Conversing

Two recent conversations in the car with my 3 year old.

#1

L - Mom! Burgers!
M - Burgers?
L - Boogers! In my nose.
M - Ok, leave them alone until I hand you a tissue please.
L - It's ok - they are on my pants now! See?!

#2
L - Mom, what's a mfunfm?
M - A what?
L - I SAID, WHAT IS A mfunfm? (Mumbling on the end)
M - Buddy say it louder so I can hear you.
L - (Yelling) WHAT IS A mfunfm?
M - I don't know that word.
L - (sigh) Mom, I don't know WHAT I'm saying.

Kid cracks me up.

Springtime

 We had quite a bit of excitement around here this spring with our two boys.  I can say that there is never a dull moment.  We went to the Rodeo for the first time, and Lincoln enjoyed rodeo day at school.  Cotton candy and a petting zoo and roller coasters, oh my!

We stay busy with our swimming lessons, playdates, Community Group, MDO, and all the rest of normal life with little monsters. 

 We recently invested in some outside playthings for the boys.  They both LOVE being outside above all else and these toys help keep them busy and work off some energy.  Craigslist is awesome and we got the swing set and sand box for a great deal.  I didn't want to pay full price because they will probably destroy it or grow tired of it all too soon.  Isaac thinks he is a big kid.  He learned how to slid on our little slide by himself and now believes he can also tackle the 20 foot slide at the park on his own. Like his big brother he knows no fear.  sigh.

 Easter was awesome this year.  As Lincoln gets bigger, he understands more and more about God and this year he was excited about Jesus!  It was funny when at the store about a month before Easter, I asked him why we celebrated Easter?  His loud response was, "BECAUSE WE LOVE EGGS AND WE LOOOOOOVE TANDY!!!" 

After that we worked on talking more about Easter and its real meaning.  A few weeks later we were at Misti and Blakes house for Misti's birthday.  I showed Linc the cupcakes and asked him if he knew why we had cupcakes for after dinner, and he gleefully responded with "Because we love JESUS!!!"

 This was our first year for egg coloring and it was a hit!

 We also took Isaac to his first Easter egg hunt.  He really loves throwing them and laughs like a hyena when they pop open and candy goes everywhere.  Lincoln helps him out by following behind and "cleaning up" by eating the candy.

 Easter weekend we visited the BTHOOTEB gang so the boys could meet all of Lolli and Pop's dear friends.  It was great.  When we got out of the car at the ranch, I knew we had not spent enough time in the country because Lincoln's first words were, "WOOK AT ALL THESE WOCKS!!! AND WOOK AT ALL THIS DIRT!!"  Needless to say they boys and Jay and I had a blast.  Isaac followed the dogs around and Lincoln followed the big kids. 

On Easter Sunday I dressed my monkeys in bowties and suspenders and we went to church.  Jay and I were the teachers and got to teach all the preschoolers about Jesus on Sunday. Jay got to pop out of the empty tomb dressed as an angel after I shared the Gospel and only scared one class of 3 year olds.  Success!!

Christmas 2012

 

Thanks Pinterest, you did me a solid.  If it were not for you and all your good although sometimes overwhelming ideas I would not have taken pictures of my boys that were then possible to use on my Christmas card.  After pinning billions of probably useless pins on your boards, one came through.  Some of those are below...

 

 

 

 

 Catherine of Everything Design made our cards and made them way cooler than I could have, so thanks Cat.  You are a visionary!  Christmas was great. It was Isaac's first Christmas and we had fun.

 

 

 One of our biggest gifts is that Lolli, aka Mary, moved to Richmond from Georgetown.  Now we get to see her all the time and the boys love it, as you can see above.  Oh and we do too!!

 

 

Santa brought a bicycle for Lincoln and a Piano for Isaac.  He is really good at playing pian-ie but not at playing piano just yet.  I think he prefers ragtime to the classics. 

Looking back at this Christmas will always be a little hard.  It was our last one with Nani.  We had no idea that this would be her last visit to our house, just days before she went to be with the Lord. 

My Baby is One???

My baby boy is one year old.  Yes.  One YEAR OLD!!  And as of this week he is officially weaned as well.  I can't even put into words how this makes me feel.  I'm thankful for my boys.  I'm enjoying this phase, they play together, fight, wrestle, but at the same time I can not quite understand that my boys are boys, and not babies any more. 

Here are some pictures from Isaac's first birthday party.  We had a blast.  Jay smoked ribs and brisket and there were plenty of cupcakes and ice cream. 

 

My favorite part was the pictures I hung up.  I'm not sure if anyone but me noticed them, but I loved seeing my little baby grow through the year.

 

We had delish cupcakes and plenty of party hats.  But not enough noise makers because did you know that every kid needs at least 4?!?

 

I got the balloon idea from Pinterest.  Just tape them down behind the chair and Voila!  Cute backdrop for cheapo.

 

Can I just say that the pinata was a super duper idea?  Can I say that?  Because it was. Everyone loved it including the adults.  Who doesn't like hitting things, and candy.

 

Isaac felt sorta left out after Lincoln broke the pinata.  So he took a couple swings too.

 

Balloons are a huge favorite. Isaac likes to eat string.

 

While the big kids played freeze tag, Isaac was determined to get in on the action.  He chased them around giggling for hours.

 

I love this picture because "LOOK! Here I am!!! I want in the picture!!  Here is my tummy!!"  I know that's what he was thinking.

 

OOOOH CAKE!!!!

 

 

Loves his Uncle and Aunt.

 

Probably his favorite gift were the blocks Lolli got him... He played with them today too.

Isaac's birthday was celebrated with a heavy heart after losing Nani.  We knew she was not doing great but also did not expect her passing to be so soon and quick.  That being said, we are thankful for the fact that she did not linger.  She did not like pain so I am super thankful that it was quick and painless.  I am glad I was with her until the very end. 

Conversation in the Car

Sunday evening we were driving home from Lolli's house.  We had been their visiting and having dinner after the big wedding weekend.  We were singing Christmas songs in the car and this conversation just happened...

Lincoln - Where is Baby Jesus?
Me - He is in heaven.  And in our hearts.

pause

Lincoln - Mom, and he is in my wegs too? (aka legs)
Me - Well, He is always with us.  He watches over us and takes care of us.  He hears us and sees us even though sometimes its hard to see and hear Him.

pause

Lincoln - (in an exaggerated whisper) Jesus is talking to me!!!!
Me - Really!  What is he saying to you?
Lincoln - He says, "Let me out!"

hahahahhahahahahahhaha

I almost had a wreck.

Thankful Thanksgiving

We are on our way home from spending Thanksgiving with my Mom and Pop. We are tired, full, happy and thankful. We cooked, ate, watched movies, played baseball, jumped in bouncey castles, had a few temper tantrums, laughed, and even bought some new toys for Mimi and Poppas house.




Now I'm thankful for Christmas and Advent. Being reminded of what Gods people felt as they yearned for a savior then celebrating His arrival is an awesome privilege!

Now to decorate the tree!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:San Felipe,United States

Isaacs Birth Story

Its been 5 weeks since my little big boy was born and I still cant believe that he came out weighing 10 pounds and 10 ounces and was 22 inches long.  AND I HAD NO DRUGS!!! I went into it with that plan, to have no drugs, but neither I nor my midwives expected him to be nearly that big. 




Here is the story..
Isaac was born on January 26th, 2012 at 10:34pm.  It was 5 days after his due date and I was getting desparate!  I did not want to have to be induced again.  I really, really, really wanted to have the experience of going into labor on my own.  I tried everything I could think of except castor oil.  I walked, (and walked and walked), danced, ate pineapple and curry, spicy jalepenos, went up hills and stairs, danced in my living room to a salsa workout dvd, and yes, even had some marital relations.  I am pretty sure the salsa video is what worked for me because at 5am on the morning of the 26th, I woke up with a contraction, then another, then another.  On the 3rd one I started timing them.  I was so excited!!!

So Jay went to work for a couple hours, and I took Lincoln to school.  The contractions were 6 to 15 minutes apart and not too intense.  They were more like menstraul cramps.  I took a shower and fixed my hair and put makeup on, then Jay and I went to the mall to walk.  A friend in my mom's club had labor for 3 days, and I was hoping not to have that experience!  So we walked and walked and walked... at noon we ate chinese food because that sounded good.  Ashley met us in the food court after driving in from Corpus, she came to assist us, and to be in the room during the birth. We walked some more, including some stairs, then went home.  I was getting a little frustrated by this time because the contractions were still very irratic, with no noticable pattern yet.  Also, the excitement was wearing off...

Mary arrived at our house, then she and Jay picked Lincoln up from school.  While he napped I laid down for a bit... I was nervous to do that because I didnt want labor to slow down, but my contractions continued every 10 minutes during my nap.  After we got up, we decided to take a little walk down to the park.  When we got there, Ashley pointed out some steps and I jumped right on them taking 2 at a time.  On the second step I felt a gush.  My water broke! wow!! That really happens in real life, not just the movies!!!  I wanted to see if the water was clear, but there is no where you can legally pull your pants down in a childrens playground, so we decided to walk back to the house.  (Although Ashley thought I should drop my pants anyway.) Mary and Linc stayed to play and Jay, Ashley, and I hoofed it back to the house.  My contractions after my water broke were faster, 5-6 minutes apart, and more intense than before.  When we got back to the house, I called Debbie the midwife, and we agreed it was probably time to head into the hospital.  We live about 25 minutes from the medical center but left at 5 o'clock so traffic was a bit more, which definatly stressed my coach out a bit, which coincidentally made him drive more eradically which made my contractions more intense.

We arrived at 6 at the hospital and even got a room with a tub!  Woo hoo!  Sadly, I didnt get to use it.  I got in my room and the midwife, Debbie, and my nurse, Debbie, got me settled in.  Can I just say, very loudly, WOW!! This experience was so completely different from my experience in a hospital with Lincoln's birth.  I didnt have to have an IV, I could wear my own clothes, I could walk around, and eat and drink during labor.  It was AMAZING!!  Everyone should have choices during labor... and I did this time! It was wonderful!

Debbie checked me and I was only at 3 cm and -2 station. Are you kidding me!? I have been contracting for 12-13 hours and that is it!? My incredulous response didn't change the fact that it was true. Debbie my midwife wanted me to walk to get labor going but not go too far because the baby's heartbeat was a little irregular. Almost right after she checked me, the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes. They were much much more intense but I could make myself relax and breathe through them. I only sat to be monitored and preferred to labor standing most of the time. 

I sent Jay to get dinner and Ashley stayed with me, being a wonderful best friend and doula. She dutifully timed my contractions, organized my things, and fed me water and juice. When Jay came back, I wanted to lean on him during a strong contraction and just as I leaned against him he exhaled a cloud of onion breath that could kill a baby elephant into my face. As my contraction peeked, I exclaimed, "What did you eat!?!?". Poor Jay.

It went on like that for a while... Contractions, juice, onion breath. That sounds bad, but really it was so nice. I mean it was very painful, but bearable. And having my hubby, Ashley, the nurse AND the midwife there was nice.  I had support, soothing music and plenty of coaching. After another round do walking in the room, and monitoring, the baby's heart rate was decel-ing. They wanted me to lay on my side to see if that would help and put an IV in because I was a bit dehydrated. Next time I'll drink more during early labor for sure! Putting the iV in sucked. There is no other way to describe laying on your side uncomfortably while having a contraction while a lady pokes you with a needle.  I am still glad I didnt have one earlier, because they are so uncomfortable to move with, but I did need it!

Debbie decided to check me - I had been contracting every 1-3 minutes for 2 and a half hours and they were intense! I just knew I was dilated to an 8 or 9. She checked me and I was a 5. When she said that it was like someone poo-pooed on my parade. Popped my balloon. Stole my puppy. I think what I said was "You gotta be kidding me!" and Jay said he could see the fight go right out of me. I forgot about my training at that point, about the natural alignment plateau, and all I could think was that the pain was worse and I didnt think I could go much longer like this.  I was afraid I still had hours and hours of labor.

I rolled back onto my side, the baby seemed more comfortable with me in this position.  His heart was doing better that way.  Unfortunatly for me, laying down was worse than sitting or standing.  Around that time, Ashley suggested we get in the shower... which sounded good to me but because of the babys heartbeat we didnt move.  The pain got worse, and worse, and worse.  My contractions spread out a bit, but were double peaking.  I kept thinking that I was stupid for wanting no drugs... and that "they", aka the Midwife, my hubby, and Ashley, werent going to give me any either.  I was sure they hated me.  I wanted to go home.  I think I said that... "I want to go home", "I cant do this", and "auuuuggghhhhhhhhhhhhh".  I never asked for drugs they said, but I was sure thinking it.  My body was shaking and I was gripping the side rail of the bed for dear life.  After declaring again that I COULD NOT DO THIS, the midwife lovingly reassured me that I could then rubbed my leg.  My response was, "DONT TOUCH!".  Sorry Debby.  I sweated like crazy and for some reason that really surprised me.  I kept thinking, "WHY am I sweating! This is so annoying." as if sweating was the worst of my problems.

After a while, at the end of a contraction, I pushed.  It was subconsicous... I didnt realize that was what I was doing at first but it felt better to do that.  Dont get me wrong, it still hurt like hell, but somehow the pushing relieved some of the pain and pressure.  I remember hearing Ashley and the Midwife talking and thinking, "How can they just talk as if I'm not here DYING!?!"  I heard Debby tell Ashley, "See, she is pushing." but Ashley couldnt tell.  Then Debby said, "I think this baby is ready to come, lets roll over."  At that moment, I felt like she said "OK, now lets climb mount everest naked, in the middle of winter."  It seemed like it would be impossible to move, much less push a baby out at that moment.  But she rolled me over onto my back, and checked me.  I was complete... ALLELULIA!!! I sat up some and grabbed my knees and started to push.  I was dialated, but still at 0 station when I started pushing.  I pushed, grunted, howled, pushed and grunted some more.  It hurt, but not nearly as bad as those last contractions and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  (So could Isaac - HAH!)  I just wanted this to be over, and my baby to be here.  I felt the ring of fire, which feels just like it sounds, but blessedly doesnt last long at all.  I had my eyes shut when pushing and when resting... I was using all my concentration to do the work.  Jay had one leg, and Ashely the other, and the video camera.

After a few minutes of pushing, and after the ring of fire, I heard Debby ask ashley to put the camera away.  Uh oh.  I opened my eyes and Isaac's head was out.  Wow! I hadnt realized that.  But I could tell by Debby's voice something was wrong.  She looked at me and said, "I need for you to concentrate and push hard.   We need to get this baby out. Now."  It turned out that he had gotten his little shoulder stuck and wasnt coming the rest of the way out.  She had me lay flat on my back with my knees up to my ears, which apparently opens your pelvis up to allow the little guy to get out.  I was getting a little panicky and could hear the stress in their voices as they called for backup... I dont know what they said but a minute later tons of people came in.  I didnt see them, but could hear them, because my eyes were closed tight and pushing.  I opened my eyes when I felt someone pushing on my stomach.  She was rotating his shoulder and sure enough, he came out after that. 

Now here was the scary part.  He was blue and didnt cry right away.  They put him on my tummy and started rubbing him down and thank God, quickly started breathing and crying.  I was so relieved.  He was here!  And he was huge!!  I got to nurse him right away, skin to skin.  He latched beautifully and seemed hungry.  The midwife tested his reflexes and he responded well, which meant no nerve damage from getting stuck.  However, he did have a broken clavicle... which is thankfully just fine now.  I cried and cried for my little baby with the broken wing...

He is great.. now 9 months old, and almost walking.  It is wierd to think about his birth because it seems so long ago.  It was a wonderful, awesome experience that I will never forget.  My husband, midwife and best friend were a great support system and even though I announced to everyone that next time I WAS GETTING AN EPIDURAL, I think I will go natural again.  Maybe.