Today at Lunch...

First, a little needed info:

I am wearing a red, fleece sweatshirt with a snowman on the front ;)

At the lunch table:

Jonathon ~ Mom, you have a snowman on your shirt?

Me ~ Yes, I have a snowman on my shirt.

Jonathon ~ The snowman is wearing a hat?

Me ~ Yes, he is wearing a hat.

Samuel ~ Why is the snowman wearing a hat?

Me ~ To keep his head warm.  (WHAT???  Where the heck did that silly answer come from?)

Jonathon ~ Mom, Mom, the snowman is wearing gloves?  To keep his hands warm?

Me ~ Oh, geesh, now what do I say?  Yes, to keep his hands warm.  (Duh!)

Jonathon ~ Oooh.

So.  Tell me.  Why does a snowman wear a hat and gloves!?!

Wait, it gets better :)

About 5 minutes after this conversation:

Samuel ~ Mom, are you Santa?

Okay, who has been talking to these kids?

What I'm THANKFUL for...

The fact that she is spending more and more of her time home with us :)

Jonathon is happy about this too!

 

And so is Madelyn :)

An original work of art...

Yum...

Katie snapped this picture of Sarah enjoying a beater filled with the filling of our yummy dessert...

 

Ha Ha Ha!!  Looks like she is really enjoying it doesn't it!  Katie actually snapped her picture in the middle of her blinking!  But, we thought it was funny, so we thought we would share :)

What we've been up to (Part 3)...

Okay, I have lost a few days!  Geesh, the days get away from me!  They go by sooo fast.  Here are those Halloween pics I promised you :)

Sarah drawing her pumpkin face to be carved

Sam drew the "Hulk" on his pumpkin!  That's his hulk smile :)

Jonathon ~ he's very happy with the face he drew!

Miss Emma and her awesome pumpkin face!

The whole crew cleaning out their pumpkins!  The pumpkin at the very end of the table was for Madelyn.  I was supposed to carve it for her, never got to it :(

Time for trick or treating!!  They were cold before they even started!  From top left we have a witch, a Michigan football fan, the hulk, a ladybug and a baby (see the binky?)

A closer view of the hulk and the ladybug and...

the sweet little baby with the cold nose!  I took a picture of just Emma and Katie on my phone.  I have no way of putting it on my computer (or maybe I do and I just don't know how to do it!).

 

Hope you had a fun Halloween!

Talk to ya soon

What we've been up to (part 2 ~ Miss Maddie)...

**One of Daddy's favorite things to do ~ snuggle with a baby on his chest!**

**I don't think she likes this jacket!**

 

**Lunch with Spiderman :)**

 

**Sister bonding!**

 

**Too sweet!!**

~ Tomorrow, Part 3...Halloween! ~

Talk to ya soon

What we've been up to (part 1)...

ALOT!!

First of all, this beautiful young lady...

 

has come to live with us and be homeschooled :)  Imagine our surprise when we received that phone call!  We are both VERY HAPPY!  We have since ordered school books and signed her up for band.  We are now looking at basketball season!  All of the kids have LOVED having her here all the time!  Look at how much fun they've been having since their big sister has come home to live...

~the larger than life leaf pile!~

~what fun!!~

~even Daddy joined in on the fun:)~

~flute lessons~

 

~...and a new school buddy :)~

If I keep going from here this post will be very long!  Next post ~ pics of Miss Maddie :)

Talk to ya soon

We'd like to introduce you to...

Ms. Madelyn :)

 

8# 4.1oz (Daddy guessed 8# 4oz.); 21" long!

 

They were all VERY pleased with their new baby sister!!  Three days after she was born, big sister Andrea turned 18 :)  Two days after she was born, big brother Brandon turned 19 (can you believe it?).

Things are going well!  We are settling in nicely with our new little princess.  The little's are continuously helping, kissing and hugging on her!  The words 'gentle' and 'gently' are heard frequently in our home these days :)

Okay, time to get back to Daddy and baby (the rest are in bed), and hopefully a few hours sleep!

Talk to ya soon...

~ Today! ~

Yesterday I went back to the Dr. for another ultrasound and monitoring of the baby.  The baby was soooo sleepy!  It wouldn't stay awake for anything!  The nurse kept having to put a buzzer by it's head just to wake it up so it would move.  Baby ended up passing the test, it just took a lot of work to keep it awake in order to monitor it :)  The ultrasound showed that the amniotic fluid had dropped lower.  This week it was at 8.5 cm, last week it was 13 cm.  8.5 is still good.  Dr. said that by all of his measures baby looked healthy and could stay in there longer.  Good news!

Unfortunately, the Dr. I saw was the 'glass is half empty' Dr.  So after he said the decision was mine as to whether baby stayed in or I was induced, he proceeded to inform me of all of the risks that "could" happen because of my age and the fact that I was overdue.  He was only doing his job.  Good Dr.'s let you know what your risks are.  He then said he would send the nurse in with the hospital on-call schedule so I could choose a day that would work best for us!  So in reality, the choice to stay pregnant or be induced really wasn't a choice.  Oh, well...it sounded good :)  He said it would be best to choose a day before next Wednesday (42 week mark). 

One of my favorite Dr.'s goes on call tonight at 6 p.m.!  He delivered Sarah.  He is 1 (of 2) of the big 'bosses' in the practice.  He is one of the best!  He is a big, tall, towering man ~ very calm, very serene, he is like this huge teddy bear.  Awesome Dr.  During one point in Sarah's delivery, Daddy became a little concerned for Sarah.  He said when he saw how calm and relaxed the Dr. was, just patiently waiting for my body, and Sarah to do their thing, he relaxed.  He figured if the Dr. was that calm about the whole thing, it must be okay.  If Dr. was concerned he never showed it.

So, today is the day :)  We have to be there at 4 p.m. and they will induce.  With both Sarah and the twins, it took awhile once we got there for them to actually get to us.  I'm assuming that we won't have a little one in our arms until early Friday morning, but you never know :)

Talk to ya soon :)

~ The One Minute Cracker Challenge ~

Ever heard of it?  Daddy shared this challenge with us.  You take 5 saltine crackers and eat them ALL in 1 minute!  You have to chew them and swallow them ~ WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DRINK ;).  Sound easy?  Give it a try and be prepared for lots and lots of laughing!

Katie and Emma tried it.  Actually, Daddy only gave them 4 crackers to eat in 1 minute.

You should have heard the giggles and seen the cracker dust flying!!

~ Belly, Pears & 'Sweet' Corn ~

Today we had a GREAT day!  We went to mass, had a yummy lasagna lunch, canned pears and just hung out together.  Sarah played dress up pretty much all day with Katie ~ make-up, hair ~ the whole kit and kaboodle!  They had a great time.  Sarah's face looked dirty all day because she was putting on make-up :)

I helped Daddy peel and cut pears for canning.  He picked all he could reach off of our pear tree (I guess there are a ton more up high in the tree), and we ended up with 7 1/2 quarts of yummy pears.  The littles had the 1/2 quart for snack tonight.

While the pears were boiling in their jars, Daddy took this picture:

This is our baby at 40 weeks, 3 days!

After this was taken Katie got a hold of the camera (she is a budding photographer :) and took a lot of pictures of Sarah!  This is my favorite:

Isn't it sweet!  The goodies from our garden are wrapping up.  It has been just big enough for us this year!  Next year we will plant more in order to can for the winter :)

Speaking of canning, here is Daddy working on the pears, and the finished product!

Hope you had a great day!

~ 9/19/2009 ~

Just a little note to say:

I'm Still Pregnant!!!!! 

That's right, baby is still in belly!  Two of my daughters have now said I'm huge.  Actually, only Andrea said "Mom, your HUGE!".  Those were her first words to me upon entering the house.  My response?  "Thank you honey."  Today,  Katie said "Mom, your stomach is huge".  My response?  "Yes, I know it is."

I thought about taking a picture today...but...the camera is packed in my bag, AND I was too lazy to get it out!  Maybe tomorrow.

Yesterday, I had a Dr. appointment to see how baby is doing.  Everything is going so well that baby gets to stay in it's cozy spot for a little longer if it wants to.  So, it is still a waiting game :)  I continue to have contractions frequently, but nothing rhythmic or uncomfortable.

Hopefully I'll get a picture of this HUGE belly uploaded for you tomorrow.  For now, it's my bedtime!  Good~night!

~ 9/16/2009 ~

Sarah and I enjoyed our morning view out of the front window.  I don't think you can tell, but the sweet one by the swing still had some white spots!  Very faint, but they were there :)

~ 9/14/2009 ~

Last night while Dad and I were brushing Jonathon and Sarah's teeth, Samuel was playing in one of the recliners.  He was acting like a 'Superhero'!  Next thing I know he is laying in a curled up hump on the floor beside the chair!  Then I heard this...

"Uh ~ Oh, I didn't fly!".

Okay, just typing it out has me laughing again!

~ 9/4/2009 ~

~ At 38 Weeks ~

 

~ 8/21/2009 ~

Yesterday, we were officially 36 weeks pregnant!  That means we could have a baby anywhere from 2 wks to 6 wks from now! 

Last week at my Dr. appt. he was concerned about the fluid level, the condition of the placenta, the baby's position (it was oblique) and any other negative thing he could think of!!  So, after leaving the office  I scoured the internet for ways to turn an oblique baby to head down.  The problem with an oblique positioned baby is that it can either turn head down OR transverse!  If it decided to turn transverse I would have to have a c~section!  Definitely didn't want that!!  So, I read and read and read!   I read to wear a belly belt and to get on all fours as much as possible.   So I have been wearing my belly belt faithfully and helping the girls to mop the floors by getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing.  I was also picking toys up off of the floor by crawling around on my hands and knees. 

Well, it worked!!  Baby is now definitely head down!  The ultrasound also showed that there is PLENTY of fluid still surrounding the baby!  Baby looks GREAT!  It was really a treat to see the baby on ultrasound.  I haven't seen it since my 20 week ultrasound!  Seeing it again got me all excited and ready to have it in my arms!  With time closing in on us for the delivery, I think I need to start packing my bag and washing baby clothes!  But for now I have been instructed to keep my left leg elevated (as much as possible :)  to help relieve a superficial vein issue that is causing me a great amount of discomfort.  So I will do that until the pain subsides, then pack and wash!!

~ 8/19/2009 ~

New Blog...

Started a new blog!  Here is the link:

Walking In Truth Academy

Started because this one on typepad has a monthly fee.  The new one is FREE!!  Might take me a little while to figure it out, but were giving it a shot.  Bookmark it!  See ya there :)  I will cancel this one shortly (I think the monthly fee has been paid for the month already!)

For ALL of those who doubt!...

New Nationwide Study Confirms Homeschool Academic Achievement

Counting from 1 - 10...

This year the boys are "officially" doing preschool.  I had originally purchased a structured curriculum based on the bible Genesis 1 - Genesis 10.  I loved it and still do, but...it is too structured!  So, we have set that aside and moved on to a more delight directed approach.

I printed off this scope and sequence for preschool.  I then proceeded to cross off the things that they already knew and had mastered.  To our surprise they had already mastered quite a bit of it. 

One of the items that we were going to work on was counting from 1 - 10.  Today I drew Sam a semi-truck (upon his request).  On the trailer end I placed 10 wheels, handed it to him without saying anything.  He noticed immediately that there were "lots of wheels"! 

Sam:  "Look, Jonathon...it has lots of wheels!  2,1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 (while pointing at each wheel)  It has 10 wheels!"

Okay... I guess I can cross that one off of Sam's list!  I guess we need to work on the '2,1' thing but by golly I'd say that's pretty good!

Just because...

...she's so stinkin' cute!

Don't you agree?

The Zoo

Hi There!!
Boy, I haven't been here in awhile :)

This past Tuesday, Daddy had the day off from work, so we decided to take the kids to the zoo!  It turned out to be a VERY long day ~ almost 4 hours ~ but a VERY fun day!  Here are a few pictures:

Talk to ya soon...