Two weeks ago we went to CC Tuesday and then left for Dallas to celebrate Spring Break. Francis was in Denver for a conference, and so the kids and I made it to my in-laws' house late afternoon. After dinner with Frankie's mom and the kids, all of us went over to BJs restaurant for my mother's election watch party. I am happy to announce that she won the primary and is now an official candidate for state representative in November. Go mom!
Wednesday the kids and I met up with Christian and the cousins for some play time at the playground at Prestonwood. We had lunch at chick-fil-a with them and then parted ways, with my crew heading over to my parents' house. The kids played in the yard (the third playground that day!) and spent time with Japapa, my mom, and my dad. It was a very pleasant afternoon and by that afternoon my kids had run around happily nearly the entire day. That's how you do Spring Break! They should have been exhausted but instead insisted on an evening swim in the hot tub at my parent's house. Even after that they made it back to my in-laws' house awake. I wish I had that energy! Thursday the kids and I met Japapa, my mom and the cousins at Grapevine Mills mall to play at the huge playground inside the bowling alley (playground doesn't do it justice...it's almost a mini theme park) and have lunch. My mom had to run Japapa to the airport, so I got to watch all 5 kids for around 30 minutes. Aside from Issac finding the most obscure places to hide, it was smooth sailing. I'll take that as a win! We went back with my mom and spent another afternoon in the sun before meeting up with my dad, mother-in-law, Danielle and Kevin for dinner. It was so fun!
And now we come to the part where my kids and I part ways. Friday morning I headed to Denver and the kids got three glorious days with Nana and Grandad. They went to Legoland, the aquarium, and the zoo. They built cardboard castles, played video games and had a blast. They even celebrated Robert's half birthday with cake and singing on Saturday. I, on the other hand, caught the early flight to Denver where Francis picked me up Friday morning. We had breakfast and then went and toured the Botanical Gardens there. After walking 16th Street Mall, we had lunch and caught a movie (Black Panther) before heading out to Evergreen, CO to our hotel. There was a little bit of snow here and there, but also the promise of spring. The lake near our cottage was frozen over and people were ice fishing, but the next lake over was half thawed. It was interesting to see. Our cottage was amazing. It had a bedroom, sitting room, porch, and a huge bathroom. We had a delicious steak dinner at a place down the road and then I asked Francis if I could take an hour nap around 7pm before we did anything else (I'd been up since 3am). I woke up at 6 am the next morning. Oops! Saturday we wandered by car through the mountains finding beautiful overlooks, Buffalo Bill's grave and Red Rocks park, with the only natural acoustically perfect outdoor amphitheater. We walked up and down the whole theater (no easy task at that elevation) and then headed back to town for lunch. The pizza for lunch was top notch and the fudge we bought from the little store across the street afterward was addictive. and it snowed on us as we headed back to the car! Francis missed the snow at home earlier this year so it was icing on the cake for him. We went back to the room to take a nap and then visited the Hiwan Homestead Museum down the road from our cabin. The lady docent was so happy to see us and showed us around while telling us every little piece of history of the 27 room cabin, the families that lived there and the area as a whole. It was fun because I really love that stuff. We had dinner on the lake watching the sunset. Back at the room, we settled in to watch a movie, but met with a very different evening. The carbon monoxide detector went off, tell us to evacuate immediately. So we did, out into the cold night air. Due to a series of events which was understandable, it took us quite some time to get a hold of management. When the owner finally contacted us, she was beside herself with worry about us. She moved us to their nicest suite, gave us a discount for the night and even brought an amazing breakfast up to our suite in the morning. The room had a huge living room, full dining room full kitchen, two bathrooms, a large bedroom, two walk in closets, and a hot tub (which I unfortunately couldn't use). While the night was overall unsettling, it had a super wonderful ending. Breakfast in our room the next morning was beyond delicious, and after we checked out we headed back into Denver. We visited the Denver Art Museum, capitol, another historic home and had lunch. Before long, it was time to drop off the car to begin the journey home. Francis grossly underestimated the walk from the car rental place to the train, and so when we finally arrive at Union Station, I was spent. Thankfully the train went right up to the airport or I might not have made it. We go through security quickly and had one last leisurely meal before the flight home. Overall it was a wonderful weekend for the kids and us both, but we were glad to be reunited early Monday morning.
Last week was spent playing a lot of catch up. Getting home Monday meant that I had to shift everything a day and still squeeze in the missing one. I did so successfully with some effort and we even managed a trip to the Children's museum to play in their new helicopter play set. Tuesday we had no CC which was good, because when I got home from the grocery store, water was gushing from our lawn and flooding the street. Turns out our water main broke. If that were not enough, the A/c guy came less than a week later to tell us the coil in our attic was busted and the repair of such would require bringing part of the A/c up to current code. So we've been bleeding money it feels like, but we are hopeful that everything is now fixed. Also Francis left for Washington, DC today for a job interview tomorrow, so being praying for a him.
I had my 24 week appointment today. Baby is doing great, but my lymph nodes have yet to return completely to normal. I've had quite a few visits to doctors as of late and none of them seem to have an answer to the mystery of what it going on in my body. My OBGYN has referred me to an infectious disease doctor. She is confident that this man will be able to provide me with some answers. Here's hoping!
We are nearly done with our school year. I can't believe we've been homeschooling for almost 2 full years now. It's amazing to see how much the kids have learned and that is what gets me through the tough days. William is an avid reader and Robert is beginning to sound out words (he just turned 4 1/2!). Hannah is increasingly more articulate and is counting and singing her ABCs when inspired. She has a lot of spunk, that girl! William has again begun riding without training wheels. Last time around he had the balance but not the attention to detail needed and would look away while biking. This time it only took him a few tried before he looked like a pro. He's ridden up and down the street and to the park and back a couple times now. This has inspired Francis to air up his own bike. He also got out the bike trailer which Hannah has christened her "carriage". She rides in it by herself or with Robert (who is her "prince") and has the most delightful time. It's pretty adorable. I've been walking while they ride around. We have been loving the wonderful weather!
That's it for now!
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Sunday, March 4, 2018
March 4, 2018
It's a boy! Baby Phillips #4 is a boy! We are so blessed and can't wait to meet this sweet baby boy come July. He's healthy and growing like crazy. I feel him more every day and Francis actually felt him for the first time on Friday. Baby started kicking like crazy and I quickly grabbed Francis's hand and put it on the spot. Francis smiled and I knew he had felt it. It was a special moment. Something about someone else feeling the baby makes it seem so much more real.
Saturday morning we went to Home Depot for their monthly kids project and then took Francis to lunch at Layne's Chicken. He got to choose his last meal in Texas for the next week and that was it. The kids and I then drove him to the rental car drop off and said goodbye, but not before slipping some handmade special notes from us in his bag. He will be in Denver until next Sunday for a conference, and we miss him already. Silver lining is that I get to join him on Friday for a weekend "Baby Moon"! Thanks in advance to Nana and Grandad for watching the kids!
The boys both passed their skating lessons class so William can go into a free practice hockey time and Robert can move up to snowplow 3. Hannah really wants to take lessons, but you have to be 3 or older. Your time will come soon big girl!
We will be celebrating our spring break this week and will be slightly out of pocket, so I wanted to get in a quick update about baby boy and what is going on. Till next time!
Saturday morning we went to Home Depot for their monthly kids project and then took Francis to lunch at Layne's Chicken. He got to choose his last meal in Texas for the next week and that was it. The kids and I then drove him to the rental car drop off and said goodbye, but not before slipping some handmade special notes from us in his bag. He will be in Denver until next Sunday for a conference, and we miss him already. Silver lining is that I get to join him on Friday for a weekend "Baby Moon"! Thanks in advance to Nana and Grandad for watching the kids!
The boys both passed their skating lessons class so William can go into a free practice hockey time and Robert can move up to snowplow 3. Hannah really wants to take lessons, but you have to be 3 or older. Your time will come soon big girl!
We will be celebrating our spring break this week and will be slightly out of pocket, so I wanted to get in a quick update about baby boy and what is going on. Till next time!
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
February 28, 2018
It;s been a crazy couple of weeks. Last Thursday we had my 20 week appointment. Baby was healthy, kicking up a storm and talking to us (opening and closing mouth) the whole sonogram. The sonographer said she hadn't seen anything like it. The kids came with us and loved seeing their new baby live and semi-in person. Francis was able to come too, which made the whole thing just perfect. We did find out what we are having, and as soon as I get the sonograms all scanned in, we will be letting the world know.
We had Abby's party in Houston last Saturday. We went and had lunch at Cyndy and Chris's house before the official party at a trampoline park. The kid had fun and got to spend a couple of hours expending energy. We had dinner at a Mexican restraunt and celebrated Chris's birthday before heading home. It was a good day!
I managed to stay well for a few days last week before I started getting sore under my arms. I knew it was my lymph nodes and that an infection was likely coming. Sure enough, Tuesday morning I could feel my neck lymph node (left side) swelling up again. It had newly wired my jaw shut by dinner, but Francis made an appointment for this morning for me with a new doctor. This doctor thinks the infection never fully went away last time and was simply hiding while I had the flu and cold in between flair ups. She gave me a new prescription that she thinks will do the trick. I'm tired of months of being sick. It's time for a healthy season.
Baby has been kicking away and even though most of them are blocked by my placenta, I am starting to feel them more and more often. The kids are ready to start feeling kicks, so hopefully that time will come soon. Hannah is all ready to change diapers and feed this baby. We'll see how that goes come July. The boys are still super excited too.
We will be busy for the next little bit as Francis has a conference in Denver next week and the kids and I will be celebrating Spring break. We really only have a few more weeks of school before we finish all our curriculum, so this will be a nice break before the home stretch. William has already finished 2nd grade math, so that has lightened our daily load a bit.
Well, that's all I've got the ability to write right now. I'm tired, and the kids are all in need of help with different tasks. Till next time!
We had Abby's party in Houston last Saturday. We went and had lunch at Cyndy and Chris's house before the official party at a trampoline park. The kid had fun and got to spend a couple of hours expending energy. We had dinner at a Mexican restraunt and celebrated Chris's birthday before heading home. It was a good day!
I managed to stay well for a few days last week before I started getting sore under my arms. I knew it was my lymph nodes and that an infection was likely coming. Sure enough, Tuesday morning I could feel my neck lymph node (left side) swelling up again. It had newly wired my jaw shut by dinner, but Francis made an appointment for this morning for me with a new doctor. This doctor thinks the infection never fully went away last time and was simply hiding while I had the flu and cold in between flair ups. She gave me a new prescription that she thinks will do the trick. I'm tired of months of being sick. It's time for a healthy season.
Baby has been kicking away and even though most of them are blocked by my placenta, I am starting to feel them more and more often. The kids are ready to start feeling kicks, so hopefully that time will come soon. Hannah is all ready to change diapers and feed this baby. We'll see how that goes come July. The boys are still super excited too.
We will be busy for the next little bit as Francis has a conference in Denver next week and the kids and I will be celebrating Spring break. We really only have a few more weeks of school before we finish all our curriculum, so this will be a nice break before the home stretch. William has already finished 2nd grade math, so that has lightened our daily load a bit.
Well, that's all I've got the ability to write right now. I'm tired, and the kids are all in need of help with different tasks. Till next time!
Friday, February 16, 2018
February 16, 2016
It's been a long couple of weeks. Some of it great and some of it less than stellar. Two Fridays ago was the last Junction (Parents' Night Out ) of the school year at church. Francis and I decided to have our Valentine's celebration that evening. We went to a swanky steak place in town (The Republic) and had delicious food and even better company. the kids had a great time at church too so it was a win for all. Saturday my in-laws, Abby and Cyndy came up and we played, ate and hung out. William and Abby both really like Uno, Robert loved puzzles and Hannah loves her princess toys, so everyone was very busy.
That week was our week off from CC which meant I was able to work on the next couple of weeks of tutoring. I'm glad I did it early because after coming home fro the library on Wednesday morning, I knew something wasn't right. I kept shrugging it off until late afternoon when it hit me like a freight train. I had a miserable night with a sore throat and was just sure it was strep. I went to the urgent care and while I tested negative for strep, I tested positive for Flu B. Ugh. So the rest of the week into Sunday evening was spent in isolation from Francis and the kids. Thankfully Francis was able to take a break from his studies and watch the kids or I don't know what we would have done. Sunday evening we celebrate William's half birthday with cake and singing. I was super weak but so glad I was able to see my kiddos again. the confinement paid off because it's been nearly a week and everyone else has so far remained healthy!
I can't say the same for our TV. Monday around lunch William threw a hanger into the TV while pretending it was a boomerang (we have a rule not to throw things in our house, sigh). The TV immediately broke beyond repair. It was slightly devastating to see. Our only consolation was that it was starting to get color lines on it and we would have to replace it anyway. We did manage to get a new TV for a good price, so Francis and I got a bonus Valentine's Day gift. William know he will likely be hearing about this for a while.
This Tuesday at CC we had our Valentine's parties and even played a fun Valentine's review game. The kids all exchanged Valentine's and it was s very enjoyable Tuesday. Wednesday was Valentine's Day. The kids woke up to small gifts, cards and candy waiting for them at the kitchen table. We had "cookies for breakfast" (Cookie Crisp cereal) and then made our weekly trip to the library. I made cheese fondue and BBQ meatballs for dinner (to appease every appetite) and then we had Creme Brulee for dessert. I got Francis ramekins and a culinary torch for Valentine's Day so he was super excited to get to use it right off the bat. My guy loves fire and cooking, so it was a prefect match. Overall a very good Valentines!
We've been watching all the Olympic games here. The kids are fascinated by all the different sports and are finding creative ways to recreate them. My favorite is watching them try to do the skating tricks/jumps while moving around on the tile in socks. It's pretty cute. The boys are loving the luge and skeleton in particular, as well as snowboarding. Hannah likes all the pretty skating costumes and kept yelling, "There's mommy and daddy!" through out the pairs skating. I'm glad she thinks I'm so coordinated.
William taught himself negative numbers this week. While sitting at the table he asked Robert "What is 8 minus 80?" Robert responded with "1 minus 1 is ZERO!" William nodded thoughtfully, "Good job Robert and I just realized eight minus eighty is negative seventy two." I nearly choked on my dinner. I asked him where he had heard of negative numbers and he responded with that he had heard about it fro daddy once. Francis doesn't recall this. Robert is also a math whiz. He's been doing single digit addition and subtraction in his head. He's not even 4 and a half, yet when asked 7-2 he doesn't hardly even hesitate before proudly yelling, "5!". Hannah is becoming increasingly articulate and complex in her expression. She's starting to sound much less like a toddler and much more like a little human. I was wearing a necklace yesterday. "Mommy, I like your necklace. Is it brand new?" I told her it was. "It is beautiful. May I touch it?" She's in love with jewelry and I can tell in the near future she will try to start borrowing mine.
Things here are getting back to normal. It took a few days to put back the house the way it was pre-sickness and I still have a ways to go. My strength is slowly returning, but even standing for a while at the children's museum made me weak and winded. Fortunately the kids have been very good for the most part. Hannah and Robert are becoming thick as thieves, finding new and creative ways to make messes. William joins them often too, but his love of reading sometimes calls him away from the play. I love how they all love each other and I can't wait to see how baby # 4 fits into this crazy mess. I'll be 20 weeks on Sunday. That went by fast!
Till next time!
That week was our week off from CC which meant I was able to work on the next couple of weeks of tutoring. I'm glad I did it early because after coming home fro the library on Wednesday morning, I knew something wasn't right. I kept shrugging it off until late afternoon when it hit me like a freight train. I had a miserable night with a sore throat and was just sure it was strep. I went to the urgent care and while I tested negative for strep, I tested positive for Flu B. Ugh. So the rest of the week into Sunday evening was spent in isolation from Francis and the kids. Thankfully Francis was able to take a break from his studies and watch the kids or I don't know what we would have done. Sunday evening we celebrate William's half birthday with cake and singing. I was super weak but so glad I was able to see my kiddos again. the confinement paid off because it's been nearly a week and everyone else has so far remained healthy!
I can't say the same for our TV. Monday around lunch William threw a hanger into the TV while pretending it was a boomerang (we have a rule not to throw things in our house, sigh). The TV immediately broke beyond repair. It was slightly devastating to see. Our only consolation was that it was starting to get color lines on it and we would have to replace it anyway. We did manage to get a new TV for a good price, so Francis and I got a bonus Valentine's Day gift. William know he will likely be hearing about this for a while.
This Tuesday at CC we had our Valentine's parties and even played a fun Valentine's review game. The kids all exchanged Valentine's and it was s very enjoyable Tuesday. Wednesday was Valentine's Day. The kids woke up to small gifts, cards and candy waiting for them at the kitchen table. We had "cookies for breakfast" (Cookie Crisp cereal) and then made our weekly trip to the library. I made cheese fondue and BBQ meatballs for dinner (to appease every appetite) and then we had Creme Brulee for dessert. I got Francis ramekins and a culinary torch for Valentine's Day so he was super excited to get to use it right off the bat. My guy loves fire and cooking, so it was a prefect match. Overall a very good Valentines!
We've been watching all the Olympic games here. The kids are fascinated by all the different sports and are finding creative ways to recreate them. My favorite is watching them try to do the skating tricks/jumps while moving around on the tile in socks. It's pretty cute. The boys are loving the luge and skeleton in particular, as well as snowboarding. Hannah likes all the pretty skating costumes and kept yelling, "There's mommy and daddy!" through out the pairs skating. I'm glad she thinks I'm so coordinated.
William taught himself negative numbers this week. While sitting at the table he asked Robert "What is 8 minus 80?" Robert responded with "1 minus 1 is ZERO!" William nodded thoughtfully, "Good job Robert and I just realized eight minus eighty is negative seventy two." I nearly choked on my dinner. I asked him where he had heard of negative numbers and he responded with that he had heard about it fro daddy once. Francis doesn't recall this. Robert is also a math whiz. He's been doing single digit addition and subtraction in his head. He's not even 4 and a half, yet when asked 7-2 he doesn't hardly even hesitate before proudly yelling, "5!". Hannah is becoming increasingly articulate and complex in her expression. She's starting to sound much less like a toddler and much more like a little human. I was wearing a necklace yesterday. "Mommy, I like your necklace. Is it brand new?" I told her it was. "It is beautiful. May I touch it?" She's in love with jewelry and I can tell in the near future she will try to start borrowing mine.
Things here are getting back to normal. It took a few days to put back the house the way it was pre-sickness and I still have a ways to go. My strength is slowly returning, but even standing for a while at the children's museum made me weak and winded. Fortunately the kids have been very good for the most part. Hannah and Robert are becoming thick as thieves, finding new and creative ways to make messes. William joins them often too, but his love of reading sometimes calls him away from the play. I love how they all love each other and I can't wait to see how baby # 4 fits into this crazy mess. I'll be 20 weeks on Sunday. That went by fast!
Till next time!
Friday, February 2, 2018
February 2, 2018
Last Friday Francis joined us for a day trip to Waco to hang out with the Burgess and Brower families (both families are friends of Francis from college). We were going to the zoo but the rain and cold pushed us to the Mayborn Museum instead. There was so much for the kids to do! We saw habitats, played with all sorts of science concepts, "lived" in a tiny playtown of Waco, and even played with Ninja Turtles (a special exhibit). It was nice that the men were able to join us and since we all homeschool, none of the kids missed class either. It was basically a field trip! We will have to do it again soon!!!
It's been a relatively quiet week. No complaints here about that! Monday evening I got to start back hanging with my friend Audrey and although we were going to watch something on TV, we ended up talking for over 2 hours instead. It was good for my soul. Tuesday was a particularly enjoyable CC day. Although I've been dreading letting the kids use water colors (ruined clothes, spilled water on carpet, and so many other things running through my head), it was really quite enjoyable and relaxing. The kids were calm and listened and their art work looked beautiful.
Thanks to Hannah's random 2 hour nap on Tuesday, she and I were able to join Francis and the boys at skating lessons Tuesday evening. I watched them less than 2 weeks before, but they've made so much progress! Robert has all of a sudden become light on his feet and super speedy. Francis told me they bumped him up a class last week, and I could see why. He still falls some, but his speed and control are miles from what there were just a short time ago. William was out there doing maneuvers with his hockey stick. His turns and control are better than anything I can do (I'm not graceful). We watched the boys with Hannah, who would alternate watching and having us read a book from the kids area. I'm thankful their time and practice is paying off. Pretty soon they will be giving Francis a run for his money!
Wednesday we went to a special story time event at the Forsythe Gallery on A&M campus. The kids got to look at art, hear a story and color. Bonus points to William who knew the word, "impressionist" when asked about a painting. The docent let the kid gets super close to a real impressionist painting so they could see all the lines and strokes, which made all of the parents nervous...but it turned out fine. Whew! Yesterday we went by the library, then Kroger and then home for lunch. The weather was spectacular, so the kids played outside without jackets for an hour before rest time. Well, then the kids didn't want to rest, so we did school quickly and walked/rode bikes to the far park to play for a couple hours. It's not often you can be outside in short sleeves in February so we decided to soak up the sun. And yes, the kids slept well last night.
I suppose that's it for now. Till next time!
It's been a relatively quiet week. No complaints here about that! Monday evening I got to start back hanging with my friend Audrey and although we were going to watch something on TV, we ended up talking for over 2 hours instead. It was good for my soul. Tuesday was a particularly enjoyable CC day. Although I've been dreading letting the kids use water colors (ruined clothes, spilled water on carpet, and so many other things running through my head), it was really quite enjoyable and relaxing. The kids were calm and listened and their art work looked beautiful.
Thanks to Hannah's random 2 hour nap on Tuesday, she and I were able to join Francis and the boys at skating lessons Tuesday evening. I watched them less than 2 weeks before, but they've made so much progress! Robert has all of a sudden become light on his feet and super speedy. Francis told me they bumped him up a class last week, and I could see why. He still falls some, but his speed and control are miles from what there were just a short time ago. William was out there doing maneuvers with his hockey stick. His turns and control are better than anything I can do (I'm not graceful). We watched the boys with Hannah, who would alternate watching and having us read a book from the kids area. I'm thankful their time and practice is paying off. Pretty soon they will be giving Francis a run for his money!
Wednesday we went to a special story time event at the Forsythe Gallery on A&M campus. The kids got to look at art, hear a story and color. Bonus points to William who knew the word, "impressionist" when asked about a painting. The docent let the kid gets super close to a real impressionist painting so they could see all the lines and strokes, which made all of the parents nervous...but it turned out fine. Whew! Yesterday we went by the library, then Kroger and then home for lunch. The weather was spectacular, so the kids played outside without jackets for an hour before rest time. Well, then the kids didn't want to rest, so we did school quickly and walked/rode bikes to the far park to play for a couple hours. It's not often you can be outside in short sleeves in February so we decided to soak up the sun. And yes, the kids slept well last night.
I suppose that's it for now. Till next time!
Thursday, January 25, 2018
January 25, 2018
A lot of changes have been going on around here. First off Hannah turned 2 1/2 yesterday. She's bright and spunky and we loved on her all day and had some cake to celebrate last night(I mean, why not?). Also yesterday William lost his first tooth. He came up, told me it was really loose, and after I panicked for a couple seconds, he pulled it our himself! He's such a brave kid and it didn't even phase him. We had cake to celebrate this achievement last night too, so I guess you could say it was a pretty successful day! We did have a hiccup this morning when William couldn't find his tooth fairy money right away, but Francis came to the rescue and pointed out the envelope under his pillow. Then there was excitement all around. Robert now wants to start losing teeth. He doesn't like the idea of having to wait. His time will come soon though!
And now for the biggest announcement, Baby Phillips #4 is due July 8th! I will be the first to admit the shock at finding out I was expecting (which happened when I smelled mustard and promptly gagged... a side effect of all my other pregnancies). Francis was also shocked, but he took it in happy stride. We found out right around Halloween, but told no one just then. A couple of days later Robert informed us he'd been praying for a baby for Christmas (he didn't know yet his prayer had been answered). I told him to let me know before he prays that prayer next time. We told the kids after Thanksgiving and they were so thrilled!!! Robert wanted the baby to be here before Christmas but he now understands that babies take time. He's being very patient...they all are. I've had a lot of morning sickeness and actual sickness and the kids and Francis have been wonderful trying to help. The kids kept the secret and we told Francis's parents, my parents and the rest of the family at Christmas. The kids put on a special "play" to announce the arrival of their new sibling and Hannah wore an adorable "promoted to big sister" shirt. The reaction was positive with much laughter and some happy tears. My appointments have been going well and the kids even were able to come and see baby on the sonogram. They watched in awe and talked to the baby. It made me smile. I haven't felt the baby move too much but the doctor thinks my placenta is in the front and muffling the kicks. It feels like I'm feeling the kicks through a water bed and that's what lead the doctor to this conclusion. We'll know for sure at the anatomy ultrasound next month! I had my 16 week check today and everything looked good.
Hannah has been practicing all the things to do with the baby when they come. It's pretty adorable. The boys have been working on a name for this kid and settled on Cutie Pie Phillips for a girl and Handsome Boy Phillips for a boy. We'll have to see how that works out for them. Hannah and Robert have been extra cuddly lately, wanting to cuddle with baby as much as me. William happily dispenses his big brother wisdom as he tells all the things he remembers from when Hannah was born. This kid is going to be born into one "prepared" family. My doctor has been jokingly calling me "the expert" or the "professional" because nothing really seems to phase me. I don't know that either of those title are appropriate, but I'm glad she thinks I'm doing something right!
I suppose that's it for now. I'm sure there is a novel I could write about now, but the human pyramid going on behind me needs to be dealt with before someone gets hurt. Till next time!
And now for the biggest announcement, Baby Phillips #4 is due July 8th! I will be the first to admit the shock at finding out I was expecting (which happened when I smelled mustard and promptly gagged... a side effect of all my other pregnancies). Francis was also shocked, but he took it in happy stride. We found out right around Halloween, but told no one just then. A couple of days later Robert informed us he'd been praying for a baby for Christmas (he didn't know yet his prayer had been answered). I told him to let me know before he prays that prayer next time. We told the kids after Thanksgiving and they were so thrilled!!! Robert wanted the baby to be here before Christmas but he now understands that babies take time. He's being very patient...they all are. I've had a lot of morning sickeness and actual sickness and the kids and Francis have been wonderful trying to help. The kids kept the secret and we told Francis's parents, my parents and the rest of the family at Christmas. The kids put on a special "play" to announce the arrival of their new sibling and Hannah wore an adorable "promoted to big sister" shirt. The reaction was positive with much laughter and some happy tears. My appointments have been going well and the kids even were able to come and see baby on the sonogram. They watched in awe and talked to the baby. It made me smile. I haven't felt the baby move too much but the doctor thinks my placenta is in the front and muffling the kicks. It feels like I'm feeling the kicks through a water bed and that's what lead the doctor to this conclusion. We'll know for sure at the anatomy ultrasound next month! I had my 16 week check today and everything looked good.
Hannah has been practicing all the things to do with the baby when they come. It's pretty adorable. The boys have been working on a name for this kid and settled on Cutie Pie Phillips for a girl and Handsome Boy Phillips for a boy. We'll have to see how that works out for them. Hannah and Robert have been extra cuddly lately, wanting to cuddle with baby as much as me. William happily dispenses his big brother wisdom as he tells all the things he remembers from when Hannah was born. This kid is going to be born into one "prepared" family. My doctor has been jokingly calling me "the expert" or the "professional" because nothing really seems to phase me. I don't know that either of those title are appropriate, but I'm glad she thinks I'm doing something right!
I suppose that's it for now. I'm sure there is a novel I could write about now, but the human pyramid going on behind me needs to be dealt with before someone gets hurt. Till next time!
Sunday, January 21, 2018
January 21, 2018
We've been on and off sick over the past couple of weeks, which has made for quite a few days home. On Friday we were finally feeling well enough to go out (we'd only been out for groceries the rest of the week), I asked the kids where they wanted to go. They looked at em wide eyed, "We are going to leave the house today?!?" It's been weird for the family who normally goes out everyday to stay in and that response struck me as particularly unlike us. We ended up going to the Children's Museum and having a lovely time (making sure to wash our hand on the way out so hopefully we won't catch anything new). The sickness (which the doctor said was like the flu but was not in fact the flu) has kept us pretty tired. I spent more than one day wrestling with the state of my house versus the state of my exhaustion. No worries though as I have finally bounced back and put most everything to right.
It's also was very cold here earlier this week. Early Tuesday morning rain and the cold temperatures gave way to freezing rain, sleet and even a little snow. Fearing the worst, school was cancelled even at A&M so Francis was able to stay home with us (he's the only one to have managed to avoid being sick), and cozy up as we weathered the very very cold, but otherwise mild storm. The weather finally gave way Friday and by Saturday the high was in the 70s. It was actually warmer outside than in our house when we got home from church today! Yesterday we went to the boys' skating lessons (they have started them back up again) and then participate in a Pokemon Go community day. It was fun and SO nice to really be outside for the first time in nearly a month. It was so nice out in fact that after dinner, we took our first family walk since before time change. Now that felt amazing. I'm hoping the weather will continue to hold so we can start going out more. We'll just have to see!
William is doing well in school and is always thinking. He's become a bit of a sneaky negotiator, so he keeps me on my toes! We went to chick-fil-a yesterday and one of the workers there is also a volunteer in William's class at church. She excitedly asked is William was there (he was in the playground) and stated confidently that William is one of her favorites because he is always so full of energy and can make anything into a positive. That is a good assessment of him.
Robert is learning so much too. He's beginning to read and not just words I teach him. He's also started adding in his head which I also didn't teach him. He's creative and has come up with elaborate stories.The one yesterday involved a reenactment of a Cowboys football game (a favorite of his) where he is actually playing soccer against the other team (named "the losers") where his team is all superheroes and Pokemon and the other team is evil zombies and monsters. He tells it better I assure you.
Hannah received a large art kit from the Boerger family for Christmas. Everyday at school time she asks for her "Belle Schoolwork" (Belle is on the front) and spends the better part of an hour creating a masterpiece each day. I had no idea it would hold her attention like it does, but its' been a dream come true. She is also loving her baby dolls and is usually carrying one of them or her "grumpy cat" when I see her in the morning. She feeds them and talks to them. Hannah is an excellent mommy when she tries. She is so ready to be a big kid like her brothers. She got a set of Minnie Mouse bedding from Sweetie and Papa for Christmas that she loves to have tucked in perfectly around her at night just like her brothers. She loves what they love, but still has her own opinions. She's a cutie and her brother love her just as much as she loves them.
Till next time!
It's also was very cold here earlier this week. Early Tuesday morning rain and the cold temperatures gave way to freezing rain, sleet and even a little snow. Fearing the worst, school was cancelled even at A&M so Francis was able to stay home with us (he's the only one to have managed to avoid being sick), and cozy up as we weathered the very very cold, but otherwise mild storm. The weather finally gave way Friday and by Saturday the high was in the 70s. It was actually warmer outside than in our house when we got home from church today! Yesterday we went to the boys' skating lessons (they have started them back up again) and then participate in a Pokemon Go community day. It was fun and SO nice to really be outside for the first time in nearly a month. It was so nice out in fact that after dinner, we took our first family walk since before time change. Now that felt amazing. I'm hoping the weather will continue to hold so we can start going out more. We'll just have to see!
William is doing well in school and is always thinking. He's become a bit of a sneaky negotiator, so he keeps me on my toes! We went to chick-fil-a yesterday and one of the workers there is also a volunteer in William's class at church. She excitedly asked is William was there (he was in the playground) and stated confidently that William is one of her favorites because he is always so full of energy and can make anything into a positive. That is a good assessment of him.
Robert is learning so much too. He's beginning to read and not just words I teach him. He's also started adding in his head which I also didn't teach him. He's creative and has come up with elaborate stories.The one yesterday involved a reenactment of a Cowboys football game (a favorite of his) where he is actually playing soccer against the other team (named "the losers") where his team is all superheroes and Pokemon and the other team is evil zombies and monsters. He tells it better I assure you.
Hannah received a large art kit from the Boerger family for Christmas. Everyday at school time she asks for her "Belle Schoolwork" (Belle is on the front) and spends the better part of an hour creating a masterpiece each day. I had no idea it would hold her attention like it does, but its' been a dream come true. She is also loving her baby dolls and is usually carrying one of them or her "grumpy cat" when I see her in the morning. She feeds them and talks to them. Hannah is an excellent mommy when she tries. She is so ready to be a big kid like her brothers. She got a set of Minnie Mouse bedding from Sweetie and Papa for Christmas that she loves to have tucked in perfectly around her at night just like her brothers. She loves what they love, but still has her own opinions. She's a cutie and her brother love her just as much as she loves them.
Till next time!
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