November

Bear with me- it's been a month since I blogged. I tried to narrow it down to the highlights...


We are borrowing Nate's Bumbo seat. She loves it! I can't believe that my baby will be 4 months old in a couple days. She's drooling like a madwoman, rolling across the living room, and generally just making us smile all the time. Such a good baby, I'm thinking I'd like to end on a high note. :)


Abby turned 4 on the 17th! Daddy was at work, but I couldn't let her day go by without a cupcake at least. And yes, it's November and we still have a hard time finding clothes around here.


Abby and grandma got to celebrate their birthdays together on the 20th. Awwwww, ain't they cute?


Here is the apron I won from Amber's blog! Isn't it adorable?!?! Her sister-in-law makes them, she has an etsy shop I believe.


Rachel and her mini-me. If you compare their baby pics... wow.


Barb found these mugs in Harbor Beach a while back. The girls really think they are cool!


I am so so happy that Bethany will take a bottle when I'm at work on Mondays. Anna started to feed her when Casey wasn't looking! I'm glad he snapped a pic for me. :)


A lady at the thrift store commented on how strong Casey's genes were. Definitely a resemblance there.

Fall is Winding Down

There was a brief moment when they weren't attacking each other with the sticks, and they were kinda cute those boys of mine.


Are there ever days when you have a favorite child? No? OK, nevermind...


This is what Adam does during a Sunday sermon. Brilliant.


Here is the gang minus Chunky B. I was feeding her while Casey was getting the group photo. Of course I yelled at him because he didn't get close-ups of anybody. The bunny, the cowboy... I NEED CLOSE UPS!

I read the most awesome post over at Kentucky Kate's about just keeping it together. You moms know what I mean. My husband has decided to go on a mission trip for two weeks in January. To Africa. Two weeks. Not here, but in Africa. And I wonder, will I be able to keep it together? I sure hope so. As you can see, this is a matter of prayer for me. To change my heart. To be happy that he wants to help. I hate being left behind. That's how it feels.

On a lighter note, my baby is growing like a weed, learning new things every day...


Bethany has discovered her hands. She must've seen Rachel practicing with her puppet.


Anna had spaghetti for supper. Then Anna kissed my nice clean baby.

No, Anna has no problems at all with not being the baby any more. That's the problem with typing, you can't hear my sarcasm.


Pretty much every picture I take of Tommy he's doing this...


or this.


How she gets poop all the way up to her armpit I'll never know.

Today is my mom's birthday! She and my grandma came over Thursday and helped me make applesauce. It was great. I was going to post a pic of the event, but it was not very flattering. My grandma's always cute, but the rest of us? Not so much.

Funny Face

My children have watched that episode where Daffy Duck draws mustaches on people one too many times.


This is Bethany's sad face.


This is Bethany's ... I'm not sure what this face is, but it makes me laugh!


This is Abby doing her Popeye face.

I think today is the first day of fall! I'm starting to like fall more as the years go on. I am a spring lover. Fall reminds me of death. So here is one of the last flower pics to enjoy.


Abby makes me laugh. Except when she and Anna are fighting. Then I'm not laughing. She misses Tommy being away at school, so I've been taking her to the store with me when I go. She was afraid I couldn't find the way out of Menard's the other day. I love how concerned she gets.


B chatting with daddy


The bees are loving the sedum right now.


Bethany eats a lot and needs to sit in her car seat to stay propped up while I make supper. And supper was just hot dogs and beans tonight since I had my dental implant placed today and didn't feel like doing anything major. I'd really like to go lay down right now, but Bethany is screaming on my lap. She LOVES the night time. Not really. Tommy will tell you all about her "grumpy" time, which sometimes lasts til midnight. But then she'll sleep 4 or 5 hours, so I'm good with that.

First Day

The first day went very well for everyone! Rachel is in 3rd grade, Adam's in 2nd, and Tommy started kindergarten. I was rather put off that he sent me away this morning with nary a tear, just "Go home, Mom". But when I showed up this afternoon to pick him up I received big hugs, just as Pam predicted! So I am still loved.



All day kindergarten wears a kid out the first few days. Here is meltdown #2- Rachel ate the last orange popsicle. OH NO. Meltdown #1 happened right in the parking lot at school when he realized we were walking home. He was tired. I carried him piggy-back half way home. I really need to start working out.


All is right with the world again.

Three Weeks Old

Well, I think 6 kids has officially kicked my butt. But I'm thankful for a baby that sleeps pretty good at night, so that does make the days bearable. It seems like so much has been going on. Let's see...

* I think I had mastitis. Yeah, that's always enjoyable.

* We put our house up for sale. We would love to have 4 bedrooms and a couple acres. Don't know if it will ever happen, but all we can do is try.

* We had family photos taken by Amber yesterday. It went really well, I can't wait to hang one on my wall. In my new farmhouse. That doesn't exist yet.

* I hate school shopping. My children aren't weird shaped. I don't know what the problem is. I don't have time to make clothes right now.

* I have 2 more Mondays off before I go back to work. Where did the time go?

Here are a couple photos from today. It is GORGEOUS out!!!

The Past Week

Oh there are so many pics of a new baby, I never know where to begin! Bethany is a wonderful baby. She cries to let me know she's hungry, and that's about it. She eats every 3 hours like clockwork. Unfortunately she is the pokiest eater ever, so the household runs amuck while she is nursing. She usually sleeps from 10pm-2am, then gets up once or twice more after that. Usually because she has a blow out in her diaper that I can hear from across the room. I'm just glad all systems are working properly. The kids fight over who's turn it is to hold her.


Thomas begs to lay on the couch with Bethany. He loves her so much.


Yes, I'm getting the stink eye already.


Bethany and Noel (my friend Pam's babe). They are just 2 months apart.


The boys have always loved this all-terrain tricycle. The seat broke off it, but Casey replaced it with a bike seat, and it just keeps on going...


Kicking her big feet around

Anna's 2nd Birthday

My Anna girl turned 2 on Saturday! I was so happy to be home for her birthday. We brought Bethany home from the hospital around noon, and by supper time we were having a birthday party for my "big" girl!


Anna loves Addison's doll stroller, so Laurie got her one just like it, plus a couple bottles for her baby. She was one happy camper.


We enjoyed chocolate cupcakes made by Laurie and a pistachio ice cream dessert that my mother-in-law whipped up for me, bless her heart. I found the recipe in Taste of Home, but didn't have time to make it myself. I am still nibbling on the leftovers from my freezer. It was soooo good.

Our New Baby

Thursday started off with my weekly check-up at the OB. During the exam Sonya the P.A. exclaimed, "You are goin'!!" I said, "What do you mean 'I'm goin' ?" Sonya said that I was dilated 4-5 cm and 100%. She told me I was not to go home but go right to the hospital. I said no, I'm not contracting, I had some things to do at home first. So we compromised and I said I would go home quickly and take care of my business (like get my sister-in-law to the house to watch the other 5 yahoos) and we'd head up to the hospital. This was around 10am.
So around noon we headed up to the hospital. They checked me and confirmed what Sonya said. They hooked me up to the monitors and not much contraction action was going on, just here and there. I asked if I could go home, but they said no since I tend to deliver quickly if my water breaks. So the plan was to get my antibiotics going (since I tested positive for GBS again) and after 2 doses of that they would break my water and we'd have a baby by night time. So we spent the afternoon watching Little House on the Prarie and pooping a lot (this was my clue that yes, the time was coming). By 7pm I had gotten in both bags of antibiotics. The dr. came in at 7:30 to break my water. I was dilated to a 6 at this time. At 8:24 my baby entered this world. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. The cord was wrapped around her neck twice, but the doc was quick to unwrap it and she was just fine. Once again the good Lord was watching over us and I have a healthy beautiful baby. Casey was a trooper changing several poopy diapers the first night, but hey. It's the least he can do. :)

My new girl Bethany Brooke. We immediately thought she looked like Thomas.




All cleaned up and ready for a night of eating and crying. That's all the first night entailed. The second night was much better.


Adam and Rachel couldn't wait to get their hands on her.


Anna took the baby very seriously.


Thomas and his girl


Enjoying the sunny room