Grins 'n Giggles

Hip Hop A-dog and Micah's "Blue Steel" look

2011-04-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Amelia has been listening to my Ipod a lot lately and recently put on a hat I use when working in the yard and some broken sunglasses. It was quite the look and then Micah jumped into this photo with with Zoolander-esque look of "Blue Steel."

So clean I could cry

2011-01-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

Amelia was looking a bit teary-eyed when I came downstairs at one point this afternoon. I asked her if something was wrong. With words that sounded like they were full of emotion, she shared that she was just so happy that someone had cleaned up her room.

4 is tough

2011-01-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

Amelia: "Brody, do you want me to tell you all about being 4?"
Brody: silence
Amelia: "It is hard - you have to fight a lot."

Electropied

2011-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Last night at swim lessons, Micah had a nasty case of the hic-cups. The kind that hurt in your chest. He kept telling me his hic-cups hurt his heart. On the way home from swimming, he said that it felt like a cord inside him came unplugged and that he felt like he was electropied. I thought I might have heard him wrong, but he clarified that it felt like it would if you were holding a metal bar and unplugged something (he thinks you will receive an electric shock if this happens because of an old story involving his grandma who received an electric shock a long time ago although that wasn't the exact circumstance). "You know.....like getting electropied." I didn't correct him because it is just too cute!

Christmas

2011-01-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer

Brody serves breakfast

2011-01-11T21:33:00.001-08:00

Brody has taken to helping himself to cereal and anything else in these cupboards. Although he is eating off the floor, at least he had the self-respect to find a spoon to use. We're not animals here!

An old moustache

2011-01-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

In the van today -
Amelia: Dad, how old will Brody be when I'm thirty a thousand?
Me: People usually don't live long enough to be a thousand.
Amelia: How old will Brody be when I'm 100?
Me: He'll be 97.
Amelia: I bet he'll have a moustache then because that is old.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

There is little point in trying to catch up after 6 months without blogging - I'm sure we created many wonderful memories, achieved milestones and had a generally merry time, but we must move forward. You've gotta go forward to go back.

We celebrated New Years Eve in Clackamas with a rousing family game of Trouble and some Martinelli's sparking apple cider and fresh cookies from New Seasons. The kids were all in bed by 8 and Kandi and I were asleep by 10. I did awaken briefly to hear fireworks at what I presume was midnight. I continue to stand by my long-standing belief that I need not stay up til midnight to greet the new year as it should still be the new year when I wake up.

After a breakfast at McDonalds (so much for that healthy eating resolution - glad it lasted almost 8 hours into the new year), we headed to OMSI. I've never been to OMSI with so few visitors - it was a great time and we spent awhile playing with all the different active options. For Salem friends with Gilbert House membership - your membership gets you in to OMSI for free - a great deal if you head to Portland.

Brody has started standing up all by himself tonight for seconds at a time. Hopefully we'll catch some photos or video soon to post. Blessings to all for a memorable 2011!

Tooth!

2010-06-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

Brody just turned seven months and his bottom two teeth are pushing through! He's getting big and is so sweet!

Easter, Birthday and hospital stay

2010-04-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

For Palm Sunday, Micah sang with the kids' choir at church. He did great. They sang at 2 services on Saturday night and 3 services on Sunday morning. I was singing on the worship team the same weekend, so it was fun to be able to sing together.

We love this picture of cousin Justin.

A rare moment with all three kids sitting still.

One evening I needed to get homework done so I rigged up this little system and decided to see if Brody liked "baby einstein." He sure did.

Amelia turned 4 on April 15th. Our week was so packed with different activities that we decided to have a little party for Amelia on Sunday night the 11th. This was my attempt to make a princess cake. Ryan made the cake and frosted it and I plopped a princess on top. Genius, huh?

Last Wednesday (April 14th) Brody started vomiting after he ate his bottle. We thought maybe his tummy was upset or something, but didn't think much of it. The next day he vomited a few more times. And started eating less. By Friday he was about the same. You see, Brody is so smiley and happy that he rarely looks sick. We had planned to visit my parents' new house in Black Butte and I was determined to go... even with a sick baby. Ryan had stayed home in the morning and wasn't so sure that we should go. He had been in contact with a triage nurse throughout the morning who wasn't too concerned, but wanted us to watch his intake. While we were debating, Ryan picked up the kids from school and I stayed home with Brody. I noticed that he seemed a bit lethargic and when they came home, we decided that we wanted him to be seen. Meanwhile we called my parents and arranged to meet half-way for them to spend the weekend with the two older kids. It was a pure God-thing that it all worked out like this.

I took Brody in to the Dr. at 4:30PM. The doctor took one look at him and was immediately concerned. He checked his pulse/oxygen levels and Brody was at 86% oxygen saturation (should be at 100). He told me that Brody needed to be admitted to the hospital. He typed it all in to the computer and told me how to check in at the hospital. I think at one point I said, "I'm going to drive him?" I had never been so scared in my life. By the grace of God alone, we made it to the hospital without getting in an accident. I waited at the admitting desk with my legs shaking. Ryan arrived. Brody was admitted and we were taken up to pediatrics. They checked his oxygen again and then sent us down for a chest x-ray (Ever seen one of those? That is a whole post in itself). We returned and got settled in his room. He tested negative for RSV and the Flu and his chest xray came back saying he had bronchiolitis. Basically, throughout the weekend, they monitored his oxygen levels, gave him more when he needed it. He had 3 doses of sterroids and many nebulizer treatments. On Monday morning he was cleared to be discharged. His levels were back up, we were sent home with two inhalers and antibiotics since he developed an ear infection while there.

We were home a total of 3 hours when Ryan asked me to look at Brody's chest and listen to him. He was clearly struggling to breathe and was making a funny grunting sound with each breath. We took the kids to my sister's house and headed back to the doctor's office. His oxygen was back down to the high 80s and he was retracting (ribs were showing while he was trying to breathe) more than I had ever seen him. So, we headed back to the hospital and back into our same room. They took another chest xray and this time they could see that he had pnemonia.

Long story longer, it is day 5 of our hospital stay and Brody seems 100% better. He's still on oxygen, but he had a lot of awake time and seemed so much more like himself. The doctor felt horrible that he sent us home before Brody was ready.

While the kids were at my parents' house, Micah developed a fever and a cough. I took him into the clinic yesterday and found out he has strep throat again (he just finished antibiotics for strep less than two weeks ago).

Throughout this process, so many people have been praying for us and i have felt supernatural strength. Ryan and I have averaged about 4 hours of sleep in each 24 hour period. If you know me, you know that I don't function with less than 8 hours of sleep. Ideally I need about 10. The only reason I am still sane is because of God's grace.

As of Wednesday morning at 4:55AM we are still in the hospital. I will update the blog when we know more. (At least, I'll think about blogging, I'll feel guilty that I didn't and then maybe I'll blog to clear my consience.)

It's been awhile

2010-03-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been awhile. Brody is growing so quickly, although he is pretty small for his age. At his 4 month appointment, his weight and height were in the 3rd and 5th percentile while his head circumferance was in the 75th. The kids spend all their time loving on him. Micah has recently been allowed to hold Brody while he's standing and is very proud to walk around with his little brother. Watch the video at the end to hear Brody's belly laugh.

Missing mommy

2010-01-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

Kandi is away at our church's women's retreat this weekend. This morning at breakfast, Amelia told me "Dad, I was talking about mom last night (after I had tucked her in) and I missed her so much that I got a little tears, but I'm okay now." We all miss mommy when she's gone!

We look uninsured

2010-01-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

Brody had his 2 month well-child check yesterday. He is doing well although the doctor was surprised that he had dropped from the 75th percentile for weight down to the 25th and so he wants us to continue high-calorie formula. It wasn't until after the appointment that we realized the weight showing 75th percentile had to be an error because he has always been very small. We had one weight check with a substitute person and it was while Brody had casts, so we think she forgot to adjust the weight for the casts.

Anyway, we had the appointment and the doctor said he would send in the nurse for immunizations. Amelia, Kandi, Brody and I were all crammed in the little exam room. The nurse came in and started to go over the immunization paperwork and said something about being out of the VFC vaccines for the uninsured so we would have to come back. I stopped her and said, "oh, we have insurance. We just had a change in insurance providers on January 1, but I gave them the new card out front." She looked at us and sounding surprised said, "oh, you do?"

So she went out to check some things and then came back in and said that she would have to redraw all the vaccines which makes one wonder if they give the good vaccines to those of us with insurance or to those without since they have to be kept clearly separate. As we were leaving, I told Kandi that her surprise about us having insurance wasn't too extraordinary being that here practically the whole family was sitting in the doctor's office in the middle of the day for a routine appointment. Additionally, Amelia had dressed herself (she gets to pick her own clothes on Wednesdays when she doesn't have school) so she was wearing spiderman pants (with smooshed graham crackers all over them), a non-matching shirt and her hair was crazy looking. I was wearing jeans (which I noticed after leaving the house had a big food stain on them) and a t-shirt. We certainly didn't look like the type of people who might have insurance or be employed.

Quotable kids

2010-01-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few quotes/kiddo stories from tonight:

On our way in to Target tonight, it was raining in the parking lot. Amelia excitedly exclaimed, "the rain tickles my snout!" The rest of us try to keep our snouts covered.

At home, Micah came to tell me that he had a secret and whispered in my ear, "Dad, I love you to Pluto and back." He then ran to Kandi to tell her a secret and said, "Mom, I love you to....what's the planet right before Pluto?"

Lastly Micah and Amelia were working on their bed time routine and Micah was in the bathroom preparing to brush his teeth when he announced, "I'm going to brush my teeth while I go poop!" That's a real time-saver!

Brody - 2 months

2010-01-02T06:09:00.001-08:00

Brody turned 2 months old yesterday. He is very sweet, loves to be held and smiles quite a bit. Micah and Amelia both like to hold him and Amelia is allowing him a bit of breathing room these days rather than kissing him full-time all day.

Recent quote from Amelia, "Dad, when I'm 21, I'm going to have a beard." I'm not sure if that is some sort of wishful thinking or a prophecy about the need for electrolysis, but I wish her the best either way.

How old?

2009-12-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Micah was playing candyland with Grandpa West at our house today. Micah declared that the rules say the youngest person gets to go first. Grandpa asked, "how do we know who the youngest is?" Micah replied, "well, I'm 6 and you're 300 and something, right?" My dad looks great for over 300!

Zoo trips

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our family took a trip to the Oregon Zoo at the end of November on a chilly Saturday. Auntie Kristen joined us too. It was a great day for the zoo as very few people were willing to bundle up and come out so it was easy to navigate. Although we are zoo members, we hadn't been to the zoo since the new Africa exhibits were unveiled so we finally got to see the beautiful lions. The new zoo exhibits are really well done!
We warmed up in the Africafe with some hot chocolate and snacks while we fed Brody and then headed out for another couple of hours at the zoo. It was so fun and so nice that we actually came back to the zoo two days later for the Zoo lights. We were joined by Kandi's parents for zoo lights. We all enjoyed the beautiful lights and the train ride. Micah especially enjoyed the contest to locate 6 peacocks made in lights. However, he couldn't remember that they were peacocks and when he saw each one he declared, "Look - another turkey!"
The zoo orangutans are some of our family favorite creatures. Here one of the 3 friends put her face right up to the window and had a sad look on her face that Micah and Amelia were imitating. The Red Ape Reserve is under significant remodeling at the zoo right now and we're hopeful that these beautiful animals will have an enhanced habitat once the construction is done.

The casts come off

2009-12-02T12:22:00.001-08:00

Brody had his appointment today with the orthopedist and his casts are off....at least for now. We'll go back in two weeks and see what we should do next. There is a possibility of another set of casts, the ponsetti-type brace or nothing at this point. We're thrilled to have his legs back to normal for a couple of weeks at the very least!

Is "Christmas Miracle" too dramatic?

2009-11-30T07:15:00.001-08:00

There are few words that I like to hear less than "let's get a family picture." It doesn't matter the time of year or number of participants or their age, I find the whole process often torturous. It really doesn't make it much better when I'm the one who wants the family picture of the kids for the Christmas cards. However, the other night, we had a modern Christmas miracle in our own living room. Kandi had bathed the kids and gotten them dressed for our Thanksgiving eve service at church. In another miracle, our living room was cleaned up and we had already set up our Christmas tree. We asked the kids to sit together and hold Brody and.....they did it!
We got several good pictures of them in about 2 minutes and the whole thing was over before I really knew it had even started. I guess I received my Christmas gift early!

Aquarium

2009-11-29T12:19:00.001-08:00

This is Ryan trying my hand at writing on this blog to see if we can keep it a bit more updated for our thousands, err, hundreds, uhmm, tens of fans (I don't know what less than tens would be called). Anyway, we made a day trip to the Newport Aquarium this past week. We went last summer and found that if we just purchased a family membership and came at least 2 times, it would pay for itself (the aquarium seems a bit pricey). Anyway, it was a nice drive and the kids had fun. We happened to be there while a worker was feeding many of the animals so we followed him around as he moved from tank to tank. There are certainly some interesting sea creatures out there.
The oddwater exhibit that is there right now has many jellyfish, anemones, sea horses, eels and fish of many varieties. A big hit for the kids are the tanks where you can pet an eel, small shark, starfish and sea anemone. It was a great day long activity!

The casts come on

2009-11-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we took Brody to the orthopedist for a check-up to see how the stretching worked. He asked if I saw a difference and I said I really didn't. The doctor didn't see much of a difference either, so he decided to put him in one set of casts for two weeks to stretch the feet out. We've had one full day of casts and already we are counting down the days. Boy, I'm glad we don't have to do the full 9 or so weeks of casts. The plaster is pretty sharp at the top of his legs so we've been trying different things to cushion it. I bought a pair of plain white leg warmers and tucked the top of them into the casts. This picture shows the casts with the leg warmers on. I'm amazed that he can actually pick his legs up and move them. He seems to be adjusting well, though he fusses a bit more and I have to think some of it must be frustration.

Brody's Miracle

2009-11-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to the orthopedist for Brody's first club feet casting appointment. The nurse took us back to the casting room and looked at him and his feet. She said that she didn't know if the doctor was going to want to cast them or not because they straighten out pretty well. Ryan and I looked at each other not sure what to think. She brought us into an exam room and when the doctor came in he told us that they definately weren't club feet. They were just "molded feet." (Molded feet happen when the baby gets into a funny position in the uterus, or sometimes because it's too cramped. Club feet have nothing to do with space or position.) He checked everything else out and said that we needed to stretch his feet out for a couple of minutes after each diaper change and come back in one week to see how it looks. He said the left foot might need one cast, and he might have him start wearing the brace when he sleeps, but that's all.

Ever since we found out about the club feet my dad has been praying for a miracle. I believe God gave us that miracle. We've been singing his praises all day long.

Weight Update

2009-11-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we met with the lactation consultant again for a weight check and to see how his sucking is improving. At the appointment yesterday he weighed 7lbs 13oz. Almost back to his birth weight. Praise the Lord. What a relief. We had a rough weekend because basically we were feeding him 2 oz every 2 hours. Well, it took a full hour to get 2 oz into that little body, so it was like one hour on and one hour off. Exhausting, to say the least. He is sucking much better so hopefully he will eat more at each feeding and we can lengthen the time between feedings.

Tomorrow we see the orthopedist for Brody's first set of casts. Pray for us. I'm a little sad about it because his feet are part of who he is and I love everything about them, but I know they need to be fixed if he is going to walk and run and play. I had a couple of photo sessions with him. Enjoy.

Brody's first check-up

2009-11-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

We went to the Doctor's office this morning for Brody's weight check. They always check to see that the baby hasn't lost too much weight and that he is eating properly. We were so glad we had this appointment scheduled because he has not been eating well. He is bottle fed and he seemed to take the bottle fine in the hospital, but when we got home, he would fight every time we had to feed him. He was clearly hungry, but would not suck on the bottle. I resorted to squeezing enough formula into his mouth so that he was sort of satisfied and by then he was exhausted from fighting it that he would fall asleep. Once he was asleep I would shove the bottle into his mouth and hope that reflexes kicked in and usually he would suck a little. It took a good hour to get one ounce of formula in him. We were definitely getting frustrated and worried.

Brody weighed 7lbs 14 oz when he was born. When we left the hospital he was 7lbs 8oz and today he was 7lbs 6oz. He had lost 7% of his birth weight which is the most that they should lose. We told the doctor about his eating problems and he yelled out the door asking if the lactation consultant had an opening. She had just had a cancellation so we were able to see her right away. What a blessing. It was totally a God-thing. She watched him with the bottle and then felt in his mouth for his suck and basically she said he had a disorganized suck. He wanted to keep his tongue at the roof of his mouth and sometimes he would just forget what he was doing. Anyway, she worked with him and pulled out a special bottle for us to use. She also put him on a high-calorie formula so he can gain a little more weight. We have had two successful feedings since we saw her and are feeling really optimistic. A huge weight was lifted and this was yet another way we have seen our prayers answered.

God has blessed us so much and answered even the little "please let him fall asleep" prayers. I'm thrilled that Ryan is able to take quite a bit of time off work. The kids are enamored with Brody. Amelia must kiss him 50 times a day.

Brody Evan West

2009-11-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

Sunday evening, November 1, 2009 at 9:57PM Brody Evan West came into our lives. He was 7lbs, 14oz, and 19 inches long (that was as far as they could stretch his feet). Just like our other two, he hardly made a peep as he opened his eyes and looked around. What a miracle. He is perfect in every way. There's nothing like the birth of a baby to give you a new view of God's love. I think about how much I already love him and how God loves him even more. I can't fathom that capacity for love. Sure, Brody has some physical imperfections, but in my eyes he is perfect in every way and God made him just the way he wanted him.

more funnies

2009-09-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

We bought Micah a fish tank for his birthday. He was so excited. We gave it to him the morning of his birthday and then I told him that we would take him out that night to get some fish. ...We didn't know what we were getting in to. First the water needed to sit for 24 hours. Then we needed to buy a heater. Then we needed to check the ph of the water, which was way too low. Then we bought some plants - which needed another 24 hours to sit in the water. Anyway, we finally got 4 fish one week later. The second morning of having fish, Micah came up to our room in the morning and told us that it looked like one of the fish was dead. Ryan came down and indeed it was. He removed it and put it in a ziplock to return to the store (they have a 15 day guarantee). We were a little nervous about how Micah would take it. A little later the two of us were looking in the tank and Micah asked, "Where did the other orange one go?" I said, "It looks like he's looking for his friend. He looks lonely." Micah said, as if talking to a baby, "It's okay, fishie, he's just dead in a baggie on the counter."

Amelia and I ran an errand to Fred Meyer on Wednesday morning after we took Micah to kindergarten. I had to use the restroom, so we went in there and I was asking her if she wanted to come into the stall with me or wait outside the stall (we usually use the handicapped stall when she comes in because there is more room). I started walking into the first one because there was another woman walking in and I thought she might want the handicapped stall. Amelia proceeds to say, "Mommy, you should use the big toilet because that's the one that fits you." ... thanks honey...

"God don't want us to share"

2009-09-16T06:53:00.001-07:00

I overheard this conversation as I was getting ready for the shower:
A: That's mine!
M: We share all our toys!
A: God don't want us to share!
M: Yes he does! It says in the Bible that we should share!
(I immediately call Ryan to tell him this story, then come down to see how they're doing)
A: Mom, I told Micah to God in my heart that God don't want us to share.
Me: Do you know what the bible says?
A: Uhuh. God is Love.
M: And God says to share all our toys.
Me: He doesn't say that, Micah, but he does say to treat each other how we would want to be treated. I bet you would like Micah to share his toys, huh Amelia?

I guess I AM that mom...

2009-09-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Micah had his first day of Kindergarten yesterday. Ryan took the morning off so he could take him and pick him up. Meanwhile I was at my school getting ready for the day when it hit me. I just started crying. My baby is in kindergarten. This has become one of the many things that has surprised me about being a mom. I've never had a problem letting go... leaving them in the nursery at church, sending them to daycare for the first time, preschool, it's all a natural progression and part of growing up. Kindergarten should be too, right? (do you see why we call him jack-o-lantern?)

In other news, this afternoon we head up to Portland to meet with the pediatric orthopedist to discuss the treatment once little Hoopty (that's what Amelia says we're going to name him) is born.

Amelia's first day of Preschool

2009-09-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Amelia had a great first day of preschool on Thursday. She wore the new dress that Grandma Brody got her. She loves her teacher, Mrs. Boes.

Amelia

2009-07-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. She has Jekyll & Hyde syndrome. But still so funny. On Thursday I was evaluating her behavior and deciding if she would be able to go to swim lessons or not. I told her that I would see how she did in the play area at the club before I decided. When I picked the kids up and asked her how she did, she of course said she did great and "didn't even cry." Then I hear, "No she didn't! She scratched me! Three times!"(Micah). I asked her, "Were you mean to your brother in the play area?" She replies with a solemn, "Yes." Then she puts her hands out in a shrug and says, "Sometimes those things just happen." She did not get to go swimming.

Baby update

2009-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment today with the Northwest Perinatal Institute at St. Vincent’s hospital in Portland today. First, we met with a genetic counselor who confirmed that the doctor’s believed that our son has bilateral club feet. The purpose of meeting with the genetic counselor was to discuss family history and what other items it might be wise to screen for. The counselor did share that most cases of club feet are an isolated defect meaning that there is no other anomaly present. However, club feet have been linked with Down Syndrome and other chromosomal problems.

We discussed our family histories and reviewed the lab work we had already had done. We opted to have a quad screen done which looks at markers for Down Syndrome and other chromosome abnormalities. According to the counselor we saw, Down Syndrome is the most common association with club feet. A normal negative marker on the quad screen would indicate a person has a 1 in approximately 600 chance of carrying a baby with Down Syndrome. Kandi’s marker came back negative in a much stronger way indicating the chance of our baby having Downs is approximately 1 in 9000. All the other markers were negative as well. These tests do not indicate whether your baby has a chromosome abnormality, only the likeliness of these chances.

We were offered the option of having an amniocentesis which could confirm Down Syndrome or some other chromosome problems definitively. Amniocentesis has its own risks however; the main risk is the risk of miscarriage. The benefit to the amniocentesis is the certainty of diagnosis of a chromosome abnormality. Since our indicators say that is unlikely and there is no possible treatment for chromosome disorders while the baby is in the womb, it didn’t make sense to us to take the even slight risk of miscarriage pending our ultrasound.

Immediately after meeting with the counselor, we had an ultrasound that would examine the baby closely, especially areas of potential concern such as the brain, heart, spine and feet looking for anything out of the ordinary. Immediately after the ultrasound, we met with a maternal fetal medicine specialist who read the ultrasound. The doctor came in and had the technician bring up a few additional views. He confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral club feet. He said it appears that the left foot is not as clubbed as the right, but that it can change as the baby continues to develop. All the other structures on the ultrasound appear normal and healthy.

He agreed with our decision to decline the amniocentesis as he did not see a medical need at this time. He recommended that we have an ultrasound every 4-6 weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy to monitor growth and any new developments. This doctor also shared that he was born with club feet. He provided a referral for us to a pediatric orthopedist who routinely works with children with club feet. We will likely meet with this doctor some time this summer to review the case and discuss the probable treatment plan.

All this to say that we feel very blessed with the test results we received today. Clubfoot is very treatable. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and encouragement. We’ll continue to update about our baby boy as there is news to share.

"I don't make mistakes"

2009-07-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

So many people have sent emails of support and promise of prayer. Thank you for those. On Monday morning we have our appointment with the perinatologist at St. Vincents Hospital in Portland. There we will meet with a genetic counselor and have a high-definition ultrasound. Hopefully they will be able to tell us more details then.

The other evening I had a great talk with my friend Jen whose daughter was born with a couple of birth defects. I would encourage you to read her blog from the beginning (she hasn't had it that long). It was so good to talk to someone who had been through a similar situation. I had so many questions... especially about the possibility of an amniocentesis. Anyway, I shared with her how I kept having these thoughts that I know aren't true, yet I kept thinking them. For example We hesitated about having a third child. Maybe God really didn't want us to have a third, so this is what we get kind of thing. I know it sounds horrible, but I kept thinking it. She told me how she believes that even though we have the ability to reproduce, every baby that is conceived is a miracle and was uniquely designed by God. Last night as I laid in bed I remembered a line from the picture book "You Are Special" by Max Lucado. It is about a community of wooden people. One of them goes to see Eli the woodcarver. Eli says, "You are special because I made you and I don't make mistakes." I kept hearing that over and over in my head. God was saying "I don't make mistakes."

News

2009-06-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today I received a call from my OB who said she had looked over our ultrasound pictures carefully and is pretty sure the baby has club feet. She has referred us to a perinatal specialist where we will have more extensive ultrasounds to figure out the severity of it. From the little research we've done it sounds like the baby would be having weekly casts for the first 6 months or so and then maybe a minor surgery. We would appreciate any prayers you could send up for us. It's interesting... we're not worried. I feel a supernatural calmness about it (which is so not me). Ryan and I were talking today and both said that we feel an extra special connection to this baby somehow.

Knowing this will be our last child, I've been excited at the thought of getting rid of baby things once we're done with them and looking forward to the "big kid" stage. However, I find myself grieving the loss of teeny robeez shoes and footie pajamas. Oh well, there are lots of cute onesies out there (he'll most likely wear those for the first 6 months.

In other news, Ryan and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary on the 24th. Every year he buys me one red rose for every year we've been married and one white one for the year to come. Isn't he romantic? I know it's coming, but it always surprises me. They are beautiful.

Behavior boot-camp has been going well. The kids love the schedule and I'm having a much easier time.

Funnies

2009-06-20T08:41:00.001-07:00

Amelia got a new back pack that has wheels. The other morning she asked, "Mom, where is my roller-coaster pa-pack?"

The other day we went to see the "reptile lady." The kids were sitting pretty quietly and at one point Amelia leaned over and said, "Mommy, can I give my mouth a cough?" I said, "If you need to cough, honey, its okay." She proceeded to cough (a real one, not just a fake I wanna cough cough).

2009-06-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today I was bending over and tying my shoes when Amelia said, "Mommy, I tink you are (s)quishing the baby."

The Summer Abyss and Behavior Boot-Camp

2009-06-16T19:41:00.001-07:00

Those of you who know me well, know that I struggle (I could even say dread) summertime. Don't get me wrong, I love the sun and I do LOVE my kids. The problem is, I have trouble when I don't have a schedule. You may not be able to understand this, but it scares me. However, after 8 years of teaching I'm putting my skills to good use to help myself and my children cope with and maybe even (gasp) enjoy this time. Tonight I made schedule cards to rearrange each day so the kids (and I) know what we are doing (They were very excited about this). On the left is a sample day and on the right are other activities to add into the day. It also helps that I'm teaching swimming again this year at the club so that gives us an outing every day from 10ish to noon (and the kids get swim lessons). I'm really excited about this new plan. Having said all this, I so wish that I was like my blog-friend Allison who gets giddy every moment she gets to spend with her kids. But, thats another one of my guilt-complexes that I'm working through.

Behavior Boot-Camp: I've decided to crack down on the whining, fussing, bickering and tantrums that have been happening around here. For miss Jekyll/Hyde aka. Amelia, I printed out some pictures of things with their corresponding consequences so she can have a visual when she is having trouble with her tantrums and following directions. I forget how much pictures help kids.

On another note, Amelia was so proud of herself because she got dressed all by herself this morning. Here is what she looked like:

Amelia's new haircut

2009-06-14T17:30:00.001-07:00

Easter and Amelia's Birthday

2009-04-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Easter morning we hosted a brunch for our parents, Ryan's sister, Kristen, and a friend of mine from work, Erika. It was a great meal with friends and family.

After brunch we celebrated Amelia's birthday. She was thrilled with the scooter that Grandma and Grandpa West got her. She still rides it all around the house. Auntie Kristen got her some various dress-up pieces that Micah took advantage of while Amelia was busy riding her "cooter."
The next week, Grandma and Grandpa Brody took her to Build-a-Bear. This is a tradition they have with the grandkids when they turn 4 (Amelia got in early). She chose a Lamb and dressed her up in a ballerina outfit complete with undies and a baby lamb. She named the lamb "Lamby" and I jokingly told her she could name the baby lamb "Veal." Unfortunately, the name stuck. She sleeps with Lamby and Veal every night. Last night she was using lamby as a pillow.

After Build-a-Bear we went out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The waitress had a group of them sing and gave her an ice-cream sundae.

I have one of "those" kids

2009-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! We love going to Saturday night church, but it still feels a little odd celebrating Easter on Saturday night. Anyway, here is my story:

The church only had childcare available for kids up to 4 years old which meant Micah would have to sit in the service with us (I should say with me because Ryan was ushering). Now, I consider my kids to be pretty well behaved. Sure they throw the typical fits when we're around, but for the most part they're good kids. Micah and I found seats on the main floor of the sanctuary and he immediately tore into his coloring book and crayons. I'm sitting on the inside of the pew and he is on the edge, sorting his crayons in the aisle and playing a game of "watch the crayon roll down the slanted aisle." I'm already getting uncomfortable because I feel like everyone is watching my suddenly hyper-active kid sitting in a church service. Then Micah spotted one of his friends from school and wanted to run back and say hi. I calmly explained that they were headed up to the balcony and we could say hi after the service. In the next 3 minutes I had 5 more inquiries about when we could say hi to James. I leaned over and asked if he wanted to sit in the balcony (thinking, then we won't be noticed as much). We trotted up the stairs and found seats in the balcony right on the edge of the aisle so we could leave if we needed to (the service still hasn't started). We were quickly asked to move to the center so that more people could sit by us (great). Micah spots James two aisles down and starts yelling, "hi James!" James doesn't hear, so after I shushed Micah he continues to stand up and wave. Okay... Service starts and 2 minutes into the first song Micah is asking when it's going to be over. I think you're getting the drift. At one point we were standing and singing while Micah was sprawled on the pew behind me. He managed to hit his head on the pew in front of us AND his own pew, lose 3 crayons, distract EVERYONE around us, AND... the kid doesn't know how to whisper. That hour service felt like 3. I wish this could be a first AND last experience, however I know it's my job to prepare him, so I think we will start taking him to service for 5 minutes, then maybe 7, etc. Looking back, he wasn't being naughty, he was just bored and being a 5 year old. I just didn't realize how luxurious it was to sit in a service without kids.

Still here...

2009-03-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

My apologies for the lack of blogging. Here are some highlights from the last month or so...

Sprinkling
M: Mom, is it still raining?
Me: It's just sprinkling honey.
M: What?
Me: It's just sprinkling. (a little louder)
M: What???
Me: (getting totally annoyed) I said, it's just sprinkling.
M: What is sprinkling?
Me: When it's just raining a little bit. Like when you put sprinkles on something, only a few come out at a time.
M: Oh.
A few minutes later.
M: Is it because it's spring and the rain cleans everything?
Me: No, honey.
Later
M: Mom, look. It's spring-cleaning again.

The Paper airplane
Scene: We were at our vacation home (Ryan's parents' house that we look after while they are in CA for the winter) and I had made a couple of paper airplanes for Micah. Ryan had made one too, but Ryan doesn't know how to make paper airplanes, so it was just folded paper.
M: What's this? (picking up the seudo-airplane and looking at it quizzically)
Ryan: It's the paper airplane I made
M: Oh. (pause) It's really good, Dad. I really like it. You did a good job, Dad.
Micah continued to reassure Ryan two or three more times throughout the day that he really liked the paper airplane.

Micah, Amelia and Drake having a picnic at our "vacation home."

Amelia in her laundry basket bed

Sentimental Micah

2009-02-25T02:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we had dinner at my parents' house and then Ryan went up to stay at his folks' house because he had an early dentist appointment in Gresham (I know, we've been in Salem for 5 years. Its time to change dentists). We all packed up the cars, said good-byes and I had the kids in the van heading home when Micah said this: "Sometimes I cry a little bit when I say goodbye to Daddy because I love him so much."

Lets see, what else has been going on? Micah and Amelia were both sick for a week. I'm finally succumbing to "the cold." I got a sub for the afternoon yesterday and slept from 12:45 to 4:45 when Ryan called to see if I could pick up the kids. But that's probably because I'm pregnant. Oops. Did I say that? Yes, baby #3 should be joining us around the end of October. Its funny listening to Micah try to explain to Amelia that there is a baby growing in my tummy. His first comment was, "I see your tummy growing already." Then Amelia said, "Mommy, I want to see the baby in your tummy." Fun times here.

Oh, and why am I up at 3:00AM? Partly because I'm on sleep overload, but also Micah just threw up and we just finished changing his sheets and putting him back to bed.

Pastor John

2009-02-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who remember, I wrote a while back about our pastor who had "come as close to death as you can without dying." I think that's how the doctor put it. He is recovering at home finally and has his own blog. I've added it to my blog roll. It is incredible how someone can be so encouraging while dealing with his own issues. I encourage you to read it and be encouraged.

Santa and God

2009-01-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Place: Micah's room. He's stalling as I'm starting to close the door.
M: Mom, is Santa real?... or do you just put stuff in there (the stockings)?
Me: What do you think?
M: I think he's real. Because I've heard him say Ho Ho Ho! in my heart before.
Me: He's in your heart?
M: Yeah. Right next to God.

No excuses...

2009-01-12T19:25:00.000-08:00

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. A month hiatus from blogging? That is uncalled for. Let me give you a sampling of the last month in a nutshell.

Snow Week: That snow day in my last blog turned out to last the whole week before winter break. Fun but crazy at the same time. For the second snow storm we decided to get snowed in at my parents' house in Wilsonville. I brought my sewing machine and decided to take up quilting.

These first two quilts came from a kit. It came with all the necessary fabric and I just had to cut and sew. Then I took the left over pieces and made this third quilt.

Then I took more left over pieces and made this fourth quilt.

(don't ask... I really don't have an answer)

I liked the quilts enough, but they weren't quite what I wanted for my friends' baby shower coming up, so I decided to start over. I took my mom's log cabin quilting book and started from scratch. These are the results:

This past weekend I flew down to Texas to see Joy and Andrea (good friends from College) and to celebrate their upcoming arrivals.

Here is a picture of us with their quilts.

We had a great time reminiscing about college pranks and updating each other with post-college stuff.

Christmas was great. We spent lots of time with family. Good Times.

I think we were all excited to get back to school last week. Holidays are fun, but there is something comforting in having routine and schedule.

Snow Day!

2008-12-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

"Where the woman sits"

2008-12-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

Today Micah was asking Ryan where his artwork from school was and Ryan said, "It's in the passenger seat. You know, not the driver's seat, but the other front seat." Micah responded with, "Oh, you mean where the woman sits?"

My spare time

2008-12-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

I guess I should rephrase that... The time I spend neglecting my family is what it should be called. I decided to try my hand at making purses. After a few tries, I'm feeling pretty good about the product. Here's what I've made so far...

2008-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm listening to Amelia play with the manger scene. She asked me if she could give baby Jesus a hamburger pretend. I said that was fine. Then I heard her say, "Do you want a hamburger, baby Jesus? Okay, I make you a hamburger. I got to go potty. Tell baby Jesus I going potty. I be right back, baby Jesus."

Yesterday she was offering baby Jesus and the others in the manger scene some water. Then she asked Ryan if she could give them some water and he said no. Then we heard her say, "Sorry, baby Jesus, daddy said no water."

To both of my readers:

2008-12-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Please pray for our pastor. He became ill about a month ago with elevated enzyme levels and spent some time at Salem Hospital before being sent home. After 2 days at home, he became very ill and was taken to the ICU at OHSU where he was put on a ventilator as doctors tried to figure out what was wrong. They found he had a blood disorder and had to give him some very dangerous medication that could have serious side effects. His kidneys were failing and couldn't clean the blood (or whatever they do). Anyway, we had a couple of prayer meetings at church and he was improving, but still very sick. Then on Sunday he took a turn for the worse and is back on a ventilator. For more info check out: http://www.salemalliance.org/ and click the Update on John Stumbo button. Also, if any of what I wrote doesn't make sense, you can read the real stuff there. Jehovah Rophe means God who heals. I pray that he will heal John's body and let us keep him a little longer. Pastor John has a heart and a vision for this city and has already done amazing things bringing the neighborhood and the city together. Please pray!

My little philosopher

2008-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
Place: In the car...
Micah: Mom, my music at night says that everyone who believes in God is like a light in the darkness.
Me: That's right.
Micah: So, I decided that I'm going to believe in God so that I can be a light in my really dark room at night.

AGE OF GOD
Place: In the living room
Micah: Dad, how old is God?
Ryan: Oh, I don't know. Well, he's older than the earth, and the earth is millions and millions of years old. I don't know if God really has an age.
Micah: So, like... 29?
Ryan: Oh, well I'm 29, so he's got to be older than that.
Micah: Maybe like... One hundred and ninety-two (very dramatic, because its the biggest number he's ever thought of)?

Night #3...

2008-11-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

Not dry at all. I got him up about 10:00 and he had already wet the bed. Then again about 4:00 in the morning. Here is what I've learned from my scientific experiment...
1. He does pee in his sleep
2. He can get a lot out before bed.
3. He is a HEAVY sleeper. We can take him to the bathroom and he has no memory of it.
4. He's not just being lazy (glad I never told him that).
I think we will go back to pull ups for awhile. I don't mind using them if I know they're needed. But somebody, PLEASE tell me how to get rid of that horrible stale pee smell in our bathroom? (I know, emptying the garbage of the FULL pull-ups would help.)

Night #2... not so dry

2008-11-26T19:15:00.001-08:00

Last night Micah went to bed about 7:00, then Ryan took him to the batheroom about 9:30. He came in at 3:00 and said his bed was wet. I went down and changed the sheets, he changed his pajamas and underwear and went right back to bed. It wasn't bad, but could get annoying if it keeps happening. I remembered something that my sister had used with her oldest. It was a bedwetting alarm. As soon as the sensor senses moisture it sends an alarm sound to wake the child up so he can go to the bathroom. I just ordered one online. I found some for up to $150.00, but I bought one for $20.00. I hope it works as well.

Dry Night #1

2008-11-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

You may want to read the previous post first...

He did it! He was dry this morning. I had the sheets set out and I was mentally prepared (as much as I could be) for the long night. We only have two sets of twin sheets, so I wasn't sure what I would do if we had to change the bed more than once. I got him up at 9:30 and made him go to the bathroom. He came up to our room this morning about 5:30 and I said, "Are you dry???" He said he felt a little wet, but his pajamas were dry, so I said, "That's good enough for me!" He got 3 tokens in his token jar, too. I raved about how proud of him I was.

Please tell me I'm doing the right thing...

2008-11-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight Micah put his pull-up on to get ready for bed. Then I heard him mumble something about having to go to the bathroom while he was standing in his pull-up in the living room. I looked over and just knew... "Did you pee in your pull-up again?" I asked. "Yeah," he said with puppy-dog eyes (That DON'T work on me when he does this). "Go, take your pull-up off and wash yourself up. You're done with pull-ups." I said. I wasn't mean about it, but I'm done with his little games (peeing in his pull up to "try it out," telling me he doesn't have to go before bed and then getting up to go 5 minutes after we tuck him in). I know that for some boys it takes until they're like eight or something, but I am convinced that when he pees, he is awake. I believe that he's just lazy (I know that sounds harsh, but I really do).
So... here's the plan. He's wearing underwear tonight, and I fully expect to have to get up and clean up once or twice, BUT I'm going to have him help me take the sheets off, etc. I'm hoping it will convince him to acutally go to the bathroom before bed (He tells me nothing will come out when I know he hasn't gone since 3:00 or so), and then maybe I can find out if he really needs a pull-up for the rest of the night or not.

F.Y.I. I don't function with lack of sleep (like you didn't know this already).

Another new look?

2008-11-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

This is what Micah was wearing when he got dressed this morning. Ryan and I had tears coming out because it was so hard to keep from laughing. What you can't tell is that he is wearing his cammo shorts backwards. He was completely serious about this uni. for today. He had no idea that we were taking picutes because he looked so funny. Ryan asked Micah if he could take a picture of him and then the kids were all ready for a photo shoot. Amelia wanted a picture of the back of her back.

Then they wanted a picture of their feet.
Wow! Never a dull moment around here.

This morning they were playing duck, duck, goose. Micah said, "Amelia, you sit down. I'll be the ducker and I'll pick you!"

Here is Amelia enjoying her pudding.

New look?

2008-11-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here are my new glasses. What do you think? I asked one of my kids at school if she thought I looked smarter. She said, "Yeah! ... and pretty!" Is that a back-handed compliment, or what?

Kids say the darndest things

2008-10-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Amelia saw her pajamas sitting on the counter and she said, "Daddy, I like these pajamas! See, they have stars... and clouds... and bananas."

On Wednesday night, Micah went to Awana's with his friend. Earlier in the day I told him that we would be going. When Ryan pulled in the garage that night, Micah ran out and said, "Dad! I'm going to iguanas tonight!"

And for your listening enjoyment, here is Amelia singing "Jesus loves me."

Pumpkin patch take 3

2008-10-27T07:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Micah and I went to another pumpkin patch with a friend from my school and her two girls. We had lots of fun. Here are some pictures from the day.

Baby Anna

The "Tractor Ride"

Micah and Katie

tooth fairy strikes again... and other amazing stories

2008-10-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Micah lost tooth #2 last week at a friend's house. He said, "Mom, look, its really really loose now." I said, "Oh, Micah, its time to pull it out before you swallow it." So he grabs the tooth and takes it out like he's taking a crayon out of a crayon box. "Look, Mom!" He's bleeding profusely, but it doesn't faze him. I'm thinking, who are you and what did you do with my son? He was very excited to put it in his tooth pillow to see if he would get another quarter from the tooth fairy, but then he remembered that the tooth fairy takes the tooth and he decided he wouldn't put it under his pillow because he wanted to bring his tooth to school for show and tell on his "Special Day." (I don't know if those quotes are right, but it reminds me that Ryan found a FUNNY blog called "Unnecessary Quotations.")So we convinced him that the tooth fairy might let him keep the tooth if she knew he wanted it so badly. Anyway, the tooth fairy left a really sweet note and said Micah could keep this tooth and she was sorry that she took the other one so soon.

We took a quick trip to Spokane to visit cousins Sammy and Noah and of course my brother and sister-in-law. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of them, only of us and my parents at the pumpkin patch in Spokane.

Last weekend we went to Fir Point Farms in Aurora for their fall festival. We had lots of fun there.

We borrowed a friend's portable DVD player for the trip to Spokane. Here are Micah and Amelia trying it out.

About a month ago we went to the zoo. We thought it opened at 9AM, but it opened at 10 instead, so we walked around Washington park and the Vietnam war memorial for a little bit.

Here is Amelia with her food. She loves bringing us all kinds of stuff to eat. She says, "Mommy, you have to go 'fffff' so it not so hot."
As I started typing this blog, Amelia rearranges the little chairs and brings her stroller and babies over and tells me that they are waiting for the bus.

blog-worthy

2008-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan picked up the kids from school today and when they came home, Amelia promptly peed on the carpet in the living room. (She never has accidents at school.) So he took her to the bathroom and she went a little more in the toilet, then she bent over so he could wipe her. He heard a noise and looked down at her... she was doing raspberries on the TOILET RIM!!! No, not the seat, the rim, the yucky part that gets peed on by the boys! Lets face it, people, I don't clean the toilets! Ryan said he wiped off her mouth with toilet paper. I'm thinking... is it time to introduce her to the soap bar? Needless to say, there will be no kissing on the lips for a few days. UGH!!!

poison control

2008-09-26T19:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, I called it. I haven't had to for over a year, but tonight Amelia bit into one of those glow bracelets. We were sitting in the car while Ryan ran into the grocery store and I looked back and saw the crease of her mouth glowing along with her fingers. It didn't bother her right away, but then it must have gotten into her mouth. She cried pretty hard. The lady at poison control said that it probably burns like hot pepper or something but its not toxic or anything like that. phew! At the end of the call they always ask for your zip code, your name and the child's name. I wonder if they've logged all of the times I've called and are like, hmm, she's the one who sprayed ant spray on the baby bottles and her kid ate desitin. I can't remember the other reasons I've called, but they always make me feel better.

New Fence

2008-09-12T18:44:00.001-07:00

My amazing husband suprised me and took the day off to install a fence piece on the side of our house. We've been wanting to put one there ever since we moved in, but haven't gotten around to it. What a suprise! It looks so nice and now we have privacy on the side of our house and I feel better about letting the kids play outside.

Chuck E. Cheese and Micah's Wish

2008-09-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Chuck E. Cheese's:

Micah and Garrett

Amelia and the infamous Bailey

Micah's cupcake "cake"

Here is proof that Micah wants to marry Bailey:

Time flies...

2008-09-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

...when you're busy.

My lack of blogging was certainly not for lack of things to blog about. I think I wrote one in my head almost every day since my last blog. We've been incredibly busy with the start of school and the current birthday "season" as I'm calling it.

Micah lost his tooth. boo hoo. He must have swallowed it in the night because I searched high and low for it. In the morning I noticed it was gone. We looked all around for it and then I said, "I guess the tooth fairy must have gotten it before we even got to see it." Then Micah said, "Where's my tooth pillow? Maybe she left me something." I made eyes with Ryan and he quickly found the pillow while Micah was looking for it and grabbed a quarter off of Micah's dresser and put it in the pocket of the tooth pillow. Then Micah found it and was really excited. Its a good thing he doesn't know the going rate for teeth these days.
We had to take a picture of Amelia's teeth too.

Micah had his family birthday party at my parents' house. It was supposed to be at the park, but just as we were driving over there it started pouring. We had lots of fun with the cousins.

We got Micah a bike for his birthday.

Micah and Amelia started daycare at Riviera. Amelia loves going to "school." She is in the two-year old class and our neighbor is in her same class. Micah goes to the daycare most of the time, but has already had two days of pre-kindergarten. He likes it a lot. Since today was his birthday, he got to bring treats (he picked oreos), a special toy (his build-a-bear monkey), and got to put the number on the calendar and identify the weather.
Micah had his friend party at Chuck E. Cheese's on Sunday. We had a blast with about 20 friends and lots of pizza.
I started school (teaching) and I am loving my new schedule. I now have Wednesdays off and I think it's going to be a good balance. I love it, yet I still struggle with how to manage 30 first graders at a time.

loose tooth

2008-08-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

I was noticing that Micah had a crooked tooth on his lower jaw and with a closer look I realized it was loose! He's not even 5 yet! He was very excited, yet concerned about this discovery. I don't think he even knows which tooth it is. He pointed to one on the side of his mouth and said that it was hurting, "because loose teeth can hurt." Later, we were in the car and Micah said, "When Bailey has a loose tooth she eats hard things like candy or something so that it might fall out. Maybe I'll eat a stick... like a popsicle stick or something. "

sore...

2008-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today we walked to the park with some friends and my ankle gave way (not uncommon for me). I was carrying Amelia at the time and its funny how those instincts work. I think my goal was that I didn't fall on top of her and that she didn't hit the sidewalk. I ended up kind-of throwing her into the grass. She hit her head, but was more scared than hurt. I, however, have aches all over in weird spots. My whole left leg hurts behind my knee and down my calf. I know I'm going to be hurting in the morning. For more of my clumsiness, see here.

the birds and the bees

2008-08-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

I knew it was only a matter of time, however I was proud of how I handled the conversation. Here goes:
I was putting my pajamas on (I know, I know, time to start changing in private).
M: Mom, where's that scar from when Amelia and Me were born? (I have a scar from surgery when I had my gall bladder removed. Its higher up on my abdomen)
Me: That's not from when you were born, honey, that's from when I had surgery.
M: Oh. That's right. The doctor cut me out of here (he points to my lower tummy).
Me: No, honey, the doctor didn't cut you out of my tummy, you came out of my girl-parts (stole that phrase from a friend).
M: Oh. You mean here? (He lifts up his shirt and points to his nipples)
Me: No, my other privates, down here (I point).
M: Oh. (joking here...) I came out of your PENIS??? No, you don't have a PENIS!!! (now serious) I came out of your special hole. (making connections) Where your pee comes out? (joking again) Eeew, gross, you peed on us?
Me: No, honey, girls have another hole for babies. Girls have two holes... one for pee and one for babies.
M: Oh.
Me: Well, actually three. One for pee, one for babies, and one for poop.
M: Oh. Boys have one for poop and a penis for pee. Because boys don't have babies grow in their tummies, do they?
Me: Nope.

I know this wasn't the complete birds and bees conversation, but each time we have one of these conversations I get a little more comfortable talking about it. He's just curious. He doesn't ask to see my "special" hole any more. That's good.

thoughts on marriage and family

2008-08-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago Micah was talking about when he and Bailey get married (he's really set on this).
I said, "I really hope you marry someone who believes in God."
Micah said (very matter-of-fact) "She will by then, Mom. But if she doesn't, I won't marry her. Don't worry, Mom. But its MY choice! I get to marry whoever I want!"

Then the yesterday we were driving in the car and this conversation happened:
I asked, "Micah, when you and Bailey get married, how many babies are you going to have?"
Micah said, "Maybe just one, because I don't know how to get two... But its Bailey's idea, its all her idea. (I figured out he meant she'll choose how many babies they have)
I didn't pursue the conversation because I wasn't ready to answer the questions that would probably come next.

My alarm clock

2008-08-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

5:44 every day this week: Amelia comes into our room and stares at me in the face until I open my eyes and jump out of my skin. Then I turn over to go back to sleep and she goes into her room to get her blanket and pillow and comes back in and climbs up onto our bed.

Yesterday I was napping when Micah came into our room, hopped up onto the bed, squatted on all fours (back end toward me), dropped his underwear and spread his cheeks. "I need some desitin Mom." Another great way to wake up.

Summer Fun

2008-08-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Toot Toot

2008-08-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

That was me tooting my own horn. I do not profess to be a seamstress, however, every once in a while I get a wild hair and spend some rediculous amount of money on fabric and then try to make something out of it to prove that it was worth it. Yesterday was one of those days. I have been looking around for a nap mat for Amelia for when she goes to daycare. Searching the internet, I came up with two possibilities: Cheap ones that are ugly, or expensive ones that are gorgeous. I decided to make my own.

I am so pleased with the outcome. I spent about $50 on fabric (40% off at Fabric Depot!). Online, this kind of thing was around $150. It has some very clear homemade qualities to it, but I love it and I think Amelia does too. I have quite a bit of fabric left, so I think I might make one for her doll too.

Bridge Stride

2008-08-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today Ryan took the kids and met his family up in Portland for the Providence Bridge Stride. I was on worship team at church, so I couldn't come, but it looks like they had a blast. Here are a few pics:

Potty Training...

2008-08-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys!

Disclaimer: this is probably too much information, so read on if you dare.

This week the kids are at Jessie's because I am taking a class at WOU. We've been going to Monmouth as a family and the kids and I will drop Ryan off at work and then I'll take the kids to Jessie's before going to my class. Jessie has been working with Amelia on potty training and I am just thrilled. I've been working with her at home to, but up until today she wouldn't go at home. Here is how the week has evolved.

Monday: I put Amelia on the potty first thing in the morning... nothing. She goes 3 times at Jessie's, only has one accident and stays dry through her nap. We come home and I put her on the potty... nothing. Not one minute later she comes back wet and says she needs to go potty.

Tuesday: I put her on the potty first thing... nothing. She goes 5 times at Jessie's, one accident and dry through her nap! We pick Ryan up at work and she says she needs to go (Micah just went, so I think she didn't want to be left out). Reluctantly, we put the potty in the back of the van and wait... 15 minutes!... nothing. Get home (still dry, whew!) and put her on the potty again...45 more minutes before she actually goes. Hooray! I knew she had to have something in there since she hadn't gone since 4:15 and it was now 6:30! She ate her dinner on the potty too! We were gonna keep her there until something came out.

Here's a picture of her eating her mac 'n cheese on the potty! Oh, the joys!

pictures

2008-08-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

I realized that I hadn't posted pictures in quite some time. So here are a few:

Micah with the helmet and Amelia on the bike...
Amelia and cousin Jenny
Micah in the hot tub at the club.
After posting these I figured out the reason I haven't posted many pictures. I haven't taken any! I've got to get busy.

Quote of the week

2008-08-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Micah: Mom, when we marry, me and Bailey. When we both get married, I think Bailey's going to do the folding because I really don't know how to fold, but she does. She can fold blankets!

wow

2008-07-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

This post has nothing to do with my kids... so hang on to your britches because I don't usually post about these kinds of things. I'll try to keep it simple.

I just finished an incredible book called The Shack by William P. Young. It is a whole new look at God and how he relates to people. It would be a great book for someone struggling with the whole concept of God and his "judgement" and how he can allow evil things to happen. It really challenged me to look differently at my beliefs.

A little background: Over the past couple of years I have come to realize that my relationship with God is a little twisted. I have these "superstitions" that keep me from fully surrendering myself and allowing him to use me to his fullest. For example, I won't pray, "Do whatever you need to do so that I can know you better," because in my mind I am giving permission for him to let something awful happen. Maybe he's going to take Ryan so that I will have to learn how to totally depend on him. Well, yesterday as I was reading my book, a part of it stood out to me and was so incredibly freeing to read. Here is part of the book I want to share.

At this point in the story, "Mack" is talking with God about why things happen and why his daughter had to die.

Mack: "Is that what this is about? Did she have to die so you could change me?"
God: "Whoa there, Mack. That's not how I do things."
Mack: "But if she hadn't died, I wouldn't be here now..."
God: "Mack, just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors. She was not your sacrifice, Mack. She is and will always be your joy. That's enough purpose for her."

Wow. Please read it.
www.theshackbook.com

Blueberry Birds

2008-07-19T20:35:00.001-07:00

This morning we took a trip to Target and on the way had a sweet little conversation that I had to write down on the back of a receipt so I could blog the accurate words.

Micah: Look! There's a blueberry bird!
Me: Oh yeah! I see a blue bird.
Micah: Its called a blueberry bird.
Me: (avoiding the I'm always right tone) I think its called a blue bird.
Micah: No, Mom. Its a blueberry bird because it's blue. I know everything, but you don't know a few things.
Ryan and I gave each other a well, then look and tried to keep from laughing.

Amelia

2008-07-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

Tonight the kids were out in the little wading pool on the deck cleaning up after eating fudge-cicles. (Amelia looked like she had been attacked by one.) They were in the pool and arguing over the floatie-tube thing. Amelia had been using it and then she let Micah have a turn and now she wanted it back.
A: I had it first!
M: Its my turn. I'm playing with it!
A: You know what the Bible says...
Ryan: What does the Bible say, Amelia?
A: I don't know?
Micah: Do all things without complaining or arguing.

Explanation: A couple of weeks ago we were all in the car listening to K103 and Ryan and I noticed that they both knew all the words to one of the songs. It wasn't a bad song, but it reminded me of what sponges they are. I started playing the "Hide 'em in your Heart" cds in the car. They are CDs of bible verses put to songs. In the song for "Do all things without complaining or arguing," there is a section in the middle where the kids are arguing and a little girl jumps in with, "Hey, guys! You know what the Bible says..." Amelia loves this part in the song and apparently knew how to put it into the context of real conversation.

Now, don't think my kids are angels because they know a bible verse. Amelia can talk the talk, but has some trouble walking the walk. Specifically... walking. She much prefers to have me carry her... especially when my arms are full of things. Yesterday she didn't get to go swimming because of the fits she threw as I was insisting on her walking. Today she was a piece of work. Maybe I'll remember to bring that verse up next time she has an episode.

temperature?

2008-07-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

We've been having fun swimming at the club. Whenever we need to change I take the kids into the women's locker room and micah does a "blind walk" (I lead him through as he closes his eyes) through until we get to the back corner of the lockers where we change. Yesterday Amelia was being a cranky pants and cried the whole time in the locker room. I must have said something about losing my temper, because after a while Micah said, "Mom, did you lose your temperature?"

the hunter

2008-07-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

We had a fun 4th at Detroit Lake. We decided to head home after the fireworks on Saturday instead of staying another night (we wanted to sleep in our own beds). We left about 11:00 on Saturday night. As we drove off, Micah started talking about a fish that he caught but had to throw back in because it was too small. It didn't make it because it swallowed the hook too deep. He was kind-of sad because of that. Anyway, the conversation moved on and Micah said, "Dad, Jordon thinks you hunt."
Ryan: "Why does he think that?"
M: I told him you have a gun.
Ryan: I don't have a gun.
M: Yes! You have the hot glue gun. I told Jordon it was a hot-glue gun, but he thinks you hunt.

It makes you wonder... What else do people think we do???

updates...

2008-07-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

I updated the list of people I spy on. Susan's blog is called Freckles and Frogs. Her son, Noah, sounds alot like Micah. We met Susan and Danny at a meeting in Lakeview that Ryan attends every year and we are so excited that they are moving to Corvallis so we can get together more often (more than once a year, that is). Serena is Luke's wife and I've just been lazy and haven't added her to my list. She and Luke recently moved back to the portland area. Sara is my good friend from church who is likely going to move away soon. :( And lastly, here's the deal. I would have kept my sister-in-law at the top of my list (family obligations, you know) if she ever updated her blog. Once a year is not good enough, honey. Hop back on the blog-train and I will be happy to move you back up to the top. :)

I know my kids have said funny things lately, I'll just have to remember them and I'll put a fun post up soon.

Anniversary

2008-06-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

Today is our 8th anniversary. This morning we had loaded the kids into the van and we were about to leave when Ryan said to the kids, "Today is a very special day. Its Mommy and Daddy's anniversary." I said, "Yep. Eight years ago today Mommy and Daddy got married." Without skipping a beat, Amelia yelled, "SUPRISE!!!"

prayers

2008-06-21T21:20:00.001-07:00

Tonight Ryan stayed home with the kids while I went to church to teach. Amelia had a fever of 103.5 today. Anyway, Ryan told me about her prayer tonight...

A: Dear Jesus, thank you [for] Daddy, thank you mommy, thank you micah, thank you daddy... (pause)

Ryan: Are you done now?

A: No, Daddy, Mina still praying. Thank you...somebody, thank you... somebody else. Amen.

Micah's prayer included the usual, "Thank you for the whole earth, help people who don't have money...give them money if you have some," but this time it included, "Thank you for outer-space." They had just watched the "Magic School Bus" where the kids go into outer space.

Aren't they cute and so genuine?

summer...

2008-06-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

is going great! Okay, I know we've only had 3 official (non-school) days, but if you know me, you know I get very uneasy about the thought of summer. As much as I look forward to the warm days and sunshine, I get scared at the thought of being home all day with my kids. I tried it for a year when Micah was born and just about checked myself into the mental hospital. I couldn't take it. I don't think God wired me that way. Anyway, this summer I am teaching swim lessons at the athletic club and it has been going beautifully. This week I'm teaching from 11:00-12:30, so we usually do something in the morning, then we go to the club, come home and have lunch, naps and then play until dinner when Ryan gets home. Its perfect for me because I function so much better with a pre-set schedule. I'm not a very good self-motivator. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work out before I teach from 9:15-10:15, then take the kids outside for a snack and then teach lessons.

Here are some pictures of our recent smores evening on the deck...

my boy

2008-06-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile, but haven't gotten around to it. Micah has recently learned how to say his "th" sound. Now he can say three, thirteen, Ethan, etc. When he couldn't make this sound he used an "f" sound instead. So he would say free, firteen, Efan, etc. Well, now he thinks that all words that he used to say with an "f" sound should be with a "th" sound. For example, the other day he said, "Mom! Watch this... Conthrence (conference)". I said, "Oh, honey, thats really great, but that word is supposed to have an f sound in it." Of course he says these "th" sounds with careful preparation... when he says three it sounds like "thu-ree." The other day we were out to breakfast with my mom and she was trying to get him to say thoughtful. That was tricky. He prefers "thoughtthul." He was talking about his cousins the other day and mentioned one time when he played with Thrankie (Frankie). He so wants to get it right, but is so cute when he gets it wrong.

Micah's Prayer

2008-06-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight Micah's prayer went like this: "Dear Jesus, Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Baby Sister. Thank you for... please help people who don't have money... give them money if you have some.

Even, Odd, September, and two

2008-05-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

My friend, Erika and I worked out together on Tuesday and then Ryan and the kids came to pick me up. She came over to meet the family and was talking with Ryan about how they are both ushers at church. Ryan mentioned that he ushers on the odd months and Erika said that she ushers on the even months. The conversation went like this:
Ryan: I'm odd months
Erika: I must be even months
Micah: I'm September!
Amelila: I'm two!

Tonight I was putting Amelia's swim diaper on before we went to swim lessons and whispered to Ryan, "She kind of has a big butt!" Amelia started laughing hysterically (we were trying to figure out what she found so funny). Then she said, "Meena has-a big-a butt-a, Mommy!" Ryan was trying to contain his laugh. It was pretty funny.

the language of bugs

2008-05-09T15:08:00.001-07:00

Today I was inside preparing snack when I hear this loud yelling outside from Micah...
M: Climb up here, Bug!!! I said, climb up here, Bug!!!
Me: Micah, Bugs don't speak English.
M: How do you say "climb up here" in spanish?

Who taught my son how to be passive-aggressive?

2008-05-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

Was it you? Because, let me tell you, its really fun (that was sarcastic). It must be working for him somewhere, but I'm not putting up with it here. Here is a typical conversation:
M: I really wish I could have some fruit snacks.
Me: (silence)
M: I REALLY wish I could have some fruit snacks.
Me: (silence)
M: Mom, I said I really wish I could have some fruit snacks!
Me: Oh. Were you wanting to ask a question? How about, "Mom, could I please have some fruit snacks?"
M: Mom, could I please have some fruit snacks?
Me: No, honey. We're going to have lunch in a half-hour, but thanks for asking so nicely.

I think we had a conversation similar to this about 8 times yesterday. That was fun. (again, sarcastic... they really should make a sarcastic font. :)

Tulip Festival

2008-05-01T08:04:00.003-07:00

Last Friday, the kids and I went with some friends to the "Wooden Shoe" tulip festival in Woodburn. We had a lot of fun.

long time...

2008-04-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged.

snow?

2008-04-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

We had the biggest, most beautiful snow flakes today. It even stuck to the ground.

Tonight Amelia put her babies to bed in her bed and then when it was time to pray, she had her baby pray. Here she is holding her baby's hands together so she can pray, and of course the baby said, "Thank you for Meena!"
Here are all three girls in bed together. I wonder if they will all stay in bed until her lights come on in the morning...

too much to handle?

2008-04-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

This morning I picked up a very large dead fly and was on my way to the garbage when the phone rang. Micah said, "I'll get it." I said, "No, I'll get it honey." Micah said, "But Mom, you don't have to handle two things at once."

A week or so ago I had made mac'n cheese for lunch and later that day Micah was looking into the sink where some noodles were left and said, "Mom, there's some cheese in the sink... er... I mean there's mackin in the sink."

Sleeping in...

2008-04-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

What is that? Most people do that on the weekends. Apparently, at our house, weekend means get up even earlier. So rather than our usual 5:45 "Mom? Can I play in my room," we get the 5:22 "Amelia's crying! She's coming up the stairs..." Those were our weekend mornings.

Happy Birthday, Amelia!

2008-04-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

The cutest ladybug cake ever... Amelia swinging
Opening her new blocks
Taking lessons on blowing bubbles from cousin Justin... and wearing her cute new shoes that Auntie Sarah sent from Spokane for her birthday.
The wind blew out her candles before she had a chance to, but she didn't know the difference.
Happy birthday, my sweet girl. I can't believe you're 2 already. God is going to use you in incredible ways during your life. I can't wait to see what he does with that strong will of yours. :)

The Cruise...

2008-04-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

is my new "happy place."

Ryan and I went on a cruise to the mexican riviera over spring break and it was amazing! We went with his parents, his brother and sister in-law, his sister and her friend. We had a blast.

The view from our state-room

The Dawn Princess
Andy and Jenelle had the room next to us and Kristen had the room next to them. Here she is on her balcony.
I was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of updating my blog when we got back, so that's why it has taken me a week. Anyway, that was our amazing fabulous spring break. I'm glad we had fun because it will be another 10 years before we can afford it again.

snack time

2008-03-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Amelia eating snack today, though she just picked the m&ms off the top of her kudos bar.

hips

2008-03-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

Today Ryan was home with the kids. He told me this story when I got home.

Setting: In the kitchen at snack time. Ryan had just poured vanilla wafers into a bowl for Micah's snack

Micah: (counting out his vanilla wafers) I have 9 hips!
Ryan: What are hips?
Micah: You know, like Mommy has.
Ryan: (puzzled look)
Micah: You know, what girls have... (goes over to amelia and looks down her shirt) well Amelia doesn't have any.
Ryan: I can't wait to tell your mom.

Have Patience

2008-03-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner I was pouring milk and I asked for Micah's cup. He was busy playing with something else at the table and I wasn't feeling well, so I asked again (a little annoyed) and Micah said, "Mom, I need you to have patience."

no contacts

2008-03-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

This morning we were running errands when I started to tell Ryan that Micah told me he knew how to read:
Me: Micah told me the other day that he knew how to read because he saw a sign that said "no skateboarding on the sidewalk" and he knew what it said.
M: I do know how to read!
Me: I think you're good at using context clues (there was a picture of a skateboarder with a slash through it).
M: I don't even need contacts, because I can see everything!

Tonight I was praying with Amelia. She loves to pray, so we usually say the words and she repeats them. A typical prayer is something like, "Dear Jesus, thank you for Daddy, thank you for mommy, thank you for Micah, thank you for loving me, help me to sleep good, help me to feel better, A........men." I wanted to see if she could pray a little on her own. I prompted her, "What are you gonna say?"
A: Dear Jesus,
Me: Thank you for...
A: Thank you... Jessie
Me: Who else?
A: Thank you... Buddy (I think this may have been Bailey).
A.......men.