The FIrst Tooth

If I was going to resurrect the old blog, it needed a worthy occasion. AAAAnd we have one!!

 

This puppy had been hanging on by a thread for a few days. Daddy had been persistently wiggling/tugging at it as she would allow, but he lost a little bit of trust the day he introduced the pliers (which didn't get it out by the way, because she wouldn't let him near her). So, when she came to me after brushing her teeth that evening to try and wiggle it out, I gave it a good push and when it started bleeding, grabbed a paper towel and told her to pull. Out it popped!!

Her brothers were nearly asleep, but we busted in, turned on the light and had to share the exciting news.

The Tooth Fairy came and left four quarters. She must have had an early start on the night because when Sophia woke up at 11pm to check her box, the money was there already! She bee-lined for my room where I was getting ready for bed. I've never seen her so excited.
We had taped a box closed with the tooth inside so she didn't loose it. Sophia marveled how the tape was still on as she picked it open, pausing every few seconds to rattle the box. 
The next day, we went to Target to the Dollar Spot to spend her fortune! A Hello Kitty coloring book. Ahhhhh. Isn't life great when you're 6?

Kansas weekend

To my kids, Kansas has become synonymous with fun, freedom, outdoors and fresh eggs. I bet they will start asking to move there pretty soon.
This weekend we road tripped to Lake Cheney for a Saturday wedding of my cousin, Jake. Another cousin (and mom of 6), Angela managed to borrow an extra camper for us to stay at the lake while we were there. For the second year in a row, we joined them and a handful of their friends for a Memorial Day lake camp out.
There were breakfasts for 30+ people each morning of fresh farm sausage and bacon, "real" eggs and all kinds of other yumminess wrapped up in burritos. These folks are pros. They spend every other weekend of the summer there with their campers, so they have a tried and true system. They have propane tanks hooked up to a burner which heats a huge wok pan. With two of these going, they cook 48 eggs and bacon in no time. Aaamazing.
 With plenty of dirt, all kinds of digging toys and a little creek nearby with crawdads, the kids were in heaven. Then came the sticky popsicles, and later the s'mores - and you'll believe it when I tell you we went through all our clothes in no time flat. I had to borrow some detergent from my grandma and do some good oldfashioned sink-clothes washing.

Minnow Catching

Just helpin out a brother with his marshmallow hands

The wedding was beautiful and so fun. I saw about half of my 50-60 extended family members there. When you have 30 cousins, and then about half of them get married and have a few kids each- it gets really interesting when everyone gathers together. By the second day there, Sophia thought every kid at our campground was a family member (which they weren't). They were blown away with all their second cousin playmates! Justin and Elizabeth came up from TX too!

We also were able to visit with my grandma. She talked a bit about her childhood in pre-war Holland and her great-grandparents (who would have been born in the 1800's) so that was a treat! I love going to Kansas because of the sense of history and of family that goes with it. Not that everything is bliss (like every extended family, I think) but just that we're part of something bigger.

While at grandma's the kids got to go check out the chicken coop and collect one brown egg a piece. You wouldn't believe how protective there were of those eggs - which we eventually cooked - to much critical acclaim. There were dogs, cats, a turkey, baby quail, chickens, roosters, and cows out the pasture. The kids were in heaven.

Upon finally getting home and sitting down to dinner, Sophia declared. "I'm glad I'm not in another family because then I wouldn't have as much fun."

Happy Birthday

Two.
"I do it."
Blue eyes
Carb loader.
Head of steel.
Spins till dizzy.
Skinny little man.
Loves technology.
Block castle wrecker.
Big brother wanna be.

I love it all.
Happy Birthday Xavier!

The truth is... I love snow

While everyone else around here is bemoaning the interminable winter we've had, we are shamelessly enjoying the cold and snow. After 12 years in Texas, my heart goes pitter-pat when the weather forecast calls for snow. In the case of last Sunday, I was ridiculously stoked to shovel the driveway. Like I won the lottery.
Yeah, I know I'm the exception around here. Loves snow and the Rangers. I feel like the people here might send us packing if they knew the truth.

11 inches!!

We were less than prepared, with the boys using gardening trowels

I always fill the feeder as it starts to snow. It attracts cardinals and creates  frenzied sparrow-parties.

Saturday morning

Matthew took the two older ones to Mass and out for a playdate with another dad and his two boys, leaving Mary and Xavier with me.
I had a very helpful (almost) two-year old helping me make applesauce muffins. We had a little misunderstanding when I asked him to get me a mixing bowl. He grabbed the bowl from the countertop that was full of coffee grounds and dumped it all over his head and hair in the process.
I surprised myself by not freaking out. I merely swept up and let the boy continue making muffins with me with a headful of coffee. Isn't it supposed to be good for something skin related?

X helped me stir and lick the mixers before I popped him in the tub. His scalp is now well-exfoliated.

Yuvin his yicks. (Lovin' his licks)

Coffee head

In other news, we have a mother bird building a nest in my winter wreath on our front door. What am I going to DO! I'll have to leave my lovely seasonal wreath up until early summer!! What, o what will the neighbors think?!
 I told Matthew about it and his immediate reaction was "We should just move the wreath so she doesn't build it there."
Aside from the small problem of not being able to use the front door, I think it has the potential to be a really fun and unique learning experience for the kids.
I'm amazed at how much work she has already done on this nest by bringing straw after straw and weaving and moving each piece "just so." I hate to move it! Maybe we could relocate the wreath to the window next to the door? I wonder if she would notice the difference?
And then the neighbors would really wonder. A winter wreath on their window in the summer? Who are these people?

Now we are a "Fun Family"

The most recent issue of Family Fun had a front page teaser "Secrets of Really Fun Families" or something similar. I thought "Yeah, maybe I could be a little bit more of a fun parent. Most of the time I feel like a cranky disciplinarian." While a lot of the tips just wouldn't work for our young kids, there was one that promised to be a keeper... Having a random letter themed party!

We (Matthew and I) picked a movie to frame out the evening and based on the movie name, we planned food and other things around that letter. So a few weeks ago we had "P" night. The kids were soooo excited! We watched Peter Pan, popped popcorn, put on our pajamas, got our pillows, and had a pizza and pepsi picnic. It. was. a. hit.

So we decided to do it every other week, and last weekend we invited some friends over for "C" night. Sophia copied the menu as part of her school-work. In case you can't read it, we had chicken nuggets, corn, cucumbers, carrots, chips, cookies and chocolate milk.

The kids watched "Cinderella" with their friends which was Ah maze ing because it gave us parents a chance to eat our nuggets in peace, wash them down with some wine, and actually have a conversation.

Check out the zone-out action!

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In other news, Mary is enormous. 96% for weight at 12lbs 120z and not even 2 months old yet! Love me some baby chub!!!

Snowman slayers

And they used the saw to chop up his nose for stew.

Oh yes, we are a scary bunch. This photo wasn't staged. I just let the kids outside for a few minutes and look...

Sibling Love

The kids meeting Mary for the first time.

So when I said "tomorrow" I'll post pics, I really meant "next weekend" when I can take a breath. What was I thinking? It's been a challenge to say the least to keep the kids from running crazy, keep the homeschool thing going, and just to get laundry, dishes and baths done. Grandma and Grandpa have been lifesavers, coming over after work all last week to help! Here are a few pics of goings-on around here...

Mary Cecilia

So Daddy and Grandpa took the big kids to the zoo, leaving me with 8 day old, sweet Mary Cecilia. I have been shamelessly vegging out on the couch, watching the Bachelor but decided I should do something productive with my free time. ha! Like blogging obviously.

But Miss Mary wouldn't rest in her crib by herself, so she is joining me here at the computer.

Finally, she is here! Four long days past my due date.

  Last Friday, the 11th I woke up with serious cramping and occasional strong contractions at 2 a.m. Long story short, I felt like a first time mom when they sent me home from the hospital after some monitoring. After the last two babies coming in under 4 hours, I was really afraid I wouldn't get to the hospital on time.

I did have them strip my membranes though, and so after a late breakfast, we went home to wait. Around 1:30, Matthew went to work leaving my mom home with me. My contractions were still coming every 15 minutes.
I kid you not, as soon as the tires of Matthew's car left our driveway, I was down to 10 minutes. 30 minutes later they were 4 minutes apart. He came racing home after being at work maybe 20 minutes. By this time I was in serious labor and really worried we weren't going to make it to the hospital (20 minutes away).

Well, we got there - thanks to Matthew's gratuitous speeding- and I was THAT huffy puffy pregnant woman in the wheelchair being raced up to L&D. I tried not to freak out the 4 yr old boy on our elevator and just hold it in, praying my water wouldn't break right there. And the lady at the L&D reception desk had the nerve to suggest an observation room! Whaaa? Fortunately I didn't have to say anything because another nurse piped up that she didn't think I needed to start there...

We made it into a delivery room pronto and they strapped monitors on my belly for "20 minutes of monitoring." I told them I didn't think I would make it that long and... yes. I was right. Mary arrived with just a couple good pushes, about 20 minutes after getting into our room. 

3:02 p.m.
7lbs 7oz

of sweetness

Honestly I am so glad it is over. You know how you are supposed to "forget" how painful it is. I guess something is wrong with me because I didn't forget. Xavier's birth was really bad. Short labor and delivery but the most painful one... maybe because it was SO SO fast. In comparison, Mary's wasn't that bad, but I am glad she is here. And I can tie my own shoes again. And play ball with Matthew Jr. and all that.
I'm so happy that God gave me a girl. He knew I needed her after my 2-boy streak. Love my boys to bits, but from the very beginning I was desperately hoping for a girl.

Going home with our pinky bundle.

More to come tomorrow. I have the most PRECIOUS sibling pictures... :)

Still waiting.

O yes, we are still waiting around here. Why do we pregnant ladies get so certain it is going to be "any day" at 38 wks? It makes the ensuing 2-3 weeks that much longer. 'sigh'

Well, maybe it WILL be this weekend because I suddenly got a strange urge to hang all the framed photos and pics on the walls that I possibly can. I also am feeling an urgent need to clean the house but am skeptical that this is a good way of using my annoyingly limited energy. Yeah, hanging pictures is pretty easy work.

Meanwhile, the kids are bugging me about when this sib is coming since I went so long telling them "after Christmas." Now that we are talking about putting away the Christmas decorations, I think they are getting worried. M Jr. declared today that the baby would be here after NEXT Christmas.

We have had a few distractions though. Like family, friends (sorry no pics of the Rowles visit here, go to Maureen's blog:http://mcrowles.blogspot.com/2012/12/st-louis-visit-with-mcbrides.html) and SNOW!

And just for good measure, a family photo taken a week before Christmas. Sorry folks, that's all I've got for pregnant belly shots!

And since I am not a big FB person anymore, I'll be posting birth details (if it ever happens) here, tho M Sr. will probably put a few pics on his FB page. Stay tuned :)