Come Over To My House!

 Hey there!  Rosebud here!  Come on in and play with me.  Looks like I need to tidy up a bit before I have company over, but no matter.

 I'll give you a little tour.  This is where I take care of my babies.  The one in the cradle is my mommy's from when she was my age.  Her name is Baby Hannah.  The fact that my mommy was little once and her dolly's name was Hannah can be so confusing at times.  Have you met my mother? Confusing could be her middle name.  But it isn't.  There's another confusing thing.  We have the same middle name.  Can we please branch out on the name giving people?

 Often I am seen walking around with my baby's bathtub on my head.  It is my helmet in case my brothers are around.  It is also a way to try and trick my mother into thinking I have clean hair, when indeed I do not.  Those dinner plates just creep their way up on my head with food still on them.

 There's a fire escape if you pull my walls apart like this.  Safety first people.  Never mind that my house has an "open front" feel to it already.

 This is where I wash all my dirty dishes and clothes.  You can see my husband sitting next to the sink looking like I put him in "time out".  Just kidding, it is just Monkey Man's Woody doll over for a visit.  Don't tell LMM though, cause he isn't too happy when his toys visit my house.

Nice visiting with you, come again soon!

Not Me Monday

Ok I know McMama didn't do a Not Me Monday today, but I AM!  (Not Me Monday is a sarcastic way of saying something you really did do.)

Today I did not get a FREE sling and carseat cover (I paid S&H, about $11, but still a steal).  YOU CAN TOO!  It is today only though.  Go to sevenslings.com and pick the one you like (the gift sets will be $5 with the discount, the slings free).  Enter the promo code "BeMine" and it will give you the sling for FREE.  You pay S&H.  

Same deal at https://www.carseatcanopy.com  use the promo code "seven"

There's another one for a free nursing coverup, but as I have two I didn't do it.  https://www.uddercovers.com is the site "seven" the code.

When it came to homeschooling I always ALWAYS said "Not ME".  Well, this year...yes, me.  

 Snug only goes to school at our local public elementary 2, sometimes 3 days a week because of budget cuts. Being a former kindergarten and first grade teacher...I know that is NOT ok.  So we homeschool 2-3 days a week.  This past week shoe tying was top on our list.

 He's getting it...

 ...but it isn't easy!

 When he does, he is pretty proud!!!

 Along with doing math, reading, writing in a journal, and fine motor things, we are also doing handwriting.  Because handwriting is a BIG deal to me.

I think he's doing pretty good!

"Eight Weeks", Alternately Titled, "Crying"

 Sweet Pea is eight weeks today.  She is 22 inches long and weighs 9 lbs 6.5 oz.  Not great weight gain this week, but she and I (and Snug and #1) had a stomach virus so it isn't surprising she didn't have great gain.

The older Sweet Pea gets the harder she has been.  I've mentioned before that she is "fussy".  That is just being polite.  She has been demanding, angry, and cries ALL THE TIME.  It has been especially hard the last two weeks.

 LMM was very similar as a baby, and I decided to try something.  When we found out that he couldn't have wheat/gluten and discovered how much better he felt when he didn't have it...we wondered if that was why he was such a difficult baby.  Maybe he just didn't feel well.  So as of this past Thursday, I am gluten-free.  Although gluten in my milk shouldn't affect her growth till she starts solids (then if she did have a gluten allergy she'd drop right off the charts like LMM did) it could make her really uncomfortable.  If she indeed cannot have wheat the likelihood that LMM (and she) have Celiac disease goes WAY up.

*Side note, you can see her diaper in this picture...she is almost totally cloth diapered now and you can see a post about it that I wrote for The Cloth Diaper Whisperer blog here.  There were quite a few grammatical errors I realized later...sorry.

 I noticed an improvement in her Friday night and all day Saturday.  Saturday night she was fussy, but most babies are in the evening.  There was such a difference in her Snug even thanked God when praying for dinner that "Molly stopped crying".  It was getting hard for everyone in the house.

 I don't know for sure that wheat is the culprit.  We'll see what the next few days are like.

But we hope not to see a whole lot more of this.  

Snug Plays Ball

Snug's first basketball game was today.  He has never played much basketball aside from shooting at the Little Tykes hoop in the back yard.  He had three practices, and then today's game.  I'm not sure he was exactly...ready.

He's a pretty cute little player!

 Here they are all lined up ready for tip-off.

 Here he is guarding his own teammate.  Note he's not the only one doing it though.  He does understand that you need to put your hands up.  I don't think he knows why, but he had his hands up the entire game.  The coach can chalk one up for teaching that!

 We need to work on things like throwing it in from the sidelines...he wanted to dribble it in instead.  They had him retry a few times.  He has a very patient coach, and the ref (seen reaching in to put him back on the sideline) was great.  My favorite thing about the ref was him telling the other little boys "you have to dribble AND walk".  So funny.  Several of them literally walked from one end of the court to the other holding the ball so they could shoot.  No one scored points for the other team, but it was close a couple of times.  The coaches being ON the floor with the boys, and the ref coaching both teams helped prevent it.

Lots to learn, but he has a nice coach and enjoys playing-that's what is important to me. #1 has played lots of basketball in his life and I'm sure will help him out.   Little Monkey Man is watching and learning and he will be READY when it is his turn, I assure you!

Watch It...

You'd better watch it!

  He's a knock out!

7 Weeks

 Seven weeks old today!  Sweet Pea isn't at all sure she loves sitting with her big sister.  She is so serious.  Rosebud is the smile to Sweet Pea's frown.  I think she's just taking it all in, but my aunt is right...she looks pretty unhappy in most of her pictures  :o)  This week though she was a little happier than in days past.  She finally started taking a couple of hour-two hour naps a couple of times a day...without being held. The more sleep she gets in solid chunks the happier she is.  Mommy too!  She weighs in at 9 lbs 4 oz this week.

 Speaking of Aunts, Sweet Pea has met three of mine now.  My Aunt Beth and Aunt Cheryl both met her a few weeks ago, and this week she met Aunt Kim!  Although my aunt and uncle, along with my cousin and his wife were here for a funeral this past weekend, a sad thing, we made the best of it.  They stayed at a hotel with a pool and the kids had a great time swimming.  Always nice to see family from out of town!

 Here are the cousins together!  Kai was born back in November...on my dad's side we've had four babies in the past four months.  Alexis was born in October, Kai in November, Sweet Pea in December and my niece Ivy in January.  I have yet to meet two of them, but a trip to meet Ivy is on the calendar.

Seriously, this little guy is a cutie!

Hope you all had a great weekend.  If I don't have the chance before, I'll write again next week :o)

Six Weeks...I'm An Aunt!...We Had Snow!!!!!

Six Weeks...I'm An Aunt!...We Had Snow!!!!!

This is a combined post about all the exciting things happening in our lives.  First off, a day late, here is Sweet Pea's six week post...

 She is learning to pick up her head.  She's doing pretty well, but hates tummy time.  She's happier to practice her muscle control while being over your shoulder...she'll pick her head up, look around, and then flop back down on the shoulder.

 I've been trying to capture a picture of her smiling...this is the closest I've gotten.  She's  serious most of the time.  She is also pretty fussy...I'm hoping it isn't because she has tummy trouble.  We spend hours each day walking and bouncing and patting.

She is growing so fast!  She has nothing newborn that she can wear anymore (unless it was labeled newborn but clearly 0-3 month size).  She is outgrowing her newborn cloth diapers and I give her another week or so and they'll be done.  I weighed and measured her at 8 lbs 14.5 oz and 21.25 inches.  They had "measured" her at 22 inches last week at the doctor, but I didn't believe it.  They do it on this paper that moves while she is kicking and screaming.  They make a line at her head and then as she wiggles all over they grab her foot and make another line.  It is always comical because I SEE her moving well below where they drew the head line as they mark her foot and yet it goes on her chart.

All that matters I guess is that she IS growing.  She is nursing really well.  She and I connected that way from the very beginning.  Rosebud nursed well from the start also, and I attribute that to their births.  I'll have to share that another time.


I'm an aunt!!!!! My brother and sister-in-law had a baby girl this morning.  She looks just like my SIL & she is beautiful!  I'd think she was beautiful even if she looked just like my brother  :o)  Anyway, she is one special little girl and I know they'll be fantastic parents.  They named her Ivy which is such a pretty name.  She weighed 1/2 oz less than her big cousin Sweet Pea.  Not Sweet Pea's birth weight, Sweet Pea's today weight.  So much for sending all my newborn girl clothes their way!  I cannot wait to see her and hug her and kiss her!!!!

 We got some Snow on Friday and the boys played outside Saturday.  LMM enjoyed filling his mitten with snow and then eating it.  GROSS.  He was thrilled nonetheless.

 Snug ran around with our dogs who LOVE snow.  They're 1/2 husky so I guess that is understandable.  I took these pictures from inside the warmth of my home thanks to the lens from my aunt!  I feel very spoiled.

Anyway, it has been an exciting time here at our house.

For those of you on my blogroll, I have been reading your posts...but I've been doing it as I nurse via my Kindle Fire.  Leaving comments isn't as easy that way, so I often don't.  I feel bad too because when people comment you know they are actually reading.  I'M READING!  Someday I might be better typing one handed with a touch screen...but today is not that day!

New Birthdays

A few days ago Little Monkey Man announced during devotions that he needed to ask God to forgive his sins.  We talked for a few minutes and then we prayed together.  I think he understood what he was doing but I don't know if he'll ever remember it.  However, it is great to know he is thinking about such things!!!

If you ask him, he is likely to say he has Jesus "in mines heart!"  Amen little man. 

Last night as I was reading "Katy and the Big Snow" Snug started to cry.  Katy isn't that emotional of a story. Actually there is not a single sad thing in it.

He said he was upset because he didn't get to ask Jesus in his heart like LMM did.  I assured him he could do so at any time.  We talked for a few minutes and then he too prayed and asked Jesus to forgive his sins and to  "be his best friend".  I think he understands more than his brother as we've talked about it on several occasions.  He knows more about Jesus dying on the cross and rising again.  He also could tell you before that he had never asked Jesus to forgive him and that he knew he should-just didn't want to.

I am so very humbled to have been a small part of their salvation.  To God be the glory!


Mark 10:14b-16  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Romans 3:23
"For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  (Emphasis mine)
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
John 3:3
"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' "
Romans 10:9-10
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

5 Weeks

 Sweet Pea was five weeks...two days ago.  I'm finding it hard to find time to blog.  I also realize I hardly write anything about the other kids, especially the boys.  I'm going to try to remedy that this week.

 At her doctor appt last Friday she weighed 8 lbs 3 oz.  They measured her at 22 inches long, but honestly I don't really believe it.  Their measuring method has never been reliable on my other kids until they are able to stand up on their own.

When we woke up Monday morning we realized we no longer had a newborn.  It was like overnight she changed.  I don't know if the new car smell wore off or what!  Actually, it is just that when she is awake she is more alert and she is beginning to sleep in longer increments.  She also looks different as she has filled out and her skin is smoothing out.  In this picture she still has mitts on, but she's outgrown those onesies and now her hands are free most of the time-and she doesn't scratch herself up as she has a little more control over her arms.

We are working on NOT being held all the time...and not screaming about it when she isn't being held.  Her lungs are nice and healthy!  I promise I'll post at least one more time before Sunday.  I need to get back in the saddle again.

4 Weeks & Happy New Year

            We spent New Year's Day at church-a great way to start a new year.  There wasn't childcare last week or this, so it was interesting to sit through service with four small children.  Snug does it regularly on Sunday nights, as did Rosebud till she was 18 months old.(We have an 18 month-4 year old class Sunday at night). 

            I have to tell you, although I don't want to pull it off every Sunday, it was such a blessing to worship as a family four a couple of weeks.  Our pastor challenged us to not "shrink back" this new year despite the grim outlook of the economy and politics and the world being in disarray.  He challenged us to give our all and live for the Lord more now than ever.  Very inspiring!  

 I took this picture right before we left for church.  Daddy and his girls  :o)  Hats with large accessories are new to me this year, but I think I'm lovin' it!  I like hats on my kids in general.

 I snapped this picture a couple of minutes ago. Hard to believe Sweet Pea is four weeks old today.  She weighs in at 7 lbs 11 oz and is approx. 19.75 inches.

The cocoon she is wrapped in was made by one of my aunts.  Very soft and snugly on a very windy cold night.  We're having a fire and going to watch my husband's new Psyche DVD.  Happy New Year!!!