Today I was reminded all day that it was one year ago that I was on bed rest in the hospital. I went in to the hospital just to receive the steroid shot and never came home..well not at least until Hunter was born. I have thought about that time quite a bit the past year. It was a long four weeks without my family. There were days that I just sat in the bed and felt relatively OK. Then there were days that all I could think about was what were my boys doing at home? Were they OK without mommy? Would they understand why I wasn't there? My friend reminded me that there was going to be an end. I would go home. I wasn't terminally ill...this did help me at times. The Lord taught me a lesson those four weeks..."you are not in control, Annie." I had no control over my life...no control at my house, no control over my boys and what they were doing, no control over my own body!
Now, here I am a year later with a beautiful baby boy who is almost one! I am not sure where the year went. It makes me sad to think Hunter will be one in three weeks. My baby boy will be one! I try to remember to cherish every day and not get caught up in the daily stress of keeping up with the house or the bills. Every day is a precious blessing from the Lord. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, all we have is today. What will my children remember about today? Did I hug them enough? Did I tell them that I love them? Did we laugh together?
I pray that I always remember this...that this becomes my daily motto.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
I know, I know...it has been a few weeks again! I can't help it...my four boys keep me busy. Actually busy is an understatement. The past few weeks have been filled with ups and downs but we are still on the crazy ride of our life. Jonah successfully gave up his pacifier. He cried the first night wanting it back which is to be expected. He wanted me to go back the to dentist office to get them. If that wasn't going to work he wanted me to find the "lost" orange one that we never found. Well, his loving older brother found that gross orange one under the couch about a week later. Jonah came walking up the stairs with the thing in his mouth with a huge grin. "Mom, look what E found for me!" Fabulous! My wheels started turning..."how was I going to get this one away from him?" Then I got the idea...I said,"Oh, I was just going to say that I have been so proud of you this past week. I thought we could go out for ice cream." Jonah's eyes got big, "I will throw it in the trash right now." And that was it....now we had to go out for ice cream at 7pm on a school night. But that was ok...the pacifier was gone.
Hunter had surgery about a month ago for tubes in his ears. Not only does he favor Jonah in looks but also in ear infections, apparently. After having 6 infections, we decided surgery was a good thing. Rather have the 5 minute procedure than more antibiotics. He was a trooper. They took him back at 7:52, I was in the holding room waiting for the doctor at 7:55 and the doctor was in the room at 7:59 telling me he did great. By 8:15 I was back in the recovery room with him. He never cried once. I could hear him whining when I was walking back but as soon as he saw his mama, he gave me his usual smile. Such a good baby! I am having a hard time with the fact that he is almost one! Where did this year go? My little baby...I keep telling him that he is supposed to stay this age. He is so easy going and so darn cute! He is crawling everywhere, standing up and making all sorts of sounds. The boys fight over who gets to hold him... I have to tell them to just let him be and crawl around. Just let him play....
Another realization I had the other day is that my Liam is almost 3! I still call him a baby...but he is a little boy. I a hate that time is going by so fast. I keep telling myself to just enjoy each day. Don't think about tomorrow or the past just cherish the moment. I am really trying to remember that the house will be here, the mess will be here but the boys won't always be here or want to play. This is definitely something I could use prayer on...I have a hard time not letting the house mess get to me. This is the case especially so now that the house is on the market again. We have had 6 showings in the past 10 days...no offers though. I am getting pretty good at throwing stuff places. Now if I could just find that stuff after the showing when I need it!
Mike has been busy this past month. He went to the New Orleans Mardi Gras outreach that he has gone to the past two years. He had another great experience this year. He went with about 23 co-workers and friends...in a caravan of 4 vehicles (sounds like fun...15 hours in a car). Another big announcement, he received a promotion at work. He is now the Service Operations Director. We are so proud of him and all the hard work he does for our family.
Ethan is getting through is Kindergarten year. He has learned to read and is working on math now. His writing has greatly improved. He is really working hard...we are proud of him. Everyday though on the way to school he asks me to homeschool him next year. I tell him that we are considering it..somedays it sounds more doable than others. It is something that I desire to do just have to get my head around the how of doing it. I am going to go to the homeschool conference at the end of the month. Hopefully that will help. Ethan started his fifth season of soccer tonight. He is already thinking long term and says that he will be a professional soccer player when he is older and will be on t.v. I guess it is good to have goals, right?
I will try to add photos tomorrow...tried tonight but its not working and I am tired!
Hunter had surgery about a month ago for tubes in his ears. Not only does he favor Jonah in looks but also in ear infections, apparently. After having 6 infections, we decided surgery was a good thing. Rather have the 5 minute procedure than more antibiotics. He was a trooper. They took him back at 7:52, I was in the holding room waiting for the doctor at 7:55 and the doctor was in the room at 7:59 telling me he did great. By 8:15 I was back in the recovery room with him. He never cried once. I could hear him whining when I was walking back but as soon as he saw his mama, he gave me his usual smile. Such a good baby! I am having a hard time with the fact that he is almost one! Where did this year go? My little baby...I keep telling him that he is supposed to stay this age. He is so easy going and so darn cute! He is crawling everywhere, standing up and making all sorts of sounds. The boys fight over who gets to hold him... I have to tell them to just let him be and crawl around. Just let him play....
Another realization I had the other day is that my Liam is almost 3! I still call him a baby...but he is a little boy. I a hate that time is going by so fast. I keep telling myself to just enjoy each day. Don't think about tomorrow or the past just cherish the moment. I am really trying to remember that the house will be here, the mess will be here but the boys won't always be here or want to play. This is definitely something I could use prayer on...I have a hard time not letting the house mess get to me. This is the case especially so now that the house is on the market again. We have had 6 showings in the past 10 days...no offers though. I am getting pretty good at throwing stuff places. Now if I could just find that stuff after the showing when I need it!
Mike has been busy this past month. He went to the New Orleans Mardi Gras outreach that he has gone to the past two years. He had another great experience this year. He went with about 23 co-workers and friends...in a caravan of 4 vehicles (sounds like fun...15 hours in a car). Another big announcement, he received a promotion at work. He is now the Service Operations Director. We are so proud of him and all the hard work he does for our family.
Ethan is getting through is Kindergarten year. He has learned to read and is working on math now. His writing has greatly improved. He is really working hard...we are proud of him. Everyday though on the way to school he asks me to homeschool him next year. I tell him that we are considering it..somedays it sounds more doable than others. It is something that I desire to do just have to get my head around the how of doing it. I am going to go to the homeschool conference at the end of the month. Hopefully that will help. Ethan started his fifth season of soccer tonight. He is already thinking long term and says that he will be a professional soccer player when he is older and will be on t.v. I guess it is good to have goals, right?
I will try to add photos tomorrow...tried tonight but its not working and I am tired!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Lights Out!
We started the day off at 5:30 today with the power going out. I actually started at 5:00 with Jonah waking up. I laid with him in his bed and he fell back to sleep. Once I got back in bed, I could hear the wind outside. Right when I was about to fall asleep again, the power went out. I know this because the humming sound of all three sound machines stopped instantaneously. My first thought was the power is out...my next thought was how quickly are the boys going to wake up without the humming of their sound machines. It took Liam two minutes. He started crying and screaming...of course with the power out, the night light was out as well. He was scared! I went into his room and he said, "Eyes...can't see mama!" Poor thing. I brought him to bed thinking that he may fall back to sleep. About five minutes later, I hear Jonah crying. So in ten minutes after the lights were out, I had all three boys with me in bed. I tried to convince them it was still early and to go back to sleep, but of course, that didn't work.
Needless to say we were up at 6:15 ready for day. I built a fire, made breakfast on the stove (since we have gas, I could cook eggs), and we got dressed by flashlight. I told the boys it was like camping out! Liam didn't quite get the concept of the power being out and asked me every few minutes to turn the lights on. Of course, they came back on once I pulled the cord on the electric garage door so I could manually open it to take Ethan to school. Ethan said, "You should have pulled the cord earlier so the lights would come back on."
Another big event for the day was Jonah gave his pacifier to the dentist. He was all set to do it and be a "big boy." I put them in a bag and he basically just tossed them to the dentist. To celebrate this passage to big boyhood, we got a donut at the buskin bakery. He has asked for them a few times so far. Hopefully tonight will not be too much of a disaster!
Needless to say we were up at 6:15 ready for day. I built a fire, made breakfast on the stove (since we have gas, I could cook eggs), and we got dressed by flashlight. I told the boys it was like camping out! Liam didn't quite get the concept of the power being out and asked me every few minutes to turn the lights on. Of course, they came back on once I pulled the cord on the electric garage door so I could manually open it to take Ethan to school. Ethan said, "You should have pulled the cord earlier so the lights would come back on."
Another big event for the day was Jonah gave his pacifier to the dentist. He was all set to do it and be a "big boy." I put them in a bag and he basically just tossed them to the dentist. To celebrate this passage to big boyhood, we got a donut at the buskin bakery. He has asked for them a few times so far. Hopefully tonight will not be too much of a disaster!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
We are back!
I am back...I am going to try this blogging thing again. I really want to have this be part of my nightly ritual so that I can capture our daily life. The boys are keeping me busy so I am not going to promise a post every day.
The last time I posted was a year ago when I announced we were having number 4. Seems like longer than a year ago that I was pregnant but then again the year has flown by. Hunter George was born in the Spring arriving ten weeks early. After a month on bed rest in the hospital, he decided it was time to come into the world and free mommy from her prison sentence...actually it was more like my body decided it was done carrying Hunter. Thankfully, both Hunter and mommy were ok.
I feel like I am finally getting into the groove of having four boys. Now don't get me wrong, most days I am running around like a crazy woman, but I think we are falling into a routine. I actually finally started a new daily routine last week. You are probably wondering what I mean by this. About a year ago, I read a book for homeschooling families on how to manage your home...how to use your day effectively and efficiently. The Lord has blessed us with so much time in a day and we are supposed to be good stewards of this time. Also, kids thrive on structure and routine. I have always had my children on feeding and napping schedules, but what came in between those times has always been up in the air. Well not anymore! We are scheduled for our whole day. The boys have room time, free time, quiet time, chore time...they help me prep for dinner, we have devotion time. Some may think this is too restricting, but actually it is the opposite. I have felt so free and liberated since we started. It is really freeing knowing what I am doing and what the kids are doing at any time of the day. It eliminates the boys meandering around wondering what to do, which eventually leads to arguing and discipline issues. Plus I don't find myself looking at my house thinking I need to work on it all day because now I have an allotted time where I do chores. This has freed me up to do more with the boys. After Hunter came home, I felt like all I was doing was cleaning up after the boys rather than enjoying their younger years. Now, I still have days like this but I am excited that this is going to give me more time to spend with them and still feel like I am keeping up with the house. More importantly it is teaching the boys how to manage their time and be diligent people....and good stewards of their time.
Well, with that, I need to go see what they are up to because their video time is over....
Have a blessed day!
The last time I posted was a year ago when I announced we were having number 4. Seems like longer than a year ago that I was pregnant but then again the year has flown by. Hunter George was born in the Spring arriving ten weeks early. After a month on bed rest in the hospital, he decided it was time to come into the world and free mommy from her prison sentence...actually it was more like my body decided it was done carrying Hunter. Thankfully, both Hunter and mommy were ok.
I feel like I am finally getting into the groove of having four boys. Now don't get me wrong, most days I am running around like a crazy woman, but I think we are falling into a routine. I actually finally started a new daily routine last week. You are probably wondering what I mean by this. About a year ago, I read a book for homeschooling families on how to manage your home...how to use your day effectively and efficiently. The Lord has blessed us with so much time in a day and we are supposed to be good stewards of this time. Also, kids thrive on structure and routine. I have always had my children on feeding and napping schedules, but what came in between those times has always been up in the air. Well not anymore! We are scheduled for our whole day. The boys have room time, free time, quiet time, chore time...they help me prep for dinner, we have devotion time. Some may think this is too restricting, but actually it is the opposite. I have felt so free and liberated since we started. It is really freeing knowing what I am doing and what the kids are doing at any time of the day. It eliminates the boys meandering around wondering what to do, which eventually leads to arguing and discipline issues. Plus I don't find myself looking at my house thinking I need to work on it all day because now I have an allotted time where I do chores. This has freed me up to do more with the boys. After Hunter came home, I felt like all I was doing was cleaning up after the boys rather than enjoying their younger years. Now, I still have days like this but I am excited that this is going to give me more time to spend with them and still feel like I am keeping up with the house. More importantly it is teaching the boys how to manage their time and be diligent people....and good stewards of their time.
Well, with that, I need to go see what they are up to because their video time is over....
Have a blessed day!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Holy Cow!!!!
It has been a long time since I blogged. Life is so busy I can't keep up. But I am going to do it, I promise...
Well, most everyone knows that we are expecting number 4!!! Yes we are crazy enough to have another child...that will be four kids in 6 years! It will be nice, though, for them to be so close together. The pregnancy started out a little rough with me on bedrest for 3 weeks! I had some bleeding due to placenta previa, but finally after 10 days of spotting, it stopped! For the last 4-5 weeks I have been good. I am supposed to be taking it easy...not sure what that means with three boys 5 and under in my house. Generally, I am trying to only lift Liam nothing heavier....trying to stay as close to home and low key as possible. The boys and I are enjoying being at home and doing things that are fun at HOME.
For Christmas, we decided to make cookies for our neighbors. The boys and I made ginger snaps, decorated cut out cookies and then just did a break-n-bake. I really enjoyed this project with them. I think Ethan enjoyed it the most out of the boys. They liked decorating the cookies with icing and sprinkles. Then we delivered our cookies to our neighbors...which was their first experience with serving other people. I really think that Ethan got a lot from the experience. When we delivered the first one, she was so shocked and thankful. It was a great way for me to talk to the boys about how serving people shows them that the Lord loves them. This is what we are called to do as Christians. I am excited to find more opportunties to serve in our community with the kids. I think this is the only way for them to really get what it means to be selfless and to realize how blessed they are. We can tell them this all the time verbally but until they really witness it with their own eyes and experience it, they won't really grasp what it means.
Liam is getting busier each day...I think he may be walking by 18 months! Within the last week he has been standing on his own and taking a few steps. He loves to bother his brothers while they are playing and tries to be "big" like them all the time. He is such a lovable boy....my little munchkin!!!
I will leave you with my favorite phrase of the week by Jonah Brooks:
Jonah, Liam and I went to the BMV to register my van. When we were leaving, Jonah was trying to open the door for me and holding it with his head (looking at the ground). I told him that he didn't have to hold it anymore because a man was holding it open now. He looked up and stepped away and said, "Holy COW, that man is big!!!!""
He makes me laugh!! Merry Christmas!!
Well, most everyone knows that we are expecting number 4!!! Yes we are crazy enough to have another child...that will be four kids in 6 years! It will be nice, though, for them to be so close together. The pregnancy started out a little rough with me on bedrest for 3 weeks! I had some bleeding due to placenta previa, but finally after 10 days of spotting, it stopped! For the last 4-5 weeks I have been good. I am supposed to be taking it easy...not sure what that means with three boys 5 and under in my house. Generally, I am trying to only lift Liam nothing heavier....trying to stay as close to home and low key as possible. The boys and I are enjoying being at home and doing things that are fun at HOME.
For Christmas, we decided to make cookies for our neighbors. The boys and I made ginger snaps, decorated cut out cookies and then just did a break-n-bake. I really enjoyed this project with them. I think Ethan enjoyed it the most out of the boys. They liked decorating the cookies with icing and sprinkles. Then we delivered our cookies to our neighbors...which was their first experience with serving other people. I really think that Ethan got a lot from the experience. When we delivered the first one, she was so shocked and thankful. It was a great way for me to talk to the boys about how serving people shows them that the Lord loves them. This is what we are called to do as Christians. I am excited to find more opportunties to serve in our community with the kids. I think this is the only way for them to really get what it means to be selfless and to realize how blessed they are. We can tell them this all the time verbally but until they really witness it with their own eyes and experience it, they won't really grasp what it means.
Liam is getting busier each day...I think he may be walking by 18 months! Within the last week he has been standing on his own and taking a few steps. He loves to bother his brothers while they are playing and tries to be "big" like them all the time. He is such a lovable boy....my little munchkin!!!
I will leave you with my favorite phrase of the week by Jonah Brooks:
Jonah, Liam and I went to the BMV to register my van. When we were leaving, Jonah was trying to open the door for me and holding it with his head (looking at the ground). I told him that he didn't have to hold it anymore because a man was holding it open now. He looked up and stepped away and said, "Holy COW, that man is big!!!!""
He makes me laugh!! Merry Christmas!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Birthday Weekend!!
Happy Birthday Jonah!!! J turned 3 on Sunday! I can't believe he is three already. He is such a joy to our family...our little ham! As Mike said the other day he is a party on legs. He is constantly singing and dancing to his own little beat. J has such a caring heart...very compassionate and loving. When his brothers get hurt, he is always there ready to rub a back or give a kiss and ask if they are okay. He is our lover boy. A day doesn't go by that he doesn't say "Mommy/Daddy?" "Yes Jonah" Jonah then says "I love you!" This usually happens all day long!!! I love it...I will always welcome him telling me he loves me! For his birthday this year he wants a guitar birthday. He loves to play his guitar and sing...following in his daddy's footsteps. LOVES music! Loves Elmo and Bob the Builder. Loves to play with his tools and fix things like a daddy. He is constantly telling me that he is a daddy. Oh what a JOY and blessing he has been to our lives. I pray that he has a healthy, happy, wonderful next year. I look forward to many kisses and I love yous this year!
On a side note a few quotes from the past few months:
1. E - "Cutting people's hair is dangerous because they could have headlights and fleas."
2. On the way to the park one day....E - "Mommy I have on dirty underwear." Followed by J -"Mommy, I don't have any underwear on at all!"
3. Today a neighbor who we hardly talk to asked to borrow our bike trailer. While he was leaving the driveway Ethan yells "Don't break it!!" I whispered, "he won't break it." E said, "Yes he will...he broke daddy's weed eater!"
On a side note a few quotes from the past few months:
1. E - "Cutting people's hair is dangerous because they could have headlights and fleas."
2. On the way to the park one day....E - "Mommy I have on dirty underwear." Followed by J -"Mommy, I don't have any underwear on at all!"
3. Today a neighbor who we hardly talk to asked to borrow our bike trailer. While he was leaving the driveway Ethan yells "Don't break it!!" I whispered, "he won't break it." E said, "Yes he will...he broke daddy's weed eater!"
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
AAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!
Our computer is fixed!!!!! YIPPPEEEE..... This is why I haven't posted in almost two months. We have been without a computer for about that long. Thankfully I have an iphone and can check email on there and browse the Internet if I need something quickly. I figured it wouldn't be a good use of my time to blog on my iphone.
I don't know that I can recap the whole two months. Jonah is potty trained...he was fairly simple to train. So far the first two were easy. Ethan trained himself and Jonah took about 3 days to get consistent. Ethan started school about 5 weeks ago. He is in PreK at the same school he was at last year with the same teacher. He seems to be enjoying it...I don't get too much out of him when I pick him up. This makes my mom (grammy) laugh because I was the same way...never divulged too much information. He has been learning the vowels so far...short sounds and writing. He also has one page of homework a week. Next week he has his first "test". He will be evaluated on his knowledge of the vowels. Pressure is on....have I worked with him enough. I think I am more nervous than he is!
Jonah will be three in a few weeks....which I am having a hard time believing. He is still our little ham and lover boy. He likes to give Ethan's teacher hugs. Ethan has yet to give her a hug...again he had her last year as well! I think he is enjoying his mommy time three days a week while E is at school. He likes to go up in the detached garage and have band practice with me. He tells me which instruments I am to play and what I am to sing. He LOVES music...especially the guitar and singing. He actually decided that he would have a guitar birthday party....topped off with our very own Daddy playing live!!!
Liam is growing...not necessarily physically but getting older. He is almost 15 months old already! And still a little peanut. He isn't quite walking yet. Within the last week he has started walking behind his push toys. So we are moving in the right direction. He definitely knows he is the baby and likes everyone to know as well. If he doesn't get his way, then he will let you know with a ear piercing scream! He is very talkative....reminds me of E. He says "uhh ohh" " doggy" "cheese" when he sees my iphone or camera "please" and pretty much tries to copy alot of what he hears.
Well, I am off to bed. Hopefully I will get back into this with having two months off!
I don't know that I can recap the whole two months. Jonah is potty trained...he was fairly simple to train. So far the first two were easy. Ethan trained himself and Jonah took about 3 days to get consistent. Ethan started school about 5 weeks ago. He is in PreK at the same school he was at last year with the same teacher. He seems to be enjoying it...I don't get too much out of him when I pick him up. This makes my mom (grammy) laugh because I was the same way...never divulged too much information. He has been learning the vowels so far...short sounds and writing. He also has one page of homework a week. Next week he has his first "test". He will be evaluated on his knowledge of the vowels. Pressure is on....have I worked with him enough. I think I am more nervous than he is!
Jonah will be three in a few weeks....which I am having a hard time believing. He is still our little ham and lover boy. He likes to give Ethan's teacher hugs. Ethan has yet to give her a hug...again he had her last year as well! I think he is enjoying his mommy time three days a week while E is at school. He likes to go up in the detached garage and have band practice with me. He tells me which instruments I am to play and what I am to sing. He LOVES music...especially the guitar and singing. He actually decided that he would have a guitar birthday party....topped off with our very own Daddy playing live!!!
Liam is growing...not necessarily physically but getting older. He is almost 15 months old already! And still a little peanut. He isn't quite walking yet. Within the last week he has started walking behind his push toys. So we are moving in the right direction. He definitely knows he is the baby and likes everyone to know as well. If he doesn't get his way, then he will let you know with a ear piercing scream! He is very talkative....reminds me of E. He says "uhh ohh" " doggy" "cheese" when he sees my iphone or camera "please" and pretty much tries to copy alot of what he hears.
Well, I am off to bed. Hopefully I will get back into this with having two months off!
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