Uniform Day

The store where we have to get the kids' uniforms from has a 10% off discount until the end of June. Well, today is the end of June, so we got there early today to try to beat the rush. DD was so excited about getting a "jumper" for kindergarten that she was literally jumping up and down. Here's a photo of her. Does anyone know how I can make her smile without sticking her tongue out? This is her "excited" smile, in case y'all didn't know. ;-)

We also learned today that the boys really don't have any concept of how their clothes fit. DS#1 thought his shirt was too tight around the neck. DH was able to fit his fist in there! He also thought his school sweater was too small--wrong again, but we went ahead and bought one size up. He's bound to grow into the larger size anyway. DS#2 got some hand-me-down pants from his older brother. He's actually a little slimmer along with being shorter, so either I'll have to take the waists in, or he'll have to tighten his belt. Even with those "savings", the bill still came to over $500. OUCH!

Speaking of DD and clothes, I just finished another LO using products fromScrapaddict.com's July sponsor, Around the Block. I took these photos when DD was only 19 months old. That's when I would pick out the dresses for her. She has her own opinions nowadays. Still, I love that she wears dresses. As long as I only have one DD, it's nice that she likes to dress like a girl.

Finally, I'm going to end with a photo of DS#3 who is still a pooping machine today. This was taken after his most recent bath. His bouncy chair, unfortunately, also had to "take a bath". He is coordinated enough now to get his hands in his mouth. I think he looks like he's trying to take out his own tonsils here. He's still a cutie, though. :)

First Bath

Just another quick post with the page I finally finished this evening. DS#3 has been a poopy and spit-up machine today, so this page is an appropriate photo for today's post. He's gotten at least two "real" baths today and worn about 4-5 different outfits. He's pooped two or three times just since I got home. It's about 10PM here and I think he might be finally ready to settle in for the night. Good night, everyone! :)

They're All Growing Up!

Isn't this the cutest photo? I wanted to get a photo of DS#3 "standing". He can't actually stand yet, of course, but sometimes he holds his body so stiffly that it seems like he could be standing. I asked DS#1 to hold him while I snapped a photo and DS#1 makes this hilarious face! What was even more hilarious is that DS#3 looks like he's saying, "Who's this cornball holding me?" Also, DS#1 made that face two more times as I snapped two more photos!

I can hardly believe I used to be able to hold my oldest child on one forearm. He's right around my height now, if he hasn't surpassed me with the last meal, that is. He did something else tonight. I was telling the kids that tomorrow, we were going to be meeting my friend Jen and her two boys, ages 2 and 5. DS#1 looks at me and asks, "Do they have any girls?" DH teased him about being more concerned if there were girls around who were his age rather than anyone else to make friends with. My baby is growing up!

Grandparent Bonding

I just wanted to share this quick page that I did yesterday. Yes, I can actually do quick pages sometimes!

I love that I have photos of each of the grandparents bonding with the new baby. I love that DH's parents have been here quite a bit this year, since they live farther away. They're trying to find a place to live a little closer to us, and DH, the kids, and I are hoping this happens sooner rather than later. The kids, especially, are very excited at the thought of both sets of grandparents living close by.

I also love the photo of my Dad with the baby in the lower left hand corner. He is watching DS sleep, which I think is so CUTE! I love you, Dad!

Teething already?

My other children were teething by three months, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that DS#3 is, too. At first we weren't sure. He started drooling a lot. He became coordinated enough to put his hand in his mouth (sometimes the whole hand). Then he seemed fussier--reminding us a lot of DS#2 except DS#2 was like that ALL the time. DS#3 also seemed to be eating more frequently but not very much each time. That includes night time, much to our chagrin. DH and I think he needs to be sleeping through the night consistently before he starts this teething thing. I guess this is one more wish that isn't coming true.

Today he started bringing his gums together while I was feeding him. I hesitate to say "bite" because that implies more speed and force. In the past, he has done this occasionally, but today it was several times in a row. Ouch! It's a good thing he's a cutie and that I enjoy nursing him, or he would be cut off! :)

Goodbyes

I'm too tired to post too much tonight, but I wanted to show off a few photos. DH took DS#2 and two friends to lunch (at Fuddrucker's) and a movie (Fantastic Four) but he forgot to take pictures! :( I was at work or I would have taken photos--ugh!
It was like pulling teeth to get DS#2 to talk about it, (of course, I happened to ask him while he was playing Gamecube) but I still think he had fun. One of the friends he went with is moving away in another week, so this was a sort of goodbye to him. Speaking of goodbyes, my parents are leaving for home tomorrow morning. DH and I always appreciate all the help they give us when they're here.

They might be back with my sister in early July. I'm crossing my fingers! We took them out to eat at Texas Land and Cattle tonight. DS#1 ate off the adult menu again. He ordered the Bacon-wrapped Filet (7 oz.). That boy is getting too expensive to take out to eat!

I took the above three photos at the restaurant. The boys posed with my Dad--great smiles! DS#3 was very interested in his right fist. He was also getting comfortable by putting his feet up on the table--wow, he's starting early! ;-) DD sat next to my Mom. Both have them had a little trouble smiling.

The last photo below, I took yesterday. I know Jen through Scrapaddict.com where we are both design team members. She and her family just moved here so we set up a time to meet--at one of the local scrapbook stores, of course. She was so easy to talk to and her boys (ages 2 1/2 and 5) were adorable. This definitely wasn't a "goodbye" but a very excited "hello"!

Happy 15th Anniversary

Today is my 15th anniversary. I worked last night so I would have today off. Luckily, I was able to get some rest last night. DH and I went to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. I had my favorite dish, which basically is a pasta dish with lightly breaded shrimp and a garlic butter sauce. DH tried something new--blackened chicken in some sort of corn sauce accompanied by sundried tomato mashed potatoes. My favorite part, as always, was dessert and this time I had the cappucino pie, a frozen dessert that had enough coffee and chocolate that it made me wonder if the caffeine in it was enough to keep my baby up later tonight.

I can't believe it's already been 15 years. Actually, we were dating for 5 1/2 years before that, so DH and I have been together for 20 years. That's a long time! I still can't believe I got him to fall for me and I can't imagine what life would have been like without him. He doesn't do everything I want, of course, but he is constantly trying to do things for me. He's been great for my ego and we make beautiful children together. He is a wonderful companion and he knows how to make me laugh. I am so thankful that we have the life that we have together.

No photos of the two of us today, though. It's been rainy, dark, and cloudy all day and I would have had to rely on one of my kids to take the photo. Maybe tomorrow... :)

Happy 8th Birthday!

Today is DS#2's 8th birthday. I went to work early, so I didn't see him until the afternoon. By then, DH had sufficiently spoiled him by taking him to Target to pick out his own gifts. When I got home, he got to open another gift from us and another gift that his godfather sent. This year is all about laser tag, super soakers, and all matter of weapons. His favorite will probably be one of the strategy games that he received, however, like the Rings game or Stratego that he has already been playing with big brother. He also got sufficient spoiling by being able to pick out what we had for supper and lots of Gamecube time.

We actually had a cake for him yesterday, since my sisters were here and wanted to see him open the gifts that they gave him. I got this great photo of him with the glowing candles.

Tomorrow, the spoiling continues somewhat when I take him for ice cream, something we didn't have time to do today.

Baptism

DS#3's baptism was today. It's been chaos here with all of our family members, but it's been so nice to see everyone. The baptism was scheduled to follow the High Mass at 11AM at our church. We had lots of parishoners come up to us and congratulate us, which was very nice. The ceremony itself was very brief, but it seemed like eternity because our dear child was fussy the whole time. He did quiet down a few times, so it wasn't constant. Unfortunately, I knew that it was time to feed him, but what could I do at that point?

Afterwards, we all met at one of our favorite restaurants. The kids sat at one table and the adults sat at another. It was much easier to carry on a conversation this way. For the first 20 minutes or so, I was wrestling with the baby in the bathroom trying to feed him. It was difficult enough to balance myself on the commode, but he was also still crying and fussing. The reason? Who knows! We remain convinced that he is also teething and usually nothing makes sense when babies are teething, in our opinion.

After lunch, my family went to our house to celebrate DS#2's birthday (which is tomorrow) quickly before they all had to go home. DH's parents took his sister to the airport. We were sad that she had to leave, but we were certainly thankful that she could join us, even if her visit was a brief one. Tonight, my nephew is staying the night with us before he and his parents leave for home in the morning. My in-laws are leaving tomorrow as well, and DH and I really hope that someday soon they'll be able to live close by, so we will be able to share many more family moments like this together.

I haven't had much time to post, but I'd like to at least post a few photos tonight. One photos is of DH and me and DS's godparents. The other is a photo of all of the other kids that attended. We all had a lot of fun!

I've been tagged!

Melynda tagged me on her blog, so here goes...

These are the rules.... each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment. So, time for my 7 random facts:

1. I love coffee ice cream, especially Haagen-Dazs.
2. I don't like to drink coffee--that is, unless it has lots of milk and sugar in it.
3. When I was a little girl, I actually thought I wanted five kids as close in age as possible. I was such a silly girl!
4. When I was in eighth grade, I won 7th place in our District Spelling Bee. I mispelled the word "martyr" because the lady who was calling out all of the spelling words had a very strong Southern accent and pronounced it like "marta"!
5. I used to win ribbons in various Math Contests in high school for "Number Sense" which is an event where you have to do math in your head. I'm lost without a calculator nowadays!
6. I love seafood and order it almost every time we go out to eat.
7. I discovered the internet (and internet shopping) shortly after the birth of my second child. I wanted something to do with my hands while I nursed him, and he loved to nurse...a lot!

All right, I'm tagging Catherine, Monica, Anita, Jen, Michele, Pam, and Lynne! If nothing else, I want them to update their blogs so I can read them! :)

Lots of visitors

Tomorrow my in-laws arrive in town. By the time, Saturday comes, we'll have thirteen family members in town (in addition to my immediate family, that is). It's kind of exciting, because these family members haven't all been together since DH and I got married. I'm sad that my niece will be with her father this weekend, and my brother-in-law couldn't make it from Alaska. They're the only ones that will be missing. It would've been nice to get a picture of everyone. In any case, DS#3's baptism on Sunday will be well attended. :)

Squish Face

Today, DS#1 was holding a sleeping DS#3 when DD came up and said that DS#1 was squishing DS#3's face against his chest. I didn't get the best photo, but you can get an idea of what she was talking about. Aren't they adorable?!! DS#1 has been SO helpful with taking care of his baby brother. They both actually seem to be enjoying each other, too.

Tonight was DS#2's end-of-baseball season party. They decided to meet at the Inflatable Wonderland here in town. The kids were already tired out from swimming at the pool this afternoon, and they played so hard tonight that we're hoping that they sleep very well tonight. DS#1 was tired enough that all he did was watch a movie on the big screen they had there.

I worked last night, so I'll be sleeping well tonight, too. It was my first night away from the baby. We both handled it okay for the most part. I guess I don't have much more to say, but I'll leave you with a photo I took this afternoon of the baby's bald spot on the back of his head. We first noticed it last week and it has grown quite a bit. His siblings are all smiling at him and trying to entertain him so he will smile back at them. :)

Last Games

Hurray, today was the last day of baseball/Tball this year for us! We had two games back-to-back starting at 9AM. Luckily, we played both on a field that is less than 10 minutes from our house. DS#2 hit a double today that I caught on video. He was very happy with that, and so were his parents. :)

DD was tired, grouchy, and hot by the time her 10AM game rolled around. I was bracing for the worst, but she seemed to snap out of it and enjoy herself in the end. Maybe the threat of not letting her swim at her end-of-season party "helped" her snap out of it...

DD's Tball coach is DS#3's future godfather. He had the end-of-season party at his house. Everyone had such a great time. DD wore her new swimsuit given to her by her godfather when he visited a couple of weeks ago. DS#1 and #2 spent almost the entire time in the pool. The week of sun at soccer camp and then today had taken their toll on DS#1. His nose and shoulders look a bit red tonight. As for DS#2, we had to basically threaten him to make him get out of the pool. He was having so much fun.

DH decided to see if the baby would like the pool a little better this time. We didn't bother putting him in his swim shirt since there was pretty good shade and we weren't going to have him outside for too long. To the left is a photo of him being comforted by DH when this very short dip in the pool proved to be as unsettling to DS#3 as it was the last time. Poor baby! To the right is a photo of DS#3 hanging out with his "future" godfather later, after we had changed him back out of the swim diaper. He was much happier after pooping, getting a diaper change, and then getting something to eat. I think he was especially happy to get out of that swim diaper! :)

First Time Braids

I've always been amazed that DH will do DD's hair. Ever since her hair was long enough to get in her face, he has put her hair up, first in pigtails, and then now in ponytails. Today, she showed me how her Papa put a braid in her hair. It was a small braid, but since this is the first time he has EVER done a braid, it was a pretty darn good braid. I didn't get a photo because I was holding DS#3 at the time and then DH gave DD a bath. I'm sure DD will sweet-talk him into doing another braid for her again anyway. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is my Dad's 76th birthday. Dad has always loved watching sports. I remember when he was re-enacting a baseball player sliding into base but stopping a little too short and then crawling quickly on the ground towards the base. He did this little re-enactment on the living room couch, and it still makes me smile to picture him doing this. My Dad has always taken such good care of my Mom and my sisters and me--in every way. I still remember when he used to pick up my laundry on Friday when I was in college and bring it back folded on Sunday. He's also always been a man of very few words. I remember when DH first met him, my Dad barely said anything to him. Of course, DH being a man of very plentiful words, was scared to death because Dad was so quiet. Of course it all worked out. :) With his actions, however, he has always shown how much he loves us all.

Over the years, the Parkinson's has taken its toll, but I still see that same Dad I've always known. I still see the Dad who taught us how to drive. We blame this for turning his hair white. ;-) I still see the Dad who, when he sees me, will smile at me and pat me on the head. I see the Dad who with my Mom drives three hours just to see me and my children, even though it tires out the both of them. I love you, Dad! Happy Birthday!!!

Soccer Camp

Today was the first day of Soccer Camp for the older boys. They had a blast, of course. This is a full-day camp (8:30A-5P). They brought their lunches/snacks, sunscreen, and swim stuff (they will be swimming daily for an afternoon break). DH really tried to remind them last night to drink plenty of water and apply sunscreen often. We've always been glad that the kids all tan so easily. We still put SPF 30 and above sunscreen on them, but it's nice to know that we have that safety net if the sunscreen wears off or doesn't get reapplied. Today was such a day. DS#1 looks very dark, but is a bit red-tinged on his face and arms. DS#2 just looks dark. The weather was sunny and in the 90s today, after all. DH (who doesn't tan so easily) again reminded them to put sunscreen on often. Hopefully, they will both remember to do so tomorrow.

DS#3, on the other hand, looks very "white" right now. I hope he has his siblings' tanning capabilities in the future. He also had a big day today, but not in a good way. Poor baby--he was so irritable after he received three shots at his well-baby checkup today. He is eight weeks today and he is 11 lbs. 4 oz. and 22 3/4 inches long. Apparently, he is at the 50th percentile for weight and length and 25th percentile for head circumference. I caught him at a good moment this evening. He has the most adorable dimples, doesn't he? :)

Bedtime Singing

When my first child was born, I always wanted to sing to him before he went to sleep. It was just one of those things I always felt like I should do as a mother. At first it seemed like he didn't care, but as he grew up, he started requesting me to sing to him. He also started requesting particular songs, which I found to be rather adorable. This made me feel so good, especially since I spent many long nights at work away from him. What makes me feel just as good now is the fact that even at almost 12 years old, he still asks me to sing to him before bed.

When DS#2 was born, I sang to him, too. I let both of them choose what song they wanted me to sing. When they started sleeping in the same room, they each picked a song and I always ended up singing one additional song to the both of them. Usually that song was Hush Little Baby, which continues to be a favorite even now. When DS#1 got his own room, I still sang three songs to each of them.

DD was different. Well, she was different in many ways, but our bedtime routine was just one more thing that was different. Many times she would say, "I don't want you to sing to me tonight." Sometimes she said this to me, sometimes to DH, and sometimes to both of us. We attributed these times to when she was more tired. At first I was crushed, but I got used to it. Recently, as she has become more affectionate in general, she always wants me to sing to her before bed, and it's always one song.

Lately, I've been thinking about how I balance my time with each of my kids. I started thinking about how I sing only one song to DD but three songs to each of the older boys. I didn't mean for this to be so uneven, but I wondered if I do it because I have less time with more kids. I just hate the thought of shorting any of them just because we chose to have more kids. I know that it could also be because DD started out not wanting me to sing to her, but either way, the Mommy Guilt is getting me once again.

Tonight I sang two songs to DD, and I'll sing that third song to her in the future if she wants me to. I also started singing to the baby occasionally to get him to sleep. I'm sure I'll see what songs he likes and how many before too long. :)

Pool Time

DH took the kids to the pool today, including DS#3, of course. It was one of those first experiences that makes me regret that I missed it because I was at work. Apparently, DS#3 did not enjoy being put in a swim diaper or a swim shirt. What he liked even less was being put into the pool itself. Of course, DH couldn't get pictures, since he was holding the little man. I suggested that he have DD take the photo, since she loves taking pictures with my digital camera. Wisely, he answered that it might not be a good idea to let DD have the camera near water. ;-) Later on, he had DS#3's feet only in the pool and he seemed to enjoy that a bit better.

I asked DH to at least get some photos of the little man dressed in his swim gear next time. :)

Regrets

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and change something? We have some wire shelving that used to be in one of our closets except that it's been just propped up on its end in our garage for months now. It's maybe around six feet long or so and it sits right next to the door that leads into the house. I've wanted to move it for a while because I'm forever bumping into it with all the stuff I'm usually carrying, but I never did move it. Tonight, DD rushed past it and knocked it down. I didn't see exactly what happened because I was carrying the baby at the time and worrying about how to get everyone out of the back seat of the van. The shelving got knocked down and DD was crying, so I knew that she had been hit somewhere. I wasn't prepared for what I saw next.

DD had about a 4-inch gash on her right calf and it was bleeding profusely. I have a hard time with bleeding soft tissue injuries on anyone, but especially on my own children and DH was not home at the time. I cleaned her up, trying not to focus on the bleeding. She was sobbing the whole time and all I wanted to do was hug her, but I wanted to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. Thankfully, it stopped bleeding while I was giving her a bath. I was applying a bandage on it just as DH got home. I felt so bad that I hadn't removed that shelving earlier! You can bet that it's been moved now. Poor DD! :-(

I really need to focus on some good memories right now. Just yesterday, I let DD have some fun with my camera. Even though there is a 2.5 inch screen on the back, DD would still close one eye and look at the screen as if looking through a tiny viewfinder. I really wished that I could have gotten a photo of HER getting a photo of me. This photo is me telling her to back up so she wouldn't cut off my head in the photo. I was also laughing so hard because of her one-eyed picture-taking technique. I have to laugh when I look at this photo now, and I really need to end with this fun memory to make myself feel better about tonight's events.

Malls Are Not Baby-Friendly

I never realized how "handicap-unfriendly" malls were until I had to go there with a stroller. The first time this happened, I was with DS#1 when he was a newborn. Today, I experienced this again with DS#3. There was an elevator in the parking garage, but there were stairs just to get INTO the mall FROM the parking garage. Once in the mall, there were ramps and elevators, but the elevator was not conveniently located. Since there were a few of us, one person carried DS#3 in his car seat, and one person folded up the stroller and we all took the escalator.

When it came time to nurse, I've had to do this mostly in bathrooms. I prefer not to nurse out in the open, mostly because my children jump around a bit when they nurse and they are messy--all not conducive to privacy. Very few bathrooms have somewhere comfortable to sit. I've had to sit on the commode before, and not only is that not comfortable, but it's dirty and so clinical, for the lack of a better term.

I was playing around with my camera this weekend, so I got this adorable photo of the little man. I think he's worth all the trouble he causes, don't you? :)