Little Heart Family

Pictures from Our Travels

2012-02-14T23:20:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, the captain of our flight to Phoenix invited Clayton to sit up front for a few minutes after the flight. Clayton was in heaven.

We spent Monday morning strolling through Golden Gate Park. It was a very chilly, wet day, but we had a lot of fun.

The Dutch Windmill in the Queen Wilhelmenia tulip garden.

The tulips weren't out yet, but everything else was gorgeous.

At the Beach Chalet on the west side of the park. Clayton got a real kick out of this mural.

Clayton has been requesting a trip to the beach for years. We tried to prep him for the fact that this would be a very cold beach with no swimming, so I hope he wasn't too disappointed. It was so cold and windy when we arrived. We parked, ran out on the sand, snapped a couple pictures, and ran back to our car. Then we ate our picnic in the car with all the windows rolled up. I know it wasn't his ultimate trip to the beach, but at least the waves were really cool that day, and now he can say he's seen the Pacific Ocean.

If you look closely, above the rock closest to the Cliff House building, there's a C-5 in the air. That C-5 went round and round over the Golden Gate bridge. I'm not sure what that was all about.

That night we ate at Bubba Gumps. Yum.

Then we headed over to Ghiradelli's for dessert. We obviously split this bad boy three ways.

Clayton got the first bite. He was pretty enthusiastic about getting his fair share.

Today we traveled all over the bay area, stopping at more of our favorite places, but that will have to be a post for tomorrow.

Back to California

2012-02-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

We're finally here. When Clayton was born we assumed he would have his Fontan completion surgery sometime between ages 2 and 4. Now that he's nearly 6, it's finally time. Clayton's pre-op date is Thursday, and his surgery is scheduled for Friday, so we have a few days to enjoy some one-on-one time with our little man before we get going with things.

We flew out Sunday afternoon. For the first time in almost six years I boarded an airplane without a single diaper, wipe, or sippy cup. It was glorious. I also read and read and read while Clayton watched a movie and colored. Again, glorious. No one cried. No one demanded to get off the plane in mid air.

We arrived in San Jose, picked up our rental car, and headed up to Palo Alto. If you've ever been here, you'll know it's a very pricey place. Our somewhat affordable hotel left much to be desired, but it was clean and in a good neighborhood. We were on the waiting list for the Ronald McDonald House, so we headed over there this morning to peek in and let them know how much we would appreciate a room. Lucky for us, one of our old house friends was working this morning, and somehow, magically, we could check into a room at 3pm.

We celebrated by heading up to San Francisco to visit a few of the sites. It was pretty cold and rainy today, but we braved the weather and strolled through Golden Gate Park, an old favorite place of mine. Then we stopped at the beach for lunch before taking a little scenic drive along the city's coastline, around to the Golden Gate, and through the Presidio. I loved being back in the city and showing Clayton some of the places I love.

We headed back to Palo Alto to check into our room and almost immediately turned around and headed back into the city. We have way too much to see in a short few days. We spent the evening at Pier 39, had dinner at Bubba Gumps, and then headed over to Ghirardelli Square for dessert. Yummy!

There will be pictures tomorrow, hopefully, because I left my camera in the car, and I'm too settled to go down and get it tonight. Thanks for all your prayers. We're having a great time enjoying our little man for these few days. He knows he has a surgery in a few days, and he's nervous about it, but he doesn't fully comprehend what it really means, so he hasn't let it damper his mood in any way. For now, he's just enjoying life as an only child.

Our First Self Haircut Incident

2012-01-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I think it happens in just about every family, and why should we be any exception? Clayton had a pair of scissors at the table and was cutting out some shapes I'd drawn on a piece of paper. I was standing six feet from him cutting up vegetables in the kitchen. I was aware that Eli was standing over there, but I wasn't really paying attention, as everyone was happy. Then Eli said it.

Mommy, we're cutting our OOOWWWNNN hair!

What? That got my attention. I ran over to the table, and there was a pretty good sized pile of hair on the floor. Eli had the scissors. It wasn't immediately obvious who the victim was, but upon examination, Eli is definintely missing a fair amount of hair in the back, and Clayton is missing a small chunk on the front side. It really wasn't that bad, and my boys are in real need of haircuts anyway, so when I take them in the next couple days, I'll just have them buzz it down to the level they cut at. It could have been sooo much worse.

There was a long discussion about how only the hair lady is allowed to cut your hair. No one else. Period. Hopefully that will be the first and last haircut incident in this house.

And thank you, Eli, for always feeling the need to narrate your life. Your nonstop talking has saved us more than once.

Our Christmas Travels

2012-01-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Now that it's mid-January, I've decided it's time to share some pictures from Christmas. We decided to spend Christmas back in Nevada this year. We stayed with Ryan's parents and were able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. It's always good to be back in Nevada. It still feels like home. We flew out Dec. 21 and returned home the day after Christmas.

The brothers

We took a trip to the Bellagio

My neice, Julianne

Papa and my nephew, Jack

Aaron and me

Clayton

Inside the gardens

The gardens were so beautiful.

Kristin and Ryan taste testing the Panda Express buffet

The cousins enjoying Chinese food

The kids found great joy in pretending to have a slumber party. It was so peaceful, none of the adults complained.

Clayton and Eli sneaking behind the Christmas tree early Christmas morning.

Ryan surprised me with a Kindle Fire.

Eli

One of Clayton's greatest traits is his expressions of gratitude. You could wrap up a single sock, and he'd be thrilled to receive it. It really is fun to give him gifts.

Aaron was napping during the big unwrapping, so he had his own private session later that evening.

It was a good time spent enjoying each other's company and letting the kids get to know each other a little better.

He's an Eater!

2012-01-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Aaron, oh Aaron.

You know, I used to always make my own spaghetti sauce. I turned up my nose at sauce in a jar. Then I had children that wouldn't eat spaghetti, and I was so confused. I thought kids were supposed to like spaghetti. One day I was running short on time and picked up a jar of Ragu, just to get something on the table quickly. Don't you know they ate it down like candy? Now we're a Ragu family, which makes cooking a lot easier on me, but it sure is orangey, which makes for a lot more clean up. I miss my old sauce, but maybe one day they'll change their minds.

Thanksgiving

2012-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Now that it's January, I am officially behind with blogging. I need to rewind back to just a little before Eli's birthday, so onto Thanksgiving it is...

We made our annual trek to Arkansas to meet up with my mom's family for Thanksgiving. We had a great weekend eating, catching up with friends and family, and eating some more. Meghan's family was able to make it in this year, so it was also a big weekend for the cousins to hang out. We had about 60 Brown family members at our Thanksgiving feast. We borrowed the gym at First United Methodist in Bryant again. It's a great facility where the kids can go wild and not break anything. Thanks to Meghan for taking pictures throughout the weekend.

Yes, he was a fan of Thanksgiving dinner.

The cousins (minus a napping Lane) with my Uncle John and Aunt Janice.

Lizzy with her "Claybug." That's all she calls him.

Aaron fell asleep on my lap one afternoon. He hasn't done that since he was a couple months old. He must have been completely exhausted.

I made Meghan document it.

The cousins. Lizzy, Lane, Clayton, Eli, and Aaron.

The cousins with their Great Granddad. Aaron wasn't so sure about being held by Clayton, and apparently Eli is the boss of Lane.

We had such a great weekend, and I feel so fortunate that we've lived in Oklahoma so long and that the drive to my grandparents house is easy from here. Thanksgiving is always the big "gathering" holiday for their family, and we've been so blessed to get to go almost every year we've lived here.

Warming Up

2012-01-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hot chocolate has become a big part of this winter for our family. I hadn't ever given it to the kids before this year, but way back in November, after playing outside for a while, we needed a warm up, so I pulled some out of the cabinet, and the four of us split two cups. The kids were addicted.

I love this picture.

Yes, this was just after the stitches incident.

I wanted to get a picture of Aaron's face without the cup, but when I tried pulling the cup from his mouth, this is the only look he would give me.

Now anytime we play outside, the children feel practically entitled to hot chocolate when we come back inside, and most of the time, I agree.

February 16, 2012

2011-12-07T14:43:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't heard, that's the date for Clayton's Fontan at Stanford. We're on the schedule. We'll get planning on all the logistics after Christmas. For now, we're just going to focus on the holidays.

A Few Steps

2011-12-07T13:54:00.001-08:00

It's time to confess it. Aaron's still not walking. Yes, he's 16 months old. Clayton walked at 17 months. They told me he was late because he'd had two open heart surgeries. Then Eli didn't walk until about 16 months. Now Aaron's 16 months and not really getting the whole thing yet. I'm beginning to think the open heart surgeries had nothing to do with Clayton's delays. My kids are just not early walkers.

Aaron cruises the furniture like a pro. He can stand independently for a couple minutes. He will take a step or two toward me if I'm cheering him on, but he's really just not quite walking yet.

I was able to get this picture a couple weeks ago though. It's one of the rare moments he's taking a couple steps towards me. You can see the thrill on his face. He's always so proud.

So for now it's just a step or two here and there. I'm sure he'll be walking by kindergarten.

Aaron's First Haircut

2011-12-07T13:40:00.001-08:00

Just before our Thanksgiving trip to Arkansas I decided the time had come. Aaron officially had a mullet, and something had to be done. I'm no barber and have always taken the boys to get their hair cut, but because we were really looking at about ten hairs on the back of his head, I decided to trim it myself. It really was an improvement. He still looks pretty bald, but at least his hair isn't growing down his neck anymore.

The few long mullet hairs

So excited

It was a family affair.

There were a few long hairs up the back too.

The big boys were so interested.

The final product. His stork bite shows a lot more now. All my boys had that on the back of their necks.

After Aaron was done, I realized the big boys really needed trims as well, so I took them over to Great Clips the next day before we left town. Now everyone looks neat and tidy.

Happy Birthday Eli!

2011-12-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

On Monday we celebrated Eli's third birthday! I can't believe this boy is three. In some ways it seems like he was born yesterday, and in some ways I can't believe he's only three. I think having Aaron so close to Eli has skewed my perception of time.

There's so much to say about Eli. Eli is definitely the child requiring the most "parenting" these days. We're either laughing at him hysterically or wanting to pull our hair out in frustration. Sometimes we're feeling both ways at the same time. Eli is passionate about everything. He plays passionately, he loves passionately, and he loses control passionately. He's never dull, that's for sure.

Eli's greatest love in life is... still... trash and everything that has to do with trash, trashcans, dumpsters, and garbage trucks. It's really completely out of control. The first thing he wants to do at anyone's house is see their outside trash cans. Really? He wants to know what day is trash day for every place we go. He recently saw a garbage truck empty a dumpster at Clayton's school. Now we have to talk about it nonstop everytime we take Clayton to school or pick him up. That's twice a day, five days a week. It's painful for me.

In honor of Eli's great love, I decided to have a garbage truck birthday celebration. It will probably just encourage the infatuation, but I couldn't resist. One day I'm sure we will get a big laugh over all this.

The traditional birthday donut selected by the birthday boy

Blowing out the first "fire" of the day. Leading up to the big day, Eli was constantly reminding me that there would be fire on his birthday.

My attempt at a trash truck cake

He loves being the center of attention.

Blowing out the candles

Happy Birthday Eli Jacob!

That's Gonna Leave a Mark!

2011-11-18T12:11:00.001-08:00

Yes, if you haven't heard, there's been an incident. Just before we were to leave for school on Wednesday, Eli and Clayton got into a scuffle, and Clayton ended up with a nastly little cut on his forehead. Apparently he was pushed into the toy chest in their room. I was pretty angry with all the arguing that had been going on all morning, so I marched in there, ready to give them a piece of my mind. Clayton was in the fetal position, and I ordered him to stand up. When he sat up, his whole face was covered in blood (and, as a side note, there was a little blood on my new carpet, YIKES, but it all came up later). I took him into the bathroom, made one pass over the wound with a handful of tissue, and I knew we had to go to the ER.

Dragging three small children to the ER by myself first thing in the morning is not really my idea of fun, but the boys did pretty well. It took almost three hours to get three tiny stitches, and then we were off. Clayton was so brave, so we stopped in at Wal-Mart to pick up a new little car for a reward. When Ryan got home later that night, Clayton had no interest in showing Ryan the stitches. He only wanted Ryan to see his new car.

I'm sure with three boys this will not be our last stitches incident. I actually can't believe this was our first.

One day last week was "P" day at school, and Clayton's teacher sent home a pickle bandaid for each kid for the next time they were "in a pickle." Clayton was beyond excited to wear his pickle bandaid to school the next day.

Today we're letting them breathe a little, which reminds me I need to call and get an appointment to get them taken out soon.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I started to think about what the boys could be for Halloween. I love a theme, and I started trying to think of one. It just happened around that time that the boys were watching The Chipmunk Adventure (remember the one where the boys race the girls around the world in hot air balloons; I loved that movie), and then I knew, they had to be the Chipmunks.

Their costumes were so easy. I ordered men's turtlenecks and rolled up the sleeves. I fused yellow A on Alvin's shirt, and I didn't bother with Alvin's red baseball cap because I knew Eli wouldn't wear it. I hemmed Eli's shirt because it was just slightly too long, and I didn't want him to trip on it. Then I found a pair of Harry Potter glasses for Simon, and that was it.

We took the boys to our high school's trick-or-treat night a couple nights before Halloween, and they got a warm up on all the "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" stuff. I was really impressed with the high schoolers. They were so sweet to the boys and so enthusiastic with all their booths and games. So many kids had put in a lot of hard work to pull off an event like that. Now every time we drive by the high school Eli says, "That's where we have fun!"

After that, they were ready for the big night. Ryan and I took turns handing out candy and taking the boys around our neighborhood. Clayton and Aaron rode in the wagon, and Eli walked. At each house, Eli was the first to the door and the loudest with his "trick-or-treat." I think he could have walked all night, but the other two were ready to come home after a while.

These are our pumpkins that almost didn't happen. I really procrastinated purchasing carving pumpkins this year. On Halloween morning I took Clayton to school, and the little boys and I set out on a quest that led us to three grocery stores before we finally find pumpkins at a fourth store. We were lucky to find these. I didn't get carving on them until about 3:30pm, and it takes a long time to scoop out all the insides, not to mention, I needed to cook dinner and oh, keep a vigilant eye on my three "helpers" who were intent on attempting to get their hands on knives. I finished them up just in time though, and I liked the way they turned out. Maybe next year I'll plan ahead a little better and try something a little more intricate. Probably not, but maybe.

Storybook Forest

2011-10-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night we took the kids to Arcadia Lake for their annual Storybook Forest. It opens around sunset. You walk along a trail in the woods in the dark, and there are scenes from many fairy tales and nursery rhymes. The kids get candy along the way. At the end of the trail, there are games and a hayride. Then there are campfires set up along the lake, and you can purchase hotdogs and s'mores supplies and sit around the fires.

The whole thing was pretty much my cup of tea. I love being outside, slightly chilly, and sitting around a campfire. The storybook stuff and hayride were really fun too. We all had a blast.

The boys getting ready to hit the trail.

Humpty Dumpty (kind of creepy, I know)

The big boys trying to pull the sword out of the stone.

Waiting in line for the hayride, showing a scary face.

Keeping warm.

Eli's first s'more

Clayton's first s'more (he really loved it, I just couldn't get him to open his eyes while taking a bite)

Aaron's first s'more (he demanded at least half of Clayton's)

I think they liked them.

The event was advertised as a "non-scary" event for children under 10. However, there were a series of scenes from Hansel and Gretel that ended with an oven that had a witch's legs hanging out. Eli recently burned his finger on our stove (I know, I felt terrible), so he's obsessed with not being near hot things lately. He was a little freaked out by the witch in the oven. It was at the very beginning of the trail, and he talked about it the rest of the night and half the way home until he fell asleep. "Why was that witch in the oven? Is that witch still in the oven?" I was afraid he was traumatized, but he didn't mention it today, so maybe we're in the clear.

Otherwise, it was a great evening, and I'm sure it will turn into an annual event for our family.

Halloween Sneak Peak

2011-10-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Alvin and the Chipmunks

I can't believe how my children's personalities line up with those of their respective chipmunk! Clayton (Simon) loves to read and learn new things, and he's a pretty cautious kid. Eli (Alvin) is impulsive, always in trouble, yet everyone loves him anyway. He wants to be in the spotlight. Aaron (Theodore) wants to stick close to home and always have a snack on hand. It's true... especially for Eli and Alvin. I've got my hands full with that one!

Aaron at 15 Months

2011-10-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

This boy is such an important part of our family. I know I always say this, but it's true. I can't imagine our family without Aaron. I love his little budding personality. He knows he's one of the brothers, and whatever they're doing, he needs to be a part of it. Whatever they're eating, he needs it. He takes so much abuse from his older brothers, but he always comes back for more. Aaron loves toys, toys, toys. Tonight after his bath he had a little matchbox car that he was driving back and forth across the carpet. When did he start that?

At two days shy of 15 months, Aaron's not walking yet, but don't worry. I think Eli was very near 16 months, and Clayton was almost 18 months before he started walking. My boys take their time, and I'm definitely okay with that. The crawling is hard enough for me to keep up with. Aaron is an eater, but lately he's become a much pickier eater than I appreciate. We are pretty strict about serving one family dinner, so if Aaron chooses to throw it all on the floor, he's done. Lately he'll do just that. Then a little later, I'll catch him pulled up in front of his high chair fishing for some leftover crumbs in his seat. Gross. I guess you change your mind when you really get hungry. Hopefully it's just a phase. I think the other boys go through phases like that every now then, then all of a sudden they'll request a second helping of broccoli.

Otherwise, everything is well with Aaron. He brings so much laughter and love into our house, and we're so blessed to have this healthy baby boy.

Post bath curls. Love, love, love that fine baby hair. It will be hard to say goodbye to these curls one day.

Love my little man!

The Tooth Saga

2011-10-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, on Saturday night, I brushed Eli's teeth before bed. I'm a pretty detailed brusher, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. On Sunday morning we were rushed, as usual, and I put toothpaste on the toothbrush and let Eli do his own thing. Eli went to the nursery at church. Picking him up was uneventful. We got home, ate lunch, and then the protesting of the afternoon nap began. In mid-whine I happened to look in his mouth, and I was shocked to see a broken tooth, and I was even more shocked when I could see blood in it.

This looks like one of many terrible stock photos I looked at on all kinds of dental websites trying to figure out what to do for Eli.

I have no idea how or when this happened. Of course it was the weekend, and he didn't seem to be in pain, so I waited until Monday to start making calls. Unfortunately, Monday was Columbus Day, and apparently many dentists, or at least the ones that will accept our cheap-o military insurance, were closed. So Tuesday rolled around, and I got Eli into a pediatric dentist near our house.

It's a really long story, but the only option this dentist wanted was basically a root canal and crown placement under general anesthesia with a breathing tube all placed by a nurse anesthestist in his office. Then there would be clear liquid diet for 24 hours, and then soft foods for two days, and all kinds of pain killers. Oh, and I was going to have to go back to work in order to finance the whole deal. Not really, but almost.

I ended up getting a second opinion with another dentist who said she would also do general anesthesia for the procedure, but she would only do it in a hospital with an anesthesiologist. Then she talked about extraction. She said in the long term, it will make very little difference whether or not Eli keeps this tooth. Extraction is traumatic, but she said she could probably make him loopy and the whole thing would take ten minutes. He should be back to himself by lunch time.

After a lot of back and forth, we've decided to have it pulled. As much as I would love for him to have all his teeth, I have had to put my children under general anesthesia waaaaay more than I ever wanted, and it's not something I take lightly. Not to mention, there's the whole almost needing a second income to finance the whole thing and all the recovery drama. I'm hoping to get it taken care of this week, so wish us luck. It will not be fun, but hopefully it will be quick, and then we can just forget the whole thing ever happened.

Once I put my two year old through a tooth extraction I think it's going to be time to face the music and finally get the old wisdom teeth removed. Then again, maybe I can put it off a little while longer.

My Firefighters

2011-10-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

Alternately titled: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

These boys are into firefighting lately. They can often be found running around with the attachment hoses to my vacuum cleaner putting out fires all around the house. I love all their games, and I especially love that every now and then they can play nicely together.

Catching Up!

2011-10-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, again, but we're still here. We're in the groove of school and t-ball these days, and those things keep us pretty busy.

The last time I updated, we were waiting to hear a date for Clayton's surgery. And now, we're still waiting. Last week I started to feel a little impatient and made some calls. Apparently Clayton's cath results were never mailed to Stanford, and that's why we haven't heard from them. Honestly, it just wasn't that surprising. Infuriating, yes. Surprising, no. Over the years I've learned that when you have a child with issues, everything is pretty much all your responsibility. If you don't double and triple check everything, nothing gets done or done correctly. EVER. So that's that. And you can bet Stanford's phone will be ringing this Friday to confirm that OU actually mailed the package this time. So that's that.

Eli is growing, growing. At Clayton's doctor's appointment, Eli was two pounds heavier than Clayton. He's still about two inches shorter, but that gap is narrowing quickly. The kids all seem to go through phases where one requires more attention that the others, and we've definitely got our hands full with Eli these days. He's everything you've ever heard about two year olds. We're working on it.

Aaron is also growing, growing. At 14 months he's wearing mostly 18 month shirts and 12 month pants. He is really turning into quite the butterball. He's my heaviest, chunkiest little guy, and I love it. He's so squishy. He's a pretty happy kid, but has lately become a little bit of a picky eater. I'm trying to hold my ground on that. We'll see. The past week or two we've seen Aaron stand alone for a few seconds, but I don't think we'll see walking anytime soon.

Also, have you met the newest member of our family?

This is James. Clayton named him. James has been living on our patio all summer, and he's still there. He was hanging out under the grill as I was cooking tonight.

I think he was smiling at me. It's sad that I have more recent pictures of a toad than I do of my children. I think I need to work on that.

First Day of Pre-K

2011-09-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

I hadn't gotten around to posting this until today. Pre-K is going so well for Clayton. He goes half day, everyday to our public school, and is really loving it. Clayton especially loves Wednesdays which are library days. He gets to check out a book there. On Fridays they get to spend their pre-k coins that they've earned at the treasure store, which is also very exciting. Each week they have to memorize a nursery rhyme. If they can recite it on Friday, they get a rhyme club card, and this too has been fun. We work, work, work on those nursery rhymes each week. I've been so surprised how much Eli has picked up as well.

I think this is going to be a really great year. Clayton's teacher has tons of experience in early childhood education, and I'm thinking they will be a great match.

Ophthalmology...

2011-09-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Just add it to the long list of specialists we visit regularly with Clayton. Thank goodness for good insurance (when they actually pay, but that's a whole other can of worms). Anyway, did you know that when you have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, you're at a high risk for developing inflamation of the optic nerve? Well neither did I, until recently. So off to the ophthalmologist we went today. Clayton's eyes got a clean bill of health, but he will have to come back every six months until he's an adult or forever if his arthritis continues. Fun, fun.

In other health news, we still haven't heard anything from Stanford on Clayton's Fontan. I'm hoping they forgot about us, so we can just ignore the situation.

Heart Cath

2011-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks since I've update on Clayton. The cath lab called and got us in a lot earlier than I was expecting. It was probably better that way because I didn't have weeks to agonize over Clayton's heart cath. So anyway, Clayton had his heart cath last Thursday, August 18th, which was also the first day of school. Oh well. Everything went really well. We checked in at 6am. They started around 8am, and he was out around 10:30, much sooner than I expected. He was intubated for the procedure. Although we haven't heard anything official, the cath lab doctor said the pressures in the lungs were fine, which is one of the main measurements they look for before a Fontan. They were also looking for collateral veins that often develop in his situation, and they only found one worth coiling off, which is probably why they were done so quickly.

Clayton was pretty cranky coming out of anesthesia and had a little nausea, but once we moved out of the initial recovery room and into a little more private quarters, he did much better. A huge thank you to the inventor of the portable DVD player. Clayton had to lay flat for three hours. Try telling that to any 5 year old boy in a hospital. The DVD player was a trememdous help with that. Clayton was discharged at 1:30pm, and we rested most of the rest of the day. They entered through veins in his neck and groin. The neck entry went well, but wow, there was (and still is) some severe bruising at the groin site. I'm thinking this was partially due to him having to be held down by two nurses and a doctor before I could get back to the recovery unit after the procedure. It will still be weeks before that goes away.

The next morning Clayton felt up for school, so we let him go. We live about two minutes from the school, and the teacher said she'd call me if she had any concerns. Everything went great with that, and he even went to his first t-ball practice that night.

The information collected in the cath has been sent to Stanford, and they will get back to us with their recommendations for Clayton's surgery. I have no idea when it will be, but we're hoping to put it off at least a couple months, as Ryan is in a really busy season with work. We'll see.

Thank goodness that step is over. Seeing Clayton thrashing around after the cath and begging for something to drink after being intubated sure does make me dread surgery. I know it will not be fun.

Cardiology Clinic

2011-08-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Clayton had his cardiology check up on Wednesday. Weight gain since January... wait for it... none. Yep. I promise I feed him (see attached picture). So I had to ask the question, "Is it even possible for Clayton to achieve 15kg?" And the answer I got was, "Maybe not." That said, after some discussion between OU and Stanford, Clayton will have a heart cath this fall here at OU Children's (I'm trying to be okay with that). Those numbers will be sent to Stanford, and they'll decide if they want to go ahead and proceed with Clayton's Fontan. Clayton is going to pre-k this year, and it would be nice to have this done before kindergarten, so we'll see what they say. The whole thing makes my heart pound a little too much. I'm in no rush to do this surgery, but I do really want it behind us. I can't believe it's been almost five years since we've been to Stanford. I can still hear the beeping (and smell the parent lounge... gag).

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

2011-07-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I woke up really early in the morning and thought, "Oh no. This better not be what I think it might be." And it was. I was in labor, and my husband was out of town. Oh well. This baby couldn't wait.

Aaron Wesley Zeitler

7/29/2010

8lbs, 3oz

19 inches

Happy First Birthday to my sweet son, Aaron Wesley Zeitler. I can't imagine life without this guy. In the last month or so, his little personality has really been shining through. He loves to watch his brothers play and is becoming more and more interactive with them. It's no secret that Aaron's a mama's boy, but he's also really been warming up to his daddy lately. He loves to eat, eat, eat. Anything he doesn't like, he just drops over the side of his highchair. Mommy loves that.

Aaron is over 20 pounds now, probably about 20.5lbs. He has the eight teeth he had at six months, but just yesterday, one of his 12 month molars poked through. The other three are swollen, and I can feel one really close to the surface, but we'll call it 9 teeth on his first birthday.

We were lucky to have Ryan's sister and kids here last week, so we had Aaron's birthday party while they were here. It was so much fun to share Aaron's birthday with his cousins. They were so sweet to him, and all the kids were so excited to have a party. Eli questioned me several times throughout the day, making sure we would be having cake after dinner.

We had walking tacos for dinner, a fun little treat I learned from my VBS ladies at St. Andrew's. Then we had a little cake. Aaron dug in like he was an old pro, and he ate every bite of his slice. He also ate a bit of ice cream, something the other two wouldn't eat until they were older.

This morning I made blueberry muffins, and the boys and I serenaded Aaron with his birthday muffin. We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then went to the library. Aaron opened a couple presents from family tonight after dinner, and that was that.

I can't believe my baby is one year old today. The big boys are growing so quickly, and I was hoping Aaron would stay my baby forever. I don't think it's going to happen.

Birthday muffin

Deer in the headlights

Lunch at Chick-fil-A

Silly brothers

Gifts from Papa and Gigi

Birthday Party Pictures:

Party prep

Table set and ready for the cousins

Eli put on his hat and couldn't understand why we all thought he looked so funny.

Yummy cake and Bluebell, of course

Bring on the cake

The birthday boy

Singing Happy Birthday

My niece and nephew

Trying it out

It'll do.

Getting going

Finishing it up and obviously loving being one year old

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag sweet Aaron! You are loved!

Cousin Time

2011-07-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

We were so fortunate that Ryan's sister was able to bring her kids out to Oklahoma this month. The kids hadn't seen each other in 18 months, so it was kind of like meeting each other for the first time. We had a busy, but fun time together. They were also able to be here through a lot of Clayton's arthritis hoopla, and that helped me tremendously with the little boys. Aaron was a little cautious around Ryan's sister the first day or two, but by the end of their stay he was actually reaching out for his aunt to hold him. I think he earned some brownie points for that.

While they were here, we had several fun outings and spent a lot of time just hanging out at home, letting the kids play. I wish it hadn't been so hot, but we still managed to have a little outdoor fun. I have a million pictures to share, so if you're not into pictures, you can stop reading now. I tried to narrow it down.

We spent a lot of time in the backyard. Water was always involved. The hose was the most popular toy. Sometimes a spray was welcomed, and sometimes it wasn't.

We went to the science museum.

These two were the only ones brave enough to pose with Otto.

We went to the splashpad.

Aaron is my most enthusiatic splashpadder. He sat at this little fountain for a good half hour.

We went bowling.

And just spent some time being cousins.

There was also a short trip to the zoo, lunch at Chick-fil-A, more ice cream than should be consumed by small children, and sno cones, of course. Time with family is a rare treat for us, and we had such a great time. Clayton remembers his cousins and aunt, but they were just pictures for Eli until this trip. Now he knows them and is talking about them nonstop. We really, really appreciate them making the trip out here, and I especially appreciated all the company/babysitting/cooking/cleaning help. Love you guys. We miss you already.

VBS 2011

2011-07-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

In the middle of all Clayton's health drama, we've had a very busy Vacation Bible School season around here. I love VBS. I went almost every summer as an elementary schooler, and I believe in its ministry. I love that kids who never have the opportunity to attend church show up for VBS. As we work and work to put on the program, I always try to remember that many of our kids will only have this one week each year to learn about Jesus.

Our VBS was July 11-14, and this year's theme was Pandamania. Clayton was able to attend the preschool VBS again this year. He had the same teacher from last year, and we love her so much. I wish I had some pictures to share, but trust me, between all the VBS prep, teaching at VBS, and Clayton's issues, a camera was the last thing on my mind.

I'm so thankful to belong to a church with so many ladies dedicated to making VBS a success. It's a summer staple, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

It's Been a While

2011-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

With all that's been going on with Clayton, I just haven't felt up to blogging in a while. We didn't have any firm answers to his leg problems, and I didn't really have anything to say. The last few weeks have been very busy, but very productive.

Since my last update, Clayton's knee continued to grow more and more swollen and stiff. He was unable to walk in the mornings. After a lot of painful warm up, he would walk with a severe limp until he sat for any amount of time. Then he'd be back to crawling again. I felt terrible for him, and Ryan and I recently began to notice some changes in his personality as well. He's been a little depressed. He began just laying around most of the day, and he didn't seem to enjoy anything anymore.

On Wednesday, the 6th of July, Clayton was unusually sore and stiff. After calling and calling and calling, trying to get some help, I finally broke down and took him to the ER. I didn't know if there was anything done, but at least it would be noted somewhere that I felt he was in enough pain to be seen in the ER. I took him to Children's, and they were, as usual, extremely helpful. The attending doctor made some calls, and got our orthopedic surgery appointment moved up and got us in (eventually, it's a long story) with rheumatology.

On Wednesday, the 13th we met with an orthopedic surgeon who, as we expected, told us he didn't feel Clayton had an orthopedic injury. He felt that it was more likely a rheumatology issue.

On Monday, the 18th we met with a pediatric rheumatologist at Children's. She was wonderful and had already been over all our information (what a concept!). She had actually already consulted Clayton's cardiologist about all the ins and outs of his HLHS and all the dos and don'ts of medications for him. Even before examining him, she was pretty sure he had developed juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. After her exam, she diagnosed him with JRA in the right knee, as well as the the left ankle. Her normal course of action is a 6 to 8 week ibuprofen regimen, but Clayton is unable to take large amounts of ibuprofen due to his heart meds. She recommended we move on to the next stage of treatment, which was steroid injections in the affected joints. In children these are usually done under anesthesia, and she recommended we do it as soon as possible.

On Friday, the 22nd, we took Clayton to Children's for the injections. Anesthesia, even for quick, small procedures, is complicated for Clayton's anatomy. They were ready for him though, and we felt pretty confident. Things went well, and we were home for lunch. Clayton did really well. He was a little bit of a wreck coming out of the anesthsia, but he eventually snapped out of it. When it was time to leave the hospital I helped him take off his hospital pajama pants. He saw the band aids on his knee and ankle and angrily said, "Hey, who put those there?" Apparently he hadn't even realized anything had been done to his joints.

Friday afternoon and evening didn't really bring any changes, but Clayton woke up walking with only a barely noticable limp first thing Saturday morning. His walking has been great ever since. He does still have a slight limp at times, but I'm wondering if that's more of a muscle atrophy thing than anything related to the joints. He hasn't complained about pain once since Saturday. The swelling is still there, but the doctor said that could take weeks or months to resolve.

The steroid injections usually last somewhere between two and six months. As long as Clayton doesn't develop arthritis in his fingers or toes, and as long as he has five or less joints affected, we can repeat the injections when needed. They seem like the most compatible treatment with his heart condition at this time, so that's the plan. Sometimes these things miraculously go away, sometimes they outgrow them as teens, and sometimes they hang around forever, so we'll just have to wait and see.

I'm so relieved. I was really worried about Clayton, both physically and mentally. I am still worried about the future, now that he has half and heart and deteriorating joints, but with Clayton, it's just one day at a time, and for now, he's looking good.

Clayton

2011-06-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're still dealing with this, but Clayton's knee is still swollen, and it's causing more and more problems for him. He has been limping 100% of the time for about three weeks now. Yesterday we took a day trip to Wichita Falls to see my old roommate, Jennifer. It's about a two hour drive. We met her at a restaurant, and when I lifted Clayton out of the van, he collapsed in the parking lot. He cried and cried and couldn't unbend his leg from the carseat position. He eventually managed to hobble into the restaurant. I would have carried him, but I was already carrying Aaron (and the high chair cover, and Aaron's lunch, and Eli's cup, and....). About half way through the meal he had to use the restroom, and I had to carry him there and back. Then he managed to hobble to the car afterward. When we got to Jennifer's house he was able to bend it a little better, and by the time we left, he was walking, with the limp, pretty well. Unfortunately, it stiffened up again on the drive home, and he was miserable for a couple hours once we arrived home.

It was so very hot yesterday, and I'm wondering if sitting under the full blast air conditioner in the van for two hours each way irritated it. He's been stiff in the mornings and after naps, but not to the extent he was after the two hour drive.

I'm starting to get very frustrated by this, and I feel terrible for Clayton. He usually has a pretty high pain tolerance, so the fact he's been in tears multiple times over this really worries me. We saw the pediatrician again on Tuesday and are now working on getting an ortho consult. I really hope they can get us in soon. Clayton has VBS in two weeks, and I'm not sure if he'll be able to go. I cannot imagine what is going on. His second round of bloodwork last week looked better than the first, so it's a mystery. Also, Clayton can't take Motrin because of drug interactions, so that's just super. Please say a prayer for my little guy. It's pretty pathetic to watch your five year old crawl all around the house because his leg won't bend.

Another Update

2011-06-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Clayton's bloodwork looked relatively normal, except his CRP was slightly elevated, indicating some infection. Because it was only slightly elevated, and he hasn't had anymore fever, we're going to see how the knee does this week and test again on Friday.

Poor boy just limps along like there's nothing wrong. It doesn't seem to bother him, and he's always been a SLOW walker, so it's not holding him back. I'm praying it's nothing and that it goes away on his own.

We had a good time at the Legoland Discovery Center in Grapevine this afternoon. It was packed, completely packed. I think the kids enjoyed it, but I really recommend avoiding weekends there. Wow. That was a lot of kids in a tiny space.

Clayton Update

2011-06-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

So it's been an interesting week for Mr. Clayton. It's a long story.

The last couple months, Ryan and I would agree that Clayton has had a little less energy than is usual for him. This is not something that has come out of the blue, and we have always known that he would grow more and more in need of a Fontan as time progressed. We had a cardiology appointment in January, and his heart function and valves all looked good, but now it's been a few months, and I'm beginning to wonder about a few things.

About a week ago, I noticed Clayton limping. I didn't think anything of it. I thought it was just a game or pretending. I didn't think there had been any injury that would cause a limp. On Tuesday afternoon I realized he had been limping a lot, and, not wanting to suggest anything, I started watching him more closely.

On Wednesday I took the kids to the splashpad at 11am. We had been at 9am the week before, and Clayton had complained about being cold the entire time. The water was cold, and there was a breeze, so I decided to go at a little warmer time of the day, thinking the warmth and the cold water would be a good combination. When we got there, he was already tired. He played for a few minutes and then stood around doing nothing for a while. I asked him what was wrong. He said he was hungry. I pulled out the picnic, and he ate nothing. Then he didn't want to get back in the splashpad. He sat in the stroller in the shade the 15 or so minutes more we were there. I did carry him to the splashpad to wet his hair because I was afraid he was overheating. When we got home, he marched directly to my room, his nap spot, and slept for just over four hours. When he got up, he refused to come to the table for dinner, so I let him lay on the couch and watch a movie. It was at this time that I really started to notice his knee, on the limping leg, was swollen. At about 8pm I realized he was running a fever. He had Tylenol then and at 3am and woke up chipper and hungry Thursday morning.

I told you it was a long story.

Clayton was great all morning Thursday, but I was starting to be concerned about his knee, so I made a pediatrician appointment for that afternoon. I thought he was cured from whatever was bothering him the day before until about 11am, when he suddenly wanted to be held (Clayton????), and fell asleep on my shoulder while I was having lunch at church in a noisy room with about 20 other ladies. Strange. Then he was miraculously fine by the time our appointment rolled around, and has been since.

We really have three issues that may or may not be related here.

1) Possible cardiac function issues.
2) Possible virus/infection.
3) Possible knee injury/other joint ailment.

We've started by attempting to have Clayton's August cardio appointment pushed up. Wish us luck with that one. We'll see. We went over to the hospital and got x-rays of the knee. Those came back with nothing today, so we went back over to the hospital and got bloodwork.

Please say a little prayer for Clayton. He is usually in such good health, and he still is, he just has a few issues going on right now. He's been happy and healthy all day today, just still has the limp. It's my prayer that the knee just heals itself, and he doesn't have any other issues going on.

In the meantime, we're living in denial and planning to meet up with some high school friends tomorrow. I can't wait. We're really looking forward to it. Clayton will be the one in the stroller.

Back at the Splashpad

2011-06-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love going to the splashpad. It's almost like going swimming, but I don't have to worry about anyone drowning, and the big boys can roam free. There is a good sized, really nice splashpad not too far from our house, but it's always packed, and I think a million kids running on a wet concrete slab isn't the greatest idea. Last summer we discovered this tiny, but adequate, splashpad, and we only ever had to share it once. This morning there were a couple other families there, but it was still great. I hope it remains a hidden gem. We like having it almost to ourselves.

Last year Eli was not a fan of getting wet. He would walk round and round the perimeter the entire time we were there. This year, within about 30 seconds of our arrival, he was right in the middle of things. He loved it. We will probably be here a lot this summer. It's the perfect summer outting for a mom with three little ones.

Mac and Cheese

2011-06-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Trying it out for the first time...

The verdict...

I think he likes it!

Lizzy's Dress

2011-06-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Wow! Thanks for all the comments about the little shoes. In the spirit of tooting my own horn, I'll share a little summer dress I made for my niece, Lizzy, a couple weeks ago. I saw this dress here, and knew that Lizzy needed it for that hot, Texas summer weather. It was so easy to make. It turned out a little big, but it was 95 degrees on Halloween last year, and almost as warm on Thanksgiving, so I'm thinking she can wear it for a while, especially if she adds a little sweater.

The dress has three rows of elastic casing at the waist and a large bow at the top which is also on elastic to help gather and size the top. I love pink, but I also know she has a ton of pink, so I tried to pick a fabric that would be something different for her. Once I actually started sewing I was afraid she would look like one of the Von Trapp kids in their curtain playclothes from The Sound of Music. I figured Meghan wouldn't mind though because that was one of our all time favorite movies growing up. Yes, she could fit in right behind Gretel.

Now, I think I've got to get busy on another pair or two of those shoes for Aaron.

Finding the Time

2011-06-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

I love sewing. I'm not great, but I love the challenge of figuring out a pattern and going for it. Sometimes it works out great, sometimes not as great, but I always have fun creating something from a piece of fabric or two. Aaron's arrival has definitely put a dent in my sewing time, but now I'm finally feeling a little more "in the groove" with my life and have managed to eek out a few little projects lately.

Today's accomplishment was baby shoes for Aaron. I have a dangerous attraction to expensive baby shoes, and for what? They don't even walk in them. I know. I have several nice pairs of hand-me-down shoes for Aaron, but Aaron is my biggest baby, and I'm embarrassed for him when I say that his Robeez are getting a little tight around the ankles due to all his lovely chunkiness. I saw this pattern, and it looked easy enough, and I knew I'd be able to adjust the elastic to fit his little ankles, so I gave it a try. It was super easy, and I'll definitely be making more.

I think he likes them.

I will admit this was not my first fabric choice, but I was really low on boyish fabric, and this was what I had on hand. I try really hard not to take the boys to the fabric store with me because there is a strange spirit there that makes them act like complete monsters every time we walk in the door, so I went with what I already had on hand. The bottoms are suede (which I picked up for nearly nothing on sale a couple weeks ago), and the insides are lined with red fabric with white stars. I also like that they are cotton, as opposed to leather Robeez, which I think will be cooler for this summer. They will be great for the Fourth of July, and Aaron has several outfits that are red, white, and blue that he can wear them with. At ten months, he's not even crawling yet, so I don't foresee walking anytime in the near future, which means these little crib shoes will still be handy for a while.

Seeing Oklahoma

2011-05-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

A long time ago Ryan joined the Air Force. We eagerly anticipated our first assignment. I was dreaming of exotic locations with new sights to see. I don't know where Ryan was hoping we'd go. Assignment day arrived, and the news wasn't good. Alamogordo, New Mexico. This may have initially sounded fun to me if Alamogordo didn't already have a reputation in my mind. We had lived there when I was little, and my parents had pretty much always described it in not so pleasant ways.

I did a little research on things to do and see, and our first weekend there I already had two nearby places to explore. We mentioned our plans to someone, and he replied, "Don't do it all the first week." He was right. We had pretty much done everything there was to do within seven days of our arrival. We did grow to enjoy our assignment there, but it wasn't because of all the things to do and see.

Perhaps this experience has led to us not being entirely on the ball with getting out and seeing the local sights at our following assignments. We don't want to do everything in the first week. Now that we've lived here nearly four years, we've come to the realization that beyond Oklahoma City, we really haven't seen any of Oklahoma. I will admit that I'm not really sure what there is to do around here, but there's got to be something, right? I know there's a lot of fishing here, but we're not really fishing people. There's a lot of camping, and we're going to have to get out and do that some, but I will admit that the just the idea of camping with three small children immediately makes me tired. I put out a plea for ideas on Facebook this week and got a few suggestions.

We decided to go to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks. I had heard of the aquarium from a few people, but I really didn't know anything about it. My parents came into town at the last minute, and they were up for it, so we all piled in the van and set out for Jenks.

I was impressed. It was a really nice facility. I learned a lot. Most importantly, the kids loved it. Aaron was surprisingly non-needy, and Clayton and Eli loved seeing all the exhibits. Each time I tried to peal Eli off an exhibit, he'd say, "No, no yet." He was the most impressed. Clayton and Eli even braved up and touched a bunch of different things in the touching pools. I don't do that. I'm not an animal person. Sorry. I'm okay with it.

Shark diving cage

Eli watching the turtle pond

Pop helping Clayton in the Oklahoma Streams exhibit

Aaron behaving himself

Eli touching stuff I didn't want to touch

Nan and Eli with the sting rays

We tried and tried to get a picture of the boys with this alligator at the end of our visit, but it just didn't happen. Nap time was calling.

We had a great time and are looking for more Oklahoma outing ideas, so let me know if you can think of anything for us to do here.

He Likes It!

2011-05-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

I took the boys to the park yesterday, and Aaron tried out the swings for the first time. He was in heaven, laughing the whole time.

Clayton was so kind to share his swing and swing at "baby speed" for so long.

Clayton

Eli

Our trip to the park was an interesting one. It was a gorgeous day. We arrived. I set out all the food. Then three giant school buses of middle schoolers pulled up. The other families at the park bolted, but we had just arrived, so we toughed it out. There were kids everywhere, but when I started hanging out by the baby swings, the kids jumped off and let my boys have those, which I appreciated. Clayton and Eli were completely in awe of the three school buses, and their day was complete when a garbage truck pulled up, and the garbage men emptied every trash can in the park. Talk about a perfect day for those boys... picnic, park, school buses, and a garbage truck!

PS Meghan (and all other readers of Trahsy Town), Eli kept asking if the driver of the garbage truck was Mr. Gilly. OBSESSION!

Flashback

2011-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to share a few pictures I found when I discovered our missing camera in our van. I had convinced myself there wasn't anything important on the camera card, but I was so excited to see some of these. Wow. These boys have all grown up so much since then.

First day at home.

First night at home.

First bath

First time to church, August 8, 2010

Love from Dad. He didn't like the binkie then, and he doesn't like it now.

I'm so glad to have found these and several other sweet pictures of my baby boy. I miss that sweet, tiny baby, but I do certainly enjoy watching him grow and develop into a little person.

Touch-a-Truck

2011-05-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. It was the second weekend in May, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, I knew I had forgotten something. Touch-a-Truck in Edmond! We've gone the last couple years, and I didn't want the boys to miss out on it this year, so we quickly got ready and headed out the door. In true spring style, the weather was downright nippy, but better a little cold than hot at an event like this. It has actually been cold at this event the last two years and now this year too. Isn't that strange?

Although there were a ton of trucks and vehicles, there were several vehicles missing this year. I hope they'll be back next year. The boys didn't seem to notice though. They were in high heaven. I thought Aaron would be bothered by the noise, but he stayed snug as a bug in my Ergo carrier and actually napped most of the time.

We followed up the event with a trip to Chipotle, which we don't have on our side of town, so I have to splurge when I'm up in Edmond. By the time we loaded everyone back into the van, the kids were beat and all slept on the way home. It's always good to get some family time in on the weekends.

Double Celebration!

2011-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today was Mother's Day and my birthday, and it was the best Mother's Day/birthday I've had in a long time, mainly because Ryan has been gone for both events for the last two years. The Air Force gods relented this year though, and my husband was finally home, attempting to make up for past years.

Our morning was rushed, as Sunday mornings always are, but we actually made it to church somewhat on time. Gasp. We were all shocked. Clayton sang (actually sang, didn't just stand there like a zombie) in the Sunday school choir, and I was very pleased. After church we headed out to the base for the Mother's Day brunch at the club. Oh wow. It was amazing. Club food is usually hit or miss, but it was definitely a hit today. Eli and Clayton ate two full plates each from the buffet. They were free, so that was a bargain. All three kids were amazingly behaved, and (tooting my horn slightly) received several compliments from the droves of retirees there.

When we got home, the kids and I took much needed naps while Ryan made me an ice cream birthday cake and cooked dinner. Ice cream cakes are a favorite of ours, and we've started making them from time to time for each other. It was mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate cake, my favorite. Yum. He even frosted it with pink icing. I was so excited to have a pink cake because, I'll say it again, there is very little pink about my life.

I know this cake says 31, but I think I'm really just 26 this year, so just ignore those candles.

After dinner there were gifts and cake, pajamas, stories, and bedtime for boys. I've spent the evening relaxing. What a day. I wish it was Mother's Day/my birthday everyday. Now I'd better get to bed because Monday is coming, and we all know what Mondays feel like.

Mama's boys getting ready for bed. Love these babies, and miss my oldest.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all my mom friends! I miss you all and are grateful to have so many great examples of motherhood to follow.

Easter

2011-05-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's May already, and I haven't put up an Easter post yet. Despite the crazy weather, we had a great Easter weekend. On Saturday evening we headed over to our church for an egg hunt in the front yard. The weather held off for us, and the kids had a good time. Eli really got into the hunting spirit. Clayton, in true Clayton colors, picked up a few eggs and was pretty much done. He was more interested in finding out what was in each of those eggs, and lucky boy actually had a prize egg, for which he was able to redeem a prize basket afterward.

Our church had a Saturday night Easter service, and since we were already at church, and Ryan was playing in the orchestra, the boys and I stayed for service too.

The next morning, the boys were thrilled to find their Easter baskets on the fireplace. We hadn't talked very much about the whole Easter basket part of Easter, so I think it was pretty much a surprise. Ryan and I had a couple little things for the baskets, and both sets of grandparents had sent a few little things too, so they had some good loot.

Yes, that book in Eli's basket is Trashy Town. It's his absolute favorite book. I think we're the only people that check it out at the library. Eli + Trashcans = Love.

We also had a little egg hunt in the backyard for Clayton and Eli. The backyard was completely drenched, and it was lightly sprinkling all morning, so we had a quick and easy hunt, just to say we hunted.

It's a good thing we had our hunt when we did because a few minutes later, this was the scene.

I'm not sure if you can see it, but that is nickel and quarter sized hail. Spring has definitely arrived in Oklahoma.

Ryan went on to church to play in the orchestra again, and since we had been the night before, and the weather was so awful, the boys and I spent a cold and cozy morning at home. That afternoon I made a ham and lots of other goodies, and we enjoyed our family Easter feast together.

Visitors

2011-05-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Back in April we were able to have my parents and Ryan's parents out to Oklahoma for a visit. Their trips overlapped a night, so we all headed over to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We met up with Lindsey, one of my college roommates, who was also in town. It would have been a great night out, except it was prom night, and wow, it was completely packed. After a very long wait, it all worked out.

It was so nice to have both our parents there, and it was really great to get to catch up with Lindsey. I hadn't seen her since our wedding, almost 10 years ago.

Binkie Update, Because You Care

2011-04-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think it's official. We are a binkie-free household. Aaron doesn't take a binkie (much to my disappointment), so we're 100% free. I am shocked that it was really this easy. The first couple nights it took just over an hour for Eli to fall asleep, and there was only crying the first night. Also, the first few mornings he didn't want to just chill in his bed like he always has in the past. However, the last two nights have been back to normal, and he stayed in bed until 8:45am this morning, so I really think he was awake, relaxing in there for at least a few minutes. Today is the first day he hasn't asked for it once, so I think we're over the hump here. So far, so good.

Eli is really getting big. I call him my overgrown baby because in some ways he's still such a baby, but in other ways he's all boy.

Clayton's Fifth Birthday Party

2011-04-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Clayton turned five on April 10th. We decided we would have our first real kid birthday party to celebrate the special occasion. About a month before the party we got a party supply catalog (junk mail) in the mail. Clayton claimed it and after flipping through it a hundred times, declared he was having a Super Readers party. Super Why is one of Clayton's favorite PBS shows. It's pretty cute, so I approved. Clayton was beyond excited for the entire month leading up to the party. He told everyone he met that he was turning "dive" (yes, f is still an issue, although we're making progress), and he was having a "Duper Readers" (yes, s is an issue too) party.

We rented a pavilion at one of our city parks on Saturday, the 16th. It was a slightly chilly, but beautiful day, and the winds, though still present, were on the calm side. We had so much fun, and we are so thankful to all our friends that came out to help us celebrate. Here are a million pictures.

Getting set up

Aaron relaxing in the sun. A huge thanks to Brandy for taking care of Aaron so much during the party.

Eli sliding with Nan waiting to catch him. He's definitely gotten over his fear of slides.

Pizza. I'll admit it. It was the easy choice.

Isn't he just the cutest? L with his mama.

Sweet A.

Eli. He drank his and everyone else's drink at the party. He's a theif like that.

Lots of kiddos

Opening gifts.

He was soooo excited.

We lost a few balloons to those spikey things they have to keep the birds out. Thanks B.

Sweet kiddos

Super Reader cake

Blowing out the candles

Too excited to wait for a fork

Aren't these some cuties? M and A.

As you can see, we had a ton of fun. We're so grateful to have this birthday boy. I could not have imagined this day five years ago. Happy Birthday Clayton!

He's Always Been a Great Eater

2011-04-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Eli, Oh Eli. You definitely keep us on our toes these days.

A couple weeks ago Eli, Aaron, and I were out running errands while Clayton was at preschool. It was getting to be lunch time, and this boy was starving, and he was letting me know about it. When Eli is hungry, it's a crisis. I decided to drive thru McDonald's and get this boy a happy meal so that he'd have something the minute we walked in the door. When we got home, I got his meal set up, and I went to use the restroom. When I returned, Eli hadn't eaten a bite of the happy meal. He'd gotten into the fridge, pulled out the strawberries, and was chowing down. I wish I would make good food decisions like that. I would have rather had the fries.

A couple days later I took this picture after lunch. I had made the boys each a half peanut butter sandwich, half an orange, some goldfish crackers, and a granola bar. Clayton didn't eat a bite of his, and Eli scarfed his down. He said he was still hungry, so I just gave him Clayton's untouched plate. I came back a few minutes later, and he'd eaten everything except half a granola bar. Whoa. This kid can pack it away. I'm getting really nervous about my future grocery bill.

Eli, what are you doing?

2011-04-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I walked into the kitchen and saw Eli repeatedly banging the window with his shoe. I asked him what he was doing, and he said "Gettin' spiders."

Then I remembered I'd killed a spider on that window the night before with my tennis shoe. Monkey see, monkey do.

Operation Bye-Bye Binkie

2011-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, Eli. It's time.

Night #1: In bed at 7:50pm. Much screaming. Out of bed at 8:10 for "wocking" chair time. Back in bed at 8:15. Crying, whining, etc until 9:00.

We'll see how the rest of the night goes. I'm nervous.

I'll let you know.

PS Yes, Clayton had a wonderful birthday party last weekend. No, I haven't posted about it yet, but I will soon. We've been busy around here.

Happy Birthday Clayton!

2011-04-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Clayton Andrew turned five years old today. Wow. I can't believe this day is here. I remember some casual statistic roll off the tongue of a cardiologist when I was pregnant with Colin. She said about 75% of children with HLHS make it to their fifth birthday. I think she was trying to be comforting, but let's face it, those aren't really great statistics, and of course, Colin was in the other 25%. Clayton, however, continues to thrive and live each day not knowing there is anything different about him. Just the other day he told me, "When Eli gets big he can take meds like me."

Oh Clayton. You just don't have any idea how special you are.

This morning the birthday boy was treated to an early morning donut run with his dad. They brought home donuts, selected by Clayton, for the family. We had a great morning in church (Aaron stayed in the nursery, which is always a blessing). Then this evening we had Clayton's friends William and Abby and their mom, Elana, over for dinner and some cake. Due to deployments and travel, these kids hadn't seen each other in many months, and they had a great time together. We got Clayton a swing set for his birthday, and it was put to some good use tonight.

5 years old

Clayton selected this very patriotic donut.

Clayton and his long time buddy, William

These two are good friends.

Five candles on a carrot cake. I never ate carrot cake as a child. I guess no one ever served it to me. In fact, I didn't even know carrot cake actually contained real carrots until I was an adult. Anyway, I'm making sure I'm raising my kids the right way. Carrot cake is delicious, and it's a favorite around here.

We are going to have a birthday party on Saturday. We've always had small celebrations with just family or our close friends, but this year we're having a real kid party at the park. We'll see how it goes. Pray for good weather and minimal wind. This is Oklahoma.

Spring is Here

2011-04-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Now that I've typed that, we'll probably have an ice storm tomorrow.

Anyway...

Eli Jacob enjoying the weather. And yes, that's his Arkansas hat. I'm going to have to teach him to call the hogs. I'm pretty sure he'd get a real kick out of that.

Eight Months

2011-04-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Aaron, where does the time go? My baby is practically grown. Well, not really, but he is getting bigger and bigger everyday.

It's no secret that Aaron is definitely my most needy baby, and while he has slightly improved from birth, he's still an extreme mama's boy. The vast majority of his life is spent eating, sleeping, or being held by me; otherwise, he's screaming. There are times I have to let him work it out, but there are times that I just give in. I'm sure he won't be wanting me to hold him all day when he's 12, so I'm trying to find a way to enjoy it. I have also been getting every dollar's worth out of my Ergo carrier. Four to 6pm are especially trying hours around here, and Aaron can often be found strapped to my back in the Ergo carrier, happy as can be, while I'm cooking dinner. It works out for us both.

All that said, Aaron really is a joy in our family. When we're doing everything the way he wants us to, he's so funny. He adores his brothers. They love making him laugh. Lately Aaron is developing a love for his Daddy too. When Ryan comes home in the evenings, this boy is all smiles for Daddy. He's also saying "Da Da" now, though probably not specifically for Ryan.

As you can see, Aaron's pretty toothy. That's usually the first thing people say about him. He's like Eli in that way. At about four months, he got three teeth and had those for a while. Then about a month ago, five more came in within about a week's time. Yes, that was fun. So at eight months, Aaron has eight teeth.

Aaron loves his baby food these days, especially butternut squash. I'm still enjoying making my baby food. There are a lot of things about being the third (or fourth) child that one misses out on, so it feels good to be doing something special for him, and the way he inhales it makes me feel good too.

I sure do love this little guy. Our home would feel so empty without him.

Saturday

2011-03-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we were trying to think of something to do to get out of the house. Although it has started to warm up a little here, it was definitely not warm on Saturday, so we needed something indoors. It also had to meet the thousand other criteria that have to be met in order to take three children, four and under, into public. Long story short, Ryan had never been to the Capitol, so we decided to make a quick trip over there to look around. Clayton and I have been a couple times during Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week in Oklahoma, but we've never had time to just stroll and look around.

Apparently someone was getting married on the fourth floor that evening. Wow. What a venue. I had no idea one could get married in the Capitol. I told Ryan I was keeping it in mind for my next wedding. Just kidding.

Self portrait

I've never let Clayton use our camera, but I decided he could probably take a picture. I mean, it's a good sized viewing screen. Just line it up, and press the button. He took this picture and was so proud. We're going to need to work on the photography skills.

The dome (which we discovered was just completed in 2002... who knew, well, probably every Oklahoman, but if you haven't lived here very long, you just assume it came with the building) was beautiful.

After some pizza in Bricktown these two were out cold for the drive home. Poor Aaron's hat had slipped down over his eyes, but it didn't seem to bother him.

This one was pretty tired too, though he'd never admit it.

Well That Explains the Smell

2011-02-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

This one is for Aunt Meg and Uncle Luke. This is familiar territory for them.

The other day I put some waffles in the toaster for the boys. I noticed a burning smell, but we were in a hurry, and I assumed some little piece of the waffle was burning a little. The next day Ryan had something in the toaster, and I noticed a really bad smell. I glanced around the toaster, but everything seemed fine. A few minutes later when Ryan took his toast out, he saw this pen deep down in there. It had melted to the inside of the toaster, and in order to free it, we had to break all the little metal heating strips in there, thus ruining the toaster.

Who dunnit? It's unclear. Clayton says Eli did it, but he says that with a completely guilty look on his face. Eli has no comment. Oh well. Ryan came home with a new toaster yesterday, and we all had a big talk about not putting anything in the slots.

Dearest Eli,

2011-02-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

You have been wronged, and for that I apologize.

Hello, old friend!

Because I'm sure everyone who reads this blog has been so concerned with the whereabouts of my camera for the last six months, you'll be relieved to know, I found it.

Yes, we've told everyone who walks into our home that Eli most likely threw away our camera. It comes up because there's a super inconvenient child lock on the trashcan in our kitchen. Yes, I have a child lock on my trashcan. This goes against all my parenting beliefs. I don't believe in child locks. I only have them on the one set of cabinet doors under the kitchen sink. I believe in saying "no." However, once the camera disappears, it's a whole new ballgame.

In our defense, Eli has thrown away many items that have luckily been retrieved. Many small toys, important papers, and most recently, a Red Box DVD cover have all been discarded by Eli.

Yes, we blamed Eli for the camera's disappearance, accused him of throwing it away, and no, there's absolutely no way Eli was responsible for this one.

Today we needed a van clean out. I'd been a little lax on keeping up with that lately because it's been so bitterly cold here, and it's just not convenient to make sure every last thing makes it out of the van. I put the boys down for a nap and cleaned out the van (something I've done a thousand times since the disappearance; I usually keep it pretty tidy). I had the trunk open and noticed that my "emergency baby blanket" had gotten a little dirty and needed to be washed. I keep it in one of the side storage pockets in the trunk along with a bag of jumper cables, just in case. As I was repositioning that bag, I was standing at just the right angle to notice a black cord in the bottom of the pocket. I reached down in there, and sure enough... the camera.

I don't know exactly how it ended up there. We know we went to the science museum right around that time, and it's possible that as we were folding up the stroller, one of us put it in the pocket and forgot to take it out. I don't know.

All I do know is that I don't like my new camera, and I am sooooo happy to have my old one back. It's pink, which makes me happy, and I certainly don't have a lot of pink in my life, and more importantly, it usually takes better pictures than the new one.

All this is to say, "Sorry, Eli. Will you forgive us?"

PS I had convinced myself there were only a few newborn Aaron pictures on that camera and that most of the important baby pictures were already on my computer. Well, I was so happy to see the pictures of Aaron's first bath, several really great pictures of a tiny, tiny Aaron, and lots of pictures of the big boys loving on little Aaron. I'm so happy to have those pictures back. I didn't know what I was missing.

Things Heard Around Here

2011-02-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

Kids say the most interesting things, and around here, Ryan and I say some interesting things as well. I always say that I need to do a better job writing these things down, so here's a start.

Things Heard Round Here

Lately Clayton is into reenacting scenes from movies and TV shows. His latest obsession is the scene from Cars where Mack falls asleep on the highway, and the "mean cars" come by and wake him up. Clayton insists I reenact this scene with him at least once a day.

Clayton's most misunderstood words by people outside our home:

door (four)
dude (food)
dork (fork)
diretwuck (firetruck)
wup-wup (ruff-ruff)

Notice the "f" theme? F's are usually pronounced as "d" or "p."

Anytime something is wrong in the house, Clayton chimes in with "We've got a bad situation here." I have no idea where that came from.

I do however know where "What were you thinking?" comes from. He says this to Eli often. At least I know he's hearing me when I say it to him. In case you were wondering, this is a completely ineffective parenting question. It's usually just met with the all too common Clayton blank stare (AKA the "no speakie English" stare).

Eli. Every word he speaks comes out loudly and with such force. These days he cannot be quiet, EVER, especially in the car. He refuses to just sit back and enjoy the ride. He feels he must carry on constant conversation at the top of his lungs, mostly about the apple of his eye, trashcans. Yes, that's right. He has an extremely unhealthy obsession with trashcans. It was funny a long time ago, but now, Mommy is ready for him to develop some new interests.

Our usual car conversation:

Eli: Trashcan. Trashcan. Trashcan, Mommy? Trashcan dump out? Trashcan dump out, Mommy? Trashcan. Nother trashcan. Nother trashcan, Mommy? Trashcan gucky? Trashcan gucky, Mommy? Repeat a thousand times over with extreme gusto. No one else says a word. Mommy usually turns up the radio and tries to tune it out. Oh, and a big thank you to all my neighbors who store their trashcans on the sides of their houses where we can see them as we drive down our street every day, multiple times a day. This only fuels the fire.

Lately, Eli is either humpy or tirsey. Yes, hungry or thirsty. Every time he tells me he's humpy, I have to chuckle. He's so serious, and it sounds so funny to me.

DayTON nauTee. Clayton's naughty. This is heard anytime Clayton's doing anything Eli doesn't like. Sometimes it's something naughty. Usually it's nothing.

Night-night Binkie! Eli screams this out almost every time he's corrected or disciplined. He's still completely binkie dependent at night and for naps. When he's not happy, he thinks maybe he can change the subject, get in bed, and chill out with a binkie for a while. His plan never works, but he still tries.

Hode on Tie. Hold on tight. Eli says this repeatedly every time he's in a shopping cart. Am I really that crazy of a driver?

KeyKey (Cookie)

WoWum (Yogurt; I cannot explain this one) and it's cousin WoWum Dink (Yogurt drink)

Ah-Do (Apple juice; all juices are apple juice to Eli. Other than orange juice, we don't typically have juice in our house, so I don't know why he always requests apple juice.)

Anyway, it's a start to a list of things I'd like to remember in the future. I'm sure one day I'll wake up and no one will be begging me for "WoWum" or telling me they're "Door" but will be "Dive" on their birthday.

Snow Day

2011-02-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Aaron was outside for a few minutes, but he was definitely not happy about the cold. I pulled the Jumperoo up to the storm door, and he stayed inside watching us from behind the glass.

Also, Clayton hasn't said anything about his ear today, so we may have dodged that ear infection. He's still really congested, we all are, but he hasn't complained about the ear. So far, so good. Ryan got the driveway cleared, so it's back to work tomorrow.

It's That Time Again

2011-02-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Time for some baby food. Aaron sampled some rice cereal for the first time about two weeks ago. It went as well as expected (translation: a ton on the face, very little down the hatch), but he stayed happy throughout the meal.

All done. Two days later we left on our Great Wolf Lodge vacation. Aaron hadn't had much success with the cereal, so I decided for convenience sake, we'd just put it away and work on it again when we got home three days later. That was a mistake. On our trip this baby acted like I'd cut out all his meals. He acted like he was STARVING the entire trip. Within about two minutes of arriving home, he was chugging down a bowl of cereal like he'd been doing it his whole life.

Needless to say, we were ready to move onto to something else last week. I opted for squash. Before you think I make all my own baby food, I'll confess I don't. I made some of Clayton's and almost none of Eli's. I have a little bit of new resolve to make more of Aaron's though. Baby food is expensive for what it is. That's true, but to me the bigger issue is all that packaging. Whether it's the plastic or glass, there's just so much trash. Baby food is easy to make, so I'm making an effort to make as much as I can without killing myself (or making it at midnight, like I did this batch).

It looks yummy!

It's no blue fruit snack. That's for sure.

We have had much better luck with the squash in the last few days, and now we've added some applesauce to the mix as well, which Aaron loves.

Eating baby food is not a newborn thing to do. Sniff, sniff. Did I mention Aaron was six months old on Saturday? Where's my baby?

Hello Winter!

2011-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

We, like a lot of other people in the country, are having a blizzard here today, and that makes me pretty happy. I'm happy because Ryan didn't have to go into work today, and we kept our power on all day. Blizzards are fun when those two things work out. The only downside is the winds were so incredibly strong, and we didn't feel we could get the boys outside today. Three boys cooped up in a house ALL day makes for a very cranky dinner time, which resulted in a very early bedtime, so maybe that part wasn't all bad. Final snow count today: 12 inches.

Funny story about this screened window. Clayton was talking to Aunt Meg on the phone this morning. He walked over to this window, and I heard him tell Meghan, "A bunch of birds were flying around outside (true, poor birds), and they pooped all over our window (false)." Nice.

One slight problem will need to be addressed in the morning. Does Clayton have an ear infection? It's definitely a possibility. I'm almost sure our pediatrician won't be open (Ryan's not working either), so there will be the matter of locating a doctor (preferably one who won't flip out about his heart condition) and pharmacy that are open, as well as actually driving to them. Please pray for a miraculous healing tonight. If all fails, I could put some garlic in there. I have a friend who swears by it. I don't know. Tylenol seemed to help a little tonight.

Hope you're keeping warm wherever you are.

Buddies

2011-01-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Eli is Aaron's biggest fan. I spend a great portion of every day protecting Aaron from all Eli's love. Sometimes Eli can get pretty close to loving Aaron to death. It's no real secret that Aaron is, how shall we say this nicely, a fussy baby. I'm regularly surprised by how much of Eli's lovin' he willingly tolerates and actually enjoys.

Anyway, the other day I was enjoying watching these two interact. They absolutely love each other. Eli was such a baby when Aaron was born, and I didn't know how he'd react to having to share his Mommy, but it has almost never been an issue. He's a great big brother, when he's not laying on top of Aaron attempting to smother him with kisses.

Great Wolf Lodge

2011-01-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

We have recently returned from a short trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. It was a little trip to celebrate Ryan's return and spend some time together as a family. We had such an amazing time. Great Wolf Lodge is basically a large hotel with an indoor water park reserved only for guests. There are several restaurants in the hotel, plus all kinds of other kids activities and entertainment. It's kind of like a resort with an indoor water park.

I must admit, I had my doubts about taking three very young children to a water park, but I read up on it, and every review I could find said it was possible. We were able to go in the middle of last week, which was a huge blessing because the place was practically empty and the rates were great. Although we would have survived, our time in the water park was so much easier because it was really easy to keep an eye on Clayton and Eli with so few people there.

We arrived on Wednesday night and had just enough time to head down to the water park for an hour before they closed. Clayton and Eli were terrified of the entire thing, and I was really scared I'd made a bad decision. It's very noisy with all the water slides and wave pools echoing inside, and Clayton is often bothered by loud noise. Eli is pretty cautious about water in general. He doesn't like to get his face wet, even in the bathtub. It was also a little chillier in there than I had expected. I was pretty nervous.

On Thursday morning we went down there a little more rested and a little better fed. The boys slowly started to warm up to the idea of the place, and by lunch time, Eli was begging, "Stay in pool Mommy!" Clayton was loving the shallow little kids areas and the beach entry to the big wave pool.

Getting ready for the pool.

This is where Clayton spent the majority of his time. He loved trying to squirt us with the water gun on the front of this jet ski.

Shockingly, Aaron was even able to catch a morning nap down by the toddler pool. Can we say "Pilsbury Dough Boy?" Wow. He's a wee bit chunkier than my other boys.

We swam again Thursday afternoon and then for a while Friday morning before checking out. The kids had a blast, except when Ryan sent Clayton down a really big waterslide for a little boy, and Clayton ended up head first on his back. Needless to say, he wasn't happy, and he wouldn't even go down the baby slides after that. Otherwise, it was so much fun. Ryan and I even took some time taking turns watching the kids in the baby area while the other rode all the adult slides. There were no lines, so it was quick and easy, and the slides were actually really fun, fast, and a little scary, at least to me. We would have liked to have ridden some together, but it just wasn't possible with the kids. Next time we'll have to take Nan and Pop so we can have some extra babysitters around.

Together in the lobby. Yes, I know. It's not great. I'm okay with it. One day my children will look at a camera. One day.

Waiting for the nightly clock tower show.

Watching the clock tower show, followed by a bedtime story.

We packed up and left right at lunchtime. If you know Eli, you know once this boy gets hungry, look out. He must eat, and he must eat immediately. He was so starving, and I felt so bad for him as Ryan and I were trying to speed load the van in the freezing cold weather. The only thing I could reach was a chocolate chip cookie, and at that point, I didn't care. Just give him something. He gobbled it up, and this was the scene before we could even get out of the parking lot. Note the crumbs everywhere (a huge pet peeve of mine). Eek! This van needs a vacuuming.

All in all, we had a GREAT trip. I totally recommend Great Wolf Lodge; however, if you can, try to go during the week. I've heard the weekends are really packed, and it was really so much fun to be some of the only people there.

Our First Rodeo

2011-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

The International Finals Rodeo has been in town this weekend. We've been looking for some fun family activities to do during Ryan's leave, so we decided to go this afternoon. Neither of us had ever been to a rodeo, but I had seen commercials on TV saying Sunday afternoon was kid's day, so we decided to try it out.

There were a ton of people there. By the time we'd waited in line for tickets, the kids pre-show activities were over. That was fine though because we weren't really dedicated to any part of the rodeo. We were just there to see what it was all about.

First of all, we were the only people not in Wranglers. I knew we would be, but we didn't own any, so what could we do? I did however pull out the old Justin Ropers from college and wore them with some too long for me bootcut jeans, so I did make an attempt to dress for the event. I'm sure you're all thrilled to have the fashion angle covered in this post.

Now, onto the event. I was pleasantly surprised at how fiercely patriotic it was. They must have spent the first half hour on the national anthem and videos and other tributes to veterans of past and present wars. Then came the unapologetically Christian part which was also appreciated. There was a very long, emotional prayer to God to bless their competition, give them all attitudes of respect and appreciation for their competitors, keep everyone safe, and thanks for God's amazing creation, etc.

The rodeo itself was really entertaining. Ryan and I had never seen anything like it. I have seen short clips of rodeo events, but to see it all in person was definitely interesting. There were all kinds of events. I can't remember a lot of their official names, but tonight when I asked Clayton what he saw at the rodeo, he replied, "a cowboy wrestling a cow." Yep. Saw that. Of course we wanted to see the bull riding and barrel racing. I also enjoyed the pony express, which was like a horseback relay race.

Today's session lasted just over three hours, right smack in the middle of naptime. There were a few times when we thought the kids might be done, and we thought about cutting out early, but then they'd get better, so we stayed the entire time. Clayton's interest was held for a good portion of the time. Eli watched things every now and then. We sat high up in the arena so that the kids would have a little extra space to roam, and that helped a ton. Aaron slept the first half and did pretty well through the second half.

The rodeo was a great experience, and I know we'll try to make it back the next time they're in town. I highly recommend trying it out if you've never been.

Daddy's Home!

2011-01-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Loading up to go pick up Daddy. The boys had no idea where we were going. The temperature was well below freezing at this time. When we got to the base and I got a text saying they'd landed, I told the boys we were going to get Daddy. Clayton completely understood and was cautiously excited. Eli didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

Finally seeing Daddy after being locked in a small auditorium for two hours with 100 other children anxiously awaiting their Mommy or Daddy's return. It was an experience to say the least, but it was worth it.

Eli didn't seem to know if this was the real thing. I think he thought Daddy had been living in the computer the last few months because we did a lot of webcam. Whenever I was on the computer and Daddy wasn't there, Eli would tell me Daddy was night-night. Anyway, it took him a minute or two to realize Daddy was actually coming home with us.

Daddy with Aaron, who didn't understand what the fuss was all about and why we were out past bedtime.

Family shot (Aaron's in the car seat in the stroller). It was about 10 degrees by this time, so it was really cold and crowded in the lobby as people were trying to find their families and baggage. Luckily a friend was able to get this picture for us just before we made our run for the car.

We've been spending the last couple days settling back into home. Ryan has a little time off, and we're enjoying being a family again. Clayton has been busy showing Ryan all the little things (crafts, papers, toys)he's been saving for him this fall. He's also gotten to show Ryan his bike riding skills, although only briefly because the weather's been so cold. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow though, so I know he'll be out there pedalling around. Eli is our entertainer, and he's been busy cracking himself up trying to show off for Ryan. Aaron's still adjusting to this stranger among us, but he's a pretty friendly baby, so he's okay with Ryan. I'm just loving having my husband back at home and getting back into our family routines. We've been eating a lot of good cooking, eating way too many homemade cookies, and watching a lot of movies at night.

Welcome home Ryan!

Hanging Around

2011-01-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

Just a few quick pictures from the weekend. We've been on the road again, and it sure is good to be home.

Clayton is using his new TAG Reader from Leapfrog. I wasn't sure about this gift, but let me tell you, this has been the best Christmas investment I've ever made. Clayton LOVES this. The pen can do all kinds of reading activities with your child, but for our four year old, we mostly use it to read the TAG books and hear different sounds and phrases from the pictures. I can't believe how much Clayton loves this thing. He could listen to stories for hours.

Eli. Oh, Eli. Eli goes through phases of being attached to his (and anyone else's he can get his hands on) toothbrush. I originally tried to keep the toothbrushing confined to the bathroom, but then the dentist told me all about how great it was to let kids chew on them, especially if you have a hard time reaching all their teeth while they're brushing. I love this little man, and he has a new interest... puzzles. Usually he's too busy to pay attention to these, but in the last few days, he's worked a few pieces here and there.

We broke out the old Jumperoo. We bought this for Clayton years ago, and then Eli used it too. The thing was always a big hit with my kids. This picture was taken in the first few minutes Aaron was sitting in it. Then, like with all baby things, Aaron realized this was just one more way for Mommy to put him down, and he didn't take kindly to it. Aaron, why do you always NEED to be held every minute of everyday? I love you, but you are going to have to find a way to be happy without being in my arms every second of the day. PS Did I mention how much I love you?

Great Grandparents

2010-12-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed to have my grandparents at my parents' house for Christmas this year. They made the 8 hour drive down here to spend Christmas with their great grandkids. We're so fortunate they are able to get out and about. Here they are with the boys on Christmas morning.

I have to say that one of the highlights of the weekend was seeing these two play the Wii. My parents got a Wii for Christmas, and we were able to convince them to bowl with us. It was so much fun, and they were really great sports about the whole thing. Granddad got a strike on his first bowl. Why didn't I take a picture? Merry Christmas Grandmother and Granddad!

Cousins

2010-12-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we were excited to have some company. My aunt and uncle drove through with my cousin's beautiful girls. Camden is four months younger than Clayton, and Emma is three months younger than Eli. Meghan brought Lizzy over as well, and these kids had a great time playing together.

This picture must have been taken before what will forever be known as the moment I almost had a heart attack. My parents have this hot tub built into their deck. There is a gap between the deck and the tub of about ten inches. We've always been nervous that someone will somehow manage to fall through this gap, down to the ground. It's probably less than three feet down, but it's still a drop.

I was sitting at the dining room table, just inside from this spot. I looked up, saw Emma (the one on the hot tub) standing on the deck next to the tub. Then I saw her wobble, and then that black curly hair just disappeared. I just about had a heart attack. My dad made it to her first. Luckily she landed on her feet. She was actually laughing as Dad pulled her out. I can't remember the last time my heart beat so quickly.

This is a little water fountain in the backyard. Dad cleaned it out and turned it off a few months ago for the winter (I use the term "winter" loosely here). For some reason all children that come into this backyard LOVE to dig out all the rocks in there.

Aaron, Clayton, Eli, Emma, Camden, and Lizzy

Christmas Eve Pictures

2010-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Yes, this is the best picture we got at church. It was either Eli not looking OR Clayton with his tongue stuck out.

Here we are at my parents' house in front of the tree. Again, what's the deal boys? In this picture Eli's not looking AND Clayton has his tongue stuck out. We have about a hundred that are even worse than this one. Let's just say that taking pictures was the last thing these guys wanted to do on Christmas Eve.

Meghan was able to get this sweet picture of my big boy.

I think Meghan was able to get some pictures of the cousins in their pjs that night. Hopefully she'll share with me, and I can post some soon.

Annual Visit to Santa

2010-12-26T20:43:00.000-08:00

Mom and I took the boys to see Santa at the mall a couple weeks ago. Clayton was so excited to see the big man. For weeks he had been telling me he wanted a trash truck and a Toy Story notepad (his cousin Lizzy has one), and when Santa asked, he knew just what to say. Eli was slightly apprehensive about approaching Santa. He was agreeable to sit on his lap, but he didn't want any interaction. Aaron was just along for the ride.

Santa in past years. They sure have grown.

Peanut Blossoms

2010-12-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

They are my favorite holiday cookie. I know they're really nothing special, but they are so yummy. Yesterday I gave one to Clayton. An hour or so later I looked over and there was a plain peanut butter cookie on the table. That monkey had just eaten the Kiss out of the center and left the rest. Thankfully, Eli shares my love of the entire cookie, or "key-key" as he has taken to calling them.

Serious cookie eater

He likes to eat the Kiss first too, but then he gets down to business with the rest of his "key-key." Look at those deliciously fat fingers! Looks like he's sampled a cookie or two in his day.

Frosty Does Not Live Here and Some Random Other Stuff

2010-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

It's not really looking like Christmas these days. I keep seeing snow storms blowing across the country, but they are not reaching us down here. Yesterday was a record high of 84 degrees. Today it was only about 75, but Dad still decided the hot tub was in order. He added just a little heat, and he and the big boys took a swim. They have a blast in this tub. Eli is still a little hesitant about swimming, but Clayton can stand comfortably, and he loves it. I think swim lessons will be in order next summer. He's getting comfortable putting his face and head under water now.

My sister Meghan, Mom, and I have been busy baking up a storm the last few days. All I can say is YUM. Speaking of "baking up a storm," tonight at dinner I commented that Eli was "eatin' up a storm." Clayton pondered this a moment and then said, "Mom, what does that storm thing mean?" Hmm? It means doing something a lot or with gusto, but why do we (or at least I) say that? I don't know.

Speaking of Clayton, the other night we were talking, and something was mentioned about the three kings in the nativity. Clayton asked, "And what did they ride on?" I was a little surprised by his question, and didn't really think about it before I told him I didn't know. Then he informed me that they rode on a "Cam-in-all." Of course! I forgot about that. Lately he's also been very into telling me that DaBid (David) threw a rock at Goal-I-ep (Goliath) and hit him in the head. That's really all he recalls from the story, and I'm a little concerned we will have a rock thrower on our hands. I'm picturing his first victim, Eli.

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas season. We have a little company coming tomorrow, and then the Christmas crowd will be in on Christmas Eve. Clayton is getting excited.

Christmas is Coming

2010-12-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share this shot of the big boy on the morning of his preschool Christmas party. They had special treats and a book exchange. Clayton doesn't understand the Christmas break concept, so he's still a little confused as to why we don't have preschool anymore for a while.

A December of Firsts

2010-12-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

It's time for a little Aaron update. December has been a month of firsts for the little man.

Aaron is rolling back to tummy and tummy to back these days, even when swaddled, which means he now sleeps mostly on his tummy. Of course it makes me a little nervous with all the SIDS warnings, but there's really nothing I can do about it unless I stand over his crib all night. I did remove the crib bumper because he likes to wedge himself in the corner of the crib, and that really makes me worry he'll suffocate.

This past week Aaron has had his first cold. It's been no fun for either of us. He was awake every hour last night, and I was completely exhausted by morning when the other two got up. Lucky for me, Mom and Dad took the other two to church, and I stayed home with Aaron to try to get a little more rest. It didn't really work out, but it helped a little. So far he's doing a little better tonight.

Last week Mr. Fussy was in full swing. Sure enough, when I put my finger in his mouth, there was a little tooth in there.

Exhibit A

Remember the blue fruit snack incident? Well, let's just say Aaron has added a new baby-inappropriate food to his list. A couple weeks ago, I was home alone. It was lunch time, I had Clayton and Eli eating, and Aaron was hanging out in a highchair. I was feeling like the Mom of the Year, which in my definition means 3 kids awake and everyone silent. I was feeling so happy about the situation, that I actually snapped a picture, just to remind myself that peace is possible in this home.

After taking this picture, I turned around in the kitchen for just a minute, and Aaron started crying. When I looked back I saw Eli stuffing a fish stick into Aaron's mouth. Yes, I feed my children fish sticks on ocassion, and yes, apparently Eli felt the need to share.

The moment of peace was quickly interrupted, and Aaron spent the rest of the meal like this. Thank you Eli.

I'm sure there have been other firsts this month, but it's hard to remember them all. Even with all the tooth and cold drama over the last two weeks, I sure do love this little man. He's such a blessing in our family. I love seeing his brothers interact with him each day. They are big fans, and it's so sweet to see them entertain Aaron.

We've been busy getting ready for Christmas around here, but all that will be for another post or two.

Two and Loving It!

2010-12-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

First Friday

2010-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Meghan and I took the kids downtown to First Friday the other night. In the historic downtown they have street vendors and outdoor music on the first Friday of each month. It's really fun to get out and walk around a little. We took the kids to get pizza and then met up with Pamela and Payton.

These guys always have a great time together. Everyone had a great night. We love our family.

First Haircut

2010-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, it was finally time. Eli was mistaken for a girl twice on our Thanksgiving trip to Arkansas, so that was it. It was time to lose the ponytail thing growing from the back of his head. The top didn't need very much work, but there were places on the sides and back that lost two to three inches of hair. The lady was great, and Eli was amazingly cooperative. I was expecting an all out meltdown, but surprisingly, he just sat on my lap and let her work. Now my little boy has a neatly trimmed look, nothing too drastic, just nice and even all around. It looks really sweet.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

We travelled to Arkansas again for Thanksgiving this year. My mom's family always has a big gathering, and it's usually the only time of the year I get to see a lot of my mom's cousins and their families. The boys loved playing in Grandmother and Granddad's backyard which was covered in leaves. In Oklahoma we only have one tiny tree in our front yard, so leaves are an entertaining treat for these boys.

Clayton loves playing with Granddad's beagle, Cap.

While we were there we had a little "pre-birthday" party for Eli. Erika and Frank were able to come with their girls, and we were so glad to get to spend the evening with them. We had enchiladas followed by a little hummingbird cake.

We were a little rushed, so Eli still has enchiladas all over his face in these pictures.

We always have a great time with friends and family in Arkansas, and I am so blessed to be able to share my children with my grandparents. I know we bring a lot of activity to their quiet home when we come, so I bet they're still recovering from all the excitement.

Tomorrow night my sisters will be over to have a little birthday party for Eli, so we're looking forward to that. I can't believe my baby will be two years old. It seems like yesterday that I was busy preparing our house for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a new baby. Now he's two.

Four Months Old

2010-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

How is it that my baby is four months old? Those who know me know I love having a newborn, and let's be honest. Four months old is not really a newborn anymore. Aaron has great head control, can sit for a long time in the Bumbo, wears 3-6 month clothes, and is really close to rolling over when he gets mad enough. Those are not really newborn things. I'm very sad about how quickly he's growing. Soon he'll be wrestling nonstop with the other two and finding various ways to destroy my house and drive me crazy.

Despite all the growing and developing, we definitely love this little one. Eli is still Aaron's number one fan and takes every opportunity he can to literally smother Aaron with love and affection.

Aaron is not quite the sleeper the other two were. He's not terrible, but I know Eli was definitely sleeping a lot longer at this stage, and Clayton came home 100% sleep trained at two months (thank you feeding tube). These days Aaron is nursing and usually going to bed between 7 and 8, I'm waking him at 11 or 12 to eat (or else he's screaming his head off by 1am), he's waking about 7 to eat, and then he sleeps until 9. It's definitely not anything to complain about, but I know Eli was close to if not already sleeping 12 hours without nursing at this point, so it's hard not to compare them. During the day he's eating at 7, 10, 1, 4, and 7, every three hours on the dot, and there is definitely no stretching it. This boy has an amazing internal clock, and he knows when it's time.

I'm definitely still adjusting to life with three. Clayton is getting better and better about walking places, as opposed to riding in the stroller, but he tires easily, and a short trip to the mall this morning nearly did him in. Luckily we met up with my mom at the end, and I was able to carry him while Mom pushed the other two for a few minutes. It goes better when I carry Aaron in the front carrier and push the other two in the double stroller. It's just more physically demanding for me. That's close to 80 pounds of kid, 40 pounds of stroller, and who knows how many pounds of diaper bag, purse, and survival toys and snacks.

All in all we're all well, and we're all looking forward to the Christmas season. Clayton COMPLETELY understands the whole gift receiving part of Christmas (thanks to Toys R Us inserts in the paper), and now we need to work on the meaning of Christmas and the joy of giving. I picked up a book of Jesse Tree devotions today, and I am looking forward to starting those tonight. If you're not familiar with a Jesse Tree, I first heard of it from Emily last year, and I knew it was something I wanted to do with my family. Here's a link to her post from last year. I hope you don't mind me sharing it, Emily. I'm a few days late, but we'll squeeze it in. I don't have my ornaments yet (bad planning), but I hope to really get moving on those in the next couple days, and for now, I have some printed paper ones we can use.

Merry Christmas!

Stamps are not Stickers

2010-12-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you put your four year old down for a nap in his great granddad's office. Yes, they're the sticky kind, and yes, they're all stuck together. Sorry, Granddad! I think we owe you a couple books of stamps.

Lots of Love

2010-11-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

I've been a little neglectful in taking pictures lately. I stay pretty busy just keeping people alive around here, but a few days ago I was able to grab my camera just in time to catch these boys having some fun on the couch. The big boys are so sweet to their little brother, and, when they're not tackling or suffocating him, he's often in awe of them.

My Boys

2010-11-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Why are baby toys so appealing to big boys and so unappealing to babies?

Bike Rider

2010-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's official! We have a bike rider. We've worked and worked on teaching Clayton to pedal, and he's finally got it. It seems like gross motor skills that involve both sides of the body present a challenge for Clayton, and bike riding has been no exception, but now this boy can finally ride.

Last week we graduated from the driveway and moved onto riding to the park. Clayton did great, and I'm so proud.

Loading up to head to the park. It takes some work to get these guys to park by myself, but now that Clayton is riding, it makes things a little easier.

Really?

2010-11-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

I know, three posts in one night. Get a life. Anyway, I just wanted to share this.

Really? That's how you choose to sleep?

Trick-or-Treating

2010-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll begin by saying that I have some real issues with Halloween and trick-or-treating. It's a little bit about the whole "Is this an activity in which Christians should participate" question, but it's actually more about the scary factor to me. I don't like scary things. Period. I don't watch scary movies, and I really do not enjoy seeing people dressed up in scary costumes. I am especially not a fan of some of the disgustingly gory costumes I've seen in the last several years.

All that said, I decided to let the big boys go trick-or-treating this year. Their cousin and friends were going, and Clayton kept coming home from preschool saying he was going to dress up for Halloween. I decided they could go early before all the big kids came out, and they could go to the houses on my parents' street.

I will say, they had a great time. They loved dressing up. Clayton completely mastered trick-or-treating, and Eli mastered holding up his bucket for people to deposit candy. They both ended up with half a bucket of candy, which was plenty, and they were home around sunset. Clayton was a puppy dog, and Eli was Elmo. We don't watch very much Elmo around here, but for some reason everytime you ask Eli what his name is, he says, "Elmo," and gets this sly little grin on his face. So when I saw the Elmo costume, he had to have it.

Getting ready to go. They weren't too sure about what we were doing.

After trick-or-treating with Lizzy. Note Eli eating a tootsie pop with the wrapper on.

Cute Little Aggie Boy

2010-11-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

A&M hosted Texas Tech at Kyle Field this past weekend. Crazy things happen when our Ags play Tech, but amazingly, it was a blow out in our favor.

My mom and I took the boys down to the campus for some pre-game festivities, which was sadly, pretty much a bust. I arrived three hours prior to kick-off, only to find my dad's reserved parking space taken. I was forced to hunt for a spot elsewhere and hike it over to Kyle Field, which resulted in us missing most of the kids' gameday activities. Oh well. The boys were still able to get their faces painted, enjoy a little Chick-fil-A, and watch the Corps march from the quad to the field. We had a good time, but if we go back next week for the Oklahoma game, we'll have to plan on arriving even earlier in order to squeeze in some more fun.

Texas Mushroom Festival

2010-10-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

My dad and I took the boys over to the Texas Mushroom Festival in Madisonville today. I didn't know what to expect, and I'm not really a mushroom eater unless they're cooked into something, but I'm pleased to report that we had a great time. Surprisingly, mushrooms played a very tiny part of this festival. It was a typical small Texas town festival, just the right size for a family with three little ones. Sadly, it's still 90 degrees here, and the humidity was really high, but it could definitely be worse.

The boys were excellent. Clayton and Eli sampled their first corndogs. I'm scared of corndogs, but finding a somewhat unmessy carnival food is nearly impossible, with the exception of corndogs. They were huge fans, and both boys scarfed them down. Scary.

I nearly had a heart attack when I saw they had several stands selling fried Oreos. Some of our friends at Holloman AFB used to make fried oreos for us, and they were TO DIE FOR! I know, it sounds strange, but trust me on this one. I hadn't had any since then, and let me tell you, they're still just as good as ever. Do not pass up an opportunity to sample some if you ever see them around.

And yes, it's game day. And yes, our Aggies finally managed to win a conference game. I won't even mention what happened in Austin today. Lately we're accustomed to such things in Aggieland, but I know Krista and Jason are crying hard tonight.

First Day of School

2010-10-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Due to a lot of family circumstances, we've delayed starting Clayton in preschool this fall. Yesterday he was finally able to go for the first time. This year he is in a three day, half day program. I got the name of his teacher from the director last week, and I knew that name was familiar. Sure enough, his teacher is one of my college sorority advisers. Then, to top it off, I was at Parent's Night tonight and saw one of my sorority sisters there. Her twins are in the two day program. Wow. It's a small world.

Yesterday I dropped him off rested and perky and picked him up completely worn out and cranky. It will definitely take a couple weeks to get used to the routine again. It's amazing how just a few hours of school can wear this boy out. Luckily an after school trip to Chick-fil-A was just the thing to perk him up.

Weekend Part 2

2010-10-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had to leave all the fun in Fredericksburg a little early to make it to more fun back in College Station. Ryan's corps outfit was having a reunion over the weekend, and the boys and I really wanted to attend. I had a goal departure time of 10am. Well, with a yummy breakfast (omlette in a baggy... I'll explain later) and lots of good family fellowship, 10 turned into 10:45. The drive used to take me just over three hours in college, but these days, the kids really drag me down. I needed to be in College Station by about three, and it worked out just about right.

We headed straight to Kyle Field for the B-Co post-game tailgate party. Lucky for me, my dad has a parking permit he loaned us, which happens to be very near the stadium, so we didn't have to hike too far. I showed up with Clayton and Eli in the double stroller and Aaron in the Ergo carrier. I was quite a sight which really worked in my favor because a lot of people took pity on me and stood in line to check me in and get my food and food for the boys. I had a great time catching up with almost all Ryan's buddies and several other people from the outfit I remembered.

The boys were absolutely filthy after the tailgate in the park, so afterwards I raced by Mom and Dad's, threw the big boys in the tub, and raced over to a great class party hosted at one of Ryan's classmate's parent's home. We stayed until about nine, and then the boys could be social no longer, so we headed home for the night.

The next morning I (with enormous help from my sister Pamela) hosted a little brunch at my parent's house. So many people came, and the kids all had a great time playing in the backyard together. I had so much fun catching up with all the wives. It's a really wonderful group of people, and I hope we make this a yearly event. We wish Ryan could have been here with us, but I was definitely glad I was able to be here.

I know there are lots and lots of pictures from this weekend, but I was just too busy managing three little boys to get any with my camera. If you have any pictures you'd like to share, please send them my way.

Weekend in Fredericksburg

2010-10-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent the first part of the weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas. We love heading to Uncle Tom and Aunt Linda's place out in the hill country. There is so much room for the kids to roam and wander. They have a blast. This weekend we had a crowd. My parents came, along with Meghan and her family, Meghan's in-laws and their daughter and son-in-law, and two of my cousins and their families. Of course Clayton is still obsessed with Uncle Tom's John Deere Gators. He thinks riding Gators is the entire purpose of the trip.

It's hard to get a lot of pictures when you're toting a baby around, but here are a few from our trip.

Eli had a great time climbing on and off of this Gator.

Clayton

Clayton- great at pushing the pedal, but steering... not so much. I begged Eli to hang on tight.

Eli couldn't quite figure it out. Thank goodness!

The kids, minus Caleb, the oldest, who was out on his new dirt bike.

Camden, Luke, Sydney, Clayton, Eli, Aaron, Lizzy, and Emma

Luke is the youngest in his family. We were so lucky to spend Friday with him before his older siblings arrived. He was a GREAT babysitter, and Clayton was completely in awe of him. Obviously Aaron was pretty smitten as well. Look at that smile. Lukey sure is growing up.

Apparently our family HEARTS Honda. Yes, mine is the least cool of the four.

Pumpkin Patch Revisited

2010-10-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last year my mom, Meghan, and I attempted to take Clayton, Eli, and my niece Lizzy to a great pumpkin farm. Unfortunately, it was so very cold and windy, and no one had a good time. We couldn't get home fast enough.

I wanted to go back to the pumpkin farm this year on a pleasant day. Mom and Dad were in town for the weekend, and the weather was nice. It was supposed to be 85 degrees, but after last year's experience, I just couldn't imagine letting the boys wear shorts. I dressed them in pants and short sleeves, and we headed out.

We had a great time, and Meghan, believe it or not, we were actually hot this year. In fact, we left a few minutes earlier than I had planned because Clayton was getting a little too warm. They had pony rides, a petting zoo, lots of animals, tricycles races, swings, slides, a tractor ride, and more. It was such a great little place, and I look forward to going back next year.

And now, some last year/this year pictures.

And a few extras from this year.

Happy Fall!

Shopping with Three

2010-10-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

So when I was little my grandmother had this hand cuff/cord device. It had two velcro bracelets attached by one of those spiral vinyl cords, like the old phone cords. I remember when she bought it. The box had a picture of a mother wearing one of the bracelets and her son wearing the other, both happily smiling, linked together. Well Grandmother used it to cuff Meghan and I together, and then she'd hold the cord in the middle when she'd take us shopping. I was probably six, which means Meghan was four. We were both mortified by the thing (and I repeat- I was SIX), and I remember begging not to have to wear it. She could trust me. I had previously gotten lost in Beall's one day. I was terrified. I never strayed again. Why did I need to be cuffed? I've vowed never to do that to my children.

But I'm rethinking that vow now. I took the boys to Home Depot and Kohl's this morning, and let me tell you, Clayton was everywhere and into everything. I've never dealt with a wandering child because he's never had the opportunity to roam. He's always ridden in a stroller, partly because I'm a control freak like that, and partly because he just likes to ride. Now that Aaron's given him the boot from the double, a whole new world has opened to him, and it's making errands a lot harder on me. We're going to really have to work on that one.

All this is to say, that vow or no vow, if I had one of those hand cuff/cord things this morning, I may have actually strapped him to the side of the stroller.

Ohhh... Look what I found. Apparently there are lots of ways to strap your child to yourself, your cart, or your stroller. Clayton had better watch out, or he might find this in his Christmas stocking.

A&M vs. OSU

2010-10-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night Ryan and I were able to make it over to Stillwater to see our Aggies take on Oklahoma State. We had really debated whether or not to go and who we should take. In the end we decided we wanted to take Clayton to his very first Texas A&M football game, and because I'm nursing Aaron, I couldn't really be away from him that long. Eli, on the other hand, really had no need to go. In true "neglected middle child" style, we left Eli with a friend for the night, and the four of us headed to Stillwater.

Our Aggies got off to a great start but managed to throw it away in the last minutes of the game. Oh well. The game was more about the experience than whether or not our team won. I think Clayton had a pretty good time. Aggies stand the entire game, so that made seeing the field pretty difficult, but Ryan held him a lot. The stadium was surprisingly unpacked, so we actually had a lot of room for Clayton to roam, which made the night a lot more enjoyable. Aaron did pretty well and slept in my front carrier most of the first half. Unfortunately, he was pretty fussy most of the second half. I think the noise and lights were upsetting. He did better when I'd take him out of the stands for a little break every now and then. Man, my back was sore by the end of the night.

Taking a break

Happy in the first half

Fussy in the second half (but really sweet in his 12th Man jersey)

The game didn't start until 6:30pm, and it was televised, so that made for a long night. We didn't make it back to our car until 11pm, and then with all the traffic, it took nearly an hour to get out of town. It was nearly 2am before we got home. Even though we missed Eli, we still really enjoyed spending some family time together.

Pure Joy!

2010-09-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you did something that made you feel like this?

And just because he looked cute...

And this one too...

Watch Out Aaron

2010-09-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here comes trouble!

Sunday Afternoon

2010-09-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

My new favorite picture of the three boys. I love these guys.

The only child who willingly looked at the camera.

KUDOs

2010-09-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

(Kids Understanding Deployment Operations)

Ryan took Clayton to Operation KUDOs at the base this morning. The event is hosted periodically to help kids understand what happens when their parents deploy. There was a lot to do, and I can't imagine how much work must have gone into pulling this off for the kids. I actually had to take notes in order to write this post.

When Ryan and Clayton arrived they went through a processing line in the same location Ryan processes when he deploys. Clayton got his dog tags, mobility bag, orders, and processing check list. Then he visited with legal, finance, the chaplain, public health, medical, and immunizations. After the processing line, they met in an auditorium where they had a deployment pep rally led by the vice wing commander. They were also briefed on their deployment mission.

Receiving his processing check list

Then it was off to the buses to take them to the flight line where they boarded the E-3 that would "fly" them to Camp Courage. Once they "arrived" they were taken to a hangar where there were several different activities for the kids, including a med tent where they could learn about basic first aid, a weapons display, and the opportunity to put on chem gear. Ryan and Clayton also learned about flag folding and folded mini US flags for deployed troops.

Getting on board

Touring Daddy's plane

Oxygen mask

Operating the AWACS

Flying

Scary

After lunch there was a canine show and an inflatable slide. Clayton also won a set of Legos in a raffle. It was certainly a busy day, and Clayton was completely beat by the end.

This evening Brandy, one of our dearest Air Force friends, voluteered to keep all three of our kids so Ryan and I could enjoy an evening out alone. She is so brave. We took her up on her offer and indulged ourselves at The Cheesecake Factory... alone... where the only food I cut up was my own. Brandy said everything went fine, but I have a feeling that after keeping our boys, she'll be sleeping well tonight.

Backyard Camping

2010-09-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Clayton had a backyard campout earlier this week. I had wanted them to do this for a while, and it's finally cool enough now. Ryan put up the tent the day before, and the boys had thoroughly enjoyed playing in it. We haven't done any camping with the boys, so when we started talking about sleeping out there, I'm not sure Clayton fully comprehended what we meant. However, Tuesday night came, and Clayton was thrilled to haul all the stuff out. He was even more excited when I popped some popcorn and brought out the portable DVD player. They enjoyed watching some VeggieTales and both fell asleep during the movie. At seven o'clock I woke up to a knock at the back door, and there was Clayton, happy as can be.

Getting all set up

Happy campers

Smile!

2010-09-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight

2010-09-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Smurf

2010-09-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Clayton this time, but winter is coming, so I'm sure he'll be smurf-like in no time. Poor kid.

The other day I was busy in the kitchen. Clayton was up, but Eli was still napping, so I felt it was safe to lay Aaron down on the floor in the living room. This cannot be done when Eli is roaming. After a while I realized it was very quiet in the living room. At first glance I was pleased to see Clayton happily entertaining Aaron. Then I did a second take because something blue caught my eye. Sure enough, Clayton was leaning over Aaron, and there was something very small and blue very near to Aaron's mouth.

Fruit snacks! I had given Clayton a little baggie of them, and he was sharing with Aaron. Aaron was completely going to town on a blue fruit snack that Clayton was holding up to his lips. I didn't freak out. I just calmly asked Clayton to stop. Then we had the conversation about how babies only eat special milk and that although it is very nice to share, we shouldn't share fruit snacks or any other food with Aaron until he is a lot bigger.

These pictures are a little blurry, but you get the picture.

The blue mess

While cleaning him up, I realized his tongue was pretty blue too. Must have been good.

A Mom Can Dream

2010-09-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

I wish! One day...

Camera Update

2010-09-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Because I know you all care, most of the recent pictures on the blog have been taken with our new camera. The old camera is still gone. Krista, I'm just about to throw away the box to the new one, so I'm sure the old one will show up soon.