Our Little Big Family...

Our Little Big Family...

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

My wish list...

Okay, now I have a wish list for expensive items.  I am sure my list is a little different than Scott's, but there are a few things I want.  We have to prioritize now, and it is amazing how my list has actually shrunk now that I am not working. 

First, we want to get that Your Baby Can Read program for the babies.  They can start it at three months, so we are running out of time to get that one; it is the first on the list for that reason. 

Then I want a sewing machine, because I really want to start sewing!  My Aunt Nadine and my mom's friends Peggy and Chris made these fantastic blankets and burp rags for us, and they are my favorite things..  I love them.  My friends Emeth and Corie are getting ready to have babies, and I would love to try out making something fairly easy like burp rags or something for them...the homemade things are truly my favorites, so I think others would like them too. 

Hmmm...then a new laptop.  It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but it will still be $600 or so.  I told Chase that I would give him this one at Jamie's once I get a new one, since he does not have a very good one to use there.  It drives me nuts, but it is better than nothing that he has there!  Right now he has to go use Grandma's computer, which only has dial up internet!  No wonder he has only emailed once so far; he probably doesn't have a spare few hours to wait for the internet!  LOL.  Scott and I decided that we would just pay for his satellite internet so he has access to it there for school.  Who knows when we will get one, but that is the plan.

Okay, now I have my wish list in writing!  :)  I also want tons of cloth diapers for the babies, which are not cheap (but neither are disposables)--so that will come first too! 

To homeschool or not to homeschool? That is the question...

Okay...so I think we are there...this will probably be the kids' last week in public schools!  It is kind of scary--really scary--to go against the grain, but both Scott and I feel pretty strongly that we don't like the way public school is going at all.  The poor teachers do the best they can, but what do you expect with 29 kids in a class and at least a few of those (if not more) having behavior problems?  Azbrielle says the whole class has to put their heads down when one student is acting out---sometimes at least once a day!  And after Lisa homeschooled them this summer, they are so far ahead of what they are doing in class; Weston can do Azbrielle's work!  I feel bad, because it is nothing personal against the teachers.  We actually really like them--just not the rest of the situation.  So as of now they are still in school--I will keep the blog updated when we pull them.  Yesterday we scrambled again between feedings and changings to run around town and try to find a curriculum book to use.  Barnes and Noble only had 4-6 grades, Hastings only had 6th, and the learning store is closed down and empty!?  So we will probably order it online and hopefully have it next week.  We are on the waiting list for Columbia Virtual Academy out of Spokane, but we probably won't be able to start until next year due to the large demand.  Guess more people are figuring out that homeschooling may be the way to go?!  With CVA, each student gets $1200 to spend on curriculum, extracurricular activities (music, karate, piano, etc), etc!  Amazing!  And they also pay gas, etc for field trips!  So we are really excited to become a part of that program.  That is who our friends go through and love.  We will be using Calvert curriculum, which is supposed to be top-notch.  We would buy it on our own to use, but it is super expensive.  So Lisa said we should easily be able to get a curriculum book and use supplemental materials and make it through first grade if not part of second grade this year.  We are doing first grade for both kids. 

I am ready to throw this computer out the window...it is such a piece of junk.  But not until we can afford a new one...that could be a while!  It is so weird for me to not be working now and not just be able to go spend what I want.  I wouldn't change it for the world, though...I love staying home with my kids!

Funny story

Okay.  So here we are, Scott and I are trying to cram in our grocery shopping at Winco with the older kids at school and the babies between feedings and changings.  We thought we had it made...but of course it takes a while to navigate a huge store like Winco.  And of course since I have not gotten out much (even for shopping, since my fantastic husband has been doing it all for us:)), I want to look at everything!  Especially their bulk food section: we are starting to get our food storage going finally, so we are trying to decide what we want to have in our 5-gallon buckets.  And for some reason I find it interesting and fun to look at all of the bulk foods they offer--so we spent quite a bit of time there.  I had a list with me--I didn't think it was that long--of stuff that we needed.  As we got through a little over half the store and we were in the mayonnaise aisle, the fun began.  First it was the tiny little squeak from under the blanket that only comes from Delaney.  Scott and I looked at each other with dread...it was starting.  Within 30 seconds, we had two babies screaming from the top of their lungs and the entire aisle of people staring at us.  I knew what the problem was: I was sure they had to poop!  And it was then that I remembered that we had left the potty chair in the van, not the Navigator that we were driving that day.  Great.  Scrambling amidst the crying and stares, Scott shoved the baby cart at me and took the food cart and said, "Meet you in the car".  With a helpless feeling, I asked him what about the list?  And the food?  He told me that he would try to read my list and get the rest of what I wanted and checkout and meet me there.  Remember at Winco you have to bag your own stuff--and our cart was pretty full!  So I figured it would be a while til he got out there; I was on my own.

As I flew with the screaming babies through the store, I got looks of pity and irritation and who knows what else...you know, that sad little smile that says "Better her than me!", that kind of thing. How embarrassing.  And what are those people giving me those looks for?  I am not beating them, for goodness' sake--they are just hungry and have to go poop! 

When I finally made it to the car, I had to make that horrible decision that mothers of twins would understand so well: which one do I take care of first?  I figured it was the one who was screaming the loudest at the time--which happened to be Delaney.  Since Brody is much more of a whiner, when Delaney is screaming I know it must be bad.  Luckily we parked out a ways...because I grabbed her out of her seat, pulled off her pants and diaper, and squatted with her right there in the parking lot to let her go poop!  Since I had my back to the rest of the lot and the car between me and the street, I figured that there would not be too many people staring thinking I was nuts trying to get this tiny little baby to go to the bathroom in the middle of the Winco parking lot.  Within about 10 seconds she had shot out baby poop and pee in a pile on the ground and was much calmer.  She did have to go poop--great job, Delaney!  Somehow I managed to get them both to the bathroom (Brody only peed) and was feeding them both at the same time (even without my nursing pillows--amazing what you can do when you have to) in the front seat like nothing had happened when Scott got out there.  He almost stepped in the poop!  He was appalled that I had let them go to the bathroom in the lot, but what else was I supposed to do?  After all, it was only baby poop and pee!  It was probably dry within an hour of us leaving.  And really, I didn't care if it was or not!  It was really one of those times when you had to be there to appreciate the stress of the situation...but we made it!  Life with twins is such an adventure!  :)

Shot day!

Today the babies had to get their two-month immunizations...3 pokes and an oral!  The good news is that they save the oral one for last, so as the babies are screaming from the pokes, our great medical assistant sticks the oral meds in their mouths and they immediately quit crying!  So they have been a little fussy this afternoon, but not too bad so far.  They are sleeping for the moment, so I get a minute to write.  We were really researching the benefits vs. risks of immunizing so much, but for now we have decided to keep doing everything the AMA recommends and on the schedule they recommend.  Just seems like so much "stuff" to put into their little bodies!!  But the best news is now that they are officially two months old, they "magically" don't have to go to the hospital if they get a 100.4 degree fever--we can monitor it up to 103 now without them being admitted!  Don't ask me how their bodies are magically different now--I think it is one of those CYA things for the Dr.  When we went in for their two-month visit last Monday, Dr. Sean would not do their shots then---because although they were 8 weeks old, they were not "two months" until the 27th.  If they would have gotten a fever, as is expected after immunizations, then they would still have had to be admitted to the hospital.  So it is great to have made it over that hurdle without a hospital trip---guess all of our anal-retentiveness has paid off so far!  Now if we can just keep them from getting sick from the crap the other kids bring home...!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Weston

Our big little man...he is so grown up these days.  And he has the CUTEST laugh lately; I have to get it on video or something, because I just LOVE it!  He is such a smarty and picks things up so quickly and REMEMBERS them!  He is dying to have loose teeth like his big sister, but they are still pretty tight in there.  We are going to have both kids do the first grade curriculum when we homeschool; he is not super far behind Sis, and we think they will learn well together.  Miss Lisa says he is gifted when she taught them this last summer.  He is definitely a blessing to our family, along with all of his siblings! 

Weston's hair seems to be getting darker...and it is amazing how fast his cute little tan has faded not being in the sun every day!  Before you know it he will be Mr. Whitey again this winter!  He is an amazing helper with the twins and always talks about how he will play with them and help them when they are bigger.  He wants them to follow him around and always asks if he will be seven when they are two?  But he hates to hear them cry; I often come out when I hear them crying to see him trying valiantly to shove a binky in their mouths to get them to be quiet!  But he is definitely in training to be a fantastic daddy! 

Okay, I HAVE to go to bed now before the babies wake up!  AHHH, it is after 1am!  I cannot write this much every time---but I have to get the basics on here.  Maybe tomorrow I will write anything interesting about Scott and me--if I can think of much besides our wonderful kids to talk about !  Haha.  Good night for now. 

Azbrielle

Little Miss Toothless!  Last Wednesday (9/23), she lost "E" and lost "F" before--so now she has no front teeth!  Actually #8 is already poking through; she is so excited!  She got $1.25 from the tooth fairy and thought that was pretty special.  She even talks different!  We keep telling her about the song "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth";  we need to find it and let her listen to it! 

She is so smart and way above what they are doing in school; our big decision has come upon us about what we are doing for school for them.  After much discussion and praying and more discussion, I think we have decided to homeschool them--right now!  Nothing like taking on tons of tasks at once!  But I think it will be okay, even with the twins; and the older kids help out a lot with the babies too.  We will just have to use our baby down-time to do our school!  But it is a scary feeling to basically ditch public school; sorry, our kids are not coming back here, because we can do a better job!  But even in the Bible we are told to teach our own children as we feel they need to be taught; I need to search and find the scriptures that talk about that.  I learned about them when I took that homeschool class a few years back.

So this week may be their last in public schools; at least for now.   With this swine flu going around, seems like a pretty good time to get them out so they don't bring it home to us and the babies!

Chase

I really need to go to bed (I am eating up my valuable sleep time here!), but I don't want to leave out the other kids too!  I talked to Chase tonight; I miss him so much.  It was really hard for me and Scott to decide to let him try living with Jamie, but we feel like it was the right thing to do for him.  I don't want him to resent me for the rest of his life because I never let him try living with his dad.  After all, I would have freaked out if I had to be away from my dad when I was young.  I know it is different, because Chase never knew Jamie and I together; but he is still his dad. So there he is; he seems to be happy and doing well, which I guess I am happy about but sad at the same time.  I guess I have to admit there is a small part of me that was hoping he would hate it there and want to come running back home after a few weeks!  But that is not realistic; just selfish.  I do want him to be happy and successful, and if he can do that there, more power to him.  Like Scott says, we did our best to give him a good foundation the last 13 years; now it is up to him to see what kind of young man he becomes.  I just pray for him that he lets God shine in his life and feels the Spirit; he knows what is right, but will he listen?

He seems to be doing well in school so far.  They had a conference today--Jamie's first ever!  Too bad it was a ridiculous one--they have only had school for a couple of weeks!  What is there to talk about yet?!  I am still hoping they will move him up, at least in math; I think he is beyond where they are, and I don't want him to fall back to their level and get lazy.  He needs to be challenged to use that great brain of his!  I miss him so much, and I hope he misses me too; he did send me an email a week or so ago, which was kind of cool!

Delaney

Little Miss Delaney is still so sweet and petite--I am worried she will never grow!  She also has come so far though...since she dropped ALL the way down to a scary 5'9oz, she has come a very long way to get back up to 9'8oz!  But it seems like she has plateaued.  Scott keeps telling me to quit comparing the two, and that if we didn't have the moose Brody to compare her growth to, we would be fine with it.  I know everyone is built different, but I would love to see her put on some more pounds! 

On the other hand, she is doing great at her social skills!  She is so smiley and tries SO hard to talk!  We can usually get 5-10 minutes at a time of interaction before she gets tired of it.  She is following me and the kids around with her eyes pretty well now and also talks to her butterflies on her swing.  Her big blue eyes are so pretty; will they stay blue?  We shall see...she may be the only blue-eyed one in the family! 

Neither one of them is too hip on their tummy time; usually it just turns into a cryfest.  But they are supposed to have it, so I make them do it at least for a few minutes a day.  Sometimes kind of painful for me to listen to!  Good time to go hang some laundry...doesn't seem to help if I lay on the fltor with them and try to play; they are crying so hard they don't even seem to know I am there most of the time!  But now they are starting to lift up their upper bodies with their arms, so I guess something good is coming out of it! 

The kids call her "Laney"--especially Weston.  I like that nickname and figured it would be used when we picked the name, but I still love the full name Delaney.  Mom is right--it fits her.  So she is Miss tiny and lively these days.  She has so many cute summer  clothes, and it is getting chillier and chillier these days; she will never even get to wear them all!  So sad.  We got so many cute clothes this summer at garage sales and also from my cousin Danielle; it is too bad when they don't even wear all that they have!  Guess that is when you know they have too many clothes?

Delaney is doing great at EC also; for a while we thought she was constipated, but now she poops as often as Brody in the potty chair!  She pees pretty much every time, even if she had a wet diaper.  And very rarely does she have more than a skidmark either; we are so proud of them both!  Amazing what babies are capable of; just think how much we discount them and don't give them enough credit!  I truly believe they hold it as long as they can so they don't have to go in their diaper.  So cool. 

It is so fun to watch Delaney and Brody change; I am trying to enjoy every single day with them instead of wishing they would reach the next stage.  Seems like that is how you waste your life (and their childhoods) away--wishing they would do something exciting as they grow!  I still can't wait until they hit their next stages, but I also know that they won't ever be at these stages again, and sadly I am not having any more babies!  Never thought I would say it that way...amazing how things change.

Grandma and Grandpa are coming to visit this weekend, and they are bringing big brother Chase!  He will be so excited to see the babies (even if he pretends he isn't), and we are SO excited to see him!  We are counting down the days.

Brody

Brody has herniated his belly button--it is pretty scary looking, actually.  And it is gross to feel it and push it back in; it makes this sickening crackly noise and you can feel the stuff inside there, along with the hole where everything is squishing out!  Dr. Sean says it will fix itself--sure hope he knows what he is talking about!  Seems like it is getting bigger to me.

EC seems to be going well for Brody, especially with the poops.  Sometimes he does not even have any skidmarks or anything in his diaper and waits until we set him on the chair to go poop!  What a good boy.  Only one problem...he has a fountain for a penis!  Scott said there must be something wrong with it, because it always sprays straight up!  Haha.  Yucky to say, but he has peed on our new carpet a few...or many...times!  It is just baby pee, right?!  Ugh... But at least he is trying to make it in the chair; it is not his fault that it is such a powerful stream it bounces off!

He is growing so fast; he is heavy these days!  So solid, like lifting a solid brick.  And he is getting so cute!  Finally starting to smile and interact; it has taken him about a week and a half longer than Delaney!  But he definitely has her beat in the physical development part; he has an easy two pounds on her literally.  Pretty much into 3-6 month clothes now!  Wow.  Pretty good when he got down to 6'11 oz.  He was 11'7pz yesterday.  He does not look us in the eyes as often as his sister, but he is starting to try to talk like her and also he talks to the animals on his swing as they go around and around his head.  I think he talks to himself in the mirror too; it is so cute!  I love him so much!  It is so fun to watch him and his sister grow.

A day in the life

Well, today was pretty much like any other day when Scott works...lots of nursing and changing diapers and trying to entertain/ take care of the older kids and maybe even slip in a load of laundry (and hang it on the line) and some dishes too--and keep everyone quiet while he is sleeping!  But today we kept Azbrielle and Weston home from school--mostly to keep them from getting sick from other kids but also because she had a temp of 102 yesterday morning and could not go to church.  She slept most of the day and was pretty much quarantined to her room so she did not get the babies sick!  Weston and Azbrielle have been wearing masks in the house all weekend...at lest they are SUPPOSED to be wearing them!  About half the time it seems like they forget and don't have them on...only to be threatened to get them back on ASAP!  I know they are just kids, but they just don't get how important it is to keep the babies from getting sick--our Dr. told us that they will go right to the ER if they get a temp over 100.4. And wit h this ridiculous "swine flu" going around it is even more likely that they could get really sick; so scary.  Supposedly we have a bad outbreak here in TC.  But now that the babies have turned officially "two months", the doctor says that we will magically just monitor the temp until it reaches 103.  Sounds like a CYA deal to me; he would not even do their immunizations last week because they were only 8 weeks not "2 months"--if they had a slight reaction to the shot and had a fever, they would hit the hospital.  So now that they hit two months, they don't have to go to the hospital with the same fever/ reaction.  Ridiculous if you ask me (he didn't).

Didn't get to work out today; that is depressing.  But at the same time, it is hard to get back into it.  I know once I am doing it my body seems to like it...but it is just STARTING that is hard...do I really WANT to get all tired and sweaty and hate life for a while?  Not really...Maybe tomorrow will be better and I will be more inspired?  I have GOT to get rid of this horrible tummy.  I have seriously NEVER had anything like it, and I don't want to see it anymore!  Depressing to look in the mirror.  But the sugar addiction is so strong these days too...help!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Here I go...

Well, I am doing it. Officially. Becoming a blogger! As if I have any spare time to cram something else in. But I feel like this is a big one...trying to keep a record of our family's journey through life. I'm sure my blog won't be fancy or great like so many of my friends' blogs, but at this point I am just proud of myself for making one! Now let's see if I can keep up with it...

For now I am leaving it at this...the blog creation. It is late, all of the kids are in bed, and I am using up my precious sleep time! Hopefully I will get a few minutes tomorrow to add some pictures and post our daily happenings...like Brody's herniated belly button (with a picture of course), Azbrielle's sickness with Mom's accompanying stress attacks that the babies are going to get it, and so on...also the big decision...to homeschool or not to homeschool?

Good night all...sweet dreams! By the way...this is fun! I like it already! :)