"God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them."
Today we are praying for our friends. We are praying for a miracle. We are praying for comfort and strength. As a mother, knowing another mother is hurting, I can only pray, hope, and cry today. I wish I could do more.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Easter
"Spring is filled with so many gifts from God."
Last week was Spring Break and Easter. The week went by way too fast! At least we were blessed with beautiful weather. Our children enjoyed a few days of playing outdoors and I got to enjoy sitting outside with my friends too.
A week from today wasn't so fun. I woke up with a terrible migraine. I took some medicine, my sweet boys brought me some coffee, I handed my oldest son our baby, went to the bathroom and got "sick" several times, emailed my hubby, then laid down. All I remember was crying and praying that the pain would go away. I fell asleep. When I woke up I thought - Oh my gosh it must be about 10:00am! I looked at the clock, it was 3:30pm!! Ethan came upstairs to see how I was doing. What wonderful children I have. Wonderful family. Wonderful neighbors. The older children watched the younger ones. They said Daddy called every 2 hours to check up on them. Each of my neighbors called too - one even sent down her teenage daughter to help Brandon with taking care of Jacob and the younger ones.
Well, of course this migraine has sparked curiosity. I always get migraines when I'm pregnant. I took advantage of this on April 1st by posting as my status on Facebook -- Guess What? A few "fell for it" before one person figured out that it was an April Fools Joke. I believe I have a few friends who would like me to be the one to keep filling their "baby needs." A few also told me that I should be careful with what I joke about :o)I guess so. I'm still wondering if I should really go buy a test...
Thursday, we took all 7 children to the mall to see The Easter Bunny. Brandon was thrilled - Ha! He told me that every year I tell him just one more picture - then I have a baby and make him go be in just one more. He was a good sport. He complained about it all the way up to the bunny, but then held Sarah and had a wonderful smile on his face for the picture. He is so good to his mommy.
On Good Friday we had our Easter Egg Hunt in the cul-de-sac. What a beautiful day! We had a big turn out as usual. So much fun. We have all the children get together for a picture then let them loose. The eggs are gone within a few minutes. It's great seeing them all run around with big smiles. Then they all sit in little groups to open up their eggs, eat a few pieces, and trade others. After, a few of us families stayed outside to share breakfast. Everyone brought something and Tommy pulled out the grill. We had donuts, cinnamon rolls, egg casserole, french toast casserole, grilled potatoes and grilled veggies - lots of coffee, juice, and milk. Very yummy! (No meat - Friday and we have a couple of vegetarians.) That night we went to church to watch the youth group do the Shadows of the Stations of the Cross. Well done. The Stations are so powerful. I was proud to see our older children pay attention. (Ethan was in the balcony, in the choir.)
On Saturday we just hung out at home. Grandma Pat came over later in the afternoon and watched baby Jacob while Tom and I took our other 6 to the indoor swimming pool. We met our neighbor there with 3 of her children. I enjoyed watching them all play together. Our 3 older boys spent the entire time together. Sarah got daddy to take her into the kiddie pool. She went down the little slide for the first time and learned that it was a lot of fun. She and Leah and their friend Ellie had a great time. Rachel hung out with me in the warm pool and practiced her swimming. She left me for a little while to go down the big slide and to play with her sisters in the kiddie pool, but mostly we got to have a nice little time together.
Next morning was Easter. Our children got up and ran downstairs. I thought they would have gone right for their baskets, but when I went down to get some coffee, they were all sitting and waiting. Then they looked at all their candy and the Chipmunks 2nd movie that The Bunny brought. They watched the movie right away and then we got ready for mass. Ethan was in the choir so we had to be there 30 minutes early. That was a good thing. Our church was very crowded at this mass. And our family needs to get a long pew all to ourselves :o) Grandma Pat met us at church too. Our children looked very nice all dressed up. Jakey had on a sweet little baby blue vest with a white shirt and cream colored pants. I brought my camera so we could get some nice children-family pictures by the lillies on the altar. And it was again beautiful outside so we got some more pictures in our front yard of all of us.
Tommy got the grill out again. (Love the grill!) We had a very nice Easter dinner together. Everyone sat nicely - once we got settled at the table. We had on some nice Christian Music that my mother and father had sent to me. While I was feeding Jakey in his highchair, I noticed his first tooth had finally broken through. His bottom right. Yay Jakey! Then all of our children got up and started putting their fingers in his mouth to feel the tooth. He would bite down and they would scream and he would laugh. It was pretty cute.
When dinner was done and cleaned up, our children reminded us that we never did color our eggs. So we did. We got out the newspaper and everyone got to do a couple of eggs. That stuff really is messy. I bought a "glitter" kit and a "tie-dye" kit. I think I should just get plain color kits and stickers :o)
Yesterday, Monday, was back to school day. Only Leah was excited. She missed her teacher. Noah had spent the night coughing and getting "sick" from it, so I let him stay home and rest. Last night I went to Eucharistic Adoration at our church. Love that time I have with Jesus. (My son tells me I'm turning into Grandma :o) Maybe so.) I had a lot to think about and to pray about.
Today is Tuesday. I had our 3 older boys take showers this morning and I bathed our 3 girls. After I sent them off to school, I remembered that today was Picture Day for Leah. Ugh. I sent her with wet hair and a long sleeve t-shirt. Oh well. She had on black leggings with a black skirt that she insisted on wearing. I'm so glad she did. The skirt probably saved the outfit. And I'm glad I didn't do my usual braid or ponytail when her hair is wet. When she got home she showed me how she smiled. She told me that someone brushed her hair and that she stood with her arms crossed - that covered up the little stain on her white shirt :o) I'm sure her picture will look adorable. At least I didn't spend the morning stressing out about her hair and outfit. Brandon's kindergarten picture is still my favorite school picture. I forgot it was picture day and he had on a hooded sweatshirt. He looked so "natural" so "Brandon" in the picture. I loved it - still love it!
Last week was Spring Break and Easter. The week went by way too fast! At least we were blessed with beautiful weather. Our children enjoyed a few days of playing outdoors and I got to enjoy sitting outside with my friends too.
A week from today wasn't so fun. I woke up with a terrible migraine. I took some medicine, my sweet boys brought me some coffee, I handed my oldest son our baby, went to the bathroom and got "sick" several times, emailed my hubby, then laid down. All I remember was crying and praying that the pain would go away. I fell asleep. When I woke up I thought - Oh my gosh it must be about 10:00am! I looked at the clock, it was 3:30pm!! Ethan came upstairs to see how I was doing. What wonderful children I have. Wonderful family. Wonderful neighbors. The older children watched the younger ones. They said Daddy called every 2 hours to check up on them. Each of my neighbors called too - one even sent down her teenage daughter to help Brandon with taking care of Jacob and the younger ones.
Well, of course this migraine has sparked curiosity. I always get migraines when I'm pregnant. I took advantage of this on April 1st by posting as my status on Facebook -- Guess What? A few "fell for it" before one person figured out that it was an April Fools Joke. I believe I have a few friends who would like me to be the one to keep filling their "baby needs." A few also told me that I should be careful with what I joke about :o)I guess so. I'm still wondering if I should really go buy a test...
Thursday, we took all 7 children to the mall to see The Easter Bunny. Brandon was thrilled - Ha! He told me that every year I tell him just one more picture - then I have a baby and make him go be in just one more. He was a good sport. He complained about it all the way up to the bunny, but then held Sarah and had a wonderful smile on his face for the picture. He is so good to his mommy.
On Good Friday we had our Easter Egg Hunt in the cul-de-sac. What a beautiful day! We had a big turn out as usual. So much fun. We have all the children get together for a picture then let them loose. The eggs are gone within a few minutes. It's great seeing them all run around with big smiles. Then they all sit in little groups to open up their eggs, eat a few pieces, and trade others. After, a few of us families stayed outside to share breakfast. Everyone brought something and Tommy pulled out the grill. We had donuts, cinnamon rolls, egg casserole, french toast casserole, grilled potatoes and grilled veggies - lots of coffee, juice, and milk. Very yummy! (No meat - Friday and we have a couple of vegetarians.) That night we went to church to watch the youth group do the Shadows of the Stations of the Cross. Well done. The Stations are so powerful. I was proud to see our older children pay attention. (Ethan was in the balcony, in the choir.)
On Saturday we just hung out at home. Grandma Pat came over later in the afternoon and watched baby Jacob while Tom and I took our other 6 to the indoor swimming pool. We met our neighbor there with 3 of her children. I enjoyed watching them all play together. Our 3 older boys spent the entire time together. Sarah got daddy to take her into the kiddie pool. She went down the little slide for the first time and learned that it was a lot of fun. She and Leah and their friend Ellie had a great time. Rachel hung out with me in the warm pool and practiced her swimming. She left me for a little while to go down the big slide and to play with her sisters in the kiddie pool, but mostly we got to have a nice little time together.
Next morning was Easter. Our children got up and ran downstairs. I thought they would have gone right for their baskets, but when I went down to get some coffee, they were all sitting and waiting. Then they looked at all their candy and the Chipmunks 2nd movie that The Bunny brought. They watched the movie right away and then we got ready for mass. Ethan was in the choir so we had to be there 30 minutes early. That was a good thing. Our church was very crowded at this mass. And our family needs to get a long pew all to ourselves :o) Grandma Pat met us at church too. Our children looked very nice all dressed up. Jakey had on a sweet little baby blue vest with a white shirt and cream colored pants. I brought my camera so we could get some nice children-family pictures by the lillies on the altar. And it was again beautiful outside so we got some more pictures in our front yard of all of us.
Tommy got the grill out again. (Love the grill!) We had a very nice Easter dinner together. Everyone sat nicely - once we got settled at the table. We had on some nice Christian Music that my mother and father had sent to me. While I was feeding Jakey in his highchair, I noticed his first tooth had finally broken through. His bottom right. Yay Jakey! Then all of our children got up and started putting their fingers in his mouth to feel the tooth. He would bite down and they would scream and he would laugh. It was pretty cute.
When dinner was done and cleaned up, our children reminded us that we never did color our eggs. So we did. We got out the newspaper and everyone got to do a couple of eggs. That stuff really is messy. I bought a "glitter" kit and a "tie-dye" kit. I think I should just get plain color kits and stickers :o)
Yesterday, Monday, was back to school day. Only Leah was excited. She missed her teacher. Noah had spent the night coughing and getting "sick" from it, so I let him stay home and rest. Last night I went to Eucharistic Adoration at our church. Love that time I have with Jesus. (My son tells me I'm turning into Grandma :o) Maybe so.) I had a lot to think about and to pray about.
Today is Tuesday. I had our 3 older boys take showers this morning and I bathed our 3 girls. After I sent them off to school, I remembered that today was Picture Day for Leah. Ugh. I sent her with wet hair and a long sleeve t-shirt. Oh well. She had on black leggings with a black skirt that she insisted on wearing. I'm so glad she did. The skirt probably saved the outfit. And I'm glad I didn't do my usual braid or ponytail when her hair is wet. When she got home she showed me how she smiled. She told me that someone brushed her hair and that she stood with her arms crossed - that covered up the little stain on her white shirt :o) I'm sure her picture will look adorable. At least I didn't spend the morning stressing out about her hair and outfit. Brandon's kindergarten picture is still my favorite school picture. I forgot it was picture day and he had on a hooded sweatshirt. He looked so "natural" so "Brandon" in the picture. I loved it - still love it!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Bobo
"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.
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.
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.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Church
"I will go with you, I will give you rest, everything will be fine for you."
On Monday I went to Eucharistic Adoration. I love going to my church. It is so beautiful and so welcoming. I feel a lot of comfort when I am there. For EA, I usually sit, pray, and cry. It's a good cry. There was a speaker once at our church who talked about imagining Jesus sitting next to you when you pray. He had us close our eyes and picture Jesus there with us. I did. It changed the way I feel when I am praying. Instead of focusing above me, I see Jesus sitting next to me, bowing his head, and just listening.
Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. Again I went to my church. Tom went straight from work - our children and I met him there. It was crowded! I wanted to leave our home early, but my children weren't going to let that happen. On our way to church, which is right across the street, we sat in a line of cars. At first, I felt myself get a little frustrated -- then I thought, no this is good. So many people were going to mass and getting their ashes. This was a good thing. I'm sure many choose to skip. And I hoped Tom was inside saving an entire pew for us - though, that's never a fun thing to do. He was.
One thing we noticed during mass, while everyone was going up for ashes and then communion, our son E, was getting a lot of waves and smiles from girls he knows. Hmmm...We were all kind of teasing him about it. He just smiled. Sweet.
Friday night Tom and I got together with our Couples Bible Study. We took Jacob (6 months old!)while Brandon babysat the rest of our children. This was a social gathering. Lots of fun. We ate, we drank, we discussed a few issues, and then it was men vs women in Pictionary! So much fun, lots of laughing. I had a bit of a flashback. I used to go with my parents to their CFM meetings when I was a child. And here I was at my own adult church-group meeting. Who would have thought?
Today I went to church again. It was for a Womens Enrichment Day. It was really nice. I was surrounded by many friends. Great witnesses were shared. Reconciliation was offered. Yummy food was served. It was a wonderful day focused on me, my faith, and my relationship with God. My friend gave one of the witnesses. (Great job honey!) She had me design a magnet to be passed out. I put a few together and she chose one that had a photo on it that I took and the quote at the beginning of this blog. It's something I love to do and I was so touched she asked me to do it for her. I hope to do it some more for others someday.
This week my husband is taking a week off to help me take care of a few things around our home. Lots to do around here. Our back door has been waiting for trim for 1 and 1/2 years! I am also having a friend over for brunch. She is the mother of Carter that I have mentioned before. Carter's little brother is going to come over and meet me and a couple of my children, while hopefully finding comfort in my home.
I was thinking of a time when Brandon was 4 years old. We were at a preschool PTA family get-together. There was a little girl there that we didn't know. She had cancer and had no hair from the chemo. She was sitting all by herself, looking sadly at all the other kids running around playing. She got a lot of stares, but no invites to come play. Then Brandon saw her. He approached her. The first thing he did was ask her why she didn't have hair. She explained to him why and Brandon replied with "Oh. Wanna play?" She smiled and the two of them were inseparable the rest of the evening. When it was time for Brandon's newest friend to leave, he came up to me. He asked me if I would mind giving him the bracelet he had made me at the craft table back. I said ok and handed it to him. He smiled, said thanks, and ran over to give this little girl the bracelet as a gift. Brandon has always been very kind.
All of my children would love to get together with Carter. I'm sure they will someday soon, especially once the weather is nice again. They are excited to have his little brother over. I always want our family and our home to be very welcoming and comfortable to others. You know, that is how I described my relationship with church and God today. I shared that I feel very welcomed when I walk into my (our) church and I feel much comfort when I am there praying. Church feels like home.
On Monday I went to Eucharistic Adoration. I love going to my church. It is so beautiful and so welcoming. I feel a lot of comfort when I am there. For EA, I usually sit, pray, and cry. It's a good cry. There was a speaker once at our church who talked about imagining Jesus sitting next to you when you pray. He had us close our eyes and picture Jesus there with us. I did. It changed the way I feel when I am praying. Instead of focusing above me, I see Jesus sitting next to me, bowing his head, and just listening.
Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. Again I went to my church. Tom went straight from work - our children and I met him there. It was crowded! I wanted to leave our home early, but my children weren't going to let that happen. On our way to church, which is right across the street, we sat in a line of cars. At first, I felt myself get a little frustrated -- then I thought, no this is good. So many people were going to mass and getting their ashes. This was a good thing. I'm sure many choose to skip. And I hoped Tom was inside saving an entire pew for us - though, that's never a fun thing to do. He was.
One thing we noticed during mass, while everyone was going up for ashes and then communion, our son E, was getting a lot of waves and smiles from girls he knows. Hmmm...We were all kind of teasing him about it. He just smiled. Sweet.
Friday night Tom and I got together with our Couples Bible Study. We took Jacob (6 months old!)while Brandon babysat the rest of our children. This was a social gathering. Lots of fun. We ate, we drank, we discussed a few issues, and then it was men vs women in Pictionary! So much fun, lots of laughing. I had a bit of a flashback. I used to go with my parents to their CFM meetings when I was a child. And here I was at my own adult church-group meeting. Who would have thought?
Today I went to church again. It was for a Womens Enrichment Day. It was really nice. I was surrounded by many friends. Great witnesses were shared. Reconciliation was offered. Yummy food was served. It was a wonderful day focused on me, my faith, and my relationship with God. My friend gave one of the witnesses. (Great job honey!) She had me design a magnet to be passed out. I put a few together and she chose one that had a photo on it that I took and the quote at the beginning of this blog. It's something I love to do and I was so touched she asked me to do it for her. I hope to do it some more for others someday.
This week my husband is taking a week off to help me take care of a few things around our home. Lots to do around here. Our back door has been waiting for trim for 1 and 1/2 years! I am also having a friend over for brunch. She is the mother of Carter that I have mentioned before. Carter's little brother is going to come over and meet me and a couple of my children, while hopefully finding comfort in my home.
I was thinking of a time when Brandon was 4 years old. We were at a preschool PTA family get-together. There was a little girl there that we didn't know. She had cancer and had no hair from the chemo. She was sitting all by herself, looking sadly at all the other kids running around playing. She got a lot of stares, but no invites to come play. Then Brandon saw her. He approached her. The first thing he did was ask her why she didn't have hair. She explained to him why and Brandon replied with "Oh. Wanna play?" She smiled and the two of them were inseparable the rest of the evening. When it was time for Brandon's newest friend to leave, he came up to me. He asked me if I would mind giving him the bracelet he had made me at the craft table back. I said ok and handed it to him. He smiled, said thanks, and ran over to give this little girl the bracelet as a gift. Brandon has always been very kind.
All of my children would love to get together with Carter. I'm sure they will someday soon, especially once the weather is nice again. They are excited to have his little brother over. I always want our family and our home to be very welcoming and comfortable to others. You know, that is how I described my relationship with church and God today. I shared that I feel very welcomed when I walk into my (our) church and I feel much comfort when I am there praying. Church feels like home.
Monday, February 15, 2010
St. Valentines Day
"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."
Been awhile since I've written.
Took a trip back home to Iowa for my friend, Kimmy's 40th birthday. Stayed one night at our other friend, Sue's home - Had fun chatting until 3:30 am. Spent the next night out to dinner, to a comedy club, then playing darts at a sports bar/grill. Got to the hotel at 3:00am. Crazy! Would love to do it all again! Some friendships are just so special. I love that we are able to still get together for special moments in our lives. (Sue, WT_?) Ha! Ha!
Watching the Olympics! Love the snowboarding and the skating!
Four day weekend for our children. Friday was spent just hanging out at home. When Tom got home from work, we did our usual Friday Family Night. Pizza and games this week. I enjoy our Friday nights. I love that our family enjoys spending the evening together. Not that every night goes smoothly, but we did start a new "punishment" with our children so we can get better. Tom and I really dislike when our children don't treat each other nicely. Now whenever they say or do something that hurts another, they need to go upstairs to the table in our loft and write an apology, then come down and read it aloud to the person they hurt. At first, they tried to get out of writing the letters - and reading them. I think reading them outloud was the hardest part. Now, they know it has to be done, and they do it. Hopefully we have fewer and fewer letters. (And if they're disrespectful to a parent, it's more of an essay! Paragraphs!)
Saturday I got up and went to a neighbor's, my friend's, home to help clean. I have written about sweet Carter before. I brought my second oldest, Ethan, with me. So there were 4 women and 3 children cleaning. I went straight to Carter's bedroom and started there. I loved being there to help. I pray for this wonderful family every day and I have been wishing there was something I can do to help them, and here was something I could do. Plus, I finally got to meet Dad. I read his beautifully written blogs and had wanted to meet him. Tomorrow it will be 1 year since they found out Carter was sick. There is a fundraiser celebration at a local restaurant. We are planning to go for dessert. (It's also Fat Tuesday!)
Sunday was Valentines Day! Jacob's first Valentines Day! (Our 18th!) It was a good day. An easy day. We went to church - I did Children's Liturgy. Then Tom and I spent the day at home playing with our children. Later that evening, Tom's mother came over and offered to watch our children so Tom and I could go out to dinner. It was nice to go out alone for a couple of hours as a couple. We enjoy being together. We're best friends.
Unfortunately my poor hubby woke up feeling miserable today. He felt so bad that he stayed home from work - that very rarely happens. I tried to just let him rest in bed all day. He did come downstairs for dinner, but is now back in bed. I made a nice dinner for everyone, so nice that our daughter Rachel forgot daddy was sick and thought that he had made dinner. Ok, I'm not a fan of cooking, but I do do it sometimes. I also went to our church for Eucharistic Adoration. I find it so powerful to be there knowing Jesus is present. I spend most of the time crying. With my husband sick and snow falling, I almost didn't go - but so glad I did. I really love going. I want to go and need to go. I feel I need to make time for God because I am always asking Him to make time for me. Lots of prayers come from me.
One funny thing that happened last week -- I went outside to get the mail. As I was walking up the driveway, I heard the front door shut. Then I heard Sarah, my 2 year old, laughing and yelling "I locked the door! I locked the door!" She sounded so happy and proud of herself. Thankfully the little Stinkerbell knew how to unlock the door too.
Everyone is off to bed except me. I have little Jakey on my lap, satisfied and asleep. He's been fighting a nasty cold, everyone in our home has. I'm pretty tired of hearing coughing and sneezing. I think we're almost through it. Poor Tommy almost got away without getting it. Hopefully he feels better in the morning.
I am off to bed with this little peanut.
Been awhile since I've written.
Took a trip back home to Iowa for my friend, Kimmy's 40th birthday. Stayed one night at our other friend, Sue's home - Had fun chatting until 3:30 am. Spent the next night out to dinner, to a comedy club, then playing darts at a sports bar/grill. Got to the hotel at 3:00am. Crazy! Would love to do it all again! Some friendships are just so special. I love that we are able to still get together for special moments in our lives. (Sue, WT_?) Ha! Ha!
Watching the Olympics! Love the snowboarding and the skating!
Four day weekend for our children. Friday was spent just hanging out at home. When Tom got home from work, we did our usual Friday Family Night. Pizza and games this week. I enjoy our Friday nights. I love that our family enjoys spending the evening together. Not that every night goes smoothly, but we did start a new "punishment" with our children so we can get better. Tom and I really dislike when our children don't treat each other nicely. Now whenever they say or do something that hurts another, they need to go upstairs to the table in our loft and write an apology, then come down and read it aloud to the person they hurt. At first, they tried to get out of writing the letters - and reading them. I think reading them outloud was the hardest part. Now, they know it has to be done, and they do it. Hopefully we have fewer and fewer letters. (And if they're disrespectful to a parent, it's more of an essay! Paragraphs!)
Saturday I got up and went to a neighbor's, my friend's, home to help clean. I have written about sweet Carter before. I brought my second oldest, Ethan, with me. So there were 4 women and 3 children cleaning. I went straight to Carter's bedroom and started there. I loved being there to help. I pray for this wonderful family every day and I have been wishing there was something I can do to help them, and here was something I could do. Plus, I finally got to meet Dad. I read his beautifully written blogs and had wanted to meet him. Tomorrow it will be 1 year since they found out Carter was sick. There is a fundraiser celebration at a local restaurant. We are planning to go for dessert. (It's also Fat Tuesday!)
Sunday was Valentines Day! Jacob's first Valentines Day! (Our 18th!) It was a good day. An easy day. We went to church - I did Children's Liturgy. Then Tom and I spent the day at home playing with our children. Later that evening, Tom's mother came over and offered to watch our children so Tom and I could go out to dinner. It was nice to go out alone for a couple of hours as a couple. We enjoy being together. We're best friends.
Unfortunately my poor hubby woke up feeling miserable today. He felt so bad that he stayed home from work - that very rarely happens. I tried to just let him rest in bed all day. He did come downstairs for dinner, but is now back in bed. I made a nice dinner for everyone, so nice that our daughter Rachel forgot daddy was sick and thought that he had made dinner. Ok, I'm not a fan of cooking, but I do do it sometimes. I also went to our church for Eucharistic Adoration. I find it so powerful to be there knowing Jesus is present. I spend most of the time crying. With my husband sick and snow falling, I almost didn't go - but so glad I did. I really love going. I want to go and need to go. I feel I need to make time for God because I am always asking Him to make time for me. Lots of prayers come from me.
One funny thing that happened last week -- I went outside to get the mail. As I was walking up the driveway, I heard the front door shut. Then I heard Sarah, my 2 year old, laughing and yelling "I locked the door! I locked the door!" She sounded so happy and proud of herself. Thankfully the little Stinkerbell knew how to unlock the door too.
Everyone is off to bed except me. I have little Jakey on my lap, satisfied and asleep. He's been fighting a nasty cold, everyone in our home has. I'm pretty tired of hearing coughing and sneezing. I think we're almost through it. Poor Tommy almost got away without getting it. Hopefully he feels better in the morning.
I am off to bed with this little peanut.
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