Playing outside

Even with our clingy, fussy boys today, we managed to have some fun. Lucy wanted to go play outside after her nap, so we washed off the swing/slide, threw a blanket down in the shade with some toys and had a pretty good time. Daddy grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner too so everyone benefited from our outside time! :)

And of course, we have to have pictures!!

Alex

Keeping the boys on the blanket proved to be more challenging than I had originally anticipated . . . 

Charlie wouldn't look at me . . .he kept gazing intently at his toys!

Lucy rode her trike up and down the sidewalk :)

These boys love to play ball

Mmmm!!!

Crawling this way and that

Charlie in the swing

Lucy was so excited to get to push the swing

Charlie laughs at everything Lucy does

She's too big for this slide these days, but that didn't stop her from having a good time!

When is it my turn??

Alex was excited to get to swing too

What a week!

This has been quite a crazy, hectic week! We started on Monday, as you already know, with Lucy having no school. Our day at the Health Adventure was fun, but it wore everyone out! Michael had a finance meeting on Monday night and so bedtime was a little more hectic than usual.

On Tuesday, Lucy headed back to school and we had our developmental follow up appointment for the boys. Charlie weighed in at 15 lbs, 12 oz (He had been 15lbs, 9 oz the Friday before at our doctor's appointment.) and he was 27 inches long. Alex weighed in at 15 lbs, 11 oz (He was also 15 lbs, 9 oz at the doctor's appointment.) and was also 27 inches long. They met with an OT, a PT and an RN who played with them for a while to test their abilities. They were so pleased with how well both boys were doing - they tested at the average abilities of an 8 1/2 month old. Both boys had started crawling the week before so that definitely boosted their score. This is right in between their chronological age and their adjusted age. We shared our concern with them about their eating and weight gain (or lack there of!). All of them agreed that the boys are just fine - what they are doing now is typical of their adjusted age and they will get it in time. While their weight is on the small end, they in no way are malnourished - they definitely have some chunk on their cute little thighs! They said they will get it with time and to just go with the suggestions from their pediatrician but they didn't need any kind of other intervention. That had been my thought, but it was nice to hear it from professionals who worked with preemies everyday! After that appointment, we (quickly!) ran to Kohls so I could return a dress and get some new running shoes. That was about it for the boys that day.

Wednesdays are always a little hectic because those are the days that Michael is gone the most. Not a lot happened on Wednesday, but I was worn out at the end of the day after chasing these crawling boys! I ended up getting an awful sinus headache around dinner time and ended up going to bed very early. Of course, for some reason unknown to us, (Teething? Growth spurt? Over tired from crawling? Just trying to throw Mom and Dad off their game?), the boys have decided to go back to their sleeping from 7-11, tossing and turning and fussing from 11-3, eating at 3 and getting up for good at 6. So sleep has been at a premium for the grownups in this house. .  .

I knew that Thursday would be a crazy day because Michael was going to be gone to Gastonia all day for a meeting. Thursdays are also my days to do my Kindermusik practicum. (Yes, that's right - I'm working on getting my license right now to teach in my "spare time.") We had a sitter lined up for the boys during my afternoon class since Lucy would be coming with me. I knew that my day would be hectic, but things didn't work out like I thought they would. My morning had about done me in. . . .these wild little men just couldn't stay in one place. They wanted to go in opposite directions towards everything that they weren't supposed to play with. It was impossible to get them to focus on any one activity for any amount of time! Then we finally made it to lunch and I decided that I would try feeding Charlie some banana yogurt. At our appointment at the pediatricians' last week, he felt like the boys weren't actually allergic to dairy, especially since Alex's eczema hasn't gone away completely. He told me to try to reintroduce dairy with them over the weekend. I had a milkshake (MMM) which caused Alex to break out again but didn't seem to affect Charlie. Our pediatrician also recommended yogurt to help boost their calorie intake. I thought it would be ok with Charlie since he didn't react to the milkshake. I fed him a couple of bites and then turned to give Alex a little bit of squash. By the time I turned back to Charlie, his face was red with tiny white spots and he was rubbing away at his eyes. His right eye was looking a little swollen but it was hard to tell whether that was from rubbing or a reaction. He was breathing fine, but you could tell he was upset and uncomfortable. I called the pediatrician and they of course, wanted to see him just to be on the safe side. That meant that I had to call my practicum class participants and cancel class while I drove to South Asheville with the boys. I was stressed and worried and even though I knew that Charlie was doing ok because his breathing wasn't hindered at all, I was a bit of a mess. All I kept thinking was, "What if it was an actual emergency? How in the world could I do what I needed to and still take care of the other boy and Lucy (who was at school)?" It made me so thankful that a month from now we'll be moving close to family. I like to think I can handle everything by myself, but on Thursday, it really would have been nice to have my mom nearby as I stressed out. (She helped calm me down though over the phone - thanks, Mom!) After all that excitement, I was glad to see Thursday come to a close. The boys didn't get an afternoon nap in the midst of all that excitement so they were both falling asleep before they even got their final bottle at 6:00!

We made sure to keep our Friday pretty laid back. Lucy went to school and then we went out to eat (very early!) that night. Today was another easy day . . . or we planned for it to be. Both boys were extremely needy and clingy today and neither one would take a good morning or afternoon nap. I had to hold down "snuggle" with Charlie just to get him to relax long enough for a 30 minute nap!

Tomorrow starts a new week. I'm hoping with nothing on our calendar, it should be an easier week for us all. I've got to catch up on cleaning and packing and basically everything around here next week. I feel like I got NOTHING done this week . . . and I've got to try and get some more things packed or we will be in trouble come the end of June!!

Lucy-isms

 

 In case you didn't know, Lucy is one funny kid! This evening, she and her Daddy drove through KFC to pick up some dinner since I have a bad sinus headache and didn't feel like cooking. As he was ordering, she yelled out, "I ate the bones!" at the lady in the drive-through. Apparently, she has watched that commercial a time or two . . . 

She's also funny in the way that she mispronounces some of her words. They are so cute and always make me laugh. I thought I'd list the ones I could remember so that I wouldn't forget. ;)

* "Credo" - This is where Uncle Day Day moved to. . . he is actually living in Colorado!

* "Toy-chester" - this is where you put all of your toys away in her Froggy storybook

* "Regulat" - in place of regular; she always distinguishes what type of milk she wants by asking for either chocolate or "regulat"

* "Mirow" - Her word for mirror; it's so funny to hear her in the mornings announce that she is going to go look in the "mirrow" at how beautiful she is (Also, FYI, this child has no self esteem issues whatsoever!)

* "Full - Mingo" - yes, that's what she said was on her shirt. She told me that Full starts with F and Mingo starts with M . . . I wonder what a half mingo looks like??

I know there are more that I just can't think of right now - I will try to add them in later. ;)

Lucy the Entertainer

Michael had a finance meeting tonight so I was working to get everything ready for bedtime by myself. I asked Lucy to entertain the boys while I went down the hall to collect PJs and lotions and diapers and get bottles ready, etc. As I was down there, I heard these shrieks of laughter. They were having a good time and these videos don't show you nearly half of the fun they were having. These boys sure love their big sister!! (It also shows that yes, it is sometimes a "zoo" here at our house!)

The Health Adventure

Lucy's teachers had a workday at her preschool so she had the day off. I wanted to come up with something we could do besides hang out at home and watch TV. It has definitely been warm here in the mountains and the boys just don't need to be out in the sun at their age and with their creams to help their skin. So I was looking for indoor fun when I remembered we had never been to the Health Adventure. It is a museum designed to educate kids in all sorts of health/science related topics. I knew that she wouldn't be very interested in the actual science behind everything but she would love doing the hands-on activities.

In hindsight, I should have checked pricing before we left but I figured we had been to enough children's museums to know about how much it would cost. Michael and I were both floored to discover that they wanted us to pay $9.50 per adult and then $6.50 for Lucy. (Thankfully, the boys were free.) Maybe it's just me, but I think that is an awful lot of money for a parent to have to pay to simply watch their child. It's not like you can go and drop your child off so the minimum anyone is going to pay to go in is $16! Since the museum is located in part of the Biltmore Square Mall, Michael took the boys to walk around and Lucy and I stayed and played in order to save $10.

Lucy did have a good time though so it was worth it. After a while, we left and went and met the boys at the food court where everyone enjoyed some Chick-fil-a. (I think that this must be the fast food choice of stay-at-home moms because it was quite crowded!) On the way out the door, I had found a sticker on the floor (everyone who paid had to wear a sticker) so I picked it up. After lunch, Michael put it on his shirt and we all went back in. (Shh!!) I took the boys and let them play in the baby area while Lucy showed her Daddy all of her favorite things. I didn't want him to miss out on the fun either!

It was fun, but needless to say, we won't be going back since we'll only be up here for another month. I can't afford it!! Lucy is out of school again next Monday as well for Memorial Day. . . I will have to look into cheaper entertainment. Below are photos though from our outing . . .enjoy!!

Lego station

You could sit in a row boat and go fishing - Lucy caught one!

Sliding down the "tongue" in the oral care section

 Brushing teeth!

Lucy loves grocery shopping

Steering the pirate ship

She had the best time on this slide - it was really fast and sent her flying a couple of times!!

Fixing breakfast in the kitchen

Land Ho!

Charlie, practicing his new skill of crawling

Alex playing the piano

Charlie looks cute here, but I love how excited Alex looks ;)

Charlie, working on pulling up

Brotherly love :)

Time to eat

Waiting on Daddy to finish his shopping so she can ring him up

She told her Daddy his grocery bill was "One Eight One" - whew!! He told her that he didn't have enough money so she took some out of the cash register and handed it to him. Michael asked her if this was Obama's grocery store and she said, "Yup!"

Lucy decided it was her turn to shop, so she held out her hands and said, "Daddy, I need money. I have to go shopping." (I imagine that her Poppa has heard that line somewhere before too!)

 

Mother's Day

Every Mother's Day, I always take a picture with my reason for being a Mom! I remember thinking as we took last year's picture, "My hands will definitely be full next year!" Whew - little did I really know! 

This picture probably more accurately reflects what life with these three is like. . . 

 As you can see, Lucy is aggravating Charlie, he's squirming away from her, and Alex is just hanging out! ;)

No matter how hard it can get some days, I am thankful every day that God knew I needed these three. I cannot imagine what I would do without them. My heart is so full and every day, even on the hardest days, I am constantly reminded of how greatly I have been blessed. I pray that I can be the best Mom that I can be for my sweet babies. Mommy loves you Lucy, Charlie and Alex!

Alex and Charlie's Baptism

Alex and Charlie were baptized this past Sunday, May 12th at Salem UMC. Rev. Paul B. Thompson, the senior pastor at Mills River came to do the baptism for us. It was a wonderful service and time with family.

When Michael went to Israel, he brought back some water from the Jordan River which we used for their baptism.

The week before the service, I spent a lot of time talking with Lucy about what we would be doing Sunday. I talked to her about when we had her baptized and told her that on Sunday we would be standing up in front of the church, promising to love and take care of her brothers and teach them all about Jesus. Lucy responded with, "Yes, we will teach them so that they can learn to love Jesus just like I do!" I will have to admit that I teared up a little. What an awesome responsibility God has placed in my insufficient hands to help guide these children in developing their faith and finding their place and purpose in this world. I am thankful for those moments as we watch Lucy's faith develop and her understanding of the love of Jesus grows. I know she will play a key role in guiding her brother's in their walk with Jesus as well.

Of course, Lucy is still Lucy! During the service, apparently she felt that the congregation was her audience as well. She has been very excited about curtsying lately, so while we were up there, she kept bowing and curtsying to everyone who was watching. ;)

The boys did such a great job - neither of them fussed at all!! Alex was first. . . 

Charlie came close to grabbing the candle at one point in time. .  .

Paul had his hands full!

Afterwards, we made sure to get pictures. . . 

I love any time that we get to be a part of the sacrament of baptism; it is something truly beautiful. And the baptism of my own children reminds me of the great responsibility I have been given with these three sweet children. Alex and Charlie, "My Boys" as I call them, ultimately are not mine but God's "boys." In the Methodist church, we believe that baptism, as a means of grace, signifies God’s initiative in the process of salvation. John Wesley preached “prevenient grace,” the grace that works in our lives before we are aware of it, bringing us to faith. The sacrament of baptism is our way of acknowledging the gift God has given us in these two little boys. We recognize that He is and has been present in their lives since the moment of conception. As I look back at the past nine months, I see his hand so clearly. Despite their early arrival, both boys were at a healthy weight, able to breathe on their own with minimal assistance, and had no major issues related to their premature birth. I am acutely aware of how blessed we are - things could have easily been so drastically different. Both boys show little to no delays in their development; any delay they have is no more than about six weeks, the amount of their early arrival. And of course, God is ever present in each of their lives, at this moment- He knows what each day holds and helps us daily to meet their needs. We are called as their parents to nurture them in His love, to help guide them as they grow to understand His agape love for them and His desire for a personal relationship with each of them. . . until Alex and Charlie can one day confirm this truth for themselves. Baptism reminds us to look forward to how God will use this precious little boys change lives for His kingdom. I look at my three children, amazed each day as they grow into the people they were created to be. 

 A great responsibility has been given to me and Michael to "raise up a child (three of them!) in the way he should go." So many days I don't feel that I am worthy of this task. . . I fail on a daily basis. But during Paul's sermon that day, he mentioned about how Paul (in the Bible) felt the same way. In Romans 7:15 - ^"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." So many times, I go to bed knowing that I wasn't the best Mom I could be. I let my own selfish desires get in the way of doing what is best for my family. And let's be honest, there are even some moments where I just want to go hide from it all. And I hate that about myself. But thankfully, He doesn't expect me to do it on my own - in fact, he doesn't want me to! He wants me to rely on Him - to ask for His help in this day to day grind of taking care of little ones. To seek His face for guidance as I want to wring my almost four year old's neck because she just won't do what I asked her to. To thank Him in those joyful moments as my heart burst with pride over Lucy's reading skills or when Charlie's face burst into his amazing smile or when Alex's laugh brightens my day. To gaze in wonder at His creation of these three angels as they sleep peacefully in their beds. To admit that no matter how hard I try, I will never be good enough on my own . . .and that I don't have to be. That's one of the things I have been reminded over and over again these past nine months. He has blessed me with an amazing partner through this journey - I don't know what I would do without Michael. And with His help, I have confidence that Michael and I can together do all that we can to provide a safe, loving home for these three. . . to mold and shape them in their journey to discover who they are as members of God's family so that one day they will make that decision for themselves. As I look at everything I have accomplished or ever hope to accomplish in my lifetime, I do know this - raising these three children to learn to love their Heavenly Father is the most important thing I will ever do. What an awesome task that I am only worthy of because of the grace He has given to me.