Apparently March 5, 2014 is supposed to be the day to spread the word to end the word. And by the word it means the word retarded. I don't like to get a lot of extra attention for Tommy having Down Syndrome and I don't like to go off on soapboxes about issues. But I have been thinking about blogging about this for a long time so I thought it might be fitting to do today.
I think it's safe to say that most parents of children who have special needs, or even specifically Down Syndrome are offended by the word retarded. Here's the thing, I try really hard not to be offended by it b/c I know most people don't mean it in the literal way the word is supposed to be used. But to be completely honest, as hard as I try, it does bother me. And this is where I think a little insight to our lives might help. When Tommy was born in April of 2010 the doctor came in a couple of hours after he was born and told us he thought Tommy had DS. Then at some point within the first 48 hours of just having our beautiful baby boy, I had heard that my son would most likely be "mentally retarded." (And that was harder to hear, than hearing he had DS.) Now while medically this is some what of a politically incorrect/insensitive word to use, to my knowledge it did start out as simply a medical term. But growing up using that word myself, I knew it to have different meaning - it is basically saying stupid. So imagine having your innocent, beautiful, healthy child freshly welcomed to this world and hearing those words. It kind of gets you in the gut. It's not fun to hear. And the doctor was clearly not saying Tom would be stupid, but that his brain would function a little differently and some things may be more challenging for him. So here's the deal - Tommy is far from stupid. In fact I am amazed at some point through out my day, every day, at just how smart he is and tell him he's a genius (Silas too, my boys are smaaaaart, not to brag). However, some things are harder for Tommy to pick up on, some times physically his body can't do just what he wants it to do or it takes him longer. Even speaking for that matter, his speech is delayed and we see daily how Silas' speech is growing. It is truly a challenging blessing to see how much one extra chromosome can effect his body, muscles, and mind. Anyway I'm getting off topic. So the word retarded, no one other than doctors have ever used it in reference to Tommy and if they did it would be challenging for me to glorify Christ in that moment but I pray that I would. Just being honest with you. But every time I hear someone use that word, even in casual conversation, I get a pit in my stomach. I do not call them out, I try not to show that it bothers me b/c I know they do not mean it personally or in anyway in reference to Tommy. But sadly it takes me back to that moment in the hospital room where I heard multiple times from doctors that our son would be mentally retarded. In my mind it reminds me of those old test questions - apple is to red,
red is to fruit, apple = red fruit. So if Tommy is to retarded and
retarded is to stupid, Tommy = stupid. Not a chance. And thankfully I
do not know a single person who would say such a sad sentence (I didn't
even like typing it out but it seemed like a clear way to explain it.) I tell you all of this not for pity, not to make anyone feel bad b/c honestly it's hard to share this b/c it makes me feel vulnerable and like I might hurt someones feelings who has said it and didn't mean anything by it - I tell you simply so you can know that parents are actually told these things by medical professionals and it can therefore make it difficult not to make an emotional connection when hearing that word. I encourage you to be mindful of the words that you speak b/c while you
may mean nothing by it, it may mean a lot to someone else. Try not to let your kids hear you use that word so they aren't tempted to say it as they get older, it would be pretty cool if they never even knew the word existed. As I have said, I used it when I was younger, I don't think all people who say it are bad and I'm not judging anyone. I just thought it might be helpful to know what we know from a first hand experience and so it might help others better understand why that word can be so offensive.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
My day.
Today was by no means a perfect day, Tom was whiney and the boys disobeyed me many times, but there were so many sweet moments I had to type them out before I forgot them.
First off let's start with baby girl's first big belly laugh, at no other than her big brother Tommy. He wasn't even trying to make her laugh, he just made noises, b/c he thinks he can talk, and she laughed and kicked her feet like it was the funniest thing in the world. Kyle and I were laughing so hard that Tommy got mad and was grunting and then Ella laughed harder, and then we laughed harder,and then Tommy got madder. It was a vicious cycle that ended with Tom crawling out of and escaping his high chair for the first time ever.
A little later the boys were hanging out in the family room. And everything Tommy did, Silas did. He wants to be just like his big brother. Silas will sit, lay, stand right next to Tommy and follow his lead. They played a lot together and kept making each other laugh. It blesses my heart to know that while the rest of the world will quickly notice that Tommy has Down Syndrome, it's going to take a long time for Silas to ever notice there is anything different about him, because Tommy will just be his big brother who he has known and love all his life!
Next would be when Tom was playing on the iPad and I walked over to turn down the volume. I sat Ella next to him on his right side and she moved her hands around (she has started trying to reach for things and is very active with her arms and hands) and I asked Tom, "do you think Ella wants to hold your hand?" So he reached over and held her hand for a couple of minutes, while continuing to pay with the iPad using his left hand, something he never does. Too sweet!
When the boys got up from their nap I had their kid music station playing on pandora so we could dance and Ella was laying on her activity blanket. Tommy kept going up to her and looking at her. And I said, "I think she wants to hold your hand again." So he held her hand and moved it around like he was dancing with her until the song was over. Then he let of and walked off.
The boys were playing in the kitchen after dinner. They were dancing and Silas likes to be the initiator of games so he tries to hand Tom toys all the time and says "This" or he will hand Tom his sippy cup and say "This" b/c Silas wants to drink his drink, so he needs Tommy to do it too. Clearly that's very important. Sometimes Tommy wants the toy or cup he's offering and other times he doesn't. Well Silas gets very upset when Tommy doesn't want to do what he wants to do. And
Tommy ends up running away. So I try to defuse the situation by saying, oh go get him Silas he's running for you, you got to catch him. Then they just chase each other around the kitchen and family room cracking up and no one ever really gets caught. But it's so sweet to see their friendship grow and that they love having the other one around.
Lastly, or at least the last thing I can remember from the day, was the boys talking to each other. Silas and Tommy had eye contact and Silas would say a word and Tommy would repeat it, or try to if it was a word he couldn't say. So pretty much we now have our own live in speech therapist for Tom. Hopefully he doesn't figure out he isn't getting paid. They said the words mama, Ella (which are the two Tom can say good) then dog, down, Mickey, and drink. We do hope that Silas' growing vocabulary will be a good encouragement for Tommy to start making new sounds and putting those sounds together to make words.
Oh and as the boys went to bed Silas saw Tommy's blanket had been moved off of his bed and picked it up and carried it to his bed for his brother. I mean seriously how much sweeter can you get! Now I better buckle up for tomorrow b/c they may have expended all their sweetness for the week in one day!
First off let's start with baby girl's first big belly laugh, at no other than her big brother Tommy. He wasn't even trying to make her laugh, he just made noises, b/c he thinks he can talk, and she laughed and kicked her feet like it was the funniest thing in the world. Kyle and I were laughing so hard that Tommy got mad and was grunting and then Ella laughed harder, and then we laughed harder,and then Tommy got madder. It was a vicious cycle that ended with Tom crawling out of and escaping his high chair for the first time ever.
A little later the boys were hanging out in the family room. And everything Tommy did, Silas did. He wants to be just like his big brother. Silas will sit, lay, stand right next to Tommy and follow his lead. They played a lot together and kept making each other laugh. It blesses my heart to know that while the rest of the world will quickly notice that Tommy has Down Syndrome, it's going to take a long time for Silas to ever notice there is anything different about him, because Tommy will just be his big brother who he has known and love all his life!
Next would be when Tom was playing on the iPad and I walked over to turn down the volume. I sat Ella next to him on his right side and she moved her hands around (she has started trying to reach for things and is very active with her arms and hands) and I asked Tom, "do you think Ella wants to hold your hand?" So he reached over and held her hand for a couple of minutes, while continuing to pay with the iPad using his left hand, something he never does. Too sweet!
When the boys got up from their nap I had their kid music station playing on pandora so we could dance and Ella was laying on her activity blanket. Tommy kept going up to her and looking at her. And I said, "I think she wants to hold your hand again." So he held her hand and moved it around like he was dancing with her until the song was over. Then he let of and walked off.
The boys were playing in the kitchen after dinner. They were dancing and Silas likes to be the initiator of games so he tries to hand Tom toys all the time and says "This" or he will hand Tom his sippy cup and say "This" b/c Silas wants to drink his drink, so he needs Tommy to do it too. Clearly that's very important. Sometimes Tommy wants the toy or cup he's offering and other times he doesn't. Well Silas gets very upset when Tommy doesn't want to do what he wants to do. And
Tommy ends up running away. So I try to defuse the situation by saying, oh go get him Silas he's running for you, you got to catch him. Then they just chase each other around the kitchen and family room cracking up and no one ever really gets caught. But it's so sweet to see their friendship grow and that they love having the other one around.
Lastly, or at least the last thing I can remember from the day, was the boys talking to each other. Silas and Tommy had eye contact and Silas would say a word and Tommy would repeat it, or try to if it was a word he couldn't say. So pretty much we now have our own live in speech therapist for Tom. Hopefully he doesn't figure out he isn't getting paid. They said the words mama, Ella (which are the two Tom can say good) then dog, down, Mickey, and drink. We do hope that Silas' growing vocabulary will be a good encouragement for Tommy to start making new sounds and putting those sounds together to make words.
Oh and as the boys went to bed Silas saw Tommy's blanket had been moved off of his bed and picked it up and carried it to his bed for his brother. I mean seriously how much sweeter can you get! Now I better buckle up for tomorrow b/c they may have expended all their sweetness for the week in one day!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Top two questions in my life...
So I realize you are probably amazed at how I've blogged two times so close together. Thanks for noticing! Haha just kidding! But weirdly blogging last time kind of made me feel like I was having a conversation with a bunch of friends, a bunch of adult friends (aka - people who aren't my kids) and I enjoyed it immensely. So thanks for all the sweet Facebook comments!
Anyway, there are two main questions I get asked these days. Number one - how are the boys with Ella? They are pretty stinking amazing! It's been funny to see as time has gone on how they've adjusted to her. In the very beginning Tommy could have cared less that she was around and didn't even take the time to notice she was born into this world. He wasn't jealous, he was simply indifferent. Kyle and I think that was mainly b/c he was surrounded by extra family all the time and was distracted. Once everything calmed down and Tommy started to see the positive attention - all the "aww that's so sweet" when he did pay attention to her, he really started to love her. There was a time when he was super affectionate and wanted to "hold" her any chance he could. At this point - now that we're really settled in he is still very sweet to her, he knows to be gentle and is very careful around her, and he is always quick to run to her if she's fussy to sooth her, and surprisingly it actually works sometimes. One night she was crying while I was finishing making dinner and I was talking to her from the kitchen saying, "Ella mama will be right there I'm almost done." I kept cooking and I looked over and Tommy was standing over her in her bouncy seat, getting in her face to check on her. And she stopped crying. Then he walked away and she started crying again. So he ran back and patted her, and she stopped crying again. It was pretty dang precious.
Silas was the total opposite of Tommy - when Ella first came home he couldn't get enough of her. He was super interested. His favorite thing to do was poke her. He poked her head, her eye, her stomach and he did not poke gently. There was a pretty big learning curve on what it meant to be gentle. Silas now knows how to be gentle but doesn't know how to be careful around Ella - he basically almost falls on her at least five times a day. I'm all about baby girl being tough but she's got plenty of time to learn that, infancy is not that time. Silas now has a very sweet affection for Ella. My favorite is when the boys have no idea we are watching and they do something really sweet for or to Ella - like yesterday Ella was in the exercauser, Silas had his back to me and I saw him walk up and kiss Ella and then hug her, then he just walked off to play. Melt my heart! I hope all three of our kids have a healthy affection, love, and tenderness towards each other as they grow. I want them to feel stable, loved, accepted, and like their best friends are their siblings. That's a big goal and I'm sure it won't always be that way between them, but at the end of the day when they grow up I hope they have the closeness that I have with my sisters. Silas is a wonderful big brother and is very sweet to his "Lella".
Okay question number two - how is it having three kids? It's usually followed by - is it crazy? My overall general answer, and this is sincere, I LOVE IT! It's so much fun! I always clarify - at home it's pretty amazing (most days), now when we go out that's a whole other ball game. Clearly any mom would say everything is easier at their own home where their kids are comfortable, have their toys, and are used to their surroundings. When we go places it isn't hard b/c the kids are being disobedient or "bad", it's simply b/c it's a new, exciting environment - and I mean obviously everything needs to be explored when you're a toddler. Ella is easy to take places b/c she isn't mobile yet. But I know my limitations and I know I cannot go anywhere with all three kids by myself - if it came time for Ella to eat I would not be able to keep the boys wrangled alone. I am A Okay with that though, I have no desire to go anywhere with all three by myself - that would be extremely overwhelming. Kyle and I are both homebodies by nature so for the most part I enjoy staying home the majority of the time. It's easier, it saves money, it saves my energy and patience. There are definitely times when it does get crazy and there are times that it is not fun, but overall I really do enjoy it. In fact I would say I enjoy having three kids as opposed to two. Silas was a difficult baby and I could not have said after he came home that I loved it. That may sound mean but it's reality, fussy babies who are hard/sometimes impossible to pacify, make for really looooong days. And it was like having Ella transitioned us out of that and brought a fun and sweet experience of having a baby; it made me enjoy my time with Silas more b/c it had to be more intentional; and it made Silas learn to play with Tommy more which has been so precious to watch. The boys are getting to an age where they are making up games to play together and they really like having each other as playmates. They get bored if the other guy is not around. That has made me extremely grateful that they are close in age and it really helps take part of the burden off of me not feel guilty if I'm not always playing with them. Now all that positive being said - here are the things that are harder: a lot of times it seems like there is always somebody needing something - whether it's Tom, Silas, Ella, or Kyle (and now Maggie since she returned from her vacation at the grandparents). There is way more laundry, as soon as I've spent a couple of days taking care of all the laundry the hamper is full again, can somebody tell me why Adam and Eve had to be ashamed of nudity, they could have saved us all a lot of time, energy, and money. Sheesh. The dishes are insane, not that Ella is eating off of any of them, I think it's just a time thing that there's not as much time to take care of it. And grocery shopping seems like an impossible thing to schedule and figure it out, whether it's the weather, somebody's nap is off schedule, or I'm just flat out too tired - there are some weeks the grocery store seems like an impossible feat. But somehow it all gets done, we have clean clothes to wear, we have dishes to eat off of, and we have groceries in the pantry. Somehow the Lord continues to sustain us and blesses us with sweet time with our kids along the way!
Anyway, there are two main questions I get asked these days. Number one - how are the boys with Ella? They are pretty stinking amazing! It's been funny to see as time has gone on how they've adjusted to her. In the very beginning Tommy could have cared less that she was around and didn't even take the time to notice she was born into this world. He wasn't jealous, he was simply indifferent. Kyle and I think that was mainly b/c he was surrounded by extra family all the time and was distracted. Once everything calmed down and Tommy started to see the positive attention - all the "aww that's so sweet" when he did pay attention to her, he really started to love her. There was a time when he was super affectionate and wanted to "hold" her any chance he could. At this point - now that we're really settled in he is still very sweet to her, he knows to be gentle and is very careful around her, and he is always quick to run to her if she's fussy to sooth her, and surprisingly it actually works sometimes. One night she was crying while I was finishing making dinner and I was talking to her from the kitchen saying, "Ella mama will be right there I'm almost done." I kept cooking and I looked over and Tommy was standing over her in her bouncy seat, getting in her face to check on her. And she stopped crying. Then he walked away and she started crying again. So he ran back and patted her, and she stopped crying again. It was pretty dang precious.
Silas was the total opposite of Tommy - when Ella first came home he couldn't get enough of her. He was super interested. His favorite thing to do was poke her. He poked her head, her eye, her stomach and he did not poke gently. There was a pretty big learning curve on what it meant to be gentle. Silas now knows how to be gentle but doesn't know how to be careful around Ella - he basically almost falls on her at least five times a day. I'm all about baby girl being tough but she's got plenty of time to learn that, infancy is not that time. Silas now has a very sweet affection for Ella. My favorite is when the boys have no idea we are watching and they do something really sweet for or to Ella - like yesterday Ella was in the exercauser, Silas had his back to me and I saw him walk up and kiss Ella and then hug her, then he just walked off to play. Melt my heart! I hope all three of our kids have a healthy affection, love, and tenderness towards each other as they grow. I want them to feel stable, loved, accepted, and like their best friends are their siblings. That's a big goal and I'm sure it won't always be that way between them, but at the end of the day when they grow up I hope they have the closeness that I have with my sisters. Silas is a wonderful big brother and is very sweet to his "Lella".
Okay question number two - how is it having three kids? It's usually followed by - is it crazy? My overall general answer, and this is sincere, I LOVE IT! It's so much fun! I always clarify - at home it's pretty amazing (most days), now when we go out that's a whole other ball game. Clearly any mom would say everything is easier at their own home where their kids are comfortable, have their toys, and are used to their surroundings. When we go places it isn't hard b/c the kids are being disobedient or "bad", it's simply b/c it's a new, exciting environment - and I mean obviously everything needs to be explored when you're a toddler. Ella is easy to take places b/c she isn't mobile yet. But I know my limitations and I know I cannot go anywhere with all three kids by myself - if it came time for Ella to eat I would not be able to keep the boys wrangled alone. I am A Okay with that though, I have no desire to go anywhere with all three by myself - that would be extremely overwhelming. Kyle and I are both homebodies by nature so for the most part I enjoy staying home the majority of the time. It's easier, it saves money, it saves my energy and patience. There are definitely times when it does get crazy and there are times that it is not fun, but overall I really do enjoy it. In fact I would say I enjoy having three kids as opposed to two. Silas was a difficult baby and I could not have said after he came home that I loved it. That may sound mean but it's reality, fussy babies who are hard/sometimes impossible to pacify, make for really looooong days. And it was like having Ella transitioned us out of that and brought a fun and sweet experience of having a baby; it made me enjoy my time with Silas more b/c it had to be more intentional; and it made Silas learn to play with Tommy more which has been so precious to watch. The boys are getting to an age where they are making up games to play together and they really like having each other as playmates. They get bored if the other guy is not around. That has made me extremely grateful that they are close in age and it really helps take part of the burden off of me not feel guilty if I'm not always playing with them. Now all that positive being said - here are the things that are harder: a lot of times it seems like there is always somebody needing something - whether it's Tom, Silas, Ella, or Kyle (and now Maggie since she returned from her vacation at the grandparents). There is way more laundry, as soon as I've spent a couple of days taking care of all the laundry the hamper is full again, can somebody tell me why Adam and Eve had to be ashamed of nudity, they could have saved us all a lot of time, energy, and money. Sheesh. The dishes are insane, not that Ella is eating off of any of them, I think it's just a time thing that there's not as much time to take care of it. And grocery shopping seems like an impossible thing to schedule and figure it out, whether it's the weather, somebody's nap is off schedule, or I'm just flat out too tired - there are some weeks the grocery store seems like an impossible feat. But somehow it all gets done, we have clean clothes to wear, we have dishes to eat off of, and we have groceries in the pantry. Somehow the Lord continues to sustain us and blesses us with sweet time with our kids along the way!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
And then there were three!
So obviously having three kids has made me extremely busy and unable to blog. As I write this I have a load of wet clothes in the washing machine that have been there since nap time, a clothes basket full of clean clothes to fold, many stacks of dirty laundry around the house, a messy kitchen, a family room with toys literally all over the place, and I'm bouncy my baby girl in her bouncy seat with my foot so she will go to bed. But I am forcing myself to sit down and type this before I forget everything about her sweet birth! I am already forgetting details! Aaaah! Crazy mom!
So Ella is a pretty cool girl, she decided to start her arrival on a MONDAY! Making this technically a Mushy Monday post, just about almost 4 months over due! So Monday, September 9th, 2013, was a very pregnant day like the many others before it. My mom was off of work and came over at lunch to watch the boys so Kyle and I could go on one last date, out to eat, to my favorite restaurant - O'Charley's. The food was amazing - I got a Caesar Salad and half a BLT with french fries, and a cherry coke, with lots of refills (more than I probably should of since I was pregnant). It was seriously a gloriously delicious lunch! I love food and it made me extremely happy to have that time with my hubby, to have good service and good food, it made my heart happy! So we had fun at our date and came back to hang out with my mom for a bit. Then I put the boys down for the nap, etc. etc. nothing new. Mom went home only to return later that night. It was about 8:40 PM to be exact that I noticed my first contraction. I was putting Silas to bed, and on my way back popped my head in Kyle's office where he was playing a computer game with his friends, and just said, "Hey you may want to hold off on telling them you can work tomorrow, I'm having some weird cramps. They may be contractions, but they may go away." He shrugged me off and said I had told him I'd had contractions a hundred times and it was nothing, but I told him they were different this time. I went back out to the couch where Tom was playing on the IPad. We snuggled while he played and I soon realized they were contractions b/c there was a definite rhythm, but I didn't time them b/c they had just started. I just rested on the couch with Tom until it was past his bed time b/c I didn't feel like getting up, I wasn't in a lot of pain just tired. So at about 9:30ish I texted Kyle and let him know they were real contractions. I put Tommy to bed around 9:40 and started timing my contractions. They were about 4 minutes apart. Thinking that was weird b/c I hadn't been having them that long I just kept timing them, and they just kept getting closer together. I decided to get our stuff together and popped my head back in Kyle's office to let him know that should be his last game for the night b/c the contractions were pretty close together. He got off the computer and said, so how close are they, and I said well about 3 minutes apart, sometimes 2. He was a little shocked and told me to call our parents and let them know and to have my parents come stay with the boys. We started changing the sheet on our bed since his parents would be staying at our house and Kyle was timing my contractions, they were now 1-2 minutes apart. Kyle insisted I go lay on the couch and stop moving to try and slow my labor down. I explained I could still talk through them it wasn't anything to be worried about but he was most concerned if I kept doing stuff we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.
My parents arrived, my dad stayed with the sleeping boys, and my mom went to the hospital with us, and Kyle's mom was on her way from Bowling Green. We got checked in a little before midnight, I was still having regular contractions every 2-3 minutes and I could breath through them fine. You could tell they didn't think I was in labor at the hospital but were shocked to find me at 5 cm when I arrived. We got all set up in the room, and shortly after they offered me an epidural - I felt torn b/c I didn't really want one yet but it was my one sure fire opportunity to get one and Kyle encouraged it, so I got it. In hindsight I wish I would have waited, it was more uncomfortable getting an epidural when I wasn't in constant pain (like I was when I got them with the boys from the Pitocin), and I loved laboring naturally it was a breeze compared to Pitocin induced labor. I really enjoyed getting to feel real contractions, may sound weird, but the contractions with the boys were induced and insufferable. The epidural slowed my labor so then they gave me Pitocin. They tried to break my water but couldn't b/c Ella's head was in the way. I progressed quickly. At 5:18 AM on September 10th, sweet Ella entered this world with one push! She was 8lbs 4.7oz and 20 inches long. Precious girl was beautiful, had the longest fingers I've ever seen on a baby, and was a champion nurser from day one. Having a baby after staying up all night was somewhat disorienting and I had a pretty decent headache from the lack of sleep. My mom and Kyle's mom left shortly after only to arrive at our house as the boys were waking up! They, as well as Pap Pap, took the best care of our kiddos!
In the past my recoveries from having my babies has been extremely smooth and quick, such a blessing! I never took any heavy pain medicine after having the boys, only Ibuprofen, I was up and walking around a couple of hours after they were born. This was not the same with Ella. It seemed to take longer for my epidural to wear off, I was clearly exhausted from lack of sleep, but then later that evening on the 10th my lower stomach started to really hurt. I got up to use the restroom and I could barely walk. I was doubled over holding onto the furniture and had tears in my eyes and I told Kyle this isn't normal. We called the nurses b/c it just kept getting worse. They were a little perplexed b/c clearly they don't know my pain tolerance, I obviously just had a baby so cramping is normal, etc. I asked if they could give me something for nausea if I wanted to take the heavy pain meds, so they gave me shot of Phenegran and then some pain medicine. It dulled the pain but I was still having pain and it was very tender. I kept telling them, this is my third baby, I know what nursing cramps feel like, that's not what this is, it's not normal. Kyle and I agreed if the pain meds didn't help enough then we would just give Ella formula for a feeding, to try and keep it from getting worse b/c of nursing cramps. I remember telling him I didn't even feel like I could lay her on my stomach it hurt so bad. Well then I started getting a fever off and on. I had chills and would start shivering, teeth chattering which they said was a side effect from the epidural. I would get extremely cold and could not get warm, my body would get achey. Just a bunch of weird things kept happening and it would happen in waves. I'd feel fine, not great, for a while and then it would hit me - chills, cold, fever, stomach pain. They decided to give me a very strong antibiotic via IV just to be safe b/c my symptoms were somewhat unusual. Once I was fever free for 24 hours from the antibiotic and feeling better they released us to go home but told me to keep an eye out for a temperature over 100.4.
We went home and after being home for a day or so the waves of symptoms started again, I could feel it coming, I'd check my temp and it was always borderline. I'd rest and then it would be better. My parents and mother in law took the boys to my parents house for a couple nights to try and help me recover b/c they knew I was having a difficult time recovering. The boys came back Sunday afternoon and by Sunday evening I was back in the hospital with 103.something fever. When we left the house to go to the hospital my temp was 100.4. It rose quickly and I was sweating my fever was so hot. They ran lots of tests in the ER, did some kind of scan where they pumped dye in my veins, did an ultrasound, took my labs, and some other exams. I had to pump in the hospital and Ella got formula at home. Once we were admitted, since there was clearly something wrong, Kyle went home and brought Ella and her formula to our room. I had to pump and dump from the antibiotics and dye in my veins. We ended up being in the hospital for four days and I was sent home with a PICC line in my arm so I could continue heavy antibiotics. They ended up thinking I had Endometritis, which is an infection from labor. They were just very confused by my case b/c I had a quick labor and delivery and everything looked healthy. To have this bad of an infection, it is usually only seen in a C-section, or extremely long labor. So it's a mystery. We are just very grateful that we knew to look out for a fever otherwise things could have gotten bad very quickly. Thankfully I never felt worse then I did that first night in the hospital, apart from one exam in the ER where the doctor pushed on my left side, that was the most pain I was in. The Lord was so kind to us and preserved us and protected us. It was definitely trying emotionally to be separated from my boys, to have to pump dump and bottle feed in the hospital, and it was hard on Kyle being stretched thin between the hospital, home, and caring for me and our family.
The PICC line was very scary to me to do at home so after my 10 days of that was up, I felt like a new woman! My mom, my mother in law, my dad, and Kyle were incredibly helpful during this whole time! We/I could not have survived it without them! My mom's work was very gracious to allow her to continue to care for the boys longer than anticipated and longer than she had taken off, this gave me a HUGE sense of relief. And my mother in law ended up staying almost a month with us! I love her, she's a wonderful mother in law, not like the ones you see in the movies! My dad took extra time off of work and came to visit me in the hospital to check on me. So thankful for my family!
So shortly after I started feeling better Kyle got super sick, he had a really bad case of strep and was the sickest he had been since we've known each other for over 7 or 8 years. Insane, so I had about a week of caring for all three kids on my own b/c he wasn't allowed to touch them. Praise the Lord, none of us got strep! God was so kind in that! Then as Kyle was recovering I broke a pipe in our kitchen sink, and we had to have a plumber come out, we couldn't use the sink for a couple of days. I cried on the kitchen floor and told Kyle I could never be Job, from the plumbing problems before Ella until that moment I felt like we couldn't catch a break (even though clearly there were many things the Lord protected us from like having three kids with strep along with daddy). And then shortly after my mom got SUPER sick and was in the hospital for a week and stayed in the exact same room I was in in the hospital. I couldn't go see her for several days b/c we didn't know if what she had was contagious. Sheeweee it was a rough couple of months.
Sorry if you're getting bored at this point, this is mainly for my memory and that's why I'm being so detailed. Now let me talk about Ella. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl! I felt an instant bond with her, something I didn't experience with the boys. We think it's probably b/c we knew her gender, we called her by name, we felt closer to her. I do definitely prefer knowing the gender as opposed to being surprised at birth. I felt so protective of Ella, my heart ached the hours I was in the ER away from her. Oh she is precious! She is a sweet sweet girl! She is now almost 4 months old, she is so interactive, she smiles and coos, she thinks she's like 9 months old - putting all her weight on her legs, playing in the exercauser, sitting in the bumbo, and she can roll belly to back. Ella is just the sweetest little girl in all the world. She LOVES her daddy, he just looks at her and she lights up, and then if he talks to her she just grins ear to ear and talks right back. Out of all three she has been the quickest to interact and the most responsive, especially to Kyle. She is a daddy's girl. Ella is a big girl, they did sugar checks on her for the first 12 hours of her life b/c of her size. At her 2 month check up she was 13 lbs something oz and 24 inches long - the 95th percentile! Kyle hopes she stays big to scare off potential suitors in the future. She is our quickest to sleep through the night - I think she started sleeping about 10 hours right before her 2 months. But she does revert back every now and then for an extra feeding really early in the morning but goes right back to sleep. Her "schedule" I use that word loosely b/c it really changes daily but there's a goal - she's up at 8 eats, goes back down about 1 - 1 1/2 hours later and eats at 11, goes down about 1 1/2-2 hours later, eats at 2 same with the nap, eats at 5 same with nap, eats at 8 no nap, and then again at 9:30 before bed at 10 pm. We aren't quite sure where her permanent place to sleep is, she sleeps in her bouncy seat in the family room at night but is quickly out growing it. She loves to be swaddled, praise the Lord for Miracle blankets! My sister Julie is letting us borrow hers and it rocks! Ella started out sleeping in the bouncy seat b/c she was very refluxy and spit up a lot in the beginning, now she's over that and praise God she was not a fussy reflux baby. The Lord blessed us with a sweet mannered and well tempered baby girl - He knew what was ahead of us and if she had been a handful it would have made it much more trying. Okay I think that's plenty for now. If you read all of this HIGH FIVE!
So Ella is a pretty cool girl, she decided to start her arrival on a MONDAY! Making this technically a Mushy Monday post, just about almost 4 months over due! So Monday, September 9th, 2013, was a very pregnant day like the many others before it. My mom was off of work and came over at lunch to watch the boys so Kyle and I could go on one last date, out to eat, to my favorite restaurant - O'Charley's. The food was amazing - I got a Caesar Salad and half a BLT with french fries, and a cherry coke, with lots of refills (more than I probably should of since I was pregnant). It was seriously a gloriously delicious lunch! I love food and it made me extremely happy to have that time with my hubby, to have good service and good food, it made my heart happy! So we had fun at our date and came back to hang out with my mom for a bit. Then I put the boys down for the nap, etc. etc. nothing new. Mom went home only to return later that night. It was about 8:40 PM to be exact that I noticed my first contraction. I was putting Silas to bed, and on my way back popped my head in Kyle's office where he was playing a computer game with his friends, and just said, "Hey you may want to hold off on telling them you can work tomorrow, I'm having some weird cramps. They may be contractions, but they may go away." He shrugged me off and said I had told him I'd had contractions a hundred times and it was nothing, but I told him they were different this time. I went back out to the couch where Tom was playing on the IPad. We snuggled while he played and I soon realized they were contractions b/c there was a definite rhythm, but I didn't time them b/c they had just started. I just rested on the couch with Tom until it was past his bed time b/c I didn't feel like getting up, I wasn't in a lot of pain just tired. So at about 9:30ish I texted Kyle and let him know they were real contractions. I put Tommy to bed around 9:40 and started timing my contractions. They were about 4 minutes apart. Thinking that was weird b/c I hadn't been having them that long I just kept timing them, and they just kept getting closer together. I decided to get our stuff together and popped my head back in Kyle's office to let him know that should be his last game for the night b/c the contractions were pretty close together. He got off the computer and said, so how close are they, and I said well about 3 minutes apart, sometimes 2. He was a little shocked and told me to call our parents and let them know and to have my parents come stay with the boys. We started changing the sheet on our bed since his parents would be staying at our house and Kyle was timing my contractions, they were now 1-2 minutes apart. Kyle insisted I go lay on the couch and stop moving to try and slow my labor down. I explained I could still talk through them it wasn't anything to be worried about but he was most concerned if I kept doing stuff we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.
My parents arrived, my dad stayed with the sleeping boys, and my mom went to the hospital with us, and Kyle's mom was on her way from Bowling Green. We got checked in a little before midnight, I was still having regular contractions every 2-3 minutes and I could breath through them fine. You could tell they didn't think I was in labor at the hospital but were shocked to find me at 5 cm when I arrived. We got all set up in the room, and shortly after they offered me an epidural - I felt torn b/c I didn't really want one yet but it was my one sure fire opportunity to get one and Kyle encouraged it, so I got it. In hindsight I wish I would have waited, it was more uncomfortable getting an epidural when I wasn't in constant pain (like I was when I got them with the boys from the Pitocin), and I loved laboring naturally it was a breeze compared to Pitocin induced labor. I really enjoyed getting to feel real contractions, may sound weird, but the contractions with the boys were induced and insufferable. The epidural slowed my labor so then they gave me Pitocin. They tried to break my water but couldn't b/c Ella's head was in the way. I progressed quickly. At 5:18 AM on September 10th, sweet Ella entered this world with one push! She was 8lbs 4.7oz and 20 inches long. Precious girl was beautiful, had the longest fingers I've ever seen on a baby, and was a champion nurser from day one. Having a baby after staying up all night was somewhat disorienting and I had a pretty decent headache from the lack of sleep. My mom and Kyle's mom left shortly after only to arrive at our house as the boys were waking up! They, as well as Pap Pap, took the best care of our kiddos!
In the past my recoveries from having my babies has been extremely smooth and quick, such a blessing! I never took any heavy pain medicine after having the boys, only Ibuprofen, I was up and walking around a couple of hours after they were born. This was not the same with Ella. It seemed to take longer for my epidural to wear off, I was clearly exhausted from lack of sleep, but then later that evening on the 10th my lower stomach started to really hurt. I got up to use the restroom and I could barely walk. I was doubled over holding onto the furniture and had tears in my eyes and I told Kyle this isn't normal. We called the nurses b/c it just kept getting worse. They were a little perplexed b/c clearly they don't know my pain tolerance, I obviously just had a baby so cramping is normal, etc. I asked if they could give me something for nausea if I wanted to take the heavy pain meds, so they gave me shot of Phenegran and then some pain medicine. It dulled the pain but I was still having pain and it was very tender. I kept telling them, this is my third baby, I know what nursing cramps feel like, that's not what this is, it's not normal. Kyle and I agreed if the pain meds didn't help enough then we would just give Ella formula for a feeding, to try and keep it from getting worse b/c of nursing cramps. I remember telling him I didn't even feel like I could lay her on my stomach it hurt so bad. Well then I started getting a fever off and on. I had chills and would start shivering, teeth chattering which they said was a side effect from the epidural. I would get extremely cold and could not get warm, my body would get achey. Just a bunch of weird things kept happening and it would happen in waves. I'd feel fine, not great, for a while and then it would hit me - chills, cold, fever, stomach pain. They decided to give me a very strong antibiotic via IV just to be safe b/c my symptoms were somewhat unusual. Once I was fever free for 24 hours from the antibiotic and feeling better they released us to go home but told me to keep an eye out for a temperature over 100.4.
We went home and after being home for a day or so the waves of symptoms started again, I could feel it coming, I'd check my temp and it was always borderline. I'd rest and then it would be better. My parents and mother in law took the boys to my parents house for a couple nights to try and help me recover b/c they knew I was having a difficult time recovering. The boys came back Sunday afternoon and by Sunday evening I was back in the hospital with 103.something fever. When we left the house to go to the hospital my temp was 100.4. It rose quickly and I was sweating my fever was so hot. They ran lots of tests in the ER, did some kind of scan where they pumped dye in my veins, did an ultrasound, took my labs, and some other exams. I had to pump in the hospital and Ella got formula at home. Once we were admitted, since there was clearly something wrong, Kyle went home and brought Ella and her formula to our room. I had to pump and dump from the antibiotics and dye in my veins. We ended up being in the hospital for four days and I was sent home with a PICC line in my arm so I could continue heavy antibiotics. They ended up thinking I had Endometritis, which is an infection from labor. They were just very confused by my case b/c I had a quick labor and delivery and everything looked healthy. To have this bad of an infection, it is usually only seen in a C-section, or extremely long labor. So it's a mystery. We are just very grateful that we knew to look out for a fever otherwise things could have gotten bad very quickly. Thankfully I never felt worse then I did that first night in the hospital, apart from one exam in the ER where the doctor pushed on my left side, that was the most pain I was in. The Lord was so kind to us and preserved us and protected us. It was definitely trying emotionally to be separated from my boys, to have to pump dump and bottle feed in the hospital, and it was hard on Kyle being stretched thin between the hospital, home, and caring for me and our family.
The PICC line was very scary to me to do at home so after my 10 days of that was up, I felt like a new woman! My mom, my mother in law, my dad, and Kyle were incredibly helpful during this whole time! We/I could not have survived it without them! My mom's work was very gracious to allow her to continue to care for the boys longer than anticipated and longer than she had taken off, this gave me a HUGE sense of relief. And my mother in law ended up staying almost a month with us! I love her, she's a wonderful mother in law, not like the ones you see in the movies! My dad took extra time off of work and came to visit me in the hospital to check on me. So thankful for my family!
So shortly after I started feeling better Kyle got super sick, he had a really bad case of strep and was the sickest he had been since we've known each other for over 7 or 8 years. Insane, so I had about a week of caring for all three kids on my own b/c he wasn't allowed to touch them. Praise the Lord, none of us got strep! God was so kind in that! Then as Kyle was recovering I broke a pipe in our kitchen sink, and we had to have a plumber come out, we couldn't use the sink for a couple of days. I cried on the kitchen floor and told Kyle I could never be Job, from the plumbing problems before Ella until that moment I felt like we couldn't catch a break (even though clearly there were many things the Lord protected us from like having three kids with strep along with daddy). And then shortly after my mom got SUPER sick and was in the hospital for a week and stayed in the exact same room I was in in the hospital. I couldn't go see her for several days b/c we didn't know if what she had was contagious. Sheeweee it was a rough couple of months.
Sorry if you're getting bored at this point, this is mainly for my memory and that's why I'm being so detailed. Now let me talk about Ella. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this girl! I felt an instant bond with her, something I didn't experience with the boys. We think it's probably b/c we knew her gender, we called her by name, we felt closer to her. I do definitely prefer knowing the gender as opposed to being surprised at birth. I felt so protective of Ella, my heart ached the hours I was in the ER away from her. Oh she is precious! She is a sweet sweet girl! She is now almost 4 months old, she is so interactive, she smiles and coos, she thinks she's like 9 months old - putting all her weight on her legs, playing in the exercauser, sitting in the bumbo, and she can roll belly to back. Ella is just the sweetest little girl in all the world. She LOVES her daddy, he just looks at her and she lights up, and then if he talks to her she just grins ear to ear and talks right back. Out of all three she has been the quickest to interact and the most responsive, especially to Kyle. She is a daddy's girl. Ella is a big girl, they did sugar checks on her for the first 12 hours of her life b/c of her size. At her 2 month check up she was 13 lbs something oz and 24 inches long - the 95th percentile! Kyle hopes she stays big to scare off potential suitors in the future. She is our quickest to sleep through the night - I think she started sleeping about 10 hours right before her 2 months. But she does revert back every now and then for an extra feeding really early in the morning but goes right back to sleep. Her "schedule" I use that word loosely b/c it really changes daily but there's a goal - she's up at 8 eats, goes back down about 1 - 1 1/2 hours later and eats at 11, goes down about 1 1/2-2 hours later, eats at 2 same with the nap, eats at 5 same with nap, eats at 8 no nap, and then again at 9:30 before bed at 10 pm. We aren't quite sure where her permanent place to sleep is, she sleeps in her bouncy seat in the family room at night but is quickly out growing it. She loves to be swaddled, praise the Lord for Miracle blankets! My sister Julie is letting us borrow hers and it rocks! Ella started out sleeping in the bouncy seat b/c she was very refluxy and spit up a lot in the beginning, now she's over that and praise God she was not a fussy reflux baby. The Lord blessed us with a sweet mannered and well tempered baby girl - He knew what was ahead of us and if she had been a handful it would have made it much more trying. Okay I think that's plenty for now. If you read all of this HIGH FIVE!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Kind of proud of my husband...
Actually to say kind of proud is a complete understatement. He just started back to school, more hours at work, and out of the blue we just had some major plumbing issues that he completely dominated, all while expecting a third child any day now! Here are the details.
So ever since we've lived in this house our tub drain will begin to drain slower and slower. We've used Drano in the past and it's helped, temporarily. Well before we had company b/c of baby Ella's (still) anticipated arrival, I wanted it to drain faster. So I purchased some Drano and asked Kyle to put it down the tub drain since I'm pregnant. It actually made the problem worse. Instead of a slow drain, there was no drain, standing water. So we go downstairs after the boys are in bed and start trying to figure our what to do. Kyle takes off one pipe, and it breaks b/c it's so old and tries to snake the drain. He got out a pretty good clog but we could see there was a whole lot more nastiness that has accumulated over the years. So he proceeds to take of another pipe and it also breaks b/c it's so old. I was starting to get very worried b/c I didn't want to have to worry about the expense of a plumber for us or my parents (b/c they own the house). But Kyle was very confident he could replace the pipes. It was a lot of work. He had to take two days off of work and worked for many hours, took several shopping trips, and did lots of research to fix the problem. And he did it! Praise the Lord for such a hard working husband! But honestly more than the work he did, while it was extremely impressive, I was most and am still most amazed at his attitude through out the whole process. He never once got upset with me for pushing him to use the Drano, b/c he really didn't want to. Kyle was so positive, calm, self controlled, and patient through the whole process. He never raised his voice when things went wrong, he never even got frustrated. I mean really, this is not how I would have functioned b/c he ran into a couple of different issues that ended up being troublesome and time consuming. And I can say this b/c I know my family would agree, but my family would not have been able to handle a big and potentially expensive project with this much grace - we don't always react the prettiest under great stress and pressure. It was seriously a time of watching my husband where I could appreciate the gifts and fruits of the Spirit that are evident in his life. He's handy, he's patient, he's self controlled, he was encouraging to me when I was able to help in some small way. He was an excellent example to me of how to handle pressure and adversity and I'm so glad the boys (and soon to be Ella) have that example to see as well. Even though they aren't old enough to notice it right now (especially since they were sleeping during most of the work) they have an extraordinary example of a father that the Lord has blessed them and me with.
This was a big project, and here are some pictures of all Kyle's hard work.
So ever since we've lived in this house our tub drain will begin to drain slower and slower. We've used Drano in the past and it's helped, temporarily. Well before we had company b/c of baby Ella's (still) anticipated arrival, I wanted it to drain faster. So I purchased some Drano and asked Kyle to put it down the tub drain since I'm pregnant. It actually made the problem worse. Instead of a slow drain, there was no drain, standing water. So we go downstairs after the boys are in bed and start trying to figure our what to do. Kyle takes off one pipe, and it breaks b/c it's so old and tries to snake the drain. He got out a pretty good clog but we could see there was a whole lot more nastiness that has accumulated over the years. So he proceeds to take of another pipe and it also breaks b/c it's so old. I was starting to get very worried b/c I didn't want to have to worry about the expense of a plumber for us or my parents (b/c they own the house). But Kyle was very confident he could replace the pipes. It was a lot of work. He had to take two days off of work and worked for many hours, took several shopping trips, and did lots of research to fix the problem. And he did it! Praise the Lord for such a hard working husband! But honestly more than the work he did, while it was extremely impressive, I was most and am still most amazed at his attitude through out the whole process. He never once got upset with me for pushing him to use the Drano, b/c he really didn't want to. Kyle was so positive, calm, self controlled, and patient through the whole process. He never raised his voice when things went wrong, he never even got frustrated. I mean really, this is not how I would have functioned b/c he ran into a couple of different issues that ended up being troublesome and time consuming. And I can say this b/c I know my family would agree, but my family would not have been able to handle a big and potentially expensive project with this much grace - we don't always react the prettiest under great stress and pressure. It was seriously a time of watching my husband where I could appreciate the gifts and fruits of the Spirit that are evident in his life. He's handy, he's patient, he's self controlled, he was encouraging to me when I was able to help in some small way. He was an excellent example to me of how to handle pressure and adversity and I'm so glad the boys (and soon to be Ella) have that example to see as well. Even though they aren't old enough to notice it right now (especially since they were sleeping during most of the work) they have an extraordinary example of a father that the Lord has blessed them and me with.
This was a big project, and here are some pictures of all Kyle's hard work.
The old drain pipes, where the breaks began.
This is what it looked like before (look at the long green/brown pipes).
The pipes are now gone, he had to cut them all out since they were breaking off.
New drain pipes (this is replacement of the first picture shown).
After three days or hard work he is about to put in the last piece!
Look at that! Much prettier, cleaner, and now gunk free pipes!
And here's the guy who did all that and stayed happy completing the job! I'm so proud of him and so thankful!
*Disclaimer - my husband is not available to help others with plumbing issues, apart from letting you know Drano doesn't always work ;)
Monday, September 2, 2013
Mushy Monday - We're about to have another baby!
So Ella is almost here. Any day now. Thursday night we celebrated with the boys, enjoying our time as a family of four. We got KFC, the boys had some caffeine free root beer for the first time, we had DQ Blizzards, and we watched the first Curious George movie. Every since then Tommy has been signing asking for Curious George the movie (even though he prefers the 2nd movie), and asking for various treats - ice cream, cake, etc. So funny! I keep telling him that was a special celebration but he apparently wants to keep celebrating.
Ella's last ultrasound went well, she is now looking like an average size baby, not a giant! Once again we have no good ultrasound pictures b/c she was literally facing away. Thanks baby girl. I am 38 weeks and a couple of days. The past couple of days I have had significantly more energy, which has been awesome, and I'm trying to put it to good use. Lots of cleaning and getting things ready for baby girl. One of the things I love about being pregnant is how a perfect stranger can feel like a genuinely excited friend! I love the sweet congratulations and joy people have when they ask me questions and find out I'm due soon. What other time does that happen in life?! I do think that I will have her some time this week, just b/c that's what I think, but who knows (besides the Lord of course!).
Tom has been trying to talk a lot more. It's super sweet. Sometimes we have to quieten him down b/c he gets a little loud. This is sometimes a challenge for me b/c he doesn't talk like most kids. He makes a lot of noises and strange sounds but he's trying to talk. The part that is a challenge for me is when it calls extra attention to him, I'm afraid people will think he isn't "smart" b/c of the sounds he makes. That sounds weird/stupid that I feel that way but that's just the easiest way to explain it. Obviously I know he's extremely smart and I can pretty much interpret what he's trying to communicate a good 99% of the time, but others don't know. And that's the part that's challenging, not to worry what others think, if people know him and are around him they know how smart he is. I could be over thinking the whole thing. As he talks more in public it is getting easier and I pray that the Lord would help me to handle any uncomfortable situation with grace and in a way that glorifies him. I am excited Tom is talking more and wanting to use his voice. It's funny b/c sometimes he sounds really mad when he's not mad at all - like when you ask him to say please, if he really wants it he basically yells LEASE!! (he leaves out the "p" sound). He's hilarious, I'm trying to teach him to say things nicely and quietly and he's catching on really quick. Tommy is still my sweet boy who loves to be snuggled, he is obsessed with TV and would watch it all day long if we let him. I am excited to see how he responds to baby Ella.
Silas is still quite the handful. Remember how I said it was getting easier. Well it all depends on the day. He's a little spit fire. He's talking a lot more too, making some hilarious noises and faces when does so. When he makes the "O" sounds it cracks me up. This boy knows what he wants and when he wants it and how he wants it and if he doesn't get it he'll make sure you know he's not happy about it. Shew, he's giving us a run for our money. Silas is a champion eater though - he pretty much loves a little bit of everything. He doesn't want just one thing to eat at a meal - he likes a variety. I do think his love for fruit has helped Tommy eat more fruit which is wonderful. Silas is very interested in feeding himself which is super nice for me, however he is also very interested in feeding Maggie our dog. They are a sneaky little team and they spur each other on to disobedience. Sometimes I have to literally put Maggie in the other room while they eat so she doesn't come and tempt him by standing right next to him and he doesn't lower his hand and tempt her to come over when she's obeying and laying on the other side of the room. Mischievous. I know this sweet little boy is going to be quite jealous of Miss Ella, he is always wanting me to hold him when I hold other babies. However he does hug and kiss the baby dolls he's seen very sweetly, so hopefully that's a good sign!
Kyle started his last semester of school! Hip Hip Hooray! It doesn't seem real, and hasn't sunk in, but we're both thrilled at the idea of him being finished with school in December! Wooohooo!
That's all for now, I'm tired and very pregnant ;)
Ella's last ultrasound went well, she is now looking like an average size baby, not a giant! Once again we have no good ultrasound pictures b/c she was literally facing away. Thanks baby girl. I am 38 weeks and a couple of days. The past couple of days I have had significantly more energy, which has been awesome, and I'm trying to put it to good use. Lots of cleaning and getting things ready for baby girl. One of the things I love about being pregnant is how a perfect stranger can feel like a genuinely excited friend! I love the sweet congratulations and joy people have when they ask me questions and find out I'm due soon. What other time does that happen in life?! I do think that I will have her some time this week, just b/c that's what I think, but who knows (besides the Lord of course!).
Tom has been trying to talk a lot more. It's super sweet. Sometimes we have to quieten him down b/c he gets a little loud. This is sometimes a challenge for me b/c he doesn't talk like most kids. He makes a lot of noises and strange sounds but he's trying to talk. The part that is a challenge for me is when it calls extra attention to him, I'm afraid people will think he isn't "smart" b/c of the sounds he makes. That sounds weird/stupid that I feel that way but that's just the easiest way to explain it. Obviously I know he's extremely smart and I can pretty much interpret what he's trying to communicate a good 99% of the time, but others don't know. And that's the part that's challenging, not to worry what others think, if people know him and are around him they know how smart he is. I could be over thinking the whole thing. As he talks more in public it is getting easier and I pray that the Lord would help me to handle any uncomfortable situation with grace and in a way that glorifies him. I am excited Tom is talking more and wanting to use his voice. It's funny b/c sometimes he sounds really mad when he's not mad at all - like when you ask him to say please, if he really wants it he basically yells LEASE!! (he leaves out the "p" sound). He's hilarious, I'm trying to teach him to say things nicely and quietly and he's catching on really quick. Tommy is still my sweet boy who loves to be snuggled, he is obsessed with TV and would watch it all day long if we let him. I am excited to see how he responds to baby Ella.
Silas is still quite the handful. Remember how I said it was getting easier. Well it all depends on the day. He's a little spit fire. He's talking a lot more too, making some hilarious noises and faces when does so. When he makes the "O" sounds it cracks me up. This boy knows what he wants and when he wants it and how he wants it and if he doesn't get it he'll make sure you know he's not happy about it. Shew, he's giving us a run for our money. Silas is a champion eater though - he pretty much loves a little bit of everything. He doesn't want just one thing to eat at a meal - he likes a variety. I do think his love for fruit has helped Tommy eat more fruit which is wonderful. Silas is very interested in feeding himself which is super nice for me, however he is also very interested in feeding Maggie our dog. They are a sneaky little team and they spur each other on to disobedience. Sometimes I have to literally put Maggie in the other room while they eat so she doesn't come and tempt him by standing right next to him and he doesn't lower his hand and tempt her to come over when she's obeying and laying on the other side of the room. Mischievous. I know this sweet little boy is going to be quite jealous of Miss Ella, he is always wanting me to hold him when I hold other babies. However he does hug and kiss the baby dolls he's seen very sweetly, so hopefully that's a good sign!
Kyle started his last semester of school! Hip Hip Hooray! It doesn't seem real, and hasn't sunk in, but we're both thrilled at the idea of him being finished with school in December! Wooohooo!
That's all for now, I'm tired and very pregnant ;)
Monday, August 5, 2013
Mushy Monday - 6 years of wedded bliss
Six years ago I married Kyle Marlette. Apart from being saved it is the biggest and best thing The Lord has done in my life! Kyle pretty much irritates me on a daily basis, usually on purpose. He makes me smile and laugh, sometimes even as he is irritating me, he has it down to an art. He cares for me, provides for me and our children, he toughens me up but is kind and patient with me when I need him to be, he listens to me about serious stuff (I can't say the same for the daily menial things haha! But hey I am not always good at listening to those things either.), he sharpens me, he answers all my biblical/spiritual questions without ever making me feel stupid, he flirts with me, he is affectionate, and he is intentional to spend time with me. I could keep listing things about him that I am so grateful for. The Lord has blessed me immeasurably through Kyle. I love being able to completely be myself and know that I am being loved! There are times when I know I am getting on Kyle's nerves, for example when I'm extremely hyper and around my best friends or sisters; and there are times I can just feel the grossness and weight of my sin when I have lost my temper with Kyle; and then there are times when I'm having an extremely emotional day and I'm over sensitive and getting on my own nerves; but at the end of all those things I know that Kyle is still there to love and forgive me and that is because of the grace that Christ has extended to us. It is hard to believe it's already been six years, but at the same time it's hard to believe it hasn't been longer. I am thankful for the companionship and love of my husband. And while we are waaaaaay less mushy then we used to be with each other before we were married, there is a deeper sincerity, maturity, and appreciation to our love that has grown with time and I look forward to watching it grow as long as The Lord will allow it (which I hope is a very long time b/c I like Kyle a lot.)
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