Not What We Planned

We had awesome plans on Wednesday.... playing at a new park, picnic-ing with friends, swimming/wading in the river to cool off:)

We may make a lot of plans,

but the LORD will do

what he has decided.
Proverbs 19:21

After staying up late to prepare our lunch (cookies to share, grilled chicken for lunch) and pre-pack our bags, we all woke up looking forward to our little trip.

But then Anna came limping into the kitchen to get her breakfast???

I called my momma to ask what I should do. And then called the phone nurse to get another opinion (not that I didn't believe my mom, but she was unsure, too). Both basically had the same concern....

the bee sting from last week!! We must not have gotten the stinger all the way out!

So instead of being here with Andrea, Alicia, and Shannon and their crew;)

We were here...


I'll just be blunt and honest.... I was NOT happy we were having to go to the doctor! I had started the conversation about meeting and swimming!! And I had been looking forward to hanging out with these other families!! It just bugged me that we were missing out on such a fun time!

I KNOW that Momma's tone about each situation sets the tone for the kids. They look to me to see how they should react. If I have a bad attitude, they easily have bad attitudes, too!! Talk about convicting .... can't really discipline their bad attitudes when I have one:/

But ....

That morning I had prayed that during our day I wouldn't be soo distracted by the "mommy conversation" that I would overlook the precious and fun time with the kids.

Interesting how that applied today:)

So THAT became my focus... spending time WITH my kids, not just being with them.

At the doctors, Chris and Lydia kept busy only how Chris and Lydia stay busy.

Nate napped.

And Anna tried not to be worried.

They did amazing... even though they never could get anything out of Anna's foot :( But we know it's not anything too serious, it's just waiting for it to heal.

We went to a indoor McD's playground with our picnic lunch!! The kids thought I was coolest mom and I was purposefully interacting with them!

And since it was after 2pm as we headed out of town.... SONIC stop:)

We had a great day... considering the initial disappointment! But we did what we had to do and we'll try to meet up with our friends again another day:)

Our Halloween 2010

We're not HUGE Halloween celebrators....

We really enjoy our church's Harvest Festival on Saturday night.... always a great time with church members and meeting new members from the community;)

We (or maybe it's just me! LOL!!) enjoy carving pumpkins!! Scooping all the seeds out, baking the seeds and then carving pictures and faces into our pumpkins (this year the 1st night we'll display them is actually on the 31st... I usually like it done a little earlier... ).



But we're not big on dressing up.... in fact, this year only 50% of us dressed up:) LOL!!

Anna wore a snow White dress from Little Dress Up shop


Brian wore a shirt he picked up off a clearance rack for $1!

And Nate was the cutest little Skeleton:)



That was all Friday and Saturday.... SUnday was a whole new day!!

We spent the morning at church, enjoying our church family and participating in our various classes/studies;) Except we had a surprise visit from the leader of the VBS crew that came down for VBS... so nice to see them!

Then we had a quick lunch and everyone napped (hmmm, everyone but Nate and I, he's in an awful nap schedule... grrrr... waiting for him to go to 2 predicable naps a day!)

During the late afternoon, we had a "stick incident" outside which resulted in Lydia getting hurt! After an EMT friend came over we decided to drive to our peditrician's after-hours clinic!

After an hour appt, Brian and Lydia emerged smiling (with candy!!). She didn't need stitches (although, not sure if they could have even done stitches how close to her eye the injury was)! In fact, the cuts had already started healing... our bodies are amazing!

And the best news was that they checked her eye for scratched on her cornea and didn't have any! She is just a VERY lucky girl and is very fortunate to have people praying daily for her! We were soo thankful!

Got pics on the way home!


Trying to be "happy".


We rounded out the evening sitting on the side of the road...

no, it wasn't us!! Thank goodness!

But we passed a car stopped in the middle of our lane. After passing them, Brian turned around to help.... it was a young mom traveling with a 2 month old. And her car was totally broken down and she was at least a couple of hours from home!!

We spent a good amount of time there... Brian checking her car and us waiting for some local friends to pick her up.


I hate to even mention this....

but my kids did complain about having to sit in the car and wait. And while we were hungry, it was LATE so we were all tired and having to use the potty (LOL!!) It was a great opportunity to remind them about the Good Samaritan- who was ready to help and go beyond the initial help to be sure the one needing help was ok!!

And I was soo glad Brian decided to turn back when it would have been soo much easier to drive by and care for his own family!! he kept saying that he would have wanted someone to show us the same kindness, if I was ever stranded on the side of the road!

So we've had some FULL days this weekend!! Ready for a QUIET week to recover and for Lydia to heal!!

Update on Nate & Sleepy Wrap

Sorry about the delay in sharing about Nate's follow-up appt!

The doctor immediately knew he had to "re-do" the silver nitrate procedure because he said it "looked like he hadn't done anything the first time".

So he applied some more silver nitrate into Nate's belly button. The doctor said that the granuloma was at the very bottom of his button, so he really had to push down inside..... let's just say Nate wasn't happy!!!

I asked about how to care for the button now and was told to "leave it alone for a couple of days" and to go back to giving him sponge baths so his belly stays dry!

So I haven't tried to clean it yet! It's crunchy again, but maybe that is the final drainage. I'm thinking it migh be better to let it "heal" some more before I start messing with it...

so that's where we are. The good news is that the doctor doesn't think his belly button is soo deep it goes into his bladder which was the doctor's biggest concern.

Onto something else....

With Nate's big blowout on Sunday PM, he got his Sleepy Wrap dirty and I've been soo misssing it!! I was soo glad to have it finish drying yesterday!

Here is Nate when he was days old:)


He still loves it at almost 6 weeks old... it has "magical powers" over him... LOL!! When he fussy or fighting sleep, it works wonders for us;)

But these are two reasons I love it.....
Rubbing noses;)


The super cute view!

5 Weeks & umbilical granuloma

On Friday we took Nate to his one month check-up!

The main concerns I had was his baby acne and the constant rash on his bottom....

Since the acne is the most obvious, the doctor started with that concern. Brian had called into the office last MOnday afternoon about the acne. He was told by the phone nurse that it "wasn't infant acne" and that we should be treating it with Lowila "soap" and hydro-coritzone lotion....

I was totally uncomfortable putting the hydro-cortizone on Nate's face... he's a baby who LOVES his hands near his face, or his hands in his mouth or rubbing his eyes... so to have the lotion THAT close to his face was disturbing to me... not to mention that it's a strong, adult treatment on a little ones face. But my good husband, wanting to be a good daddy and following nurses orders put the hydro-cortizone on Nate's face. By Thursday, I had also put the lotion on once or twice....

So the doctor asked if I had been doing anything for the acne.... and I told him about the Lowila "soap" and cortizone that the phone nurse told us to use. Our doctor couldn't BELIEVE we had put it on Nate's face! And he was VERY surprised that the nurses had given us that advice... Needless to say, the acne hasn't had any lotion on it since!!!

AS the doctor examined Nate, he saw Nate's belly button. It has had "crunchy" stuff on it since the stump fell off. I regularly have been cleaning it with the alcohol and since it didn't show signs of infection I hadn't thought much of it.....

Well, Nate has something called umbilical granuloma. From what I understand, it didn't heal right and has a "growth" that was under the cord that is "leaking". So the "crunchy" stuff I have been cleaning was from this "growth". The doctor treated it as best as he could with silver nitrate and said that it shouldn't be wet or "leaking" after the procedure. But he seemed a little apprehensive since he said that Nate's belly button was really "deep".

A few hours after the procedure when I changed Nate's diaper, the spot was still leaking. So I called back into the office and they scheduled an appt for Nate on Monday morning to be seen again.

***The problem isn't huge or life threatening, but when there is a health or any problem with your kids, especially when they are soo small, it's tough on parents. Brian and I have watched and cleaned Nate's belly looking for improvements all weekend... one spot is drying out;) but his belly button still is leaking... so back to the doctor we go.

One humorous thing about the appt was that I was concerned about the rash on his bottom, so I left Nate's diaper open for the doctor to see it.... but the doctor was concerned about his belly button and didn't notice.....

Nate peed everywhere!!! LOL!! Even got the doctor!!! The floor was soo soaked, I eventually put towels on the floor so I wouldn't slip!!

OK..... onto the fun stuff:)

Nate weighs 12 lbs which is 95% for little boys

Nate is 23 inches which is also 95%

• His favorite thing to do is watch our faces while being held... he will just watch us soo intently!!


• He also loves his tummy time but has started to enjoy the little toys dangling from the playmat, swing and bouncey seat.


• He's been better at night. He'll wake to eat and load a diaper, but he goes back to sleep pretty easily... of course he IS snuggled in bed with Mommy and Daddy!!


• Nate's day usually starts at 9am!! He'll nurse in the earlier hours but always gives us a few smiles and then falls right back asleep.... perfect time for showering, breakfast, etc!


• The Sleepy Wrap still has magical powers over him... he'll fall asleep in minutes when he is in it... Mommy has learned to do a lot of housework with Nate asleep in the Sleepy Wrap:)


• And Sunday night he gave us his first HUGE blowout... YUCK! Definitely benefit of living right next to the church since it required a bath for Nate and some how Mommy's new white shirt missed the mess completely:) YAY!!


• He still seems to be a pretty content kid. As long as he's held, fed, clean and feels "safe" he's good. He loves to smile and the kids (and parents) LOVE to see him smile too:)

Lotza Updates

Hmmm, where to start???

Our BIG Project: I posted this week about where the project stood. But it's just amazing where we are right now.... sooo much has been done:

1. Bathroom mirrors have been put up
2. Living room carpet was put back around the new staircase
3. All the trim, closets & doors upstairs has been primed and painted
4. Bathroom vinyl flooring has been put in
5. Hall closet door was scraped, sanded, primed & painted
6. The plastic in the hall is GONE!!!
7. Living room totally painted and furniture put back:)

They really have been busy! BUT I am soo thankful it seems like most of our originial living space is now back to "normal"! And as soon as everything is dry and rehung, the carpet is in upstairs and the plumbers finish up.... we'll be totally done;)

Lydia's doctor's appt: Lydia was ready to fuss as she dressed the morning of the doctor's appt. I'm not sure why my kids are scared of the doctor. I really don't like going either.... so maybe they get it from me???

Anyway, she was fine until the doctor came in. She didn't even TRY to obey him... she shut her eyes and looked away when he tried to see in her eyes. I had to hold her when he listened to her heart/lungs!

The doctor finally got to check her eyes and she was "mad" that the doctor had gotten what he needed and so she buried her head into my chest..... the doctor saw the opportunity!! While she had her head turned and her arm "exposed" he quickly gave her the ONE shot she needed!!!

Right after she looked at me with this "what was that?" expression, but didn't fuss until she saw the doctor trying to get a band-aid on her. For my non-sticker kid, she wasn't too happy with a band-aid so we skipped that! She was 33 pounds and 38.5 inches... like 70% and 60%!!

Lydia and I had gone alone for the appts! And so she went with into my OB appt:) Since it was just a check-up we were in and out sooooo quickly!! Even soo Lydia did a great job letting the nurses and midwife talk to me.

Again, like my alone time with Chris last week, I was glad to have a couple of hours with just Lydia. It was a sweet time.... like just her and I getting to talk in the car or over lunch! She even got to play at a playground.... she played alone or followed a couple of other kids, but came sooo quickly when I called... she was soo sweet:)

My doctor's appt: I already did a quick update.... but everything looks good. I did measure 3 weeks bigger again... so I am 38 weeks but measuring at 41:) And that was with NO weight gain this week??

Next week, we'll have to decide whether we will plan to induce Nate at 39 weeks or wait for him. The main concern is how BIG he could get if we don't induce or he doesn't come soon;) Anyway, I hoping to see them at the hospital before my scheduled appt.... although we have a BUSY week next week;)

Date Afternoon: Brian and I got a special treat Thursday afternoon! We had a sweet friend come to watch/play with the kids while Brian and I headed into town for lunch and a movie!! With me trying to get our delivery details and being WAY preggo and Brian very busy with painting/housework on top of his normal schedule......

we needed some time together and away!!

It was nice!! We did see Alice in Wonderland... it's not one of my favorite stories! But it was nice going to a movie geared more toward kids. BUT it was definitely NOT for MY kids..... first it's a weird story. Then it's directed by Tim Burton... so that makes it even more strange. I know it's a classic children's book, but I was glad we decided to see it without the kids!!

*** Sorry I don't have any pics!!!! I'll definitely get some of the house when we can!

Off to get my feet UP.... only helps to have them higher than my heart!!! They will just swell to balloons at night.... some nights I can't even bend my toes b/c they are soo swollen.... a yucky feeling!!! you definitely DON't want a PIC of these:) LOL!!

WFMW: How I Chose an OB

We headed back to the OB last Friday for a normal checkup... 3 weeks since my last. And everything looked good;) Sometimes during these normal checkups it's a little funny to drive sooo far for the OB to say "everything is fine" when I feel well.

But I was reminded how NICE I have it;) And how thankful I am to have a good set of doctors to go to.

I chose the practice a little differently than one usually does... maybe by the phonebook or advice from friends. I instead went to the hospital, where I wanted to deliver, and attended one of their tours!!! After the tour, I cornered the experienced staff person that lead the tour and questioned her.... LOL!!

I told her what kind of practice I wanted, what kind of delivery I was hoping to have and asked for her suggestions. Although she couldn't officially tell me where I should go, she did tell me about a couple of practices and her experience with them and the policies she understood at each.

I walked away from the conversation knowing EXACTLY where I would go for OB care and I have LOVED the practice ever since... this is my third pregnancy with them:)

No.... they are NOT perfect!! It's a BIG practice, so sometimes we have a longer wait (although this week we were out in 30 minutes!!! awesome, I know!). They are also a part of a bigger system which causes confusion with billing issues... my poor husband deals with that!

But I couldn't stand the thought of being in their area and not having them care for me and my Nate-baby coming in May! I love their position on LIFE, their cautiousness with new mediciations/vaccinations and my gals....

In NO other doctor's office am I greeted by a physician I do NOT have an appt with. Not only am I greeted by NAME (with no chart in hand) but the gals also ask about the other kids. Often they ask if the kids are with me... since one delivered Chris and the other delivered Lydia!! It's almost like visiting with friends!! Ones that are cheering us on until we meet Nate;)

Monday I shared why I sought out a midwife practice... and I'm hoping to share Chris' and Lydia's birth stories with you... so much different than Anna's:)

Works For Me Wednesday is being hosted by Rocks in My Dryer the next two weeks... so click here to learn all sorts of new ideas:)

Not too Bad... considering

There ended up being more against us than planned, but the kids and I hung in there (literally,too)!

Anyway, I was sooo thankful that I left earlier enough to make a trip to Harris Teeter. I picked up some deals, a cheap 60 cent bag of snacks and some water (since I had left their sippy cups full on the counter at the house).

We got into the back within a resonable time. Just enought time to get all the paperwork done (those evaluations)! And the kids did their height and weight... well Lydia wouldn't stay on the scale, so I weighed in first (grrr) and then I held her!! The kids got to the exam room stripped to their undies and we waited.... and waited...

We read books (finished our LeapFrog pledges for the day)! And enjoyed our new favorite snacks!

And then the girls playing with the LeapFrog Tag and Christopher busy with colored pencils and a pad of paper:)

BTW... colored pencils are the best to take with you. Crayons smell weird... ehehe... markers mark... colored pencils plus an eraser are the way to go!! (not sure how many times I've been caught by a doctor or nurse trying to get marker marks off their tables with a wipe)

Finally the doctor came in VERY apologetic!! I've never had to wait that long so I knew something fishy was up. I guess they had a mix-up to where we were waiting... finally the kids running to and from the bathroom in their undies caught someone's attention!

Christopher did soo well!! He was soo quiet and obedient during the exam... WOW!!I was soo proud of him! After it was over he jumped down and started throwing his clothes on. He was trying to show the doctor that he could dress himself and he DID in a matter of seconds as he chattered:)



Little Lydi-bug didn't fare so well. She fussy and cried the whole time. I held her more most of the exam, just to get it done! Anna took the pic... I wish it wasn't soo blurry. Do you see that sad, sad face:( Not a happy camper!

Daddy missed an interesting trip:) But I really was pleased with the trip. And no shots which made everything a whole lot easier!!

We met our friends for a fun lunch and playtime at Chick-Fil-A!! And then I "dragged" the kids around town scooping up some OK deals.

They were only OK because triples at harris Teeter starts tonight at midnight and runs until Tuesday!! So I'm hoping to get a chance or two to visit HT again with my coupons in hand:) And the savings will be 1/3 more!!

Off to the Doctors will ALL 3!!!

This AM we have a well doctor's appointments for both Lydia and Christopher.... I've rescheduled it plenty to plan for Brian to come with me.... it gets busy with all three in the room with the doctor....LOL

ANyway, Brian isn't able to come with me today..... so we'll see how it goes. I've been talking it up with Lydia and Christopher BIG time. Pretending to look in their eyes, ears and mouth like the doctor would. Or having them respond politely when the doctor or nurse asks to get their weight, height or lay down on the table.....

I personally depise going to the doctor. So maybe the kids get it from me??? Anyway, this morning I'm praying for wisdom, flexibility and patience with the kids as we head to our appointment!!

Girls' Day

The girls and I left early this morning for the doctors.... they had to go for their well checkups (about time). ANyway, I like to put off doctor's visits because in the past they've been really tough to take.... Anna used to cry as we pulled into the parking lot and didn't stop until we were pulling OUT.

Maybe it's because she is 4 now... or because she is experienced or more sensible, but she did a great job. She was a little hestitant and didn't obey doctors and nurses immediately but she complied.... And of course we found out that she growing like a weed... she's in the 70th percentile with height!! She got all the tall genes... and might be taller than both Brian and I! Lyddie Bug is growing quickly too.... and although I think she's a little pudgy, she's right where she needs to be:)

After the doctors we headed to Krogers (to scoop up some sales)with some friends. When we went in it was pouring down rain, when we were coming it out the weather had cleared a bit. But Anna wanted to use her cute little umbrella again. Here's a picture that Andrea snapped:

So that's a pretty good pic of her hair now:)

Our morning was filled with playtime and lunch with friends and then a grocery run to Wally World. A busy but fun morning/ early afternoon!!

When Christopher woke up from his nap, he was soo sweet. I asked him about his morning/early afternoon with Daddy. I asked him about lunch and this is how the conversation went:
Me:"Did you eat hamburgers?"
Chris: "yep"
Me: "Did you eat french fries?"
Chris: "Probably...... and some checkup" (aka ketchup)

Funny kid.... where did he get "probably" from???

"Well" Check ups

We made the journey this afternoon to the BIG city to take the kids to the doctors. Christopher and Lydia had their well check-ups scheduled. The younger kids always do a little better at the doctor than Anna.....but I still had Daddy come because it's hard to have two getting check-ups at the same time (Erica will really know how to handle that one with the twins regular check-ups!)

Although I'd been a little worried about Christopher's weight (he just looks too skinny) both kids are doing well. Lydia was a little smaller than I had thought but most of that is due to her not drinking soymilk yet or having an dairy protein/fat (cheese, yogurt) because of her allergies. Here are the stats for them:

Christopher is 28 lbs and 34 inches

Lydia is 21 lbs 5oz and 29 inches

Two humorous things about the doctors' visit:

1. In filling out the development assessment, I realized that all the things that they do that causes messes and can be sooo frustrating/annoying are KEY developmental goals that the kids are supposed to be doing. For example, taking all the toys out of the toy bins and then putting them in the cart to push around the house!!! So the assessments caused many "ahhh-haa" moments and maybe the house will have to be a little messier and my kids "develop"!!!

2. The kids have had cold symptoms for about a week and a half or so. They actually seem to be much better...not as fussy! So lo and behold, the doctor found that both Lydia and Christopher have been dealing with double ear infections....poor things!! I really don't want to use antibotics but if they've these infections for a week now, the doctor was pretty sure that medication was the best way to be sure the infection would clear up and not get any worse.......we've had their first dose and they took it like I was feeding them candy....I think Anna is a little jealous she doesn't get any :(

Ohhh, Brian just reminded me that we got the kids tested for TB...long story, I am a treated carrier. Since this is in their family history the doctor felt that it might be a good idea to get them tested. TB testing is not the four-prong prick in the inner forearm anymore...not it's a needle put under the skin to see if the body reacts (2 days later). We only tested Christopher and Lydia (since Anna freaked out at getting her ears checked). They sent in TWO nurses to do this test....both nurses were a little uptight and double and triple checked to see if we really wanted them to be tested!!! Anyway, long story......both Lydia and Christopher sat sooo STILL and watched the needle go under their skin- they didn't make a peeep!! We were soo PROUD of them:) And we'll be checking their little arms..... and in TWO days I'll be heading back to the BIG city to get their arms checked and documented.

Random Musings

What a day it turned out to be. Anna had been fussing for a little while now about some pains and aches she had been having....finally tired of having a fussy kid I called our nurses' line. They suggested bringing her in because they suspected an UTI (urinary tract infection). Well once Anna knew she was headed to the doctors' she fussed even more. But we survived....she did the best she had ever done at the doctors !! She's fine, the doctor believes most of it is still problems (stubborn) with moving #2!!!





Speaking of Anna I had to share this pic of her on Monday....it was like 72 outside and she got dressed in sweatpants and a sweater top. I told her it was going to be warm so she should change into a short-sleeve top.....this outfit is what she returned in. She had put on a short-sleeve top and then pushed her long-sleeves up her arm into the short-sleeve shirt. She is my ragga-muffin...for sure!!

Finally, my husband said that if I had to blog today I should ask my loyal readers (...he hehee) if I should dump the plant or try to revive it ? Actually I think he said I should ask if it is suitable for home decor....ha hahahaa. Man, who can think of watering some green onions when there are kids holding onto your legs because they want someone to play with or are hungry :) I do feel bad that I did not care for the onions better becasue a friend gave them to me and I was really looking forward to some green onions in my next stir-fry :) JUst looking now, I think the plant looks better (greener) in the picture!!!!!

Off to fold laundry and watch some more Jane Austen movies...I think were watching Emma now:)