a little old school

So, I was talking with my sister-in-law Lisa a while ago and she was sharing a story that ended with her oldest son sitting with a bar of soap in his mouth a la A Christmas Story. What a great idea!

Fast forward to my oldest son. We've been having issues with Jack and the things that come out of his mouth. I will say that he hears most of it from me and I'M WORKING ON IT! Can't have a four year old throwing four-letter words, can we?

Soooo, he called his brother something naughty and this is what he got. . . .

He has started to think twice before saying naughty things now! He also calls me out when I slip up. We're all working on it :)

Alex had a SpongeBob theme for his birthday party a week ago and I made some Patric Star cookies and a Krabby Patty birthday cake.

That cake took a while to put together with some definite forethought. Alex loved it and it was a major sugar over-load.

happy birthday alex!

Chad's mini-me is 3 years old today! I can't believe it was only three years ago we were hauling some major ass to La Crosse at 11pm with contractions 3 minutes apart thinking we might not make it. We did and everything was fine and at 4 something in the morning after just 3 or 4 pushes, Alex John was born. It feels like yesterday, but it also feels like he's been here forever!

The whole fam went to La Crosse today and took the boys to the Children's Museum to play and do something special for his birthday. They had a great time and Jack loved the the fire truck. Alex found some girls to flirt with, naturally :) They both had a great time and it was nice to let them go nuts! Jack walked up to the fire truck and there are a bunch of levers and knobs and things on the outside and he asked if he could touch it. I told him he could touch anything he wanted and he was like, really? It feels so nice to be able to say that and know that they will have so much fun and not break anything!

I haven't blogged since Halloween, so I'll give a quick recap. Both Jack and Alex went as Spiderman and Ben was a little monkey, which no one could really see because he was in my Moby the whole time we were trick-or-treating.

The boys got waaaay too much candy, but they had fun. Last year I think it was in the 70's, which is totally ridiculous for Wis. in October. This year it was a lot colder and sooooo windy but at least it wasn't raining (or snowing).

We have an accepted offer on our house!!!! It wasn't nearly what we wanted, but realistically it was a decent offer and we took it. We are supposed to close December 11, so cross your fingers that everything will go like it's supposed to.

Ben is doing great. Growing like a weed. We had his 6 month check up and he is 17 and a half pounds. Nice solid boy. Still not a lot of hair and no teeth yet, but eats a ton! He can eat a whole banana for breakfast. He rolls all over and actually likes being on his tummy some. He can sit unassisted for a short while, but I need to be close 'cause he will tip over. He loves bath time and can sit (or lay) for an easy 20 min. just splashing around. The last couple of nights he's put himself to sleep after I lay him down awake in his crib. I thought I had a couple more months to cuddle him and nurse him to sleep, but I don't know now :( I'll blink and he'll be asking for the keys to take his girlfriend out on a date. Ahhhhhhh!!! I don't even want to think about it!

just the facts

There has been a lot going on here in the last couple of weeks that I think I'll just do a bullet post...
- My Gram had a stroke, but is doing soo much better now. Still headed to FL next weekend. Gramp is taking excellent care of her!

- Everyone in our house was/is sick. Fever, chills, cough, body aches, and a tiny bit of vomit for good measure. We're all on the mend with the exception of the cough.

-My step-sister Katie got married on the 10th. We went and had a blast. The boys were ring bearers and did a great job. Didn't check my batt. on my camera, so I only got one pict. before it died. Katie was a beautiful bride and it's always fun partying with the Banos.

-Played with the boys in the leaves this morning. Raked a big pile and threw them in it. It was all fun and games until I got my head stepped on.

-Got a lot done around the house this weekend. Trees trimmed, bushes ripped out, dirt hauled and filled in around the house. Chad built shelves in the storage room and I got some stuff put away, old carpet ripped up and hauled out, and a couple more boxes unpacked.

I know there's more, but I'll leave it for another day :)

poor benny

Oh my poor little boy. He is having some pooping issues and I feel so bad for him.

He has been getting increasingly more hungry for the last three weeks so we've been giving him rice cereal. Then adding pear juice to it to make him go easier. Then adding fruit to get him moving and he's getting all balled up. He went tonight and it was soooo hard and he cried :( I'm going to call the Dr. tomorrow and see what we can do about this.

Everything else is so busy around here. We have so much to do and not enough hours in the day. It's been so rainy and icky here nothing is getting done outside. Chad was able to get part of the lawn mowed tonight, so that was good.

Goin' down to see Gram and Gramp tomorrow to take them some meals and treats and stuff. Gram had a stroke last week, for the ones who didn't know. She's doing good but she gets pretty tired. I think they kicked her butt in therapy today. Gramp leaves for the Freedom Honor Flight on Friday. That is such an honor. I hope he has a great trip.

I'm back!

Ok, sorry for the long time off from the blogging. You know, the only people that understand about blogging absences are people that blog themselves. Just sayin.

We have moved in and are somewhat settled. We still have quite a bit left at the old house which I hope to get before the snow falls. We also have to get the basement in some sort of order before we can move that stuff over so it's a vicious cycle and with three boys and the day-to-day cleaning and laundry I can never get anything done.

On a side note: Is it possible to get disposable clothing? Kinda like paper plates. Just use them once and throw them away? OMG! SO SICK OF DOING LAUNDRY!!!!! I would like to hire someone to do only my laundry (and maybe my dishes). Isn't that called a housekeeper? Or a wife? That's it! I need a wife. Maybe those Mormons know what they're doing!

Anyway, I'll try to get some pics. on here. You won't believe how big Ben is getting. Slow down, boy. Slow down!

Jack started school the first of the month and he is doing great. He rides the bus to and from school with no problems. His first day he got on the bus, no crying or fighting and didn't even look back to wave. :( Just one step closer to me being obsolete.

Alex has started using the potty and is in undies full-time now. Just a few accidents here and there, but that's to be expected. I think this move has motivated both boys to "grow up" a little.
We're sooooo excited to not be buying diapers for him anymore. He was outgrowing them anyway. We were close to shopping in the Depends isle!

The boys have adjusted well to the move and we are all loving the farm life!

extra, extra, read all about it

http://www.vernonbroadcaster.com/articles/2009/08/07/thisjustin/07leadthis.txt

So what'd you do Friday night?

we're moving!

Oh boy, it's crazy around here! We had another showing last Friday (I have no idea how it went, so don't ask) so I spent all afternoon Thursday getting the house in order. That was ok though since we had Ben's baptism on Sunday so all the cleaning was done days early!

The baptism was great. The weather was beautiful, we had a house full of family and friends, Ben did awesome during the baptism and even smiled when Pastor Kathy put the water on his head :) I'll have pics later.

I have started packing now. The move is imminent. Sharon closed on the house today, painters are coming tomorrow, carpet on Tuesday, packing this weekend and movers possibly coming Thurs. or Friday. She should be all moved shortly and we will get in and paint, get new carpet and move all our stuff. I'm excited but a little sad to leave 'my' house. I've lived here for 21 years. It's all good. The farm is where we all want to be.

I know my posts have been few and far between, but now I'll actually have a reason. I'm not sure if we'll have internet right away when we move (or television or phone) so when we get settled, I'll be sure to get on here and let y'all know!

summer fun in milwaukee

The older two boys got back a few days ago from an almost week-long stay at Nana and Papa Dave's. It was great! Not only did the boys have a blast, I'm pretty sure the grandparents had fun too. Chad and I got to feel what it was like to have just one baby again. It was sooo quiet around here. I was planning on getting a lot done around the house, but you know how that goes. Ben was clingy so I didn't get my stuff done but that was ok because I could just sit and hold him all day. No one else needed me.

The boys were entertained everyday all day. They went to the playground, Miller Park, the zoo, Katie took them to a festival and so much more. I'm guessing they saw tigers at the zoo because Alex keeps talking about them. They went to the police station where Papa Dave works and got rub-on tattoos which, to them, might have been the highlight of the trip. Jack got very upset when his started coming off and said in between sobs, "Nana's doesn't come off." Then I told him, "They put Nana's on with a needle." He kind of let it go at that point :)

On a sad, unrelated note: one of our farm dogs, Abby died yesterday. Chad buried her at the farm in the back yard. I'm sure it was one big hole 'cause she weighed over 100 lbs.

I'm falling asleep typing this so I think I'll go lay down now. . .gotta sleep when the baby does (especially when it's after 11 at night).

8 weeks

Ben had his 2 month check-up yesterday and he is doing extremely well. He's over 23" long and weighs 13 lbs. 2 oz. At first, she said 10 pounds and something and I was like, what? He's only gained a pound? She read the scale wrong and he's 13-2.

He's smiling at us a lot now and does not like poopy pants. He's either sleeping the whole night (until 5-6 am) or getting up once in the night and sleeping to around 8. He's such a good baby!

Jack is finished with his swimming lessons and did really well. He passed level 1 and was recommended to take level 2 so we signed him up for the third session as well as Alex for beginner. I hope that goes ok. Too bad we don't live closer to Auntie Pam and Uncle Jerry so we could practice in their pool! :) They both love the water and love to swim.


Here's a few shots of the kids, 'cause that's really the reason you come here!

6 weeks

Baby Benny is 6 weeks old today! Is that even possible? Has it really gone by that fast? I really try to soak in every minute with him because I know all to well I'll wake up one morning and he will be the one starting school :( All the moms reading this are going, yes it does go way too fast.

Ben is smiling a little now. He started at about 4 weeks, but lately we've been able to get him to smile instead of 'just gas' smiles. I have no idea what he weighs. His next apt. is on the 30th so we'll see then. He sleeps pretty good at night--waking up one or two times for a butt change and boobie time.

Jack started swimming lessons on Monday and it's going very well. He is doing great compared to last year. He's listening and participating. We're so proud of him! Alex cried the first lesson because he can't go in, he's too little. We keep telling him we'll go to open swim some night. I feel so bad :( Most kids cry because they don't want to go in the water and my kid cries because he can't go in. Too cute. He still has no interest in the potty. The diaper changes are getting really disgusting. I keep telling myself, he'll go when he's ready, but I think he wouldn't mind crapping his pants for a few more years.

No offers on the house yet. I'm trying not to let it get me down, but since we're moving in August, I'd like this one to sell.

I have pics--just need to download. Soon, I promise.

website

I see I had an inquiry about the web address that has our house listing on it. I purposely did not post it because it tells the state (I believe), city and exact street address of where we live. I'm not super computer and web savvy, but I didn't think it was a good idea for some random person to stumble on that particular info, even though I'm sure it's super easy to find out anyway. Just tryin' to keep our family safe :) If anyone wants to know the address, just e-mail me and I will be happy to pass that on!

thinking positive

We had two showings on Monday for the house. Don't know how they went as I haven't spoke to our realtor but we're 'thinking positive'. The ad hasn't come out in the paper yet (next week hopefully) but it is on the Internet with photos so maybe next week we might get more showings. Chad is hoping for an offer later this week, but that's a little too much positive thinking!

The boys are crazy with energy these days. I feel bad because we haven't had a lot of time for them with trying to get the house ready to show. I'm hoping once we get things done enough that all we have to do is maintain, we'll have more time for them and the crazy naughty attention getting stunts will subside (notice I didn't say 'go away' because lets face it, these are my boys).

Ben gets a gold star for being such a good boy for Mommy on Monday. I dropped the older two at my mother-in-law's so I could get the house ready and he slept from 1 until I had to wake him up to leave at 5. I think he could sense I really needed to get stuff done. Last night he slept from 10:30 until 6 this morning. AWESOME!!! I love that my boys are good sleepers. Nothings worse than a sleep-deprived momma left alone with three boys all day long! Our days go a lot better if I've had some sleep.

for sale

We're officially on the market! Well, at least our house is. I'm so excited to finally get this moving, so to speak. Our realtor said the market has picked up a bit lately so I hope that's good news for us. Keep fingers crossed for a speedy sale! Anyone want to volunteer to help us pack and move? No? Didn't think so :)

Ben has been doing great. Eat, sleep and poop. He's sure got that mastered. The other boys are good as well, just driving me crazy! I know you want pictures, so here's a few. . .

Benny's first bath. He loved it! Washcloth added for modesty. He doesn't want anyone to get jealous :)

his real mother is angelina jolie

Take a look at those lips. . .



6 days old

2 weeks old

2 weeks old

So far out of our 3 kids we have 1 Braaten and 2 Hoyum's. To me, Ben looks so much like Alex who looks so much like Chad. I even call him Alex some times.

Ben has been such a good baby so far. He goes down for the night around 11 pm and sleeps 'till around 3-4 am, eats and goes back to sleep 'till around 6:30-7 am. A few times he's skipped the night feeding and slept 'till 6-7 am. Those are great nights.

He seems to have settled into a nap schedule as well from 11 am to 2-3 pm. Lately he marathon feeds in the evening 'till bedtime but that's ok because he lets me get my sleep in the night.

His color is getting better but he still has goopy yellow/green stuff coming out of his eyes. We have meds for him, so hopefully that will clear up soon.

Benny is just a blessing and we are so glad he is part of our family.

just jack

Things around here seem to be all about baby right now, so I thought I would post about my oldest for a change. Here's a run-down on Jack right now. . .

-he is all boy all the time
-he loves to play with his tractors and is very particular with his 'work'

-wants a gravity box like Casey's with "firm wheels" (whatever that means)

-is very talkative and loves to explain things in detail (wonder where he got that from?)

-loves, loves, loves going to the farm and helping dad

-is excited about starting school in the fall

-loves his baby brother and sings him songs to calm him down

-just learned to ride his bike with training wheels

-is starting to get freckles

Jack is finally tall enough to ride his bike this year, so we got that out a couple of weeks before Ben was born and now he's riding like a pro. We will probably wait 'till later this summer if not next to take the training wheels off. He still leans pretty good and we just can't afford more medical bills right now! Here he is in action:

The other night he went with Chad to do chores and found this hat in the garage. It has now become his all time favorite and he wears it all the time. Chad sized it down so it kinda fits him. He is such a little farmer.

last bili update...

Ben had another bili check Wed. and it was down 2.7 points to 15! That is great news because we got to return the bili blanket and he is now cordless :) We went back up today to make sure it didn't go back up and the level was down to 12 point something. She was very pleased with that kind of drop. We don't have to go back until he is 8 weeks.



He is 21 1/4" long (grew a 1/4 inch since birth) and is 9 lbs 9 oz. Just .09 oz away from his birth weight. Hurray for boobie juice!



I promise to post more pictures soon. They're on my other computer so I'll have to do that one of these days. It's been soooo crazy since Ben has been born with all the unexpected trips to LaCrosse and everything, I haven't had time to do my normal stuff. Although Chad changed the belt in the vacuum so now it actually works and that right there made my whole day! Little things make me happy, what can I say.



About Benjamin's name and what we are calling him--I guess we call him Ben, Benny, and Benjamin (and Benjamin Wyatt when he's naughty which will unfortunately be coming too soon). That's what I liked about the names Jackson and Benjamin. You have a few options on what to call them and they can choose what they want to be called when they get older.

benny's bili update

Had yet another appointment to check Ben's bili level today. The good news is that it's down from Sat. (17.7 down from 18.2). The bad news is that it's at least 2 more days with the photo therapy which isn't exactly bad news since he gets to stay home and doesn't need to go into the hospital. He just needs to keep eating and pooping and hopefully Wednesday he can be done with the bili blanket.

Some more good news is he is up 3 oz. since Saturday so that puts him at 9 lbs. 5 oz. Almost back to his birth weight! He had a bit of a puke issue early on, but now just spits up a little so now he should gain weight and poo like a champ! That's another one of those things you'd never thought you'd be so excited when a kid pooped :)

Chad has been AWESOME! He's helped me so much with the boys and even getting up with Ben. He's been keeping up with the kitchen and dishes which is a never ending battle. He's a great hubs and I love him to bits.

Mom and Dave came up to help the day Ben was born and were huge, HUGE help. Even though mom had a cold and had the boys a lot by herself she was awesome. By the time she left she had lost her voice and injured her shoulder. Can't say we didn't show her a good time, right?

Thanks again, Mom. We could not have done it without your help. The boys loved having you guys here and they miss you very much. Now I can't wait till they go to your house for a few days :)

he's here!

Benjamin Wyatt made his appearance on May 5 at 2:20 pm. He weighed in at 9lbs 10oz and is 21" long. We are so excited he is finally here!!!

Meet the newest member of our family...

His delivery was my best yet. I had the all natural water birth that I wanted and it was perfect. He's perfect. We stayed in the hospital for 25 hours after he was born and got to go home. It was awesome. I feel great and he is such a snuggle bug!

His brothers love him so much! Jack is great with him. Alex needs to work on being a little more gentle but what do expect from a 2 year old.

Ben has some issues with jaundice which has kept us pretty busy running back to La Crosse every day for bili checks. We picked up the bili blanket photo therapy machine yesterday to help him get rid of the excess bilirubin. He has a different blood type than I do so I think that's causing some issues. Luckily we can do home photo therapy and so far he hasn't had to go back in the hospital. Keep your fingers crossed for that.

Here he is on his glow worm blanket looking so impressed...

We have another doctors apt. on Monday for another bili check and exam. I hope by then, he can come off the blanket. We will see.

He's been a pretty good sleeper. He's given me at least a 4 hour stretch of sleep each night. I'm still tired and don't have enough hours in the day to get stuff done (which is why this post is late) but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

still here

No baby yet. It doesn't look like he's ready to make his appearance yet, which is ok I guess. He's given Chad some extra time to get more farming done which is good. I have another midwife appointment tomorrow so we will see how things are looking and hopefully she can rough me up a bit to get things moving.

My camera is in the van ready to go but I really want to get a photo of my 39-40 week belly on here so maybe I'll have Chad take one tonight and I'll post it later.

The weather has been really nice the last couple of days so the boys have been outside a lot. It's great because they can burn off energy and I can get a few things done around the house.

Gram and Gramp are back down in the valley now. As Jack said, "They came back on the rocket ship from Florida." Don't quite know where he got that from, but it's cute. Lisa, Mikey, and Jacob were up this weekend as well as Nana and Papa Dave so we had a great first family meal down in the valley. It seems like they've never left. I like that. Not a lot of change except for all the new arrivals, of course. That's the kind of change I can handle!

9 days to go!

I don't know weather to say only 9 days to go or still 9 more days to go :) I had a midwife apt. yesterday and I'm still 3 cm. Maybe this little bean is going to come late.

Gram had heart surgery yesterday--double bypass and a valve replacement. Everything went well and she is still in ICU having a little bit of a hard time waking up. I don't think it's anything to worry about with all the meds she's on, but they're going to keep her in ICU for a little longer until she wakes up better. I think now she'll live to be 100! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. Keep 'em coming for a speedy recovery.

still no photos

Sorry. Yet another post without pictures. I'm trying to keep my camera ready to go IF we ever have this baby. Don't want to forget it or have a dead battery.

So still no baby yet. I'm very tired and uncomfortable so any day now would be great!

Gram goes in for heart surgery on Monday. Please keep her in your thoughts.

I need to rest now--more later.

another update

Just got back from the hospital and visiting my grandma. She is doing well. Turns out she didn't have a heart attack but does/did have fluid on/in the lungs (you can tell how well I'm retaining info these days). She has a narrow, leaky valve and needs a replacement/transplant (whichever). But for now she is doing well and that's awesome.

As for me, I had semi-painful contractions last night enough that it was hard to sleep, but nothing came of them so back to square one. Maybe someday he'll want to come out.

update

Can't sleep so I'll quick update you on my apt. today.

3-4 cm dilated
50% effaced
Baby's head is at -2 station

My bp was up today 120 over something. Still in normal range, she said but that's the highest it's been for me (normally 90 over 50 or 60). No weight gain this week but my belly measurement is 39 weeks (one week ahead) which is normal. I'm having contractions enough to not let me sleep so we'll see where this is going to take us.

On a more serious note, my dad called a little before 10 pm and said my grandma had a heart attack and was being med-flighted to La Crosse. I don't know what's going on--I'm guessing things are not looking good. I'm staying put for now unless he calls and says to come up.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

nachos and dogs

Ya know, I really didn't think my belly was that big until Chad took the 37 week shots. I looked at them and was like, no way! I guess it does look like I'm smuggling nachos (it's from a Taco Bell commercial for those who don't get it) under my shirt, doesn't it!?!

We are having some pet issues at our house right now. Chester, our dog, wasn't feeling very well and I noticed in his poo (yes, a good mother always checks the poo) that he had eaten raisins. Raisins are not good for dogs. They cause renal failure and there is usually nothing they can do for the animal unless you can induce vomiting right away after they have eaten said food. Since it had already gone through him, I kinda thought this might be it for our first 'baby'.

He had some vomiting and wasn't eating very well, but he seems to be doing better if that's even possible. He's been peeing witch is great--that should mean his kidneys are still working. The vet said we could come in and run some tests to see if he is shutting down, but we chose to wait it out. I love my dog, I really do but after getting almost $700 in medical bills in the mail for me and the kids (oh and trust me, there are a ton more coming) we didn't think it was necessary to spend money to tell us if he was going to die or not. I'm pretty sure we could figure that out for ourselves. He looks good and I hope he continues to get better!

No baby yet--I have an apt. with my midwife tomorrow at 5 so I'll try to update my progress (if any) tomorrow.

37 weeks

I am now 37 weeks and 2 days! I have made it far enough to have my water birth that I want (as long as the million other things go like their supposed to). I've been contracting like crazy lately and am really, really, REALLY ready to be done. I'm so tired but can't stop straightening up and cleaning a little around the house. Nesting, maybe?

Alex got his cast off his leg last Friday. His leg looked good, just really white and flaky. He is still walking weird, though. He points his toes out to the side and kind of drags his foot. It is getting better every day, but he still can't run and favors his left leg. We're keeping an eye on it and it might require a follow up call with the Doc. to see what to do about that. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'd hate for a broken leg at the age of 2 to become a life-long issue with his mobility.

Not much else to blog about. Will definitely keep you posted for the big event!!

three

Just a quick update about my midwife appointment today. Baby looks good and I look good. Blood pressure and weight are right on track and she doesn't think the baby feels too big (not even 8 lbs yet). We will see.

I had her check me and I'm 3 yes THREE centimeters dilated!!! Can you tell I'm excited about that! I know, I know a person can walk around for weeks dilated to 3 and still not deliver, but hey that's 3 whole centimeters I don't have to labor through to get to 10. Nice. Chad was not as thrilled with the news of three--he says he still has a lot to get done before the little one arrives. Oh well, it'll get done sometime.

I don't feel like I'm going to go just yet, but I do think it will be soon :)

Happy (?) Easter

Yea, they look pretty enthused don't they? This is what a 4 year old looks like after waiting an hour for his brother to get up from his nap (which Alex did about 5 minutes before I took this picture) to 'hunt' for eggs.

We kept it pretty simple:

The boys showing off their loot...

Good day.

domesticated

We went to Chad's Aunt's house last Sunday to celebrate her newest granddaughter's baptism, but had to leave before the cake was served. Jack was obviously distraught so I told him we could make a cake at home (to get him in the van). Both boys wanted to help and they were surprisingly good helpers. It's kinda neat to see what Jack is capable of now that he's older. Making cakes, vacuuming, and picking up--we might have to start giving him an allowance!

Here he is mixing the cake:




















And, of course, they had to lick the beaters:














They're quite the little helpers when they want to be!

Also, wanted to send out a huge CONGRATULATIONS to my Step-brother Dan and his lovely bride Mary on their newest addition to their family! Elliot Thomas was born on his Papa Dave's birthday, April 4. Baby and Mama doing great. Only 4 hours of labor and all natural. I can only dream that my delivery will go as well as hers did.

all better

Well we've all gotten over our sicknesses...for now. You never can tell with this crazy Wisconsin weather if we're going to have another round of junk going around. We're supposed to get 2 inches of snow tonight and another possible 6 or so inches tomorrow. Hello!! This is so not cool!

I took a few pictures today, some were my 35 week belly shots but my camera isn't in the room and I really don't want to get off the couch to go get it so I'll upload those later. Lazy, I know but what can you do :)

Alex is doing really well with his leg. He's actually been walking on it for the past week (which I know he should not be doing, but he's two) and he says every day, "my leg feel all better." We go back in a week to see if the cast can come off. I'm really hoping everything looks good and he hasn't done any more damage by walking on it (but I really don't think he has).

I know my blogging has been lame lately, but I'm hugely pregnant and really tired so be happy with what you do get! Oh, and a shout-out to our Papa Dave--- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Hope it was a good one! :)

health update

Ya know, sometimes I don't blog 'cause I don't have any pictures to post and forget that I still can write a few somethings so people know we're still on the planet! I'll sure have to get better with that (and taking more pictures, of course.)

Every single person in our house is sick. This sucks monkey butt!! Alex has the broken leg, but is doing better every day. Now he has acquired a cough and that seems to be it so far.

Chad has (we think, but not sure) pink eye. Yuck. I've been putting drops in his eyes and it's finally starting to look better today. So far no one else has gotten it so we'll see how this pans out.

Jack has a fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose. He is totally not himself--really mopey and quiet. You know somethings not right when one of my kids is quiet :) He's going on day two of this and I'm really ready for it to be done and him to feel better.

I have what I thought to be strep throat, but went in to get it checked out and it's not. Sore throat, swollen, spotty tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, ear ache, ect. Really sucky. I'm going on day 5 of this crap and it can go away any time. Thanks to the tiny human I'm growing, I can't take any good drugs or even have a nice cocktail to help me relax. Instead I get 500mg of Tylenol and water. Obviously it's doing wonders.

Chad is working for a guy next weekend (3 12 hour shifts) so he has the whole week off which will be nice. He can help us recoup and regroup and hopefully we can do something fun. I have a dentist apt., hair apt., and we have our water birth class all this week so someone better start feeling better soon!

More photos when we're feeling a bit more photogenic.

photos of our boy

Don't let this photo fool you. He's actually quite the trooper. He's had a really good day today--no pain meds and took a good nap. Now if I could only get over this funk I have, we'll be in business.

Oh, and the whole potty training thing only lasted a day. I think I jinxed it by blogging about it. Not that it really matters much now anyway, he can't really get himself on the potty with a broken leg anyway!

boys will be boys

So, we had a little mishap at our house on Sunday night. My sister-in-law and her family came over for a play date. All was going well, all the kids were having a blast until Alex found himself under a 90 pound pile of boys and then we heard it...snap! We got him calmed down and put to bed thinking maybe he just fell on his leg wrong and it would be ok by morning. He woke up several times in the night, so I knew I would have to take him in in the morning.

Went for x-rays and found a spiral tibia fracture. Awesome. Nothin like having a two year old with a broken leg in the spring time. I was hoping for a short cast that was weight bearing but no. He is sporting a long, non-weight bearing red cast. All the way up his thigh. I felt soooooooooo bad for him! He kept asking to take it off. I told him in 4 weeks and he said deal. Poor thing has no concept of time!

He has taken everything really well. The lady who put his cast on said he was the best two year old they've had. He gets around by scooting on his butt and pulling his leg along. I'm guessing it still hurts but in a few days it should start feeling better. The only thing that has changed is his appetite. He isn't eating nearly as much as he used to. I'm sure that will come back in time.

I know you all want pictures, and I'm working on it. I feel like crap today--must be getting a cold so I will take and post some later. My dad took the boys for me for the afternoon, so I'm going to try to rest while they're gone.

crazy boys

The boys got into my hair goop this morning, so we decided to do some 'faux hawks'. Pretty darn cute, huh? Of course I couldn't get a good shot of both in one picture, so here's two!

Alex has forgotten about his hair, but Jack keeps insisting I fix it when it starts to fall flat. Too funny.

One note-worthy event that's going on around here is Alex is having more interest in using the potty. He pooped in the big potty today (third time total) and we were very excited for that! He sure takes his sweet time, but as his father says, "you can't rush perfection" (I'm sure he'll love that I shared that!) Luckily I don't have anywhere to be, so he can take his time. Jack got him out a pair of big boy undies and he's been wearing the same pair all day so far. He peed three times in the potty and is still dry! I think this is a good start. It helps that Jack is so supportive and cheers his little brother on because the sun rises and sets with Jack for Alex (Starburst jelly beans don't hurt, either!)

Keep your fingers crossed that this is the start of fewer diaper changes.

lazy sunday

Just another lazy Sunday around here today. We had plans to go somewhere today, but when Chad took Jack to Sunday school he called me and said it was 32 degrees and raining so we probably shouldn't go anywhere. Booo :( I've felt so cooped up in the house lately I really wanted to get out but it was obvious that we should stay home. The conditions were getting worse with more freezing rain then a few inches of snow on top of it. Ahhh, Wisconsin--why do you hate me?

I thought we were going to make an impromptu visit to Labor and Delivery the other night. I was having contractions every 2-6 minutes for about an hour. I sat and drank some water and took a hot shower and they finally settled down. I knew I probably did too much that day and it finally caught up with me that night so we're going to take it easy for a while! Every thing's good now and we're both fine. He's break dancing in my gut as we speak. I will mention it at my next appointment, though. I know I want him to come early, but this is just a little too early.

The boys are crazy as ever. They went outside after it stopped snowing this evening and shoveled the deck and played "soccer". They reeeeaaaaalllllyyy need spring to come so they can go outside every day. And so do I!

31 weeks

Here's me at 31 weeks. I feel like I look big, but don't realize how big until I see a photo of myself and go OH. MY. GOSH! I also realize how bad I look when I don't stand up straight. Need to work on that.














I just got my hair cut today and think it's pretty cute, so I thought I'd show y'all. The face I'm making isn't so cute, but at least the hair is. We (my hair dresser and my friend) decided I needed highlights, so going back in a few weeks to make that happen. Can't wait!













The boys weren't doing anything especially photo-worthy tonight but did manage to get them to sit still for two seconds to take this semi-blurry picture. They don't look a thing like each other, do they? :)

30 weeks

I can't believe it's been 30 whole weeks already. Only ten (or less) weeks to go. He has been really feisty lately and will be really surprised if I see 39 weeks with him. Watch, I'll actually go over due with this one! Who knows :)

I'm posting a 'naked' belly shot only because it's delightfully blurry to hide the road map that are stretch marks and veins that run along my belly. Alex was giving his baby brother a hug and it was too cute not to post. I am not one of the lucky few that don't get stretch marks. I should have been more diligent in using my lotion during my first pregnancy. Live and learn. My days of bikini modeling are over!

just for fun

I happened across this website that asks you random questions and based on the answers, 'Madame Zaritska' will predict your labor, size, and sex of your child. Here's what it said for me...

The day you deliver, outside will be windy. Your baby will arrive in the late night. After a labor lasting approximately 7 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 9 pounds, 15 ounces, and will be 19,19-1/2 inches long. This child will have dark violet eyes and fluffy black hair.

You know, just about everything she predicted sounds about right except for the fluffy black hair. My babies are baldies. We shall see if she was correct.

Right now he's kicking the stuffing out of me. It seems every night after I get the boys to bed, this one wakes up. If he isn't going to be a sleeper, we might have a giveaway happening this spring!

I had an appointment with my midwife this last Friday and everything looks good. Belly is measuring a week ahead (which is fine) and I'm gaining weight. Yea! My midwife is always more excited about that than I. I met with a nurse and went over my 'birth plan' and I got pre-registered. Always good to get that out of the way before hand. My bp is nice and low in the 90's over 50's. So far we're looking right on track. She thinks the head is down and butt is up, but it's still hard to tell this early. At least he's not sideways anymore.

That's all I got for today. I'll try to post with pictures soon.

good thing i make 'em tough

So yesterday Jack decided to give us all a scare. He was messing around in the living room and threw himself backwards and hit the back of his head on the floor. Really, REALLY hard. He started to cry and then proceeded to pass out. Great. He came to within seconds and continued to cry. He is fine--never threw up and we didn't let him sleep (even though he didn't want to). No one can scare the crap out of you like your kids hurting themselves.

This comes on the heals of Alex splitting his forehead open and me needing to take him in and get that glued up. That's a little scary when your kid comes up the stairs with blood all over his face. That kind of crap ages you about 10 years right there. Thought he needed stitches but glue and steri-strips did the job (which he proceeded to peel off two days later). Here's a shot of the wound as it's healing

That's going to be one heck of a scar. Chicks dig scars, right?

28 weeks

I have been waiting for weeks for Chad to help take pictures of my belly and I forget and he's not home so I decided to take matters into my own hands. These shots are not great and a little fuzzy (Lori, I need help using my camera!) but it's what I got.

This is pretty much my 'uniform'--sweatshirt and lounge pants. Every day. I guess I don't have to worry every day if I have something nice that's clean and fits to go to a job, but I would really not like to look like crap all the time.

I've been feeling pretty good. A lot of Braxtin Hicks contractions this time around which my midwife said is normal. Probably because I'm running after two very active little boys all day. I try to rest when they nap and I'm trying to drink more water but it's just so lacking taste!

This little bug is really getting strong. I can feel when he gets hiccups and he seems to be a night owl at the moment. Breathing is becoming more difficult, which is surprising because he is soooo low. Only 12 weeks to go!

Lovely double chin I'm sporting, isn't it?