And Carolyn’s welcome party.
And our welcome to Vancouver party.
All in one!
More pictures to come but…
From Grammy’s camera:
Maggie tells us what’s happening in between bites:
The girls learn the OSU cheer on their way to bed:
Maggie’s Third Birthday
Filed under Everyday Stuff
What I Struggle With
I wonder if this post will be misinterpreted. Hopefully not!
I don’t struggle with
his Down Syndrome.
He learns more slowly, he’s not potty trained yet, he is not verbal, he eats baby food, he is rather stubborn… he loves water, he teaches himself new things all the time (he taught himself to lay on his belly in the tub and blow bubbles), he loves to be tossed into the air by his Papa, he loves visitors, because they usually play with him and he is happy to see me when I come to get him out of his crib every morning.
I don’t struggle with
Jordan.
Certainly not! He is one funny little guy! His personality is endearing. His determination is inspiring. His curiosity is expanding. Oh no, I don’t struggle with who Jordan is.
I struggle with…
my inability to help him when
he begins to cry while eating a meal
my inability to reach him when
he is rocking in his crib
my inability to protect him when
he rocks, rubs, bangs, chews and hurts himself through the long nights
and in the daytime too
It’s such a helpless, hurting feeling to see your child struggling and not know how to help. To feel powerless. And to feel like I ought to be trying harder, but to have limited resources (my personal energy).
I’m gearing up for pouring more into my little boy. I might try a Gingko supplement. I might try a significant diet change. I will pursue therapies to help him with development, especially communication.
But for now, I am pouring into my newborn. It’s her turn right now for the lion’s share of mommy. And I’m trying not to feel guilty about that. About how EASY she is to love. No cold, smelly, slimy fingers. No fear of relational closeness. No sores or fragile-wet skin displaying my failure to heal him. Do not misunderstand me. He is my SON. MY son. MY SON! He is who I WANT. He is exactly who he is! And I love him right where he is and as he is. He is precious to me and he possesses the ability to make me smile and feel proud all day long.
It’s just those hurting parts… the parts a parent wants to fix. Those are hard. For him. For me.
Trusting my Father, the Great Physician, the perfect Father… who loves him even more than me and who holds the whole world in His completely competent hands. One day at a time. One day at a time.
Filed under Everyday Stuff
On My Own
It’s been two wonderful weeks of recovering and spending time together and yesterday, Brian went back to work. Time for me to discover a new normal! Day one went great and day two is going well. We (meaning Brian and I) are tired, but not to the point of exhaustion. The kids have mostly kept their meltdowns to one at a time. Jordan is our trickiest one… he has been struggling lately with some sort of stress… we don’t know what, but he’s having trouble eating more than a bite without falling apart. 🙁 I have some ideas of things to try with our family – diet changes and stuff that might help, but I’m not ready to try anything that will change my routine dramatically just yet. But sometime.
Things on deck to happen in the next few months – pediatrician appointments for all kids, a sedated hearing test for Jordan, preparations for Anna’s Kindergarten school year that will start in January, and lots of holiday fun! Eventually, I’d like to get Jordan set up with therapies. I am positive that this will help him develop at a more accelerated pace. However, in gross motor skills and cognitive skills and communication, he’s really been growing and developing, so I’m not too worried. I would like to help him with his emotional stability, though.
Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, I have a bunch of great pictures to share and not a lot of brain cells for posting many more thoughts. 🙂 Last night, Carrie had her first awake-in-the-night-time and I’m a bit groggy yet. Maybe that’s because she went to bed for the day at 3pm? She did! Crazy baby!
Carolyn:
birth – 19.5″ long and 8 lbs. 6 oz.
1 day old – 8 lbs. 0 oz.
4 days old – 8 lbs. 4 oz.
8 days old – 8 lbs. 14 oz.
15 days old – 9 lbs. 2 oz. and 21 inches long
She is sooooo cute! She is so soft and squishy and I love how she’s grown! Ok – going to upload pictures and get captions on them now!
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- Doesn't the coop look great!? And here are the girls - ready to help Papa paint! I love that we had a big outdoor painting project that we could let them help with!
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- Little painter.
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- Big painter!
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- Maggie "glooped" it on and Anna was proud to know how to spread it out properly for her.
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- What delight these two bring me!
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- Cute painty girl.
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- Paint everywhere!!!
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- Look at my fine family out there working while the little ones and I rested inside!
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- The coop looks amazing! I think we need some sort of roofing still, to go over the plastic that Brian put on the pallets, but it is mostly finished! Just need to build a run and put that roofing on!
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- Maggie is running for the house!
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- There are times when my little girl just does sleep really, really, well.
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- I love it when Maggie and Jordan play together. They don't play together very often, but they do sometimes and their relationship is pretty special.
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- Ready for bath!
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- Little squirmy sweetheart!
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- Carolyn wasn't too crazy about her bath.
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- Bathtime in the sink! A huge sink is going to be great for baby bathtimes!
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- Little pink bundle after her first not-sponge bath.
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- Awwwww - isn't that cloth diaper just perfect on my wittle bitty widdle babykins?
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- Sooooo cute!
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- My little cloth baby bundle of love.
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- My silly girls playing together in the top bunk.
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- Silly!!!!!
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- Silly!!!!!
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- Anna built a fort!
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- Brian said this was the most efficient way to get the roof clean.
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- WOW - whose cars are those????? (Last washed in May... they were actually starting to grow things)
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- The fort that Anna built! (Mommy put the blanket on for her)
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- My new friend and helper, the ridiculously expensive vacuum!
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- Someday... maybe someday... I will have a desktop that's a little bigger so that I can see my monitor even when there is stuff on my desk.
Filed under Everyday Stuff
Song for a Fourth Child
I generally have a hard time stopping projects or chores to just spend time with my kids. Newborn time, though… I finally break through that wall and really enjoy my children, especially the new one. I’m appreciating this poem today.
Song for a Fifth Child (also known as Babies Don’t Keep) by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Filed under Everyday Stuff
Family of Six Update
I don’t know about you, but I am still surprised every time I realize I have four children.
That’s kind of a lot, don’t you think?
We’re very much outnumbered.
And so very blessed!
I wonder if this means I will never shower again…
Some photos and videos for those who haven’t had a chance to fill their newborn tank in awhile:
Maggie holding Carolyn:
Carolyn after her first sponge bath – 1 day old? Or was this her second bath???
Her awake face. HAHA!
Awake again… more recently:
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- Our first outing! Both the big girls had the same first outing - a trip to rent a movie and buy Papa Murphy's. (I don't think I got out of the car.) Carolyn is special... her first outing was to buy baby chicks!
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- Brian's view. Look at our good-looking family! In other news - I love my sit n' stand stroller. It is great for a cheap, lightweight stroller that can hold an infant seat.... I can put up to four children in it. (though three is easier)
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- Oh my goodness - soooo sweet! Maggie finally wanted to hold her baby sister. Look how big my tiny almost-three-year-old is!
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- Maggie is my most lovey/snuggly/sweet and kissy child.
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- Who finds joy is everything. Here she is finding Carrie's feet.
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- Joy that is contagious.
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- It was hard to stop taking pictures. 🙂
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- Anna has another turn! She is my nurturing child. Careful and gentle and sweet. (Maggie's love and joy isn't bound by any laws of being careful or gentle!)
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- And Maggie has another turn!
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- All my girls....
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- My family. I am blessed!
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- What I do while Brian gets the other kids ready for bed.... sink into the couch with my littlest one. (bounce, bounce, bounce....)
Filed under Everyday Stuff