Sunday, July 16, 2006
The Dairy
The other night I was nursing Charlotte and Holly Grace wanted to hold her. She said to me, "Can I hold baby Charlotte after she's done milking?" Moo.
Hospital pics
Charlotte and Mitchell. He calls her "My Baby" - never "Charlotte".
Holly Grace kissing Charlotte's tiny fingers
Jack and baby sister
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
First Doctor Visit
Charlotte was down to 5 pounds, 10 ounces when we left the hospital. Today she is up to 6 pounds even, just three days later! Hooray for our good little eater.
Monday, July 10, 2006
All the Gory Details
And I mean all the details. If you are "faint of heart" you should just skip this post and know that everything turned out beautifully.
So, my last post before she was born just said that we were on our way to the hostpital. We got to the hospital about 6:30 p.m. I was having contractions all the way there about 4 minutes apart, but they really weren't painful. My cervix hadn't changed any since my appointment that morning, so the doctor gave instructions for me to walk around the hospital for two hours, returning to my room to be monitored every half hour. John and I did three half-hour walking tours of the third floor (my feet were killing me) and returned to be monitored for about ten minutes each time. The baby was doing great, but after the third round, there was a dip in her heartrate after one of the contractions. Normally, I don't think this would have been a big deal, but it happened with Mitchell and he ended up having a knot in his cord. So, John and I kind of got uptight.
The nurse checked me again, and I still hadn't made any progress. She put a call in to the doctor, who decided to go ahead and keep me there (they had been planning on sending me home if I didn't make any progress) because of the dip in the heartrate. We definitely felt like it was a two-edged sword. On one hand, we didn't want to see that dip because of what it could mean. On the other hand, we were glad to be going ahead with labor and delivery.
Meanwhile, the kids were with friends and my parents had flown in to town and picked them up. They took them home and put them to bed and we promised to keep them updated through the night.
They finally started the pitocin (to get the contractions going stronger and more regular) about 11:00 p.m. We started the epidural process about midnight, and by 1:30 I was feeling no pain at all. John got comfortable on the couch and promptly went to sleep. I slept a little on and off, but I was being checked pretty frequently.
At 2:00 a.m. I was at 4 cm.
At 3:00 a.m. I was at 5-6 cm.
At 4:15 a.m. I was 7 cm. and my water broke as the nurse was checking me.
At 5:00 a.m. I was complete and the nurse had me do a practice push. I didn't really put alot into it because I didn't want to deliver without my doctor there. So, the nurse counted to 10, then told me to take a deep breath and start pushing again. So this time, I "wrapped up around the baby" and put some effort into it. She said "One ... two ... okay you can stop pushing and I'll go call the doctor. You really moved the baby down with that."
The doctor arrived about 5:10 a.m and started "gowning up." They removed the bottom of the bed and put my calves in the supports. The doctor got into position and then started talking to John about our recent vacation. Then she looked at me and said, "Okay, well, here's the head if you want to give a little push."
So I started to push and she immediately said, "Okay, stop pushing." John looked down and said, "Wow, lots of hair, and she's face down!" (Babies are supposed to be born looking at the floor, but our last two have been born looking at the ceiling. I would have put money on this one being "sunny side up" as well.)
So then, she just slid out and there she was, all covered in vernix (since she was only 37 weeks) and pink and beautiful. She did have lots of dark hair and she was so tiny!!! John cut the cord right away.
They put her on my tummy and dried her off, then took her to the warmer to do the assessments and clean her up. Her 1-minute APGAR was 7, the 5-minute was 8. Meanwhile, the doctor was marvelling at the cord. Apparently, it was "hyper-coiled" meaning it was coiled more tightly than most cords. This can result in smaller babies as it inhibits their growth. The doctor commented about the large amount of blood in the amniotic fluid and, once the placenta was delivered, found a small tear on it. She called this a "possible partial abruption", which is pretty scary, since an abrupted placenta can be serious for both mom and baby.
At that point, my doctor said, "Let's just say I'm glad we went ahead and delivered this baby." Yikes!
John held her for a bit, then I held her for a few minutes, but she was working really hard to breathe, so we kissed her and sent her off to the nursery for a little assistance. She did great and we had her back in our room within four hours.
Charlotte is nursing great and we go to the pediatrician tomorrow to see how she's doing. She lost weight down to 5 pounds, 10 oz. by the time we were discharged, so hopefully she's gaining it back now. Tomorrow I'll try to post pictures of her with the siblings, who are completely enamored with her.
So, my last post before she was born just said that we were on our way to the hostpital. We got to the hospital about 6:30 p.m. I was having contractions all the way there about 4 minutes apart, but they really weren't painful. My cervix hadn't changed any since my appointment that morning, so the doctor gave instructions for me to walk around the hospital for two hours, returning to my room to be monitored every half hour. John and I did three half-hour walking tours of the third floor (my feet were killing me) and returned to be monitored for about ten minutes each time. The baby was doing great, but after the third round, there was a dip in her heartrate after one of the contractions. Normally, I don't think this would have been a big deal, but it happened with Mitchell and he ended up having a knot in his cord. So, John and I kind of got uptight.
The nurse checked me again, and I still hadn't made any progress. She put a call in to the doctor, who decided to go ahead and keep me there (they had been planning on sending me home if I didn't make any progress) because of the dip in the heartrate. We definitely felt like it was a two-edged sword. On one hand, we didn't want to see that dip because of what it could mean. On the other hand, we were glad to be going ahead with labor and delivery.
Meanwhile, the kids were with friends and my parents had flown in to town and picked them up. They took them home and put them to bed and we promised to keep them updated through the night.
They finally started the pitocin (to get the contractions going stronger and more regular) about 11:00 p.m. We started the epidural process about midnight, and by 1:30 I was feeling no pain at all. John got comfortable on the couch and promptly went to sleep. I slept a little on and off, but I was being checked pretty frequently.
At 2:00 a.m. I was at 4 cm.
At 3:00 a.m. I was at 5-6 cm.
At 4:15 a.m. I was 7 cm. and my water broke as the nurse was checking me.
At 5:00 a.m. I was complete and the nurse had me do a practice push. I didn't really put alot into it because I didn't want to deliver without my doctor there. So, the nurse counted to 10, then told me to take a deep breath and start pushing again. So this time, I "wrapped up around the baby" and put some effort into it. She said "One ... two ... okay you can stop pushing and I'll go call the doctor. You really moved the baby down with that."
The doctor arrived about 5:10 a.m and started "gowning up." They removed the bottom of the bed and put my calves in the supports. The doctor got into position and then started talking to John about our recent vacation. Then she looked at me and said, "Okay, well, here's the head if you want to give a little push."
So I started to push and she immediately said, "Okay, stop pushing." John looked down and said, "Wow, lots of hair, and she's face down!" (Babies are supposed to be born looking at the floor, but our last two have been born looking at the ceiling. I would have put money on this one being "sunny side up" as well.)
So then, she just slid out and there she was, all covered in vernix (since she was only 37 weeks) and pink and beautiful. She did have lots of dark hair and she was so tiny!!! John cut the cord right away.
They put her on my tummy and dried her off, then took her to the warmer to do the assessments and clean her up. Her 1-minute APGAR was 7, the 5-minute was 8. Meanwhile, the doctor was marvelling at the cord. Apparently, it was "hyper-coiled" meaning it was coiled more tightly than most cords. This can result in smaller babies as it inhibits their growth. The doctor commented about the large amount of blood in the amniotic fluid and, once the placenta was delivered, found a small tear on it. She called this a "possible partial abruption", which is pretty scary, since an abrupted placenta can be serious for both mom and baby.
At that point, my doctor said, "Let's just say I'm glad we went ahead and delivered this baby." Yikes!
John held her for a bit, then I held her for a few minutes, but she was working really hard to breathe, so we kissed her and sent her off to the nursery for a little assistance. She did great and we had her back in our room within four hours.
Charlotte is nursing great and we go to the pediatrician tomorrow to see how she's doing. She lost weight down to 5 pounds, 10 oz. by the time we were discharged, so hopefully she's gaining it back now. Tomorrow I'll try to post pictures of her with the siblings, who are completely enamored with her.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Newborn
Well, here she is! Charlotte Ivey made her grand entrance at 5:19 a.m. on Thursday, July 6, 2006. She weighed 6 pounds, 1 oz and was 18.5 inches long. The labor and delivery were easy (no pushing required!). I'll update with more details later. She's nursing well and has already found her fingers and thumbs.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
"Contraptions"
We're leaving for the hospital ... contractions are about 5 minutes apart but not terribly painful. The doctor wants us to go on in.
Jack asked me today if I was having any "contraptions." If only I were having contraptions instead of contractions!
Jack asked me today if I was having any "contraptions." If only I were having contraptions instead of contractions!
Delivery is Imminent
Well, of course it is! I can't be pregnant forever!
I went to the doctor today and I'm 3 cm. and 80% effaced. Since she can't deliver this baby this weekend and I'm (as she said it) a "ticking time bomb," we decided that she would strip my membranes. If the baby is ready, this can jump-start labor. If you want to know what "stripping of membranes" is, click here. It's a pretty painful procedure, but it seems to have worked. I'm having contractions every 8 minutes or so. Mom and Dad are on their way into town, and we think we'll probably be headed to the hospital sometime this evening. We'll try to labor at home as long as possible.
The next update may be after the birth!
I went to the doctor today and I'm 3 cm. and 80% effaced. Since she can't deliver this baby this weekend and I'm (as she said it) a "ticking time bomb," we decided that she would strip my membranes. If the baby is ready, this can jump-start labor. If you want to know what "stripping of membranes" is, click here. It's a pretty painful procedure, but it seems to have worked. I'm having contractions every 8 minutes or so. Mom and Dad are on their way into town, and we think we'll probably be headed to the hospital sometime this evening. We'll try to labor at home as long as possible.
The next update may be after the birth!
Singin' In the Rain
It's been so long since we had rain, when it rained yesterday, the kids just sat at the window watching it. They reminded me of the kids in The Cat in the Hat. Of course, they remembered the time last winter when they wanted to play in the rain, but it was too cold and I said they could do it in the summer when it was warmer.
So, they put on old clothes and their raincoats and rainboots and headed out. I wish I'd thought to take a picture as they were headed back in, covered in mud from head to toe.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Tall Tales
This is Jack, "Captain Gil" (the fishing guide) and Jack's northern pike that he caught fishing on Lake Champlain in Vermont. It was one big fish!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Sewer lines?
Jack attends a University Model Classical Christian School, which means he goes to school three days a week and we homeschool the other two days. We absolutely love it. Over the summer, we are trying to keep up with the "school routine" by doing a little bit of work during Mitchell's naptime most weekdays. We're reviewing math facts and other math concepts with Jack and, since Holly Grace wanted to "do schoolwork" too, we're working on number recognition and writing numbers with her. As a side note, Wal-Mart has some really great little "workbooks" by SchoolZone that the kids really enjoy.
So to make things a bit more fun, I picked up a "Travel the 50 States" workbook and some maps with stickers for the kids. We read about and study a state each day and geography is their favorite "subject". For each state, there's a map with major cities and landforms and we talk about them each day. We started with Alabama and are working our way through the states alphabetically.
Today we were on Connecticut, and we were looking at the map. We were talking about the symbols on the map (as we do every day) for highways, rivers, lakes, cities, etc. Jack turned to me and said, "When are we going to have another sewer line?"
"Excuse me?" I say, thinking something has gone horribly wrong with the installation of the backyard sprinkler system that is John's current project.
"When are we going to have another sewer line?" he repeats.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Here, I'll show you," he says patiently, and flips through our book till he gets to the Alaska page. "See, like this one," he says and points to a red line cutting a swath from North to South in Alaska.
"Ah, yes," I say, suppressing my laughter, "You mean pipeline. That's the Alaska pipeline." Whew.
By the way, I think that Alaska is the only state with a pipeline on its map. I'll let you know when we've finished all 50 states.
So to make things a bit more fun, I picked up a "Travel the 50 States" workbook and some maps with stickers for the kids. We read about and study a state each day and geography is their favorite "subject". For each state, there's a map with major cities and landforms and we talk about them each day. We started with Alabama and are working our way through the states alphabetically.
Today we were on Connecticut, and we were looking at the map. We were talking about the symbols on the map (as we do every day) for highways, rivers, lakes, cities, etc. Jack turned to me and said, "When are we going to have another sewer line?"
"Excuse me?" I say, thinking something has gone horribly wrong with the installation of the backyard sprinkler system that is John's current project.
"When are we going to have another sewer line?" he repeats.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Here, I'll show you," he says patiently, and flips through our book till he gets to the Alaska page. "See, like this one," he says and points to a red line cutting a swath from North to South in Alaska.
"Ah, yes," I say, suppressing my laughter, "You mean pipeline. That's the Alaska pipeline." Whew.
By the way, I think that Alaska is the only state with a pipeline on its map. I'll let you know when we've finished all 50 states.
Where have my ankles gone?!?
This is what my ankles and feet feel like. Ugh. Okay, they don't really look that bad, but to put it in perspective, I couldn't find any flip flops at Target today that I could squish them into; they're just too thick! Woe is me. I can't wear my lime green flip flops for the next two weeks!
Eclair cake
Or, as Jack would say, "Declare Cake." This is so very, very easy to make, but make sure you start it a day in advance. And, if you let your kids help mix up the pudding, make sure you use a DEEP bowl because vanilla pudding flying all over the kitchen, while fun in theory, is a mess in reality.
2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding
12 oz. container whipped topping, thawed
1 box chocolate graham crackers
3 c. milk (I used whole to make it extra rich and fattening!)
1 container dark chocolate frosting
powdered sugar (optional)
In a large bowl, combine pudding mixes, whipped topping, and milk. Mix 2 minutes at high speed, or until thick.
Layer a 9x13x2 inch pan in the following way:
-graham crackers
-pudding mixture
-graham crackers
-pudding mixture
-graham crackers.
Refrigerate 2 hours. Use the whole container of frosting, and spread over the entire surface. Refrigerate 24 hours, to allow time for the graham crackers to soften. Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding
12 oz. container whipped topping, thawed
1 box chocolate graham crackers
3 c. milk (I used whole to make it extra rich and fattening!)
1 container dark chocolate frosting
powdered sugar (optional)
In a large bowl, combine pudding mixes, whipped topping, and milk. Mix 2 minutes at high speed, or until thick.
Layer a 9x13x2 inch pan in the following way:
-graham crackers
-pudding mixture
-graham crackers
-pudding mixture
-graham crackers.
Refrigerate 2 hours. Use the whole container of frosting, and spread over the entire surface. Refrigerate 24 hours, to allow time for the graham crackers to soften. Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Appointment update
I saw my OB today and I'm now 2 cm. dilated and 30% effaced. So, slow and steady wins the race. She is going to call the hospital tomorrow and make an appointment for me to be induced on the 13th of July (just two weeks!). So we will have a baby by mid-July one way or the other!
I got my double stroller today. Boy, did I labor over that decision. I've had a tandem before and it was a monster to push, so I opted for a side-by-side this time. I found a great deal online at Kids Palace and I'm really pleased so far. It's a Combi Twin Savvy EX and holds an infant carrier on one side (for those of you who care or might be in the market yourselves).
I got my double stroller today. Boy, did I labor over that decision. I've had a tandem before and it was a monster to push, so I opted for a side-by-side this time. I found a great deal online at Kids Palace and I'm really pleased so far. It's a Combi Twin Savvy EX and holds an infant carrier on one side (for those of you who care or might be in the market yourselves).
Dried Cherry & Pecan Oatmeal
3 C Water
3 C Fat Free Milk
2 C Whole Oats
½ C Dried Cherries, chopped
5 T Brown Sugar
1 T Butter
¼ t Cinnamon
¼ t Vanilla
2 T Toasted Pecans
Bring water, milk, oats, cherries & 1 T brown sugar to boil; reduce heat & simmer, stirring occasionally 20 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in 4 T brown sugar & next 3 ingredients.
Spoon 1 C oatmeal into 6 bowls. Sprinkle with toasted pecans & additional brown sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.
This yummy recipe is from my mom. You should double it if you're feeding a crowd or really hungry kids, or if you want to have leftovers. If you have some real maple syrup just sitting around from recent trip to Vermont, you can add a dash of it to your bowl. There's nothing like it!
3 C Fat Free Milk
2 C Whole Oats
½ C Dried Cherries, chopped
5 T Brown Sugar
1 T Butter
¼ t Cinnamon
¼ t Vanilla
2 T Toasted Pecans
Bring water, milk, oats, cherries & 1 T brown sugar to boil; reduce heat & simmer, stirring occasionally 20 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in 4 T brown sugar & next 3 ingredients.
Spoon 1 C oatmeal into 6 bowls. Sprinkle with toasted pecans & additional brown sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.
This yummy recipe is from my mom. You should double it if you're feeding a crowd or really hungry kids, or if you want to have leftovers. If you have some real maple syrup just sitting around from recent trip to Vermont, you can add a dash of it to your bowl. There's nothing like it!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Cars
Jack, Holly Grace and I went to see Cars today. What a fun movie. For an animated film, the scenery is spectacular! Be forewarned, though ... it's a long movie - 116 minutes! Very enjoyable - we highly recommend.
4 weeks and counting
Okay, so it's been about 28 weeks since I posted. I guess you could say I've been rather busy, with growing a baby and three other kids!
I've decided to "go public" here so that everyone can keep up with the pregnancy progress. It's been quite a ride! We're having a girl, due date July 25. Her name will be Charlotte Ivey and we are all terribly excited. Well, except for Mitchell, who has NO IDEA what's headed his way. He's not quite 21 months old and, while he loves babies, he still likes to be rocked and snuggled himself.
I had a test done early in the pregnancy (about 15 weeks) that showed that the baby had an increased risk of having Down's Syndrome, so I went to a perinatologist who did an extensive sonogram. She looked good ... well-developed nasal bone (lots of Down's babies don't have a nasal bone at all) and some other indicators that were good. We went back four weeks later to have a look at a more developed heart and everything looks good for now. Unfortunately, without having an amnio, we can't know for sure that everything is okay until she is born. But we aren't losing any sleep over it. She is what she is and we love her just the same.
When we were getting ready to go on our annual trip to Vermont I got kind of apprehensive. I was about 30 weeks along and something didn't feel quite right. I was honestly afraid I was going to deliver in Vermont. So right before we left we had a sonogram that showed the baby was breech! So that's why it felt different! She's turned now and is head-down, ready to go. Which brings me to the 35-week appointment (last week). With Mitchell, I was dilated to 2-3 cm. and 50% effaced at 35 weeks. With this baby, however, I was only at 1.5 cm. and not at all effaced. So I think I may be in this for the long haul! I have appointments every Wednesday morning from now till delivery, so I'll try to post soon after each appointment. I guess I'd better learn how to post photos, too, so everyone can see the baby after her appearance!
I've decided to "go public" here so that everyone can keep up with the pregnancy progress. It's been quite a ride! We're having a girl, due date July 25. Her name will be Charlotte Ivey and we are all terribly excited. Well, except for Mitchell, who has NO IDEA what's headed his way. He's not quite 21 months old and, while he loves babies, he still likes to be rocked and snuggled himself.
I had a test done early in the pregnancy (about 15 weeks) that showed that the baby had an increased risk of having Down's Syndrome, so I went to a perinatologist who did an extensive sonogram. She looked good ... well-developed nasal bone (lots of Down's babies don't have a nasal bone at all) and some other indicators that were good. We went back four weeks later to have a look at a more developed heart and everything looks good for now. Unfortunately, without having an amnio, we can't know for sure that everything is okay until she is born. But we aren't losing any sleep over it. She is what she is and we love her just the same.
When we were getting ready to go on our annual trip to Vermont I got kind of apprehensive. I was about 30 weeks along and something didn't feel quite right. I was honestly afraid I was going to deliver in Vermont. So right before we left we had a sonogram that showed the baby was breech! So that's why it felt different! She's turned now and is head-down, ready to go. Which brings me to the 35-week appointment (last week). With Mitchell, I was dilated to 2-3 cm. and 50% effaced at 35 weeks. With this baby, however, I was only at 1.5 cm. and not at all effaced. So I think I may be in this for the long haul! I have appointments every Wednesday morning from now till delivery, so I'll try to post soon after each appointment. I guess I'd better learn how to post photos, too, so everyone can see the baby after her appearance!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Where does the time go?
I'll tell you where it goes ... unpacking and making a home and let's not forget the LAUNDRY!!! I think I've been caught up on the laundry (all washed, folded and put away) only once since we've lived here. Let's see, we've been here almost eight weeks. Oh, yeah, and I'm pregnant. Wow, that one was a shock. This is it for us ... the last go-round. Number four and we're done. Apparently I got pregnant that weekend we moved in. You know, the one when the kids were all at Grammy and PawPaw's house?
Everyone's settling in nicely. I absolutely love having Mitchell's room downstairs. He can nap while the other kids play and play and play upstairs, so we're all enjoying that. John planted 60+ shrubs around the fence and 12 trees in the backyard. That was quite a weekend of work, but it looks really great and will look even better in a couple of years.
Everyone's settling in nicely. I absolutely love having Mitchell's room downstairs. He can nap while the other kids play and play and play upstairs, so we're all enjoying that. John planted 60+ shrubs around the fence and 12 trees in the backyard. That was quite a weekend of work, but it looks really great and will look even better in a couple of years.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Kids Say the Darndest Things!
Both Jack and Holly Grace have been known to call the singular of "clothes" a "cloe" (rhymes with "toe"). They are so funny. I was packing Holly Grace's things to go to Grammy and PawPaw's house and she asked me to pack "this cloe". Oh they make me laugh.
I put all three of my beloved children on a Cessna 182 with their Grammy and PawPaw today. It's funny that I didn't really think it was a big deal (flying on a small plane) until my friends started freaking out about it. All three of my kids on a small plane? As if I would just pick two of them (and so increase their chances of crashing) because I loved them less than the other one! So then I got kind of ... what's the word? ... somewhere between paranoid and sentimental. Kind of ushy gushy when I was saying goodbye. Made sure I looked each of my babies in the eye and told them how much I loved them and to be GOOD and obey PawPaw and for heaven's sake be quiet and don't distract him during take-off and landing. Well, everyone's safe and sound on the ground in Amarillo.
One day till closing. Three days till MOVING DAY!
I put all three of my beloved children on a Cessna 182 with their Grammy and PawPaw today. It's funny that I didn't really think it was a big deal (flying on a small plane) until my friends started freaking out about it. All three of my kids on a small plane? As if I would just pick two of them (and so increase their chances of crashing) because I loved them less than the other one! So then I got kind of ... what's the word? ... somewhere between paranoid and sentimental. Kind of ushy gushy when I was saying goodbye. Made sure I looked each of my babies in the eye and told them how much I loved them and to be GOOD and obey PawPaw and for heaven's sake be quiet and don't distract him during take-off and landing. Well, everyone's safe and sound on the ground in Amarillo.
One day till closing. Three days till MOVING DAY!
A whole month later
We're about to move. !!! In two days, we close on the new house that we've been "growing" for the last seven months. I can hardly believe it's already here! All three kids are going to Grammy's house for the weekend so that we can actually get some work done. Holly Grace can't even believe that Mitchell gets to go, too! Most of the rooms in the house are packed now. Boxes everywhere. Ugh. I can't wait to get settled in and give everything a home.
These kids! Whew! They grow so fast I hardly have time to update. Let's see ... Mitchell. The child still isn't walking (fine with me!). He's a year old now! He nursed for the last time on October 10, and then had his last bottle on October 20. It's whole milk in sippy cups only now. Oh, man, and I am so glad. So, he gets to go on the trip to Amarillo, too. Watch out, Grammy, here they come!
Holly Grace is trying to be every bit as big as Jack. She has a memory verse at school, too, and every time Jack and I are practicing his verses, she pipes up with hers, too. "Tell the good news!" It's pretty cute. We are working on sleeping better at night. For 3 1/2 years, the child has not been a good sleeper. I finally took her to the doctor last week and said, "I'm at my wits' end. I'm exhausted and I don't know what to do." The doctor said no more hugs or cuddles in the middle of the night. Holly Grace should stay in her bed, or at least in her room, until a set time in the morning. And you know what? It's working! We put the baby gate across the bedroom door and across Jack's bathroom door (so that she can get to the potty if she needs to) and set the timer for 7 a.m. We tell her that night-time is for sleeping and she can get up when the timer goes off. Oh, and we put her in bed somewhere between 7 and 7:30 p.m. every night. (An hour earlier than we used to.) And you know what? It's working! She's been sleeping through the night and waking up delightful. It's truly a blessing to NOT have little visitors in my bed at 5:30 in the morning.
Jack is progressing right along in school. He has a memory verse every week. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11. Mommy, what are 'schemes'?" :) Do you know how many words you can make with H, G, O, L, P, and T? A LOT! We're reading now! And spelling, too! It's really fun. But, man! Can the child ever get bogged down in coloring.
The kids are excited about the new house, too. Jack says his favorite part is going to be his room with all the windows. We've told him he can have his bed wherever he wants it. He wants the top bunk against one wall and the bottom bunk in front of the window. Okay, whatever. Holly Grace says that her favorite room is the gameroom. That makes me happy! I am wanting it to be a tidy, welcoming, kid-friendly room.
We're closing on Thursday, then spending all day Friday painting Mitchell's room (pale, pale blue) and Holly Grace's room (pale, pale pink). The movers come Saturday!!! What a ride!
These kids! Whew! They grow so fast I hardly have time to update. Let's see ... Mitchell. The child still isn't walking (fine with me!). He's a year old now! He nursed for the last time on October 10, and then had his last bottle on October 20. It's whole milk in sippy cups only now. Oh, man, and I am so glad. So, he gets to go on the trip to Amarillo, too. Watch out, Grammy, here they come!
Holly Grace is trying to be every bit as big as Jack. She has a memory verse at school, too, and every time Jack and I are practicing his verses, she pipes up with hers, too. "Tell the good news!" It's pretty cute. We are working on sleeping better at night. For 3 1/2 years, the child has not been a good sleeper. I finally took her to the doctor last week and said, "I'm at my wits' end. I'm exhausted and I don't know what to do." The doctor said no more hugs or cuddles in the middle of the night. Holly Grace should stay in her bed, or at least in her room, until a set time in the morning. And you know what? It's working! We put the baby gate across the bedroom door and across Jack's bathroom door (so that she can get to the potty if she needs to) and set the timer for 7 a.m. We tell her that night-time is for sleeping and she can get up when the timer goes off. Oh, and we put her in bed somewhere between 7 and 7:30 p.m. every night. (An hour earlier than we used to.) And you know what? It's working! She's been sleeping through the night and waking up delightful. It's truly a blessing to NOT have little visitors in my bed at 5:30 in the morning.
Jack is progressing right along in school. He has a memory verse every week. "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Ephesians 6:11. Mommy, what are 'schemes'?" :) Do you know how many words you can make with H, G, O, L, P, and T? A LOT! We're reading now! And spelling, too! It's really fun. But, man! Can the child ever get bogged down in coloring.
The kids are excited about the new house, too. Jack says his favorite part is going to be his room with all the windows. We've told him he can have his bed wherever he wants it. He wants the top bunk against one wall and the bottom bunk in front of the window. Okay, whatever. Holly Grace says that her favorite room is the gameroom. That makes me happy! I am wanting it to be a tidy, welcoming, kid-friendly room.
We're closing on Thursday, then spending all day Friday painting Mitchell's room (pale, pale blue) and Holly Grace's room (pale, pale pink). The movers come Saturday!!! What a ride!
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