Boy oh Boy!

Did ya miss me?

2010-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

I know it's been nearly for-EVER since I've last updated. I would say I'm sorry for that but I'm really not so much. WHAT?! I've been busy! The boys are just pretty much a force of nature....only about 4 weeks left of summer (there IS a light at the end of my tunnel!) Jon is now a licensed driver. His car isn't running yet so he's not gone on many solo drives. He has been busy with Boy Scouts, work, and his girlfriend. He staffed a leadership training camp already and tomorrow he heads down south to Catalina Island (LUCKY!) for a week of scuba diving where he'll get his certification and then a week of regular scout camp. In between camps, he's been working (minimally) for the organic farmers he worked for last year and been hanging out with his girlfriend (every waking moment!)

Jake has really formed an awesome relationship with my sister in laws father (can you follow?) He makes awesome pens out of wood and other materials and he also does a lot of wood working. Mike has taken Jake under his wing and is teaching him the trade. It's been awesome for the both of them because Jake desperately needs the positive male attention and Mike only has 2 daughters and 2 grand daughters so this is like the son he never had! Jake's been really loving it and even gave me the first pen he made. He's still struggling with the unstructured time of summer and he does have some doozy days.

Tucker's been fairly easy. He's getting to that teen stage which tends to be a bit snotty but overall he's pretty mellow. He's had quite a few play dates with one friend in particular and he's been LOVING that special time. He's currently in Disneyland with my mom! He's been there all week and they're having a blast.....just the two of them. This wouldv'e been his year to go to Alaska fishing with my dad but there was a group of 15 men that were going and my dad didn't want Tucker to be the only kid and end up bored. I think Tucker is pleased with the alternate plan my mom made.

Tanner's been hyper as can be. He always is and I don't really expect anything less. He's not hyper in a naughty way, just doesn't listen because he's too busy jumping around. Tanner really is easy going for the most part. He doesn't complain much even though he's not done much this summer. He has done a couple of jobs for Pottery Barn Kids and you should be able to find him in the Fall issue!

Brennen has been a terrible listener lately! He's driving me crazy! I think it's just the age but boy oh boy....I just want to duct tape him to a chair some days! He's also become an incredibly picky eater. He tells me what he wants, I make it and then he never eats it. Of course and hour later he's claiming to be starving. I've cut him off. No more snacks if he won't eat his meals. I feel bad doing this but I'm so tired of throwing away food! He had a bit of an accident about 3 weeks ago where his foot slipped going up the stairs. He fell and hit his mouth. He ended up knocking one front tooth back a bit! It was bleeding and he was crying but by the next day it was back in line with the others. Sadly, that tooth and one of the laterals is now turning dark! UGH! I'm really hoping it'll lighten up again instead of getting darker and falling out. I know that missing teeth can be cute on kids but he shouldn't be losing those for at least another 2-3 years! UGH!

Branson turned 9 months on Friday which coincidentally is the day he started crawling! He's now all over the place! In just one week, he's really picked up some speed! He's also now standing up in his crib and getting up on his knees just about everywhere else. He can reach the coffee table top which means that pretty much nothing is safe! He finally has 2 teeth....just the bottom front. He's by far the slowest teether I've ever had! It really doesn't even slow him down though...he eats just about everything like he's got a full mouth of teeth! He's a big boy at about 22lbs! Still happy as can be. Really a fun lil guy!

In other news......our business is slow but my hubby finally decided to kick it into high gear! This is great news since, you know, the kids want to eat and all! Hopefully we can build some business back up. This economy sucks though and people are cutting out services left and right. Why do we have to be providing a service? I'm confident that we'll be able to make it through. My kids like top ramen and mac n cheese!
My lil brother and his wife are expecting their first baby in February. She's so funny....it's gonna be a long pregnancy! Not in a bad way but she sure is milking it for all it's worth. My brother's already rolling his eyes at her! LOL
My lil sister is ENGAGED! Mike popped the question in front of everybody on Father's Day! It was so sweet and since we all knew about it beforehand, it was totally captured on film.....SWEET!They've set the date for 8-6-11! AND, I get to be the Maid of Honor! I'm so excited! I've never been a maid of honor before so I really hope I can do a kick ass job for her! We're going on Sunday to look at some wedding gowns and bridemaids dresses! It's going to be so much fun!

That's all we've got going on here. I will definitely post some pictures soon so you can see just how big and handsome my monsters are getting! I hope you're all enjoying your summer! Drop me a line sometime!

Last week

2010-06-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here trying to enjoy the last handful of Sunday hours before the beginning of ANOTHER week. It's difficult because my mind keeps drifting back to the fact that this coming week is the LAST week. The last week of school. After which I will find my self being driven insane at an accelerated rate by my beloved boys. At times like these, I find my self asking "What in the world can I do to keep my kids busy while holding on to my last precious bits of sanity?" I do think this summer is going to be brutal. I will find myself wondering (often) why I do not apply for a full time job. Jon is easy as can be so I'm really not worried about him. PLUS, he will be driving in just 8 short days so, yeah, easy peasy. Jake is a monster if he doesn't have something constructive to occupy his time. I've already talked to his employer from last summer hoping he needs help again THIS summer. Jake working is KEY to my summer success. Keep your fingers crossed! Tucker is preteen and abnoxious as all get out. I find myself wanting to just duct tape him to a chair in his room quite often. He is going to be a "camp counselor" for the camping themed reading program at the library. Thank God! That should keep him a bit busy. Tanner is still as spastic as ever and I'm hoping to farm him out to some friends and family for play dates and general running around and tiring out. He's a good kid, just SUPER manic and hyper. Brennen is definitely becoming a handful. A jealous, poke the baby with a skewer when Mom's not looking, handful. I need to keep him busy and tired. Key to my sanity saving plan. Branson's easy as can be and hardly cries when poked with skewers. He's been keeping fairly busy with Pottery Barn Kids and modeling. You can look for him in this Fall's catalog! Hopefully the jobs will keep rolling in so we can fatten up his college fund. Lord knows that's the only way he'll be able to go! With THIS economy and 6 kids.... Send me all your summertime sanity saving tips. I am in DIRE need of help!

pics

2010-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Branson was AMAZED at the view when I turned his seat around! We were waiting on his brothers so I let him watch the movie with Brennen.

Poor Brennen played too hard at the park!

His brothers TORTURED him while he slept.....poor kid!

pics

2010-04-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

I Love, love, LOVE this picture of Tanner.

Branson sure has a fat face!

He's not so crazy about peas though....
Hey, you tell me....doesn't he look like one of Shrek's babies? Don't get me wrong, I think he's super cute but so are Shrek's kiddos.

Say no to crack! LOL!

I only had one more....

2010-04-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I find myself SO busy and it's been next to impossible to post anything on my blog. I really can't quite figure it out. It's not like I'm Octomom, having 8 babies at once. I'm not even Kate....I only had ONE! Why is it then that I'm so ridiculously overbooked and busy? Why is it that I don't even have time to post a quick one liner on Facebook even? When and how did life get so hectic? I can't reasonably blame it on Branson, he's a gem. Super easy. A peach. Brennen is a bit more "time consuming" but still, quite good. Tanner.....he's a spaz in a half. Medicated, yet on the wrong medication which means he might as well not even BE medicated. He's my lil hummingbird, wings flapping faster than the eye can see, flitting from one activity to the next. Actually, hummingbirds don't leave destruction in their wake like he seems to so maybe he's more like Taz. Tucker's been a chore and a half lately too. Then there's Jake. Ah, sweet Jake. If ever there was a difficult child, he is it. Spring break was hard to say the least. He doesn't do well with unscheduled time. I knew this going into it but I didn't expect the natural disaster that was Jake on spring break. It was really tough. I actually had to give him the choice of going back on his meds or me calling the police. Has anyone ever had to call the police because you're afraid of what your own child might do to you or one of your other children? It's NOT fun. It's not easy to dial that number. Luckily he chose the med route. Man, have you ever seen those wild kingdom type shows where they tranquilize a wild animal and then wait for it to drop? That was my house. Lucky for all of us, Jake was out for several hours and woke up MUCH calmer. The phone call was avoided....for now. Jon's been good. He always is. Not much to report on him ever. He's nearly 16 (I know I'm nowhere NEAR old enough to have a 16 year old!) He's got a new girlfriend. He's a texting machine. That's about it for now. I'll try to post again soon. I know you'll all be sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for that.....

Out and about

2010-03-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here I go again, out and about, living my hectic life while my poor little blog sits here all but forgotten! So sorry. Life has been racing by and boy have we been busy. A lot has happened since I last updated. Jake turned 14 on the 1st of the month. HOLY COW! Already? We got him a really nice camera since he so wisely gave up the photography class in favor of a resource class (much needed to get homework done and for extra instruction) He'll be a high schooler next year. Wow. So, we got him a camera so he could still persue his interest even though he won't be taking any formal training just yet. He's been photographing everything! Branson just turned 5 months. I've yet to start him on solids but boy is he ready. He actually grabbed Jared's fork the other day while Jared was eating and managed to get a little something in his hand. Luckily he wasn't quick enough to shove it in his mouth. I'm a bit leary of starting the solids since he seems to have so many allergies and sensitivities already. BUT, the poor kid watches me eat and licks his lil lips. It's quite pathetic. Brennen is still a ball of energy. He's been behaving a bit better. I guess the novelty of the baby has worn off. He's taking naps again too which I LOVE! It's a sweet deal when your 3 year old will take a 2-3 hour nap every day. Jon is driving everywhere with his permit and he's pretty good. My car is huge so it's quite impressive that he's not hit anything yet. Let's hope he never does. Tucker was just sick with an ear infection and sore throat but he's back to school now. He still can't hear but he didn't really ever tend to listen anyhow. Tanner's still spastic as ever. He had a photo shoot for Pottery Barn Kids on Monday. He was there from 2-5:45 but only was on set for 30-45 minutes. Luckily he gets paid for the entire time so he'll get a fat check for that. He's super excited because he wants to buy so many things but really struggles with saving money. I just take his money now and hold it for him no matter how much he begs, I don't give in. He'd blow it in 2 seconds if I'd let him. We took the boys camping last weekend and are going again this Saturday. It should be fun. With my dad's illness, I've really started seeing things differently and we're doing more with the kids. Even when they're naughty. Hope all is well with you and yours....I'm off to karate!

This and that...

2010-02-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

It was a fairly uneventful weekend. The boys were off of school yesterday for some holiday or another...Washington's bday, I think. It was a blah sort of a weekend though because some bug has taken up residence in my house....AGAIN! Poor Jon has had a terrible cough and now Tanner seems to have it. (Funny, they DO share a room) Branson was a grumpy butt due to the shots he was given on Friday at his 4 month well baby check. 4 months already! Can you believe it? I can't either! He's still a big un.....16lbs 7oz and 26.5" long. He had 3 shots though and had a crummy reaction. Fever and overall grumpiness all weekend long. Not so fun...I missed my smiley boy. Brennen has been suffering from allergies. He's super stuffy and a bit naughty. AND, to make matters worse, he's been wetting the bed....MY bed. The one with a $4000 mattress! UGH! Luckily I had put a waterproof blanket under my mattress pad. Not the biggest blanket but it was big enough! Thank God. It's odd that he's doing this. He does it every so often even though he's been potty trained FOREVER! I think it's something to do with being a bit under the weather though I've never really documented the occurences with his health status to know for sure. Whatever the reason, it just plain sucks. I had just put fresh sheets on and he peed...washed them, put em back on and the next night he peed again. They're currently in the wash AGAIN....hopefully for the last time this week. OH! The boys got haircuts! Well, just Tucker and Tanner but they went from long hair to short. I must post pictures. First though, I must TAKE pictures! Jon was wanting a haircut but he's waiting. He lost a bet with a friend and has to shave 1/2 of his head and go to school like that for a week! Dork! I tried to tell him he should shave just the crown of his head and leave a fringe all around...he said no. I thought maybe just the front half and leave the back or vice versa...again with the no. I'm not sure why he doesn't like my ideas. I figure if you're gonna look like a dork anyhow, you may as well embrace it and go all out! I'll be SURE to post pictures of THAT nonsense when it happens. He's going to do it right before spring break which sadly enough, is coming way to fast! So, that's all for now....I'm off to watch more Handy Manny....YEAH!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-02-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled by the cherubic looks...Tanner is 100% devil boy. He sure looks sweet though....deceiving, isn't it?!

Here's the new kid on the block....Branson is SUCH a great guy. Getting too big, way too fast!

Brennen was getting all hooked up for his sleep study. Unfortunately, he wouldn't do it...got too freaked out with all the wires although you'd never know it from looking at him here!

Excuse me but can you pass the Lysol?

2010-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Brennen threw up this morning at 6:30. As if that's not bad enough, he was in MY bed when he did it! YUCK! Why can't he do that kind of stuff in his bed....you know the one with the plastic coated mattress? Why does it have to be MY bed....the one with the $4000 mattress? UGH. Luckily I was able to strip the sheets and mattress pad off before it had soaked all the way through. He's not sick really....just has a cold with that lovely post nasal drip. That is enough to make anybody hurl. He's doing MUCH better now. Sitting and eating pretzels and drinking Gatorade. Thank God. The last thing I need is a house full of sick kids...especially now that the weather is turning around somewhat!

Ebates anyone? Need Diapers?

2010-02-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Holy cow! How did I never know about Ebates?

When you do your online shopping through Ebates, you actually get a certain percentage of cash back! It's really awesome if you do online shopping anyway.

If you are in need of diapers....check this out!
First time orders at Diapers.com get $10 off when they use DEALMOM as a promo. So, load your cart with over $49 in diapers (Luvs are the cheapest but I bought Pampers) $49 and more gets you free shipping....use the promo code to get your $10 off and you end up paying around $39. BUT there's a mail in rebate for $14.97 which means you get a boat load of diapers DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR for roughly $25! AWESOME.

Sign up for Ebates first and you'll get 1% cash back too! PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW THOUGH>......I'll get credit if you do and GOD knows I need the credit!

EBATES

CHEAP DIAPERS HERE

slowly going insane.....

2010-01-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

courtesy of my 6 boys! Actually, it's Tucker mostly! UGH!

Don't hate my because my boys are beautiful....

2010-01-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple pictures of Branson looking oh so cute.....I have this weird thing where I like to get them shirts and clothes with their number on them. Isn't this outfit from my mom just too cute? All boy #6! Branson is growing up WAY too fast and he's such a lil love. He's getting into that phase where he's really snuggly. When I'm holding him and he's sleepy, he grabs on to my shirt and just rubs it on his little face. SO sweet!

tomorrow's the big day.

2010-01-21T17:03:00.001-08:00

My dad goes in to have his kidney removed at 5:50. Surgery starts at 8. Kinda stinks that is just happens to be my birthday too but...oh well...it'll be a relief to get that done and over with. Plus, when you're old, birthdays just aren't the same. There's just no excitement.....

Please pray that all goes well for my dad. I'm bummed that I won't be able to visit him at all in the hospital as they don't allow anybody under 14 to even be in the waiting room. I can't really leave Branson home since he's strictly nursing right now. Dad could be in the hospital for up to a week! Pray that he comes home sooner! I just can't wait for this to be over for him!

Soaking wet

2010-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's that kind of a day. Not that a had tons of errands to run or anything but it just really stinks that we're having torrential downpours. I hate being cooped up against my will. Don't get me wrong, I've plenty to do at home. I have a sky high pile of laundry just calling my name....but, it sure is nice to be able to step outside and NOT be soaking wet! Me thinks that won't be happening anytime soon as it's supposed to be storming ALL WEEK LONG! Lucky for Jared he's at a seminar today and tomorrow so he'll be keeping warm and dry. The boys on the other hand like to wait for me in the rain! Big dummies! How's the weather where YOU'RE at? Rain? Snow? Sunshine?

We make em chunky style...

2010-01-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Apparently Branson is bigger than 95% of the boys his age. Jon weighed him last night at my mom's house and he weighed in at a whopping 16.5lbs! HOLY COW! He JUST turned 3 mos on the 16th! Way to grow Branson!

Simply put...it sucks.

2010-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

The economy. It just stinks. I hate not having enough money. Business has been dwindling and I need to somehow get a big ole fire lit under Jared's butt to start drumming up more business. I feel like a failure as a parent and wife when I can't manage to stretch the money as far as it needs to go......UGH.

WooHoo

2010-01-12T09:04:00.001-08:00

My dad's test results came back and ALL IS GOOD! Thank God!

Crappy so far...

2010-01-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right...so far, 2010 isn't all I thought it was cracked up to be. Last week, my dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer. I guess if you've got to have cancer, that ones not as bad. He's got 2 kidneys and he only needs 1 so they're gonna take the left one out! On my birthday, of all days. Well, that day's always been good for me so I think things should be fine. He's in today for a bone scan. Right now, as a matter of fact. Pray that all goes well and his bones are good and clear of disease. If the results are good today then maybe 2010 isn't as bad as it seems....

A First for us...

2010-01-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

I finally got a picture of my entire family! Here it is....the first family photo as a family of 8. Sure, we're not dressed to impress or anything but it was early Christmas morning. Hey, at least I got a picture, right?!

Here are my 6 beautiful boys! All together.....touching and EVERYTHING! WOW! Trust me, that's AMAZING!

2010 already?!?!

2009-12-31T17:10:00.001-08:00

WOW! This year sure has flown by and here I sit on New Year's Eve in total shock that 2010 is upon us. Man oh man, I sure hope 2010 is a better year than 2009 has been. We did bring our beautiful Branson into the world this year so it wasn't all bad but...UGH! It's been a rough year and I am anxious to move forward into what I can only hope will be a better year. This economy has affected us in more ways than one and I'm hoping we can manage to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and prosper in this coming year. How do you feel about 09? Anxious to see it go? Was it a good year for you? What are you looking forward to in 10?

Have a SAFE and happy new year one and all!

cooties

2009-12-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

Branson had a fever the other night. Of 102! He seemed a bit irritable but was otherwise fine, even managing to eek out a few smiles here and there. After a horrendously long night (Branson AND Brennen both kept me awake) I decided maybe it would be best to call the docs. He still had a temp and was still irritable. Nevermind the fact that we don't currently have active health coverage. The new policy takes effect on Friday. (naturally!) So, I made him an appointment and took him in. Apparently they had weighed my wee lil pork chop wrong at his 2 month appointment. Either that or he somehow gained 12 ounces in 10 days...he is 13lbs 15oz! (we like em chunky style here!) He checked out fine. And today? He's happy as a clam....all smiles and no temp. Figures.

A little holiday cheer for ya!

2009-12-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of lil Branson on Christmas Eve. Isn't he just the cutest lil Santa ever?

2 months already!

2009-12-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

Branson had his two month appointment last week and here it is...

at 2 mos, he is 13 lbs 3oz! and 24" long. He's still got a full head of hair. He smiles ALL THE TIME and has even laughed a handful of times. He's super ticklish, especially on his feet. He is wearing a size 3-6 mos and already has a size 2 foot! He's started teething already (not fair! He's so young!) and we've had to keep bibs on him constantly because he's a drooling fool! He is quite a snugglebug and is a very happy boy. He's quick to smile and slow to cry. He sleeps all night long and has been for about 3 weeks now. His excema is finally clearing up thanks to allergy treatments with Dr. Stalker (our miracle worker!) Branson is a much loved baby brother. The big boys still fight over him and Brennen smothers him with kisses and hugs all the time. We are SO lucky to have another happy, healthy and mellow baby boy!

Random pics

2009-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Picasa was really screwing around with me on the previous post....I had chosen a couple of pictures and Picasa conveniently chose different ones! Here is the picture I wanted posted from Brennen's 3 yr bday celebration. Not that fuzzy one that WAS posted!

Here's a picture of Branson wearing one of Jared's baby hats. Such a cutie!

Here's cheesy boy with a big ol grin. Poor guy has terrible excema on his face! Anyone know of any cures? The allergy doc has been helping but it's SUPER expensive and he has quite a few allergies!

My baby B is 3!

2009-12-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Brennen turned 3 on Saturday. It was a really low key celebration weekend, what with the economy being as crappy as it is. Thankfully he's only 3 and didn't notice! Here are some shots of Brennen through the years. He sure has changed!

Here he is! Brennen Paul, the new kid on the block! What a chunk.

Such a doll with his rosy cheeks. My baby is turning 1!

He's a hambone and a half at 2 years old. What a personality. Such a quick witted and funny guy!

He is currently 3 and more than a handful. I think he's making up for the first 2.5 years of being such a mellow fellow. He's a full blown terror now! Of course it could be because he's been dethroned by Branson. He's lucky he's so cute! He was SO excited to open presents. 3 is such a fun age!

It just may be a white Christmas this year?!.....

2009-12-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

WOW! Who ever called this place SUNNY California? This is what we woke up to yesterday. SNOW! At MY house! YIKES! It wasn't much but it was there for sure and it stuck around for awhile. I didn't get a picture of it (because I sort of suck) but Tucker and Tanner actually built a snowman! Granted he was only about 12 inches tall but HEY, he was a snowman in MY driveway! It's definitely cold enough to snow again. It was a chilly 22 degrees when I woke up. Hopefully we'll get some more of the white stuff here....the kids LOVED it!

Turkey day activities...

2009-11-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was once again at my mom's house. Here are a couple of shots from the day....it was a really laid back day.
Here's Becca and Jon, rocking out on the Wii

Yes, that's my son Branson, in a laundry basket. He really seems comfy...

My brother Rob, holding Branson for the first time. Looks like they're having a serious conversation. Branson looks SO tiny in Rob's arms...even though he's quite the chunker at 13lbs!

All in all it was a nice day. I can't believe that Christmas is almost here! YIKES!

Happy go lucky...

2009-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture from last week of my and my happy lil guy. He's getting SO big already. He's smiling lots now and I do believe he's even started teething! UGH! He's still a very mellow and super happy baby. I'm very lucky!

Oh no.....UGH

2009-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

My boys seem to have found some sort of bug somewhere. So far Brennen and Tanner both have low grade fevers and noses that are just FILLED to overflowing with snot. Yuck, I know. Tanner was devestated when we took his temp last night to find it was 100.2 as he was all set and ready to go to his friend's birthday party. I felt HORRIBLE telling him he couldn't go since this was, no joke, only the 2nd party he'd ever been invited to in the 3 years that he's been in school. Apparently my kid is odd. So yeah, I felt like a world class ass telling him he wouldn't be able to go. Brennen's been not quite himself for several days now. Nights are the worst. I think it's just a cold but last night was the first time in 4 nights that he wasn't crying in his sleep for hours. I gave him Triaminic though last night. There aren't decongestants out there for kids under 6 anymore. New research and all....screw the research, my boy needed help! PLUS, research showed it was safe to give them those meds when my older boys were little.....somebody probably didn't give the proper doseage, their kid experienced something bad and the parents sued. Isn't that just the way of the world today? Branson is really stuffy now too. AND I am scheduled to work in the church nursery in 2.5 hours! I guess all I can do is see how they all are once they finally wake up. By the way, my man Bran has been sleeping ALL NIGHT! Only every other night though. Weird. But he went to bed last night at 11 and didn't wake up until 7:30. He nursed and went right back to sleep! He's SUCH a gem.

how Brennen provides daily laughter...

2009-11-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I noticed that Brennen seemed to have something in his mouth after he was in my room. Now this child is known for putting ANYTHING in his mouth....marbles, legos, rocks...he's just plain weird. So I asked him what he had. He promptly opened up his mouth to show me but being that it was semi dark in the room, I didn't have my glasses and his mouth is small, I couldn't really make out what it was. But I COULD smell chocolate. My mind immediately pictured the can of Girl Scout candies that I had taken from him the day before and put on my desk. I asked him if it was a girl scout candy and he said no. Tanner went on to describe the can and I said, "YES! That IS the Girl Scout candy Brennen!" I then told him...."Ok, I guess that means you're going to turn into a girl now." "NO!" he argued. "Oh yes, you are DEFINITELY turning into a girl..." Next thing I know, with not another word, he spit that candy out on the floor.....with a tremendous amount of force. Geesh, how bad does he think it is to be a girl?!?!

single parenting...

2009-11-13T20:18:00.001-08:00

So,Jared's off on some men's retreat this weekend which means that I'm flying solo. Yep. Me, all by my lonesome....except for the 6 boys in my care. YIKES. It's gonna be a FUN weekend (insert sarcasm) Not only has there been major drama at my house as of late but I have a memorial to go to tomorrow that I'm really not looking forward to. A good friend from high school just passed away from cancer. Yeah, I know, it sucks. He was exactly 1 week older than me. So not fair. I'm thinking maybe it's easier that Jared's NOT here as he's, once again, the source of my drama. I'm not going to get into any details just yet but I've been an emotional wreck which is mostly why I've not been posting at all. That and the whole parenting 6 boys thing.....it's all keeping me busy. I think this post makes NO sense whatsoever but since it's my blog, I'll publish it anyways.

My man Bran....

2009-11-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of new pics of Branson. I took them just today. He's getting SO big so fast. It makes me sad! He's such an easy going guy....Really just very mellow and sweet....and OH so cute!

it's tough being the lil brother

2009-11-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

Apparently all big brothers enjoy mauling their little brothers. Here we see that Brennen manhandles Branson in the exact same way that Tanner once manhandled him. Some call it love, I say they just want to let the lil one know who's boss from day one! Really though.....they love their lil brothers!

my little cowboy

2009-10-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

For some reason, the name Branson just sounds like a rugged, cowboyish sort of a name to me. So, of course his blanket had to have a cowboy theme! Here's my lil dude.... 2 weeks old!

Handsome Branson....

My lil bran muffin....BIG yawn! It's tiring, this being cute thing.

chunky style...

2009-10-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

that's how I make em! Branson had his 2 week appointment yesterday. 2 weeks! Already! I was concerned about his weight as he spits up...SO MUCH! Not every time he eats though. I am taking him to my allergy doc on Monday because I think he's sensitive to something I'm eating. Poor guy. When he spits up...it's like the exorcist! YUCK! He also seems to take the job of pooping VERY seriously. He is a pooping machine! I've changed more diapers with him than any other boy! BUT, my worries were unneccessary. He was 9lbs 9oz at birth, went down to 9lbs 3oz before we went home. I'm happy to report that my chunky monkey is now up to 9lbs 15oz! Yep, he's a big boy! He's only 1/4" longer than his birth length and his head is a full 1/2" bigger (so glad he did that AFTER his birth!) All in all, he's doing really well. He's cute as a button and such an easy going guy. He really doesn't cry much at all. When he does, I try to let him cry for a bit...work out those lungs and all...but he settles down way to quickly to get any working out done! He's very much like Jon and Brennen were as babies. THANK GOD! I don't know if I could've handled another Jake at this moment! Not that I don't love Jake to death. He wasn't necessarily an easy baby though...

Branson is a dreamy guy! I'll post some pics later....after I've taken some. Yes, I'm really failing miserably on the photo front.

In case you were wondering....

2009-10-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive and kicking....I've just been busy. I know, ME, busy?!?! Well, wouldn't you know it, the boys are just not giving me any breaks. The day I came home from the hospital, I had to turn right around and take Jon in to ER. He's fine. He just fell skateboarding and landed with his arm straight out. His elbow was swollen and we weren't sure if it was broken. Doc says it's not although it's still swollen today. I guess he just sprained it.... BUT, I wasn't planning on going back to the hospital so soon! Anyhow, Branson is a week old today! Here are a couple of pictures of him from a couple of days ago....After I realized that I will NEVER again have a 4 day old, or a 5 day old, I decided that maybe, just MAYBE, I may want to actually start taking some more pictures. What a lamebrain I am! So, here he is, eyes open and all.....

Oh, and here's Brennen from 2 days ago. He decided to take a fast, yet short, ride down our driveway on his scooter. Jared watched him do it too! Why are men sometimes so clueless? I was holding Branson and trying to get to Brennen. I got around the back of my car just in time to see his head get up close and personal with the driveway. It was actually green and a tiny bit dented looking at first. Poor kid. Believe it or not, his thumb was hurting the most. Several hours and several xrays later, we found it was not broken but sprained. He's fine now....but his noggin sure looks bad. Oh, and that was the 3rd time he fell and hit his head since Branson was born! Poor guy. All the hits have been to the same basic area too! What a klutz!

So, that's what we've been up to......

Branson Alexander has arrived!

2009-10-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

I went in to the hospital to be induced on the 15th at 6:30. Here's a before picture.....

Branson Alexander was born at 5:11am on the 16th! It took FOR-EVER to get my labor going. Once they got it going (around 2 am) it went REALLY quick! He was 9lbs 9oz and 21.25" long. He's a big, healthy boy!

Here he is....today, at home! We came home yesterday. It was SO nice to sleep in my own bed. He's such a good boy already...he only woke up 2 times last night! WOW!

Tonight is the night!

2009-10-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was able to get my induction switched from tomorrow morning to tonight! Wahoo! Not that I'm a big fan of pain but it'll be nice to get it over with and get on with the good stuff! PLUS, it'll be a more convenient time for all my family members to be there. I have to leave for the hospital in less than 2 hours so I must go clean bathrooms, do laundry and then shower. Please pray that all they need to do is break my water and I can avoid the pitocin! I'll post pictures as soon as I can! Wish me luck!

eye, eye, eye...

2009-10-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

So tonight I've got a new development. No, nothing exciting like a hospital visit but my eyes....they are KILLING me! Seems that it came on really quite suddenly and I'm not sure what to make of it. My eyeballs just ache. The light bothers them and it hurts to move them. Could this be massive fluid retention? I'm not sure if it's even pregnancy related. Anyone ever experience something like this? If so...what do I do? It hurts!

I'm no longer having fun...

2009-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

This baby is stubborn. Typical boy. I'm so anxious and impatient. The ENTIRE family is waiting for ME to call with word that it's time....I cannot make that time come. Even the earthquake last night that was pretty much centered AT MY HOUSE didn't help coax this kid out. Castor oil is sounding like a good option.... I've NEVER been more than 8 days late (but was induced then too) I got an email update on 41 weeks pregnant. Yep, baby is just getting bigger by the minute. Tanner was 9lbs 11oz when he was 8 days late. My induction date is Friday the 16th. I know...only a couple more days. But boy oh boy...those days are long! Oh, and my throat hurts now. LOVELY! Because being sick AND in labor sounds like a party....right?!

Any advice? I'm starting to feel a little down....

no baby yet

2009-10-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

Bummer.

Another test tomorrow...

2009-10-12T17:04:00.001-07:00

At 9am I have a 2nd non stress test for the baby. Assuming he's still in my belly. It would be deja vu completely if they were to send me in to the hospital. When I was 7 days late with Brennen, I had a NST. It was a Tuesday morning and the results of the test were such that they told me to go directly to the hospital for an induction. Tomorrow could potentially be a very eventful day. I'd prefer just getting it over with tonight!

they've been promoted!

2009-10-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tucker and Tanner had a karate belt promotion today. I wasn't sure if we'd make it or not with the arrival so up in the air. We made it. I am pleased to say that both boys received their new belts. I am even MORE pleased to announce that Tanner Bananer actually remembered his FORMS! This current form is one that he's been learning for the past 3 mos or so and he's never been able to memorize it. He finally got it! If he couldn't remember it, they wouldn't let him get his new belt. This belt was SUPER important because Tucker was at a purple and Tanner was one belt below him at a blue advance. BBC2 class starts off at purple. SO, I've been having to get two boys to 2 lessons a week but 2 different class schedules. It's not been fun. or easy. NOW though, they are both in the same class! Only one schedule to stick to. Life is suddenly made that tiny bit easier. All because Tanner remembered his form! Wahoo!

Oh, and I've been having LOTs of contractions since the belt promotion. Not that it necessarily means anything....but a girl can hope!

I started and finished the baby's blanket today. I figured maybe that's all he was waiting for? No? It has been chilly lately...you never know!

I'm over it

2009-10-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

I had another doctors appointment today and I am now 3 cm dialated. I made them do a non stress test because last week, the doctor mentioned that if a baby is overdue, the chances of stillbirth increase dramatically. Yeah, freak me out for no reason. She forgot to mention it was after they are 42 weeks... All went well with the test. He was an absolute maniac of motion. I had to schedule an induction but since I am more dialated now I set it for as far out as I could in hopes that the baby will be here before I reach that date. It's set for NEXT Friday, the 16th. All along though, I was thinking he'd be here on 10/10. Makes sense to me since Brennen was here on 12/12. Right?! So, I went walking....AGAIN today. I came home and completely cleaned my room and pulled the majority of my maternity clothes out of my drawers. I won't be needing them anymore after this weekend. (power of positive thinking?) I will keep you all posted.....cross your fingers that my water breaks. At least then there's no turning back!

Impatiently waiting....still!

2009-10-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I know I'm only 2 days past my due date but here's the facts: I've been having TONS of contractions for the past 6 weeks. That's unusual for me. I figured that the contractions combined with the extra stress I've had for this entire pregnancy just might make the baby arrive a bit early. Yes, I was wrong but what's wrong with at least being on time? So, here I am impatiently waiting for a baby that I feel may just never come. It really stinks to feel like my life is on hold. Every night I think "tonight might be the night!" only to wake up disappointed in the morning. I have been walking EVERYDAY and eating spicy foods and labor inducing pizza and have no baby to show for it. My ribs are aching from the constant feet up in them and my lower back feels like it may just crack in two. Seriously....stick a fork in me, I'm done! I have an appointment tomorrow morning where the docs will want to schedule an induction. I SO don't want to be induced. Pitocin just sucks. I feel so bad because there are SO many people waiting on pins and needles to make that trip to the hospital. It's going to be a real party in that waiting room and delivery room. And everybody is stuck in this holding pattern with me....impatiently waiting!

Can you hear it baby?

2009-10-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's the buzzer going off. This oven says you should be DONE cookin! The time has come.....let's get this party started. Today is my due date. Does that mean nothing?! I have my next appointment on Friday where they will want to schedule an induction. Please, please, please....NO inductions! Hurry up lil buddy!

wouldn't it be cool

2009-10-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

if the baby actually came on or before his due date? Well, if he's going to arrive BEFORE his due date then, that would be today! I have been having a lot more contractions with this one than with any of the other boys so who knows. Today is a good day to have a baby.

Full Moon

2009-10-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

It's tonight. In case you're wondering. The next full moon. Maybe that will help encourage this lil guy to GET OUT OF MY BELLY! I know, I am THE MOST impatient person ever! I just feel like I've been waiting SO long. I'n not uncomfortable (not too bad) I just would LOVE to NOT have to be induced. At my next appt, they will make me talk induction. I despise induction. Really, what I'd love, if it were all up to me would be to have this baby in the comfort of my OWN home. I don't really even want to go to the hospital. Unfortunately, when I researched home births, I found it to be VERY expensive. We're talking $5000 minimum! YIKES! At least with my coverage, I go to the hospital and go home without spending a dime! It's almost like I get a free baby....well, free to take home, where I can spend the rest of my life spending money on him! Cross your fingers that the full moon will help! Besides, my entire family will be together at my mom's for a family dinner tonight. We'll already be assembled so we can just carpool to the hospital. Good plan, right?

Something is better than nothing...I guess.

2009-10-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I was awake for several hours having some pretty decent contractions. It took me right back to Tucker's labor where I woke up to contractions, timed them for awhile as they got closer, took a shower, woke everybody up and went and had a baby. I thought for SURE the boys wouldn't be going to school today. BUT, after nearly 3 hours, they stopped. They were not feeling too good either. I mean, I even had to do some slow breathing through one or two. I went and walked for awhile at the mall today but NOTHING happened. Oh, I've had more contractions...just nothing regular or consistent. Poo! I really would love to just have him this weekend. This weekend really would work out well for me. I guess I just have to play this waiting game a bit longer.

Dr. Appt.

2009-09-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the docs this morning and FINALLY they checked to see if anything's happening. I'm dialated to 2 cm already but he's still pretty high. She did some "procedure" to help speed things along. I won't bore you with the gory details....I'm still having some irregular contractions but I'm hoping that now they're doing more. HOPEFULLY I'll have this guy before his due date. That would quickly move him up to first place in my book of favorite children! I do have another appointment scheduled for the 9th (after my due date) The doctor says we'll have to start talking about inductions at that point. Please Baby, come on out! I do NOT want to be induced again! Again....any ideas on how to get this guy moving? No, castor oil is NOT an option!

Let's get this party started!

2009-09-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

My mom took me to the mall today to try to walk this baby out. It was tiring and I felt like I had a pulled something or other in/on? my leg. I had a couple of contractions (woohoo) but nothing spectacular to make me think today is the day. I'm hoping he's going to sit tight until October. Well, actually, I'm hoping he'll stay put until Jon gets back home. He left this morning to be a counselor for 5th grade outdoor ed. He'll return Friday....

Oh, and the phone calls have begun. You know the ones, well meaning people who have to call daily to find out what, if anything, is going on? Heck, he's not even due for another 7 days which means realistically, he won't be here for about another 12 days......

How about this....if something happens, I'll make the phone calls...or assign somebody else to do it.

I hate waiting.

Nearly 39 weeks!

2009-09-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Only 8 days to go! This pregnancy has flown by but these last few weeks are just DRAGGING! I am ready to be over and done with the painful part and move on to the fun stuff....Like I told Jared, I feel like I'm waiting to be shot...I don't know when it's going to be but I know it's coming so I'm constantly on edge. Not that I've ever had a real problem with labor. I'm a pretty high pain tolerant person...it's just not THE MOST FUN a person can have, no matter how high their pain tolerance is. SO, I'm just sitting here, twiddling my thumbs and cleaning, cleaning cleaning, trying to go into labor!

here's what's going on....

2009-09-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

With only 10 short days to go until my due date, I'd love to report that there's something going on but....well, I just can't. I don't think this baby will be early OR on time. I think he's going to be another late arrival. My boys have ALL been late. I'd love to know any tried and true ideas for going into labor. I'm telling you...the novelty has worn off by now. I'm not particularly uncomfortable, just tired of this big, clumsy body. I'm ready to move on to the next chapter in this story....
I'm guessing he'll be here on the 10th. Anybody else want to venture a guess?
Here's what I've had SO far....
Jon- 3 days late. 10lbs 22.5"
Jake- induced 6 days early because docs thought he'd be BIGGER than Jon! 8lb10oz 21"
Tucker- 7 days late. 9lb14oz 21"
Tanner- induced 8 days late. 9lbs11oz 20.5"
Brennen- induced 7 days late. 9lbs. I have NO idea how long he was because they didn't even give me one of those little cards! BUMMER.
I sometimes think this boy will be really big because he's SO strong but then I figure if he still has so much room to be a little hellion, maybe he's on the smaller side? WHO KNOWS! I'm really looking forward to finding out.

In other news...and there's plenty of that with 5 boys...
Jon left this morning at 6am for Boy Scout advance camp. He's working on more merit badges. When he returns, he'll be home for Monday and then Tuesday morning he leaves to be a camp counselor for 5th grade outdoor ed. He took it upon himself to look into the program, apply and all. He's really excited! He's also been working really hard in school this year and I'm SO proud to announce that he currently has ALL A's and B's. I think it was 4 A's and 2 B's! He rocks. He's always been extremely intelligent and I'm so glad that he's focusing on grades instead of just girls. Don't get me wrong, he's still TOTALLY into girls but he understands that grades ARE important. Thank GOD!

Jake is doing pretty well in 8th grade this year. The school changed his schedule and he had a class he didn't like so he took it upon himself to switch it. I am so proud of him for being so independent and being an advocate for himself. He is now in drama which he LOVES! The girls really love Jake too and I am happy to say that he is NOT so into girls! Whew! I certainly don't need 2 hormone driven boys! Jake seems to have adapted very well to full time public school and he's got lots of friends. He's getting more and more independent. I'm able to have him skateboard from school to karate 2 days a week so my job is much easier. Jake's also been working for an organic farmer harvesting veggies. He really loves the work. He and Jon both work there but Jake is always the first to step up when the farmer calls last minute needing help. He's there as we speak...working his first Farmer's Market. Hopefully they give him a raise soon. (they started him lower than Jon because he was slower but he's been busting his lil butt trying to impress them) I must say, I'm very proud of him and his work ethic.

Tucker is having some independence forced on him and he's rather unwilling. He's in 5th grade now and it's a bit more serious. He's got lots of book reports and a research project to do this year. All very daunting tasks for a boy who doesn't want to take responsibility for anything. He's still somewhat immature and I do worry about him but I have to just push him to do his best and to really step up and be the responsible kid that he needs to be. I'm so grateful that we held him back years ago because if he were actually starting middle school this year, I think he'd just die. He's been doing really well with his karate and is participating in another tournament today! Last time he took first place in sparring so hopefully he'll do really well. If he can remember his form, maybe, just maybe, he'll earn a trophy this time. He really has taken to karate and I think it's been VERY good for him. It's nice for him to have something that Jake isn't involved in so he's not at all in Jake's shadow.

Tanner is having a pretty good 2nd grade year. He had to get back on his ADHD meds. I haven't been able to get him in to get more allergy treatments. I think if he were to be treated for all of his allergies, he may not need his meds. BUT, it's so expensive and all of the boys have allergies so I can't just focus on Tanner. Luckily his ADHD meds really work and his teacher is very impressed with his willingness to learn. He's had a couple run ins with some hyper boy at school but he's been very mature about it and I think the problem is solved. He just started Cub Scouts again for the year and so far, he's loving it. Jared's been taking him which I think makes a huge difference. He really needs time with his dad and I'm glad that Jared's been able to give him that time.

Brennen has been a terd. To put it bluntly. He knows that Mommy is tired and much slower and he's taking FULL ADVANTAGE of that. Won't he be surprised after the baby's born when I can really run again?! As my due date approaches, he's getting increasingly naughty. I don't think it really helps that he's been really suffering from seasonal allergies. He's just not being the good boy that he normally is. I've been working on setting up some play dates for him with his aunties once the baby is here. I think he's going to definitely need some one on one attention and I know I won't be as able to give him that right away. I'm most nervous about him. He is very much a Momma's boy. He falls asleep evey night snuggling with me and if he wakes up, he always wants me. UGH! Hopefully Jared will really step up and help out with Brennen because I just cannot do it all.

So, that's my life story.......Hopefully, very soon, I will have another person to write about at the end......

my new addiction

2009-09-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I'm addicted. My new addiction is actually NOT a bad one. You can become an addict too, if you'd like. I think in this day and age, it's a good thing. Ok, so here's the deal......I'm addicted to getting great deals on items I need anyway. Not just good deals....but GREAT deals. I've been regularly visiting Coupon Cravings and Deal Seeking Mom I am learning the ways of the money saving world. I love it that these bloggers will tell me exactly how to get the best deals. Today, I went to Rite Aid to stock up on more diapers because, well, babies go to the bathroom....a LOT! I got 3 packs of Huggies that were on sale for 3/$33. In addition, I was able to use a $3 printable coupon for each pack and then Rite Aid was offering a $10 rebate if you purchase 3...do the math....that's 3 JUMBO packs for just $14! AWESOME! Yes, I believe the insanity is finally setting in with me. Show me a really great deal or a way to get much needed items for free and I'm just delirious with excitement. Somebody help me! If you know of any other websites to help fuel my addiction, by all means, let me know!

15 days and counting...

2009-09-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've got 15 days to go until my due date and I am off to buy more diapers and supplies. You can never be TOO prepared, right? Well, with the help of some coupon blogs, I've amassed quite a supply of diapers and baby products already. I think I'm better prepared than I've ever been before. I ADORE getting great deals on things so it's been exciting. (I know, it sure doesn't take much to make ME happy!) Well, it's off to Rite Aid I go....I'm SURE I'm forgetting SOMETHING though....

hubby free day...kid free night!

2009-09-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am excited. Jared will be gone all day. Work in the morning, wedding in the afternoon/evening. The boys will be around helping a bit until this afternoon when my fabulous sister and her boyfriend are taking them all, yes, ALL FIVE, for a sleepover! I am going to relax (yeah, right) and I think go out to dinner with my folks. It should be nice. It would be great if my husband could find it in his heart to try to plan a date night but I'm discovering that he's a dud and doesn't ever put me first.

It figures..

2009-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I was SO excited when Jared willingly agreed to take over the responsibility of driving Jake to school. I know, I should've been more gaurded about believing he was ACTUALLY GOING TO DO IT! But, I wasn't. I was a fool who AGAIN, thought it was logical and safe to believe her husband. There were words. Heated words. Yesterday morning was a huge stress for me. It came out that Jared DIDN't tell me he'd take Jake. He says he told me he'd "help out when he could" Yeah? When you can? Oh, how sweet of you...you'll be a helpful parent when it's convenient for you....

That doesn't work so well for me.

Day 1

2009-09-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's day 1 of driving to school sans Jake. I have to say, it was SUCH a more pleasant car ride. Of course Jared didn't actually wake up before I left. He didn't really help out at all with the morning routine. That is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine. I will never understand why he thinks it's ok to sleep in every morning while I get up and get all 4 boys ready, fed and out the door. I think it's pure laziness on his part. I could write a whole other post on that though.... Anyways, Jake told me at 7:35 that he felt sick to his stomach. We were supposed to be out the door at 7:30 and he STILL had no socks or shoes. SO, I took his temp, which, of course, was completely normal. At that point, the whining increased in decibel and so I told him to simply get in bed. I was NOT about to get into it with him when we were already runnning late. So, I left him. Jared called, minutes later, and I told him Jake was HIS responsibility. He did end up taking Jake to school but not until I had been phoned 4 times! They have some major tweaking to do with their morning routine. Mine is going MUCH smoother. My car was downright QUIET this morning. It was lovely!

Weird weather

2009-09-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning at 4:43 to go to the bathroom for the 14th time and what did I see? Lightning! I thought at first I must be mistaken but after standing watch at the window for a few minutes I found I was not. Of course that made it somewhat difficult to go back to sleep. THEN, once the alarmingly loud thunder started up a mere 30 minutes later it was damn near impossible to get any more sleep! We've been having quite the symphony going on this morning. Luckily the boys managed to sleep through it....some are STILL sleeping through it. Strange weather though....

This insanity has GOT to stop!

2009-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Most of you are well aware of the natural disaster that is Jake. Well, he's still up to his same ole tricks and it's got to stop. He's making me CRAZY! Jared FINALLY agreed to start handling Jake so I can have a break. I know he's an anxious kid and when he's stressed, or hungry, or tired, or his eyes are blue, he acts ANGRY! Anger is his default emotions. All feelings are worth getting angry over (as far as HE'S concerned) Today, I had enough. This was the last day (for awhile anyways) that I will be driving Jake to school. He's slow in the morning. He's unprepared (all the time) and he's always yelling, hitting, calling names, and just generally nasty. He actually had me in tears this morning. Mostly, I think, because I really wanted to just knock him out but I know that's not allowed. He makes me feel like such a terrible mother. What kind of mom doesn't enjoy her own child? I'm just tired of his brothers living in fear. They're afraid of what Jake's going to do to them, their stuff, me....the list goes on. Tucker acts like an abuse victim, even going so far as to protect Jake....it's just unhealthy. I'm so relieved that Jared agreed to take control over Jake. SO relieved!

Wordful Wednesday.....Ranch makes everything better!

2009-09-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

My boys have ALWAYS been huge fans of fresh veggies dipped in ranch and Brennen is NO exception. Here he was getting a wee bit annoyed that Uncle Rob was being such a miser with the ranch. For some reason, Uncle Rob finds it very offensive to double, triple, and quadruple dip. (Notice the bowl of ranch that Rob is holding....away from Brennen?) Maybe it would be easier if Uncle Rob would just get the poor boy a straw!

counting the days...

2009-09-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have just a short 28 days until my due date but I'm starting to feel like this baby will never come. He just seems so content where he is. He still kicks like a son of a gun so apparently he's got plenty of room. (which makes me think he'll be here much later rather than sooner) My smallest baby to date was 8lbs 10oz but he was induced a full week before his due date. I feel like this kid is big and strong and will rival his brothers' birth weight. Other days though, I feel like he's SO super active and rolling this way and that, it seems there must be more than one in there. How can one little baby cause such a ruckus? I don't remember the others being NEARLY as active at this point. I know that the baby will come when he's good and ready but I am SO ready! I've got everything set up....the only thing left to do is pack a bag for the hospital. I guess what it all boils down to is that I'm getting awfully bored not being able to do anything. I'm ready to have my body back so I can DO stuff....you know, like bend over to pick something up....

Ok, I'm done whining for now.

You tell me....

2009-09-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Is my mind just in the gutter or is Willie Wonka making a line of "adult" candies?

He FINALLY did it!

2009-09-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tanner learned how to ride a 2 wheeler! HOLY COW, it's about stinkin time! He came into the house tonight claiming he learned how to ride his bike. He wanted me to come and see and sure enough, he was zippin around the driveway fast as could be. Now, it's really not that unusual that he didn't learn until he was 7+ years as our house is situated on a BIG hill. It's not like he has a bunch of wide open, FLAT land to practice on. Needless to say, we will be heading to the flat land of the park tomorrow to give him some much needed practice space. WAY TO GO TANNER!

bummer....

2009-09-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Everybody I know who is currently pregnant and due around the same time as me...well, they're already HAVING their babies! How unfair! One friend was due 5 days before me and she's got an almost 2 week old now! I know it's not so great to have a baby at 35 weeks pregnant but still, she never had to go through those hellacious last few days. I know that with my track record I will not be having this guy until at LEAST mid October. I guess I'm pretty fortunate in that I feel decent to good most of the time. Really, I can't complain. But, just ONCE I'd like to have my baby on time. I guess maybe this will be the one to surprise me. We shall see.... I don't have many days to go and it seems like the weeks are moving relatively quickly. What I'm REALLY hoping for is to just go into labor naturally. Please cross your fingers or say a prayer....whatever you believe in...I just don't want to be induced again! That's all for now.

Oh no!

2009-09-04T11:31:00.001-07:00

Last night Brennen seemed fine and I was planning on taking him to Back to School night with me so Jared could tackle some projects. Well, wouldn't you know it, he ended up in the bathroom with a case of explosive diarrhea. You think it sounds bad? You're lucky you didn't have to see the mess. He was such a cutie, he tried to clean it up himself. (He's only 2.5 yrs old but already MUCH more responsible than all of his big bros!) I ended up leaving him home because the last thing I needed was him being sick at BTS night. He was fine though while I was gone. I got home and he was his normal, good natured self. This morning, I had to pluck him out of his bed and run the boys off to school. I hear Jon, "Brennen, why are you doing that? That's naughty!" Apparently what Jon thought was a 2.5yr old spitting in his carseat was in all actuality a baby throwing up! Poor kid! Jake caught Jon's mistake and helped poor Brennen out. Once the boys were all at their schools, Brennen was crying that he wanted to go home. Well, the gas light was on in my car but I decided to chance it anyway since he sounded really upset. I made it home fine but my lil guy is NOT happy today. He's very pale and sleepy and has been vomitting all morning. Not a lot since he's not eaten anything but still....poor kid. There's nothing grosser than the stench of puke....I'm busily doing laundry, hoping I don't catch whatever this is. I cannot imagine throwing up at nearly 36 weeks pregnant. NOT my idea of a holiday weekend well spent. The one silver lining, if there is one....Brennen is unbelievably well behaved and calm when he's sick. I've been spending most days peeling a toddler off the ceiling. He's currently sleeping soundly in HIS OWN bed! Please, if you wouldn't mind, say a prayer that he is back to normal soon and the rest of the family avoids the bug! I'm off to sanitize myself!

Neighbors sometimes suck!

2009-08-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have recently learned that our neighbor has been renting out a room or two to a mom and son. That's all fine and good....let me tell you what's not. One day, maybe 3 weeks ago, Tanner came running in, all excited about the 3rd grade boy neighbor who wanted to play. I was confused as I know that our neighbors have 2 little girls (up the hill) and 2 teenaged boys (down the hill) I had never seen hide nor hair of a 3rd grade boy. Then, to my amazement, I see a car pulling up alongside the road and dropping a child off! I was thinking...."What in the HELL is going on?!" I went outside and met Elsa, the neighbors renter. This was the first time I had met her and she was just planning on dropping her kid off? It was pretty nervy of her but I wasn't doing anything but hanging out so I figured it was fine. Little did I know, Elsa was planning on making a habit of it. About a week later, I was resting on the couch. It was hotter than hell so I had my tank top pulled up and my belly was hanging out. Why not? I'm in my own home....Brennen was naked and sleeping. I know, I know....naked? He really prefers it when it's hot and again....in our own home....In comes a parade of boys. I noticed rather quickly that one didn't belong to me. Yep, you guessed it. The neighbor kid. Unannounced and uninvited had been sent down to play. It wouldn't be such a big deal but I am 8.5 mos pregnant and tired. I have 5 boys of my own and I don't want to be responsible for somebody elses kid. I'm not a drop in day care, you know.... Another morning at 9am I hear my dogs going wild. I looked out the window to figure what was causing the commotion and saw nothing. 5 minutes later, my dad (also my neighbor) comes to the door...."You have visitors!" My kids were still sleeping...I was tired and I come down to find the neighbor boy AND the 5 yr old girl! What is going on? Really, I'm not a particularly petty person but WHO does this? I've NEVER dropped my kid off at somebody's house uninvited. I can't even imagine it. The latest fiasco happened a couple of days ago. I'm busy making dinner and I see the neighbor pull into my driveway. I told Jared, PLEASE go ask her to stop dropping her child off. I have enough of my own without her just leaving hers here uninvited. Jared's not to quick so next thing I know, Tanner's outside and quickly back in...."Elsa says we need to tie Booger up...he just bit Josiah!" HELL NO! I will NOT tie up my dog, in my own yard just so she can drop her kid off whenever! I am ticked. Now Jared's telling the boys their beloved dog may be put down because he bit Josiah. Never mind that Booger HATES Josiah (makes me wonder what Josiah did because Booger's fine with everybody else) Seriously, my dog, my property....he's doing his job and you're dropping your kid off here and he's going after my dog even though my dog WILL NOT stop barking at him! Booger is terrified of Josiah. What should I do? I really don't want to have to talk to her. I am so mad I'm afraid of what will come out of my mouth. I'm sure it won't be at all neighborly......

I'm worn down and time is running out......

2009-08-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm finding that getting my daily chores done is not really any easier with the boys at school. Why is this, you might ask? Well, one word....BRENNEN! He's a ball of energy. He's bouncing off the walls and running wild. While I'm busy cleaning up one mess, he's hard at work making another. I'm allowed to tranquilize my child right? Just for a short time....so I can get something done? Yeah, I thought not. Where did my calm, well mannered little boy go? The one whose daily goal was to please his mommy? Well, he's turned into a highly opinionated ball of fire and his word of the day, every day, seems to be NO! I have SO many things to get accomplished. Super time consuming things and only 40 days until my due date! It's crunch time! Any legal suggestions? That don't require paying a babysitter? You know, since I'm broke and all....

Not fair!

2009-08-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

You're probably all thinking about how much I must be enjoying my first day of freedom from 4 out of 5 boys...No? Well, let me tell you, I'd be enjoying my day MUCH more if they were all actually allowed to go to school today. Yesterday I received an email stating that mold had been found in one of the elementary school buildings so they would be shuffling classes around to fit the kids in....apparently I missed the 11:15pm revised email which informed parents that school would actually be cancelled today while they tested the other buildings! WHAT?!?! I found this out as I got to school, ready to ditch my kids and enjoy a day of semi-peace with only 1 child. What a cruel turn of fate. SO, I drove home with 3 boys instead of 1....2 which were highly disappointed. AND, to make matters worse, I don't know for sure WHEN the boys will start school. If they find even a hint of mold in the other building then school will be closed for who knows how long until they rectify the problem. UGH! I was SO looking forward to today!

August 25th

2009-08-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the school year. Yeah for me! I will be down to just 1 kid for the majority of the day. I can almost imagine what the renewed sanity will be like. Now, I just need to make it through today....

Jon's first big purchase?

2009-08-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Jon has been saving up money ever since Jared dropped the bomb that we will in no way supply a vehicle for him. While I don't agree (at all) with Jared, I do believe that kids take better care of things that they purchased themselves. I am proud of Jon for the work he's done to save up the money needed. Today he is working for a couple of hours and then he is going to....look at a car! He is SO excited. He's found several on Craiglsist that he's been interested in but it always seems he's a day late and a dollar short. He REALLY likes this one so cross your fingers that it all works out!

crappity crap

2009-08-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I am not loving this economy. Right now, our finances are completely and totally in the toilet and I can't even imagine where I could possibly cut back any more. I hate to be a real downer but if something doesn't turn around soon, you may see me on the news for trying to sell my children. or a kidney. I am usually a really optimistic person, always able to clearly see the silver lining. I guess my sight is getting bad in my old age because I'm really straining to see even a glimpse of anything silvery but it's so dang hard. Any great money making ideas for me? Preferably legal but hey, who am I to discriminate?!?!

AaAAhHH!

2009-08-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's totally been one of those days for me. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about...One of those days where when it *should* be winding down (yet isn't) you find yourself curled up in the fetal position, pulling your hair out by the handfuls, and nursing a beer? Yeah, one of THOSE! Alas, being pregnant, I am not allowed the sweet buzz that a half a beer would bring me, nor can I curl up into the fetal position.....(funny, the fetus won't allow me to do that anymore!) I am wishing there really was a Ms. Meanie who I could drop my boys off to. I'm wishing duct taping them to chairs was a perfectly reasonable and sane solution to bickering. More than anything, I am wishing this next week would speed up a bit so they'd be worn out from a long day at school. One more week to go. Shoot me now.

an update of sorts...

2009-08-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

There are only 9 days until school starts. Yes. I am VERY excited for this day to arrive.

Registration starts tomorrow. I forgot to pick up the registration packets for Tuck and Tan so I must go get them in the morning so I can get them registered tomorrow afternoon. Jon and Jake have registration on Tuesday. It's going to be an exciting couple of days here....exciting and expensive!

Food goes rather quickly here. I am looking forward to the boys starting school just to avoid the lazy bums grazing all day long. Nothing lasts long in a house full of hungry boys. And, they're ALWAYS hungry!

I currently have school supplies coming out of my ears. I've been finding some awesome freebie deals and just getting them...whether I need them or not. I figure, eventually, I'll need them.

I'm having a heck of a time rearranging my bedroom to make room for baby. I just need about another 2 feet. UGH!

My children CANNOT keep track of their wallets. How lame is that? Jake is searching high and low for his wallet and blaming on just about everyone. Well, don't they know that if you always put your things in the same spot, that's where you can expect to find them?!?!?

I am fresh out of fun ideas for the summer. Not that we've done much in the way of fun yet. BUT, the summer is officially too long and the boys are just at each others' throats now. Not fun.

I don't have long to go until my due date. Unfortunately, I know that they will be the longest weeks EVER.

I think that's about it....the only other things I have to offer are complaints. I'll spare you those.

Oh, the drama.....

2009-08-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Jake and Tucker are grounded. You'd think that since Jared and I had yet to discuss the length of their grounding they'd be on extra good behavior, hoping for a lesser sentence. That is not the case. I think my children have a few screws loose. They are being absolute and total monsters. They will take NO responsibility in the part they played to earn their grounding. They are being smart mouthed and giving me dirty looks. They are fighting, hitting and name calling. I'm at the end of my rope with those two. I told them that their grounding will be never ending if they can't find it in themselves to actually start behaving in a more appropriate way. I think they are going to spend the rest of their summer and the beginning of the school year.....grounded.

Bum deal....

2009-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've been having some chickens who are very insistent about sitting on their eggs. I've let them and they so far managed to hatch 6 babies. I'm trying to enlarge my flock in order to get more money from selling eggs so I've let all the hens who are willing to try, sit on their eggs. Tanner has become a real problem though. He will not stay out of the coop and I've caught him on more than one occasion shuffling eggs around. This became a much bigger problem when some of the eggs I sold happened to have chicks in them! (Eww, gross, I know) I had Jared make a separate nesting cage for the hens who are incubating their eggs but when we moved them, they freaked out and stopped sitting on their nests. I'm super bummed out by this as the babies were due to hatch this weekend. In order to solve all problems, I think I'm going to just buy an egg incubator. Why can't my kids just listen? It'd save me lots of frustration and money....

Amazingly thrifty

2009-08-07T17:15:00.001-07:00

So, the economy sucking like it does has caused us to make MANY changes in our household. One being that we have definitely become thrifty shoppers. Thank GOD I have boys because I think they just may be a little more understanding than girls when it comes to clothing. I am happy to report that we are nearly DONE with school shopping. My mom and I have been "treasure hunting" quite a bit lately. We've found a few awesome thrift stores and have visited several really dumpy ones. We now have our favorites. I've managed to outfit all 4 boys for under $120! They got SO much stuff and they were super excited. Now all I need to buy are new shoes for Jon and Jake. They won't be cheap because with as active as those two are, I feel it's just better all around to get them good shoes. But, I will be DONE! It's such a great feeling. We have our school supplies, our school clothes and we are MORE than ready for another great school year. If you have any great money saving tips for us regarding ANYTHING from food to activities, I'd LOVE to hear from you. While we've made quite a few adjustments to our budget, I'm finding we still need to make more. Especially with a newbie due to arrive in just about 2 months. Bring on the money saving ideas!

too cool...

2009-07-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am currently listening to the sweet sound of Jon whipping up a batch of fresh lemon pesto to use on tonight's chicken dinner. He is SO excited about all the produce he's been bringing home. Last night he brought home a rather large bag of organic basil, garlic, lemon cucumbers and squash. Dinner's gonna be good tonight. I love that he is so excited to concoct things in the kitchen. It's almost like I have a daughter!....ok, no, not really. I'm sure no daughter of mine would be 6 feet tall with size 13.5 feet and smell like a man!

Useless information that you need to know....

2009-07-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going on in my neck of the woods....

* I feel GINORMOUS already and I still have 10 weeks to go. Doc says I'm measuring a week smaller than I should be but she's not at all concerned. I can tell her though...this baby is going to be BIG.

* Jon and Jake got jobs (thanks to me!) working for an organic farmer. They worked from 8:30am- just about 5ish yesterday and again today. Jon's actually STILL at work.....helping out with Farmer's market. The pay isn't even minimum wage but the work is easy and they get FREE organic produce! SCORE!

* School starts in 26 days! What?!?! You're NOT counting? Seriously....

* I have 4 boys to outfit for school and little to NO money to do it with. Thank God for hand me downs and thrift stores. This economy SUCKS!

* I've managed to accumulate a nice little stock of FREE school supplies! How, you might ask, did I manage to do that? Well, let me tell you my friend.... Visit THIS SITE and you too can learn how to get the most bang for your buck. Of course you'll see there are savings opportunities for more than just school supplies....you're welcome!

* I've been collecting more chickens. Yes, you read that right. I am trying to get more hens so I can have a bigger egg selling business. I've been selling eggs to the organic farmer that the boys work for. I started doing it right at the beginning of summer and my girls are now laying to pay for their food, the dogs food and an occasional hair coloring for me! WAY TO GO GIRLS!

*Did you see at the bottom of my blog? Only 68 more days till my due date! Can you say WOOHOOOO?!?!

* Still trying to work things out with hubby. It's been super rough to be pg and take care of 5 boys all by my lonesome. I *think* we may be able to get through this but I still don't know for sure. It's frustrating and sad to say the least.

That's about all for now. Hope you're all enjoying your summer!

Here he is...

2009-07-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our upcoming cutie. He was pretty uncooperative...typical boy. He had his hands in front of his face most of the time. At several points, he had not only his hands but his FEET in front of his face. Talk about flexibility. The scary thing was, I saw both hands and both feet but still felt what seemed to be kicking on the left side of my belly. Hmmm.....maybe it was just gas? Or a small little girl stuffed behind her brother?! WHAT?!@ A girl can dream, right?

Boy oh Boy X 6

2009-07-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

I had my 3d ultrasound yesterday and the baby IS indeed a boy. Quite an unmistakeable boy if I do say so.... He is uncooperative already (go figure!) He spent the entire 45 minutes with either his hands and/or feet in his face regardless of what position I moved into or how the US tech tried to jiggle him. She did however manage to get some good shots of his mug anyhow. He looks A LOT like Brennen. I will have to download some of the pics from the CD and post them. But, not today. Today is my mom's bday and we are off for an all day, family fun picnic. I know I SHOULD be more excited but....I'm freakin tired! Wish me luck!

We're Ba-ack!

2009-07-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I was going camping? No? Tent camping at 7 mos pregnant.....FUN stuff, let me tell you. Camping is a chore and a half. Especially when the campsite is located on the surface of the sun. Well, not literally but it sure was hot. I'm talking 104-108 every stinking day. All 4 nights and 5 days. No, I lie, I came home a day early. The boys were burned despite the fact that I soaked them in sunblock on a regular basis. It was hot and dusty but the boat was fun. I went innertubing with Brennen. It was his first time on the boat and he had an absolute blast. Innertubing at 7 mos pregnant is sort of iffy....I guess it was fun but not the most comfortable thing I've done all week. I will post pictures as soon as I can work up the energy to download them. I hope you all had a great, fun-filled weekend!

Brennen the goof

2009-07-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

I love this shot of B. He's such a little dolly.

A couple of days ago, while he "supposedly" had to go potty, I heard an odd noise and came in to find that Brennen had a new hiding spot. What a goof! I can't even imagine how he got up in there....he was pantless too!

It's Monday again? Seriously?!?

2009-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

UGH. Mondays suck....even in the summertime. They just have this UGH sort of a feel to them. It's going to be a quick and busy week for us considering we leave on Wednesday to go camping. The boys are SUPER excited. 7 mos pregnant mom...not so much. I'm sure there will be a lot of kodak moments and I'm definitely excited to get great pictures. The thought of tent camping though, pregnant, is not so fun. It's been AGES since we last went camping and it's just a TON of work. We're going to a lake though which is good and bad. Non waterproof 2 year old is bound to make me a nervous wreck. Thank God there is a big group going. My mom and dad, sister and bf, bro and sis in law are all coming along. Notice I didn't say Jared? Well, he can't commit since, you know, he may have work to do. I am bound and determined to have fun despite him.

I'm taking a couple of boys in for more allergy treatments today. Hope to get some main food things out of the way before camping. Their behavior is still steadily improving with each treatment. I currently have nothing but med free boys! It's been amazing to see firthand just how awesome this treatment is! Hopefully I can get a couple more treatments in as well but we're running out of days!

In stranger news...I am officially in my 3rd trimester! This is great since I'm already pretty much as big as a house! Man, sometimes I would swear there MUST be two in there. This is one strong kid. And possibly more active than his older brothers! I go in on the 25th for my 3D ultrasound. If you've had them before, you know how awesome they are...if not....trust me, they're SO cool. I can't wait to get a glimpse of this little guy. I think he's going to look a lot like Brennen. But my last ultrasound was about 11 weeks ago and a lot can change. Who knows, maybe the penis won't show up this time? Wouldn't that be weird and amazing?!

That's all I've got for now. Happy Monday to all!

chickies, chickies everywhere

2009-07-12T11:05:00.001-07:00

I recently picked up 8 FREE chicks from a lady off of craigslist. They are SO cute and run around the coop like mad, wreaking havoc on the older, less patient hens. I've still got 3 hens sitting on their eggs and one has managed to hatch 4 babies now! They are SO cute. (if I could locate my camera cord, I'd post a picture!) I do have one snotty hen who I believe is responsible for killing one of the first hatched chicks. I went into the hen house today to feed them and the poor lil red chicky was dead. I was bummed out and so were the boys. Gosh, it's amazing how simple my life is right now!

Holy cow!

2009-07-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Did you happen to see this article? Ok. I personally think it's crazy as hell. I'm not quite sure what the benefit would be and I find it HIGHLY unlikely that the men in the company got much, if any, work done that day. I cannot even imagine a company around here even so much as suggesting something so absurd. What are your thoughts?

a little of this and that

2009-07-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

I've been totally MIA as far as blogging goes lately. I am aware of this, I've just been more than busy with 5 boys at home and it seems redundant to me to be always posting about their most recent altercations. I don't know, I guess I just figure you all probably want to hear it EVEN less than I do!

I have been busy taking them all to the allergy docs and have still been getting some amazing results. Their behavior is improving by leaps and bounds. Well, except for Tucker. He didn't have the neurotransmitters or emotions come up so I think he's just a terd for the sake of being a terd. Maybe it's puberty but he's turned into an aggressive lil poop. Jake has REALLY changed. It's been awesome. He looks and sounds like Jake but he acts like a whole new kid since being treated for his stuck emotions. I was treated for dairy and sugar lately and was able to drink a chai tea without feeling like I had a ton of phlegm in my throat! Yahoo! You have NO idea how exciting this was for me! Jon's treatments have been mostly for foods and his skin is even clearing up! He's super excited about this. It's a big deal to be 15 and breaking out!

In other news, I got 8 6 week old chicks FREE from craigslist. They're super cute. My hens have hatched ANOTHER little chick. It's about as wide as it is tall....looks like a little striped ball of fluff. I would totally take pics but my camera cord is MIA. That's been a major source of frustration for me. I've searched and searched and just can't find it anywhere.

So, the weather here has been FABULOUS! It's been staying right around the mid eighties. You have NO idea what a relief this has been. I was so worried about overheating with this pregnancy. But, it's been lovely!

Allergy doc info....

2009-07-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

I know there were quite a few people interested in more information about my fabulous new allergy treatments. You can find the info HERE! I was in today with 3 boys. Jake was treated for emotions. He's such a boy run by emotion that I just knew it would be a big category for him. Sure enough, it was. The emotions that came up for him really helped fit the pieces together. He's always been a difficult kid. It's no wonder. The emotions he had gotten stuck on were:
Grouchy
Teasing
Lack of Concern
Lack of Emotion
Self Confidence
Self Destruction

Seriously, he's been unhappy since he was a toddler. This could explain why! These emotions affected nearly every part of his body!
Lungs
Skin
Heart
Liver
Gallbladder
Spleen
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine

He should be feeling much lighter and happier tomorrow! We shall see....keep your fingers crossed!

Really? Again?

2009-07-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Tanner was SO excited because he was going to go hang out with my brother for a "play date." Rob had planned on picking him up after work on Tuesday but ended up working late so he came yesterday instead. Tanner was looking forward to it all day....watching the clock, watching out the window for Rob. Finally Rob came and Tanner was beyond thrilled. Even though he had told me that he had a headache, he was super excited. He ended up FINALLY ready to turn off the video games and come home with me at around 10:30. On the way home he casually mentioned, "I don't really feel very good mom." Oh. Great! He went on to tell me he couldn't really describe how he felt bad....he had a headache, was tired, his legs hurt. Oh, and the sore throat. Again....Great! Took his temp at home and sure enough he had a low grade fever. He ended up passing out on the couch and I let him stay there. Sometime in the wee hours of the morn, he made his way down to my room and crawled into bed with me. When he finally woke up around 10, he said his chin hurt. I looked at him and he had a rash all over his face that looked suspiciously like poison oak! Fan-freakin-tastic! I gave him a benadryl which seemed to help with the itching but of course did nothing for his increasing fever! (not that I expected it to) Later on in the day, I had to take a couple of the boys for their allergy appointment so Tanner stayed with my mom. I came home to find a puffy, red-faced boy with a fever of 103.9! Then, to make matters worse, my dad casually mentions that Brennen felt a bit warm. Checked his temp and lo and behold....102! UGH! Didn't I just finish up with a lovely round of summer colds? What in the hell is THIS? Judging by the sore throats, it very well could be strep. I guess I know where I'm taking them tomorrow if they still feel crummy....... Should make for a fun holiday weekend!

Odd....

2009-06-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading this story just a bit ago. I find it to be somewhat strange. What do you think? I mean, I guess I could see how it could benefit the child in some ways to not be stereotyped boy or girl it just seems so strange to me though. PLUS, why don't they add a picture of the kid? I wanna see him/her!

Wow!

2009-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

When I changed the background and all on my blog I did a lot of shuffling around and ended up putting my pregnancy ticker at the bottom which is why I didn't notice until today....I only have 99 days left! WOW! That seems so much more manageable than over 100. Somehow being in just the double, rather than triple, digits makes a big difference! Of course realistically, for me, it'll be more than 100 days and they'll ALL be hot ones. BUT, only 99 days till my official due date! WooHoo!

It's a HOT one!

2009-06-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally graced us with it's presence...it's currently 106 at my place! YIKES! I haven't expired yet so that gives me hope that I just may be able to survive the summer being pregnant. I did take the kids in the pool yesterday which felt great. BUT, I had to put on a bathing suit to do so which felt not as great. At least I have one suit that fits me fairly well.....I refuse to buy a maternity suit. The boys didn't have any friends over yesterday so the embarrassment was at a minimum. Just wait till they start having freinds over! Lucky boys! I hope you're all having a fun summer weekend!

little ones....

2009-06-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some pics of the cute little chickies.

Chicky update

2009-06-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

So far we have 2 baby chicks. Jake was very distraught over the 3rd baby that he found who didn't make it. The two we have are pretty dang cute and there are still 2 eggs. Don't know if those ones will hatch or not but 2 chicks is better than no chicks. PLUS, I still have 2 or 3 hens who are laying on eggs. If all goes well, we should have some more newbies in another week or so.....but I haven't really kept such good track of those nests.....only time will tell. I'm off to take some pics for your viewing enjoyment!

Hiccuping from the inside out...

2009-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

All of my babies were really big on the hiccups. I have experienced MANY cases of the hiccups while babies were in utero. This little one is no exception. He's had the hiccups several times now. While it's quite annoying to experience the hiccups myself, I find it quite adorable to experience my little ones hiccups. But, if memory serves me right, the hiccups will get a bit more frustrating as the baby grows. For now though, it's cute.....

New addition!

2009-06-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know, I have a little flock of chickens. Several weeks ago, one of my hens started getting very cranky. She wanted to sit on her nest and ONLY sit on her nest. Never mind that she had no eggs under her, she was content to sit. I'm talking DAYS on end. I looked up some info online and found some stuff about hatching chicks so I started shoving random, freshly laid eggs under her. She seemed quite happy about that. She's been sitting on her nest for about 3 weeks now and today I found this!

She's only got about 6 eggs under her since I couldn't be sure if they were even fertilized. I do have a rooster, I just wasn't sure if he was really doing anything more than crowing! Apparently he has! I'm really hoping that the other eggs will be hatching because a herd of baby chicks would really just be more fun than a lone chicky. BUT, one is a start! I'm so excited and so are the boys. Since little white momma decided to sit on HER nest, a couple of other hens have followed suit. Needless to say, egg production is down somewhat but hopefully we'll be getting some fun new chickies out of it all! I'll post more pics once the little one makes his way out. It'll be interested to see what they all look like since they will be mixed breeds. Fun, fun, fun! And how nice for Robin to be a daddy on Father's Day. (not that roosters keep track of special occasions OR care! LOL)

Cold

2009-06-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking weather here but virus.... I seem to have acquired the nasty cold that poor Brennen had last week. Poor guy, it's no wonder he was living off of popsicles alone, this sore throat is a doozy! Needless to say, it's not so easy to put 4 little boys in their place when your voice is compromised. Maybe I should start carrying a cattle prod? At least until my voice is back full force?

allergies....the saga continues

2009-06-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

So I've taken almost the whole family in to see this new allergy Dr. I have to admit, he's really just awesome. These treatments really do work. I wish that my health insurance covered them but of course, they don't....which sucks! It's NOT cheap and I'm finding that a lot of allergies/sensitivities are genetically inherited. Fa-Bu-Lous! Most people have around 10 allergies/sensitivities....Jared has 16, I have 26, Jake has 21, Tucker 16, Tanner 24 and Brennen 15! AND Brennen's only 2! Yeah, pretty much sucks. We're basically going to be buying this Dr. a new car with the amount we'll be spending to eliminate these things. BUT, that's the coolest part. It's not allergy treatment but allergy ELIMINATION! I was treated for grasses and guess what? No more headaches SINCE then! Tanner was treated for weeds and he's sleeping MUCH better and night and not nearly as stuffy during the day. I actually had a treatment done on Brennen today for dust mites....while he SLEPT! He didn't even wake up! Well, his eyes fluttered open once or twice but he was out! This doc is my new favorite person....

Brennen's new do

2009-06-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

My sister so kindly informed me last night that my blog is seriously lacking new photos of the boys. So, here are a couple that I've been meaning to post anyway!

Brennen's FIRST haircut! It's about time! He is 2.5 and finally had enough to warrant a haircut. Here are a couple before shots....

How's it look?

And after! What do you think? He was SO excited.....

this and that

2009-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

So the Dr. turned out to be the real deal. It was weird and side show-ish but it worked! My mom was very sensitive to barometric pressure changes (weather) and she was treated for it. She feels GREAT now. She was able to shower and then sit and put on her makeup WITHOUT turning on her 2 fans. AND she didn't overheat like she normally would. She was SO happy. I found I have 26 different allergies and/or sensitivities! The normal person has 10-12. YIKES! A lot of airborne allergens for me....no wonder I get killer sinus headaches. I was treated for grass. That was my biggest problem. My headache disappeared! It was awesome! I took Tanner and Jake in to be tested yesterday. Jake has 21 allergies/sensitivities and poor Tanner has 24! Tanner's been suffering horribly from hayfever. The Dr. was able to check and verify that it was NOT a cold he had and Tanner was treated for his biggest problem which turned out to be....weeds! He slept so much better last night! He still has several airborne allergens so he's a bit stuffy but not nearly what he was yesterday morning! I only wish my health insurance would cover these treatments....they're NOT cheap!

In other news.....Poor little Brennen has some nasty bug. He tossed and turned all night Friday and was super clingy. He woke up yesterday with a low grade fever which by the afternoon had gone up to 101.5 He was NOT feeling well. He hardly ate. I mean, I was pushing candy and cookies....whatever I could to get something in him. I got him to take a dose of med. Well, 1/2 dose really. It tasted horrible and he wanted to spit it out but I gave him his water and asked him to swallow it and he did. He's such a big boy. He told me, "that taste yucky mom!" I know honey! For several hours he felt much better and actually ate some fries and ran around playing. Last night though he was burning up. So, you moms out there know what that means for MY night. Sleepless. I was up most of the night making sure he was ok, getting him water, his binky, a different blanket, taking him potty......I'm beat! He feels much cooler now. He's still snoozin. I'm hoping it was a 24 hour bug.

That's about it for now. Hope you are all happy and healthy and enjoying your summer! I'm off to my mom and dad's later for a bbq. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and the kids can swim for a bit!