"Don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy."
Our oldest child, Brandon turned 14 last week. Wow! I've been a mom for over 14 years. Amazing. What did I even do before having children?
Brandon was born 9 months 3 weeks after our wedding date. We knew we wanted to have children - it was still a little surprising how quickly we were blessed. We got married, moved into our new apartment in another state the next day, spent a few days getting comfy then went on our Honeymoon to DisneyWorld. When we returned to our new home I started a new job. I worked as a nanny. This worked out well because I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks after starting and I was able to continue working while pregnant and then I just brought Brandon with me after he was born.
Brandon was born before we went with Biblical names. We named him after the actor Brandon Lee. (We saw him in The Crow - he died while filming it.) Our son's middle name is Thomas after his daddy. Soon after he was born, I heard Pamela Anderson named her son Brandon Thomas too. He was named after Brandon Lee and his daddy, Tommy. Probably the only thing I have in common with Pamela Anderson :o)
I was so happy and excited throughout my whole pregnancy with Brandon. Everything went smoothly. The only big change was moving one floor up in the apartment building Tom and I lived in. We had a one bedroom and we moved into a two bedroom. We moved from the 2nd floor to the 3rd. The real difficulty was the stairs - and no laundry. Well, there was a small laundry room, but after we found a dead rat in the dryer - we started spending our Friday nights at the laundromat. Carrying a stroller, a baby, and groceries up the stairs was kind of a pain. Taking our dog Justin outside every day and night wasn't fun either, but I love thinking about where we were when we first started together as a married couple - and parents.
Tom was an airplane mechanic when we first got married. He later found a job as a locomotive mechanic, and then as a forklift mechanic. I graduated from college 2 weeks before our wedding with a minor in Fashion (my first major) and a major in Child and Family Services. Before college I was a nanny and after our wedding and moving I went back to being a nanny.
To celebrate my job, Tom and I bought season tickets to Musicals at a new place called Rosemont Theater. We would be able to see all of the shows that season before our baby was due. I still remember the green velvety maternity dress I bought to wear to the last couple shows.
Moving to a new state was hard for me. I missed my parents and my friends back home. I was so thrilled when I found out I was pregnant. I already loved taking care of other people's children - now I was going to have my own child to love and care for.
When labor started, it was late at night. Tom and I were in bed and I started feeling what I thought were contractions. We called the hospital and were told to come in. I think it was around 1:30 am that I called my parents to tell them. I thought I'd be having our baby within a few hours. Nope. Labor was long and painful. I had a midwife, we were trying to go without an epidural. I went for many hours, but then I got so tired I just couldn't keep myself under control with the pain. I finally got an epidural and was able to rest a little bit before meeting our first son. 23+ hours later, Brandon was born. I remember holding him, being totally exhausted, and swearing never to have another child. Ha! I must have been crossing my fingers. My parents, my oldest sister and her husband, and my oldest brother were in the waiting room. They came in to meet Brandon. He was a very healthy, adorable baby boy. I fell in love with him immediately. Brandon and I had a tight bond. I took him everywhere with me! And he was beautiful. We even had a modeling agency offer him a job, but they told us we'd have to sign a 5 year contract and be able to be downtown any day and any time. We were young and couldn't afford not to have our "steady" jobs. We wouldn't be able to drop everything and go downtown. Plus, I didn't want to commit to something for 5 years. What if Brandon didn't like it? What if we didn't like it?
Brandon. "Bobo." He is amazing. He is a very kind-hearted boy. Very spirited. Very creative. He has an incredible artistic talent. His drawings amaze me! And he has such a positive attitude about his Tourettes. He likes to teach others about it and doesn't let it get in his way. I am so proud to be his mother and to have him as my son. I have enjoyed watching him grow. I used to hold this little boy on my lap - and now he stands taller than me. We have a wonderful relationship and hope we always do. I know we will. Brandon is very special to me.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Our Oldest Daughter
"Daughters are like flowers, they fill the world with Beauty."
This week we celebrated the birth of our first daughter, Rachel Ann. Ray-Ray turned 7 on Tuesday. We sang to her in the morning with a candle in her doughnut and gave her her present. She wanted a Nintendo DSi like her brothers. Our "deal" is to either pick a "bigger" present and just celebrate with family - or pick a less expensive gift and have a party with friends. She chose the gift. (We are going to have our priest over for dinner this Saturday so I told her we will make a birthday cake for that evening.) When Tom got home from work, he brought Rachel 7 pink roses. She loves getting her birthday roses from Daddy. Tom gets our girls roses on their birthdays - 1 for each year.
Noah was only 6 months old when I told Tom I thought I was pregnant with our 4th child. I just had this feeling. He said there was no way. So while I was at the store I bought the cheaper store brand. I went home and took the first of two tests. At first - nothing. 10 minutes later, I looked again and there was a positive sign. I read the directions and it said there might be a false sign after 10 minutes. Hmmm. I went to the front door and called to Tom to stop mowing the lawn for a moment. I had something to show him. Tom was very surprised to see the test and the positive sign on it. He smiled and still insisted there was no way. I told him how it didn't change until 10 minutes after so I was going to do the 2nd test in the box. Again, nothing at first, but 10 minutes later - a positive sign. Well...the test had a money back guarantee. The next morning on the way to the zoo, we stopped by the store I had bought the test from. I carried my 6 month old in with me. I went up to the customer service desk and showed them the box from their store brand test. Then I explained how both tests in the box didn't change until after 10 minutes. I pointed out the guarantee on the box - told her the results were unclear and I REALLY needed to know - while showing off Noah to her. She laughed and gave me back my money which I immediately used to purchase a more trusted brand of pregnancy test. Noah and I went back to the car where Tom and our 2 oldest sons were waiting. We started on our way to the zoo and I told Tom I couldn't wait to find out. He pulled into a gas station and I ran in to use the restroom. About 3 minutes later I came out, smiled at Tom, gave him a nod, and we were off to the zoo :o)
When we went to the doctor a few weeks later and had an ultrasound done to see how far along we were - we figured out we got pregnant on Tom's birthday. I remember Tom looked at me and said, "I wonder if God has given me a daughter for my birthday."
With our first 3 children, we found out while pregnant that we were having boys. This time, we decided not to find out. It was kind of fun not knowing. When we were in the delivery room, I really expected another little boy. Tom and I had our friend Nancy with us. (She had been with us at Noah's birth too.) I pushed and when the baby's head came out I heard "Looks like a boy!" And I remember thinking - Yes, that is what I thought. Then another push and I heard "It's a girl!" I will always remember hearing those words for the first time. I felt so much joy at that moment. Of course, I would have loved another son, but I had hoped that someday I would have a daughter too. Plus, we now knew that Tom did get a daughter for his birthday :o)
Rachel Ann certainly has been a wonderful and beautiful gift. It was a little scary to think of having a newborn and a 15 month old at the same time, but Noah loved Rachel right from the start. Brandon and Ethan were very excited to have a little sister too. Noah called Rachel "Baby" for the first 2 years. It was precious. Now being 1 year apart in school, they are very close. Rachel will tell me she saw Noah at school and that she hugged him in the hallway. Noah then says - yeah, and it was embarrassing. But I know he secretly loves it. Rachel sends him notes (they have a "post office" at their school) that say I love you Noah. I miss you Noah. And a couple weeks ago Noah sent Rachel one for the first time. His note said I miss you Rachel and I love you. I really hope and pray that all of our children always stay close. Family is so important. It is such a blessing to have each other.
This week we celebrated the birth of our first daughter, Rachel Ann. Ray-Ray turned 7 on Tuesday. We sang to her in the morning with a candle in her doughnut and gave her her present. She wanted a Nintendo DSi like her brothers. Our "deal" is to either pick a "bigger" present and just celebrate with family - or pick a less expensive gift and have a party with friends. She chose the gift. (We are going to have our priest over for dinner this Saturday so I told her we will make a birthday cake for that evening.) When Tom got home from work, he brought Rachel 7 pink roses. She loves getting her birthday roses from Daddy. Tom gets our girls roses on their birthdays - 1 for each year.
Noah was only 6 months old when I told Tom I thought I was pregnant with our 4th child. I just had this feeling. He said there was no way. So while I was at the store I bought the cheaper store brand. I went home and took the first of two tests. At first - nothing. 10 minutes later, I looked again and there was a positive sign. I read the directions and it said there might be a false sign after 10 minutes. Hmmm. I went to the front door and called to Tom to stop mowing the lawn for a moment. I had something to show him. Tom was very surprised to see the test and the positive sign on it. He smiled and still insisted there was no way. I told him how it didn't change until 10 minutes after so I was going to do the 2nd test in the box. Again, nothing at first, but 10 minutes later - a positive sign. Well...the test had a money back guarantee. The next morning on the way to the zoo, we stopped by the store I had bought the test from. I carried my 6 month old in with me. I went up to the customer service desk and showed them the box from their store brand test. Then I explained how both tests in the box didn't change until after 10 minutes. I pointed out the guarantee on the box - told her the results were unclear and I REALLY needed to know - while showing off Noah to her. She laughed and gave me back my money which I immediately used to purchase a more trusted brand of pregnancy test. Noah and I went back to the car where Tom and our 2 oldest sons were waiting. We started on our way to the zoo and I told Tom I couldn't wait to find out. He pulled into a gas station and I ran in to use the restroom. About 3 minutes later I came out, smiled at Tom, gave him a nod, and we were off to the zoo :o)
When we went to the doctor a few weeks later and had an ultrasound done to see how far along we were - we figured out we got pregnant on Tom's birthday. I remember Tom looked at me and said, "I wonder if God has given me a daughter for my birthday."
With our first 3 children, we found out while pregnant that we were having boys. This time, we decided not to find out. It was kind of fun not knowing. When we were in the delivery room, I really expected another little boy. Tom and I had our friend Nancy with us. (She had been with us at Noah's birth too.) I pushed and when the baby's head came out I heard "Looks like a boy!" And I remember thinking - Yes, that is what I thought. Then another push and I heard "It's a girl!" I will always remember hearing those words for the first time. I felt so much joy at that moment. Of course, I would have loved another son, but I had hoped that someday I would have a daughter too. Plus, we now knew that Tom did get a daughter for his birthday :o)
Rachel Ann certainly has been a wonderful and beautiful gift. It was a little scary to think of having a newborn and a 15 month old at the same time, but Noah loved Rachel right from the start. Brandon and Ethan were very excited to have a little sister too. Noah called Rachel "Baby" for the first 2 years. It was precious. Now being 1 year apart in school, they are very close. Rachel will tell me she saw Noah at school and that she hugged him in the hallway. Noah then says - yeah, and it was embarrassing. But I know he secretly loves it. Rachel sends him notes (they have a "post office" at their school) that say I love you Noah. I miss you Noah. And a couple weeks ago Noah sent Rachel one for the first time. His note said I miss you Rachel and I love you. I really hope and pray that all of our children always stay close. Family is so important. It is such a blessing to have each other.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Almost Spring
"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow."
Spring is so close! I can't wait for warmer weather. I love sitting outside with my neighbor-friends, letting our kids run around and play, and not having to bundle everyone up - especially that! Bicycles, skateboards, and kiddie pools. I am really looking forward to having Jacob outside in the fresh air and sunshine with his little t-shirts on and his toes in the grass.
Jacob started cereal and bananas! Woo Hoo! He loves it - I knew he would. I got him a sippy cup too. I put juicey in it this morning and handed it to him on the floor. He grabbed the cup, rolled onto his back, and started drinking. He's so smart :o)
Tommy took last week off of work to do some work around our home. He took the carpet out of the 2 bathrooms upstairs. I never really understood carpet in a bathroom. We picked out some tile and Tommy's been working really hard to put it in. It looks beautiful. That man is very talented! Now we're going to paint our bathroom and bedroom - we've been in our home for over 8 years and our room has never been painted. We just got curtains up in it last year. We keep having to redo our children's rooms so we haven't had time for ours. I am looking forward to it all being done. I'm tired of sharing one shower and one toilet with 8 people! (Jacob wears diapers and uses the sink for his bath.) Tom is also working on putting trim around our back sliding door. It's only been around 17 months since he replaced the door. There is a lot of paint to touch up around here too.
On Tom's last day off, he took the boys to the movies. Brandon had been wanting to go see The Lightning Thief. It's been out for awhile, so there were only 3 other people in the theater. With Brandon's tics really "acting up" lately, this was a good thing. He could enjoy the movie and not worry about anyone being right next to him that would be bothered by his tics. Our girls and I (and Jakey) stayed home and played around with making hair ribbons and tutus. It was fun. (Maybe not so much for Jakey.) I just need a better work area. Maybe someday.
Tom and I also went for our annual physicals. So far so good. I had one test come back questionable so they're going to repeat it in 6 weeks. Hopefully everything is fine. I certainly can't let myself worry about it. I'll go crazy. I went to EA last night and prayed about it. That's really all I can do right now.
Jakey had his 6 month pictures done. He did really well. He loved the lady photographer's bracelet. He got very excited whenever he saw it and especially happy when she would get close enough for him to grab it. I spent quite a bit on these pictures - too many good ones. He's adorable.
I have two little ones napping, one watching a movie, one that just got home, and three that will be getting home soon. I need to get back to the laundry. I let myself slip a little and Ethan couldn't find any pants this morning. By the time I get laundry done around here and put away, the hampers are over-flowing with dirty clothes again. I'm not sure how to solve this problem. Another reason why it'll be nice to have warmer weather back. Spring dresses and t-shirts with shorts. Even better - in the summer, our children hang out in their jammies and swimsuits.
Spring is so close! I can't wait for warmer weather. I love sitting outside with my neighbor-friends, letting our kids run around and play, and not having to bundle everyone up - especially that! Bicycles, skateboards, and kiddie pools. I am really looking forward to having Jacob outside in the fresh air and sunshine with his little t-shirts on and his toes in the grass.
Jacob started cereal and bananas! Woo Hoo! He loves it - I knew he would. I got him a sippy cup too. I put juicey in it this morning and handed it to him on the floor. He grabbed the cup, rolled onto his back, and started drinking. He's so smart :o)
Tommy took last week off of work to do some work around our home. He took the carpet out of the 2 bathrooms upstairs. I never really understood carpet in a bathroom. We picked out some tile and Tommy's been working really hard to put it in. It looks beautiful. That man is very talented! Now we're going to paint our bathroom and bedroom - we've been in our home for over 8 years and our room has never been painted. We just got curtains up in it last year. We keep having to redo our children's rooms so we haven't had time for ours. I am looking forward to it all being done. I'm tired of sharing one shower and one toilet with 8 people! (Jacob wears diapers and uses the sink for his bath.) Tom is also working on putting trim around our back sliding door. It's only been around 17 months since he replaced the door. There is a lot of paint to touch up around here too.
On Tom's last day off, he took the boys to the movies. Brandon had been wanting to go see The Lightning Thief. It's been out for awhile, so there were only 3 other people in the theater. With Brandon's tics really "acting up" lately, this was a good thing. He could enjoy the movie and not worry about anyone being right next to him that would be bothered by his tics. Our girls and I (and Jakey) stayed home and played around with making hair ribbons and tutus. It was fun. (Maybe not so much for Jakey.) I just need a better work area. Maybe someday.
Tom and I also went for our annual physicals. So far so good. I had one test come back questionable so they're going to repeat it in 6 weeks. Hopefully everything is fine. I certainly can't let myself worry about it. I'll go crazy. I went to EA last night and prayed about it. That's really all I can do right now.
Jakey had his 6 month pictures done. He did really well. He loved the lady photographer's bracelet. He got very excited whenever he saw it and especially happy when she would get close enough for him to grab it. I spent quite a bit on these pictures - too many good ones. He's adorable.
I have two little ones napping, one watching a movie, one that just got home, and three that will be getting home soon. I need to get back to the laundry. I let myself slip a little and Ethan couldn't find any pants this morning. By the time I get laundry done around here and put away, the hampers are over-flowing with dirty clothes again. I'm not sure how to solve this problem. Another reason why it'll be nice to have warmer weather back. Spring dresses and t-shirts with shorts. Even better - in the summer, our children hang out in their jammies and swimsuits.
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