Thank you Jeff and Eileen

Simon is wearing an outfit that my friends, Jeff and Eileen, bought him. He fits into it nicely now. I was propping him up trying to get a cute shot when he started falling. This is what Simon looks like falling:


It looks like he is thinking, "Ummm...a little help?"

Olaf was sick this weekend with some sort of a stomach bug or food poisoning. That made for a fun weekend.

There was a first for my precious Camille this weekend. We let her spend the night with her best friend for the first time. It was Molly's 12th birthday and she asked Camille to stay the night. With great trepidation, much prayer, and advice from a friend we allowed her to go. It was her first night away from us ever. She had a blast and we all missed her terribly. They went to Dixieland Fun Park on Friday night then Molly got her ears pierced on Saturday. Camille got her ears re-pierced a few weeks ago so Molly got the same earrings that Camille has. They match now. Isn't having a Best Friend fun? At the suggestion of the Claire's Manager, Camille got her ears pierced this time with earrings that have an extra long post. Camille has thick earlobes and the last time she got them pierced they got very infected and we had to let them heal over. The manager said she would have better luck with posts that were long so the solution could better penetrate into the piercing. So far so good.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm thinking Princess Diana

I was watching a docudrama (is that a word?) on Princess Diana tonight and I realized that I really liked her hair. I think I am going to get my hair cut like that. I haven't had bangs in 18 years. I already made my appointment for the afternoon of August 31st which, as I typed that, realized it is the day she died. Can you believe it has been ten years since she died?

We went to Ikea today. We ate lunch there and I had the Swedish Meatballs. They were yummy. Olaf and I have decided that will be our next date if we ever go on one. The last time Olaf and I went out by ourselves was when we went to Fogo well over a year ago. Probably closer to two years ago. Anyway, someday...we want to go to Ikea and look around without worrying about the children. That would be a fun date for us.

Round Up

I went to our local homeschool group's "round up" this morning. It is the first time I have ever been. I wouldn't have gone at all but there was this mandatory meeting for all parents who will have their children in any of the co-op classes. Thank the Lord Olaf called and told me the baby needed nursing:) I just really enjoy being home. I don't like being away from my family. I mean, a few hours at Target is fun for me (especially if I can get free babyfood), but to go away for more time than that is just not something I desire to do. There is nowhere else I would rather be than with my husband and children. Even if it means we are just in the house together doing separate things. We are still together.

Thank You Tammy!

Remember my BFF I talked about a few posts back? Look what we received from her today.



Look at these Nike shoes. Aren't they adorable?



Thank you, Tammy! You are very generous. Now go sell some more houses and send more stuff!

Friday Felicities

Baby Edition

*Baby goos and giggles
*Looking at Simon's little hand holding my finger while he nurses.
*Watching my children try to make Simon laugh.
*Watching Simon smile at Olaf when he gets home from work.
*Cloth Diapers
*Pampers Cruisers on clearance at Target and getting to use a coupon on top of that!
*This coupon (Thank you Stephanie) that lets you get almost free babyfood at Target. I bought 70 jars of babyfood--40 the first trip and 30 the second trip--for just a few dollars.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things about my husband:

1. For some reason, the man still thinks I am beautiful.
2. Thanks to a really rough time in our marriage about a year ago, he no longer takes me for granted....ever. (I guess when your wife says, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass" it does something to you.)
3. He gets more handsome to me as the years go by.
4. He is a good provider for us and works hard at a job he doesn't particularly like to make sure we have more than we need.
5. Our family always comes first to him...ALWAYS!
6. He LIKES to go shopping with me.
7. He also likes chick fliks but I am not supposed to tell anyone. We just rented "Miss Potter" (all about the life of Beatrix Potter) and he wants me to buy it for him.
8. He makes me laugh harder than anyone else can.
9. He is a fabulous father and the children adore him.
10. Caleb couldn't live without him.
11. He gives me free reign at Target when I am having a bad day and never complains about how much money I spent on all my clearance sales.
12. He is 10 months younger than I am.
13. He adores newborns as much as I do.

Wordless Wednesday

Cuteness

Grace lost her other front tooth last night. She chose to keep the tooth rather than get money from the "tooth fairy." When the children lose a tooth, Olaf goes into their room while they are still awake and does a "fairy dance" around the room, collects the tooth and deposits money, and then dances out of the room. The children LOVE it. They laugh the entire time. However, for some reason only Grace knows, she chose to "keep" her tooth and not have the tooth fairy come. Oh well...

On another note, my baby turned three months old August 4th. Oh yes he did! Can you believe it?


He doesn't look like this anymore:

Not a flattering photo, eh?

I have been using the all in one cloth diapers that I have on Simon because they fit him perfectly right now. I took a picture of him in a Kushie today. It is my least favorite all in one, but they work.


I just ordered two Hugga Buns to see how they will work. I have four Fuzzi Bunz and about four Bumkins as well. He looks so cute in his cloth behind.

Caleb started school today. He was so excited to ride the bus. He loves school. I can't believe I have two children in middle school.

Michelle Duggar had her 17th baby August 2nd.

Olaf and I always said we wanted 10 children but that isn't attainable anymore in my old age. God truly is in control of my womb because I am the woman that wants ten children and only have five. I am so thankful for the five gifts that He has given me though. Each one is a present straight from heaven. I pray that we have at least one more, and that she's a girl. Hee hee.

Oskidee (that's what I sometimes call my husband)

My husband came home from work in pain. His back and hip have been bothering him for awhile now, but he needed to take a pain killer today. The vicodin has done nothing for the pain thus far so he took a muscle relaxer as well. I called the pharmacist to make sure he could take them together and his words to me were, "yes, just don't let him go anywhere." I laughed.

My BFF in middle/high school, Tammy, called me this morning. She is just a fabulous woman. I haven't seen her in about 24 years, but you'd never know it from our conversation. That is the sign of a true friend. You can pick up right where you left off... She told me about this fitness boot camp that she attends in the morning. Sounds pretty kick butt if you ask me. That is why she is thin and I am not:) She also turned 40 on July 17th and I forgot to wish her a Happy Birthday or send her a card. Sorry, Tam!

Free Coffee

This is really sad...

Look at what my girls will look like in about 10 years:

Oy, I need a haircut

My hair is starting to fall out. It happens every time I have a baby. The good thing about long hair is I can pull it back in a ponytail. The bad thing about long hair is I can pull it back in a ponytail. Being almost FORTY and having a ponytail just doesn't go together real well. I just wish I had a lot of money and could afford a complete make over. You know, like on those TV programs where they take you to some posh salon and totally make you look fabulous. I also need a personal wardrobe shopper, because I have no fashion sense whatsoever. I wear jeans and a T-shirt and call it a day. I would love for someone with fashion sense to take me shopping. Any takers?

After I wrote that paragraph, I went to Marie Claire and gave myself a virtual makeover. It was so much fun.



So, you like?? I am digging the haircut and color. Let me know what you think.

Books, books, books

I told Camille that if she got an "A" on her History/Geography test that I would take her to the bookstore so she could buy some new books. Lo and behold, the child got a 94% and didn't miss one single question on the geography section. So, as promised, we all went to Books A Million today so she could load up on new books. I have written before, and will say it again, that she is a total bibliophile. Today she spent $45 of her own money on new books. She had no problem laying out the dough either. She bought Eldest, the sequel to Eragon. (Did you know the kid that wrote those books was homeschooled his whole life?) She bought four books in a new series called Warriors. It's about clans of wild cats. She bought the last two books in the Deltora Quest as well. And she's not just an action/adventure reader because she also bought The Diary of Anne Frank and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. Whew! I'm tired just listing them all. I can't imagine reading them all. Eldest is really thick. That one will take her a week or so to read. Maybe two weeks. And speaking of reading, Grace has me amazed. I gave her this Pathway Reader and was so surprised that she can read the thing! This book would be what a First Grader would read at the end of the school year, not the beginning. She is reading words like could, Grandfather, and surprise all by herself. I am so proud of my girls.

Drumroll Please

And the winner of the first ever Bloggy Giveaway is.....The Campbell Corner! Congratulations!!

Whoa, Nelly!

Can you believe how many people have left a comment for that stamp set? WOW! I will use this random number generator to pick the winner on Friday morning. I will take the number that it gives me and count from the first comment left toward the last. This has been so much fun for me. Camille is even giving away a copy of Little Women. Go sign up for it if you haven't already. She is LOVING all the comments she is getting on her blog.

I haven't posted a photo of Simon for awhile...so, here ya go!

He looks like Olaf in this picture to me. Well, Olaf's baby pictures anyway. He is absolutely adorable and I am so in love with him. We already are wanting another one. I figure I am so fat right now I might as well try to get pregnant again:0)

Camille, Grace, and Josiah are all going to join the homeschool choir this year. That should be a hoot. Practice is every Wednesday, so I will be running around this year a bit. Camille will have Spanish class on Thursday as well. I am such a home body. I really dislike leaving the house for any reason. Especially if it involves other little children that don't belong to me. They carry germs not to mention bad manners.

Camille is plugging along with school. It is a lot more school work than we are used to, but I think it has been very good for her. Grace gets mad if I don't "do" school everyday with her. Sometimes the baby needs so much of my time that I sit in the recliner and direct her school work from there. She can self direct a lot of her work because she reads well. She can read the directions on her workbook pages all by herself. Twelve more days until Caleb goes back to school, but who is counting?

Scrappers, Stampers and Paper Crafters

This freebie giveaway is for you! Thanks to Shannon and her fabulous idea, I am giving away a brand new, unmounted (I will mount it if you want me to), Stampin Up stamp set called Polka Dots and Paisley. It is a set of six stamps. It is perfect for scrapping and card making. I will also include some other "crafting stuff" as a bonus, but I'm not sure what:)


Now, if you would like to win this prize package (I sound like Bob Barker) just leave a comment below. I will be drawing on Friday. International readers are encouraged to join. I will ship worldwide! If you go to Shannon's blog there are links to lots of other blogs that are sharing the love. Go take a look.

You simply must...

Go watch these videos at Cheri's blog. They are so worth your time.

Grace lost another tooth

Now she looks like Olaf:

It's Friday

*an e-mail from a long, lost roommate from the Air Force!!
*Crayola Crayons 24 pack for 9 cents --9 cents people-- at Office Depot. (They are only 20 cents at WalMart right now) I bought 15 packs.
*Crayola Markers (10 pack) at WalMart for 88 cents.
*School supplies in general. Oh, they make my heart sing.
*A baby that wants his Mama to hold him. So, I am off...

Super Fun

Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer had a fabulous idea. On Monday, July 23rd, several bloggers will be posting giveaways on their blogs. Could be anything. Something new, something old, something handmade, something bought. I want to join in too. I mean, who doesn't love giving things away? I am not sure what exactly I will be giving, but it will be fun none-the-less. I have an entire week to think of something fabulous. Now, how do you win whatever it is I decide to give away? You must leave a comment. Yep. You have to come out of lurkdome. I will take all the comments and do a random drawing for the winner on Friday, July 27th. FUN!

It's Friday, so that means...

*Nancy Drew computer games

*Sharpies in lots of colors

*This editorial

*Trusting God when I can't begin to understand...

Wednesday Update

Camille was over at a friend's house on Saturday. They were out playing in the woods. Sunday morning Olaf pulled a tick out of the back of her thigh. This is what it looked like Monday:



See the Bulls Eye rash? Looks like Lyme's disease. It is 5 inches across. We took her to the doctor on Tuesday and he basically said exactly what I thought they would say. "Lyme's disease is rare in Georgia, so let's wait another week to see if the rash spreads and if she develops flu like symptoms." Great. Let the child get sick before we give her antibiotics. Doctors drive me BATTY!

On another note, isn't this baby the cutest baby in the entire world?



He is so flippin' cute that I just sit there and stare at him. Honestly, I couldn't be more in love with a child.

Camille is loving school. The teachers on the DVD's are fantastic. There are two that teach sixth grade. Mr. Howe and Mrs. Pereira. I am enjoying it too:) I am so, so, so happy that we went with the DVD's this year. Camille will also start taking Spanish every Thursday morning with a local homeschool coop.

Grace is bored with first grade so far. She hates review. I have already skipped about the first two weeks because she didn't want to do "baby work." She is so ME! It isn't even funny how much that child takes after me. She's tenacious like I am too.

Josiah is working on letters and numbers. He still holds his pencil with a fist. I really have to work on that with him. He likes to color though and does a great job staying within the lines. He is precious.

Pray for my friend, Karen. She isn't doing well at all.

The weekends fly by

The weekend always goes by so quickly. I wish Olaf would win the lottery or something and could just stay home all the time. Maybe I'll start a fund in the sidebar for donations.

Olaf set the crib up yesterday in our bedroom. I guess I was hoping it would hold some magical powers and Simon would sleep through the night in it. Didn't happen. Not even close. However, since he is the cutest baby in the whole entire world, I will not complain about lack of sleep.

Today we went to Target and bought some small bookshelves for the girl's room. They were on sale for $15 each. Camille owns so many books. She is a total bibliophile. We don't check out books from the library, we go to Barnes and Noble and buy them. We have everything from Elsie Dinsmore to Eragon.

Our homeschool year starts tomorrow. Actually, Camille did Math and Reading this evening to get a head start. She liked watching the DVD's. It was fun for her. We'll see how long that lasts. There is about 2.5 hours of viewing time for all subjects. That doesn't include her seat work, so she will be doing about 4 hours of school a day. Maybe more. Gracie starts 1st grade. I can't believe it. They grow up so fast.

Public school starts August 6th. Caleb got a new backpack last week, so he is asking for the bus now. He has had this same backpack from Lands End for six years. The only reason I bought him a new one is because it is looking pretty dirty. It's not worn out though. I highly recommend this backpack if your child tends to drag, kick, throw, or twist his backpack like Caleb does. I also had them monogram it with his name. He liked that.

We saw Ratatouille on Saturday. It was a good movie, but not worth the theater ticket price. Wait for it on DVD. Thankfully, Simon slept through the entire thing. Josiah kept asking if it was over yet. Caleb did really good which surprised me. At the end of the movie he started clapping and that started the rest of the theater clapping. It was cute.

Long post...I'll sign off now.

Goodbye Suzanne

Last night I went to say goodbye to a friend. She is moving to Tennessee.



We ate yummy chick food and laughed. We gave her a Longaberger Basket filled with goodies. It was fun.


Suzanne, Charity, Krista


Me, Heather, Tammy



Miss Mike


Esther

These are the women that I went to Bible Study with every Thursday night for almost four years. Although the Bible Study is no more, they are all very dear friends. I will miss you Suzanne. Start a blog woman!

Now for Friday Felicities:

*Laughing with good friends on a Thursday night.

*One cup of strong coffee in the morning.

*Having my four year old ask me to go snuggle in bed with him.

*The thought of grandchildren.

Friday Felicities

*Crystal Light Peach Tea

*Fun cloth diapers

*Camille who has a HUGE servants heart!

*A baby straight out of the bath and smelling all baby-ish!

*Internet friends who turn into real life friends.

I'm happy!

Simon smiled at me once today and he made some cooing sounds. Yippee!

Blue eyes smiling at me...

Not really. I wish Simon would smile at me, but he still only smiles at things. Like the mini-blinds, teddy bears, and the clock. And not often either. Instead I get looks like this:



Almost every baby development article says he should be cooing (he's not), smiling (he's not), making eye contact and looking at faces (he's not.) He does do a good impression on Cheri though. LOL! Sorry, Cheri. I just want to know if you are reading my blog. You know I love you.

So glad the week is half over. I look forward to Olaf being home on the weekends. He lets me sleep three hours straight when he's home. He will take Simon out of the bedroom about 6:00 am and bring him in to nurse around 9:00. Three hours of sleep in one stretch is heaven right now. The longest Simon has slept at one time is four hours. And that was once. Usually he is up after 2 to 3 hours.

I actually walked on the treadmill last night. Boy howdy am I outta shape! Twenty five minutes at 2.5 mph and my heart rate was in the aerobic zone. Sad.

I want one

I am thinking of getting one of these because I saw it here. Pretty cool. I am going to have one mehndi looking foot when Olaf gets done tatting me.

I cannot believe it, but Simon is actually watching a Baby Einstein DVD. A friend loaned one to me about 3 years ago -- yes, years -- anyway, I found it and wanted to see if they really held a baby's attention. Guess what? It really does. I may have to invest in a few.

My husband set the treadmill up for me in the basement yesterday. I think it will be fabulous to actually walk and watch TV at the same time. It is too hot for me to walk outside. I am excited about it. I just have to take the time to do it.

Now for a cute picture of Simon:

The child who refuses to smile, but is really cute anyway.

I forgot Friday Felicities

Yesterday was Friday and I didn't post my happy thoughts. So here they are on Saturday instead.

*E-mail from my husband.

*Having lunch with friends.

*Baby breath

*Disney World

*Cloth Diapers

*Gooseberry Patch Pocket Calendars (no link to the calendar because they don't have them online right now.)

Holly and Haydn

Holly and I had a nice visit today. Charity called this morning and was sick with a fever and throwing up so she didn't make it. Holly's baby is so much more advanced than Simon. He is only two days older, but seems like he is weeks ahead as far as developmental stuff. Holly weighed him on my scale and he weighed 15 pounds. Ben, Holly's other son, and my children had a great time playing. Ben is absolutely adorable.

Camille took this picture of Simon and me today...

Everyone says we look alike. Do you think so? I am thinking of coloring my hair. I want a lighter shade of brown. What do you think about that? Olaf is hesitant about it, but I am pushing 40 and need a change.

These arrived in the mail today. I love them. It makes it so much easier to get a diaper cover on when I use a chinese prefold. If you use prefolds and covers, you must invest in a few. I don't use cloth at night. I love disposable diapers at night or when I go out. I am not that crunchy.

My friend, Misty, was induced today. I haven't heard if the baby has been born though. ::taps fingers on desk::

Did you know when you hit about 35 you start growing chin hair? It's so true. I need to go pluck. Now.

My computer is wonky

Edited to add: I LOVE this blog.

For some reason, my computer won't keep any cookies. I have to type in every single url every time I want to go to a website. It won't remember passwords or log in information either. It stinks having to log into wah or Flickr everytime I visit the page. I can't figure out what is wrong. Everything looks correct in the settings. I guess Olaf will have to look at it and see if he can figure it out.

I love babies! I already want another one. I look at Simon and just wish he could stay little forever. The only reason I wouldn't want to get pregnant right now is I would have to supplement Simon with formula. I want him to be fully booby fed for at least six months before I get pregnant. Not to mention...I'm OLD!

Caleb has his biannual neurologist appointment this evening. It is in Atlanta and Olaf is going to take him like he always does. The traffic will be horrendous coming home. He goes to a neurologist for his seizures. Praise God he hasn't had one for a couple of years. The medicine has done a great job controlling them. It is so scary to watch a child have a grand mal seizure. Especially one that doesn't end.

Cloth diaper butt

He has a Motherease cover on over a handmade all-in-one that I bought off the internet when I was pregnant with Grace! I love those big huge rear ends in cloth diapers. I sold all my Motherease diapers after Josiah was born. I regret that decision.

My friends Holly and Charity are coming over for lunch on Thursday. I am excited about seeing Holly's new baby. He weighed 12 pounds AT BIRTH! Simon weighs about 12.5 right now. He was born two days before Simon. I can't wait to see him.

Happy Father's Day Olaf!

Funnnnay

Olaf is trying to clean the myriads of junk and toys out of the girl's old bedroom today. Eventually (and I mean WAY down the road) it will be Simon and Josiah's room. Olaf has plans to paint a Thomas the Tank Engine mural on one wall because Josiah loves Thomas. So, Josiah was talking to me about his future room while I was nursing Simon. He said, "Papa can paint Thomas on the wall for me and a ninny (that is a BOOB folks) on the wall for Simon!" Can you imagine walking into my son's room and seeing a breast painted on the wall??? Oh. My. Word. I about fell out of my chair.

Friday Felicities

Nattie started Friday Felicities to list things that make us happy. In honor of my Nattie Pie, I am going to try to post them every Friday!

*Vanilla Coke Zero (SO yummy!)

*An 11 year old daughter who asks ME if I need anything. (Like lunch or a snack or just a cup of coffee)

*Toasted Almond Coffemate which I cannot find anymore.

*Baby smiles

*Johnson's Baby Cologne

*Lactating breasts and nursing my babies:)

Yes, this is me!

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (16%) very low which suggests you are extremely worrying, insecure, emotional, and anxious. Orderliness (66%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun. Extraversion (86%) very high which suggests you are overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense too often of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

I took the short test, but it sums me up perfectly.

And life marches on...

Isn't it weird that a friend can die and the world does not stop? I still had to take Simon in for his one month check up this morning, TV programs that Nattie liked still play (as I watched The Office last night and thought of her), the mail still comes, and I will continue blog about life. I encourage you to go read Nattie's blog. She loved the Lord and it shows in her ponderings. On with life...

Simon weighed 10 pounds 15 ounces this morning. Everything looks great or so the new pediatrician who looks about 15 years old says. She was this tiny (maybe 4'10") black girl/woman whose voice was an octave higher than most people. She didn't seem very confident when examining Simon so she must be right out of Morehouse Medical School.

In Memory of Nattie

Natalie Rose York
Born December 15, 1973
Moved into heaven June 7, 2007

One Month Old

Actually one month and one day.

I try to blog

Really, I do. But it's hard to do with a newborn in the house. Especially one that is too cute to put down. As a matter of fact, he is in my arms right this minute.

I think I found a swimsuit to order. I need one for our Disney World trip because there is a pool at the house we rented. Scott and Frances...please don't make fun of my ba-donkey-donk butt and cellulite thighs. Just remember to respect your elders.

Olaf took Camille to see Spiderman 3 today. Yes, we are allowing our 11 year old daughter to watch a PG-13 movie. It is her first one. He went to Screen It and thought she could handle it. It's a reward for being such a huge helper to me during the week. I couldn't do this mothering thing without her.

Have a fabulous weekend. It's half over already...

Do Over

I'm calling a Do Over. You know, like when you were a child and didn't like the way you hit the ball. DO OVER! Here is a partial Do Over list for my life.

I would go to medical school and be a physician. I am not sure what type of doctor I'd be. Maybe reasearch.

I would not worry so much about my health or the health of my family. (That is to say, I wouldn't be such a hypochondriac.)

I'd go on antidepressants and not worry about what others think.

I would have removed the spiritual corncob up my ass a long time ago. Or better yet, not stuck it there at all.

Hey, I CAN do three of these things over. I think I will!:) Medical school will have to wait.

My friend, Nattie

They went in to do surgery on Nattie today only to come back out and say the cancer is inoperable. She is young, so young. With two small children who need her. Please join me in prayer for Nattie. Dana posted this song on the wah message board, and I thought it was appropriate to share here. It's by the David Crowder Band and it's called:

All I Can Say

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give

And didn't You see me cry'n?
And didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give

I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cry'n too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give

So cute

Love it when they sleep like this. Now, why won't he sleep like this at night?

Caleb went to the state Special Olympics today to compete in gymnastics. We didn't go this year, but he came home with a lot of medals.

Glad it is a three day weekend for Olaf!

Happy 6th Birthday Gracie!

When Olaf gets home we will go out to dinner at Grace's favorite place to eat, Golden Corral. Olaf is going to pick up her cake on the way home. She wanted another Barbie cake, so that is what my friend (Stacey the cake lady) made for her. She is excited about opening her presents as you can imagine. She already got this one because Olaf had to set it up last night. Olaf also bought her this. I think it's gross, but she will love it. The dog actually poops. Blech. We bought this as well but I paid much more for it at WalMart than the price here at target! I will post pictures tomorrow.

Simon received gifts in the mail today from two sets of people. That is always fun! Scott and Frances sent him two of the cutest outfits from Baby Gap. Absolutely adorable. They also sent the softest little lamb from Gund that you can imagine along with some touch and feel books, a soft frog rattle, my first keys, and some stacking cups.

We also got a package from some friends, Jeff and Eileen. They sent the coolest gadget ever! They also sent two outfits and this adorable toy! Were we spoiled or what?? Thank you so much to both of you for your generosity.

Praying for Nattie

My friend Nattie was diagnosed with stomach cancer today. Please pray for her. She is a single mom of two young children. She has had more than her fair share of trials the past couple of years. I love you Nattie girl. I am praying for you!

Two weeks ago...

Can you believe my baby is two weeks old? His cord fell off a few days ago, so I put a cloth diaper on him today. He looks so cute with that big fat rear that only a cloth diaper can give.



He still looks jaundiced to me. It may even be getting worse. If he continues to get yellow I will take him in for a blood draw on Monday. I think he hit his birth weight today as well. I am certain the formula has helped him gain the weight. He takes about 6 ounces in a 24 hour period. It doesn't seem like much, but it has made a difference. He has gained about an ounce a day since I started supplementing. Josiah was totally formula fed by six months. Once he had a bottle, he didn't want to nurse anymore. I guess it took too much effort to nurse. Grace was still nursing then and maybe I just didn't have enough milk for both of them. Grace actually continued to nurse for another six months after Josiah stopped. She was about two and a half before I finally weaned her. I think she would have nursed a long time if I would have let her.

Olaf goes back to work on Monday. No more being Queen for me. I will have to put this baby down at times I guess. I have held him for most of his life. Sometimes I will put him down at night to sleep, but usually I hold him then too.

Good news, bad news

His level was down to 10.5 so they picked up the phototherapy bed. That made me happy. However, my little fella is not gaining weight. That scares me. I have never had a baby not gain weight before. I mean, my babies are usually a pound heavier than their birth weight at their one week check up. This child will be two weeks this Friday and still isn't at his birth weight. So, I did what any paranoid mother would do...I went to Babies R Us and bought this. I also decided to start supplementing with a few ounces of formula after I nurse him. Hopefully, he will gain some weight in the next few days and I can discontinue the formula. Those of you that know me, know I am a breast feeding nazi and supplementing with formula makes my heart sick. BUT...I want to do what is best for Simon and put my mind at ease as well. I will keep you updated. I know you will be on pins and needles to see what happens:)

We are going to Chuck E Cheese today to celebrate Grace's birthday. Olaf won't be able to take her actual birthday off, so we are going today. Then we will go to Toys R Us to let her pick out a birthday present. She is so hard to buy for we thought it may be better this way. I cannot believe she is going to be six. She is so adorable.

Off phototherapy

At least for now. His level was 11 today. We have to go back tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning for another blood draw to see if the bilirubin level falls again. I guess if it rises then we will be back on the lights. The only reason it would rise if he has something called breast milk jaundince. This type of jaundice can lasts for weeks (even months) and there is no need to do anything about it. However, I have a feeling that my pediatrician will certainly put Simon back on phototherapy if his level goes up at all. I guess I'll have to talk to her about it if his level rises.

I am below my pre-pregnancy weight now. Although my pre-pregnancy weight was still huge. I only gained about 15-17 pounds total with Simon and he weighed 8 and a half. I am planning on starting Weight Watchers again in a few weeks. Maybe at the end of June or beginning of July. I need to start exercising too, but I have to wait a few more weeks to do anything strenuous.

Caleb hasn't eaten dinner for the past two nights. Weird. I am not sure what is up with that. He acts totally normal and he eats his breakfast, but at dinner he pushes his food away and goes downstairs to watch TV. He hasn't even asked for a snack the last two days.

Josiah is getting so handsome. He is dressed so cute today in a Tommy Hilfiger shirt (it's a hand-me-down people) and shorts. Let me take a picture so you can see just how adorable he is.


And here is one of Simon today:

Mother's Day

We didn't get to the hospital yesterday because we were going to go today. We had to go through the ER and it was packed. I talked with the lady who registers you and she said I had to wait my turn just like everyone else even though Simon only needed lab work done. She said it would be a few hours before they could see me. HA! Like I am going to wait a few hours with a newborn in a crowded ER with a bunch of sick people. Needless to say, we came home and never got his bilirubin level checked this weekend. We called the pediatrician on call just to cover our rear ends (Simon's pediatrician was adamant that we go on Saturday and Sunday for the blood work) and let her know what happened. She said to just wait until tomorrow morning and have it drawn at the regular clinic. Hooray! We will keep him on the bililights until we know his level.

For Mother's Day I got the most wonderful presents. The best one was this:



My husband painted this jar with all the children's names on different colored hearts. Inside are slips of paper written by the children with reasons why they love me. Of course, Olaf did Caleb's and Simon's. It was so nice it made me cry. One of Simon's reasons was; Because you stare at me. It's so true. I sit there and stare at him because I love him so much. They also bought me stuff that I cannot live without like dental floss, hand sanitizer, trial size lotion, and Almond Hershey's Kisses wrapped in streamers. That was Cami's idea. To wrap little presents in streamers so when I unwrapped it little gifts would fall out one at a time. I also got 6 Jibbitz from my family, a digital photo frame, and a Willow Tree from Simon. So far, so good;)

Another heel stick

Simon's bilirubin level went down by 2 points today. We are supposed to take him to the hospital over the weekend to get him tested as well. I am thinking we may skip tomorrow (there is no way his level will be under 10 which is when they discontinue the bililights) and just go on Sunday. His level today was 14.7 down from 16.9 yesterday. I keep him on the lights as much as possible, but it's not 20 out of 24 hours like they want me to. It's more like 16 out of 24. If he cries, I pick him up. He has done really well though. The child rarely fusses unless he needs to burp, poop, or wants to eat. Oh, and when he gets his diaper changed. I cannot wait to snuggle him again though.

Mother's Day is Sunday. Olaf took the children out today to buy me something. They love to buy me presents. It is so cute. I have no idea why they love me, but they do:) I haven't spoken to my mother since the end of January. I didn't even call her when Simon was born. I really have no desire to try to have a relationship with her anymore. Sometimes you have to amputate a limb in order to survive. That is kind of how I feel about her. I haven't seen her for seven years, so it really isn't too difficult to cut off a relationship with someone who is a virtual stranger. Sad, isn't it?

OK, I really need to try to sleep. Simon sleeps well during the day but nighttime isn't so good. He does sleep at night, it's just a restless type of sleep. Not the deep sleep that happens during the day. I think he has Mommy radar too. As soon as I get to sleep, he cries! So, I pick him up and kiss on him and nurse him:) I love babies!

Bummed

His bilirubin level went up today instead of down. This is what happens when you have an ABO incompatibility with your baby. He has to be on phototherapy for at least three days. I can only pick him up to feed him and change his diaper. This is the first time the child has been out of my arms since he was born. I cried. I am still crying.

Video Birth Announcement

Jaundiced Baby

I had to take Simon in for a bilirubin blood test yesterday. His count was 14 which is moderately jaundiced. He doesn't require phototherapy lights until his level hits 20. I have to take him back in tomorrow for another blood test to see if the levels have dropped. The whites of his eyes are even yellow. The bad thing about that blood test is they make this cut (not just a poke) in his heel so it will bleed a lot. Then they have to fill up this little vial full of blood. It takes about 5 minutes or so of squeezing his heel. It is so hard to watch. He only cried minimally last time, so I am hoping tomorrow will be like that as well. Here is a photo of my yellow boy taken today after his first bath.



Thanks for all the encouragement on my last post:) I was doing better until I decided to massage the painful knots out of my girls. It released the milk which felt fabulous, but two hours later they were fuller than before. I nurse him constantly, but I think the problem started when he would only nurse on one side then fall asleep. Then he would wake up an hour later and nurse on the other side. So essentially, each breast is being milked every two hours. I cannot lie (or lay?) on my side because it feels like a mountain between me and the mattress.

I am still holding Simon 24/7 which is fine by me. I hold him all day and I hold him all night. Am I sleeping? Why, no I am not. However, this time passes by so quickly. I don't want to miss a minute. I think that is one of the advantages of being an older mom. You realize how fleeting this newborn stage is and you want to savor every.single.moment. I remember when I had Camille. I would get so mad in the middle of the night because I wasn't getting my sleep. Oh to be 28 again. I would do things a lot differently.

Leave a comment and let me know you were here. It is so fun reading them all. Even my friend, Tammy, stopped by. She doesn't even have the internet. She must have been at the library.

engorgement

engorgement
painful, hard, and huge
cannot pump
help!

Baby Euphoria

I still can't sleep. I am just too in love with Simon. I nurse him all the time because I love it. My milk is in and my boobs are no longer saggy, just huge. He is a little jaundiced, but not too bad. I don't let anyone else hold him too often, but I let Olaf last night:



The children adore him and want to be near him. Josiah keeps saying "He's so cute" over and over and over... Grace keeps saying "I am so happy we have another baby!" Camille is in love and just wants to hold him. Caleb is the only one that isn't as interested, but that is okay.

I had two visitors in the hospital. Krista and her mom, Miss Mike, came for a few minutes. I am not a big fan of visitors when the baby comes (in the hospital or at home). Mostly because of germs/sicknesses. But they were so kind to come and stay just a few minutes. Miss Mike prayed for all of us which was very kind. Krista brought me a this, which is too adorable.

The birth went great. My water broke at 3:30 am Friday as I was rolling over in bed. I got up and took a quick shower to wash the grease out of my hair:) We arrived at the hospital around 4:30. Asked for my IV so I could get an epidural even though my contractions weren't bad at all. Got an epidural around 7:00 am but it only took on my right side. I felt everything on my left side. They came back and tried to back the catheter out a little which seemed to work at first. However, as labor progressed I felt my left side again. I asked a nurse to check me because I was deciding whether or not to have the epidural reinserted. They were getting painful. She checked me at 11:00 and said, "Oh dear! His head is right here!" They had to call the doctor so we waited about half an hour for him to show up. Two contractions later, Simon was born. The nursing staff was fabulous for the full 24 hours. They left us alone for at least two hours after Simon's birth. It was just Olaf, Simon and me in the delivery room. When they transferred us to the Mom/Baby ward, they were just as respectful. They only came in about every three or four hours to check Simon and myself. The OB came in early Saturday morning and discharged me. Within minutes of my discharge, Simon's doctor came in a discharged him. We had to wait a full 24 hours though to do his PKU test. Exactly at 11:40 on Saturday, they did his PKU and we were headed home.

Olaf is having a bad stomach day today. He is in a lot of pain. The medicine is not working. I have no idea what is wrong with him, but it scares me.

May 4, 2007

We welcomed Simon into the world! He was born at 11:40 am, weighed 8 pounds 6.7 ounces, and was 22 inches long. I haven't slept for, oh three days now, so I am exhausted. He is nursing well and my milk is already coming in. He is the only baby that weighed more when he left the hospital (24 hours later) than when he was born. Hee hee. My water burst (and I do mean BURST) as I rolled over in bed Friday morning at 3:30 am. I was so happy to know that he was finally going to come out:)

Update on Olaf's abdominal pain

After examining Olaf and hearing his symptoms, the nurse practioner called in the doctor. Good for her! The doctor listed off several things that it could be which included cancer. Ah, lovely. For now they are doing a blood test for H. Pylori and treating him with Protonix and Alinia in case it is Giardia (which it isn't in my opinion). They scheduled an endoscopy for July 9th and if that is ok then they will do a ultrasound of his gallbladder. I get to worry until then.

I had to pick Caleb up from school this morning. He has pink eye. Thankfully the pediatrician's office called in some eye drops for him without seeing him. He should be able to go back to school tomorrow morning. Olaf put him on the bus this morning so I didn't even see his eye. I didn't get to sleep until about 5:00 am, so when the school called at 8:00 I was sound asleep. Now I am pretty miserable just from not sleeping. I need a nap, but that won't happen with Caleb at home.

I'm so ready to meet Simon. I wish he were as eager to meet me.

Still here...unfortunately

Happy Birthday to my brother, CJ! He is 38 years old today...I think. He never updates his blog, but at least you can see a photo of him there.

Ricki Lake did a documentary on homebirth that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. It's called The Business of Being Born. I really would love to see it if it ever comes out on DVD. She had her first son at the hospital with the normal interventions and then had her second son at home. I have been doing a lot of surfing at homebirth sites (and unassisted birth sites) just in case this baby makes a quick appearance.

Olaf has a doctor's appointment for his stomach pain tomorrow. I am happy about that. It is with a nurse practitioner though and I really don't trust their judgment. Hey, I'm cynical. What can I say? I am not a sheeple. (That's a cross between a sheep who follows blindly, and people) There are very few doctors that I fully trust. I have yet to find one RN that I think is more competent than myself. (Yes, I am a bit proud and narcissistic by nature)

Have a great evening.