Happy Birthday Mom!

Today would have been my mom's 51st birthday. This is a picture of her as an infant and just a year or so before she died.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I'm Back!

Well, I got home late last night from the hospital from my bladder surgery. I am sore but doing OK. The doctor tells us that it went well and that he expects things to work well.

After the trauma of dropping off my baby knowing that it would be at least a day until I saw him again, it was time freak out about my surgery. It was a long, quiet ride to the hospital for Matt and I. Knowing that I would be a sleep and someone would be cutting into me was almost too much to bare. As 10am came closer and closer I started shaking and crying. I said goodbye to Matt and cried all the way to the OR. The last thing I remember is crying in the OR and the nurse rubbing my arm. The next thing I knew I was in recovery. My right leg felt like it was on fire! My nurse gave me a little something for the pain and I rested there for a while. When I got to my room, I was still feeling the pain in my leg. It was a horrible pain and a very weird numbness feeling. It was very heavy to lift and I could barely move it due to the pain. The nurses did a pretty good job at keeping me medicated. After having an ultrasound of both my legs and a meeting with a neurologist, it was determined that I have a stretched nerve in my thigh area. It should improve in the next couple of weeks. Apparently, during the surgery I wasn't in a very lady-like position. So now I rest for a while. I have to return to the doctor in two weeks for a check up.

Oh, and the kids did really well at my Dad and Connie's house. Luke even slept pretty much all night. When we brought him home last night he got up four times! Why does that happen? Oh well, at least he was good for them. They had even brought the kids up to the hospital when it looked like I might have to stay another night because of my leg problem. They did a good job watching all six kids (including Sierra) and I am thankful that they did that for me.

Hannah's First Job

Today, Hannah has had her first official paid babysitting job. She has been looking forward to this all week! A woman who goes to our church asked Hannah to come over a couple days a week and help look after her son and daughter. I am just amazed at the fact that she is old enough to do that now. I know I have said this before but she is growing up so fast!! Before you know it, she will be a full grown woman. It's sad because she will not be my little girl anymore but excited to see what her future holds.

Also, I wanted to let you know that I will be having my bladder surgery tomorrow morning July 27 at 10:00am. I will be at St. Vincents Hospital for one night. All five of the kids will be staying at my dad and Connie's house while Matt stays with me. They're brave, right? I am having a really hard time with the fact that I will be away from Luke for that long. He's so little and I feel like he needs me but I really need to have this taken care of. Pray that I will have some peace about it. I will update you when I get home sometime on Saturday.

Updates!!!

Just to update you...Luke DID NOT sleep all night last night!!! He actually woke up more times. I'm not sure if it was the shots he got yesterday or the fact that our air conditioning is out in our house but he woke up four times!

On a happier note, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning and lost 3.6 pounds! I got another five pound star for a total of 81.2 pounds!! I was so happy!

Luke's First Cereal

Today, Matt and I took Luke to the doctor for his four month check up and shots. He weighs 17lbs 4oz and is 25 inches long. I felt really bad for him because he was so happy then BANG…two shots in each leg. He was so mad!! My heart breaks every time I hear him cry like that. Dr. Woolwine also told us she thought he was ready to try a little rice cereal so we picked some up this afternoon. I think he liked it but he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Maybe this will help him finally sleep through the night. She told us that at this age he isn’t getting up because he is hungry, necessarily, but out of habit. But, as long as my last sweet baby continues to wake up I will continue to nurse him happily. I know I will miss these days when they are finally over. Here are some pictures of Luke’s first attempt at rice cereal

A Visit From Aunt Mel

My mom’s sister, Melody, came for a visit from Chicago on Thursday. We had such a great time with her. When she got here Thursday we just hung out and ate turkey burgers that Matt grilled for us. Friday morning we got up and went to the cemetery to put some new flowers on my mom’s grave. She loved the Sunflower so we put out some of those. They were very pretty. For lunch, we went to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Nopalera. The rest of the afternoon was spent hitting thrift and consignment stores. We LOVE doing that! It’s the thrill of the hunt for us. Before we knew it our visit was over. We took her to the airport on Saturday morning. It was kind of funny because when I am leaving the house will all five kids it is always hectic but I am become accustomed to it. For an outsider it can be sort of stressful but she laughed it off saying it was like being in a sitcom! We loved having her and hope she comes back soon.

Luke 3 1/2 months old

I had these pictures made of Luke 2 weeks ago when he was 3 1/2 months old. He will be 16 weeks old this Thursday. He is growing up too fast!! I wish he would slow down a little. The blue baseball background is actually a blanket that Hannah made for him and gave me as a gift at my baby shower.

Locks of Love

I took the girls today to the Orange Park Mall where they donated 10 inches of their hair to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a company who makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to medical issues like cancer. Hannah and Noelle were very nervous about it but in the end they like their haircuts and feel good about giving to other children who need it. Matt and I are so proud of them!
Here are during and after pictures of them.

Happy 1st Birthday Tate!

Today my nephew, Tate, is having his very first birthday. He is so cute and so sweet. I only wish I lived closer to him (and Emma) so that I could share in their lives more regularly. I am one proud Auntie. Can you tell?

Happy Birthday Tate! Auntie loves you!!

Fireworks!!

After my dad and Connie left we enjoyed some down time until it got dark. The people in our neighborhood always put on a great fireworks show. It’s just as good as a professional show except no crowds. Matt and I took the kids, our chairs and the baby monitor (because Luke was already in bed) outside to do Sparklers and enjoy the fireworks.

These are pictures of the kids enjoying their Sparklers. Although, Jacob said at 13 Sparklers aren't what they use to be.

Happy July 4th!!!

We had a really great July 4th. My Dad, Connie and Sierra came over to our house and we cooked out hamburgers and hotdogs. They had bought us a grill for our anniversary a year and a half ago that we had never used. It was so good! We will be using it more often now that it has been “broken in.”

These are pictures of my dad and Connie with the kids. Yes, that’s my dad wearing a tie with shorts and a t-shirt. Can you believe he went to Publix that way? How embarrassing!! He has gotten a little weird in his old age.

A Visit to MawMaw

I hadn’t seen my Grandma in a very long time so I thought I would take the kids to see her this morning. After all, she had never seen Luke. When we got there, she was sitting in a rocking chair in the hallway rocking back and forth. She looked at me like she knows she should know me but I know she still has no idea who I am. She had an awful lot to say although I didn’t understand any of it. I just kept telling her how pretty she looked and that we love her.

Happy Boy!!

Luke is very much a morning baby. He is so happy when he wakes up. Here he is this morning at 13 weeks old. Can you believe it? It goes so fast!!

Game Day 2007

Last week Hannah, Noah and Noelle went to Vacation Bible School and music camp at First Baptist Church of Middleburg. They were gone everyday last week from 9am to 3pm. It was really great! I only had Jacob (because he was to old) and Luke. Two kids was so easy!! They had their musical performance last Friday night. They did such a good job.