Ryan's 1st solids

Earlier this month, we tried giving Ryan his first solids.  Each of the other kids were started on solids around 5 months because they were needing something more in order to stay asleep at night.  Ryan, thankfully, hasn't really acted like he needed anything more and even when he did, he would just take more milk.  I couldn't complain as I am definitely not a fan of the baby food stage.  Um, actually, I HATE baby food. However, a few weeks ago, he wasn't taking as much milk as normal (which we now know is because he wasn't feeling good) and would wake up early during nap times. So, we started him on his first solid, egg yolk. All of the others were given rice cereal because I, along with the majority of the population, had been told that it was the best first food to give. And honestly, I have 3 healthy children with no allergies or food problems and are developing 100% normally so obviously, they did just fine.  However, Ryan has proven again and again that he is extra sensitive and because of that, we are relearning and doing almost everything different with him in order for him to have the best outcome. If you are curious, you can read this article to kind of see where we are basing our decision from however, as you know, you can find anything on the internet so know that we have done EXTENSIVE researching on both sides of the fence for the whole first foods thing as well as vaccines and other debatable subjects that I won't go in to here.  If there is one thing I have learned without a doubt in my parenting journey, it is that every parent is doing what is best for their child and their child only and it is not my place or theirs to judge. :)  

Anyway, Ryan's first food didn't go well...in fact, we are now back to just bottles of milk (sometimes 11 oz at a time...) I know exactly what is in his milk and so I know he is getting the nourishment he needs to grow and develop as he should. 

 If you haven't been around him in person, it may not seem like it as much, but the kid is huge.  He is at the top of the charts in height and weight and is getting stronger and stronger by the day. I have no concerns whatsoever that he isn't getting enough.

Both of those pictures were obviously taken before we started trying to give him food.  As I have done with all the others, here is a video of the process. :)

Since then, we have tried sweet potatoes and avocado and even a bit of applesauce and he refuses to eat any of it.  He won't even swallow it. He just holds it in his mouth and doesn't seem like he knows what to do with it and according to his face, he doesn't like the taste of any of it at all! So, for now, we have decided to just hold off until he is ready, or until he is consuming so much milk, we can't keep up. :P  He is up to 40oz per day now.

If there is one thing that this kid has taught me, it is to completely throw everything I already know out the window. :P I love the kid to pieces, little stress inducer that he is and all. :) We are so thankful for him and how well he is growing and are excited to see how the rest of his 1st year plays out!  Its like we are new parents again, doing it all again for the first time. :)

Embracing the good and the not so good...

Earlier this year, I posted a blog post about my one word resolution for the year, embrace. The word has come back to haunt me on several occasions because of how much it reaches into every detail of Tim and I's life here. It's amazing how many times the word pops up into my everyday life. Because of this, I have wanted to pick a new word on multiple occasions. :-) Today is another perfect example of why the word embrace is so crucial for me this year. 

Yesterday morning, I had a four hour breakfast date with one of my dear friends. It was so wonderful to be Shannon again, and our talk was so encouraging and uplifting for my soul. I got home to four children who had been cared for the entire morning by their Daddy and were sitting quietly eating their lunch. Then, I got a text from another friend saying that she wanted to bring me dinner and would be over soon. She walked in with a feast in her arms and a fresh bouquet of flowers. Uninvited and unannounced are my favorite type of guests. :-) And when you walk in with a premade dinner in your arms? That's just the icing on the cake. I felt so refreshed and renewed. Which was perfect for what I needed because later in the day, the kids were, well, themselves.

 Over the course of what felt like 10 minutes, the kids got chased by the neighbor dogs because they were in their yard, they snuck into the garage where they are not supposed to play by opening the van and pushing the garage door opener and got a bag of cheeze it's that they then took to the back of Tim's shop to eat, and then put the wrapper underneath the woodpile to hide the evidence, they played in the hose and got completely soaking wet when it was only 50° outside, they took a bag of sand that Tim was going to use for a project and cut it open and spread it all over the driveway and then took some of it and rubbed it all over the hood of the van, and when I made them come inside because of obviously not being able to trust them, they got the crayons out and colored on the carpet in the living room. During bath time, which was after they threw spaghetti all over the kitchen, they took a brand-new bottle of shampoo and dumped it out in their baths for a bubble bath. I 100% believe that it was because of my morning yesterday that I never once raised my voice. I believe I handled discipline far better than normal, and at the end of the day still was able to kiss them good night. :-)

So today, when the kids woke up earlier than normal, and we saw nasty rain outside when there were certain jobs that had to be done today, like change the brakes that weren't working well anymore on the van, it started the whole day off wrong. Today we were supposed to be leaving for a weeklong trip to sunny California to visit family that we haven't seen in a very long time. It's literally been 2 1/2 years since we have been there. It is spring break this week and Tim was supposed to have today and tomorrow off as well as all four days next week. Due to no availability on flights, sick family members, and time constraints, our trip was canceled. Tim is now working today and tomorrow and all four days next week, regardless of the fact that it is spring break and we are staying home, doing the same old thing that we do every week. It was very easy for me to be angry, short tempered, easily frustrated, and just ready to give up on life this morning. The kids were being kids and I was being selfish. The discontentment with life was so overwhelming. I am thankful for a godly husband who's gentle reminder for me to embrace life as it is instead of wishing for something different was just what I needed to hear this morning. If I can't make what we have and what we are experiencing now be good enough, I will never be able to have "perfection" no matter what is changed. The kids never once complained about the weather this morning. In fact, they had their normal excitement over snow flakes as they usually do. They were disappointed that we weren't going to California, but they just said, "okay, I can't wait until we DO go!" The kids are learning how to respond to their environment, stressful or not, by the way that I handle my environment. What a challenge it is for me to ensure that my attitude about life, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, is one that would be pleasing to the Lord! I truly felt God's presence today. I felt His loving arms around me. I felt His love, His support, His affection... I can do this. I can learn to embrace my life. God has given it to me and He knows that I am the perfect one for this job. He will give me all the strength that I need to embrace life, even with snowflakes in the spring. 

Our crazy kids

As you may have noticed, the quality have my pictures has decreased TREMENDOUSLY as I have been taking cell phone pictures, almost exclusively.  While I love the convenience of having my cell phone on me, almost all the time, which makes capturing quick, fleeting moments so much easier, I hate that I am getting horrible results.  I have read several tips on how to improve cell phone photography, but it takes lots of practice and trial and error...and some pricey apps. Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I finally dug out the big camera and was determined to just capture the kids doing what they do best, being themselves! :) Here are just a few of what I captured.  I actually love that there are toys and laundry in the background in a lot of the pictures because it adds that much more real life to the pictures. :)

 So, so beautiful, she is...

 I think she looks like the girl on the front of the Les Miserable cover in the one below.

 Can't go without a cheese face! :)

 Our sometimes moody little Morgan. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 She has amazing lashes...lucky girl!

 both of the girls are book lovers

 Goofy Ryan

 

 Sweet brother moments

 

 

 

 

 

 Tyler can't take a normal picture...I'm convinced. :)

 

 

 

 We are so blessed and love each of these children so much, even if they are goofy, stressful, disobedient at times, and at times just a plain ol' handful. :)

 

 

 

An Exciting Monday

After 7 long months, we FINALLY moved Ryan out of our room a week or so ago. Its been a difficult transition this go around.  Morgan adjusted to her toddler bed just fine as long as she was in her room by herself. Each time we tried moving her bed into Tyler and Megan's room, she would end up climbing in bed with them and either waking them up or staying up herself or both and it just wasn't working.  At the same time, Ryan was waking up multiple times in the middle of the night because he is big enough to rock his own cradle by simply trying to roll over. All that said, Tim and I were both getting sick of not getting a full nights rest, especially when we know that each of the kids are fully capable of being able to sleep through the night uninterrupted. So, last week, we tried to move Morgan's bed back into Tyler and Megan's room again and this time, she did great!  She has climbed into bed with Megan a few times but Megan doesn't mind so it works out great. Plus, its cute to see them all cozied up together. :)  Anyway, since Tyler and Megan's bunk beds have been unbunked for awhile, their room was INCREDIBLY crowded with all three beds and it was making it hard to function.  We have been trying to finish the other set of bunkbeds for months now, but we haven't had enough warm days to finish painting and so its just prolonging the agony of not having the kids where we want them even longer. So, yesterday, while the older two were at preschool, Tim and I just decided to bunk the beds back so we could have more room to live, even if its just for a short time. We finished just in time for me to leave for work. After Tim got back from getting Tyler and Megan from preschool, the kids were, of course, playing on their exciting "new" bunkbeds while Tim was making lunch.  He heard a thud and then heard Morgan crying.  He went in to check on her and the older two said she fell from the stairs that go up to the top bunk and hit her head.  After a quick, "you're okay" like we always do when the kids bump their heads, Tim went back to making lunch.  Morgan calmed down quickly and went right back to playing as if nothing had happened, just like always. While they were sitting at the table eating lunch, Tim saw Morgan's head and he thought she had strawberries smeared in her hair from breakfast.  After a little closer look, he realized that it was blood. He called me at work and said, "I need you to look at this picture of Morgan's head.  I'm not sure if it needs stitches..."

Obviously, even nonmedical people would probably agree that yes, stitches are needed.  Crazy Daddy. :) So, Morgan came to see Mommy at work for her first and hopefully last stitches.

After meeting with the child life specialist, who turned on a super cool projector with fish on the wall, had a huge bubble making tank, blew bubbles and watched movies with her, Morgan had made a new friend and never once cried or objected to anything that anyone had to say or do the entire time she was at the hospital.  Blood pressures, checking ears, eyes, mouth, etc, the numbing gel, and even the suturing process. We were so proud of her. She was able to lay completely still without needing to be swaddled or held down at all and won the "best patient of the day" award. :)  Proud parent over here! She got a slushy for being so good and even a new little "bubble guppies" bath toy that she has slept with the past two nights. :)  Such a drastic difference between our dramatic 4 year old who had his first stitches this past summer. :P

The purple band on her head is just holding the numbing cream in place. 

We aren't sure if it was just because it was nap time and she was slap happy or if she was just really enjoying 1 on 1 time with Daddy and Mommy, but she was being soooo goofy! :)

Getting stitched up.

All fixed with 7 stitches!!!  She beat her brother. :)

Sorry for all the cell phone pictures...it wasn't exactly on the priority list to have the big camera out. :)  Not to mention, I was on the clock the entire time she was there! Thankful it was Tim's day off so he could stay with her, and for great hall partners that allowed me to leave to be with her most of the time as well. I am so thankful that I knew each one of the people that laid hands on her.  It really is a blessing knowing who is caring for your child. If she had to get stitches again, I would hope for the same spot and the exact same situation all over again.  The $150 copay was BY FAR the worst part. Well, aside from the fact that Morgan was hurt of course. :P

And on a sweet note, this was taken last night, after all of this ordeal took place.  So sweet to see them snuggling!

Morgan is getting fun!!

Our little Morgan is turning in to a fun loving Toddler right before our eyes.  She is talking a ton and is so expressive.  She dances and twirls and sings constantly. She is a joy and we are so excited to enjoy her this summer!!  Here's a few videos to show a glimpse of our animated little princess. :)

She is obsessed with the movie "Frozen" and sings and dances songs from it all.the.time. It never ceases to make us smile.

For the record, these videos were taken on different days, she apparently just wears that shirt all the time. :)

Her obsession with buckling buckles.

Game night!!

The kids are just starting to get old enough to understand a few board games and we are having so much fun playing with them! A few weeks ago, we had a family game night.  With the exception of Ryan, we were all able to have a good time, even though Morgan didn't actually play. Ryan just slept the whole time. :)  Here's a pic and a few videos of our fun. :)

What Morgan did most of the time :)

We are loving this new phase of life, with "older" children to learn and have fun with. I already can't wait till our next game night!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

I've had these pictures uploaded and practically ready to go for over a week and apparently I forgot to push the publish button. :) 

A couple weeks ago, my sisters and I planned a fun day away for my Mom's 60th birthday, which was just last Friday (February 28th). Knowing that my dad had a surprise super relaxing weekend planned for her on her actual birthday weekend, we had to do it the week before and we were instructed it couldn't be a pampering day since she was going to have a lot of that on her actual birthday weekend.  So, we decided to do fun, active things.  Perfect for turning 60 right?! ;) Years ago, we had gone to a laser tag place as a family and we found out that my mom had a pretty competitive streak in her and really enjoyed that so that is one of the things we knew we were definitely going to do.

Unfortunately, when we got there, they only had room for us to play one game and we had to wait awhile before it started.  Fortunately for us, they had a room full of arcades for us to enjoy while we waited. :)

This proved to be quite hilarious and we ended up laughing harder than I bet any of us have laughed in a long time.

We earned enough tickets to buy some super cool gadgets, like these teeth. :)

Marisa even had enough to get these super cool shades

All 5 of us with Mom's weird fingers

Marisa and I were on the blue team while everyone else was on the red team.  This is before we played our game

We completely dominated the red team and Marisa and I even scored in the top 10! We had a blast!

Next, we went to this cool restaurant called Texas de Brazil where we ate a TON of food, specifically some delicious meats! They bring out HUGE chunks of meat on swords and then just slice you off a piece.
This particular chunk was lamb...no thanks!

This birthday girl!!

Next, it was to the Easton Mall area for some shopping and chocolate. :)

It was such a great day and the first time in YEARS since we have been out with just Mom, without any kids tagging along.  So glad you turned 60 so we could enjoy such a fun day, Mom!! :)  Happy Birthday!!!