Rough Few Weeks

Never before have I been more thankful that overall we have 3 very healthy and happy boys!!  These last 2 weeks however are really starting to take it's toll on this momma!  It started on a Thursday... Jacob came down with a really bad cough with a little bit of congestion.  By Monday we were heading to the doctor, knowing that these types of things always end up in his chest.  Sure enough... the beginning sounds of pneumonia and a lot of junk in his sinuses.  So, we begin antibiotic #1 that lasted for 5 days.  Fingers crossed this works and he doesn't go into full blown pneumonia.  Tuesday Luke starts with the cough but he seems to be handling it pretty well.  No fever, little congestion... so on Thursday we're back at the doctor's office but this time for Luke's 6 month well visit.  Since it was "only" a cough they decided shots would be fine.  Within a few hours he was in a bad way!!  Miserable, screamed if you touched or moved him, didn't want to be put down, tired, cranky, and then by that evening his fever was 103.  Stinking shots!!!  That same night, Thursday, night Chase wakes up in the middle of the night with a really high fever... and by really high I mean up over 104!  What in the world is going on... now we have not just one child sick and on antibiotics, but the other two are running super high fevers.  By Friday afternoon, Chase's fever was gone and he was back to normal.  Jacob didn't really seem to be any better, except for the fact that his sinuses had improved some.  Luke was still running a high fever but at that point I was just thinking it was still a result of his shots.  All weekend Luke goes downhill... lots of calls to our pediatrician's triage nurse line were made.  I've never had a 6 month old with such a terrible cough so this is all new to me!  Sunday morning Charles takes the big boys to church... again, at that point we thought Jacob was coming out of his crud.  About an hour after they leave I start to notice that Luke is wheezing ... I am not a doctor but I know that is not the kind of sound you want coming from a 6 month old's lungs!  So, off to the weekend clinic downtown.  I pray a shield of protection about him as we walk into the office, knowing that it's mainly the sickest of the sick who get seen on the weekends.  The doctor diagnoses him with bronchiolitis that probably started out as RSV.  They do a breathing treatment in the office to see if he would be one of the 50% of babies who respond well to the steroids.  The treatment helped a little but not as much as they would have liked.  Sunday afternoon I'm getting ready to talk out the door and Jacob wakes up from his nap with a very high fever... again, up over 104.  Thinking that he probably has the fever virus that Chase had I thought I'd give him a good 24-36 hours before I start to worry about it.  Well, by Tuesday morning he still is running a high fever so off to our 4th doctor's visit in a week... a horribly infected ear and very nasty sounding lungs, full blown pneumonia.  Now on antibiotic #2, a very strong one that is used mainly to treat the lungs and hoping the ear gets treated at the same time!  Ugh!  And then this morning off to the doctor again for Luke... wheezing is back, cough is just as bad as ever.... his bronchiolitis has gotten worse but his pulse ox levels were still good.  Keeping a close eye on him as his body continues to fight this, praying he starts moving in the right direction and that it won't affect him down the road. I think the one thing that could only make all of this worse is the fact that I have not gotten a full night of uninterrupted sleep in well over 2 months... and lately it has been sleep for an hour or so, crying baby, sleep for an hour, crying baby... so on and so forth all night long.  Last night from 1-3:30 he was only content if he was sleeping on my chest.  Like I said at the beginning, never before have I been more thankful that this life, life with sick children, is only temporary and that we have been blessed with such healthy kids! 

... need I say more?

Battle of Jericho

The big boys have such an imagination these days!  Just this morning they were upstairs playing so nicely together when something caught my attention... I stopped what I was doing to listen and this is what I heard:
Chase: "Jacob, I'm Joshua.  And you're my army."
Jacob: "Ok!" (with much excitement)
Chase: "Now we have to march around Jericho.  Jacob follow me and we'll march around the city. And on the seventh time the walls will come tumbling down."
As both of the boys marched around their city (buildings made with their Legos) they sang the song that they know that goes along with that story and every now and then they would take a break from that song to sing "Jesus Loves Me".  What fun they had playing upstairs together this morning.  It makes me proud to know that when they are alone and they think no one is listening, they pretend using the Bible stories that they know. And it's times like this morning, when they are getting along so well and playing so nicely, that it makes all the hard work, training, teaching and frustrating parenting moments more than worth it!!  I can't wait to see how Luke will fit into the mix one day!!

Luke is 6 months old!!

Six months ago (yesterday) we added such a precious gift to this family... not sure where the time has gone or how it has gotten away from me so quickly!!  Luke is turning into such a fun little boy... he smiles at anyone and everyone (even when they're not even looking at him), he loves to play, loves to watch his big brothers, loves to talk and hear his own voice, has such an adorable little laugh, loves to roll over - both ways (in fact, he loves it so much he does it countless times in the middle of the night), loves playing with his hands & toes and is such a bundle of joy!!

He is his Daddy's biggest fan ... his face brightens up so much when Daddy walks in after work.  To say that he loves bath time would be an understatement!  He kicks and splashes so much that whoever happens to be giving his bath comes out looking like they had just had one too... wet from head to toe!  Luke started solid food just after he turned 5 months old and is such a pro already!  He's a huge fan of oatmeal, any fruit and all the veggies I've tried so far (which happen to only be green beans and peas at this point... but if he likes those two things then I can't wait to see what he does with sweet potatoes!!).  We're having to hold back on the fruit for now... he's reacting to something and the fruit is our first guess.  Once the rash goes away we'll slowly add fruit back in one at a time to see if we were right or not.  He is so content and just goes with the flow most of the time.  His smile completely melts my heart... I love how happy he is, even while teething!  He's definitely working on those bottom teeth... his gums have been sore for a few weeks so I'm sure any day now he'll wake up with a new tooth! 

He never meets a stranger... he is, in just about every way, just like Chase but I'm hoping that the stranger anxiety will be totally opposite!!  He's so close to sitting by himself... he has the strength, just not the balance.  His favorite toy right now is the Jumperoo that we're borrowing from the Jones family.  That child can get going and loves it!!!  He has gotten SO much better about riding in the car... we went through a period of time (from about 2 months until about 5 months) that he would cry as soon as we got in the car until we got out but he's over that now (thank goodness!).  We're loving this sweet third boy of ours and we are so thankful for him!!  He fits into our family perfectly and it's so true that God made no mistake adding him to our crew!

So, now on to his 6 month stats:

Weight: 14 lbs. 15 oz. (11th percentile)
Height: 26 inches (37th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 cm. (12th percentile)

So my little one is tiny... just like Chase.  That comes as no surprise to me... I've been saying that he's built just like Chase from the very beginning.  Dr. Shrouds (our pediatrician) is a little concerned because everything (weight, height and head circ.) is starting to slow down.  I thought he'd be a little less concerned when he heard this is exactly what Chase did but until that curve stays consistent he said he is going to keep a close eye on his growth.  Here is a graph that Charles made comparing the boys' weights... it really shows just how closely Luke is following in his big brother's footsteps! :)

I love this sweet little man... his smiles brighten my day and his snuggles make my heart so happy!  Happy 6 months, sweet Luke!!

The Difference a Year Makes

We got together with my family last week at my parent's house... my brother and his family came over from Japan and we spent the week doing fun things with the kids, hanging out, talking, laughing and just enjoying our time!  The kids have all changed so much since we were together this time last year and looking back at last year's pictures you could really see that!!

 McKenzie (Matt's oldest) ... she is the oldest of the group and was

such an amazing helper for all of us!

Maddie (Matt's second little girl) ... one thing that hasn't changed is her love for her Goombie :)

Micah (Matt's youngest)... he has changed so much!  

He went from being a baby to being a little boy since we saw them last!

Eli (my younger brother's little boy)  He also has changed and

grown up so much in a year's time!

There are a few other things that even though the kids have grown up a little bit the things they love haven't!  For example, looking back at last year's pictures I had a lot of Maddie holding the baby of the family, Eli.  This year, she was head over heels in love with the newest baby of the family, Luke, and wanted to hold him every chance she got!  

 Maddie in Jan. 2010 holding Eli, the baby of the family

This year there was a new baby of the family, Luke, who had just turned 5 months old!  Maddie took such good care of him!!

The kids loved making trains out of the toys last year and this year

there were enough kids old enough to participate so they opted for a human train! :)

One other thing that has not changed even though the kids have gotten older is Chase's infatuation with McKenzie and Maddie.  Last year he just adored them and this year it was no different.  My oldest is a very affectionate child and all week he went around hugging them and telling them "I love you!".  Thankfully the girls were both very tolerant of my very in-touch-with-his-feelings child and showed him just as much love and he showed them!!

So great to see another baby added to this picture of Nana & Pop-Pop with their grandkids and GG & Goomba with their great-grands.  So sad that Noah and Colin weren't present to be in it also but next time we're all together will be that much more special.

This family has been blessed above and beyond and we are so thankful that the Lord has blessed us with so many healthy children!  Pictures from the rest of our week will be coming soon but this is a post I've been working on and thinking about for a few days so I wanted to go ahead and put the finishing touches on it!  What a fun week we had!!!!

Snow Days

Snow in South Carolina... not very predictable and not likely to happen much.  This winter, we've already had two really good snows for S.C.  The day after Christmas we got a good 4+ inches of the fun white stuff.  We took full advantage the day after Christmas because we thought for sure that would be it for this winter.  Little did we know we were in for even more just a few weeks later!!  We woke up early Monday morning (3:00 early -- not because of the snow but because Jacob wasn't feeling well) and the ground was already completely covered.  Just a few short hours later we had several inches.  We packed up and headed over to my in-laws house because we knew if we lost power we'd have to have a way to stay warm and they have a gas fireplace.  The boys were so excited to be having a sleepover at Grandma's house and it really was super fun sitting around the fireplace all day looking at the beautiful snow outside. 

The boys got out in the snow that morning and loved every second.  This being the second opportunity this winter they both kind of knew what to do and what not to do and Jacob definitely enjoyed it much more the second time around!

Chase made snow angels and Jacob enjoyed walking around the cars, brushing the snow off of them!!

Sam even thoroughly enjoyed running around in the snow and the boys loved throwing snowballs for her to catch!!

The cousins even came over to play and they had a blast!!

Chase loves spending time with his cousin, Emma.  These two are going to grow up to be best buds!

Luke enjoyed lots of warm snuggles and stayed inside while the big boys went out to play!

The rest of the day the boys made forts using Grandma's pillows...

 and played games with Jupe!

We spent the night at Grandma & Jupe's house in fear that the ice accumulation would cause the power to go out.  The big boys slept in Aunt Anna's bed together and did amazing!  They shared a room with Tweety Bird and made sure they were super quiet until the sun was up so that Tweety Bird could get all her rest! :)  The next morning all of the pretty snow was covered in a very slick layer of ice so it wasn't as easy for the boys to play in but they got out there anyways and had a ball!!  They had their first sled ride...

... or at least attempted to sled :)

Jacob's turn we tried it on the trash can lid... both were a little unsuccessful until Charles found a patch of snow/ice that hadn't been walked on yet and that worked much better! :)

Jacob found icicles hanging from Grandma's roof (his hat was covering all but a tiny part of one of his eyes so seeing things was a bit of a challenge!).

And both boys had so much fun having snow ball fights with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma & Jupe!  Jupe may have won the ice war but one day, when he's least expecting it, we'll get him back! :)  Luke took great naps and slept so well at Grandma's house... he really didn't mind staying inside.  He is not a fan of cold air, even if it's just on his tiny face!

He did, however, love looking at the pretty white stuff from inside! 

We were all so happy to have Charles home with us the majority of this week... he went to work on Friday and it nice that now it's the weekend.  I could definitely do more of these one day work weeks! :)  It's amazing just how much I can get done with Daddy home!!  :)

First Taste of Rice Cereal

Luke started rice cereal this week.  I was going to wait until closer to 6 months but I felt like he was starting to need a little more other than what he was getting.  So Sunday I opened the box of rice cereal and we gave it a try.  I was very surprised with how well he did... he was a mess, but he knew to open his mouth either when he saw the spoon coming or when the spoon touched his lips.  Then the second time I made it I made it not as runny and on the thicker side and he did just as good.  I think he's going to be a good eater just like my other two were and that makes me happy! :)

Twenty Eleven

2011.... where did 2010 go?  Not to mention 2009 and 2008?  As a kid, time didn't seem to go by all that quickly.  High school was a busy time, lots of fun but still didn't seem to fly by.  College went faster than I would have liked... didn't help that I took enough credits each semester to graduate early.  Getting married and adjusting to married life,that went by pretty fast!!  Had Chase the end of 2006... time started moving a lot faster! Then had Jacob the beginning of 2008... now time was really flying by!  Fast forward a few more years and I can't believe we are in 2011.  I feel like it was just yesterday we had our second baby and were living in Greenville... now we've moved, been in this house for 2 years already and added another boy to the mix.  Time, slow down!!!!! PLEASE!  I know this year is going to be a whirlwind as well... first new years resolution: appreciate each and every moment, the good, the bad, the frustrating, the hard, the sweet... appreciate them all because they don't last forever and before I know it my time with the boys at home will be over and they'll be big boys going to school!

 

What sweet moments we have with these boys and even when I'm exhausted, short on patience, not feeling well these boys are tremendous blessings given to us by our Lord.  We have such a huge responsibility to be an example to them, show them God's love, and point them towards their Savior.  I'm not perfect, I fail daily... but I'm thankful I have a loving Father who has endless patience with me and loves me for who I am and I desire to have that kind of patience and love for my boys!!

This little one is growing way too fast!  He is learning new things all the time and has discovered that he has a voice and can be as loud as he wants!!  He wakes up from naps and unfortunately at night time too to practice his "talking", his rolling over and his ability to get Mommy to respond to his every demand!  He has been a great sleeper since he was born but lately he has had too many things to learn and explore to sleep... waking up at night a few times each night has been rough for me but I do try to remind myself every night that going in to his room to give him his paci, as annoying as it might be and as much as it may cause me to be tired the next day, seeing him look up at me and smile makes it all worth it.  I won't be visiting his room in the middle of the night forever so I'm enjoying this stage, knowing it will pass before I know it!  He definitely brings us all so much joy!!!

This Daddy sure is enjoying his boys!!!  He had 2 weeks off from school and he loved being home every day.  He was such an amazing help for me and even let me sleep in a few mornings over the break.  I honestly couldn't ask for a better father for my boys and a better husband for me.  He thinks of me before anything else, puts my needs at the top of his priority list and loves me unconditionally.  He is always working towards becoming a better dad and he works so hard to show his boys how much he loves them!

New years resolution #2: show my appreciation for my husband way more than I do!  Charles comes home from a long day at work ready to help take on some of the responsibilities... silly things like taking the boys to the bathroom and pulling up pants when they're done, cleaning them up after dinner, to helping with the bigger things.  Putting the boys in their pajamas, brushing their teeth and putting them to bed on nights that I'm either putting Luke to bed or really tired from a busy day.  From the little things to the big things, I appreciate Charles more than he knows and my goal for this year is to remind him daily of how much I love him, how proud I am of him and how much I appreciate every thing he does!!

2011 will be a year of many more goals that I will make for myself but these are two things that I want to be consciously aware of every day and work on doing on a daily basis!  Praying for a great year with my family, a healthy & safe year, a year of sharing God's love with all those around me and a year of being the best Mommy I could ever be! Because these boys.... 

.... they deserve the best!