strong though. They let us keep him long enough for the kids to get to hold him one more time and then they wheeled him down the hall. Those moments of waiting were....indescribable. Finally a doctor I didn't know came in and introduced himself as Andrew's attending physician. He explained that Andrew was breathing 100 times per minute (60 or less is normal) and that they would be keeping him in the NICU for at least overnight. Despite my best effort, I lost it. Francis looked panicked too. The doctor was kind and said we could come visit any time we wanted. This was not as much comfort as it should have been because I was hardly able to sit up in bed and had only stood once momentarily. The wheelchair ride was excruciatingly painful, but I said as little as I could because I desperately wanted to see my boy. He was hooked up to a bunch of machines which kept beeping. I could hardly see him through my choked back tears. The next day and a half are a bit of a blur. Francis spent a lot of time in the NICU and I went as often as I could physically bear. Andrew's X-ray showed fluid in his lungs and a cloud which could indicate pneumonia. The put him on antibiotics while waiting for his blood-work to come back. It was possible the fluid would be absorbed on his own. This was our hope. By evening time Andrew had to be put on oxygen because his levels were below an acceptable rate. One more tube... He couldn't eat due to risk of aspiration, so they had him hooked up to an IV. I had to pump to try to get my milk supply started in hopes that he would soon be able to eat. time stood still and yet passed in the blink of an eye. I did have a lot of visitors to keep me company. I am so thankful for these amazing ladies, because without them I would have been left to my thoughts while Francis was away. They all were truly sent from God in my time of need. The only other bright spot was that since is was Summer time (and not flu season), the older three kids were able to visit Andrew in the NICU. This made the kids happy and brought me comfort too. Finally on Monday we turned a corner. He was taken off oxygen and the fluid in his lungs was starting to clear. He was able to take some of my milk from a bottle. By Monday evening he was even able to nurse! I thought we were finally getting out of here. I was half right....
Monday I was discharged, but Francis and I were allowed to stay in our room to "board" until they needed the room or Andrew was released. We got the news that they wanted to keep Andrew another night, but that he should be released in the morning. Finally! I was disappointed not to leave Monday, but glad to see an end in sight. His breathing was within normal range and he didn't need the heat lamp anymore. My big guy!
Through all of this my mother-in-law was watching my kids. She is amazing! She took them to church, to Altitude trampoline park, to McDonald's, to Chick-fil-a and to so many other fun places I don't even know about. While I know my kids missed me, they were not lacking in love or attention. It's a debt I can never repay and I am truly grateful.
Tuesday morning dawned, but not how I expected. When I went down to the NICU to nurse Andrew, I saw him under the photo-therapy lights and my heart sank. Sure enough, Andrew now had jaundice. We weren't going home after all. The all too familiar feeling of hot tears streamed down my face. I was so tired. So ready to be home. So...done. After an exam by the doctor before noon, he gave us some good news. Andrew could be taken off all of the tubes. This meant he could join us in one of the NICU transition rooms. We were going to be with our baby boy again! Transition rooms look a bit like a hotel room with a queen bed, TV and bathroom, but have all the hook ups for babies so their beds can be in there with the parents. The rooms are located in the NICU so the nurses can come and check on the babies and give them medication/exams as needed. He had to stay under the photo lights unless he was nursing, but at least he was within arm's reach. We spent the night with this arrangement and despite the joy with Andrew being near, it was far from easy. Andrew hated the lights and kept ripping the masks used to protect his eyes. He was either nursing or screaming (the banshee scream is what the nurses called it), but I stayed strong in hopes home was on the horizon. It was. The next morning his bilirubin was down and they turned off the lights. My mother came Tuesday night to relieve my mother-in-law, and she and the kids came to get us around lunch time so we could go home. 5 days in the NICU were enough. We were getting out of there! I laughed and cried happy tears on our 3 minute drive home. the house, which I had only seen for a brief moment in two weeks looked like heaven. We made it. Home.
This is probably it for today but I will try to post about our time at home soon.
Monday I was discharged, but Francis and I were allowed to stay in our room to "board" until they needed the room or Andrew was released. We got the news that they wanted to keep Andrew another night, but that he should be released in the morning. Finally! I was disappointed not to leave Monday, but glad to see an end in sight. His breathing was within normal range and he didn't need the heat lamp anymore. My big guy!
Through all of this my mother-in-law was watching my kids. She is amazing! She took them to church, to Altitude trampoline park, to McDonald's, to Chick-fil-a and to so many other fun places I don't even know about. While I know my kids missed me, they were not lacking in love or attention. It's a debt I can never repay and I am truly grateful.
Tuesday morning dawned, but not how I expected. When I went down to the NICU to nurse Andrew, I saw him under the photo-therapy lights and my heart sank. Sure enough, Andrew now had jaundice. We weren't going home after all. The all too familiar feeling of hot tears streamed down my face. I was so tired. So ready to be home. So...done. After an exam by the doctor before noon, he gave us some good news. Andrew could be taken off all of the tubes. This meant he could join us in one of the NICU transition rooms. We were going to be with our baby boy again! Transition rooms look a bit like a hotel room with a queen bed, TV and bathroom, but have all the hook ups for babies so their beds can be in there with the parents. The rooms are located in the NICU so the nurses can come and check on the babies and give them medication/exams as needed. He had to stay under the photo lights unless he was nursing, but at least he was within arm's reach. We spent the night with this arrangement and despite the joy with Andrew being near, it was far from easy. Andrew hated the lights and kept ripping the masks used to protect his eyes. He was either nursing or screaming (the banshee scream is what the nurses called it), but I stayed strong in hopes home was on the horizon. It was. The next morning his bilirubin was down and they turned off the lights. My mother came Tuesday night to relieve my mother-in-law, and she and the kids came to get us around lunch time so we could go home. 5 days in the NICU were enough. We were getting out of there! I laughed and cried happy tears on our 3 minute drive home. the house, which I had only seen for a brief moment in two weeks looked like heaven. We made it. Home.
This is probably it for today but I will try to post about our time at home soon.
July 12 Part 2- Baby Andrew is here!
As I was saying... I was called back to my appointment on June 21 at 4pm, and the nurse took my blood pressure. She didn't look at me or say anything. She asked another nurse to come take my blood pressure. After checking my blood pressure, that nurse just smiled strangely at me and took me to a waiting area saying she'd be back. After 30 minutes they took my blood pressure a third time and ushered me into an exam room. The doctor came in and asked me how I was. I said I hurt and that I couldn't shake the headache I was having. She told me I was going to the hospital to get some blood work done and that I was most likely going to have this baby tomorrow. I stared at her for a moment. What? I was only 37 weeks. She explained my blood pressure was elevated and that she suspected preeclamsia (the blood work came back to support this claim). Out of confusion or stubbornness, I told her I couldn't go straight to the hospital because I had to go get (or you know, pack) my bag and drop my kids off somewhere. She and the nurse both looked concerned, but conceded to give me until 8pm to get to the hospital or else...oh and that I better not have a seizure. It was already past 5pm. I rushed home, fed the kids, packed my bag and got a hold of our family friends who could watch our kid until someone else arrived. Francis and I made it to the hospital at 7pm after dropping off the kids at the Browers' house. We were admitted to "triage" in the maternity ward while they did blood-work and monitored my blood pressure. I was eventually admitted to a room. My mom arrived and was able to get the kids (who had an awesome movie night) and bring them home. My mother-in-law got in a short time later to watch the kids overnight so my mom was able to rejoin us at the hospital. It was a long night. Medication helped me sleep a little and lower my blood pressure.
They started me on pitocin in the middle of the night. I was already contracting every minute and a half when I arrived at the hospital, but it wasn't doing anything. I also got an epidural which did wonders for my joint pain (aka I couldn't feel my legs or back). We waitied all day and finally the doctor broke my water. A while later I was at a 10 and it was time to push. The nurse checked me and made a strange face. She asked another nurse to check me and that nurse made the same face. They called the doctor to confirm that Andrew was presenting with his forehead instead of the back of his head. They were going to go ahead and let me push but warned me it would probable not work. After an hour of pushing I had made no progress. It was after 5pm now. they prepped me for a c-section. I was so exhausted I was shaking. When they got me into the operating room, they had to heavily sedate me and tie down my hands because even though I don't remember it, I was talking and trying to stop them even while on the drugs. I woke up after 7 and could see Francis holding something. I couldn't see what it was but I knew it had to be Andrew. He was a handsome 8lbs 7 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. They told me he was born at 5:55 but because I was having some trouble, it took a while to stop the bleeding and sew me up. My vision was blurry and I was coming in and out of consciousness. I mostly recall sobbing uncontrollably because I was in the worst pain of my life and I hadn't yet seen my baby boy. When they got me stable and back into my regular room, they handed me Andrew. I couldn't see him well, but I could smell his baby smell and that helped a lot. I cried for a long time, but after the right amount of medication and time, I was able to calm. I stared at my perfect baby boy. The sadness of the previous hours melted away as I looked at the angelic little one in my arms. It was worth it. He was was worth all of it. That night was also short. Despite the orders to not give me food (I hadn't had food since Thursday), Francis got me some Chick-fil-a and I snuck bites between nurses visits. I had my baby, and the sweetness of that realization carried me further than anything. the kids were able to come by that evening and meet Andrew. The brought him a toy dragon and he gave them paints and paper, pokemon cards and a priness ball. We were all instantly so very much in love. Francis's parents joined my kids (my mom had been there since I returned to my room). We doted for a bit and got pictures of us all together.
The next morning was uneventful as we both started the healing process. I was able to nurse him a couple of times. My brother-in-law Chris and niece Abby came and brought gifts. My kids were able to see and hold Andrew again too. All seemed well for a moment. And then the nurse came to do an exam around noon. Without warning she said, "He's breathing a little fast. I need to take him to the NICU to do more of an evaluation." What?
To be continued...
They started me on pitocin in the middle of the night. I was already contracting every minute and a half when I arrived at the hospital, but it wasn't doing anything. I also got an epidural which did wonders for my joint pain (aka I couldn't feel my legs or back). We waitied all day and finally the doctor broke my water. A while later I was at a 10 and it was time to push. The nurse checked me and made a strange face. She asked another nurse to check me and that nurse made the same face. They called the doctor to confirm that Andrew was presenting with his forehead instead of the back of his head. They were going to go ahead and let me push but warned me it would probable not work. After an hour of pushing I had made no progress. It was after 5pm now. they prepped me for a c-section. I was so exhausted I was shaking. When they got me into the operating room, they had to heavily sedate me and tie down my hands because even though I don't remember it, I was talking and trying to stop them even while on the drugs. I woke up after 7 and could see Francis holding something. I couldn't see what it was but I knew it had to be Andrew. He was a handsome 8lbs 7 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. They told me he was born at 5:55 but because I was having some trouble, it took a while to stop the bleeding and sew me up. My vision was blurry and I was coming in and out of consciousness. I mostly recall sobbing uncontrollably because I was in the worst pain of my life and I hadn't yet seen my baby boy. When they got me stable and back into my regular room, they handed me Andrew. I couldn't see him well, but I could smell his baby smell and that helped a lot. I cried for a long time, but after the right amount of medication and time, I was able to calm. I stared at my perfect baby boy. The sadness of the previous hours melted away as I looked at the angelic little one in my arms. It was worth it. He was was worth all of it. That night was also short. Despite the orders to not give me food (I hadn't had food since Thursday), Francis got me some Chick-fil-a and I snuck bites between nurses visits. I had my baby, and the sweetness of that realization carried me further than anything. the kids were able to come by that evening and meet Andrew. The brought him a toy dragon and he gave them paints and paper, pokemon cards and a priness ball. We were all instantly so very much in love. Francis's parents joined my kids (my mom had been there since I returned to my room). We doted for a bit and got pictures of us all together.
The next morning was uneventful as we both started the healing process. I was able to nurse him a couple of times. My brother-in-law Chris and niece Abby came and brought gifts. My kids were able to see and hold Andrew again too. All seemed well for a moment. And then the nurse came to do an exam around noon. Without warning she said, "He's breathing a little fast. I need to take him to the NICU to do more of an evaluation." What?
To be continued...
July 12 Part 1
A whole month has passed since I last posted, and so much has happened it will not all fit in one post. A month ago the kids all graduated from their respective swim lessons (hooray!), and then we all went to a CC 3 day practicum. The kids attended camp and I got to learn all about Latin and its relation to the Classical Conversations model of education. It was fascinating. William attended Geodraw camp and learned to draw the world as a "blob map" and got pretty good at drawing the outline and countries of Africa. Robert and Hannah had a ton of fun at play camp and the nursery respectively. After the Saturday session, the kids and I took Francis out to an early Father's Day Dinner at Red Lobster. They sat us in our own room for some reason so it was quiet, and we really got to enjoy our food and time together. He had been gone from Monday evening until Friday so this was an especially sweet time. Sunday after church we had a quick Father's Day lunch with Francis at Freddie's before the kids and I headed to Dallas for the next few days. We arrived in time to have Father's Day dinner with my dad and the whole Noble crew. The kids got to play with their Drake cousins and also had a little time to swim before bed.
Monday morning, we headed across town from my parents' house to Prestonwood Baptist Church (where I grew up) and the boys got to attend Adventure Week (aka Vacation Bible School) there. Hannah, my mom, Danielle and I went and got a pedicure while the boys were gone. It was Hannah's first pedicure and she sat on my mom's lap and watched with fascination as they painted her toes "sparkle pink" with white polka dots. She loved every minute of it and was so proud of her feet when they were done. My back had been hurting so bad and the massage chairs there were just what I needed to take some of the edge off! We met Christian and her kids at the mall where we shopped and all had lunch after picking up the boys. That afternoon and evening, we all went swimming. My kids are regular little fish. Tuesday during Adventure Week, Hannah and I went to Play Street Museum by church and we had a fun time with just the two of us. She made some friends and especially loved playing with the baby dolls. After picking up the boys we met Danielle and Kevin at Studio Movie Grill for lunch and the Incredibles 2. The kids loved it, especially baby Jack Jack. Another round of swimming and fun with Papa was how we spent our evening. Wednesday while the boys were at camp, Hannah and I sopped at Target. We had a snack in their restaurant too. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I love that girl!
While in Dallas, I had been getting headaches that I realized corresponded with spikes in my pulse (thanks fitbit!). Thursday morning I was awoken around 3:30 with the worst headache yet. I checked my pulase and it was hovering around 150 (which is not normal. I waited and breathed. My pulse came down but the headache just hung around coming and going.
Thursday Hannah and I met up with Christian and her kids at Playstreet Museum. We had a very nice time despite my pain. My dad helped me pick up the boys from church so the kids and I could head home. I had a doctor's appointment at 4pm in College Station, so Francis met me in the Doctor's parking lot to trade cars and take the kids home. I was called back to my appointment and the nurse took my blood pressure. She didn't look at me or say anything. She asked another nurse to come take my blood pressure. After checking my blood pressure, that nurse just smiled strangely at me and took me to a waiting area saying she'd be back. After 30 minutes they took my blood pressure a third time and ushered me into an exam room. The doctor came in and asked me how I was. I said I hurt and that I couldn't shake the headache I was having. She told me I was going to the hospital to get some blood work done and that I was most likely going to have this baby tomorrow. I stared at her for a moment. What?
To be continued...
Monday morning, we headed across town from my parents' house to Prestonwood Baptist Church (where I grew up) and the boys got to attend Adventure Week (aka Vacation Bible School) there. Hannah, my mom, Danielle and I went and got a pedicure while the boys were gone. It was Hannah's first pedicure and she sat on my mom's lap and watched with fascination as they painted her toes "sparkle pink" with white polka dots. She loved every minute of it and was so proud of her feet when they were done. My back had been hurting so bad and the massage chairs there were just what I needed to take some of the edge off! We met Christian and her kids at the mall where we shopped and all had lunch after picking up the boys. That afternoon and evening, we all went swimming. My kids are regular little fish. Tuesday during Adventure Week, Hannah and I went to Play Street Museum by church and we had a fun time with just the two of us. She made some friends and especially loved playing with the baby dolls. After picking up the boys we met Danielle and Kevin at Studio Movie Grill for lunch and the Incredibles 2. The kids loved it, especially baby Jack Jack. Another round of swimming and fun with Papa was how we spent our evening. Wednesday while the boys were at camp, Hannah and I sopped at Target. We had a snack in their restaurant too. Hannah said it was the best day ever. I love that girl!
While in Dallas, I had been getting headaches that I realized corresponded with spikes in my pulse (thanks fitbit!). Thursday morning I was awoken around 3:30 with the worst headache yet. I checked my pulase and it was hovering around 150 (which is not normal. I waited and breathed. My pulse came down but the headache just hung around coming and going.
Thursday Hannah and I met up with Christian and her kids at Playstreet Museum. We had a very nice time despite my pain. My dad helped me pick up the boys from church so the kids and I could head home. I had a doctor's appointment at 4pm in College Station, so Francis met me in the Doctor's parking lot to trade cars and take the kids home. I was called back to my appointment and the nurse took my blood pressure. She didn't look at me or say anything. She asked another nurse to come take my blood pressure. After checking my blood pressure, that nurse just smiled strangely at me and took me to a waiting area saying she'd be back. After 30 minutes they took my blood pressure a third time and ushered me into an exam room. The doctor came in and asked me how I was. I said I hurt and that I couldn't shake the headache I was having. She told me I was going to the hospital to get some blood work done and that I was most likely going to have this baby tomorrow. I stared at her for a moment. What?
To be continued...
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
June 12, 2018
It's been another whirlwind week. Francis made it home Wednesday evening and was greeted by three very excited children. After reading books to them and tucking them in, he slept for 11 hours! He hadn't slept for 2 days so I can't blame him, but his experiment was a success. He is still analyzing all the results but so far they look good.
Thursday after swim lessons, William started to complain of a headache and a few hours later he began to vomit. This continued through the might and into Friday morning. He finally began to feel better during the day and so by Friday evening we were able to take a family drive to get out of the house. William wanted something to do that didn't require much energy on Friday and so I gave him the Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books compiled together) by C. S. Lewis. He loves reading and has been reading it during his free time ever since. By Sunday he had already read over 500 pages. I have no idea where he gets that from, haha.
Saturday we had to do as many chores around the house as we could. It's crazy how much still needs to be done even when you work hard all week!
Sunday evening the whole Phillips clan met to have an early Father's Day dinner. Francis's parents drove in here for the night and his Sister, Chris and Abby drove up from Houston for dinner. It was fun and the conversation was lively. I love it when a plan comes together!
Monday was a big day. Francis had his defense of his doctoral thesis. They tried a new format where the family is able to join and watch the presentation in addition to the committee and fellow students. Francis's parents were already in town and my parents drove up that morning. Even the kids got to come up before it started and enjoy the food we brought. They were super cute as they hugged Francis goodbye and left with my mom for swim lessons (thanks mom!) right before Francis began his presentation. I was impressed by Francis and his presentation. He did it calmly and reminded me once again how wonderfully smart he is. I was also impressed by the number of fellow students who voluntarily came and listened very attentively, even asking good questions when the time came. After presentation and questions, they kicked us all out so the committee could ask Francis questions for the better part of an hour. Francis then exited to wait while the committee discussed whether or not he passed. He was greeted warmly by students (who had all stuck around!) and family alike. A very short time later, Dr. Lagoudas (head of the committee) came out and said, "Now where is Dr. Phillips?". This was meet with cheering and clapping by all. We got a few pictures. It was such a special time. Afterward, we had lunch with the kids and all 4 parents at a local Italian place to celebrate. The kids wanted to know if Francis had won. Why yes, yes he did! If that were not enough excitement for one day, Francis came home, packed and flew out to Maryland that evening. He has meetings today and tomorrow for a job that he is (hopefully) going to start in August. We will see him again Thursday evening. Never a dull moment around here. The whole of Monday would not have been the same if not for our quiet times with the Lord. In his perfect timing, I had made it to Jeremiah 29 which talks about him knowing the plans for Israel and bringing them home at the appointed time. Francis, on the other hand was in Acts 25 which just happened to include Paul's defense before Festus and King Agrippa. I love that God still talks to us through His word. It was a perfect start to the day.
Today We started up summer Bible Study at church. The kids and I had to leave early to make it to swim lessons, but we thankfully won't have to leave early again. We made it just in time for swim lessons. I'm so glad we only have 2 more because they make me so tired! The kids however still had energy to burn so we had to go to the park after dinner to run off the last bit of it. I wish I could borrow some of it! The rest of our week includes swim lessons, library, my OB appointment, Francis coming home and Practicum all day Thursday through Saturday. If I can make it through all that, then only a few more weeks until baby. I'm still feeling, well, terrible, but keeping busy at least keeps my mind on other things.
Till next time!
Thursday after swim lessons, William started to complain of a headache and a few hours later he began to vomit. This continued through the might and into Friday morning. He finally began to feel better during the day and so by Friday evening we were able to take a family drive to get out of the house. William wanted something to do that didn't require much energy on Friday and so I gave him the Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books compiled together) by C. S. Lewis. He loves reading and has been reading it during his free time ever since. By Sunday he had already read over 500 pages. I have no idea where he gets that from, haha.
Saturday we had to do as many chores around the house as we could. It's crazy how much still needs to be done even when you work hard all week!
Sunday evening the whole Phillips clan met to have an early Father's Day dinner. Francis's parents drove in here for the night and his Sister, Chris and Abby drove up from Houston for dinner. It was fun and the conversation was lively. I love it when a plan comes together!
Monday was a big day. Francis had his defense of his doctoral thesis. They tried a new format where the family is able to join and watch the presentation in addition to the committee and fellow students. Francis's parents were already in town and my parents drove up that morning. Even the kids got to come up before it started and enjoy the food we brought. They were super cute as they hugged Francis goodbye and left with my mom for swim lessons (thanks mom!) right before Francis began his presentation. I was impressed by Francis and his presentation. He did it calmly and reminded me once again how wonderfully smart he is. I was also impressed by the number of fellow students who voluntarily came and listened very attentively, even asking good questions when the time came. After presentation and questions, they kicked us all out so the committee could ask Francis questions for the better part of an hour. Francis then exited to wait while the committee discussed whether or not he passed. He was greeted warmly by students (who had all stuck around!) and family alike. A very short time later, Dr. Lagoudas (head of the committee) came out and said, "Now where is Dr. Phillips?". This was meet with cheering and clapping by all. We got a few pictures. It was such a special time. Afterward, we had lunch with the kids and all 4 parents at a local Italian place to celebrate. The kids wanted to know if Francis had won. Why yes, yes he did! If that were not enough excitement for one day, Francis came home, packed and flew out to Maryland that evening. He has meetings today and tomorrow for a job that he is (hopefully) going to start in August. We will see him again Thursday evening. Never a dull moment around here. The whole of Monday would not have been the same if not for our quiet times with the Lord. In his perfect timing, I had made it to Jeremiah 29 which talks about him knowing the plans for Israel and bringing them home at the appointed time. Francis, on the other hand was in Acts 25 which just happened to include Paul's defense before Festus and King Agrippa. I love that God still talks to us through His word. It was a perfect start to the day.
Today We started up summer Bible Study at church. The kids and I had to leave early to make it to swim lessons, but we thankfully won't have to leave early again. We made it just in time for swim lessons. I'm so glad we only have 2 more because they make me so tired! The kids however still had energy to burn so we had to go to the park after dinner to run off the last bit of it. I wish I could borrow some of it! The rest of our week includes swim lessons, library, my OB appointment, Francis coming home and Practicum all day Thursday through Saturday. If I can make it through all that, then only a few more weeks until baby. I'm still feeling, well, terrible, but keeping busy at least keeps my mind on other things.
Till next time!
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018
We made it to June! There have been days I was not fully convinced I would make it. I'm more than halfway through day two without Francis....but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Last Friday after Francis finished at work, we all headed over to Sheridan to meet up with Francis's parents and his sister, brother-in-law and niece Abby. We spent the night in a nice cabin (well, the Boergers opted for tent camping outside), and the next morning we spent the day at Splashway Waterpark. The kids had a blast!!! Francis was not able to join us for the morning as he was working on his defense presentation (so he can, ya know, graduate!), so I followed Robert around the many kids areas, wave pools and slides. He found two slides he liked in particular and did them at least 30 times each. Hannah went around with Nana and enjoyed the little slide and pretending to be a mermaid by swimming around with her hands touching the bottom of the shallow pool and kicking her legs behind her. William and grandad did a couple slides, but was a big fan of the wave pool. Abby (aka the pro) liked everything and did most of the options for fun as much as she could. When Francis joined us for lunch, he then took William on a big slide called the "Magic Carpet" ride. William failed to try to go down the first two times, freezing on the stairs partway up. But the third time after determining that it would not get the best of him, he marched up the stairs (and didn't look down) and did the ride. And you know what? He LOVED it! He did it at least 3 more times that afternoon. Robert played for a little bit and then fell asleep on me. With grandad's help, I got him back to the cabin where he napped for a long time that afternoon. He had played hard. I needed the rest too, so I certainly did not complain. Hannah and William kept up their fun until dinner time, somehow with energy to spare. We all had dinner at the cabin made by Cyndy and then Francis, the kids and I headed home. The two who didn't nap made it only part way home, and Robert got in bed without a fuss. It was a good day.
Sunday after church, Francis and I completed as many chores as we could before he left for Chicago very early Monday morning. It was exhausting, but necessary so that I could function alone with the kids. He's conducting an experiment in Chicago and will be back late tomorrow night. Here's hoping he gets great results!
The kids started swim lessons yesterday. As Hannah is not yet 3, I am doing the mommy and me classes with her. It's harder than I remember to do lessons with her while huge pregnant, but she is having a blast. Robert is in the preschool classes and William is in level one of the big leagues. So far we have made it through two lessons, and Robert, Hannah and I have napped both afternoons afterward. It's exhausting! We have 6 lessons to go (2 this week and 4 next week). I can't wait to see how much the kids learn in that time!
What else? Baby boy is moving up a storm. I'm having even more trouble sleeping at night (I didn't know that was possible!) as he pushes and stretches out causing even more Braxton hicks contractions. Fun stuff. Less than 5 weeks until my due date. It seems like an eternity, but with all the things on the calendar, I think it will move by quickly. All my other aches/pains/problems are the same. My kids don't understand why it's so hard for me to walk these days, but they have been pretty sweet about it anyway. They are super ready to meet their brother and keep asking me to walk them through all the planned activities before baby's due date in July. I'm ready for that time too, kiddos.
Till next time!
Last Friday after Francis finished at work, we all headed over to Sheridan to meet up with Francis's parents and his sister, brother-in-law and niece Abby. We spent the night in a nice cabin (well, the Boergers opted for tent camping outside), and the next morning we spent the day at Splashway Waterpark. The kids had a blast!!! Francis was not able to join us for the morning as he was working on his defense presentation (so he can, ya know, graduate!), so I followed Robert around the many kids areas, wave pools and slides. He found two slides he liked in particular and did them at least 30 times each. Hannah went around with Nana and enjoyed the little slide and pretending to be a mermaid by swimming around with her hands touching the bottom of the shallow pool and kicking her legs behind her. William and grandad did a couple slides, but was a big fan of the wave pool. Abby (aka the pro) liked everything and did most of the options for fun as much as she could. When Francis joined us for lunch, he then took William on a big slide called the "Magic Carpet" ride. William failed to try to go down the first two times, freezing on the stairs partway up. But the third time after determining that it would not get the best of him, he marched up the stairs (and didn't look down) and did the ride. And you know what? He LOVED it! He did it at least 3 more times that afternoon. Robert played for a little bit and then fell asleep on me. With grandad's help, I got him back to the cabin where he napped for a long time that afternoon. He had played hard. I needed the rest too, so I certainly did not complain. Hannah and William kept up their fun until dinner time, somehow with energy to spare. We all had dinner at the cabin made by Cyndy and then Francis, the kids and I headed home. The two who didn't nap made it only part way home, and Robert got in bed without a fuss. It was a good day.
Sunday after church, Francis and I completed as many chores as we could before he left for Chicago very early Monday morning. It was exhausting, but necessary so that I could function alone with the kids. He's conducting an experiment in Chicago and will be back late tomorrow night. Here's hoping he gets great results!
The kids started swim lessons yesterday. As Hannah is not yet 3, I am doing the mommy and me classes with her. It's harder than I remember to do lessons with her while huge pregnant, but she is having a blast. Robert is in the preschool classes and William is in level one of the big leagues. So far we have made it through two lessons, and Robert, Hannah and I have napped both afternoons afterward. It's exhausting! We have 6 lessons to go (2 this week and 4 next week). I can't wait to see how much the kids learn in that time!
What else? Baby boy is moving up a storm. I'm having even more trouble sleeping at night (I didn't know that was possible!) as he pushes and stretches out causing even more Braxton hicks contractions. Fun stuff. Less than 5 weeks until my due date. It seems like an eternity, but with all the things on the calendar, I think it will move by quickly. All my other aches/pains/problems are the same. My kids don't understand why it's so hard for me to walk these days, but they have been pretty sweet about it anyway. They are super ready to meet their brother and keep asking me to walk them through all the planned activities before baby's due date in July. I'm ready for that time too, kiddos.
Till next time!
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
May 29, 2018
I'm going to have to start taking it easier. Life is getting more, uh, complicated by the day. On a positive note, I've had no additional sicknesses this week. I am so thankful for that! Also baby boy is doing well and moving up a storm. He's pushing his limit already and he isn't even out yet. I know he has to be running out of room despite my being so rotund. I'm seriously hoping I won't have to wait 6 more weeks to meet him!
My joint pain has taken a turn for the worse. Sunday I barely made it to the car from church. The last couple of mornings I've teared up trying to get out of bed because my body screams at me after resting. Walking and standing yield similar results so there is only the occasional respite when I find just the right sitting position. I found this morning I cannot make a tight fist anymore as my hands are swollen and the joint in my fingers won't cooperate. It seems like today is the last day I will be wearing my real wedding ring until after baby...that is if I can get it off tonight. We plan on making a Walmart trip tonight so I can get a fake ring in the interim. Due to the heat I'm having to drink even more to keep my salivary stones in check, which is hard because the water here has started to taste, well, like it does every summer= not good. I've also added heart burn to this super fun mix which intense in the evenings but does not seem to be traced to any particular food. All that to say, please keep me in your prayers.
Back to happier things. Francis has submitted his dissertation and is now working on his defense. This is the last hurdle before graduation. We still don't know where we will be living in the fall, but we do have a couple of options which I can't go into at present. I can say with relative certainty that we will be here through the summer and that baby will be born here, which gives me some peace of mind to know at least that far out. Francis has been pulling a lot of double duty working full time on graduating only to come home and take care of me and the kids. I know he's exhausted, but he hasn't complained. He's really the best and I'm so blessed to have him.
The kids have been good for me (mostly) too. I've done my best to preserve their routines so that they can get out their energy and enjoy the summer time. Sometimes that means I have to just sit and watch, but I'm just glad to be there with them. I've been having to lay down for a little bit in the afternoon so I can regain my strength, and the kids have been pretty good getting along and playing quietly. William has been working on cooking so he "can help more when the baby comes". He's learned to help make many things including mac and cheese all by himself (with supervision of course). He's very proud of his progress. I am too to be honest. Robert is starting to read well. You give him most any three letter word and he can tell you what is says without flinching. I would not be surprised if he is beginning to read short books by his 5th birthday in September. He wants to be like his big brother so he's highly motivated. Hannah has an excellent memory, and there is no fooling her. She is quick to remind me of something I have promised her and have yet to complete. She has recently become quite the Daddy's girl during the day but still prefers me when it's story time at bedtime.
Francis's parents came in town yesterday for lunch and to take some of our furniture that was in our office back to Plano with them. they are beyond gracious to store things for us until we figure out where we are moving. If I had the choice of all the in laws in the world, I'd still pick them. We will be seeing them again this weekend at Splashway Water Parks. I anticipate a lot of sitting for me, but I think the kids will have an amazing time!
Thank you to everyone who has been praying. It means more than you know. I have one sweet friend in particular who took one look at me on Sunday and told me she was bringing our family dinner tonight. I (REALLY) don't like to ask for help, but I accepted and am so grateful that tonight I don't have to stand and make food. God knew exactly what I needed. Thank you God for friends who care.
Till next time!
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
May 22, 2018
It's been an eventful week. After I finally got a handle on my sinus infection, I managed to get food poisoning. No joke. No idea what I ate but Wednesday night I started to feel weird and then spent the night in the bathroom sleeping on the rug in between episodes. By morning I was beginning to recover but I tried to eat and move very little that day just in case I relapsed. Thankfully by Thursday evening I felt normal again, and no one else was effected. Since I'm on a different diet than the rest of the family, there is no telling which thing I had was the culprit. Francis worked from home on Thursday so I could recover. Not sure I would have made it through the day without him!
Over the weekend we worked hard and managed to get the nursery completed. The closet in there was full to the brim with stuff, so seeing it empty and ready for baby stuff brought a happy tear to my eye. I quickly filled it with all the stuff that was waiting for a home including baby clothes, accouterments, and a chest of baby toys. It looks weird and amazing when I pass by to see the change, and oh so satisfying! The kids are loving the room and keep wandering in there for no particular reason. I hope they get it out of their system because come July there will be an occupant that will be none to happy to be woken by curious siblings.
Sunday morning, our sweet Bible Life (Sunday School) class showered us with diapers, wipes, gifts, and (most importantly) prayer. I'm so thankful for a group of people who love Jesus and and us. We got an adorable stuffed animal and coordinating shirts for all the kids with Big/Lil Brother/sister respectively that are beyond cute! I can't wait to see them in use.
Today we went on the Trail Buddies hike again. It was long and muddy but the kids loved it. It's a catch 22 for me concerning my joints. It hurts to move but if I stop it hurts even more. By the end of the hike I was very tired though and did manage a nap this afternoon. I woke up stiff. I'm glad this is not a permanent situation (at least I hope!). My salivary stones are still an ever present issue too, but this week hasn't been as bad now that I'm doing massage and heat all the time.
Let's see. The kids are all doing well. As long as I get them out of the house at some point during the day, they are pretty good about my need to take it easy. Hannah is starting to sleep more in her own bed overnight. We finished the end table for her room and I think it is helping her not feel like she is going to fall off. The table was mine as a little girl and was built by my grandfather Pop. We repainted it and upholstered it to be pink and purple (Hannah's favorite colors) and it goes perfectly with her new big girl bed. Eventually we will add the matching head board and foot board and the ensemble will be complete!
Over the weekend we worked hard and managed to get the nursery completed. The closet in there was full to the brim with stuff, so seeing it empty and ready for baby stuff brought a happy tear to my eye. I quickly filled it with all the stuff that was waiting for a home including baby clothes, accouterments, and a chest of baby toys. It looks weird and amazing when I pass by to see the change, and oh so satisfying! The kids are loving the room and keep wandering in there for no particular reason. I hope they get it out of their system because come July there will be an occupant that will be none to happy to be woken by curious siblings.
Sunday morning, our sweet Bible Life (Sunday School) class showered us with diapers, wipes, gifts, and (most importantly) prayer. I'm so thankful for a group of people who love Jesus and and us. We got an adorable stuffed animal and coordinating shirts for all the kids with Big/Lil Brother/sister respectively that are beyond cute! I can't wait to see them in use.
Today we went on the Trail Buddies hike again. It was long and muddy but the kids loved it. It's a catch 22 for me concerning my joints. It hurts to move but if I stop it hurts even more. By the end of the hike I was very tired though and did manage a nap this afternoon. I woke up stiff. I'm glad this is not a permanent situation (at least I hope!). My salivary stones are still an ever present issue too, but this week hasn't been as bad now that I'm doing massage and heat all the time.
Let's see. The kids are all doing well. As long as I get them out of the house at some point during the day, they are pretty good about my need to take it easy. Hannah is starting to sleep more in her own bed overnight. We finished the end table for her room and I think it is helping her not feel like she is going to fall off. The table was mine as a little girl and was built by my grandfather Pop. We repainted it and upholstered it to be pink and purple (Hannah's favorite colors) and it goes perfectly with her new big girl bed. Eventually we will add the matching head board and foot board and the ensemble will be complete!
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
May 15, 2018
We've been busy yet again. Back on May 4th we got to celebrate Star Wars Day at the local library with coloring, origami, Star Wars books and an appearance by a tie fighter and storm trooper. These people were committed and their costumes looked completely authentic which delighted my kiddos. They felt like they were getting pictures at Disney World: a win for everyone!
Two Saturdays ago was a particularly busy day. With 7 things on the calendar, we narrowed it down to the top 4. We started off by going to Home Depot for their project day. The kids made and painted windmill planters. They turned out very cute! Then we immediately headed to the hospital where baby boy will be born so the kids could attend a sibling class (about how/when to hold baby, rules about taking care of baby, practicing changing and swaddling baby and much more) and we could all get a tour of the facilities. It was a great experience because they even gave the kids a set of scrubs for each of them to keep. We are pretty sure we are delivering in College Station now (that has not always been the case) so I'm glad to now have the lay of the land. We grabbed a quick lunch at Chick-fil-a and headed to our Classical Conversations End of Year party. The host house had a pool, trampoline, obstacle course, fire pit for smores and so much more. The kids particularly loved the pool despite the cold water. We got home in time to have dinner, take a short rest and then continue on to our final stop of the day: the Brazos Civic Orchestra concert. They played a few pieces including a compilation of Star Wars music. As we had just finished studying orchestra in Classical Conversations, it was the perfect field trip. The kids loved identifying all the instruments and seeing them play together. Overall it was a great day! Not sure I'll be able to take all that in again any time soon though, haha.
Last Tuesday we had our CC Field Day. The kids competed in a number of events and had the most fantastic time. William won 2nd in the egg run and Robert won first in the sack race in their respective groups. Most importantly they lost graciously, cheered on their classmates, and had fun. The littlest group (Hannah's) had fun doing whatever they pleased at each station. It was pretty adorable to see them try out things like the three-legged race. We are so blessed to be able to participate in such fun things. I thank God for the wonderful opportunities he had placed in our lives!!
Friday we got to hang out with many friends at Altitude Trampoline Park for Toddler time. Three hours of jumping, ziplines, battle beams, rock climbing, foam pits, and dodge ball will make a kid good and worn out, let me tell you! It was even more fun to be with friends than it would have been to go alone. My heart is truly full. If that wasn't enough, Friday evening was mother-son "Date Knight" at Chick-fil-a. They decorated the restaurant like a castle, we had table side service, a photographer, balloon person, live music, crafts and treats after our food. It was so fun to hang out with my boys an hear their thoughts on life in a relaxed setting. At the same time, Francis and Hannah went and picked out paint for her new head board and night stand (she chose purple) and a new mattress for her big girl bed. Both trips were a success! After the kids were in bed that night, Francis and I began the task of changing the office into a nursery. It's not complete yet, but we've made great progress!
Saturday my in-laws stopped by and helped us move furniture around into the nursery and Hannah's room. We then all met up with Cyndy, Chris and Abby at Blessington Farms outside of Houston. The kids had great fun despite the heat, and afterward we went to an indoor playground and dinner before heading home. That was packed Saturday too, because when we got home, we continued working on the nursery. I'm beginning to think we are nuts. Oh! and baby dropped on Saturday too. He went from being high to where I couldn't breathe to being much lower. I have pictures of before and after which shows just how dramatic a change it was.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Francis got breakfast and I got to open cards, and a gift from my husband and kids. We did church and lunch at Jason's Deli (one of the few "fast" places I can eat at present). We came back and worked on assembling Hannah's big girl bed and moving the crib over to the nursery. It was more work than anticipated, but both Hannah and baby at least have a place to sleep. Hannah also has a new (to her) chest of drawers to go with her princess bed. She loves it and even managed to stay in her own bed all night the first night! We had dinner at Outback Steakhouse to finish off the day, ad Francis surprised me with chocolate covered strawberries so I could cheat on my diet a little but not too much.
Today the kids and I went to Lick Creek Park for their trail buddies story time. Contrary to the promised "short nature walk", we ended up hiking about a mile through the trails of the park. I was exhausted by the end but the kids loved it. They also loved playing at the nature center afterward where I met another mom who is starting homeschooling this coming year. We talked a long time and it was nice to get in some adult conversations today.
My health overall has not been great. My salivary stones start back up during/after each meal so eating is really not fun or enjoyable for the most part. I have to put heat on my neck and massage like crazy to get them to pass so the swelling will go down. At my doctor appointment on Thursday, baby's fluid was back within normal range, but doc wants me to stay on the low carb diet. It's very difficult when many soft foods that would make it easier to eat fall under the carb label. It's a catch 22. Also, my joint pain has kicked in in full force. It it harder and harder to walk, and all of my joints ache. At night when I lay on my side, my hip and/or shoulder come out of joint causing my leg and arm to go numb and be incredibly painful. So I'm not getting sleep. And I'm huge and swollen. This makes for general unpleasantness all the time. The icing on the cake is I'm fighting a sinus infection. I've still got 8 weeks till my due date, and I know the Lord is in control. I just have to keep fighting the good fight while I wait and hope everything returns to normal when this baby is born.
I know there's more, but I've run out of time. Till next time!
Two Saturdays ago was a particularly busy day. With 7 things on the calendar, we narrowed it down to the top 4. We started off by going to Home Depot for their project day. The kids made and painted windmill planters. They turned out very cute! Then we immediately headed to the hospital where baby boy will be born so the kids could attend a sibling class (about how/when to hold baby, rules about taking care of baby, practicing changing and swaddling baby and much more) and we could all get a tour of the facilities. It was a great experience because they even gave the kids a set of scrubs for each of them to keep. We are pretty sure we are delivering in College Station now (that has not always been the case) so I'm glad to now have the lay of the land. We grabbed a quick lunch at Chick-fil-a and headed to our Classical Conversations End of Year party. The host house had a pool, trampoline, obstacle course, fire pit for smores and so much more. The kids particularly loved the pool despite the cold water. We got home in time to have dinner, take a short rest and then continue on to our final stop of the day: the Brazos Civic Orchestra concert. They played a few pieces including a compilation of Star Wars music. As we had just finished studying orchestra in Classical Conversations, it was the perfect field trip. The kids loved identifying all the instruments and seeing them play together. Overall it was a great day! Not sure I'll be able to take all that in again any time soon though, haha.
Last Tuesday we had our CC Field Day. The kids competed in a number of events and had the most fantastic time. William won 2nd in the egg run and Robert won first in the sack race in their respective groups. Most importantly they lost graciously, cheered on their classmates, and had fun. The littlest group (Hannah's) had fun doing whatever they pleased at each station. It was pretty adorable to see them try out things like the three-legged race. We are so blessed to be able to participate in such fun things. I thank God for the wonderful opportunities he had placed in our lives!!
Friday we got to hang out with many friends at Altitude Trampoline Park for Toddler time. Three hours of jumping, ziplines, battle beams, rock climbing, foam pits, and dodge ball will make a kid good and worn out, let me tell you! It was even more fun to be with friends than it would have been to go alone. My heart is truly full. If that wasn't enough, Friday evening was mother-son "Date Knight" at Chick-fil-a. They decorated the restaurant like a castle, we had table side service, a photographer, balloon person, live music, crafts and treats after our food. It was so fun to hang out with my boys an hear their thoughts on life in a relaxed setting. At the same time, Francis and Hannah went and picked out paint for her new head board and night stand (she chose purple) and a new mattress for her big girl bed. Both trips were a success! After the kids were in bed that night, Francis and I began the task of changing the office into a nursery. It's not complete yet, but we've made great progress!
Saturday my in-laws stopped by and helped us move furniture around into the nursery and Hannah's room. We then all met up with Cyndy, Chris and Abby at Blessington Farms outside of Houston. The kids had great fun despite the heat, and afterward we went to an indoor playground and dinner before heading home. That was packed Saturday too, because when we got home, we continued working on the nursery. I'm beginning to think we are nuts. Oh! and baby dropped on Saturday too. He went from being high to where I couldn't breathe to being much lower. I have pictures of before and after which shows just how dramatic a change it was.
Sunday was Mother's Day. Francis got breakfast and I got to open cards, and a gift from my husband and kids. We did church and lunch at Jason's Deli (one of the few "fast" places I can eat at present). We came back and worked on assembling Hannah's big girl bed and moving the crib over to the nursery. It was more work than anticipated, but both Hannah and baby at least have a place to sleep. Hannah also has a new (to her) chest of drawers to go with her princess bed. She loves it and even managed to stay in her own bed all night the first night! We had dinner at Outback Steakhouse to finish off the day, ad Francis surprised me with chocolate covered strawberries so I could cheat on my diet a little but not too much.
Today the kids and I went to Lick Creek Park for their trail buddies story time. Contrary to the promised "short nature walk", we ended up hiking about a mile through the trails of the park. I was exhausted by the end but the kids loved it. They also loved playing at the nature center afterward where I met another mom who is starting homeschooling this coming year. We talked a long time and it was nice to get in some adult conversations today.
My health overall has not been great. My salivary stones start back up during/after each meal so eating is really not fun or enjoyable for the most part. I have to put heat on my neck and massage like crazy to get them to pass so the swelling will go down. At my doctor appointment on Thursday, baby's fluid was back within normal range, but doc wants me to stay on the low carb diet. It's very difficult when many soft foods that would make it easier to eat fall under the carb label. It's a catch 22. Also, my joint pain has kicked in in full force. It it harder and harder to walk, and all of my joints ache. At night when I lay on my side, my hip and/or shoulder come out of joint causing my leg and arm to go numb and be incredibly painful. So I'm not getting sleep. And I'm huge and swollen. This makes for general unpleasantness all the time. The icing on the cake is I'm fighting a sinus infection. I've still got 8 weeks till my due date, and I know the Lord is in control. I just have to keep fighting the good fight while I wait and hope everything returns to normal when this baby is born.
I know there's more, but I've run out of time. Till next time!
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