Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the Thanksgiving Tree Emrie created, each leaf had a thing or person she was thankful for.

Henry with berry on his face, enjoying his Thanksgiving pie.

Greta in a Christmas box at Mama and Papas house.

Emrie and Mommy getting ready for the Christmas Parade.

I am going to blog while Greta is in her big girl crib crying....this isn't easy on mommy. I don't know if the 4 month shots messed up our nearly perfect sleeper or if it is those awful painful teeth but we have had a rough few nights and Greg says in a manly voice "She is ready for her bed in her room now." Mommy is not so sure of this. Crying for 10 minutes is heart wrenching when she has never cried 10 minutes worth her whole 4 months!

Fast forward a week and 1/2.

Greta is in her crib once again....part of me is saying it is time she needs to know she can go to sleep on her own and be happy in doing so and then the other part of me is screaming go get her she is 4/12 months old she needs snuggled so what if you end up in the recliner for most of the night, she won't stay this way long.

Potty training is in full swing here. Don't be surprised to see a naked little guy running through our house. Yesterday was more successful than today and I am teetering on his readiness about this, we will give it another day and see where that leads us.

Emrie is excited to be in her first Christmas parade tomorrow twirling with the Dynamic Stars. This should be interesting and exciting if she does decide to go through with it! I just finished reading You Can't Make Me, But I Can Be Persuaded by Cynthia Tobias all about the Strong Willed Child and Oh My! does it fit her to a T! I am looking forward to trying her suggestions and feel relieved and more informed about my sweet SWC Emrie Ann-an answer to prayer!

Well folks it is peaceful here now! A success! So I will now go to bed!

Praise God for night time and rest!

Greta Baby Mine

Part of our nightly routine! I love the squeak it means "keep going mommy!"

Take a deep breathe, smile, laugh and this to shall pass!!

Who is super silly? Henry!

Who is super sweet? Henry!

Who is back to super silly? Henry!

Who painted her face today at AHA? Emrie! Who is good at making slobber bubbles? Greta!

Who has super chubby sweet kissable cheeks? Greta!

This past Saturday morning I took the kids to Wal-mart to to pick up a few things returned home and Henry had developed bright red skin on his face and legs with big white bug bite looking welts all over. So off to urgent care Henry and I went, we waited to see the doctor for about 1 1/2 hours and when he finally made it to us the red and welts were gone. I explained what brought us in and he decided to examine him anyway and behold he had a bright red ear infection in his right ear and a mild one in his left. Discussing the possible reason for the rash red skin we determined that he could have a peanut allergy since I had fed him whole peanuts the day before for the first time. Dr advised us to wait 2 weeks and try peanuts again with benadryl handy. He is now on Amoxicillin and seems to be feeling/acting better.

Saturday evening Greg and I went to a Halloween party & we dressed up as Maverick and Charlie from Top Gun. It was a fun evening, Emrie had her first sleepover at Ea and Aarons house(which was lots & lots of fun for her!). Henry and Greta stayed home with Aunt Beth watching them. Mommy came home early to feed Greta and went to bed shortly after...no late night parties for us these days! (I don't know that there ever were!) I have yet to give or attempt to feed a bottle to Greta, so I am always within a short distance to her beck and call...don't want her to go hungry and if you look at those cheeks pictured above @ 16 weeks she is undoubtably getting enough to eat! I love those crazy sweet smoochable cheeks!

Terrible 2's have been trying this week. I just remind myself to take a deep breathe, smile, laugh and this to shall pass! Oh but Lord I do need your help! Emrie has grumpy defiant days and Henry has his perpetual motion and constant whiny, fit throwing tantrum days and I do believe they plan them to coincide to make one plain awful day...silver lining is that not everyday is disastrous. We do make it through and each night I think I can do this or accomplish that when they are all tucked quietly into bed but I find myself hitting the hay momentarily after the peace of 3 sleeping children sets in. I consider myself lucky though I am blessed to be staying at home with them. I know in retrospect I will one day miss this.

Praise God for today!

Happy Halloween!

Greta watching the pumpkin carving!

Butterfly Princess Emrie and Mail Man Henry.

Proud Papa looking at Mail Man Henry!

Greta sleeping during the Halloween fun.

Emrie watching for the trick or treating to begin and Billy the exterminator!

Praise God for a fun day for the kids and all those yummy treats!

Henry turns 2!

Yes, Mommy made this yummy cake for me!

My John Deere wheel barrow.

Henrys new pick-up truck!

Can you believe it? Henry was born on a Monday if I remember correctly. I went in on a Saturday night and had him mid day on Monday. He was a beautiful surprise to us since we didn't know his sex. It was so exciting to bring him home to share with his big sister who instantly loved him and his soft skin for rubbing! He grew so fast and changed so much in his first two years. He is now nearing potty training which is fun, exciting and exhausting! He talks so well and loves I Spy books. "Read it, Read it" he demands throughout the day. He also enjoys his Farm picture book and The Happy Man and His Dump Truck. He likes the normal Deigo, Bob the Builder and Barney, but he and Emrie have recently developed a love for Annie and I got to tell you it does my heart good when they belt out those songs together! Although the other day they both called me Ms. Hannigan and I had to stop and laugh at that!
Henry was such a sensitive baby, he didn't like to be bumped or hear loud noises-he nearly melted down when such things would occur. I never dreamed he would begin his "terrible twos" at 18 months and be full of orneriness and busy exploration of everything dangerous or not. He still has a bit of that sensitive baby in him he is frightened by the wind, rain or a storm. He climbs in and out of his crib like a pro numerous times a day! He is into the refrigerator picking a "snacky" all the time! He does not walk, he trots or runs. He has got his Papa Mikes dance moves when music plays his body rocks. Henry enjoys being dirty, in fact I do believe it is a goal he has set for himself anytime we are out doors he is physically drawn to dirt, mud, or puddles. He loves to ride on the three wheeler at Mama and Papas. He would still rather eat and break crayons than color with them. He can throw a tantrum quite well, have a complete melt down, bang his head onto the ground and hard enough to leave a mark and even a goose egg. He can be so defiant and so sweet. He is our little guy who we love so very dearly!

We celebrated his birthday in the morning by having his buddy Micah over and shame on me I did not get a picture of them. I took Emrie to pick out balloons for him and she picked a Happy Birthday cupcake, present, dump truck and Elmo, Henry loved them all! Emrie also picked a guitar toy for Henry. Mommy and Daddy got him a John Deere wheel barrow. He calls it his wagon.
Mama Linda, Bryan, Aaron and Ea came over for dinner and Birthday cake and we had a very fun evening celebrating together.
I made his dump truck birthday cake pictured above. It was cute and he was eager to taste it!

He had his 2 year check up with Dr. Gibson on Thursday he weighed 28lbs and has moved to the 50th %tile for weight and height. He got 2 shots and big sister got one it took me and two nurses to hold her down, Henry was more upset watching her than when he got poked himself.

We celebrated on Sunday at Mama Jane and Papa Emerys house with Uncle Jim Aunt Beth and Jeremiah! He enjoyed the singing of Happy Birthday once again, more presents and yummy brownies and ice cream!

For the final celebration, we had dinner with Nornie, Poppy and Papa Mike. Henry had a difficult time sitting down to eat his dinner b/c of a severe case of the grumpies. Once we made it thru dinner the fun began when Papa Mike brought in Henrys present-a pickup truck and the icing on the cake was the gift from Nornie and Poppy-a gas pump.

Praise God for a fun 2nd Birthday for our sweet Henry!

Greta Jane Update

Look at my chubby cheeks..I am growing!

Why Mommy did I have to get these yukky shots? Look at my boo boos.

Greta is growing up! She had her 2 month check up with Dr. Gibson on Thursday September 15th and she weighed 11.6 lbs and was 23 inches long! Dr Gibson said she could find nothing wrong with her, I can't either, of course I am just a proud mommy! She also said "She is cute, no make that crazy cute!"and I would have to agree 100% on that as well! She got her first big round of vaccines 1 oral and 2 injections into each leg...OUCHY! Mommy felt bad, how awful to see the look of pain and confusion on such a tiny face, it hurts mommy too.

Praise God for the vaccines that help to protect my children!

Fair Week

The count down began about a week ago for Emrie. She remembered the fun rides from last year and was very eager to do it all again. We visited all the animals first. While the pigs are still my very favorite the jury is still out on whether she will follow in my footsteps and enjoy the unusual mammal. I have to admit I am rooting for her to love them like I did along with a Grandpa and even Great Grandpa. We'll see maybe Emrie will never get past the smell and Henry and Greta will adore their course hair and snout nose! I would almost place a wager that Grandma Jane would bake cookies more frequently just to share with the curly tailed animal. Greg might take some convincing in all of this but I feel strongly that he would develop a love for all of it.

Emrie is finally over all of her birthday celebrations. Emrie seemed to enjoy a birthday that kept going! We had a picnic party at Kacklemacker park with Mama Linda, Bryan, Aaron and Ea. It was a fun time, the kids had so much fun running and playing and were happy to have an audience. Boy were they dirty, Henry most of all(of course).
Sunday afternoon Papa Emery and Emrie had birthday cake and delicious homemade ice cream to celebrate.
Her last one was a joint party for her and Papa Mike. She got birthday money and was happy to spend all of it and then some buying clothes not toys. It is highly fascinating to watch her bounce from rack to rack choosing items she feels she can't go without.

Henry has begun to use the potty occasionally which is exciting. He gets a chocolate chip for peeing and a popsicle for poo. Emrie benefits from this as well so she is always excited about Henry and his achievements! Still battling the terrible twos even though he is not yet two. Fits for this or that or maybe over nothing at all, usually land him with a spanking or time spent in bed. He is a master of climbing out of bed which has been an exhausting challenge each day at naptime. He nearly falls asleep during lunch and I put Emrie and him direcfly to bed and an onset of energy emerges from both of them(makes me a little batty). I do enjoy hearing the laughter and giggles they produce but I also know that a day without naps results in a very dramatic evening with lots of tears and whiney noises.

Greta Jane is 8 weeks and I am loving seeing her little interactive smile and more and more coos. She is still my easiest baby yet and such a wonderful night time sleeper last night 10-4, woohoo!!

Praise God for a beautiful week and the time spent at the fair!

Sept 6th

My day:

1:30 am Greta says time to eat
4:30 am Greta says time to eat
6:30 am Greta says time to eat
8:00 wake up from a semi restful nights sleep in the recliner.
8:15 Emrie wakes up in song, singing about what clothes to pick out for the day
8:30 Breakfast with a side if Calliou for Emrie and Henry to watch and Greta is hungry
9 Jeremiah comes and Greta falls asleep
10 Build a tent out of blankets and chairs for Emrie & Henry
10:30 Laundry, dishes, laundry
11 Greta is hungry
11:30 spaghetti for lunch
12 Letter A lesson with finger paints for Emrie and Henry
12:30 Clean up, laundry, nap time
1:10 Emrie and Henry still chatting
1:11 Mommy rocking Greta and waiting for quiet to catch a few afternoon winks!
1:45 still waiting and Greta is hungry
1:50 Quiet, ahhhh
2:40 Naptime over
3:00 Dishes, laundry
3:30 Jeremiah goes home
3:45 Greta is hungry
4:30 fix dinner
5:00 dinner
5:30 Emrie and Henry bath, Greta is hungry
5:45 out of the tub.
6:00 daddy fixes a tire on van, we watch Bob the builder
7:00 go to mama janes, daddy stays home to grade papers
7:30 greta is hungry
8:00 head home
8:30 brush teeth, Dr. Suess then prayer
9:00 still hearing chatty kids
9:15 Greta is hungry
9:30 pack daddys' lunch
10:00 Swaddle Greta
10:20 Yay!! Bedtime for mommy!! Daddy still grading papers.

Praise God for the energy to get thru!

Emrie Turns 4!

Emrie Turns 4!

A fun day at the zoo with Mama Jane, Papa Emery and Jeremiah for Emries 4th b-day! The weather was perfect and the kids really enjoyed all the animals.
Emrie wore her birthday outfit that she picked out at Target very Punky Brewster-ish & very cute!
Emrie rode on the carousel and really loved that. She brushed a goats hair but was not interested in petting a very large bug or lizard.
She was most impressed with the polar bear and elephant.
I don't know what Henry liked the best but he did want to offer his animal crackers to the elephant.
Greta was most content to be in her sling while we walked around and slept most of the time there.
We had a yummy late lunch at MCL (one of my favorite childhood restaurants.)
Then we went to visit Great Grandma Morgan. She got to meet Greta for the first time and was happy to hold her. As we were preparing to leave and I took Greta from her arms she said she envied me. She loves to hold and rock babies, she has had lots of practice over the years with 8 children of her own and many grand and great grand children. I wish I could take the children there everyday to visit her, I know she finds such Joy in them.
Daddy wasn't able to go with us but when we got home he had balloons and presents for Emrie. She got Disney Princess roller skates, Dora tennis racket, a Caboodle with a hair brush and hair clips and 2 dresses.

Emrie had her 4 year check up she weighed 36lbs and was 41 inches tall. She made a picture for Dr. Gibson when she gave it to her she said "This is for all the people who work here in this hospital." Emrie didn't have to get shots at this appt which I was glad for. Next year will be her kindergarten boosters.

I took all 3 children to the dr and shopping all by myself, it takes a little forethought on loading and unloading from the van to insure that each child is not out of my sight EVER and ALWAYS holding onto my hand. I find myself checking and double checking that I have all 3 right with me, I often get a feeling of panic that I somehow have misplaced one or lost one. This absolutely terrible feeling that I am pretty sure causes my heart to skip a beat. Anyway, I would consider our day a complete success!

Praise God for our sweet Emrie Ann.

So much glad in me!

So much glad in me. While I could be grumbling about this or that, I am going to take the Polly(one of my very favorite movies)approach!

I am Glad for:
Monday a beautiful almost fall like day
Healthy children
Busy children
Baby Greta who sleeps so well
Hard working husband, not to mention smart, funny and good looking ;-)
Food on our shelves & a pork roast in the oven(boy it smells good!)
A house with plenty character, my perfect little home.
Our new van-I am oozing with thanksgiving, it is a luxury for our family of 5 to fit in all together.
Our new windows(I still consider them new) it is awesome to easily slide them open and closed(Easy to clean too!) Allowing the fresh breeze to blow thru.

Praise God for Today!

Almost Gone

Emrie Ann in her "school girl" outfit.

Henry Michael he is in a "whats that?" phase, he looks like he is inquiring about something.

Our last week before Back to School:-(. I dread losing my extra help but I am so thankful that Greg enjoys his work and has a job that has summers off. I am also very thankful that he has taken this soccer season off, i would be terribly lonely on those long days with out him around.
This week had a rough start for me. Sunday afternoon I knew something wasn't perfect with me and by Sunday evening after playing outside and taking a walk I knew exactly what my problem was, mastitis. A few hours later my chills and body aches became more uncomfortable. I went to urgent care and got a prescription for an antibiotic, orders to rest, and to continue with pain relievers. I know rest is important and I did rest but I am not programmed to sit around and do nothing. My mind just goes full force at what I want to do or what should be done and makes me feel worse for not being able to do it. I like the busy hustle of 3 kids, I like to speed clean, I like to fix lunch and dinner for my family. Of course I like breaks from all of that but not when it comes at the cost of being sick. Anyway Greg took good care of the kids and me and Aunt Beth made dinner for us. By early morning Tuesday my chills turned into sweats and relief came shortly after my fever finally broke. I was feeling much better by Tuesday evening. Greg fixed dinner which I found very funny b/c it was a meal my dad would fix when my mom wasn't able, Beanie Weenies & a frozen pizza! It tasted good! Scary how similar Greg and Dad are!
Wednesday i was feeling back to normal we walked with Tanna and Micah, in perfect low 80's weather.
I took the kids out to the backyard and they played in the playhouse for a long time,I let them hose it out and use a bucket of soapy water to clean their house,boy they had fun! Once again I wished for an outside shower for the kids to clean up before going indoors!

Henry requested for breakfast one morning sausage raisins pretzels and M&m's. Breakfast of champions! I did give him the sausage and raisins. He has been toting around a purse all week long he must find it very convenient to load it up and carry his toys in the bag.

Emrie is getting very anxious for her birthday. Crazy to think she will be four next week. Aunt Beth took her birthday shopping(outfit pictured above)Thank you Aunt Beth she had lots of fun! My girl is quite the shopper, I am beginning to worry about the future and how we will pay for our shopaholic:-)

Praise God for Gregs job and the summer that we can spend so much time together!

21 days!

They love their baby sister!

Sisters!

3 Weeks

Greta is 3 weeks old today, it seems as though she has always been part of our family & like I've known her for so much longer.

She has been a very laid back little girl, I often wonder if it is because I am more laid back. Emrie was high maintenance and demanding from day one or did I miss all the cues that a baby gives being a first time parent? Henry was laid back as well but needed his swaddling and white noise from the very beginning and until his little blankies couldn't wrap around his growing body. I felt more at ease with him, not a beginner anymore. With Greta though I feel more confident even through all my constant worries. Mostly experience has taught me those little things I worried overly about before are not likely & now they are more fleeting, it has to have an effect on the child. That all being said I still do not consider myself an expert in this field :-)

Henry seems like he has grown up so quickly since Gretas arrival. He can do and say so much. I think I have failed to mention that he has developed a love for chocolate milk(thank you mama Jane!). He is completely hooked and he is now frequently in the fridge getting the chocolate syrup to make his favorite drink! Oh well if I had his metabolism I'd drink it all day too:-)
He has been expressing his love for everyone all the time here recently. Lots of I love you's!

Greta has been sleeping so well, she is usually ready to be swaddled around 9 and gets her belly full and by 10 we are in bed. She is sleeping in bed with us, Greg far off to one side- me to the other, she occupies the center. I set my alarm for 2:30 am but she is usually beginning to stir a little before then and we move downstairs to the recliner for the remainder of the night.
During the day she is eating about every 2 hours sometimes a little longer if she happens to fall into a deep sleep.

She went to Wednesday night church for the first time this week. She got to meet Great Grandpa & Grandma Howdyshell and Aunt Karen and Jeffy for the first time there.

Thursday night we watched Daddy win the tennis tournament he played in!

Friday we had pizza at Nornie and Poppys and had a nice visit with Julie, Tim and Taylor.

On our way home Greta began to fuss and Emrie said "She needs her Fire Paci.". I think she meant pacifier, he he. A fire Paci sounds a bit dangerous!

Praise God for the hot/beautiful weather and for a perfect 21 days!

July!

I'm lovin' this! Really this is perfection! Dickerson party of 5. Party would be an accurate description of the vibe around the house right now. Emrie Ann and Henry seem to be extra excited and even more energetic than usual. Emrie Ann is loving dressing baby Greta by picking out each outfit,it has been lots of fun! Henry is full of love for his baby sister. He is catching on,but the reminders are constant that we have to be gentle and use soft hands with the baby. He has an occasional melt down when mommy can't carry him around but I suspect that those will get fewer as time passes. Besides he seems so heavy to me now, did he grow or does he seem huge just because Greta is so small? Emrie Ann jumps at the chance to hold baby Greta and rub her skin, she is in heaven while rubbing that super baby soft skin.

I realize it has been a month since I updated my blog, shame on me! Lots of fun has happened in July. The kids enjoyed the 4th and the fireworks. Henry was too busy to sit still and watch so he and Papa Emery did lots of wondering around. Emrie Ann enjoyed the light show but Mama Jane had to hold very tightly her hands over Emries ears. Mommy was quite uncomfortable at this point with Baby and I am pretty sure my walk had turned into a waddle!

My weekly OB checks began, which was a good feeling to know the end is getting near! Although I was absolutely sure that I would go past my due date as I did with Emrie and Henry. Kids have a way of proving you wrong, huh?

We did some shopping to prepare for Baby and Emrie enjoyed helping pick out the outfits for a newborn baby boy or baby girl. She talked Alot about the baby in HER belly. We all got quite a kick out of her and HER baby. Emrie said one evening during a dinner she didn't really care for that her baby in her belly didn't like that food. A good excuse in her mind for getting out of eating. It worked the other way around too if it was something she really enjoyed-Surprise her baby did too!

Henry is so busy and just loves to be outside! In typical little boy fashion he can find dirt anywhere and requires a bath after most every trip outside! And it is not uncommon for him to eat some dirt either! He is still in the midst of his terrible twos and diaper changes are one of his least favorite things to do. (hmm maybe potty training soon, we'll cross our fingers for an easy transition!) Henry is oozing with orneriness, he has been a little stir crazy at home since the arrival of Greta. The crazy heat has kept us inside and he gets a little squirrel-y bring trapped indoors.

We also did our first camping of the year on the big hill with the Martins. It was a perfect evening for a fire and all the yummy camping food! The kids sure enjoyed the toasted marshmallows, I did too(with a side of Tums!). I made one short attempt to sleep in the tent with the kids but quickly decided that being that far along in my pregnancy made sleeping on the ground even less desirable than it is non-pregnant! So mommy and Henry caved and went to sleep at Mama and Papas! Emrie was so proud the next morning, she was so happy to have seen shooting stars and to have made it through the night in the tent for her first time! The first time Emrie saw me after having Greta and she realized my belly was somewhat deflated belly she said "Now we can go camping mommy!"

Greta Jane arrived on Friday July 15th at 2 in the afternoon. My water broke Thursday evening 11:30pm after just dropping off to sleep. I was not prepared to dash off to the hospital and neither was Greg but Dr Santino had advised us to quickly make our way to the hospital. So we gathered up our necessary items and left home feeling nervous and anxious. Beth and Jeremiah came right up to watch the kids which were sound asleep when we left. My contractions were regular and 5-7 minutes apart. Progress was slow through the night and sleep was not obtainable. Friday morning around 9 they decided to give me Pitocin to help speed up and regulate the contractions. Shortly there after I received my epidura, Praise God! l:-) Mom had arrived early Friday morning and after slow progress she thought she would have plenty of time to run to Logan. Greg got a little..(okay a lot!) anxious without her there and contractions becoming stronger and more frequent. I called mom and she turned around and headed back to the hospital. (Thanks mom for being there you certainly help to keep Greg calm!) Mama Linda waited anxiously in the waiting area eager for the arrival of our new baby! (Thanks Linda for the new pj's!) After intense contractions began around 2 it was time to start pushing and at 2:13pm Greta was in my arms!
7 lbs 6 ounces a beautiful miracle, a gift from God!

Aunt Beth and Jeremiah brought Emrie and Henry to meet their baby sister just a few hours later.

Uncle Aaron and Aunt Ea took Emrie to see her first movie that evening, Winnie the Pooh. She LOVED it and ate a whole bag of popcorn!

Saturday afternoon exactly 24 hours after Greta was born we left the hospital very anxious to be at home.

Aunt Beth and Mama Jane were busy around the house doing laundry washing up all the baby girl clothes and assembling the pack'n plays into changing tables and bassinets. Mama went to the store to load us up with groceries and fixed our dinner. Aaron and Ea came over that evening and Daddy and Aaron hung the swing/glider that Baby Greta got for her Big Sister and Big Brother! A fun, exciting, exhausting day!

Praise God for a month filled full of blessings!

Baycation Yay!

We are at the beach and life is good! One full day down and it was a complete success! Traveling to the beach was not to bad either, we bought our first family mini van and it was a smooth and spacious ride! Praise God for it and now we have room for the new baby! We won't have to take Emries advice and put the baby in the trunk of the sedan! I felt sad and happy watching the kids ride to the beach they weren't sitting side by side as closely as they would in the car so Emrie couldn't rub Henrys skin or fall asleep holding hands as they so often did in the car. But they also couldn't aggravate the other quite as easily either. I will always have the sweet picture in my mind of them riding hand in hand together. Sunday, today the kids were up and at 'em at 6:45. We were in the pool by 8 and to the beach at 9. Sunblock was applied thoroughly before heading out and reapplied often out in the sun, but the weather was not to hot but a perfect high eighties! Emrie enjoys the freedom that her Puddle Jumper life vest allows her at the pool. She swims here and there busy kicking and splashing and of course keeping track of the comings and goings of everyone else. Henry is not crazy about a life vest but is happy to be in the pool and thinks he doesn't need to be held at all times. I have a hand on him at all times when near the pool, he is just at that perfect age to have no fears and no understanding of all the danger, meanwhile I have all the fears and worries running laps thru my head. Beach time was priceless. Both kids were busy usually running in opposite directions. Emrie wasn't to brave getting very far into the water, which was perfect, and Henry would put his toes in a little but they mostly ran around digging and playing in the sand. At one point this evening Emrie was losing her bottoms to her swimsuit from the load of sand she was carrying around. Henry was pretty well covered head to toe and it didn't seem to bother him one bit. We hosed them off in the front yard stripped down and bathtime was in order!

Praise God for providing a new safe and spacious vehicle for our growing family!

Beachy Thursday :-)

Thursday already! Time surely flies when your having fun. The kids have played so hard this week. It was been lots of fun to watch them running on the beach, watching the airplanes-each one gets Henrys attention, Emrie collected shells for quite some time with her hot pink shell collecting bag just to insist that Jeremiah bury them all in a big hole. Henry gets a little tired running on the beach at which point he flops down wherever in the sand not minding one bit he gets covered in it. Henry will probably be more content next year in the pool when he can have a puddle jumper and have the freedom that Emrie enjoys. He does like his little cabana float for a while and likes to pretend he is making coffee with his little blue watering can. Last night we flew kites and the kids did really well. Henry did pretty good holding onto his panda bear kite, he had more interest in it than you would think for a 1 year old. Emrie she was really into it! Mama and Papa got her a silly looking little girl kite and she flew her high for probably an hour. She had her up as far as her string could go and after winding her in to put her away she let her back up again! Perfect weather on the beach both day and night when the sun gets warm the water temp is perfect for cooling down. Henry has enjoyed the porch, he wanted to eat his breakfast outside this morning. I think he likes having a birds eye view on the pool, and neighbors! We went shopping this morning of course Emrie got a real charge out of that, she so loves to get new clothes! Henry doesn't seem to mind going store to store he even took a little cap nap while we shopped. He was happy to wake up to us eating Chick fil-A. At Atatlya Huntington Beach State park we attempted to take family photos which is a challenge to say the least when dealing with 3 & 1 year olds. Perhaps we got one good family pic but I haven't seen them yet and I am betting Emrie has her lip out or Henry is arching his back in protest to such an awful activity as family portraits! Oh well it captures the nature of a young child perfectly I am sure.

*Sigh for a perfect week going by entirely way to fast.

Praise God for good weather and family time!

*Sigh*

Seeing things her own way!

Henry with blue sand everywhere!

Boy... it has certainly been a rough afternoon for Mommy, to be perfectly honest. What started out as a great day with lots of fun and giggling quickly turned into an upsetting, frustrating, quarrelsome afternoon.

On our next to last Friday of school Lilly and Lydia came to spend the day with us. Oh how excited the girls were to be together as BFFs. They played and laughed enjoying each others company to the fullest until a few hours into the day when sharing didn't seem like fun anymore and the others actions were growing slightly annoying. That was okay it was lunch time and then naps and that would be the cure all, Right?

WRONG!

Mommy and Daddy had made arrangements to go out for dinner, while Aunt Beth and Mama Jane would take the kids to go see Great Grandma Morgan.

After an hour of napping I attempted to wake Emrie and struck out, so moved on to Henry who was slightly out of sorts but manageable in getting awake and dressed for the outing.

Back to Emrie for attempt number 2 in getting her ready to go and then the trouble began.

Dun, dun, dun.

She didn't want to wake up, she didn't want to get her hair pulled up, she didn't want to go, she didn't want to get in Aunt Beths car, she didn't want to get her shoes on, she didn't want to go anywhere, she didn't want to go see Great Grandma, she didn't want to go out to eat, she didn't want to leave, she didn't want to etc. etc. etc! (All these things, by the way are things she likes to do!)

"You are going, Mommy and Daddy won't be home. You will get ready and you will get ready now." says Mommy

And then the crying, flailing, kicking, swatting, pushing all begins.

Strong will and determination on her part is in full swing, you can see the monster in her eyes that she will under no circumstance give in to the requests of Mommy. So the "spoon" makes a number of appearances to no avail. Daddy arrives home just in time to administer some punishment and motivation to get her down the steps and out the door with Aunt Beth and Mama Jane.

My breaking point had been met and tears were rolling. How on earth could one little 3 year old posses so much aversion to authority? Where did she get that? How can she be so love able and so snugly and then BAM!

I do believe a dinner out was fully earned and much needed for this Mommy.

Punishment is still in the works for a certain little girl who doesn't obey her Mommy and Daddy. I am praying we find an effective, fast acting remedy!

Henry takes it all in, boy I wish I knew what he thinks when we battle with our strong willed girl. I hope he sees that it is not worth it and not is taking notes on how to do it bigger and better!

I peek in on them sleeping, my heart swells and wonder how could anyone not love even the lows and trials of being a parent. She is learning, he is learning, Mommy and Daddy are learning. We have a Heavenly Father who is always patient and loving with his children, (even the strong willed, bull headed ones) hard to wrap my head around that but so thankful for his love and guideance.

Praise God for today and the lessons we learn.

May!

May 1st was perfection...church, lunch, naps and playtime outdoors.

In my last post I didn't realize saying Good-bye to April would allow for saying Hello to May by spending the first full week with the flu...boo!

May 2nd until the present has been less than ideal. Henry and I both were sick at the same time his seeming to be short lived after vomitting he was able to rest well thru the night...me not so much. I don't know if being 29 weeks pregnant made matters worse but recouping from the flu has been challenging. A great big shout out to the Martins, Mom and Mama Linda for pitching in and helping me out! Emrie Ann and Daddy were next in line and while resting sounded great to me more laundry, lysol, bleach, crushed ice and popcicles were in demand a lot!

Anyway we made it thru and I am hoping with all my might that no more nasty viruses come our way for a long time!

Henry update-He is talking and talking alot! This evening I was trying to get him to say his own name it sounded more like Hermie than Henry. He is a kisser, and to hear him say I Love You in his own little way is beyond words! He is all boy and loves to be outside, digging in the dirt or eating the dirt. He is trying to climb up the playhouse ladder or up the slide, neither of which I allow him to do! He holds his little index finger up and says "Be Back" as he walks away from me in the backyard or playground as if I would just let him wonder whatever he wants to go, the gesture is so cute. For the not so cute...if he doesn't want whatever food I have put in front of him it gets tossed to the floor with telling me "NO!" or he swats his cup away in disgust if I try to give it to him and he doesn't want it. But then he does have some manners...he is a little confused though he tells me "your welcome" sounding a bit German when I give him something he should say thank you for.

Emrie Ann update-She is growing...her legs are getting long! She is all about "baycation" and the order of events that lead up to vacation are discussed daily. She also says her belly is getting bigger because she has a baby girl in her belly. In some ways I feel like we have come so far with her and her strong willed ways, but then we have our days when I feel like we have gotten no where! Today a prime example on going outside or not, ended with she and I both in tears because she wears me down like no one else. I know I have this on going battle to consistantly fight with her, so I pray that our little battles of today hopefully make our later ones a bit easier with the firm foundation that MOMMA ISN'T GOING TO GIVE! Rest assured it is never to long before her little fingers are close to mommy once again looking for comfort, and love and of course her "peace"...skin.

Praise God for allowing us to be sick and get over it with healthy bodies!

Good bye April.

I am bidding farewell to April it started on a high and is ending on a low and that is fine but Good Bye Now!

I have battled a cold for nearly 3 weeks, grrrrrr! A mild cold for the first 2 weeks and for a whole week now it has progressively grown worse...although today may be the turning point I have been hoping for! I had a check up with Dr. Santino last Thursday and she instructed me to take Benedryl and Tylenol and I haven't missed a dose since! On top of my misery of a stuffy head, sinus pressure and throbbing the kids have each had a fever and battled the sniffles, snotty noses and coughs. I am pretty sure Daddy is next.

Anyway we still managed to have a fun Easter. We had pre-Easter festivities with Grandma Linda, Aaron, Ea and Uncle Bryan Friday evening. Henry had his fever that evening and was more into lounging in Grandma's arms than much of anything else.

Saturday we went to Mama Janes and Papa Emerys for dinner, bunny cake making, and coloring eggs. Henry was beginning to feel better and Emrie was beginning to feel worse and I was still stuffy headed and miserable. Emrie was eager to set out the carrots and milk for the Easter Bunny before heading to bed.

Sunday morning the kids were happy to see that the Easter Bunny had paid us a visit leaving lots of fun stuff and yummy snacks.

I took the kids and went to Mama and Papas while Greg went to church. Emrie wanted to wear her Easter dress from Grandma Linda despite not going to church, so she and Henry put on their clothes and I was able to take a few outdoor pictures between all the rain clouds. We got a couple good ones!

We also had Aunt Beth take a family Easter photo of the four of us and I will probably not publish that picture...for my face looks swollen and the baby weight is not flattering on me one bit!!

Our Easter egg hunt was able to be outdoors when the rain and clouds cleared out. Emrie and Henry found lots of brightly colored eggs filled with treats. Emrie thought the Easter Bunny had been very sneaky coming out and hiding all those eggs. Henry carried his basket just like a big boy and was happy to fill it all the way up.

Our visit to visit Papa Mike, Nornie and Poppy was postponed since Emrie was feverish all afternoon, but when we are all feeling better I think the Easter Bunny visited there too!

While it is easy to get wrapped in to all the candy and Easter Bunny fun I tried to deliver the message of Jesus in and along the way in preparing for Easter by using this which I found on Focus on the Family.

A Easter lesson for our toddlers!

Real Easter bunnies:

~are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b).

~are gentle, kind-hearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).

~have big ears that are quick to listen (James 1:19).

~have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

~have no voice for complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:13).

~are quiet in prayer, but hop with thanksgiving and rejoicing (Philippians 4:4-6).

~have BIG feet to go tell others about Jesus so they can be like Easter bunnies, too (Matthew 28: 19-20).

~eat what is healthy by filling up on God's word every day (Psalm 119:11).

Happy Easter!!

Praise God for his son Jesus, for Easter and for family!

Spring Break

Emrie looks a little chilly...because it was!

Henry loved the sand and the freedom to run!

So happy that we were able to have a spring break getaway! Virginia Beach was a nice vacation spot although I have a fondness for our Surfside beach house that has won my heart forever. We were oceanfront in a condo which was nice to see the waves and hear the ocean sound 24/7. The weather was less than perfect but that did not keep us from enjoying our time there.

Being nosy would have paid off had we walked down the beach about 100 yards on our first day there we would have been able to see a 40 foot Sei whale that had died and washed ashore. Day two we did witness the whale or the pieces of whale being dragged down the beach by a front loader to its burial hole. A little interesting way to start the week. We did enjoy some sight seeing, like the boardwalk, lighthouse and some sand dunes or sand dudes as Emrie called them. The kids enjoyed being out in the sand digging, crawling, running, walking and playing the most and on a few days it was super chilly but they did not mind that one bit!

We went shopping one afternoon and purchased Henry his very own Build-a-Bear! His dog is Wags and is one extremely cute puppy! Emrie took Paws along to get a new outfit as well, Paws got a cute summer dress, shoes and a purse! Apperently Paws will only be allowed to wear that outfit to church because right now the outfit is hanging in Emries closet waiting for Sunday morning to come. Emrie has Sunday Only clothes so I guess it is only right for Paws to have the same.

The kids did well traveling in the car, Henry was a little more restless than Emrie but overall pretty good. I felt like I was constantly pulling snacks or tricks out of my bag to keep them occupied but we did well. No emergency potty breaks and no car sickness!

Emrie was pumped to stay at the hotel and I was relieved that Henry actually fell asleep in bed with us since he is a creature of habit when it comes to his night time routine! The pool was a plus at the hotel on the way home!! Emrie enjoyed floating around by herself(what a big girl!) and Henry got used to the water and enjoyed swimming around with daddy.

Henry has moved into Emries room, a transition I thought would be more difficult than it has, we are on night 3 and it has gone extremely well! Nap time is a little rough but after they both jabber for quite a long time it does eventually get quiet and I am able to sneak in a quick siesta too!!

The kids played outside this evening since the weather was so nice. Emrie was busy trying to play with the garden hose and trying to turn the water on. She had her socks and shoes off running around like it was 80 degrees and summer! Henry ate more dirt than I am sure he should have but seemed to enjoy his time getting filthy from head to toe! Bath time was mandatory tonight!! Quiet filled their bedroom quickly at bed time, I like that, it means they played hard!

Praise God for a wonderful vacation!

March thus far

Henry paying a visit to Great Grandma Morgan.

Emrie picked Paws out at Build-A-Bear, Broadway at the Beach Myrtle Beach, SC when she was 16 months old.

March 1st-Happy Anniversary, 8 years! We spent our anniversary evening at story time with Emrie followed by a quick visit with Nornie, Poppy, and Papa Mike. The next evening we enjoyed some quiet time together out for a yummy dinner(Aunt Beth watched the kids!) I am so thankful for Greg he is a hard worker, a great husband and a terrific daddy!!

Henry is officially at the stage of NO. We tell him NO and he tells us NO. Henry get down off the table-NOOOOO! Henry time to change your diaper-NOOOOO! Henry share-NOOOOO!

He is still my sensitive little man, a raise of the voice can make that little bottom lip stick out right away. I swatted his fingers for hitting or doing something else that could've been dangerous, out went the bottom lip and the quiver begins. Kids sure know how to make it hard on mommy! He seems to little to start correcting his negative behaviors, boy how did we get here so fast?? Fit throwing with him has taken me by surprise since he has been mostly laid back since day one. I figured his mild temperament would somehow pass over this stage, Wrong again!

Emrie is asking about a Kajillion billion questions lately mostly what starts with this letter or what does this word start with. It usually starts with truly inquisitive questions like"What does trash start with?" Then it leads to super silly questions like "What does Toot-de-poo-poo start with?" and ends with her roaring in laughter over how funny she finds herself to be.

Paws has become a constant companion lately to Emrie. She must be gearing up and working on her mothering skills for when the new baby arrives. Paws must go where we go, you might see him at storytime, Kroger riding along on the grocery cart or at church. Paws was left at church Sunday and not discovered missing until right close to bedtime, so Paws slept over and was retrieved and cared for the next day by Aunt Karen and delivered safely home by Aunt Beth.

Praise God for 8 years and the many blessings we have received!

Can you believe it?

It is nearly March! Today I went to Dr. Santino for a baby check(19 weeks) all is well, a happy little heart beat to go along with the wiggles I feel from inside. Gaining to much weight is not what you want to hear your Doc say but ahhh well, what's a hungry momma to do?

Henry is turning into a little toddler before my eyes, saying more words and mimicking any song or word you say. He has a lot to say, even though we can't understand it all! He has a new love for books. He picks a book then backs himself into your lap to flip through the pages, it is a fun pass time for him. Ring Around the Rosie is another new hit for him too. Throwing fits....yep he can sure do that too.

Emrie Ann has sprung up recently in length, I have noticed some of her pants are now a little bit unfashionably short. She is particular about getting things just right. I have read and heard this is considered 1st child syndrome, which has benefits and downfalls. She has worked hard to write her ABC's and she has really mastered all but maybe 4 letters. I am proud of her! She continues to enjoy doing her workbook and we have nearly made it through all of the lower case letters. Numbers next! At bedtime we must lay out her clothes for the following day. It has to be done Just Right too. Shirt, then pants, then socks, and then shoes-all on the floor as if Emrie was laying there and then disappeared out of her clothes.

I haven't been very faithful in updating this blog it has more to do with a good book series, than being to busy to to sit down and type! I can read after putting Emrie and Henry to bed to wind down the evening, so relaxing! I know that this will be a short stage in my life because in 21 weeks I will be to busy with the bare necessities to even think of picking up a book.

Praise God for peaceful evenings.

Sleepy Henry

Classic falling asleep in the highchair video-starring Henry!

Christmas Videos #3

Christmas Videos #2

Christmas Videos

A little late in adding these videos, what fun Christmas memories!

Weekend

I had my 2nd ultrasound on Thursday, Aunt Ea was able to come along since Greg was away for the week at a track conference. We got to see lots of wiggles and jumping and hear the wonderful sound of it's heart beat. I am pretty sure the baby knew it was on screen and being watched because it did toe touches and made clapping motions with its little hands, little show off! Everything seems to be going swimmingly other than waiting and hoping for the placenta to shift upwards for a easy delivery, taking it easy are doctors orders(whatever that means for a mother of 2!?!) Thanks Jim, Beth and Jeremiah for watching the kids while I spent time at the doctors office!

We spent Thursday evening at Mom and Dads. Friday morning Jeremiah was eager to help in every way preparing food for his mom's 40th surprise birthday party. I think we pulled it off quite nicely. It was a fun night with family and friends.

Saturday Greg made it home from his track conference but was feeling bad again from this cold that just won't go away. We had a Sunday School class party in the evening so Emrie and I went to it while daddy rested. Henry spent the evening and night with Mama Jane and Papa Emery. He went to Bob Evans to dinner with them and ate lots I hear, they wondered if mommy forgot to feed him again....I didn't, I fed him! He helped Papa with the gate at the top of the stairs Papa used his drill and Henry used his.

Emrie was a bit concerned about Henry staying away all night but was happy to know that we would see him at church early in the morning. Henry made Mama and Papa late for church, I don't know why????

Emrie has been talking in 3rd person for a week or so now. It is pretty fun, I don't know why this started but EVERYTHING is Emrie doesn't want...., Emrie likes......,Emrie doesn't feel good. Her Sunday School teachers sure got a kick out of her talking like that.

Praise God for a fun/busy weekend and a healthy baby report!