My Baby is 10!

It's so hard to believe Connor is 10! I can still vividly remember the day I found out I was pregnant with him. I was SO excited but a little shocked because it happened so quick. I thought it was supposed to take months so when it happened on the first try, I was surprised. I remember how much I loved being pregnant and how emotional it was to feel him move for the first time. I remember crying when I saw his tiny heart beating on my 1st ultrasound and then again 12 weeks later when I saw his sweet face on ultrasound again. I remember being scared to death when they picked up an irregularity in his heartbeat at 36 weeks and I thank God everything turned out to be okay. I remember feeling scared, nervous, and incredibly excited the day I went in to be induced. The moment he was delivered and they announced "It's a boy!" was one of the most amazing moments of my life. Having the pediatrician come in the morning we were to leave the hospital and tell us there was something wrong and my sweet newborn baby had a unexplainable fever was one of the scariest moments of my life. I remember begging them to let me stay and not discharge me. I told them I'd sleep on the floor. Of course that wasn't possible and I left the hospital at 10:30 that night without my baby. I refused to go home without him so we went to my parents' house and that is where we spent every night until Connor came home. I remember being angry that I was waking up to a breast pump instead of a hungry baby but was determined to pump enough so that they wouldn't have to give him formula once my milk came in. Every day from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, we spent in the "family room" which was just an 8x7 room with a loveseat and tv, with our baby. Ten long days later, we finally got to bring our boy home. They never did find out what caused the fever, despite numerous tests, including 2 failed spinal taps.

Connor was such a good baby. So sweet and content. He never really cried and only fussed when he was hungry (which was often in the beginning!). He had big blue eyes, a head full of dark hair and the prettiest skin ever! I could just sit and stare at him all day! Becoming a mother was the most amazing thing I have ever done. I read "Let Me Hold You Longer" by Karen Kingsbury recently and cried through the whole thing. So many of the "lasts" she mentioned have already happened for Connor. He has matured into a smart, handsome, helpful, and kind young man. I am so proud of him! I realized after Keaton was born that Connor will start high school the same year Keaton starts kindergarten. Talk about an emotional day! I feel so blessed to be mom to my boys. The years to come will be challenging but I can't wait to see what God has in store for my first born baby boy!

Big Winner!

Landon came home the other day and after putting his backpack away, he came and sat on the floor by me. He grinned and said, "Mommy, I won a bike today.". I thought he was joking but apparently, twice a year, the school puts the names of all the kids with perfect attendance in a bucket and draws one boy and one girl. They each get a new bike, the color of their choice! Landon picked blue :) He was so proud! He did tell me though that he cried when they called him to the office to pick the color. They asked him why he was crying and he said, "because I miss my mommy and daddy". :( I think he just gets nervous when he's in the spotlight, whether it be good or bad. I can't fault him at all. He definitely gets his emotional side from me! I cry at the drop of a hat. Anyway, his bike should be in next week and he can't wait to pick it up! The funny thing is, the day he won, he had cried and had not wanted to go to school. They had been out the previous week for snow and he was having a rough time getting back into the swing of things. He said he sure was glad he went!

Praying Dog

I was working with our puppy, Maggie, today and trying to get her trained to respond to a clicker. Noah was with me and at one point, Maggie bowed her head down and waited for a treat. Noah said, "Look mommy! She's saying blessing!". So sweet!

Newest Addition

Mike and I had been talking about getting a new dog. Poor Sammie is getting up there and we thought it might be a good time to add a new dog so that it might pick up on some of Sammie's traits/ temperament. I looked and looked online for a dog from a rescue or shelter. We wanted a smaller dog and I quickly found that they go quickly. I knew what breeds we wanted to avoid and looked up ones that were good with kids. We finally found a bassador, 1/2 basset hound and 1/2 lab. Both breeds are great with kids. He was 3 years old and already housebroken. We went to meet him and he seemed very laid back and good with the kids. We decided to go for it and brought him home. He and Sammie got along great and he paid no attention to the cats. Everything was great until later that night. Landon went to pet him and he barked at him. I thought that maybe he had just had a long day and needed to have some space. The next day, Mike was home with the 3 youngest. He said he was sitting in the floor with Keaton and when he (Keaton) made a sudden movement, the dog lunged his head toward him. No growl or snap but he definitely reacted. At this point we were thinking it might not work out. He loved playing with the boys and loved to be petted but we just didn't thhink we could trust him with the little ones. Later that day, he growled while Noah was playing by him. That was it. We knew it wasn't a good fit. Luckily, the rescue gives 10 days to see if it works and if not, they take the animal back and you get a refund.
The boys were sad but when we explained we couldn't take a chance on him hurting their baby brother, they understood. I had really hoped to avoid the puppy training but the more we talked about it, we decided a puppy was the way to go. That way he/she would be used to the boys from the get go. I started looking again and found a few online at a local shelter. Unfortunately, thanks to the snow storm we got, the shelter was closed for 4 days. We finally got to go and after looking at a few young dogs/puppies, we decided on an 8 week old Carolina dog mix puppy. She was one of 4 and she was the smallest. I had done some research on the breed and they are great family dogs and very gentle with kids. They are also supposed to be very clean and smart dogs. Definite plus! They have no idea what the father was but we are hoping the mama's genes are strong! We brought her home on Wednesday and so far so good. She's a sweetheart and loves to snuggle. The boys have been really good about taking her out to potty and she's only had a few accidents. I'm really hoping the house training goes quickly! I think we made the right choice and I'm excited to watch her grow up with the boys!

What a Year

Well it's the last day of 2010 and what a year it's been! We've had incredible highs and a few lows but God has carried us through and continued to bless us. Of course, our biggest blessing this year was my sweet Keaton :) After our ultrasound scares, he was born healthy and his kidneys are perfect! He is such a sweet boy. His brothers, especially Liam, adore him. It seems like I was just pregnant with him but here he is, crawling around the house babbling and squealing.

We had some financial setbacks when I lost my work at home job and a few other things but we're making it and I know God will provide! He provided for us when the presvhool called and asked me to come back last month. We are able to work it out so that Mike can be home with the boys on Tuesdays and Thursdays since Keaton is too young to go with me. Mike has done great in school and has maintained straight A's the whole time! I am so proud of him! He should finish clinicals in February and will graduate in May. We can't wait!! It's been rough having him gone so much. It's been especially hard on my sensitive Landon. He misses his daddy.


I continue to thank God for my children's good health, especially after my friend lost her daughter. It really opened my eyes to how fragile life is and to cherish every moment.
We've had a lot of fun time this year. We really enjoyed Mike's parents' visit as well as his brother and sister in law. We got to have his 14 year old niece stay with us for a month and it was great! Nice to have another girl around! We also enjoyed a trip to Florida to see Grandma and Grandpa and other family and friends. I just wish we could see them more.

Connor had a great football season and his team won the championship! He has maintained his straight A's and we are very proud. He has however hit the age of arguing! He will argue til he's blue in the face. He's a very responsible kid though and is a HUGE help with his little brothers. Landon had a great soccer season and they are really wanting him to join the competitive league next season. He really seems to have a knack for soccer. He's a loving little boy and has such a kind heart. He wants to be a cowboy/zookeeper when he grows up :) Liam is still my shy one. Hard to believe he's five. He is starting to read and loves to learn. I think he'll love kindergarten next year if he can get past his shyness. He adores Keaton and is the first to volunteer to help with him. Noah is still my wild child! He can drive me crazy and make me laugh! He gets into EVERYTHING! Climbing on the kitchen counters and pulling everything out of the cabinets, painting the bathroom with nail polish, "washing" a cup with half a bottle of dish detergent, and making (and eating!) a peanut butter and pepperoni sandwich at 6:00 in the morning are just a few of his exploits this year. But while he's given me quite a few gray hairs, he is an incredibly sweet boy. He is always giving compliments and loves to snuggle :) He is a total clown and loves to make people laugh.

Facebook had a feature that put a bunch of your status' together from January to December. It was really neat to read. It brought back some sad/hard memories but many more happy ones.
All in all it has been a great year. I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2011!

The Right Thing

We recently had a talk with Landon about making good choices and doing the right thing. When he got home from school yesterday, he told me,"Mommy, I'm trying hard not to do bad things". I asked him what he meant and he explained that his teacher told the class that anyone who got 100% on their spelling test could get a piece of candy from the treat box. He had missed one word. He actually picked a piece out of the box but then he said he thought about it and he knew it was wrong so he put it back. Anyone who knows Landon's love for food, esp candy knows this was a big thing for him. I told him how proud I was of him for doing the right thing. I just pray he remembers this lesson!

I Love Giveaways!

I blogged a while back about discovering blog giveaways. I have since won three times! The first was a sportbrella (a chair with an umbrella attachment that can be moved depending on where the sun is), a monkey costume for Noah from Animal Planet, and most recently, a Pillow Pet!
Now, my wonderful friend Kristen, is hosting her first review/giveaway. She is giving away a bag of Funk Rock from Rockin' Green. This company makes awesome laundry powder in some really neat sounding scents. I am so excited for her and hope this is just the beginning for her! Check out her blog and enter the giveaway here: http://cliffnkristensblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/rockin-green-giveaway.html