Christmas Eve

After a phone call with Santa on Christmas Eve, the kids learned that his favorite kind of cookies are chocolate chip.  They each took a turn with the ingredients and we happened to have some special Christmas chocolate chips.  Many samples were had but enough were saved for Santa along with some carrots for the reindeer.  

Christmas 2008

Christmas is so much fun with little ones!  Joshua was so patient with us while we tried to sleep in a little.  Santa's gifts remained unwrapped under the tree so that the kids would know right away who they were from.  Josh received his Imaginext Bat Cave, Zach his marble run and Allie her Barbie doll.  They've been mesmerized by those gifts alone....especially Zach.  Thanks to the Grandma's and Grandpa's for their gifts as well.  We hope everyone had a very happy Christmas as we did!

More Birthday Fun

 Allie is definitely a girl.  She has all the tendencies of a girl despite having two older brothers.  She adores dresses and shoes.  So, a new birthday dress was definitely in order for our little girl's birthday.

                                                 

                                                       3 candles!!!

Josh's first birthday surprise

Joshua has always loved dinosaurs.  He loves them so much he considers them his "sons" even.  This was a great gift Nanna and Grand-dad!  Thanks for making him so happy:)

Birthday surprises

We have a few birthdays to celebrate during the month of December.  Allie is first on the 16th and then Josh on the 21st and of course Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  This year we didn't have a party for Josh like we did last year.  Instead we planned to have pizza and cake for Allie and Josh at the Bigler's.  I ordered the cake from Costco and went to pick it up on Friday, December 12th.  It was while we were at Costco that Allie fell and got a concussion!  It was so scary and I honestly didn't think she had hit her head that hard.  So many people came to help and I thought it was just overwhelming Allie.  She actually fell asleep with her head on the handle bar of the cart.  So, we took her to see Chaz because I thought she wouldn't be so shy around him and we could really see how she was doing.  That is when she vomited.  So, a quick call to the dr who said she needed to the go the ER and off we went.  It actually went rather quickly since while we were in triage she vomited again upgrading her status to emergent rather than urgent.  She was given some medicine for the vomiting and had a ct scan.  The scan came out normal....what a blessing!  Allie was pretty much back to her normal self after that and we were able to continue on with the party.   We just had to watch her activity level.  I do believe that something was either knocked loose or knocked into place as a result of the concussion as she has suddenly become more talkative....almost to the point of talking back to her mom actually.  Some of her new phrases: "Mother!  We have a problem here!" and "Oh my gosh!  What happened to my dvd player?!?" (I had just turned off her Barbie movie).  She has also been calling me "mother"  a lot....I think that comes from a Barbie movie too.  

o tannenbaum

Due to our upcoming trip back east, we were going to opt out of a Christmas tree this year and just use our small plastic tree. After some debating and thinking that maybe Allie might try to carry the tree around the house, we decided to get a small tree. This way the kids would be able to decorate it a little more easily and we wouldn't be out too much money either. So, here's our 5 foot tree proudly decorated by Josh, Zach and Allie.

Santa Clause Is Coming To Town....on a helicopter!

One of our family traditions is to watch Santa make his annual trek into town the day after Thanksgiving. He flies in on KSL's Chopper 5. He then hangs out at the mall for all the boys and girls to visit until the big night!

Before and After

We made it almost 6 years without a major haircutting incident with our children. Yesterday that record was broken by Allie. At least with the boys we could just shave them if they did something similar. Fortunately we have a very talented friend who happens to be Allie's nursery leader at church who worked a miracle around Allie's attempt at creativity. Thanks Andrea!

Grandpa Wood

We had a nice visit from Grandpa Wood this past weekend. I put him right to work with connecting the Wii that we've had for a year and not used. We had a nice time just hanging out in the living teaching the boys how to use the controllers and also good sportsmanship. Grandpa held the girls a lot and was just fun to have around. Zach went with us to the airport and was very sad when Grandpa left but was reassured when I told him that we would get to see him soon in Virginia. Thanks Dad for the visit and for being a good Grandpa to have that effect after only a few days. We love you!

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

We had Thanksgiving dinner early since Dad came to visit this past weeknd. As you can see in the video it was a pretty yummy meal:) On the menu: turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing and gravy all prepared by Dad; chocolate velvet pie, my mom's famous cheeseball, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, noodles and mashed potatoes prepared by me; pumpkin pie by Marie Callendar and cherry pie by Sara Lee. Good eats!

Smiley Miley!

Miley is finally smiling at 2 months....just in time for Grandpa Wood's visit!

Halloween 2008

Josh and Zach have not figured out *yet* that they don't have to use the same costume every year. Of course, I haven't informed them of that either since they're so content with what they already have. I did make Allie's tutu which they all thought was so neat! She was a princess and couldn't stop saying it. Her crown came with a Barbie movie which made it even more exciting for her. They all looked after each other and made sure to say "thank you" in addition to "trick or treat." Miley tagged along too in her sleepy wrap. I was happy to take them...the weather was predicted to be perfect....as in no rain. Boy was everyone surprised when it did rain! Fortunately it didn't last long and didn't stop us. Miley stayed covered and I got to enjoy seeing the kids so happy and having fun....plus they shared chocolate with me:)

Here they are.....the kids' individual pictures from our annual family picture session. They're so cute! I love Josh's lost teeth:)


Miley at 2-weeks
Allie
Zachary
Joshua

Josh's first tooth

Josh lost his first tooth today! He did all the wiggling by himself and it finally came out. He's in bed now waiting to fall asleep for the tooth fairy and the coin she is going to leave him:)

"Tornado Allie"

After a long day of cleaning up after her, I thought I would share some examples of why Chaz dubbed her "Tornado Allie". Instead of quietly waiting in her bed and playing with her toys until I get up, like she used to do, Allie now goes downstairs to turn on the tv and immediately commence her destruction. It doesn't take her long. Usually, Papaw will catch her before she gets into too much trouble....but not this morning. She got into a bottle of his glucose test strips....he found the bottle and has yet to find the strips. He eventually found the meter in the living room.

Moving on to breakfast....

Following the old example of her brothers, she immediately took her piece of toast into the living room to eat....a habit we're trying to break her of as we had to break all of us of. I fixed some milk in some regular cups since all of the sippy cups were in the dishwasher and Allie immediately takes off in a sprint, holding her cup with two hands as instructed, but still sloshing milk all over the place. I quickly catch her and instruct her to drink her milk next to me. Surprisingly, she complies without hiding her head or crying.

We're ok during lunch and naptime...except for more toys strewn all over her bed. At dinnertime, Pa fixed her some milk in a sippy cup that has a straw in it....it should still be non-spillable but of course spills on the couch. The problem is that Michelle, the greatest lady in the world who helps with the housecleaning, had just removed all of the cushion covers and washed them and replaced them. So frustrating!!!!

Bathtime should be a time of cleanliness....Allie put all of the puppy food in the bathtub with her. After that, she climbs into bed to quietly watch Little Einsteins with daddy but quietly gets out of bed and gets into some vitamins and spills them all over the floor as well as Josh's legos. The boys are great about cleaning up after her or helping her clean up. If anyone ever needs their home babyproofed, Allie is the test to making sure there's nothing that can be gotten into! She does try to help with some things....like laundry. She likes to bring me "flowers" which are really weeds...not even dandelions...just weeds from the backyard. Or she'll pick the grapes and run in the house and just toss them on the floor.

It's exhausting keeping up with her....but usually she will just stay by mommy. It's when mommy is distracted...even for a moment...that the storm begins.

3d ultrasound

Below are some 3d ultrasounds we had done of Miley. I will once again go back for a 3rd time to try and get some better images on Saturday. She's stubborn and just wants to stay asleep!

It's gardening day with daddy! Josh and Zach love to help dig in the dirt...especially Zach. Today they've learned about bulbs. Daddy bought some new plants also to add in. They've been helping most of the day so far.

Funniness

Just a quick update...I only wish I had photos. We've had a busy summer thanks to Aunt Kristen and Uncle Scott and their gift of a zoo membership. We've been a few times which is fun...but definitely hot! Top that off with a pregnant mom and it makes for a very slow stroll through the zoo. They have a brand new carousel there that was of course made in Mansfield, Ohio:)

We've started Josh in the online school through our school district. When Charlie and Chere had to leave so quickly to go back to Indiana I got a little panicked as far as transportation with the school we were enrolling Josh in. He was due to go to afternoon kindergarten which lasts a little over 2 1/2 hours. I couldn't imagine driving him twice a day with a new baby and dealing with naptime for Allie too! So, we came across this program which I had actually been debating on using for awhile. It works through www.k12.com and the school district so is still considered public school. I just teach him at home but all the curriculum is provided and we are assigned a teacher as well through the school district who monitors our progress. The teacher also plans field trips for the students in the same area and their families, so there is still some socialization that occurs. So far it's been working well. Josh is excelling in everything but phonics. He flies through science, math and reading but for some reason phonics is very difficult for him. He will also be learning Spanish (Spain spanish like his daddy speaks) through Rosetta Stone...again provided through the school district. It's an awesome balance for me since there is no way I could come up with my own curriculum.

Ok...now for the funniness:) Chaz just was reminding me of all the funny things the kids have been saying lately so I'm including some of their infamous quotes in their respective favorite colors (Josh=red, Zach=green, Allie=pink).

1. Upon examining belly buttons one night as far as whether they were "innies" or "outies", I asked Josh if he knew what belly buttons were for. His reply, "Yep, to make us laugh."

2. Allie has been finally getting used to Mommy having a baby in her tummy and today went up to Pa and patted him on the stomach and said "Pa, baby." Charlie has a good sense of humor though and I believe once told Chaz's youngest sister that he was pregnant with a baby elephant! She went to school and told her teacher all about it!

3. With Zach it's not so much what he says as much as it is what he does. His most recent adventure....taking the screws out of the switch plates for all the bedroom lights--with two tiny keys (the kind used on the little locks that come on luggage sometimes). Zach still his obession with batteries and money but has now included marbles in the mix. If he can't fit it all in his left hand, he will find a sock and carry it around in that. He's very quirky but very special and a huge help to his Mommy! He rarely complains when I ask him to do something for me. The biggest news right now with him.....Zach is potty trained!!!!

So there are some updates. My pregnancy is progressing well although I still have my fears about potential complications, etc. Right now it's worrying mostly about my kidney swelling again like it did with Josh and Allie. If there's a pattern there, I shouldn't have anything to worry about. I didn't have that problem with Zach who was a May baby. He was in between Josh and Allie who were both December babies. I don't know if weather has anything to do with it or not but I'm just praying to not have to go through that again. For those who don't know, we're scheduled to be induced already for Sept 29, 2008. I don't like suprises and want to be in the hospital from start to finish....hopefully there won't be any surprises before that date;) We're now at 32 weeks and I am so uncomfortable but not complaining. We are truly grateful that this pregnancy has gone well so I won't complain about the inconveniences.

puppies

I thought I would post some pictures of the puppies. They are 6-weeks-old now and hopefully will be going to some new homes soon. We are keeping one and I don't think I got a picture of her. The puppies belong to Charlie's and Chere's (Chaz's parents) dog and her picture is also included. She brought us these lovely souvenirs from Indiana. The kids have given them some "temporary" names...at least for their favorite ones. Josh's favorite is the black one because he was born first and Josh got to see him first. He thought he was meowing like a kitten so he called him "Maui" (he was trying to say "meowy"). Zach's favorite is the brown and white puppy and he calls him Spot. The others don't really have names except for a group name of "little girls". We are keeping the runt. She's very tiny and has been affectionately dubbed "Little Bit". To keep Josh happy we are probably changing her name to Maui since we are not keeping his favorite. He seems content with that though.

Chaz's pharmacy will officially open June 16, 2008:)

We have had a busy summer so far...at least the boys have. Chaz hired one of the teenage boys from church to help out with mowing the lawn and other odd jobs...but he also gets to have the Josh and Zach help him to whatever extent they can. They really enjoy it when he comes.

We found out Josh's kindergarten schedule....afternoon track. I was really hoping for mornings so I could have Zach in a M-F preschool at the same time. I'm not sure what we'll do now since the preschool is only in the morning. They would never see each other:( I do have an option for Zach to go the preschool he went to last year but it's just 3 days a week and I was hoping for M-F. I will probably put him in the afternoon so that they can still see each other...they're good buddies.

Chaz's parents (who've been living with us for about a year now) have a dog that just had 6 puppies. We will be keeping one but the others will very soon be going to new homes. I will try to get pictures up soon. I have to get a battery for my camera....easier said than done apparently.

Things are still going well with the pregnancy. She is moving all the time although Chaz has yet to feel her kick. He will any day now though...I know it!

Josh is now taking piano lessons. He is doing very well and we actually found a teacher that will come to the home which is very convenient for us.

Chaz left today for Memphis for 4 days for training in compounding pharmacy in preparation for his new pharmacy. The application is still going through with the state but it shouldn't be too much longer now. Josh didn't like that he was leaving but thought it was pretty neat when I showed him a flight tracker that showed where his plane was. The kids have a lot to look forward to though since their new swingset will be built this weekend:)

Spinning around. Excuse Josh's and Zach's apparel but that is how you will always find them around the house....well, mostly Josh. The first thing he does when he gets home is take his clothes off. He's improving in that now he'll wear a shirt sometimes. Also, be prepared...there's one of Zach's shrill cries at the very end.

Josh and Zach's favorite place...the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point.

One of many Christmas videos

Playing in the snow in their new snowsuits.

Pictures!!!

I did finally put some pictures on here. I have so many pictures so I just chose a few. I am not a scrapbooker so even getting this far is pretty amazing! I will try to do better...I need to get a new memory card for the camera. For now, I will update you on the kids.

Josh started piano lessons this past week. We found a teacher that comes to our home which is very convenient. She was very impressed with him and how quickly he picks things up. He can now tell you where middle C is and how many C's are on a piano keyboard. He will also teach you about note values if you ask him. He has been also been doing school time with his Grandma Humphreys. We pulled him out of preschool since he was getting bored (this was his 2nd year with the same curriculum) and it was getting to be a battle to get him to go. He is registered to start kindergarten next and will be attending an elementary school that is out of our area. They have a Spanish immersion program that we wanted him to participate in. They also have extracurricular activities such as chorus, orchestra and ballroom dancing. Plus, a lot of his friends from church will be going there as well so we wanted him to have some familiar faces around. He still loves dinosaurs and he will tell you that he wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up....especially since he's learned that they wear hats which will help keep him from being sweaty (he hates to sweat). His favorite color is red and he loves babies!

Zach's favorite color is green. He is obsessed with lights...flashlights, lightbulbs, Christmas lights, you name it! He also loves batteries and has for a long time now. I wonder what he'll be when he grows up! He also does school time with Grandma although doesn't have a lot of patience. He's still little though and will probably be going to preschool next fall. He is starting to stop taking naps...although he still tries at about 5pm to fall asleep. He loves to do things with his brother and to help with Allie. He's so sweet and will spontaneously give you a hug and a kiss.

We don't know Allie's favorite color yet but she does recognize purple so I chose that for her. She can count all the way to 11. She is definitely a little girl...very moody! She can stand on her own though with her brothers. She loves baby dolls and animals. She likes to watch Mickey Mouse, The Backyardigans and Little Einsteins....oh and Dora too. She also loves to take bubble baths and will stay in there as long as we let her. She's very vocal when she's around people she knows but she can be very shy when she goes anywhere that she doesn't know the people around her.

been awhile

I got on here to create a new blog when I realized I had an old one! A lot has happened since the last update. We went on to lose that baby at 9 weeks and then another at 16 weeks. It was devastating and a huge trial for us. We learned a lot through it all. We are currently pregnant again just over 16 weeks and things look fine so far. I will be posting some pictures soon whenever I am able to get them on the computer.