And They Are 3

4 days old

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

Where has the time gone??? I cannot believe my little babies are growing into such precious little boys. They are so sweet and crazy and smart and too-smart-for-my-own-good and adorable and mischievous and loving! They often drive me crazy, but then they turn around and melt me into puddle of mush. I love my firstborn boys so much and am blessed to have have them in my world.

Happy Birthday Boys!

Hey there!

So I haven't posted in a long time...again. I've had so many posts rambling through my head, but just haven't had time or energy to put thought to blog.

I can't believe Aedan is 4 months old already!! And Trip & Jack will be three in just a few short months. Where has the time gone??? Aedan is longer than the boys were at his age, but he's thin like they were. He has the cutest chunky looks, but he's only around the 5th percentile for weight. He's working on a few teeth, but isn't as fussy as the boys were and they weren't as fussy as most teething babies get. I'm very blessed.

The big boys are getting bigger and more toddler-ish. Almost 3 is not my favorite age, so far. The boys are super smart, but maybe too smart for their own good. Some days they're like two monkeys sans cage. We're potty training right now, which is going fairly decent. We haven't really worked on keeping up with it when we leave the house, though. They also adore their littlest brother, but the jealousy is finally starting to show up. Trip has started to get beyond clingy. Every day is definitely busy in my house...especially since I have a power napping infant and two non-napping toddlers. Someone pass the coffee!



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So I'm getting back into crocheting. I've also taught myself to knit. :) I had a knitting lesson to learn how to do cables & how to fix stitches a few rows back. It was so much fun! I'm also going to try and re-open my etsy shop. I'm excited, but not extremely confident, yet. Do I really have the time for this? I'd like to make the time. Crafting helps relax me (when I'm not interrupted a million times in one minute) and the income would be nice. Extra pocket money is always nice!

I'm also going to do a CAL (crochet-a-long)! If you'd like to play along, head on over to The Oxford Family and check it out!!! It's an adult sized granny square blanket!! Yay!!! I'm going to try to step out of my safe zone and get bold with the colors. I'd like to say I'm making this for my mom or something, but I'm going to keep this for myself. it would be nice to have something handmade on the couch a la Attic24.

So what's new with you!

5 weeks 4 days

We're all alive & well! Sorry for the radio silence. Things are going really well, I'm just super busy tired.

Tim had almost a whole month off after Aedan was born. My mom was also here for a little over a week. It was great having the help, but I'm honestly glad to have my house back. Tim is a great help, but he gets stressed out so easily...ugh.

So it's been me & my boys during the week since last Monday...Pure Heaven! Everything feels "right". Aedan is a dream! He's a lazy eater (bottle or boob), but he's a good sleeper. He started rolling front to back at two weeks (I have video proof) and smiling at 3 weeks 6 days. Trip & Jack just adore him!

Big shoes to fill

Big Grin

Before needed haircut

#HOPE

Little grin

(((hugs)))

Brotherly love

 I'll update more when I get a chance!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Oops! (again)

The biting issue has been seriously curbed. If I exhaust the boys before nap time, Trip doesn't mess with Jack. Sometimes this isn't really possible (rainy days are rough) and on those days I put them in separate rooms. Some days we just don't have a nap. Jack will also now tell Trip "No Biting!" I guess he's finally over the bruises. I know I am!

I can't believe how big my boys are getting...all three of them! Aedan (oh yeah, we settled on a name) is growing daily and I'm HUGE! Trip and Jack seem to get bigger every day. I swear it's like someone is feeding them miracle grow! I can assure you it's not me, they're barely willing to eat anything I cook. Finicky little things.

So I guess I should share some pics.

Uh-oh! You caught me! I LOVE dirt!

Pretty flower! (It's from an oak tree)

Jack & Trip
My sweet boys!

30 weeks 3 days
I'm HUGE!

I really am huge. I've gained too much weight (luckily the doctors haven't gotten onto me about it). I'm actually measuring a few weeks ahead due to my weight. Aedan seems to be trying to force his way out of my right side. It can be so painful at times! He's actually caused me to almost hit the ground in pain when he's kicked/headbutt/clawed at my cervix. I wouldn't give any of this up for the world, though. Feeling my boys move inside and holding them on the outside are the only things I enjoy about pregnancy, so I'll love it while it lasts!

Well, I had so much else to stay, but I just can't remember it. I guess that's what happens when I don't blog for too long.

I have another post I'm brewing in my head. I promise this one will come soon!

Help!!!

I need help. Trip won't. quit. biting. Poor Jack screams at bedtime and naptime. I'm pretty sure it's because Trip tortures him after we go downstairs*. If Jaws doesn't want to go to sleep (or wants out of his room) he bites Jack. I counted 10 bite marks on Jack after nap today. 10.

We've tried explaining this is bad and hurts. We've scolded. We've bit him back. We've popped his mouth. We've tried time-out. We've tried combinations of these things. We're at our wits end!!!

I'd appreciate any advice, suggestions, stories you have to offer. Please! Our last option is to move Jack into the nursery and out of his room with Trip. I don't think this is a really valid option since a) there will be a newborn in there before I know it and b) we've never been able to get them to sleep if they're not in the room together.

*Any time I hear Jack start with his "I've been attacked" scream, I head back into their room. I don't just leave him. I always tell them both to stay in bed and NO BITING before I leave the room.

:-)

I'm still here and doing well! The vomiting has slowed down considerably. Of course, now that I've said that I'll spend 1/2 my day puking tomorrow. Whatever, I'll take it for the good days that come between! I've so much more energy than I ever remember having while pregnant with the boys...of course that was a twin pregnancy. I'm also nesting so much I can barely stand myself. I want the nursery set up YESTERDAY! I'm also ready to kill Tim for not picking up after himself better. Yes, he vacuums (once in a while) and sweeps, but that does not make up for leaving his crap laying around. At least the boys have begun helping pick their stuff up!

Speaking of boys...we have confirmation that Thumper is indeed a little boy! The ultrasound technician threw me for a loop by referring to Thumper as a girl throughout the scan and not checking the gender until almost the end. She explained that she thought we told her we had been told earlier we were having a girl. *roll eyes* Thumper is most definitely a boy, though. He's also feisty! He's feistier than Trip ever was, and he's a handful. I'm definitely going to be kept on my toes with these three!!

I cannot believe my little boys turned two years old already. They're getting so big and learning so much! Jack can count to 13, sing his ABCs, and recognizes almost every letter in the alphabet and numbers up to 12. He knows a few of his shapes and is working on his colors. Trip, on the other hand, can climb anything he wants to and go anywhere he pleases. He follows me everywehre and always wants to "hep" me. He is so very social and says "Hey!" or "Hellllo!" to almost everyone that crosses his path. They are both so unique and so full of personality!!! Every day brings new challenges and new blessings.

I had so much more to say before I actually started this post, but as usual it's gone, now. I'll leave you with a video of Trip "helping" Jack and a few pics of all of my boys!

Thumper @ 20 weeks

My two reindeer

Jack LOVES cake!

"Cheese"

My little superman

Big grin

Best Toy in the World!

Because I haven't shown or said much about the boys lately...

Show & Tell: Accessories

Got something to show and tell? Click on over and join up! ***************************************************************************

I wasn't sure what I wanted to show and tell about this week, but this morning Trip gave me some inspiration. This child LOVES hats and shoes and accessories!

He's hiding!

Can you tell what he's wearing as a "hat" today?

And what about that "backpack" he has on?

And now he's done with it all and it's back to basic pajamas.

In case you couldn't' quite figure it out, he had a clean diaper on his head and a baby carrier on his back.  This morning he pulled a bunch of stuff out of the bassinet I still have in their room and found this baby carrier we used once. He came down the stairs with it around his neck...he was so proud he'd managed to get it on! The diaper is actually something he put on his head yesterday that I pulled back out to finish his costume. He walked around for a good 5 minutes tickled pink with his outfit grinning at the camera and saying, "cseeeeeesssseee" (there is no "ch" sound in cheese, just a "cs" sound).

I'm still trying to get a picture of him with his bucket hat and his Daddy's boots on. That seems to be his favorite outfit!

Now head on over to Suzy's and see who else is playing along!

I will survive or Monkey Butt!

I had two titles for this post, so you can choose which one you like. (I kind of like Monkey Butt!)

Last summer I brought my almost-teenaged nephew to stay with us for a week. It worked out so well we decided to try it again. This summer he's 12 years old with little to no home training...can you say attitude?  But it's going pretty well as long as no one else is around (other family or neighborhood kids). I think he likes to give a little 'tude when others are around to show off for. You think he'd learn that I'm always going to put him in his place, friends or no friends standing there.

Well, yesterday I had the grand idea of taking him, my 9 year old nephew, and the boys to the zoo 1 1/2 hours away. Why yes, I am a little crazy. Why do you ask?

The trip actually went pretty well. No one asked me "are we there yet" until we were only 20 minutes away. The big boys had a really good time, even though they didn't get to see everything. We ate at the zoo (ewe!!! disgusting overpriced cafeteria food) and even did a little souvenir shopping. Even in the 95 degree weather it wasn't too bad. The zoo has sooo much shade! There's even a carousel and playground (which we didn't make it to). The big kids are already planning their trip for next year!

And you can't go to the zoo without taking at least a few pictures, so here you go:

There's so much to see!

They spent almost an hour in the aquarium/reptile house!!!

Who doesn't like pink flamingos? Think they'd let me take one to put in my yard?

This is NOT a zoomed photo. The thing almost hit one of my nephews in the head. Ha!

All my boys!

Monkey butt! Well, gorilla but to be exact. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Brought to you by the words "gasses" and "SEE!"

Well that's not so bad

I took Jack to his pediatric ophthalmologist appointment Friday. It went really smooth! We were there for a few hours, but thanks to some of you ladies and my optometrist, I was expecting it.

And the verdict is? The kid is in desperate need of glasses! There is no noticeable muscle weakness, but there is very noticeable farsightedness. The exact words of the doctor were, "He's severely farsighted with a distinct difference between the two eyes." After googling his prescription I'm going to add he has an astigmatism in his left eye as well (R +7.50 SPHERE / L +8.00 +0.75 X 090). He was crossing his eye trying to focus.

With further reading I learned this is very common in children this age as their eyes haven't matured. As they grow things are supposed to fit better (the components of the eyes) and therefor focus better.

I ordered his glasses that afternoon and will hopefully have them later this week (due date is 07/29 at the latest). The doctor explained Jack will have to adjust to having them on, but as bad as his eyes are that may happen within a week. After he adjusts he probably won't want to take them off even for bath time.

We go back in 2 months for a check to see how things are going.  Hopefully it won't be too long before the prescription can be changed to something not quite so strong. If, after a good time in the glasses, we still notice his eye crossing then we may have to add some time with an eye patch to help strengthen the weak eye.

OMG it was so fun taking the boys to try on glasses! Jack loved me putting the frames on him. It was so cute!!! Trip began to melt down when he realized he wasn't getting a turn in the frames, so I tried a pair on him. I only wish the picture I took could convey the look he gave me when I did. He didn't try to take them off or anything; he just looked at me like "I am the cutest thing you have ever seen. You know it. Admit it!" (that kid is so full of himself. no clue why. it's not like we tell him he's one of the cutest babies in the world or anything...heeheehee.)

And because I can't talk about little guys in glasses without sharing pics, here you go:

My future's so bright

These are the frames I'm getting! Only add thick lenses...

ADMIT IT! I am THAT cute! You know you think so! ;-)

As a side note, that is the same frames in each picture. It amazes me how different they look on the boys (to me at least). They look so much bigger on Trip's little noggin!

SWAK

• Thank you soooo much for all your love and support on my last post!
• Tim thinks things will get better over the next few months. He's weaning himself off the meds they gave him to quit smoking (zyban). I told him if things weren't better than we'd need to see about counseling. He said OK.
• Tim and I kissed and made up. We still have a lot of issue to work through, but things are better at the moment. And I'm not joking about the kissing...he kept randomly kissing me all day. I think that helped our attitudes towards each other. You can't underestimate the power of physical affection.
• Against my better judgment, we chased the egg before he left. This could have many outcomes. If we don't get pregnant, nothing lost nothing gained and the decision to TTC can be put off for a couple of weeks. If we get pregnant and lose the baby (I'm a little bit of a pessimist on this at the moment) the depression and pain from that won't help us at all. If we get pregnant and end up with a THB, the stress of a newborn and toddlers could be enough to break us. Damn I really should have listened to my head instead of my uterus.
• On a completely happy note, I love the fact that Jack "sings" along with a certain TV show that I won't mention because I'm ashamed we let him watch it (nothing horrendous, but definitely not education or age appropriate). And if Trip gets to watch Elmo's World, he waves and says "HI!" and "Bye!" to Elmo. I love the way these boys laugh when I chase them around. I love that they have so much fun playing with each other and chasing each other around (sometimes). I love walking into their room in the morning and seeing them jump up and down in their cribs, then running from me and falling into the corner as they break into fits of giggles.
• Hopefully I get to hang out with Courtney from Connecting the Dots (sorry, she's private) early next week!
• Oh yeah. I suck. I never did blog about hanging with Courtney or Suzy a few months ago. Oops. For that matter I'm not sure I blogged about hanging out with Farah or Jen last year.
• For that matter, I haven't finished my blog-you-very-much (I started it before the boys were born) post or my sock-it-to-me post. Boy, I really do suck!
• Tim is in VA Beach until Saturday afternoon. I've enjoyed my little break from him, but do miss him. I have the hardest time getting to sleep when he's not in the house. The boys seem to have a rough time going to bed if he's not here to tuck them in, too. It would be sweet if it weren't so exhausting trying to calm them down.
• Oh yeah! Jack has his peds ophthalmologist appointment tomorrow morning. I probably won't update until tomorrow evening. They said to expect 2 hours, my optometrist said expect 3. My optometrist also said to expect the docs to push for surgery. That won't be the first route we take, though.
• And I guess that's all for now. I really must get back to cleaning my house.

Updates Updates Updates

Honestly, there's not much to update on.

The boys are doing well. At their 15/18 month appointment the doc said so. Trip is holding on to the 3rd percentile for weight and up to the 50th percentile for height. Jack is sticking to his 33th percentile for both height and weight. From the way they've grown to date it looks like they're each picking a side of the family and sticking to it. Trip looks like my side of the family and is doing our traditional male thing of being average height and thin. Jack looks just like Tim and is built so much like him (short and stocky and muscled). Trip is just a little behind in his speech, but everyone keeps telling me it's OK. It seems babies/toddlers prefer to focus on either physical or mental and Trip is really focusing on climbing. He can almost pull himself onto the changing table/dresser in his bedroom. What?!?!

It's been 4 months since I lost my Nugget. While the pain is still there, it's not too bad. I'm having some trouble with depression, but I think it has as much to do with my weight and my lack of happy-pills as it does my loss. Out of those three things, there's only one I can change at the moment.

My weight. Oh boy, is that a touchy subject right now. When I got pregnant last year (boy does that sound weird to me) I started putting on weight. I wasn't too concerned about gaining a little; after all, I was pregnant. Then I lost the baby and used that as an excuse to eat. What's a little grief eating between friends, anyway? Then I just ate. Now I eat because I'm bored, hungry (not really, I'm rarely hungry because my stomach is rarely that empty), angry, depressed...etc. I'm one huge bag of emotions and the way to deal with that seems to be eating. This isn't a new story for me, but instead a different chapter of the same lame story. Binge eating, Anorexia, now just constant eating; food and I have a rough history.

So I'm on the verge of starting Weight Watchers again. I say "on the verge" instead of just doing it because I have to make a full grocery trip before I can do this. And making a full grocery trip is something this is dependent on Tim either taking care of the boys or Tim going with us. This means Tim would have to take time away from building his precious shed (if you know me on FB, you may have seen a picture of his latest project).

Tim's shed. Ugh. We've had so many fights over whatever it is that's taking the majority of my non-child related focus. Whether it's blogging, gaming, crocheting, reading...whatever it is, it gets on his nerves. It takes my focus away from whatever it is he thinks I should be doing. The majority of the time we fight about my hobbies, it's because I don't want to drop whatever it is I'm doing to come "mark a board" or "hold a board" or "eyeball something" for him. You see, my husband is a work-a-holic of sorts. He's not so into his for-money job that he's there all the time, but he's so into keeping busy that he ALWAYS has something going on at home. If it's not rebuilding an old car (sold that project THANK YOU GOD) it's remodeling something. If it's not remodeling something it's building something new. He never sits still. And everything he does is more important than anything else going on in our house except for the boys bedtime (he gets very upset if he misses bedtime). For example, he can't bring the trashcan back from the street after the can is emptied (even though he walks past it) because he's too busy; he can't take his dirty socks upstairs (even though he goes upstairs at least 3 times a day) because he's too busy. OK...I could go on and on about this, but it's just pissing me off even more so I'm going to drop it here.

On the baby front...well...I'm not pregnant. And of course I shouldn't be right now. BUT I am off my birth control pills. First off, I started some breakthrough bleeding on week 2 of my last pack. Then on week 3 I started a full fledged period. I don't feel like messing with pills if they're not going to stop a period, so there. Plus, we DO want to add one more kid to the lot, so , yeah. But this month, I avoided all encounters with Tim until it was either wayyyy too early or too late to get pregnant (I hope).

I know 5 4 women that are pregnant right now (one had her baby last week) totaling 4 girls and 1 boy so I've been super busy crocheting baby gifts. One of the blankets was originally started for my first ill-fated pregnancy. I finished it and gave it to Tim's boss & his wife. They're 41 and 42 and this is their second pregnancy...their first successful one. This was the hardest blanket to give away, but it seemed to be the perfect couple to give it to. No clue where I was going with this paragraph, but I'll share some pics:

Well, that really seems to be it for now. Oh yeah, teething sucks and the fact the boys' mouths are already crowded isn't making it any easier. The doc says they've more than likely inherited my omg-your-teeth-are-so-crowded-you-had-to-have-EIGHT-teeth-removed-to-have-enough-space issue. Yay. Hopefully the next time I post it will be to tell you how much I'm loving being back on WW (because I really do enjoy it once I get on it).

SNOW???

Click here to view these pictures larger

Bite me...wait...STOP biting me!

I come begging for advice/assvice.  What have you done to stop biting amongst the minors in your household?  Anyone?

Jack has realized that all those little teeth in his mouth are a weapon, and he's prepared to use them.  Take his toy?  Not without consequence!  Get in the same hidey-hole as him?  Not without retribution!  Prepare to face the jaws-of-doom!  And of course all of this is directed at his nemesis brother.

The Victim

The Perpetrator

This and that

I really should do Danifred's Friday Night Leftovers, but that would mean posting on a certain day...yeah.  Not sure I can commit.  I know, I suck.  ;-)  Here's are some bullet points for you regardless.

• I'm supposed to get my braces off today.  Hooray!  I've had them on for 21 months 4 weeks and 1 day.  Wow.  I'm probably going to get a permanent retainer because my memory sucks like that.  Yeah.


• I'm not looking forward to un-telling my Ortho's office.  I told them I was pregnant when I went in last time because they mentioned X-rays.  Now I have to un-tell a huge open office of mostly women of childbearing age.  At least they're all nice women.  I just pray no one says any of those horrible things that people seem to want to say in times of loss.


• Tim is leaving the country before I get done with my ortho appointment today.  He'll be gone for almost two weeks.  I'm not sure who will miss him more, me or the boys.  They adore their Daddy.  I'm kind of partial to him myself.


• I find it amusing that everyone I know will see me without braces for the first time in almost two years, except the man I'm married to.  Hahaha!


• I'm tired of the stupid things people say to someone that's had a miscarriage (or other forms of loss).  "God knows best"?  And you and God speak about me often?  Let ME decide when I want to give this to God (which, by the way, I have, but it hurts me when other people assume things).


• Please also don't tell me there must have been something wrong with the baby.  I only know one doctor and she wouldn't be so insensitive since she's not my OB.  And if you think something else besides "I'm sorry" "I'm praying for you" or such sentiments are appropriate, they're probably not.  (and in no way is any of this directed at anyone that has ever commented on my blog, this is for the IRL people that honestly mean well, but screw it up instead).


• We find out in 2 1/2 weeks if there are any test results to receive.  We may find out if something went wrong.  We may find out the sex of the Nugget.  We may not.  I'm trying to not really grieve too much until then.  No matter how much I grieve and/or heal, the whole can of worms will be reopened then.


• The boys and I (and Emma, the dog) are heading up to visit my parents in Western NC this week.  I've got plans to hang out with my BFF Friday night.  Saturday afternoon I'm taking my nephew to a movie for his birthday.  Sunday I'm going to church with my boys and my parents and praying that no one makes a stupid comment to me (their whole church knows about the nugget).  Monday we're heading home!


• I'm almost done with a scarf to wear while in NC.  It's really difficult to get into crocheting a scarf when the daily high is almost 70°.  Don't get me wrong, I'm SO HAPPY the weather is beautiful, but it really kills warm-chunky-scarf desire. ;-)


• Jack bites.  Just ask Trip.  Trip took Jack's toy for about the 100th time last night and Jack finally snapped.  We thought Jack was just pushing Trip down with his head, like he so often does to keep him away, but we were wrong.  We lifted Jack off and found eight tiny teeth prints on Trip's arm.  Trip never even gave a clue Jack was hurting him (and we know it had to hurt, the red marks are still there today).  The devious little grin across Trip's face never faltered...well, not until Tim held Trip still so I could take a picture of the wound.  Heathen children!


• Oh yeah, and Trip might have been fussy the past couple of weeks because he was getting a 1 year molar...duh! I didn't notice it until it was 1/2 way through.  This totals 3 teeth in his mouth that are 1/2 way through and 3 more huge lumps where his other three 1 year molars are ready to bust through.  Jack also has a 1 year molar cutting through and 3 huge lumps where more molars are hiding out.


• Sock it to me anyone?
  

Thank you for being here for me!  You'll never know how much it has meant to have your support.  :-)

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One Full Year - Jack

My big boy...Jack...

[caption id="attachment_1286" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="This is my very first picture! It's a little blury, but Daddy is so proud."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1290" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="My first smile was in January!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1289" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="By February I am totally cuter than Daddy!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1291" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="March brought the realization that jumperoos are AWESOME!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1293" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="I could hardly contain my excitement in April"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1294" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="Food? Is THAT what this is? (May)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1295" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="In June I decided "up" was a great position to be in!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1296" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="In July I had a wonderful time with my Grandparents"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1297" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="Munchmunchmunch August was yummy munchmunchmunch"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1298" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="I CAN STAND!!! (september)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1299" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="Baths were more fun that Trick-or-Treating in Octboer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1300" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="What do you mean I have banana on my face? It was all the rage in November!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1301" align="aligncenter" width="374" caption="yumyumyumyum Cake is GOOD yumyumyumyum Oh and toys rock yumyumyumyum"][/caption]

It's hard to believe that it's been one year since my baby boy made his way into the world.  Again, saying the time flew by is an understatement!  My baby boy started out at 6lb 7oz and 18 1/2" long; He's now 21lbs and 29 3/4" high.  He's also built just like his Daddy...solid.  Jack started out this little bundle of sweetness that seemed to take everything around him in and not much has changed but his size.  He is still so curious about everything and will stare and fiddle with something for the longest time until he figures it out (he knows how to open the baby gates but doesn't have the strength. figured them out months ago).  He's also such a sensitive little thing; telling his brother "no" sets him into tears just as his brother "yelling" at him does.  I think this little one is going to have so much to teach me and look forward to it every day!  Happy Birthday Jack-Jack, my little love-nugget!