Joy to the World

**I wrote this post piece by piece as I had time so it isn't the most fluid post I've ever written***

Well in the spirit of keeping the holidays interesting, Matthew spiked a fever the day before we were supposed to get together with my immediate family to celebrate Christmas. Of course I was worried about keeping Molly healthy and Matthew comfortable…not an easy task when I’m home alone with the kids. Luckily my mom was off of school and wrapping up her Christmas shopping so she said she would love to come over and hold someone for a few hours. Much appreciated!

Christmas Eve Eve

Matthew woke up fever free! We decided our Christmas celebration could go on! Drew took the day off of work, which was awesome. We got all the gifts wrapped with two “helpers”, hung out as a family and I grocery shopped before the festivities began. Then after naps we headed over to my parents for the celebration. Of course Andrew wanted to start opening presents immediately! But we had to wait for everyone to arrive and get settled. Once the opening began it was a frenzy. Andrew and Kiersten tore through their gifts in no time. Matthew was so funny this year. He had no interest in opening his presents. The one present I put under our tree before Christmas he tore into. I guess he didn’t get the concept because the few I helped him open he loved and wanted to play with. I decided to just leave his wrapped and take them home. The rest of the night we played with the new toys, ordered pizza, and hung out as a family. It was a great time.

Hide and seek was a popular game for the older kids. Matthew wanted to keep playing all night. At one point I was hiding and he was looking for me. He walked into the bathroom and looked in the toilet and said, “no”. Then he looked behind a pillow and said, “no”. Then he walked right past me as I was hiding on the side of the couch. It was so cute and funny.

Hiding

Thank you mom and dad for your extreme generosity and so the wonderful gifts. And thank you siblings for the perfect gifts for my family and me. You know us so well.

Andrew's favorite gift, his robe:)

Christmas Eve

Andrew was so excited to wake up and play with his new toys. I was beginning to wonder if he would be this excited on Christmas morning. Andrew could hardly wait for Matthew to roll out of bed and open his remaining presents (Matthew sleeps much later than Andrew). Matthew did much better without any pressure, just taking his time. The boys played and we had a fire going, it was the perfect relaxing morning. Then we baked and decorated cookies for Santa. After naps we loaded up and headed back to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. It was pouring down rain, luckily not snowing or we would have been snowed in for weeks. The food was delicious. Drew sat in front of the beef tenderloin all night, he couldn’t get enough. Finally Matthew had enough and just kept saying, “home”. He was worn out!

Once we got home we put out the cookies and chocolate milk (Andrew said that’s what Santa likes because he saw it on Max and Ruby). Andrew went right to bed because he wanted Santa to come so badly. It was so cute, his excitement was contagious. Once the boys were in bed Drew and I began wrapping, yes began. We took turns keeping Molly happy and wrapping gifts. Amazingly we finished wrapping about 11:30. Drew opened our bedroom door to take the gifts down and heard Matthew screaming. We went in there right away and he was very hoarse with the deep croup cough. Poor guy. Drew sat in the bathroom with him for a while and luckily the steam did the trick and he was back asleep by midnight. We got in bed and I looked over at Molly, who Drew was holding, and her eyes could not have been more wide open! This was going to be a long night!

Christmas Day

We managed to get a few hours of sleep and a very excited 4 year old woke us up bright and early. He patiently waited for Matthew to wake up who just happened to sleep in later than ever. Once Matthew was up we had the kids sit at the top of the stairs and wait for dad to give them the go ahead. Andrew tore down the steps and was pleasantly surprised with the array of gifts. It was so much fun watching him tear into his presents and look on each tag to see if it was for him. Matthew was REALLY excited by his stocking because it was full of Mickey Mouse and Toy Story fruit snacks…his favorite “snackie”. As we were opening presents it began to snow and actually started accumulating quickly. It turned out to be a white Christmas after all. Once all the presents were opened we quickly got ready for church and headed out. The boys got to wear their new snow boots and backpacks full of “quiet” toys.

To our surprise, the roads were in BAD shape! On our way to church we saw 8 multiple car accidents. Not what we expected considering the snow just started falling a few hours earlier. We came home for lunch and naps and then headed to my Uncle John’s for Christmas dinner. As we traveled back towards the city we noticed the roads were not near as bad and there was hardly any snow on the grass…guess the storm was worse out west. As we were getting out of the car to walk into their house, Matthew hit his lip getting out of his carseat and bit right into it. He recovered rather quickly…just in time for Molly to have the biggest poop of her life. She pooped all the way up her back to her neck. It was a MESS. But she recovered as well and was actually quite comfortable the rest of the night. Being at the Benoist’s was the perfect way to end Christmas day. They gave the kids perfect gifts and had bagel bites for the boys and just made the evening perfect for our family. We had to leave before the FEAST but we got a to go bag and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Playing new Leapster with Poppa

A Visit, A Birthday, and a Field Trip

Saturday we had some special visitors. My friend Catherine (who now lives in Wyoming), her husband Tom, and their daughter Madeleine came by for a visit. It worked out perfectly because they had been at her family's farm and conveniently our new house is on the way home. We had a wonderful visit and managed to catch up with the many distractions from our kids. The boys were just as excited to have visitors as we were. The rest of the day Matthew said Madeleine's name over and over. That evening we decided to venture out and look at some lights a neighbor had told us about. It was very cool. It was one house that was totally decked out, then there was a sign with a radio station to turn on in your car. The songs were in sync with the lights. It was very cool and the boys were enthralled. It was just perfect.




Sunday we had Kiersten's 4th birthday party. We all had so much fun and Kiersten got some really cool toys. I was really proud of Andrew because he "helped" Kiersten without being too forceful and he was really excited for her and what she got. Kiersten was also very nice to let Andrew help her open her presents. The big hit was a huge dinosaur that scared Kiersten at first but Andrew convinced her she had to at least get it out of the box to see what it was all about. This was the first time all 6 cousins were together...it's going to be a fun Christmas!





Today the boys got to take a special field trip with grandma. Grandma came over this morning and took the boys to a special train store. They went so they could get Poppa a new train car for the train he has to go around the Christmas tree. They had so much fun and came home it the best mood. It was the perfect little outing and Molly and I were able to have a little girl time (aka quiet time).

Update on Molly's sleep...it was a fluke. But she is still a very good sleeper getting only once a night.

Molly the Sleeper

I was a little worried going to bed last night. The night before Molly had an off night of sleep. She couldn't fall asleep and then when she woke up to eat about 2 she was up for an hour and half after eating. BUT this morning when I looked at the clock it was 5:15!!! Molly slept from 11:15 until 5:15!!! May have been a fluke but I'll take it! AND Molly is 4 weeks old today!

In other news, Molly attended her first Sunday dinner. Apparently she wasn't a fan of the trip to and from Grandma and Poppa's because we heard her REAL cry but she enjoyed her time while we were there. Of course the boys had a blast. They were excited about the change of scenery and that they got to help Poppa set up the Christmas train.



Andrew had is Christmas party at school yesterday. Drew was able to take off an hour of work to be there with him. They sang an Advent song about waiting and a 2 Christmas songs to the parents. Then they ate cookies, the highlight of the day for Andrew.


Now the challenge for today...keeping the boys entertained. They are already bouncing off the walls. It's 8am and we have had breakfast, watched Max and Ruby, painted, and played with play doh...if only it was above 20 degrees outside.

Getting Caught Up

Ok, I'm going to try and get caught up with this blog.

We had a major scheduling conflict last week. I got an email from Andrew's school saying they were going to be doing an advent activity in which one parent needed to be there and help. Well Drew had a meeting he couldn't miss and they did not want siblings to attend. (Plus I didn't want to bring Molly into a preschool classroom anyway.) So I called my dad to see if he could do the activity with Andrew. Well he was going to be out of town on business. So then I called my brother John and he came through big time! Not only was he the only uncle but he was the only "guy" at the activity. John called afterward and said that it was a lot of fun. They made him take the advent wreath with him and he wanted to drop it off so Andrew wouldn't be upset after school. He didn't have to but being the nice brother/uncle he is, he delivered it. I was expecting him to walk in with a big wreath with the pink and purple candles. Well John came to the door and he had this teeny tiny dessert plate with this teeny tiny play doh wreath with pink and purple birthday candles. I was dying laughing. All that effort for THIS! Of course I understand that it was an activity they wanted the parents to be involved in...I just thought it was funny. Thanks a million John!


Friday, Molly had her 2 week check up. She has gained weight, I think she was 7lbs 8oz and she grew a half of an inch to 22 inches. The doctor said she is perfect and to keep up the good work...3rd time's a charm! Oh, he had a few resident doctors with him and he said to them, "Oh wow, she looks much better than last time I saw her." (He was referring to our visit when Molly was 5 days old...guess I was in bad shape.)

I'm not recalling any other major events last week. Drew had to work long hours which made the week seem very LONG but I can't complain. I get to be a stay at home mom which is what I want. I'm just still adjusting to being a mom of 3 and not getting much sleep so some days it's hard to put everything in perspective but I'm trying:)

Have you heard of the book, Alexander and the Horrible Terrible No Good Very Bad Day? Well that's how I felt on Saturday. For some reason I woke up in a mood. I honestly think I had held it together as long as I could and I crumbled on Saturday. I'm not going to get into everything but there were some valid disappointments (the final straw: we were supposed to get some professional pictures taken of Molly for her announcement and a few family shots for our Christmas card; it fell through at the last minute meaning I had all the kids dressed, I had showered and done my hair and make up (a HUGE accomplishment) and Drew was showered and dressed. Once I got over myself, I sucked it up and we took a family picture and some pictures of Molly). I felt like a bad mom and wife BUT Drew and I were able to talk through some things and the day ended on a good note.

St. Nick came Sunday and brought the boys a pop up bus...they love it!


I have had a new attitude this week and I feel like it's been pretty productive. We've done some Christmas art projects, put up some more decorations (the nativity scene was a big hit) and baked Christmas cookies. Wednesday, the coldest and windiest day of the year, Max's gate blew open. (The news reported 60mph winds and it was 10 degrees.) Max decided this would be a good day to go on a little adventure. I only let him out for a few minutes and then went to let him back in and he was GONE. I didn't know what to do. It was so cold outside and Molly was just about due to eat. I called Drew and he said he would call the police to let them know. He also called the Humane Society and Animal Control. Once he was gone for about an hour I started to worry. He had never gotten out at this house so I knew he didn't know his way around AND it was FREEZING! I decided to bundle the kids up and drive around and look for him. No luck. I came home and made the boys some lunch. My mind was going through all the what ifs. I continued to pray that he would just come home or someone would call. While the boys were eating we got the call!!! He went to someones house and she asked me where we lived. I told her and she was like, "WOW he is far from home! I'll meet you at the pool." She was so nice and as I was driving Max home (wanting to kill him and kiss him at the same time) I was kicking myself because I didn't get her name or ask where she lived so I could get her a thank you gift.







Thankfully my mom was hosting bible study that night. I knew it was cold and probably not the best night to take Molly out of the house but I needed to get out! I bundled the kids up, ran through McDonalds, and went to my parent's house. Drew met me there after his meeting and took the boys home. Molly and I hung with the girls over a glass of wine and some discussion on Advent. It was SO nice to get out and feel like an adult!


Matthew: He has been talking up a storm since Molly was born. I noticed a big difference yesterday when Andrew was at school and Andrew wasn't here to talk for Matthew. He was talking non stop and I just loved it! Some funny things he says: He likes to sing Jingle Bells which sounds like "ningle nells, ningle nells" over and over. If you join in to sing with him he says, "no inging" (no singing). I guess he knows I wasn't blessed with a beautiful voice.

When he hears Molly, he immediately stops whatever he is doing and say "Mowwy"

Ok, I think I'm caught up. Thanks for reading to the end...hopefully I'll be able to stay on top of posts so they aren't so long.

A QUIET Thanksgiving

"Have a QUIET Thanksgiving" is what Drew and I heard over and over from our pediatrician while we were in the hospital and then again at Molly's 2 day check up. So we decided it would be best to stay home on Thanksgiving instead of going to my parent's for brunch with my siblings and their families. BUT my wonderful parents came through BIG time. As soon as everyone left brunch they came out here with every Thanksgiving dish you can imagine including some very nice bottles of wine.

Andrew made everyone a place card for dinner and I got to use my fine china and crystal for the 1st time. (It had been in my parent's basement until we moved into our new house.) The boys were so excited to see grandma and poppa. My mom had prepared everything ahead of time and brought the turkey over the day before so I could put it in. She included the boys in her final preparations and they were on top of the world.

Everything tasted amazing. Of course the boys wanted nothing to do with the turkey feast, they wanted bagel bites...how nutritious. They of course finished eating before us and were running around like crazy. So we can say it wasn't the most relaxing Thanksgiving dinner but it sure was delicious. Thank you mom for all of your hard work, bringing the food, preparing everything and cleaning everything up. It was a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!


The rest of the weekend was absolutely beautiful. Drew got the Christmas lights up, we got our tree up, and we took a family walk to the pond and the boys did a little fishing. Drew and I took turns going to church so we didn't have to take Molly and Drew went to the grocery store so we could have food for the week ahead. Of course as Sunday began to come to an end I started to feel sad that the long weekend was over and it was back to being a full time mom of 3. Well I forgot my mom had an extra day off of school. So she came over on Monday and played with the boys while I cleaned the bathrooms, showered (not and easy task these days) and did some laundry...once again, I was eased into the week:)

Our First Week with Miss Molly

Our first weekend at home went pretty well. The boys began to realize that mom and dad were home and not leaving again. Drew needed to take a trip to Lowes to get a few necessities so he decided to take the boys and his parents with him. I was able to have some quiet time with my little girl and put my feet up for a while. It was priceless when they got home. The boys walked in the house in Lowes aprons with a craft they built at Lowes. Talk about perfect timing. They were in the right place at the right time. This is just what both of the boys needed. Another blessing was the beautiful weather! The boys took their new Gator to the pond to show Mimi and PawPaw the ducks. I heard them come home and decided to venture outside with Molly. The weather was just perfect for her.






Sunday Drew and I went to church with Matthew while Andrew and Molly stayed home with Mimi and PawPaw. I didn't exactly feel like going to church but I knew it was something I needed to do. The rest of the day we enjoyed spending time with Drew's parents and I began to think about the week ahead. I had Drew go grocery shopping so we would have food in the house since I wasn't supposed to drive. Drew and his dad took Andrew to the pond to fish after his nap. The pictures are priceless.





After dinner Drew's parents started their journey back to Oklahoma. We did the normal bedtime with the boys. Then I started to organize and get ready for our first outing. Molly had her first check up Monday morning at 8am. That meant we had to have all five of us ready to walk out the door by 7:30. I tried to have everyone's clothes laid out, the diaper bag packed, shoes laid out...everything I could think of. We did pretty well. We were only about 10 minutes late for the appointment. The reason all 5 of us went is because the pediatrician wanted our whole family to get the H1N1 vaccine. He's reasoning is since Molly can't get the vaccine we need to do everything we can to prevent her from getting the flu. She did great at her first check up. She gained weight from her birth weight. She went from 7lbs 3oz to 7lbs 6oz. Her height stayed the same so her percentages (Drew's favorite part) were 75% height, 50% weight, and 25% head circumference. Dr. Bob, our new pediatrician, asked what questions we had and I had to laugh. I mean if you could have seen my list with Andrew...it was pages long! I said honestly I don't think I have any...wow how times have changed.

Drew dropped the 4 of us off at home and he headed back to work. Here I was, me and 3 kids. Luckily Molly has been an amazing baby and besides eating every 3 hours she hasn't required much attention. Of course we give her lots of attention but as far as crying or being fussy she seems very laid back...for now:) Our first day went pretty well. By the time Drew got home I was exhausted and I'm sure he was too...but we made it. In the back of my mind I kept telling myself, Thanksgiving is Thursday. I just have to make it to Wednesday at 6 and I'll be good.

The major dilemma of Tuesday was, "how am I going to get Andrew to school?" I wasn't supposed to drive for 2 weeks but Drew had an early meeting and couldn't take him much less pick him up. Of course I stressed out about this more than I should have but that's what happens right after having a baby. I finally decided Andrew needed school. I felt good and I was just going to take him. Of course once I pulled in the driveway after dropping him off it started to pour down rain. We made it and Andrew was so happy to get out of the house and be at school, it was worth it.

Wednesday was great. My mom had the day off of school so she came over to help entertain the boys and she got to hold Molly for the first time! Molly made it through her first week of life with flying colors. We are totally in love! Wednesday kicked off our holiday weekend, Molly's timing couldn't have been better as far as easing me into being a mom of 3.