Videos of little Andrew

Andrew is growing up so fast. Here is some videos so you don't miss out on so much. He is such a happy baby and so ticklish! Of course every time I grab the camera he tones it down a bit, but these are still way cute! I hope you enjoy them!

Kids' Piano Playing

One thing that always cheers me up and puts me in a better mood is our children playing the piano. Nick has been taking lessons for three years and Tiana has been taking lessons for one year. They both get embarrassed when people watch them or video tape them, so I had to use bribery to get these. I hope you enjoy my efforts and our "blog piano recital"!

I am quite jealous of their talent. They both play better than their mommy can! They take after their daddy who is a very talented and accomplished pianist. Someday I hope to learn, when I have time!

*SIGH*

Today was a long day. I planned it that way on purpose, but now that I am at the end of it, I need to "talk" to somebody. Well, since Nathan is at an OSU/USC football game (he checked with me before going, he needs a break now and then too) and it is too late to call and bother friends or family, I will let the dishes lie where they are and "talk" to my blog. Sometimes just doing this is therapeutic.

Today is my brother, Chris', 25th birthday. Well, at least it would be. He died a year and a half ago. I hate that word, "died". It sounds so awful. But that is exactly what it is, isn' t it? Awful. Death, losing someone you love to that awful terrible word. Sometimes, like in my brother's case, there isn't even anyone to blame or be mad at. (He died of Leukemia) So you're just plain "mad". Then you feel bad for being mad and become sad. Then the sadness is too much to bare so you feel numb. Then the numbness becomes too much and you get mad again, just so you can feel something. I have gone through all these feelings today in some form or another, several times.

I saw this day coming. I knew it would be hard. But I had a plan. Don't you love "plans", like things will all work out "according to your plan". HA! Anyway, my plan was to pack the day with so much to do that I wouldn't have time to feel mad, sad, or numb. Force myself to be around people so I had to put on the smiley mask and maybe the "fake smile" would actually grow into a real one and I would feel better.

Hmmm....yeah, didn't work. I can't say I didn't try though. But in the end, all I really did was survive. Which adds another awful feeling...guilt. Why him? Why Chris? No, he was not perfect. He was my only brother, growing up he had to put up with four sisters. He wasn't perfect, but he was darned good! He was a return missionary, he struggled with learning disabilities his whole life. He was a Private First Class in the US Army. He was loved by so many! Oh! I hate it when I do that...correction...he IS loved by so many!!! I was an only child for 6 years before Chris was born. I saw my parents struggle through many miscarriages before we were finally blessed with that beautiful baby boy. And oh! Was he ever beautiful! Big blue eyes and a round toe-head (that is when their hair is so blond it is white, for those of you unfamiliar with the term). He was a very happy baby too. And fat, boy was he a fat baby! Now I know it was genetic because I have fat babies too! Healthy, chubby cheeked, rolly polly babies.

I love remembering him. Sometimes when I am thinking about him I actually forget he is gone, then I think of calling him or something and I hit this brick wall with a jarring force. Does anyone else do that? Forget a loved one is gone? The last couple of years he was alive he was serving a mission or in college. So on his mission we only communicated through letters, and in college we would talk on the phone, usually weekly. I feel jipped out of spending actual time with him his last few years. But that is how life is sometimes, isn't it? Unfair.

So I hug my husband tighter, hold my children closer, and pray to God that I will never lose one of them. Oh! I couldn't bare it! Our kids have each had little health things here and there. But nothing, yet (knock on wood), that wasn't fixable, treatable. We truly have been so very very blessed and I recognize that.

Tonight I took the kids to Cold Stone for "free" ice cream. They were having a fund raiser for the "Make A Wish" foundation. I donated money into their jar (therefor making our ice cream not free, but that's the point - to help out.) Anyway, the kids asked what it was for and I explained to them about the children who get their wishes granted and why. I started to cry. I kind of made a scene but my kids really didn't seem to care. I am not sure if I was crying because of my brother. Or the thought that children out there, sweet innocent children, know they are going to die and are in pain. Maybe I was crying for their families. Maybe I was crying because I couldn't imagine my children needing the help of this foundation. It could have been everything all together.

So, I had a full, busy, emotional day. I think I will sleep well tonight. I hope I will. I have actually been pretty depressed lately, trying so hard to fight it. Some days I am more successful than others. This time of year, especially this month, has always been very hard for me for several reasons. It is almost over, I can see the end now. I do really really miss my brother, just had to say that. *sigh*

Ben is growing up too fast!

Ben is getting so big! Nathan got out Nick's old bike and Ben learned to peddle it faster than any of our other kids. I guess it pays off to be watching older siblings all this time. He is so cute on his bike and he is very responsible too! He never forgets to put on his helmet!

Then he is also doing things like pouring his own milk, both in cups and his cereal bowls, and making his own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I try to do it but he will repeatedly point to his chest and say, "Meeeeee." So I stand by and watch and so far he has always done a great job!
He also loves to help Nick with his chores. He has pretty much taken over watering our dog most days. He loves to help out whenever he can. He is growing up too fast!

Update on Andrew

Our sweet little baby had another "episode". We were in the van and Nathan was driving. I hear Andrew in the back seat gasping for breath. I unbuckle and jump in the back with him as fast as I can (we were the only three in the van.) He was doing that thing I told about in the earlier post where it looked like he was having a seizure. Then afterwards he wasn't lethargic or anything, but he did this scared startled reaction where he arched his back, threw his head back and one or both arms straight up with clenched fists and had a scared look on his face. He did this three more time in a matter of minutes.

As soon as we arrived home I called his doctor's office. When his doctor called me back we talked about what this could be. He said that sometimes infants will look like they are having seizures but it is something else. The most common reason is Acid Reflux! The painful burning in their chest is too much for them and they "seize up".

So our plan of action is to put him on acid reflux medication and see if there is any improvement. If his "episodes" get closer together, worse, more violent, or if they continue to happen after three weeks on the medication then we will get him in for a brain scan (I think he said an EKG?) and then take it from there. I hope this is all that's wrong and it is a simple fix.

Remember back when he had the Pyloric Stenosis and at first they thought it was just Acid Reflux? Well, maybe he had both after all! He is a spitty baby, but I wouldn't call it excessive. Now it is just wait and see with a lot of prayer mixed in!

My first belt test!

Last night I had my first belt testing for Tae Kwon Do. I have only had three classes and I am now a Yellow Belt! IT was a fun night for me and the whole family came with to show their support and cheer me on. I am glad I let the children talk me into this. It is pretty fun.

To pass my belt test I had to demonstrate "Form 1".

Demonstrate front kicks and crescent kicks.

Do one minute of endurance on a punching bag (that was a long minute!) and demonstrate a self defense move. I had to defend myself against Jack, the owner. I blocked his advance, punched him twice and then kneed him in the gut. I really wish Nathan had gotten video of that. I would've loved to see how it looked. It sure was exhilarating!

Nick was able to gear up and spar with a kid testing for his orange belt. He felt pretty cool doing so and did a great job. Nick is the orange belt.

When the kids spar, it's cute. But when the adults spar, it is very competitive! One guy (he is on the left of the group picture) was testing for his second degree red belt which is just under a black belt. He turned down the chance to wear padding (he's a police officer so I don't know if he was trying to look tough or what) but he got pretty beat up. First he broke his foot on his opponents knee, but wanted to keep going. Then they think he cracked a rib or two and Jack wanted him to be taken to the hospital for x-rays but he insisted on staying and finishing. Well after that he completed his endurance test and his board breaking test (four boards). I think the guy's crazy! All I know is that if I ever spar I will be in so much padding they might mistake me for the Dough Boy!

Day with Daddy

On Saturday, September 13th, I had a Girl Scout Leader training from 9:00AM-4:00PM so Nathan took Nick, Tiana, and Ben (Andrew came with me) to the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village in Salem. They had a lot of fun. Here they are in a China room. Afterwards he treated them to the "cool McDonalds" that has a big playground. What a fun daddy-day!

Tae Kwon Do Momma!!!

That's right, I have joined my children in a family class of Tae Kwon Do! About a month ago the owner told me I should join. I thought he was kidding (I did just have a baby and I am kind of old to be starting up something like that, aren't I?). But my kids overheard him and got all excited. They encouraged me and wouldn't let it go until I agreed. They said things like, "We'll help you learn it, mommy!" and "Don't worry, it isn't too hard". Who could resist such sweet and sincere coaxing? So here I am.. Just three belts under my children! I have to admit though, after two classes, that this is a lot of fun!

Ben's School Bus!

I am back tracking now that I have time to upload my pictures...
Thursday, September 11th, was Ben's second day of speech class. He loves going to "school" and seeing his new friends and his teacher. He brings a back pack just like Nick and Tiana and he feels very big. He really wanted to ride the bus like his brother and sister do too. The first week I took him and picked him up and he was not happy with mom. His new little buddies were getting on the bus and his totally un-cool mom had to pick him up in the mini-van. Oh! how horrid! So I compromised and decided that I would drop him off in the morning so that I could touch base with his teacher if she needed something and then he could ride the bus home.

He had a blast and was just beaming when he arrived home! Now he asked everyday if he can ride the bus. He rolls his fist around eachother (like the hand action to the song "The Wheels on the Bus") and says, "Bus?!" with raised eyebrows and a look of anticipation and hope. Then I say, "No, the bus in on Thursday." and he responds with drooping shoulders and a disheartened, "oh". He is so precious!!!

New day = New outlook

I woke up at 6:30 this morning and looked around the room. Something wasn't right. What was it? I felt different, but was almost a little disoriented at first. Then I realized what had happened, "Did I just sleep through the night???" The first thing I did was jump out of bed and check to see if Andrew was still breathing, I know all mothers have done that. Yes, he was breathing and sleeping soundly, oh he is so beautiful when he is laying there. Just like a little doll. Wow, this is amazing. I climb back into bed, not because I am tired but because I want to bask in this feeling. The feeling of enjoying my comfy bed and warm covers snuggled around me as I see the first sun rays filter in through my blinds. "Ahhh, today is going to a new day", I think to myself. After a few minutes I get up and start making my bed and getting ready.

Nick and Tiana come out for breakfast at 7:00 sharp, followed closely by Ben at 7:06. We sit down and eat together and talk about the previous night.

Nathan took the children on a four mile bike ride. Nick and Tiana rode their own bikes and Ben was in the bike trailer behind Nathan. They all said they had a really good time. I had taken Andrew with me to help a friend in need last minute. She was having a terrible time with her pregnancy and life in general so I went over and helped for a couple hours. It felt good to give back. The kids saw another example of service and were able to spend a fun evening with their daddy. I talked to them before I left about rescheduling Family Home Evening and they were very understanding. This morning the first thing they asked as we sat down was "Is Sister _ feeling better?" and "Was she happy you went over to help?" I love seeing them show compassion for others and grow in that capacity. They really are such great kids.

This morning I had one of Ben's little friends over. His name is Andrew too. They play so great together! It was fun to watch them interact. Now both boys are napping, wow I am getting thing my way today! I really haven't gotten a lot done today and now I am found here on the computer. Oh well, I got a good night's sleep...I am going to enjoy the day! But...I guess those dishes should get done...okay, I'll get it done...right after I eat a chocolate Snack Pack!

It's been a while...really hard week

After that last 'spur of the moment' post, I guess I should explain why I haven't been on here in a while. Life has just been too busy to get on the computer and when I do get on the computer I am actually working on Scouting stuff or something and don't have time to blog.

Last week was a hard week on me. It all boils down to a few events;

1) Too much to do! Fall is a beautiful time here in the valley, but it also produces too much to do, literally. My garden is needing harvested and put up. This year is actually a low year for it, but there is still plenty. My blueberries are still coming on like crazy and my strawberries are still going. Then when you have access to so much free produce around here it feels un-natural to not go pick and put it up. For example I have access to free raspberries, grapes, pears, apples, apricots, and blackberries. With a new little baby and a two year old under foot I didn't even have time to get to the grapes or blackberries this year! We put up four batches of strawberry jam, two batches of strawberry syrup, three batches of apricot jam and one batch of apricot syrup, two batches of salsa, one batch of applesauce. I have 4 gallon freezer bags full of blueberries in my freezer and I am not sure how many raspberries in there. I also have over 28 cups of shredded zucchini bagged up in my freezer all from my garden. And that is all in just one week. I haven't even finished yet! I guess I have bitten off more than I can chew, but our family will be grateful for all the yummy stuff all year long.

2) Loneliness. Yes, I know I have a loving family and great friends. That is not the problem. My problem is that the kids are in school! I hate it when they go back to school. The house seems so empty when it shifts from four kids to two. Ben does his best to try to keep the energy and noise level up to compensate. He is such a sweet heart!

3) Worry. This is the absolute worse part. I took Ben and Andrew into the doctor on Wednesday and got bad news for both of them. Ben needs to be re-circumcised!!! The poor little boy! This is going to be absolutely awful, there is no way around it and I am just sick to think of what he has to go through soon. And the doctors think Andrew may be having seizures and we are suppose to be keeping an eye on him to look for other signs. The good news is that his muscle tone and his reflexes are all fine. Often poor muscle tone or uneven reflexes are associated with neurological disorders. So we are hopeful that it is not seizures and something else that is no big deal or that he outgrows the seizures instead of them getting worse with age. The hard part is that people can go weeks, even months, between seizures. So it may be a while before we know for sure. I know people are going to ask why they think he is having the seizes so let me explain...

The reason I took him into the doctor was because he did this weird thing that really freaked me out. He did it 5 times. While laying on his back his fists would go up by his ears, his elbows would be pointing outward, and his head would go back like he was looking up. He would tense up his body and do a tiny quivering thing like when your muscles are being over-exerted. The worse part is that he would have a look of absolute panic and terror on his face and not breath. I would pick him up right away and he would start to breath and I would hold him and rock him for a while to calm us both down. He never really cries afterwards though. He will let out a little yell sometimes, but not cry. The doctors said that is sounded like a typical seizure to them. The next time he does it I am not suppose to do anything but watch and see how long until he comes out of it on his own (yeah right!!!!) and then see how long he is lethargic. Of course I am suppose to see if he truly isn't breathing or if his breathing has just slowed way down and is so shallow that is seems like he isn't breathing. If he isn't breathing then I would do something like I always do. Then after his next episode and finding answers to all these questions I am suppose to bring him in and they will run test on him.

I am so worried about both of my little boys!!! One is about to go through a very painful procedure because some stupid doctor didn't do his job right and my little boy keeps getting infections down there. Plus his potty training will probably get reversed! The other may or may not have a neurological disorder and we have no idea if he does have one which one it would be or how serious it will get. Oh, how frustrating.

So I had a really hard week last week. Too much to do, too much to worry about, and I miss my kids. Then this week starts off with a bad cold and being awakened too early. Yep, I have to complain sometimes.

Why, why, why???

Why do I have to have "early risers"? I am in such a grumpy mood right now! At 6:40 our two year old comes tearing through the house like a freight train into my room demanding "coco milk" which is what he gets with every breakfast. I leap out of bed after being startled out of deep sleep, sweep him up in my arms and place my hand over his mouth while simultaneously saying "shhhh", so he doesn't wake up his baby brother who is sleeping in our room. By the way, I had only barely fallen back into my deep sleep after being up with Andrew from 4:45-5:50AM and we are both sick with colds.

So as I am rushing out of my room with Ben in my arms, I suddenly realize that I had gotten up way to fast and the whole world goes dark and I get really dizzy. So I lean on the kitchen counter until the world comes back into view again. Great, now I have a headache!

So I put Ben down and he runs off to the kids room. I follow him, holding my head, because I do not want him waking up the other two. But, of course, Nick and Tiana are already awake and have been playing LEGOS.

Ah Ha! It all makes sense now. I use my super-human mommy power to piece together the puzzle. The kids are always shocked with, "how did you know". Nick is my early riser, he will get up at 5:30-6:30 every morning. Most mornings he hangs out by himself in his room and lets everyone else sleep. But this morning his room is empty. We had painted his room this weekend (another long and horrid story) and we haven't moved his things back in because we were wanting for the paint to completely dry. So Nick slept on the couch because it still stunk in there, and when he woke up at the crack of dawn he went into Tiana's room where his LEGOS are and she woke up and they played together. Then as they would dig through their boxes to find a particular piece it makes a lot of noise and that woke up Ben. That is how this whole awful morning started.

So again I reminded the children of their early morning rule. If they wake up before 7:00 they are only to read books quietly in their own beds. Then they get ready for school without waking up Ben. Usually Ben doesn't get up until 8:00 then the world is a much happier place!

Today is going to be fun (sarcasm), I can already tell. I need to go take my cold medicine...

First day of school!

We got home from our vacation on Monday, September 1st in time to unpack the van and get the kids through the showers and in bed on time. (We had dinner at Izzy's Pizza to celebrate the last day of summer vacation!) Then the next morning, September 2nd, the kids were off to school! The summer has flown by for us. I think we were busier this summer then we ever have been, and we even had a newborn! I think we are a little crazy, but at least we had a lot of fun!

Nick is in fourth grade!!! I can hardly believe my baby is going off to fourth grade! Yes, I did cry. Next year I will cry even harder because he will be in his LAST year of elementary school and then it is off to middle school with lockers and hormones! Oh, help us!
And my baby girl is in the second grade this year! Wow, time flies. She is so precious. She has the same teacher Nick had in second grade and both Tiana and her teacher are excited to spend the year together.
Ben had to pose for a picture too with his backpack! He is so cute! He is going to a speech based preschool once a week this year. He had his first class this week and did great. He is very sweet. His teacher said that he was shy, I told her to just wait until he gets comfortable! I didn't get a picture on his first day because his teacher seemed busy with a lot of parents. So hopefully I can get that next week.
I have had a busy week trying to transition from vacation to school. I have one of the longest to-do list I have ever had. Between keeping the boys entertained (they both really miss Nick and Tiana when they are at school, so do I!), laundry, housework, harvesting the garden, canning, errands, getting scouts started up, and many other things, I just haven't had a lot of time to think! That is why it has taken me so long to get the photos up and my blog updated!

Speaking of harvesting the garden...Nathan just brought in a bowl of big, juicy, delicious strawberries! YUMMY! How many people do you know, at least this far north, that can harvest strawberries in September?!?! I love it!!!

Our Labor Day Vacation! Part 5

Our beach house was fantastic! We had a queen bed in the master bedroom and then three twin beds up in the loft. It was beautifully decorated and fully stocked with all the comforts of home. All we had to bring was our food and clothing! The back deck had a hot tub and a beautiful view!
We enjoyed the hot tub every day we were there!
My beautiful daughter and me!

Our Labor Day Vacation! Part 4

We went to the TREES OF MYSTERY in Klamath, California. It was fun for the whole family and we learned a lot about the majestic Redwoods and about Paul Bunyan! This very tall statue of him (life size!) would actually talk to the children. He would carry on real conversations and one little girl exclaimed, "How can you see us?!" and he answered, "With my eyes of course." It was pretty cute.

There were plenty of opportunities to climb on, under, and over these neat trees.
Ben found a little waterfall stream that captivated him. Beautiful!
We rode the Sky Trail up to the top of the mountains. We were traveling high above the Redwoods. Some of the trees are over 300 feet high!

Of course we had to drive through one of these huge trees! It was a tight fit, but we made it. Good driving Nathan!

Our Labor Day Weekend! Part 3

Welcome to OCEAN WORLD! Ben was scared of the shark hanging there, but we convinced him that it was just a big plastic toy hanging there like the airplane from Nick's bedroom ceiling.

Andrew was not too impressed with the sights, but we got a cute picture of him anyway. Hello Orca!
We pet a real live shark! We learned a lot of interesting facts about them too. It felt smooth if you pet him from nose to tail, but like sandpaper if you pet him from tail to nose.
The children enjoyed pretending they were eaten by a Great White...AHHHHH!
We got to see a Sea Lion show and Ben liked imitating them afterwards. Good job ladies!

Our Labor Day Weekend! Part 2

We spent lots of time on the beach! The northern California beaches look a lot like the Oregon beaches! There were a lot of rocks in this area so a lot of fun tide pools to explore during low tide. The weather was sunny and beautiful! The last day was really windy so it made it more chilly, but still sunny. Most of the time we were alone on our beaches! Perfect family time!

Ben didn't want to play in the water, he was perfectly content digging in the sand and exploring on the beach. He did have a sneaker wave come up and wash away his pile of sand and he was pretty upset. Nathan grabbed him in time that he didn't get wet, but all of his toys were floating in the water and Ben was scared they would be washed out to sea. I think that is why he wouldn't play in the waves, too scary for a little guy.

Tiana enjoyed frolicking in the waves though. "Oooh! That's cold!" She soon got use to it and was jumping into the waves and have a really great time!
Nick had his share of wave time as well. Nathan started a game of "fetch" with the sea where they would throw a piece of driftwood as far out as they could and the waves would bring it back to them. They had fun doing that for quite a while.
Daddy takes some time to just sit with Ben and watch the waves, the birds, the kids. What a beautiful day!
Tiana played in the sand plenty too.

Nick made a bull's eye in the sand and practiced his aim with a spear-like piece of drift wood. These kids are so creative they can entertain themselves for hours...and they do!

Nathan spent a lot of time doing his photography hobby. I'll let you know when he has his pictures posted on his website. He is pretty busy, so don't wait up for it!

This is how I spent a lot of my time; relaxing and trying to shade Andrew from the sun. Andrew slept a lot in my baby carrier. It was fun to watch my family and just enjoy the day. I love my life!

Our Labor Day Weekend! Part 1

We had a fun and relaxing trip down to the Redwoods and the Coast over our Labor Day weekend. We left after Nathan got off work on Thursday and drove to Grant's Pass, OR where we stayed the night in a hotel, then the next day we went on to California where we had lots of fun and hung out at different tourist places. It was a great vacation and Nathan did a fabulous job planning it for us!

Welcome to California! Ben is the only child who has been to California before!

We went to a Wild Cat Park where we learned a lot about these amazing cats.
Then we visited a "Stout Grove" in the Redwood Forest where we took a hike and several photographs.
The three older kids standing on a Redwood Stump, that is a big tree! Andrew is all smiles, enjoying his hike through the giant redwoods.