Other News Around Here

 I know, it's baby, baby, baby lately.  Hey, I got to give him equal face time compared to all the other kids when they were babies.  But here is what they rest of the household is doing...

Drew wants to be included in everything!  Everything!  The girls got new skirts and he HAD to try one on and cried when we broke the news that it wasn't for him.

Funny thing about Drew wanting to be included in everything, he has figured out that we spell things he will want to do.  So now if we spell "G-O," he is repeating it saying, "Me, G-O, me G-O" not knowing what it is just that he wants to do it.  If we spell "S-H-O-W-E-R," he says, "Me E-R, me E-R!"  What a goof!

Isaac is in Blue Knights and made a bow and arrow set for their craft last week.  He LOVES it!  I am glad he has something to do with his dad without the other kids.

Another thing Drew is constantly saying is "Wrap me up!"  I asked him to smile and he gave me this forced weird smile.

I told him to just look normal, and this is the face I got.

Drew was playing with the remote control car and he couldn't get it to work.  I looked over to see him say, "Oh, silly me," and go to flip the switch to turn on the car part so it would work.  He's easy to love.

The girls have been busy with school, as has Isaac.  This week we decided to play Spelling Baseball before dinner.  Two of the neighborhood girls got in on the game.  I just called out a word from their level/list and they ran to the next base if they got it right.  With each correct answer, everyone could run to the next base.  They didn't want to stop playing.  I may just do this with math and as a History review too.

I am trying to get ready for the All Saint's Day Party that we are hosting this Friday.  Costumes, games, cleaning, and organizing the rest of the details is keeping me busy.  Come back to see this year's costumes and pictures from the party!  

Judah's Blanket

I had this ready, minus the name and washing, so I finished the embroidery of his name on our drive to Florida.  I put both names since I don't know what name he is going to be called or choose long term.

This is a flannel blanket like the one I made for a friend about a year ago.  I loved it so much that I knew I had to make one for my little guy.  I chose colors close to his nursery, but I had trouble finding ones I liked that would go together.  In the end I like it, but I don't love it as much as the last one that was made with all scraps that I had around.

What a pretty baby I have!  Those eyes and lips are just perfect.  Forgive the bragging.  If your a mom you understand.

My Lovely Chubby Baby

My goodness!  And this is from a week ago.

Smiley guy!

Trying to roll, but that darn shoulder gets in the way every time.

He likes to cuddle things now if his jerky limbs cooperate.

Here he looks different than the other kids, more unique.  Most of the time I see one of the other kids in him, depending on his expression.

Isaac Says the Darndest Things

Isaac held onto his Lucky Charm cereal all the way until we got to the van on our grocery trip.  When he realized it, he freaked and wanted to go back immediately to pay for it because he stole it.  I told him to calm down, but we were already late to pick up the girls from piano right around the corner.  So I said we would come right back and take care of it.  We came back and instead of all 6 of us getting out, I sent Hannah in with the box and some cash.  She was nervous, so I tried to park the van where I could see most of the check out lanes.  She gets behind this food stamp lady and it is taking forever.  So I jump out, lock up and run in to ask a lady overseeing the self check out if she can help her so I can get back out to my illegally parked car.  She was happy to do so.  Hannah comes out and hops in the van, telling us how she was so nervous.  Isaac asks, "Did you tremble?"  Everyone cracks up.  Then he says, "I guess you should put that on the blog, Mom."  So here it is.

The Well Check Marathon

Two Wednesdays ago (Oh boy, am I behind!) we were scheduled for the first Smith family well check marathon ever.   All 5 kids needed well checks and flu shots  I thought it wouldn't interfere with school as much if we did all of them back to back in one morning instead of on multiple days.   We arived on Wednesday 15 minutes early like we were told only to hear the ominous, "Are you the Smith family?  We've been trying to call you all morning."  Turns out my doctor had called in sick.  Not unusual since my doctor has six kids of her own.  But how did I miss the phone call?  My phone was in my bag.  Brian's phone had died.  They rescheduled us for Friday at 8am.  Ouch!  In order to make this trip somewhat worthwhile, the girls got their flu shots and the subsequent ice cream that we always get for brave children.  Funny thing they were begging me in the waiting room to get their shots that day and not wait until Friday.  There were a couple of ladies in the waiting room staring at them and smiling.  I know that was a first, watching kids beg for immunizations.

So we trekked back in on Friday arriving at 7:45am.  I had to get up at 5:30am to get everyone out the door by 7am.  It went great.  Everyone was brave and well behaved except for Drew throwing a little fit when I had to tell him that Isaac had to go first for his shots.  Drew's shots weren't ready yet and he was already anxiously awaiting them in the chair when he got the news.  What weirdos!  I had to be held down by multiple nurses to get my shots for as long as I can remember.  I didn't write down weights and heights unfortunately.  I had my hands full, but let me try my best to remember what I can.

Hannah almost 9yrs 56 lbs

Genevieve 7yrs 54 lbs

Isaac 5yrs 45 lbs

Drew 2yrs 30.6 lbs

Judah 8 weeks (not quite 2 months) 14 lbs 11 oz

All I recall about their heights was that Hannah was 2 inches taller than Genna.  Other than that I don't know.

Pumpkin Patch

This was a week or more ago when we went to Butler's Orchard to pick apples and a couple of overpriced pumpkins (that are already mildewing without even being carved!)  We went with some oldie, but goodie friends of ours.  We got four bags full of apples and so I have made apple pancakes, apple cake, caramel apple (bread machine) bread, caramel apple parfaits, apple sauce, apple, bacon, and blue cheese salad, and brie and apple brushetta.  My pinterest is lit up with apple recipes.  And I still have a basketful left of apples, and that's with Drew eating two a day as a snack.

These two are a month apart in age and have known each other since they were 8 months old.

My First Godson

Monday I had just nursed Judah and put him down.  I was trying to get back to sleep at about 5 am when I heard my phone alert me to a text.  This text was the reason that I had my phone with me overnight.  It was from my friend who just recently moved about 3 hours away and was in labor.  I jumped up to throw my pile of prepared clothing into a bag.  I got Genna and Judah up and ready to go.  ( I was taking Genna to help me and Judah to nurse, obviously.  The other children were staying with dad and staying with another friend during the day.)  Brian was getting up for work and got the GPS set up and my windows defogged.  I was ready to go by 5:40am only to find that my tire pressure was low probably due to the change in temperature, but I couldn't take the chance.  He ran the car down the street to Seven Eleven to fill them up.  I left at 6am.  I drove straight though and was going against the traffic.  I was in a hurry because she didn't have anyone to take the three older children and they were in the delivery room with her.

I walked up to the room as a doctor was coming out at 9:24am.  I asked if this was her room and he said, "Yes, she just delivered a couple of minutes ago."  He was born at 9:22am.  I knew that might happen because she has fast labors, but, man, two minutes!  Anyway, long story short, Ned was 8 lbs 15 oz and as perfect and healthy as can be.  (He was born on Judah's 2 month birthday exactly.)  I took the big kids to their home and stayed the night with them.  When they came home from the hospital, I headed home.

This precious boy is my first godson ever.  I am a convert as well as my husband and so we don't have family that is Catholic and might need godparents.  I never thought I would be blessed with a godchild.  So Yay! for Brian and me, and Yay! for Ned's parents too!

A triple baptism is in the works, but there are a few kinks to work out to make it happen.  Judah, Dex, and Ned are going to be baptism buddies, I hope.  We have a circle of godparents thing going on between the three of us that all were due with baby boys within 2 months of each other.  Dex's parents are Judah's godparents, we are Ned's godparents, and Ned's parents are Dex's godparents.  Confused?  It took us all a good while to remember whose godparents we are and who was our child's godparents.

The Big Boys

So Drew is caught in the middle of the boys.  Does he want to be a big boy like Isaac or a baby like Judah?  The answer is both.  He wants it all.  He literally can't wait until he is able to hang with the big boys and play soccer and t-ball like Isaac.  Every week he gets decked out in his shin guards and tennis shoes, and he gets a soccer ball of his own.  (Good thing we have enough for three kids to wear and use.)  All this just to ride in the car to take Isaac to practice.

He even insisted on wearing the thick socks over the shin guards.

On the other hand it would be nice to be a baby .  The baby gets so much attention and eats all the time.  He even gets a pacifier.  Drew found some old pacifiers that Judah doesn't use and has taken to walking around with one in his mouth.  He has never taken a pacifier!  I am ashamed to admit that I am letting him and this week I even handed it to him during our history lesson because he was talking so loud.  He's not attached, so I am not worried.  He is also asking to eat absolutely nonstop.  Growth spurt/attention-getter, I guess?

Pacifier and all

Judah's 8 weeks old!

Catching his smiles on camera finally!

Sleep:  I stopped using the Miracle Blanket at night because Judah was sweating in it.  he is a sweaty baby in general.  I have to dress him in onesies and leave his window open at night (in the 50's at night right now) in order to keep him from getting too hot.

I am still having trouble getting him to sleep at bedtime.  I have tried changing the time, earlier and later, rocking him til drowsy, rocking him to sleep, putting him on his tummy, letting him cry for half an hour and then consoling him with the pacifier and the shush pat.  If any of these have worked it has been for only one night or just for a half hour nap.  I nurse him at 8:30pm which seems to reset him and then he goes to bed awake (usually) and without any crying (except for once.)  For all other naps, he goes to bed awake and with minimal crying (less than 5 minutes), if any.  My next strategy is to try nursing him at 7:00pm and keeping him awake afterwards just a bit as I get him ready for bed.  I was just reading my post from when Drew was around this age and when I made that switch he was able to cry for about 10 minutes and go to sleep until 10pm for his dreamfeed.  I'll have to move up Judah's dreamfeed from 11 to 10pm which I would love anyway.

Somebody LOVES baths!  Judah has never cried during a bath.  That's a first for my newborns.  Maybe I am a better bath giver?

Drew has been so loving of his little brother.  Judah has been the receiver of more kisses from Drew than any other family member.

He finally decided he likes the swing!

Judah likes to be swaddled in his carseat too when he is sleeping.  He got his arm out here.

Milestones:  He is smiling at me in response to my smiles a lot now.  It is the sweetest thing.  He is trying to laugh, making that beginning chuckle sound.  He is also enjoying looking around more and tracking me with his eyes.  He has also started enjoying the play gym, the swing, and the bouncy seat with the bar of toys to bat and look at.  He gives some great smiles to his bouncy seat toys.  He LOVES his bouncy seat.

Brotherly Love

Nursing:  He has been nursing great... still 7 times a day, one of those in the middle of the night (3-4am.)  He is spitting up more in the last 2 weeks.  Once he spit up a ton while he was latched on.  Genna used to do this frequently.  Her problem was due to over-eating, so I reduced her to nursing on one side and it solved the massive spit ups.  He has only don that once, so I am not making any changes just yet.

He loves his play gym!

"He knows things."

I was explaining to Isaac in the car that Drew didn't understand something he was telling him because it was too complicated.  Isaac's response was, "Mom, he knows things.  He's two.  he can even get his own string cheese."  We all cracked up and because Isaac is being super weird and sensitive lately, he got all embarrassed.  Don't know what's going on with that boy, but he's having a hard time.

Miramar Beach, Florida: Part 3

The only glitch in our vacation was Drew getting sick in the middle of it.  On Saturday night, I came into the apartment to go to bed and I hear Drew vomit in his bed.  He didn't even wake up.  He just sat up and turned around so he wasn't laying in it.  Brian and I got him and the pack-n-play cleaned up and back in bed.  I laid there praying that was a fluke and he wasn't sick.  He never got a fever, but he did throw up 4 more times the next day.  We went to Mass without him.  he skipped the beach and the pool that day, but the next day he was fine and rearing to go.  The weirdest thing was that he kept wanting to eat.  usually he doesn't want to eat when he has a stomach bug, but he said "Eat.  Eat.  Eat." about a million times that day.  We were hiding the foods that he couldn't have so he wouldn't cry for them.  I tried sticking with cereal, crackers, and bananas.  he was trowing them up though too.  I was so thankful it didn't infect everyone.  So thankful!

The girls had fun playing canasta at night before they went up to the loft to sleep.  Genna kept everyone laughing.  She kept forgetting the word "discard" and saying "dislocate" or "dislocard" instead.  She's a riot!

Aunt Leah got the boys all matching pirate shirts.  We kept meaning to dress them up and take pictures of them, but someone was always too tired/cranky or we just forgot.  So the last day, we took the shirts out to the beach and put them on the boys right before it was time to go in for lunch.  It was tricky getting all of them to sit still and Isaac not to drop the baby.  This is the best we got...

Papa Boat and his pirates

I love this rambunctious little guy!

I love this little guy too!