Halloween 2011

We had an eventful, fun Halloween here. Eli dressed up as Captain Cody (a clone trooper), Jed was Spiderman (of course), and little Max was a baby Yoda. I had no idea who Captain Cody was when Eli specified who he wanted to be, and I was a worried I wouldn't be able to find him a costume. But, apparently Captain Cody is very popular. I think it's from Lego Star Wars. As for Max, I didn't want him to be left out so we came up with baby Yoda. My friend happened to have a newborn size Yoda costume we could borrow, so I took her up on it. He was the most adorable baby Yoda ever!

Eli's school had a fall festival on Friday night, so John took the boys there while Max and I stayed home. On Monday, the day of Halloween, Jed's preschool had a fall fest with activities and a jumpy house. My favorite part is when the kids all sing their Halloween songs for the parents. I've been hearing the songs here at home, so it was fun to hear them sung by all the kids.  I couldn't see Jed very well because he was sitting behind a few tall girls and just short enough to be hidden. I tried to get some video, but you have to look hard to see him.

Jed's fall fest was Max's first outing! The night before, I had to get packed up with all the baby gear and get the car seat ready. It takes a lot of effort! Max did great and slept the whole time. He looked a little confused when we first put him in his car seat and when he first got in the car, but then he was out in no time. Jed was excited to bring his new brother to his school for the fall fest.

Gramma Ninny was here during all the Halloween festivities as well. She stayed for 4 days and was a huge help!  The boys and Gramma Ninny got to put together and decorate a Halloween House made out of cookies, icing , and candy. Jed got the Halloween House kit for his birthday, and they've been wanting to decorate it ever since. It was a fun project for all of them. I don't think it tasted as good as it looked though. I was a little sceptical about that.

Of course we also went trick-or-treating. Needless to say, the boys were hyped up and excited about the trick-or-treating part. Max and I only lasted a little while, but John and the big boys went longer. As usual, we have way too much candy, but it was worth all the fun!

Look behind the little witch hat


Look behind the Minnie Mouse ears

Baby Max is here!

In case you haven't heard, our baby boy has arrived! Max Thomas was born on Oct. 23rd, Sunday evening at 11:37 pm, weighing in at 10 lbs. 6 oz. and 23 1/2 in. long!

We had a beautiful home birth with three amazing midwives. I am still amazed at what I accomplished and what my body can do!

Here's the short version of my birth story...yes, "short". (I'll spare you the long version with little details you probably don't care about) Feel free to skip over this part!

My labor started out very slow.  It was one day after my due date when I woke up around 6:00 am with contractions about 10 min. apart. They stayed that way until the afternoon, with some starting to get closer together. In fact, all day, I kept wondering if I was really in labor. Honestly, I think it was because when I went into labor, I was afraid of the pain that was to come and was holding back and not letting myself let go for most of the day. Then Brynn and my midwife called me out on my fear and reluctance that evening after several hours of contractions. They told me to stop fearing the pain, let go, and get out of the way. I was not wanting to go through the effort of labor and the hard contractions to come, even though I knew we'd have a baby in the end. I'd done this before and I was fearing the pain that I was going to have to experience.

After a good cry and encouraging words from my midwife and sister, I let go of the fear and knew I just had to do it. My midwife then checked me and I was at 7 cm, which confused me because I was still walking around, smiling, and just pausing briefly to breath through contractions. I realized that my body was doing this and it wasn't too painful...I didn't have to fear this. We discussed breaking my water to get things moving faster, which made me nervous again. I thought, why would I want to bring on the pain when I already at 7 cm and not hurting? However, after checking my blood pressure and discovering it was high, Michele said she didn't like that and had no choice but to break my water so that we could get this baby out quicker.

Slowly, I went into active labor (transition), but still able to be calm, focused, relaxed, and breath/vocalize through each contraction one at a time. When each contraction came, I kept telling myself that I could do this one and after it was over, I'd be done with it and never have to feel that one again.  After about three hours of transition and 19 min. of pushing, I gave birth to our baby boy! I pushed with all my might because I wanted to get our baby out, like I was sprinting toward the finish line. It was amazing and empowering, even the third time around!  I am a birthing goddess!

John was amazing through the whole labor. He was my coach, my encourager, my support, my strength.  Brynn was able to be with us as well. Her and Mammy got here about 2 pm.  Mammy took Eli and Jed to play and get them out of the house, which was a big help!  Brynn stayed with us, which was a big help for me.  Just her being with me during labor is encouraging. She's been with me for all three births! She knew just what to say and what to do for me. Not to mention the labor photos she takes that we'll be seeing soon!  Mammy ended up coming back to our house after dropping the boys off at Rex and Jen's house so they could sleep there. (Thank you Rex and Jen for taking the boys last minute!)  So, Mammy was here at the end and was able to see Max being born.  I had no clue she was here until after he was born, but I'm glad she got to be here.

Max is a great baby.  I know it's only 4 days in, but he seems to go with the flow and not mind his loud brothers at all.  Eli and Jed have loved having Max around. They say sweet things to him and love it when he makes funny faces and noises. They like to hold him, check on him, draw him pictures, and bring him toys. They picked out some toys for him to welcome him into the family, and they also got toys from Max after he was born. Jed got a Spiderman blanket and Eli got some football and baseball cards from Max. Max was cool from the beginning since he knew just what they had been wanting!  Eli also made Max a card, which says "I luv yoow", "I lik Maks. I lik yoow" and "I lik yoo. Mom".  Melts my heart!

"I LUV YOOW"

"I LIK MAKS. I LIK YOOW" "I LIK YOO MOM."

"FUM ELI"

All in all, we are doing well as a family of 5 and getting used to our new normal.  I'm thankful for my family and my three big, healthy boys!

Soccer!

Tough soccer players

soccer ball bellies

I forgot to mention that Eli is playing soccer again this year through the YMCA. John is coaching his team this year. Go Cheetas! John is a natural at coaching the 4 and 5 year-olds, they love him!

It seems that our team is not very aggressive and smaller than the rest of the teams. They have gotten at least 12 goals against them every game, but they have no clue. There is no keeping score at this age, thankfully. I think the Cheetas have scored a total of two goals the whole season, plus maybe one scored by us for the other team last week. Eli got in an argument with a boy from another team a couple weeks ago that "it's not about winning, it's about having fun!". That's right, Eli! 

Eli had a good game today, and I think something may have clicked with his soccer playing. He scored a goal (the second of the season), was actually going after the ball, and playing some defense. So, I think he's getting the idea of the game and having fun doing it!

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Pumpkin Patch 2011

Yesterday, Eli had a day off of school for Columbus Day/parent conference day, so we went for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch in Elgin, TX. This is the third year in a row that we've gone with our friends, Jen, Mia, and Eleanor. Unknowingly, we got there 30 min. before they closed, but they let us stay late, so it was okay. We still got to go on the hay ride, do the mazes, feed the animals, pick out pumpkins, do the duck races, and take pumpkin pictures. The weather was perfect this time, overcast and cool. The friendly old farmer man weighing our pumpkin said it looked like I was smuggling my own pumpkin, and I think he's right!  Our pumpkin weighed in at 9 lbs. 10 oz., which could very well be the size of the baby!  He also said, "You didn't go on the hay ride, did you?", and when I told him I did, he said, "I hope you're not trying to bounce that baby out because we're not equipped for birthing no babies here!". It was funny. It was a fun time as always!

Pumpkin Smuggler

37 weeks

As of today, there are 19 days until the due date. I am feeling swollen, uncomfortable, and large. The boys like to set things on my belly shelf. It does come in handy! My feet and hands are so swollen and tight that I can only wear one pair of flip flops. I'm supposed to keep my feet up and drink tons of water. Hopefully, the cooler weather will help that some. Other than that, I'm doing pretty well.

Physically, I feel ready to have this baby, but there are still a few more things I'd like to get done before he comes...last minute appointments and things. However, if he came today, it would be fine. I'm expecting baby to come after my due date since both Eli and Jed were late, so if he comes early, I'll be pleasantly surprised! My midwife says that third labors are usually a wild card, so it could go either way...early, late, long, or short. So, we shall wait and see!

I feel like lately people look at me with either pity or amazement. I get all kinds of comments from strangers, positive and not so positive. I know I have a giant round belly and big swollen feet. I've just decided to embrace it and be proud of my preggo body. It really is an amazing thing!

I know y'all are wondering what name we have chosen. There's one that I think we both have settled on, but we still want to keep our options open. For some reason, we can't decide for sure, and we're not really feeling any pressure to pick one yet. It's hard to decide on a third boy's name! I'll let you know when we decide, which may be after he's born.

Okay, here are the belly pics...shock and awe!

Is is a basketball or watermelon?

maybe a watermelon

amazing!

my swollen hand

my swollen feet and cankles

Jed is 3!

Jed is officially a three year old! On his birthday, he went to school and I brought him birthday cookies to share during snack time. He also got a birthday crown to wear at school that day. We had fun celebrating at his birthday party this past Sunday at the park. Jed requested a Spiderman party, so we had some Spiderman decorations and treats for the kids. All in all it was a good birthday!

Jed goes to preschool!

Jed has started a preschool that's two days a week from 9-12 with an optional lunch until 1:00. It's the same school Eli went to last year, Faith Preschool. Jed has been waiting and wanting to go there for a whole year now, so he was definitely ready to go! When I dropped him off the first day, he said, "Bye Mama, have fun!". Thankfully, he loves it there and has been having a lot of fun. I have been having fun, too, on my mornings "off". I am trying to enjoy them while I have them for the next couple months before baby arrives!

Jed on his first day of preschool

He found the trucks as soon as he got there

In front of his classroom

These pictures are some pictures I took of the boys for back to school pictures. I like to look back at the end of the year to see how they've grown. Apparently, it was a little too bright outside for squinty Jed.

Trash Truck Show

We got to take the boys to a trash truck show a few weeks ago. It's called The Trash Project, and it's basically a performance where several city workers drive around the trucks, which are choreographed to music. It is pretty impressive to see. Needless to say, the boys were in heaven. John and Eli went a couple years ago, and Eli hasn't forgotten about it since then.

the initial line up

amazed

taking it all in

they were taking in the trucks, I was taking in the sunset

the boys got to get in the trucks after the show

this is Jed in the trash truck talking to the worker (sorry, the pic came out dark)

checking out all angles

in the cherry picker

sorry, a dark pic again of boys by trash truck

Eli loved this song. He insisted that I record it!

Jed being Jed

I wanted to share these recent videos of Jed playing and singing.  He loves to sing "Who Let the Dogs Out", which is the theme song for Monster Mutt and "Bad to the Bone", which is Grave Digger's theme song. These are his favorite two monster trucks, by the way. He sets up monster truck shows and sings the songs over and over. I love it.
He's just a singer in general, always singing no matter what he's doing. I like that in the Twinkle Twinkle videos, Eli is accompanying Jed's songs on the piano. Awesome.

Eli starts Kindergarten!

We officially have a kindergartner! Eli was excited about going to school and was definitely ready. The first day was a little emotional for John and I since our boy was growing up and headed off to kindergarten, but we didn't let Eli know that. John and I teared up a little after we dropped him off, but we did okay after that! We've had a smooth transition all around, thankfully. Eli says he likes it and has met some friends, but we really don't get much information from him each day. Usually when we ask him questions about school, no matter if they are open-ended or specific, the answer we get is, "I forgot" or "I don't know". When I asked Eli why he forgets, he said, "My head gets so full of fun things we do all day that it pops and I forget everything". I guess that's a good thing! At least we know he's having fun!

As a matter of fact, Eli may be having a little too much fun. His teacher told me that "he's a boy's boy" and that he can get silly. She said she does have to give him warnings. Let's hope that behavior stops there! He had to sit out of centers that second day because he was being silly and using potty words. He still got a sticker for the day though. I think that in these first weeks of school, the teacher isn't letting anything slip by as far as behavior goes, understandably so. I just didn't think Eli would be the silly kid. I thought he would take longer to warm up. At least he's feeling comfortable there. We are keeping an eye on his behavior chart, though!

We put Eli in the dual language class where the kids are learning Spanish each day. I'm really excited to see how Eli does with that. I think it's going to be very beneficial to him now and in the future. Hopefully, he won't get bored in school since he has the extra challenge of learning Spanish, and the language will stick with him as he gets older. Already, he will randomly spout out a word or phrase in Spanish, which is fun to hear. The other day he was excited because he said "Hola" to one of the girls who only speaks Spanish and she said "Hola" back. Before we know it, he'll be fluent and we'll have a hard time figuring out what he's saying! Let's hope!

Showing off his Star Wars backpack

"Welcome to Sunset Valley Elementary" I love that he chose to wear his monster truck shirt on the first day!

Eli walked right in, sat at his seat, and started coloring

This was the "We survived the first day" picture that Jed took

And here are John and Eli riding bikes to school in the morning. I love it...and so do they!

Circus

The Saturday before Eli started school, we all went to the circus. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Greatest Show on Earth, no less! When I first told Jed we were going, he said he didn't want to go because it was too scary. However, I convinced him to go after we watched a few videos of the animals and the acts on the website. Jed's favorite part ended up being the tigers, which is what I thought he'd be most scared of. Eli liked the motorcycle on the tight rope and the motorcycles in the metal cage, not surprising. It was a good show, and we had fun making a fun family memory together!

Eli gives a thumbs up after the show

31 weeks pregnant

Here's me at 31 weeks. I'm feeling great and nesting like crazy. Eli took the bare belly shot...ha! I start going to my midwife appointments every week now. We're getting close!

Update: I wrote this about a week and a half ago, but couldn't post b/c I didn't have enough storage space for pictures. It's fixed now, thanks to John. And now I have a lot of posting to do! As far as how I'm feeling since a week and a half ago...still nesting and feeling pretty good, just getting more uncomfortable, tired, and swollen!

Eli the Pianist

Eli has shown interest in learning to play the piano recently, so we decided that instead of paying to put him in lessons, John could teach him. So far, it's going really well. Eli seems to be more interested in playing the songs rather than learning proper hand placement, posture, the notes and how to read the music, but he'll get there. He's getting the idea of it all already though. I found a couple of piano books for beginners, which are great for kids his age, and he does pretty well reading how to play some of the songs in there just from looking at the notes and the pictures of hand placement. So far he can play "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and "Ode to Joy", plus some of the other little songs in his piano books. This all started about two weeks ago, so it's pretty amazing how much he's learned in such little time! I hope the piano playing continues for Eli. It's fun to watch John teach Eli and see Eli blossom as a musician!

Eli at the Dentist

I think I've posted about Eli's "weak" teeth here before when he had his first cavity filled about 6 months ago. This week at his regular cleaning appointment, the dentist found more cavities! He had to have silver caps put on two of his molars because the cavities were taking over most of the tooth. I don't get it. We do everything we're supposed to...floss every night, brush two times a day, limit sugary foods and drinks, etc. The dentist said she doesn't doubt we do all those things, especially when I told her I've never had a cavity before. It's just the way his teeth are. The dentist did give us some hope when she said that his adult teeth could be less cavity prone and just because his baby teeth are troublesome, doesn't mean his adult teeth would be that way. Let's hope! Thankfully, Eli is a good patient and does great at the dentist. He's very cooperative, quiet, and still! He was even a good sport about his mouth being numb and having to hold gauze in his mouth for 30 min. It was pretty funny to see him try to talk when he had a numb mouth! Here are some pictures of him when they were putting on the caps.