1/2 day

All 3 kids are asleep. It's been a long day!

 

Last night before bed we made a cake, like we had last year, and read The Night Before Kindergarten. Last year's cake was funfetti ( my favorite) and this year we tried a Duff brand Camouflage cake. I didn't pour it into the pan well enough to be a true camo, but it worked and was fun to make.

 

 

 

Thankfully Luke was home and able to do all of this with us.

 

Landon was ready to be awake this morning at 6:00 AM! I told him Mommy wasn't getting up for 30 more minutes, but he could go watch TV =)

I haven't had a daily set schedule to set my alarm for since he was 12 weeks old. I woke up every day at 5:30 AM to pump before I went to work. After that, I've just woken up to a cry or to a face IN MY FACE every morning.

 

Luke made muffins, we got them all dressed and ready, and we headed off to Kindergarten!

I'll add a collage from last year's picture as well.
 

 

 

 

Today was just a half day for K5-2nd grade, & the rest of the week the other kids will filter in with everyone having a full day together on Friday. The 1st grade lined up in the gym & followed their teacher to the class, then the 2nd grade lined up and followed their teacher to the class, and then it was time for the Kindergarten classes!

 

Of course the Headmaster then said something about this being one the of most memorable days of your child's schooling. ALMOST HAD TEARS. But Ella started squirming and screaming and Lucy sat in my lap. They called the kids up by name to line up and walk to their classroom. Of course he is by his friend alphabetically =)

 

He had already found his backpack hook, found his seat, and was ready to go by the time I made it down the hallway.

 

 

 

 

 

A few last words, pictures, and good-byes and we were out the door!

But not without a gift from the teacher:

 

 

 

3 hours later, and it was time for pickup.

He got into the car to tell us kindergarten WAS BORING! ALL WE DID WAS SIT AT OUR DESKS!

 

 Then throughout the day, he would remember and tell me one more thing he had forgotten.

He wouldn't tell me what song they sang this morning, and then before bed he was teaching Lucy 'Tootie Ta'. I'm not sure if he didn't want to tell me about the fun things since he had told me it was boring. And everyone knows you don't sing Tootie Ta sitting at a desk. =)

 

He's excited about a full day tomorrow ( and getting to move around some).  He is NOT excited about rest time. He has informed me that he does not have to close his eyes or sleep during rest time. He only has to lay down and relax.

 

Alarms are set. Lunch is packed. Uniform is out. And we are ready to do it all again!

 

 

 

One more picture from before we left his class =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skipping months!

I just realized that I skipped posting Ella's 10 & 11 month pictures with the chalkboard! After her party, we've still been going full speed ahead. The other two are having their party tomorrow! We had family pictures taken(I'm so excited to see them!), celebrated Thanksgiving, have been buying gifts to deliver to the NICU, making birthday party invitations, we've gotten the trees up, we've gone to our 3&5 year appointments ( I have a 5 year old now!!!!), and we've been opening a new book every night as part of our Advent celebration. BUT I did take pictures of sweet Ella the last 2 months with her board!

 

 

I didn't take a one year one. We did use the chalkboard at her party & then at her 1 year pictures, just like we used it to tell everyone we were expecting at about 17 weeks.

I can't believe how small they were! And I can't believe I have a 1,2, &5 year old right now!

I've got to go work on some more cupcake mermaid tails, a real mermaid tail, and clean up the house before some more company comes in for the party!

(no parties next year!)

 

 

Bedtime

There's only 1 of me most nights at bedtime. Luke is away a minimum of 65 hours a week at work and including travel time to and from work. Especially now, with me working a few hours a week at the farm, he has to close more nights a week. I just don't have the patience or hands to have a good bed time routine with all three. Ella is still nursing right  before she heads off to bed on most days. She is very distract able. I put Lucy's pajamas on her, and put her in her bed to read. I then send Landon to get himself ready for bed, and then he usually can sit in my bed or on the couch and watch a show after he has gotten the rest of the toys put away. He loves helping put those last few toys away that Lucy missed; he  knows he is staying up later, and he thinks he is big stuff. I get Ella ready for bed, feed her, send Landon to his room, and then stick Ella in her bed to fall asleep if she hasn't already. Landon waits in his bed for me. Tonight Lucy was SCREAMING TAGGIES ARE IN THE CAR!TAGGIES ARE IN THE CAR! She had taken her tag blanket with use earlier to the post office, and was just devastated that they were still in the car. I sent Landon to tell her to be quiet two times while I was feeding Ella  ( and she was trying to drift off to sleep), but she was not having any part of me forgetting about her blanket in the car. By the time I got back to her room, turned their light off, and got Ella into her bed, I told Lucy just to lay down & I'd go get them. When I came back in, I just threw them into her bed & told her sweet dreams. I whispered into Landon's room as I passed by, and headed straight to get the clothes out of the dryer, move the wash over, and vacuum the living room. Then I turned off the vacuum and went straight back to Lucy's room. I just needed to hug her and rock her before she went to sleep. I sat down & just started to cry .FLASHBACK to New Years day--18 days old:

Oh I just see that tiny body and long head with tubes when I hold her sometimes in the rocking chair. Sometimes I'm stuck mentally in the WHAT IFs still. I just know something else is going to pop up. I just know everything really isn't fine. I just know once she starts school we will see more things showing up. The part of this that Luke doesn't understand is the part of me that was intended to hold that baby, grow that baby, provide a safe place for up to 42 weeks--that part of me failed. Whether I had any control over it or not, I will always feel like whatever comes from the 29 week birth will always come back to me. My first thoughts when visiting her for the first time ( that stick with me) were that I had no clue what would come of this. And if my poor baby had a disability, a delay, any problem, and someone were to make fun of her for it, I would just want to die. My poor baby had no choice, it was my body. She didn't deserve any pain--physical or emotional--and I hated that it wasn't her fault.

I look at her now, and I just cry thinking back. The first 2 years were HARD. But she is doing great. She is wonderful. She is smart. I tell her every day that she is not allowed to turn 3 in a few months! She is too sweet right now at 2, and I don't ever want her to grow up!

I want to be able to rock my babies EVERY night. I want to read them all books and sing to all of them and lay with them in their bed or crib. Some nights I just don't.

Tonight I am glad I did. And tonight I am so thankful that I don't have to wait on someone to get my baby out of her bed. I'm so thankful that I can hold her whenever I want and for however long I want. I'm so thankful that I'm not worrying about oxygen tubes being kinked. I am so thankful for my Lucy!

Are you serious?

Ella Ruth.

Seriously is the most awesome baby. Even though she has had a rough past few weeks, and forgotten quite a few times how to sleep from bedtime until 7AM, she is A DOR A BLE! I've been keeping up with my monthly photos of her , since I did the weekly photos during the pregnancy:

I've told most people, but the weekly photo thing was to REMIND myself that I indeed was carrying a child. I stayed in denial right up until I was waiting with Luke being prepped for surgery. I would look at the picture each week and say to Luke, " I don't REALLY look like this do I?"

Now, I'm taking monthly pictures of Ella to capture and remind me how much she is growing and changing this first year.

SHE IS NINE MONTHS OLD NOW( as of August 25)!She has learned to do SO much in like a week span. She was just a little bit late on the sitting up thing--her head is quite larger than the rest of her body. But now that she is 9 months and sitting, she immediately went to scooting, crawling backwards, propping up on 1 leg, shimmying the blanket under her to try to crawl forward, and she LOVES every second of it. She, just today, decided to pull up onto her knees. She thinks it is HILARIOUS! She is so amazed and amused by all these new things that she is capable of doing. I love to hear her laugh!

I'm sitting!

And I can fall forward on all fours.

Then I can lunge forward and face plant too!

Watch me back it up.

It's SO FUN to be up on my knees!

Peek-a-boo! I have to stick my tongue out to do almost everything ;)

Luce and Landon , look at mommy so I can snap it when Ella looks.....

Luce, Look at mommy!

Ok Lucy, let's sit up so you don't kick her head.

Keep looking at me....

YAY! All 3 looking!

I think I'll just lounge in my bed and kick my feet up.

Yep, still spitting up.  Change my sheets, mommy.

 The kids had a blast taking pictures of her--especially because they think it is so awesome to get into Ella's bed or have Ella in their bed. I love love love watching them love her.
Real 9 month photographs coming soon! I can't wait!
Someone remind me tomorrow that we NEED to lower her bed!

She is seriously getting too big.
Too fast.
For serious!

Lucy Loo you are TOO BIG!

For a sweet little girl who was so behind in speech, it is amazing the things she says these days. And the things she does:

 

 

And we can't forget this SWEET little girlie.

 

And a few little peeks of the room:

 

 

There a few more things to be done, and it will be complete! One of them involves sewing, and I can't find the fabric I bought last week. I'm not buying it again until I search every possible spot in this house...one more time.

 

 

 

What's going on?

A lot! That is what is going on around here. Luke has a very very busy schedule this week and next. He has been working his regular hours ( which have consisted of at least 15 hours days, because his new store is not up to par), and also some overnights along with his regular hours. He worked an overnight once when we were in Orlando without him, one last week, and then he went back in Saturday night after coming home for a few hours. They have inventory this week. That is usually a long process leading up to the one day, but it is apparently overwhelming because his store has not been taken care of at all. He told us he would be working a lot this week, &  I told him I thought 15 hours was already a lot :/ So he won't be around much this week. Then the Southern Division President comes back next week. She was here a few weeks ago on a surprise visit, and it was NOT good. We were unsure about Luke still having a job once she left. After all this is done, he will have a week of vacation. We also have our 20 week appointment and ultrasound this week. Here is a 19 week picture:

Lucy hopped in too! We were heading out to eat dinner with Luke before he went back to work. Landon was at the farm with his Nana and Poppy. Unfortunately, she whined the whole time and was up all night with a fever. She's has been napping for about 3 hours now today, and is stll fighting it off. I have finally felt some little kicks.And all of a sudden this week, I'm HUNGRY! I can't eat much without feeling full up to this point, but I bought some tutrle cookies to make after we had pizza Sunday night, and ate 3 =(  I'm HUNGRY like all of a sudden all the time! I had gained 4 pounds at my 16 week appointment, but I have a feeling I'll tip the scales at my 20 week!

Our lease also runs up in September, so we will be starting to pack everything up very shortly. We don't have a house to move into yet. We've looked all over different parts of Louisville--houses, apartments, town homes, rental or for sale. Hopefully we will figure it out soon. This house is just too big, and costs too much for us right now. Our renter did say she wanted to stay in our LaVergne house, so we don't have to worry about finding another tenant for that! Before we move, I will have gone back for my 24 week appointment. AND I think our lease runs up RIGHT as I will hit 28 weeks. So, hhmmm  I wonder if I will have to do all the unpacking or get out of it if my BP has stared to rise? This will be different! We will also have to get a different car once baby comes. We love the nitro, but it is too narrow in the back for 3 car seats. We were about to purchase one in June, but we decided to wait until September, once we get some more milestones under us.

I'm not sure what my Dr. visit schedule will look like from here on out. We have a few questions to ask this week when we go. Still no definite names for baby either. Lucy also had her 18 month well visit--a little late, closer to 19 months. I saved a chart on the computer, and tried to plot her growth. I didn't do the best job with the plots, but you can still see.

The top chart is her head circumference, and the top of the second is height, followed by weight. We are on the charts in ALL THREE! Height was on the chart at 15 months, and head hit the charts right around 6 months. Her head was right around 50% about 10 months, and has quickly gone almost off the charts. Her Dr. did say if it continued to grow as quickly by the next visit, then we would need to look into it. Her head is larger than Landon's at this point, she is about 10 pounds lighter, and 9 inches shorter. There are some large heads on Luke's family side, so it could just be that, and it just grew very quickly all of a sudden I swithched her to a different doctor in the practice, so we went over everything from birth until now. He just kept saying over and over how amazed he was with her progress, and he'd never know she was a 29 weeker. That also led into the discussion of me being 16 weeks along. We talked about the doctor I am seeing and everything we'd found out since her birth about my health. He also made sure to ask me if I was doing OK emotionally, getting breaks from the kids ( Landon was off the wall during the appointment), and making sure I am doing what I need for help along with taking care of Lucy's development and Landon being 3.He told me several times he'd keep us in his prayers, and let him know of anything at all that we needed. I miss our pediatrician in Nashville A LOT! But he made me feel much more comfortable going into another pregnancy. He sat and talked and showed concern and care and love towards my children and me. He wasn't just in and out, and then charge me a *sick entity* while discussing my child's progress. That's another story--and why I switched her to see another doctor.
We will be busy for the next couple of months, and then HOPEFULLY it will slow down in fall before the baby comes! I might post again when we find out the gender this week!

Lucy & life & losing our lunch

15 months old!

Yes, sweet Lucy is 15 months old today, March 13th. She goes for her well visit tomorrow. We still miss our Dr. in Nashville A LOT! It's hard to replace someone who has been there with you from day 1 of your first child,through the scary ( he came in right after my seizure & checked on us both daily) through surgery(Landon's tumor), and through the joyous times of both kids. He knew us, and he seemed to truly care about us and our family.But we are making do ;) Everything seems to be moving along with Lucy. We will be asking about some tremors she still has, and seeing if she recommends a neurologist. We discussed it one time when she was also staring off, and the thought was that if it was seizures that she'd outgrow them. The OT suggessted we just ask again.   Even though she is 15 months old, she will be 13 months ( adjusted) on the 22nd. We will keep up the adjusted/corrected age thing until she hits all of her milestones or until she turns 2.Those first 10 1/2 weeks that she was out of my belly don't count ( I have to remind myself of this all the time). That was time for her to continue to develop and grow and get fat. We were just blessed to be able to experience it first hand ;) Have YOU ever seen a baby with 1 nipple, and see it develop outside of a womb? ;) 

I think she actually REALIZED that she was waving today, and why she was doing it. She waved at 2 ladies as we were leaving the Y tonight, and just kept waving, and kept staring at her hand. She was in awe of herself. Hopefully soon we will have more of these moments! We also need to her to be able to express ANYTHING to us. There still isn't any pointing to her cup or paci or toy when she wants it. We have more jibber jabber, but it's just jibber jabber.We KNOW when she wants to eat, but I'm not sure anyone else would know that eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and throwing a fit means she wants food NOW. And this is just about 24/7. MISS PIGGY. We sometimes have a mama, and have dada A LOT, but they are still not to call one of us or even to point towards us as a recognition. She is mimicking some sounds, and there are some sounds we have never heard from her. She clicks her tongue all day if you do, but if I look at her for hours and say MAMA, she just moves her lips open and closed :/ She doesn't kiss, or even lick when you ask for a kiss. If you ask her to give you her baby or ball or paci, she doesn't understand. She most definitely doesn't understand 'No'--which is really frustrating =) Landon fully understood that by crawling age, I believe. I think she recognizes the voice change when we use a stern voice, and she smiles and continues =) I'm also not sure she even knows her name is Lucy at this point.

But she is AMAZING. And she looks like a hillbilly with her crazy croocked teeth up top! She has 4 up top, wth massive gaps and facing crazy ways. And she has the two center bottom teeth, and a molar that popped through this week. I need to start her braces fund now!

Elyssa & Landon did pass the stomach bug onto me. Thankfully I got my 8 miles run on Saturday ( so proud of doing it all by myself and finishing after dark!), then I showered and spend the next 36 hours in bed. I didn't get to go help Sunday night like I had planned, nor did we get everything done that we had planned. I've eaten about 2 real meals since then, and I still feel pretty gross. Landon still doesn't seem all the way back either. I just still feel like I need to lay still. Unfortunaltey, I got to bed after 2 am this morning, and had to get up around 6 to take Luke to the aiport. Then I had to go get my review at work, and attempted to work out since the kids were already in Y world. I was NOT able to run at all ( after taking yesterday off too), but got about 35 minutes of good cardio and some weights in. We came home & ate a little bit . FINALLY I was able to lay down for about an hour before one of the kids was up, and it was time to head back up to the Y for me to teach for 2 hours. Now I feel gross again from eating, but am so glad Tuesday is over! I'm hoping this sickness won't get me too far off track from my training for the half marathon. I've got 6.5 weeks left!

2 more full days, and then I am off to join Luke in Vegas! I am so ready to lay out Friday! It seems it will be hotter here Satuday & Sunday though. We're praying Lucy doesn't catch this bug, and neither does my sister. She watched Landon the 1st time we left him, and she caught it while we were gone. We had all just had it. I'm hoping Luke doesn't get it on his trip either! And I'm really hoping I don't get it again.......because Landon got sick again over the weekend with me! I've been up far too long, and have a little boy laying next to me who cried and cried and cried at bed time. hysterically. I finally gave in when he came in our room to use the bathroom. He is finally asleep and is about to be transferred to his bed so I can get some sleep. Good night!

My baby is growing up

Even though it has been a L O N G process, Lucy is making some progress! I fully believe that God knew exactly what he was doing when he decided that babies would develop and change so much in the first year and even first few months. The cuddly, snugly part of babyhood is great. Having a newborn isn't that bad of a gig. All they do is sleep and eat. Well, as long as you have one that sleeps good, and both of mine did. We had to wait for the go-ahead from doctors with both of mine before we quit waking them to feed them. Yes, I grow small babies. (They both left the hospital close to 5 pounds.) BUT  6+ months of caring for a child that still acts like a newborn is DRAINING! She found her feet at about 6 months, at least she then had something to play with ;)Finally after 10 1/2  months, Lucy started to sit up. As soon as she started to sit up, she began using her hands. Then she began crawling and keeps on progressing with her gross motor skills. So now ,at almost 13 months ( 10 1/2 months corrected), she is beginning to scoot around the couch holding on & letting go when she is standing up. 

The last month has been the most draining month in a while. We just need to get this little girl to eat some more real food. We're trying more table food each week with her, and having less gagging. Her OT and ST are going to watch her eat snacks on Tuesday. Her ST is going to look under her tongue because it looks weird to me, actually it looks cute. Everything about her mouth is cute and so girly.   =) She thinks she might have a tight frenulum. She is also thinking about getting her set up with an ENT to check out her allergies.

She DID decide she finally likes a sippy cup. She likes the straw the best. We have a lil' gripper from Playtex. It's a level 1, and she doesn't have to squeeze it at all with her mouth, just suck VERY lightly. She is more into water than juice. And after me being so drained, and her being 1 year old, she is now back to bottles. Yes, back to bottles. We aren't doing whole milk yet--most likely next month-- and she wasn't drinking a sippy yet. I NEVER NEVER wanted to pump at all with my 2nd baby. But it was my only choice, and I just wanted to get to only nursing. I wanted ONE thing to be normal about this birth. She just does a bottle in the morning and one in the afternoon, and hopefully we will be all sippy cup in a month!

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Week one of getting ready for the half marathon is over! I ran outside today from the park down Southern Parkway & back and was FREEEEEZZIINNNGGG! I think 49 degrees is my limit for outside =)

Yes, that IS a clapping baby! Yes, i know it is upside down.This little sweet thing has grow up SO much in the past two weeks. She is doing a real, straight arms, belly off the ground, on her knees crawl. She is clapping. SHE IS PULLING UP TO STAND.She is trying to wave--especially to herself in the mirror!She has started to babble again, and she likes to mainly say ''DaDa''. Since she is almost a year old, and hasn't been making too many sounds in the past 2 months, she has decided to be AS LOUD as she possibly can be--especially in public! She has always had good lungs ( down to 2 pounds 3 ounces & never on a ventilator!), but they are GOOD AND STRONG NOW! She likes to scream. And I don't mind it at all.

All of these things are reminding me how big she is getting! I almost have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I cried every day for about 2 weeks, and am now doing better. I am not good with change. As if a move was not enough, Lucy decided to grow up all at once on me! Now I have less than 2 weeks to get everything ready for the birthday party. Their party is together on the 10th. Then I need to finish the last few hats I am making to take up to the babies and finish some gifts for the staff in the NICU.And we are also trying to get some pictures squeezed in of the kiddos. And we, like everyone else , are trying to get all of the Christmas decorations up. And I have started working at the Y 2 nights a week, just for 2 hours. But that still takes away from family time.

We went to Light Up Louisville Friday night, and  had a great time. We drove around for a long time finding somewhere to park. After walking around & around to only find qdoba open, we enjoyed the heat and the food, of course. We came out and ended up right on Santa Clause Lane just a few minutes before Santa made his grand entrance, on what Landon keeps calling Santa's bed, and got to countdown to all the lights.
We don't really play Santa up around here. I have never understood the 'lying to your kids' thing, and thought maybe when I had some, I'd get it. But I still don't. We even bought an Elf on the Shelf , and tried to figure out how we could still make it a game. But we don't want to emphasize being good just to get presents. I absolutely HATE the phrase 'SANTA IS WATCHING YOU'. Like, really, just be good because you are supposed to kid, not because you want presents. Although, since the students I taught were already hearing this at home, I did bust it out at school. I even told them the motion sensor on the wall was the Santa Cam, & I told them I had Santa's phone number to call him on. I couldn't belive 3rd graders bought that stuff, I had no idea they thought he was real! Well, the Elf is back at the store. Landon thinks Santa is just a character on TV, just like Uniqua or Mickey or Caillou.
I've gotten back into this bad habbit of staying up until 2 am. It's 1:11, & I should head that way now. 7 AM comes early!