ethenerin

It's been a while....

2011-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

I know....I haven't forgotten about my blog...its just that my computer is sorta broken and I sorta am kinda busy....and well, I'll spare the excuses. I just basically like Facebook more....but I'll try and blog here in a bit...if it works that is.

Ethen

2011-03-05T23:17:00.000-08:00

My big, big, boy.....my, almost 6-year-old. He's been counting down the "sleeps" till his birthday. He is truly, one amazing boy. He loves to draw (and he's very good), play with Lego's, play video games, dress up into different characters, play in the back yard in the snow, and to cuddle his momma and daddy. He is so creative and he loves to play. He is so great about playing independently, whereas Judah needs interaction every few minutes...unless he's watching one of his shows of course. The top left picture is Ethen posing as Bruce Wayne. Right now his favorite is Batman.

Ethen is doing really well in school, at least according to me. Every day, the kids either receive a red dot or a green dot and he has only received a few red dots for his behavior, mostly talking to his little friends. His new favorite friend in class is a girl named Elsie. She is a little cutie, and a very nice girl. He has a couple of boys that he enjoys too but Elsie takes the cake. I ask Ethen every day what he'd like for snack and he tells me, "Not cheese, Mom. Elsie's allergic to cheese." And most every day, I reassure him I already know that and I still need to know what he does want. He is a very thoughtful boy. He is quite predictable and if left to his own, I think he'd do the same things, eat the same things, and play the same things at the same times every day. He loves his routine and he loves just being home. We talk about going to the mall, Chuck E. Cheese, the park....he just likes home better. And I love him for it. He is good for me. All my kids are good for me. They keep me honest, they keep me consistent, and they keep me guessing too. I am a better momma because of my Ethen-boy. He makes me very proud!

Judah!

2011-03-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here's my Jude-Jude. He is the funnest person in the household. He talks non-stop and moves just the same. He loves doing exactly what his big brother does. He is very loving and compassionate. In the bottom left picture, Ethen is dressed as Batman and Judah is dressed up at Robin. Judah is just plain old silly...he loves to make us laugh. He loves starting each day with a piece of gum or candy (which happens only once in a while), but he still asks most every day anyway. He always brings his toys to each room he goes. He usually wants the same toys that Ethen plays with. His favorite things are usually what Ethen's favorite things are. He is a very pleasant boy. I am so proud of him. He is about to turn four. I can't believe that my little Memorial dad baby is just about to turn four. He wore out a couple pairs of jeans lately and we found a steal at the mall for $8 jeans, and man are they cute. They are skinny jeans. Ethen doesn't have the body for skinny jeans but my almost-four-year-old-boy does...the little cutie! I enjoy having 2 boys and seeing just how different they are.

My Beautiful Girl!

2011-03-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

I guess I should explain the pictures before I give the update...the top left is Grace's response to me after I told her no more blueberries. The right picture is her telling me 'no' when I asked her if I could take a picture of my pretty girl (just after the blueberry issue). The bottom left is a victorious moment in the Webb home...Grace finally has enough hair to put up in wispy pig-tails. And, I am so very proud!

So here she is...my little girl. She is growing up so quickly. Not too much longer and she'll be two. She is so fun and her personality is so girly...I guess I say that cause my boys are so...boy. She is really into animals right now and especially into Baby Einstein. She makes several animal noises and my favorite may be the horse whinny, or the grunting/barking bah of the sheep. Her duck noise is pretty cute too though.
Grace is also an avid book reader. It doesn't matter the book, but she certainly lights up more for the ones with animals. She brings us her book along with her blanket and she'll push her way into our laps. She is quite touchy. The boys are certainly touchy, but I think it's because Chris is so affectionate with them. He's such a good daddy!
Grace likes her clothes, she likes stuffed animals, and especially Winnie the Pooh. She sings the theme song (in her own babbling words). I am just so in love with her and the boys. I am so glad that we have a girl. We are going to have a lot of fun times, both in the near future and far.

My Girl Walks!

2010-09-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Friday Grace started walking. She has taken a few steps here and there for the last coule of weeks, but when she realized that she wasn't holding on to anything, she'd sit down. She still scoots on her booty sometimes, but she realizes that walking and even sometimes crawling gets her there faster.

She is so cute and so fun right now. I feel like I just keep saying the same thing, but it's just so true! Even Chris says that he's in love with his little girl. Her personality and behavior is so different than the boys. Already she seems very smart and to understand what we are saying. Chris or I can look at her and tell her no and she understands as well as sticks out her pouty lip and she'll obey. She obeys quite quickly. Our boys were a little more stubborn and slower to obey. She is so wonderful and I love all the time I get to spend with her. It's ok if you're jealous. She is pretty amazing!

My Girl!

2010-09-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a cutie?! I am so in love with her. She is growing quickly. Still not walking, but this girl sure gets around...upstairs, downstairs, over toys, over boys, she has no trouble. She does crawl quite a bit and also walks along furniture easily, but she lacks the stability to walk confidently. Sometimes she'll take a couple steps on her own and then realize there's no table near so she'll sit down and scoot usually. She has so much personality and beauty to her; not to mention drive and persistance. I love having a girl and she is a great compliment to our already beautiful family. Oh, and she really loves books. One thing that continually surprises us about her is that she is so much more patient. I've decided...she's a keeper!!

My Little Boy is Growing Up...

2010-09-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Ethen attended his first day of Kindergarten on Tuesday. He was a little aprehensive to let us leave, but day 2 was much better...almost routine. He is so amazing and we are so proud of him. Hard to believe that he is already a school aged kid! My baby...

Grandpa and Gracie

2010-06-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here's my big 1-yr old girl!!

2010-06-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yay for being 1 year old!!

2010-06-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Grace turned 1 yesterday and we celebrated at Burgerville today with our friends and family. I made this "cup-cake" for her. It was a fun time and Grace got some really cute dresses! I can't believe that she's already one. She is such a cutie!!

A little late...

2010-05-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

GRACE:

So, my girly now has 5 teeth! Three on the bottom and 2 on the top, but not the two front teeth, the two outside the front two. She is getting the front 2 right now and of course, she is fevering and drooling. It's pretty cute though. She is still not even tempting to roll over (OK, maybe a couple times in the last month or so), nor is she crawling or anything like that. She still sits up and scoots to get places. Of course, when she's in her walker, she's a brute force. In our house, transitioning from the hard wood to the carpet and from the inside to the back deck, there are some bumps, but this girl is so cute ... she just lifts up her walker and marches right over any speed bumps that may get in her way. She is a pretty driven and outspoken girl. Sometimes when I take a toy from her, she really lets me know. She will definitely hold her own against her brothers though.

JUDAH:

He turned 3 last Tuesday. He is such a big boy already. He uses big words like dangerous, consequence, and disgusting. He is such a conversationalist. And very social too. He plays shy but once you are in, you're in. He loves playing with and copying his big brother and also playing by himself. He is super cuddly and loveable. I love that he wants to include us on what he does, but his constant play-by-play and sometimes non-stop monologue is overwhelming. At times, we put him in a "verbal time-out". He is so mature for his age. I know, it's probably a biased opinion. But, hey, it's my blog.

ETHEN:

We are so very proud of Ethen. He is so amazing and smart and loveable and cute and cuddly and innovative and thoughtful .. ok, I'll stop. I do have share some cute things though to back up all those flattering compliments. Ethen loves to draw. I can blog some pics in the near future, but for now, it's just words. He draws mostly Superheroes, but also a few other things. He likes to draw things and cut them out too. He has recently started playing Chris's X-Box 360 and he is good. Good thing is I am still better than him, but I know it won't take long for him to pass me by. Technology and young people make an amazing pair. He also plays his V-Smile that our neighbor gave us and he's pretty darn good at that too. Ethen also has a great imagination. He can play with his action figure toys what seems like hours on end just entertaining himself, even if we invite him to do something different with us. His new favorite cereal is Frosted Shredded Mini-Wheats, and his new favorite lunch is a PB&J w/ honey, no crust. He'll have a bowl of Honey-Nut Cheerios anytime though, it's the ol' stand-by.

GARRISON:

No, I don't have a new baby. But, yes, we do have another son. Just for the summer though. Our dearest of friends have gone to Alaska for the summer and we have the privelege of caring for their 15 yr-old son till they return. (He's also my god-son.) Our boys absolutely love him. Grace just stares at him like he's a new attraction. He is such a good "big brother" to them and says, "Wow, that's amazing" whenever they show him something (even if it's the 5th time). He plays piano, (most) guitars and drums all very well. He loves watching TV, playing video games and instruments, working out and being with his family. He is a good boy and we hope that we will bless him while he is here.

And, here's a recent family pic of us as we entered my aunts outdoor wedding. I love my family so much!

Grace is 11 Months

2010-05-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Wow ... my girly is now 11 months. She is so stinkin cute!! I have so many cute little things to say about her and stories about her. She does this cute little scooting move as she is in the sitting position. (She still doesn't crawl, roll over or anything like that yet. She has her own schedule.)

Something that has been a funny milestone in each of my kids development is the skill of sucking. She recently obtained that skill!

And, to make her daddy proud ... here is one of her new favorite foods:

FRENCH FRIES!!

She now has 4 teeth also. She has just cut in the 4th one and has been chewing on her fingers a lot and been pretty fussy the last few days. I am just so in love with her. I can't wait to talk to her and get to know her more. Thank you God for my little girl. She is a great compliment to my other 2 favorite boys ...

2 Teeth and a 5-yr old

2010-04-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

Gracie finally has her 2nd tooth. She is chewing on most anything you give her. She is still not rolling over, nor crawling, nor scooting ... but she does sit very well! She'll be 10 months this coming Sunday, and that will also be Ethens 5th birthday. We watch Sprout (channel) pretty often, Caillou is our favorite. In fact, Ethen and Judah sometimes call Gracie "Rosy" cause that is Caillou's little sister's name and they just love him. Anyway, tonight I submitted a "birthday wish" so I am really excited to see his name roll across the screen. He is so cute and so absolutely loveable! I can't belive he's gonna be 5!

The Webberley Girls

2010-03-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's Grace and I completely in love!! Aren't her big blue eyes just amazingly beautiful!!

Judah is so fun!

2010-03-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

We were out to dinner the other night and forgot to bring toys. Thanks to Grandma, Judah found something to entertain him (and us). He enjoys entertaining us if you can't tell.

I love my mom and dad!

2010-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken while my mom and dad were on vacation recently. Their expressions are pretty funny as they posed for each other's snapshot.

Why so serious?

2010-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is Gracie's first "real" visit to the park where she could "enjoy" the equipment too. Actually, she didn't really get beyond the swing and the ground. Being immobile kinda puts a damper on the exploration side of her right now. So, she decided to eat bark chips (aka beauty bark). I love her multiple expressions!

2010-03-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

This is a typical face that Ethen makes. He is such an analytical thinker and a very smart boy. He loves dressing himself and he is so helpful. He likes doing things the "right" way and sometimes his fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants mom grates against his personality. We're good for each other. One thing is for sure, he has a lot of love in his heart for not only his family, but also his friend Big Ethan!

My Girl!

2010-03-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

She's 9.5 months and just getting her 1st tooth. She is so amazing and I can't begin to talk about how much I love her. She is so fun and has a great temperment (and sometimes a good temper). She is still not crawling or even scooting. All in good time. The biggest picture shows one of her cutest faces, all scrunched up and snorty. I can't wait for a lifetime of fun and conversation with her.

My 3 Darling Beauties

2010-03-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Almost 5 (Ethen), almost 3 (Judah) and almost 1 (Gracie). It was a great Spring start so we decided to take advantage of the day and get our full dose of vitamin E at the park. It is funny sometimes to look at pictures of my kids because they seem so much bigger when they're not sitting on my lap.

It's so easy to fall off the wagon ...

2010-02-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

I sure love having this blog, but lately, it seems that I just keep putting off blogging. Sorry to all of my followers. Life if booming and much happens, both big stories and small, but they go un-notated due to my other priorities. It's a pretty good excuse, right? I wear many hats and it seems like I do most of them well, but blogger-lady has slacked off.

Tonight is the first time that my Ethen boy is sleeping somewhere other than his own home. Big Ethan (Throop) has captured his heart and he is sleeping over there for the first time ever. I think I've made a bigger deal of it than he has. He's only 4 though. He's never stayed over at Grandma and Grandpa's, and the only time he's been away from us is when I've been at the hospital delivering his 2 younger siblings. I vowed not to call and act like an anxious mom so I waited until bed time and called to say 'I love you'. I must have said it at least 5 or 6 times, but he was so cute and assured me he was fine and having fun.

Ethen operates best when we can forewarn him of what is to come. For instance, we don't just throw him into situations, because he is somewhat inflexible. The poor kid has had so many shots and all the nurses have been so different. This is a rabbit trail, but some of you will appreciate me indulging anyway. If ever we've had to go to the doc for shots, Ethen does best if we can tell him ahead of time what to expect. It doesn't mean that he is ok with it, it just goes better if we do. Some nurses try the sneak-approach and it totally doesn't work with him. He totally freaks out and it couldn't go worse in that situation. I try to tell them that I'd like to know just prior to the shot so that I can talk him through it but some still insist on their methods. So, all that to say, we had a few different conversations throughout the week to see if he was ready for the big day. Each time, he told us he was ready, so we'll have to wait until the morning to hear for sure just how it went.

On a side note, it was quite weird just having 2 kids here at the house. It seemed to be significantly easier. I made dinner and then chocolate chip cookies (yummmmmm) and felt like I wanted to start another project (I didn't though). Not sure how much truth there is in that, but maybe that was just my perception. I'm not saying all you 2-kids parents have it easier, it just seemed different. I do miss my boy a lot. I kinda feel sad and in a way, lonely without him here. I can't wait to see him in the morning and hug him and kiss him and hold him. He'll probably give me the "ok mom ..." but I'll be discrete.

So, I'll try and blog in the very near future to let you all know just how the sleepover went! Thanks for sticking with us!

Ouchy ... Poor Ethen!

2010-01-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

It been a rough 12 months for Ethen. Last Feb or so, he got Erythema Nodosum (latin for red bumps) on his body, which the doctors thought was part of a reaction to his body having strep (which is bad enough on it's own.) After 2 ER visits and 2 nights in the hospital, we were sent home with some small-time antibiotics and he quickly recovered. It was pretty scary though. Next, he got eye-surgery. He had somewhat of a lazy eye, or put in other terms, an elongated muscle in one eye. Instead of trying to patch the eye for years, hoping it would correct on it's own, we decided to have surgery to shorten the muscles. It worked perfectly. Prior to the surgery, Ethen's right eye would often wander, especially when he was tired. Since the surgery, Chris, nor I, have seen his eye wander not even once! We are so glad we had it done. And I think later, Ethen will be thankful too!

Finally, last week he was startled while climbing down his bunk bed ladder, fell and hit his front teeth on the bottom bunk. A trip to the ER determined he was just fine and a trip to the dentist the next morning determined both teeth are still there, shoved up into his gums. The dentist didnt' seem to worried. They should descend, again, and there should be no permanent damage to them or the permanent teeth. Below is an xray of the before and after.

BEFORE THE FALL:

AFTER THE FALL:

Let's hope and pray together that the next 12 months doesn't have the name Webbereley and the words Emergency Room in the same sentence!

Grace is 7 Months Already!

2010-01-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

I know that this is coming about 2 weeks late, but she's still so cute it's worth the update!
She is about 27 inches and 21 pounds. Just about as wide as she is tall. She doesn't care much for baby food. She likes what I have on my plate. She still doesn't roll over much, maybe just 1-2 times a week. I'm still not worried, she'll get moving sooner or later. I am so in love with her. And, she is such a different baby than the boys. She is so much more content than they boys were. I am not sure if this is universal with girls (I know there are exceptions sometimes), but I am so glad to have my girl. I can't wait to talk to her. She is so precious and I am so glad that God let us have her! Thank you God for my Gracie!

My Beautiful Boy

2009-12-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

I gotta say it .. he's easy on the eyes. I love his cute little face. I have to admit this ... before I had kids, I swore that I wanted all my kids to have blue eyes (same as me). But, when Jude came out with those beautiful brown eyes, I fell in love immediatly! Chris is super handsome to me and he has brown eyes, but I guess I had a preconceived idea that I wanted blue for some reason. But, I think Judah is just absolutely beautiful with his brown sugar eyes! I love you Jude Jude! You are amzing to me!!!

I Am So In Love!!!

2009-12-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

She is so darn cute! Some days I just want to squeeze her so tight cause I love her so much! She is starting to giggle a little when I tickler her and she is laughing a little when I play with her. I am so glad that God gave us a girly. (I just hope she doesn't want to be a cheerleader when she gets older ... just saying.)

Grace is 6 months!

2009-12-07T11:20:00.001-08:00

Here she is ... 6 months old already! We just got home from the doctors office, so here are the stats:
She weighs 19 pounds 11 ounces (97th percentile)
She is 26.6 inches long (75th percentile)
Her head is 42 cm (40th percentile)

She is not siting up yet very well, nor is she rolling over yet. But, all in good time. I have just started her on some veggies that I pureed and froze this past fall. She is doing well eating ... of course. So here she is, my little sweetie!

Finally, Pictures!!

2009-11-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you consider this cheating, but here is a collage of what's been going on the Webb home lately.

The top left pic of Gracie is in an outfit my sister bought and I am finally getting around to blogging it for her. She is so cute!

Below that one is Chris mowing the lawn in style ... with both boys in tow. They both love "helping" Daddy mow. What a great dad he is!! We are so very blessed!

The top middle is the boys in the tub. They love tubby time and enjoy being together most of the time. In fact, since the beginning of the November they have slept in the same room. We made a make-shift bed on the floor to fit both of them and they love it! It makes bedtime easier for us too!

Top right is the boys on Halloween (daytime). Our dear friend, Laura, came over and surprised Ethen with a Superman costume ... his favorite right now. And, now both boys have a suit so they match ... another fun thing they are doing together. Aren't they amazing!!

The bottom right is Judah in time out. We laughed as we put him in time out cause even while being disciplined, he was still so darn cute?!

The bottom middle is Ethens infamous drawing of the Superman logo. He is doing better and better at getting it perfect. The other day I had to convince him that all the "shapes" on the inside of the logo really created an "S" which stands for Superman. He needed Daddy's opinion to really believe it.

And finally, the pic in the very center is the kids just prior to going out to Trick-or-Treat the neighborhood. Living on a loop has a great advantage to Halloween. It is short and sweet, very fun to connect with the neighbors and makes for an easy and safe candy-gathering route!

Much ado About Nothing

2009-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Not that nothing happens around here, but just that sometimes it seems like it is the same thing that everyone else has go on.

I'll start with Ethen - He is doing so many amazing things right now. He has a real love for learning, especially letters, numbers, shapes and drawings. He loves coloring, but especially drawing the Superman logo. He draws superheros, fruit, trees, and this morning he drew his first smiley-face sun! He is learning more and more letters (besides just being able to sing the alphabet), as well as learning the concept of counting (instead of saying 20-10, rather 30).

Judah - He's so full of enery! He is very busy and also learning. Playing hide-and-seek has really helped him to learn to count ... "8 ... 9 ... 10 ... ready or not, here I come". Although he has been our little jock, he has recently taken to playing with the action figures with Ethen. I guess it started when I was sick w/ my tooth issue. Chris watched the boys all day for about 3 days so the boys had to get along a little better by themselves (partly for Chris's sanity). He has started play fighting with Chris and Ethen but he is not quite "all in" with being rowdy, but the concept is fun. He is also mimicking his brother in many ways. From dressing up in multiple costumes, to saying "hi-yah" like a ninja, and watching Batman and Robin (not for long periods at a time though).

And Gracie - where do I start?? She is now over 18 pounds at 5 months. She has little desire to sit up. When I prop her up in places, she arches her back until shes horizontal again. She isn't too motivated to try and roll over either. She is starting to grab at toys and things and smiles at her brothers a lot!! That makes Judah feel quite special! She is in 9 month clothing very comfortably, but because we are using re-usable diapers, 12 months jammies fit best! I am just so in love with her that I am not sure what else to say besides that she is so mushy and loveable!

We are so in love with all 3 of our kids and really and honestly, I never get enough of them. I never get tired of them. I may get tired of the whining, fussing, crying, fighting, but really, when it's quiet around here .... I'd miss them more. Being a mommy is such a God given gift. I am thankful that God entrusts us with our little munchkins. At the same time, I do miss being selfish with my time ... is there an empty nest out there for me any time soon??

Yucky Times

2009-10-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, here I am. Kind of in bad shape. I have genetically bad teeth, and no matter how well I do at caring for my teeth, I always seem to have some issue going on. Well, the latest was an ache in one of my bi-cuspids (on top, just in front of the molars) that continued to worsen. It was the same tooth that has fillings as well as being 1/2 tooth, 1/2 cap ... I broke it eating a cheeseburger while prego with Gracie. Sad, huh?! So, about a couple weeks ago, my tooth started to ache and progressively got worse. Wednesday, it began to ache beyond measure, so, not having Dental Insurance (meaning my dentist dropped me from their clinic - darn you, Willamette Dental), I headed to the ER. They checked me out and gave me some pain meds and some antibiotics. I went home that night and slept, just so-so.

The next morning I woke up with a fat face ... the top left picture. So, the next day I felt better, up until bed time, when I couldn't sleep. Around 2 am the pain was unbearable and I headed back to the ER to get some more help, the IV kind. Way better!! By 6 am I got discharged (diagnosis: cellulitus of the cheek and a dental "injury")and headed straight for a dental clinic over in Vancouver who cares for non-insured patients. Mind you my face was just a wee bit smaller than Texas, and the dentist saw me right away. About 9am she pulled my tooth out. Sad to see it go, but with all the infection and the condition of the tooth, it was the best decision. She "fixed" me and I headed for home. But by the time I pulled out of Wal-Mart (filling my Rx) my cheek was bigger than ever before and as the dentist recommended, I headed back to the ER once more (3rd trip). Once again, they gave me a bed, some IV drugs and some quiet time. So, I'm drugged up and a lot less swollen. The bottom right picture is me upon being discharged ... in much less pain.

I almost look normal, but there is still swelling as well as a little discoloration in the one side of my face. I am so glad to be out of the unbearable pain, now I'm just suffering with a dull ache, which is much more tolerable. Thanks for reading (and for all your prayers and get well wishes)! I appreciate you all!

My little Sweeties

2009-10-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ethen is so cute! Lately he has been into coloring, and of course, superhero coloring. We do have a few other coloring books, but you know his favorite are the heroes! Everyday (spare only a few) he dresses up as one of many heroes, play-fights as a superhero along with other superhero things I can't think of right now. This collage is for Ethen, mostly by Ethen. He took my camera and, after coloring and hanging up the Hulk pics, took a picture of them, as well as Puppy. Then, he asked me to take a picture of him in his "Batman Shorts" and "Superman" outfit. He also enjoys getting his picture taken and then looking at it. He is so creative and smart! We are very proud of him as you can tell!

Girls are just different

2009-10-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

She is just so different. I would immediately know when the boys woke up, because I would hear crying and screaming. Not Gracie, she smiles and coo's when she wakes up. And sometimes, I don't even know she's awake, unless she has come into my bed sometime before morning. It is just so precious having a girl. I'm very thankful! She is so precious! This picture was taken just a few days ago when she woke up. I had my phone next to me and decided to snap it before the smiles were gone, but sure enough, she smiled and make little noises for about 1/2 hour. I am so in love!!!

I love my parents!!

2009-10-12T22:28:00.000-07:00

I was talking on the phone with my mom today and complaining to her about the fact that our garbage disposal is broken and then just hours later my dad showed up with this! Well, it looked a little different, it was in the box (brand new). This picture is under our sink after Chris installed it. Good job babe! You are so great! But, the focus of this post is my parents, who have been such a blessing to us! One thing that has been really neat that my mom and I have done together is make reusable diapers for Gracie. She hasn't worn a disposable diaper in about a week. It's been really cool. We are modeling our diapers after the Bumgenius brand. I am so glad to be doing that. Anyway, I love my parents and the great thing is ... they love my family (and me) and that is something I am so grateful for! I love you mom and dad! Thanks for being a part of my daily life!

Punkin Patch Fun

2009-10-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here they are ... my 2 beautiful boys chillin with some 'kins. My wonderful (and very gracious) parents took the boys to a local pumpkin patch to pick some out to bring home ... only 20 cents a pound. Can't beat that?! They also took the boys to a park and to McDonalds to play in the tubes. I really do have great parents. They are very supportive and most of all, they are involved. I am so blessed to have them!! Thanks Dad and Mom, for being so selfless and giving! I love you!

My Little Diva

2009-10-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

We were at the park and I snapped this. I am just so in love with my girly!

I forgot to mention her 4-month stats:

17 pounds (97th percentile)

25 inches (75th percentile)

16.5 head (50th percentile)

My Little Girl is 4 Months Old!

2009-10-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Apparently this took her by surprise too?! I didn't weigh and measure her, but I'll get to that hopefully later today! She is such a big girl, even the way she holds herself. I am very proud to have a girl!

My Little Stinker

2009-09-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Recently, Judah was given a new little game that included a very small plastic marble and if you know little boys, you can imagine where it went ... in his nose. I was on the phone when he came in from the backyard asking mommy to "help". I thought it was just a booger or something because both boys have a little cold right now. I'm glad I looked right away. I rushed him upstairs to Chris and we got it out in less than 10 seconds, but it was still enough time for me to freak out. I don't know if Judah knew I was freaking out, but I gave him a big and long hug after that and left the teaching lesson for later. All is well again!

Recent Gracie Pics

2009-09-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the cute faces that Gracie comes up with.

It's always great to have my grandma over. We love you Grandma!

We Love You Aunt Terry

2009-09-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

My Little Cutie!!

2009-09-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's our new sweater Tammy. Isn't it cute!!

Grace's Progress

2009-09-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here she is ... from birth to now. Here she is at a couple days old...
Here is her 1 month picture.

2 months old

3 months old

My Little Big Girl

2009-09-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say ... Grace is getting so big! This is a cat-nap picture, but I'll try and get some more soon of her smiling and alert. Although we didn't have a well child check-up, I did my own measurements. She came in quite "healthy".

16 pounds

24 inches long

16 inch head circumference

I'm pretty sure she's still in the 90th percentile. She holds her head up pretty well, but is not comfortable sitting (propped) up. It seems to be hard on her because of her large overhanging belly. It is adorable though. She is so happy and content. She sleeps anywhere from 5 - 8 hours in the night. We prayed we would get an eater and a sleeper and I really believe the Lord answered!!

Ethen's Work

2009-08-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is the product of giving Ethen the camera for a while. He enjoys walking around and taking pictures of random things. I probably have over 100 pictures similar to these that have been uploaded from his camera voyages. They are cute though. I'd rather have them then not.

Roara and Grace

2009-08-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls ... all cute and fussy. The girls were due about the same day, however, they had a different plan ... as girls usually do. Grace was born June 4th and Roara was born June 21st (Father's Day), just 3 weeks apart. Aren't they just precious! We got a lot more pics that I posted on FB if you'd like to look.

The Stats Are In!

2009-08-11T14:32:00.001-07:00

Well, after 3 pokes (and an oral medication too), Gracie's stats are in from her 2 month check-up. She is 2 months and 1 week old and:

Weight: 13 pounds and 14 ounces = 97th percentile (birth - 7 pounds 1 ounce)
Height: 23 inches = 75th percentile (19.5 inches)
Head: 15 inches = 30th percentile

Pretty impressive for a "preemie"!!

According to the Computer ...

2009-08-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

After doing a short entry into an online chart,

Grace falls in these categories:

Length = between percentile 10 and 25

Weight = between percentile 75 and 90

Head Circumference = between percentile 10 and 25

So, we'll see what the Doc says. Funny stats for a preemie, huh?!

Our Pride and Joy!

2009-08-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ethen - 4 yrs Judah - 2 yrs Grace - 8 weeks

Updates

2009-07-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I've blogged and even Chris is antsy to get a post on here, so here it is! I did a small collage of each of the kids with at least one picture of Chris and I in here too. We are so in love with our family!

1st is Ethen ... he is so, so amazing! He is such a blessing and a beautiful child. He is such a helper and blessed by nature. God has put in him such a sweet spirit. He is very affectionate, just like Chris. He loves spending time with Daddy especially. Here are a few of his favorite things: his toys, his new video game (given to us by a neighbor), his mommy and daddy and playing! He is just a few months over 4 years, but he seems so much older sometimes. God has definitely blessed us with a warrior!

Next is Judah ... oh ... Judah, our precious little relational boy! He is such a bundle of fun. Right now we are in a growth spurt, and not the physical kind. He is going through learning to not get his way all the time. We are doing our best to be faithful to not allow him throwing fits and whining when he doesn't get his way; to be faithful to help him treat his brother and sister with respect and to be more focused and stay put when told. He is so loving and so beautiful! He is very compassionate. The other day when Ethen was being disciplined, Judah cried pretty hard. He did the same when Ethen screamed while getting his shots at the doctor. What a good brother!

And my little ... I mean BIG girl! She will be 8 weeks on Thursday and she is growing quicker than my weeds. I brought her home at about 6 1/2 pounds and she is now 13 pounds and just about 22 inches (born at 7 pounds 1 oz and 19.5 inches). She is so chubby! (Almost looks like a Carmichael, huh?!) She is such a good baby. She eats and sleeps, and then wakes up to eat and sleep again! I love her so much. I have had so much fun doing little girl things with her like painting her nails and accessorizing her outfits. In the left-hand picture, she was chilling with daddy, the middle picture is her staying cool in the shade (in all her chubbiness), her legs and toes are just extras!! She is such a beautiful little girl and it is neat to see her personality come out. And, she still has her blue eyes. I think she'll keep them. So, Chris and Judah have brown eyes, and the rest of us have blue.

WE LOVE OUR FAMILY SO MUCH!!!!

Tonsillitis!

2009-07-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

We made an ER trip today; a short 4-hour trip. Judah's had a fever for the last 2 days of about 102 and it hasn't really subsided; being that our regular doctor was closed today (and yesterday) we decided to make the trip to get some antibiotics. We were thinking he might be teething (2 year molars) but there was no sign of them. He didn't really have any other symptoms other than a fever so we were kinda perplexed, until I got the idea to look at his throat and not just his teeth. Sure enough, his tonsils were super swollen and there was even a little white mucus on them (sorry, kinda gross I know). So, off to the ER we went to find out it was viral tonsillitis.

He was strep negative meaning that the tonsillitis is viral and not bacterial. Viral means that you just treat the symptoms (kinda like what you'd do for the flu). Bacterial means it would be strep positive and you'd have to get a penicillin or something like that to treat the contagious bacteria. So, our discharge instructions are to give both Motrin and Tylenol incrementally and wait it out. Should just take a couple of days, hopefully.

Happy 4th of July and Happy 1 month!

2009-07-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a collage of my little pinkey who is 1 month old today! It is almost more fun to create the collage than take the pictures. The photo in the middle reminds me of the line "Fire Power" from Night at the Museum 2. I'm pretty sure I heard her say it too?!

Daddy's Little Sickey

2009-07-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Poor Judah. He came down with a fever last night. Not sure how high it was during the night, but today it peaked at 102.2. He hasn't been very hungry, and we are making him drink even though he doesn't want to. He is usually super active and all over the place. Not today. He has been on the couch most of the day, otherwise, he's been wanting me to hold him. It is precious though holding my little boy! I left him on the couch (bottom right) to go upstairs and get something and when I came back down, I found him sitting up asleep (left pic). After only an hour nap, he woke up, but it wasn't obviously enough. Later on around 5pm, he fell asleep again (top right). What a cutie! I am more in love with him all the time!

We Love You Duck Fam!

2009-06-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a family that is very important to us! Gary was able to be at the hospital when I was having my Cesarean and the others showed up later (it was 3 in the morning). We are so thankful to have met them so many years ago and it has been such a blessing to watch them raise their children biblically. We have learned so much from each member of the family and we are so glad to call each one of them "friend". God bless you Duck family!

Our Little Princess

2009-06-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

I really like these pictures of Grace. I prefer the simple things to the overdone, and that's why I chose to photo her in her onesie. She is such a cutie!!

Sibling Love!!

2009-06-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Judah loves his sister so much! I am so in love with these kids! To tell on myself a little bit, I swore that I only wanted little blue-eyed kids, but when Judah looks up at me with his beautiful brown eyes, I absolutely melt! I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that Chris has very handsome brown eyes too?! Gracie does look a little overwhelmed in these photos. I think it's because of all the loves and squeezes!

Chubby Cheeks!

2009-06-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

I know this is not the best picture of her, but it does show off her chubbiness! Like I said in an earlier post, she gained about a pound in those 8 days, but I am thinking that she has gained 1 pound per week since coming home. I did a rough weigh-in on my home scale and I think she is up to 9.5 pounds now! She is basically too big for her newborn diapers. I'm glad so many people chose to get me size 1's. Thanks guys! Good thinking!

I am So Sad!!!

2009-06-23T09:06:00.001-07:00

I watched the Jon and Kate + 8 episode last night (not in it's entirety) but I was pretty sad to see that they are divorcing. What a tragedy! Eight little kids are now going to be thrust into the statistics and pushed and pulled between 2 disagreeing parents. One comment that Kate made that kind of sealed my frustration towards her and Jon is this: (not exactly word for word) "her and Jon did the show for the kids and they are still going to do the show because she wants to provide what the kids want (meaning by using the monies from the show, she can give them the life they want, while capturing the memories from their childhood)". Oh, it is so on!! Ask any kid what they want more: A 2 PARENT HOME??? or MONEY AND TV CREWS IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE WITH SEPARATED DISAGREEING PARENTS??

Not too hard if you ask me?!

I'm not a total jerk though. I probably won't watch the show anymore, not that I already watched it regularly, but I kinda kept up with what was going on. I am just really sad that the kids are now in the balance between 2 parents and 2 lives. Really sad! I do understand that there are 2 sides to every story and I am sure that Jon and Kate really were having a hard time with their marriage, but I, like your probably, wished that they would have chosen a different alternative. I don't have the answers for them, I am not God. But couldn't they have stopped the show for a season to get their marriage on track? Or couldn't they have made marriage counseling part of the show? Or could they have done anything besides divorce? Another sad part to me is that the TV world loves seeing reality like this, and just as Kate said on the show last night, her kids are now a statistic, where their parents divorced. Hide and watch, things will only go downhill from here as far as the kids attitude and maturity. Kids need their daddy...and not just during arranged times.

So, I'm praying for the Goesslin family and I hope you'll join me. I'm sure there are other TV families that need prayer too, but this really made me sad for God's little kids, all 10 Goesslins.

Happy Happy Day Dave!

2009-06-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

I know that you won't like this picture, but we love you and we are so glad to be your friends! You and Cheryl haven't missed a birthday for our kids, and maybe even for Chris and I, and we are very blessed by you guys! So, happy birthday. I know this is posted a day early, but we wanted you to know we didn't forget about you!

My 2 Week Old

2009-06-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ethen took this picture, and of all of these, this was my favorite, even though her head is a little cute off. She is such a sweet little princess!

She was getting a little fussy, but it's still a cute little princess behind the tears!

Silly little snarl!

Not the best of pics of her. I've been trying to get a good one to send out in her birth announcements, but I have yet to get "the one". However, they are still blog-worthy! Some are kinda funny, some are... not as cute, but some are pretty stinkin' cute.

A Different Perspective

2009-06-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ethen has had a few hospital stays, as well as his visit to me in the hospital and he noticed Gracie's socks and said, "Momma, are those hospital socks?" Isn't that cute!

Loving Brothers

2009-06-22T22:11:00.001-07:00

These boys are so cute. It seems like every time I get Gracie in my arms, they are close by. Here's the boys as we were snapping some pics of Gracie. I love my kids so much!!!

The Weigh In

2009-06-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe it. I should, but for some reason I can't. Gracie has gained an entire pound in just 8 days. That's a lot. That's a whole brick of butter she just added. So, by dates, here's the scope.

Born 6/4: 7 pounds 1 oz.
Left hosp 6/7: 6 pounds 6 oz.
Doc 6/10: 6 pounds 10 oz.
2 wks 6/18: 7 pounds 10 oz.

Our next visit isn't until she is 2 months, so hopefully I'll get a weight on her before then. She is a good eater, no doubt about that. For some reason, I can't seem to get good pictures of her. I'll keep at it though.

We're Here...

2009-06-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

The boys are absolutely in love with Gracie. It is so cute. Countless times a day they hug, kiss, hold, look at, touch, pet, check on her. She is certainly not short on love. Here is Judah holding her. When he wants to hold her, he say, "Baby.......lllllap" (for some reason he holds out the 'l' for a long time when saying lap). They are so darling.
I took a random picture of her in her crib the other day. Her face has again changed quite a bit. I'll have to take a few pics and post them. I still haven't taken the pics to send out for her birth announcement. Oops. I'll get on that soon!

Auntie Karen with Gracie. She is pretty excited that we have a little girl. Growing up it was just us two girls, but as far as little kiddos, my 2 boys have been it, so we are super excited for some pink and a little princess heart.

By the way, Hi Aunt Terry. My mom said she talked to you a couple days ago and she told me about your news of diabetes. Sorry to hear that. I know that you'll do fine with controlling it with diet. You are great and we look forward to seeing you next. Hopefully we'll be able to make it to at least a couple hours of the reunion. Love you!!

Going Home Today

2009-06-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not too sure when I'll get to post next. I am headed home today. Checkout by noon. I have really enjoyed this one-on-one time with my little girl. It is still pretty hard to comprehend the fact that I have a girl, and not another boy. I think I said it before, but I keep calling Gracie a "he" and "Judah". Gotta stop that right quick. So, I'll try and let you know how we are doing in the next few days, but no guarantees. I am so excited to take Gracie home and to live life there; providing, living, sleeping in my own bed; arranging every one's rooms.

So, pray for us. Pray that my body heals quickly and correctly. Pray that Gracie does well at home with her new family and dog. Pray that the boys will be gentle and not too rowdy in their excitement. Pray that we all sleep well. Pray for Chris and I that we will get enough rest and have grace with each other as we bring home an infant. Thanks for praying! It will be fun to report to you on what God is doing and saying to us.

Blue-Eyed Baby

2009-06-07T14:52:00.001-07:00

We were just sitting around relaxing and Gracie was some ocular exploring. She hasn't spent a lot of time awake and looking around, but I was able to capture her in this cute moment. So far, her eyes are blue (same as Robin and Ethen) but we are open to whatever color eyes that God will have for her. She is so beautiful! I still can't believe that I have a daughter. Thank you Jesus!

Gracie, Mommy and Daddy

2009-06-06T22:35:00.001-07:00

Chris came to the hospital today to visit (minus the boys, thanks Rashell and Garrison) and I snapped a few photos of how proud and loving he is! Isn't he looking good? Gracie looks good too though, huh?
Here she is...my beautiful and amazing daughter...weird, I have a daughter. I am so, so, so, so blessed!

Here I am. Just wanted to post a pic of me. I really like my new PINK robe. Thanks Mom, you are such a blessing. My mom has been staying in the hospital with me and Gracie helping out in whatever way possible. I love my mommy so much and I pray that Gracie and I will have a relationship just as good as my mom and I do. I love you Gracie and Mom!

Cuteness!

2009-06-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Wow...I am so amazingly blessed!!! Look at how cute she is!!! I went through her baby bag and had forgotten that I packed a couple head wraps for my little princess. I just can't explain the overwhelming love and emotion that is in (and coming out of) my heart for her. Thank you Jesus for such a healthy little girl. I am so crazy glad that she is here and I can hold her and love on her.

A Very Expectant Brother

2009-06-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Actually, both boys are very expectant to meet Gracie and bring her home. Ethen has a darling face each time we talk about her. Judah just keeps repeating "Baby" and "Ohhh". He is so cute! I don't know why, but I keep calling Gracie "Judah" when she fusses or cries. Hopefully it doesn't last too long. The poor girl will get a complex?! I'll upload more pics later...after my nap. I am not doing so well about naps...argh!

Gracie Pictures

2009-06-04T15:32:00.001-07:00

She's Here!!

2009-06-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

Grace McKenzie Webberley came into the world 3:20am via C Section last night, June 4th. She was 7lbs and 1 ounce and is 19 1/2 inches long. She is very healthy, everything went great with the surgery and momma is recovering well. Robin and Grace will be at Legacy Emmanuel Salmon Creek campus at least till Saturday, probably into Sunday. Feel free to come by and visit us but be sure to call before you do! We are so in love with our little princess!

Zoo Trip!

2009-06-01T22:19:00.001-07:00

You have all seen so many pics from the zoo, so I decided to post this one. One that is not there every time you go.

Here they are looking at the monkeys. It was so cute to see the boys so inquisitive at each exhibit. They would diligently look for each animal. I love all 3 of my boys so much. Chris was so helpful and wonderful today. I am so thankful for a wonderful hubby. He loves Jesus and his family so much! These boys are never short on love. Anyway, the zoo was fun. Hopefully we'll go one more time before Gracie comes.

Speaking of Gracie, I got a call from the hospital today and my c-section is scheduled for June 19th at 10am. YAHOO!!! That means I have 18 days (or less) until we get to meet her.

Backyard Fun...Again!

2009-05-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

We set up the pools again, this time with some warmer water. And this time, we used bubbles on the slide to make it a little more fun.

We picked up some sidewalk chalk today and Ethen drew on (almost) every brick, at least one line and some a fun scribble. He's so cute!!

Here's my tummy. Pretty big, huh? I'm 9 months!!

Talk About Utilization of Space?!

2009-05-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's honey-do-list consisted of a little make-over of Ethen's closet. We so want Ethen to have his own room, and slowly Judah's stuff has been moved in. Well, now so have all of Gracie's clothes (I guess I can't say ALL, because she will have more, this is just what we have for now). We put Ethen's shirts down on the bottom right because he kept climbing up on top of his dresser to get shirts all the while "accidentally" knocking the ones he didn't want to wear on the floor.

On each of the boxes and drawers we have little pictures so that the boys can get their own clothes. Or maybe it's just because I am weird and I like labels. Probably the latter. :-) Anyway, it was a lot of fun getting pink in the closet. At least for me. Not quite sure what the boys think of it. It is so cute seeing all the little ruffles and lace-type things...I've been quite deprived.

My Beautiful Neighbor!!

2009-05-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

Here she is...my dear friend Margaret! She held a shower for me and invited our walking group and a few others to bless me (and Gracie). I was truly blessed, mostly by the groups love and affection for me, but also by the gifts received.

I couldn't find a good picture of me and the gifts at the shower, so this is it folks!

Isn't my tummy big?! I look in the mirror sometimes and just can't believe it's my body. Weird!

Backyard Fun...with Daddy

2009-05-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

Here's what happens when Daddy is left home with the boys for a couple hours. The boys have so much fun with him though too! (A neighbor threw a shower for me, so Chris stayed at home with the boys.)

He is so incredibly thoughtful. He put up the umbrella shade over the table where the kids could eat.

And what better to eat, than burgers and fries?! We're glad that our dear friend Big Ethan could spend some time with us!

He's 2 Years Old!

2009-05-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

I love this first picture for his expression, but the second is the keeper of the two. He is wearing his new favorite hat given to him by his great-grandma Alice, sitting in his new soccer goal, given to him by our very friendly neighbors! He loves sports so much. He could pretty much care less about action figures like his brother. Get him a ball...he's good to go!

This picture is so dog gone cute! I love it. Even his eyes are smiling. It warms up a mommy's heart!

Judah is almost 2!!

2009-05-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Fishers, came over the other day with a birthday gift for Judah and this is his face in response to them bringing in his gift. (He looks a lot like his Grandpa Allen, Chris's dad.)

A fat bat and ball! Every little boys needs one of these. He is showing Momma his new bat. There was a cute outfit in the bag, but to Judah, that wasn't even on the scope.

Quick resting break before it's his turn to be batter.

Alex was kind enough to pitch for Judah. The joy on Judah's face was so great as he hit the ball. (I am sure glad for such good aim from Alex.) Thank you Fishers, we love you!

Gracie Update

2009-05-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

The other day, a great friend of ours brought over 6 or 7 bags of girly clothes, just 1-12 months in size. WOW!!!! I now have a good base of clothes. Before I had to tell people I had nothing, so for my upcoming shower, I basically needed everything. As you can see from the pics, there are socks, pants, overalls, tights, rompers, dresses, shirts, sweaters, pajamas, and more. I was so excited in this first picture. It was so fun to go through all the clothes and just imagine me holding a little pink girl in my arms. I just can't wait to show her off and for others to hold her too!

I have no more than 26 days until I (and you) get to meet her. Because of a repeat Cesarean, I'll deliver at 39 weeks. I am getting a little bit nervous for the procedure, but I know that I'll be just fine. I guess I should be worried about Chris and the kids home alone for 3 days while I am at the hospital. I am confident though in him. I really have no worries. He is an amazing dad (and hubby). Although we are in a tough season right now with our job, he is the best and we couldn't ask for better! Really! I am so glad too that several others of you same the same of your hubbies. God has many, many good men that are seeking his heart to lead their families and I am glad to say that I have one of them as my hubby too! God bless your Sunday!

Fun at the Park

2009-05-24T07:02:00.001-07:00

Two big boys!! There is something about the swing that makes both of my boys giggle and smile like no other thing can. I think it is the feeling in their tummies. Sometimes going down a hill that has a whoopty in it does it for Ethen too. Anyway, we have been frequenting some parks lately to soak in some vitamin E and it seems like I just soak in the moisture and get puffy. I guess that goes with pregnancy.

Ethen seems to be a climber. Most places we go, he'll find a structure to climb, a crawl space to hide, etc. It is pretty cute. He told me to take this picture and that he would smile big if I did. I am so in love with our kids. They are so beautiful, inside and out!

Gracie update: I have no more than 26 days until I get to meet her. As I said before, I will deliver no later than June 19th and I am so excited to meet her. I recently got several bags of clothes from a great friend in Portland and I now have a good base of clothes. I'll just have to blog about it later!

Update

2009-05-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, kind of unexpected, but Ethen's doc called and said that we don't have to do the penicillin shots every 4 weeks anymore. The infectious specialist doctor over at Emanuel responded back to his primary doc and gave us the good news. I am hoping that even though he doesn't have any fighting ability against Strep, that it won't be an issue. She said that if he shows any sign whatsoever of having a sore throat or sickness of any kind, to come in right away, so that we can prevent things from going the way they did before. We are glad. Monthly "pokes" are no fun!!

I am now 35 weeks prego! Can't believe it already! I was able to meet with a surgeon the other day at my midwife appointment. Because I am having my 3rd c-section, I will deliver no later than the 19th of June (pretty good news, huh Tam and Oliver?!) I am looking forward to holding my first little girl in less than a month! Wahoo! What a dream!! Anyway, I am getting pretty tired pretty easily and that is annoying. I just stopped my daily walking because it is getting to be a bit much for me. I have 2 boys that I chase all day and that is enough exercise for me at this point. I am a pretty busy gal and I don't like to sit around much. Chris tells me to rest and slow down pretty often. I'm terrible at it though. I kind of think that I'll go into labor before that date though. My water broke 10 days early with Judah. Who knows though. I need to take some pics of my ever-growing belly. Sorry.

One more thing. I started a blanket this past week and this morning I finished it. Cool. Although I am not a huge crochet fan, it was quite an accomplishment for me. My mom is a good teacher. I might do another one at some point, but I'm in no hurry. It was fun.

Backyard Fun

2009-05-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

We received a small (used) table from a friend and it is so handy, especially now that it is getting warmer. We really love our backyard, and even more since the dogs don't "go" back there anymore. We are also looking forward to the summer and warmer days so that we can be outside and have fun with bubbles and yard toys! The rain was great for greening up the lawn, but we are glad to have a wide open fenced space to play. We have been eating quite a few meals on this table too...and I guess when I say "we", I just mean the boys. I can't get my ever-growing body that low to fit in the small plastic frame.

*If you enlarge the picture, you can kind of see Ethen's eye 4 days post-op. It's pretty bloodshot, but the pain is basically gone and he's using it 100% of the time. No more favoring it. We check on him pretty regularly with it too, both in question as well as a little inspection. I wouldn't want ANYTHING more to happen to him.

More Track Fun

2009-05-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ethen is quite an entrepreneur. He loves exploring both the big and small things. This sewer grate proved quite an interesting opportunity for several minutes.

When that was all done, Ethen jumped on the large pad. He wanted me to take several pictures of him jumping, throwing the ball, doing "flips" and running around.

Little brother wanted to act the same.

He even ran around the track...kinda. The wind blew the ball around a bit, so it was more chasing the ball than actual play.

$10 Well Spent!

2009-05-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was out and happen to stumble upon a garage sale the other day and found something great! A bike that will fit Ethen for only $10. Well spent too if you ask me! As expected, the first day, he didn't quite understand the concept of peddling, but after a couple days of mentally going through it and practicing it with his hands in the air, he gets it.

And now, he likes to do it on his own. He doesn't want our help, except for when he goes down hill. The downhill part is still a little bit scary for him.

So, we headed out to the track just near our house and Ethen absolutely loved it! Judah came too, with his big blue ball!

He went all the way around the track by himself with no help or promptings or stops. What a big boy! I love that he is a big, capable 4-year old, but I don't want him to grow up so fast!

3 Days Post Op

2009-05-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

He is kind of squinting because of the sun, but at 3 days post-op, he still favored his eye a little bit. He didn't like opening it and using it because of the stitches that bugged him when he used it. Can't say I blame him!

Today marks 8 days post-op and you wouldn't really know he had the surgery done, except that he eye is a little bit bloodshot. He doesn't favor it now, nor does he squint or hide it! Yay! We are so glad for such a great outcome for a procedure like this. Thanks again for your prayers!

Picture Updates

2009-05-21T13:36:00.001-07:00

These boys love their daddy! Chris went up on the ladder(s) to clean out the gutters, so of course, the boys followed. It was pouring down rain, but that didn't stop any of the 3 of them.

I really like this picture below. It shows such an inquisitive aspect of both boys! Daddy set up the chairs and umbrella so they could look on from a distance, but it wasn't too long before Judah had to come inside due to being drenched, and Ethen was soon up on the roof with Chris. Not cool. Daddy is the most careful of all the people I know, so I wasn't worried. He is such a good dad!

Ethen's Eye - Post Op

2009-05-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

He finally opened it! Here is a pic of his open eye, just 24 hours after surgery. It is quite blood shot, but he is doing really well with it. He hadn't opened it until just this afternoon. He is so amazing. He even remembers his hospital visitors, the Ducks and Fishers. We love you both so much! Thanks for coming.

The Eye's Working Great

2009-05-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the new eye must be working well, cause our neighbor brought over some puzzles that she found in her closet and in no time at all, Ethen had out of the bag and put together. (He actually still hasn't opened his eye, it was just a funny opportunity to say that!) I am so impressed with his ability to put things together and figure things out.

Another example of his amazing abilities: we went to an appointment the other day and he just walked over to a computer and started playing the game. I guess Chris has been showing him a little bit about the computer but he was following instructions and playing the game. Amazing! I am so proud of my little guy. Chris and I were just saying the other day how big Ethen is. We aren't ready for him to be so big yet! He is already 4 and still growing so fast.

Post Op - Day 1

2009-05-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Ethen had his eye correction surgery yesterday. It was quite an adventure for him. We haven't debriefed too much with him, but it will be fun to hear his perspective.

Basically, the procedure was to shorten 2 of his muscles in his right eye to keep it from "being lazy" and wandering too far. When he gets fatigued, it would wander. After trying to patch it for 3 months, there was no lasting progress. The test prior and following the patching was exactly the same. So, we decided to fix it a different way.

I described the procedure in an earlier post, but to briefly describe it again, here goes. The surgeon didn't have to make any outer incision, just a turn of the eye, a snip of the muscles and a patch to cover it for a while and he's good to go.

So, yesterday morning was the procedure. We went to Emanuel over in Portland and had a great experience. He was given a sedative that was pretty fast acting. He kinda pretty droopy pretty quickly, only 15 minutes or so. Ethen got changed into his "hospital jammies", went to the pre-op room and was ready to go when Ethen said, "Dadda, there's something inside me." What was so funny about it was that his eyes were half mass and his speech was quite slurred. He was pretty out of it, but he was quite obstinate. He didn't have the strength, but he had quite the will. The anaesthesiologist whisked him away in his arms and Ethen didn't fuss. I was quite glad. That is hard for us to let him go like that. Almost 2 hours later, the surgeon came out and said everything went really well. Ethen woke up soon thereafter asking for Daddy (b/c Daddy was holding him just prior to leaving for the operation) and Mommy was just chopped liver...until I held him in the post-op room. He had an eye patch on, his hand had an IV, his leg had a blood pressure cuff, he wouldn't open his eyes, and the nurses were not who he was expecting to wake up to. Here's a pic of him in that moment. He stayed in my arms like this for about 2 hours. (Isn't my tummy big?!)

He recovered very well and the next step was to successfully get down a popcicle and then he could go home. By 1:30 we were on our way home and ready to recover in our own environment.

Once we got home, Ethen was pretty much normal and ready to play. We took a pic of him with his eye patch at home, just prior to taking the patch off (in hopes that he's start using his "new" eye...no luck).

It is the day after and Ethen still hasn't opened his eye, except for the 2 times for us to put his medicine in it. It is pretty blood-shot and just slightly swollen. No biggie though. At some point today, we'll put an ice-pack on it, but other than that, eye goop 3 times a day and he's good to go.

Updates...

2009-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Where to start?
I am now 33 weeks prego. I'll be 34 on Friday...crazy?! These last few weeks have gone by really fast! I am feeling really well. I get tired pretty easy. My morning walks are a moderate pace, but any walking in the afternoon is a ridiculously slow mosey. But, I haven't quite gained 20 pounds, so I know I'm doing well. Gracie is super active and we are both very healthy. I just can't wait to hold her in my arms. I know I've said it before and as the time gets closer to the reality of it, I'll probably say it again and again. I am still fitting in my size 10 (sometimes 12) jeans (low-rise of course) and thanks to our latest trend of longer shirts, I am still in a lot of my normal shirts too. Nice. I know, I need to post a pic soon. Maybe tomorrow I'll get Chris to take a pic of me and my ever-growing tummy. No promises.

Ethen has a pre-op eye appt tomorrow. Yep...pre-op. He has somewhat of a lazy eye in his right eye and we are going to take care of it instead of trying to patch it for the next several years. There will be no outer laceration/incision, it is just a turn of the eye, a snip of the scissors, a dissolvable stitch is put in and we can be on the road once he wakes up from it. I am being somewhat vague for all you who really don't care for surgery details. That is the gist of it though. Wednesday is the actual procedure, so we are anxious and waiting. It is a very simple procedure, so my anxiety level is really quite low.

Monday is another baby appointment. I have been right on track with all my numbers, measures, and levels (whatever all that means). I think after this one, I'll have to go in once a week. One thing that is pretty cool is that I have a friend who is basically due the same day as I am. We are both having girls too. Pretty cool. I kinda want to get a few of the same outfits and take a few pics of them together. I know, I'm silly. But you like me, cause you are still reading?!

Judah is just about to turn 2 years old. He had such a great time at Chuck E. Cheese's for Ethen's birthday, so we decided to go back there again. I know that the games that he'll play are quite limited, but with a little guy like him, that's all that matters. He doesn't know all the other games are there anyway. We have decided that Judah is much more of a sports guy and obviously Ethen is the superhero lover. It is neat to see the differences in them. Chris made a great summary of both of them in saying this: When Ethen puts a superhero outfit on...he becomes the person. When Judah puts a superhero outfit on, he is still Judah...just in some silly clothes though. You can see it in their faces of the pictures we take. Very cute!

Since Gracie is coming in only 5-6 short weeks, I didn't want to have back to back parties on the next couple of weekends, so we decided to have a shower for her on June 13th here at my house. If something changes, I'll let you know though. We decided to have a shower because we don't have any (very few) girl clothes. I have a lot of boy stuff obviously, but need girly stuff. Of course, diapering items are always welcome too!

In case you were wondering about how Ethen is doing regarding the Post Streptococcal Reactive Arthritis, he is great. There are some rare days that he'll say something about his knee hurting, but it is nothing that keeps him immobile. He is quite active. We have stopped all meds and we are continuing the every 4 weeks penicillin shots. This is kind of lengthy, but hopefully it makes sense. Here is the reason we are doing the shots. When someone gets sick, the body works to fight it off. Some people have stronger systems against sicknesses. Once your body is healed, it builds up antibodies to fight that same sickness if/when it comes again. We had Ethen tested a month after he had his strep and he had NO strep antibodies in his system. So, to avoid going through what we went through recently with him, we are boosting his system with the penicillin shots. Kinda rough one day a month, but I think as we do more, he'll get used to it. Morbid, isn't it?!

Well, I guess that's about it. Kind of a lot, but if I missed something...just ask. Thanks (and good job) for making it all the way to the bottom. And if you just skipped to the bottom, I guess you missed out.

Friends...

2009-05-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

We had the privelege of having Big Ethan and Lillly over last week for some play time. It was quite fun having 4 little rascals running around the house. Kind of made me aware of how things will be in the future for us. At the end of our play dates, Big Ethan and Ethen like to watch an episode of Backyardigans...very cute! (The littler ones didn't seem to mind the tradition.)

After a quick tubby, Lilly and Judah made the crib a trampoline for a little while.

This is what little boys do...oogle over their friends toys. It happens here and it happens at Big Ethan's house too. I love the looks on their faces as they ask, "Who is this?" multiple times. It is pretty cute to hear a 4 year old say all the Star Wars names.

A First In 3 Years!

2009-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Chris bought these lilac bushes for me about 3 years ago and they had yet to bloom...until now! Our precious dog kept chewing the branches as they grew and it never allowed blooms to come. I am so excited they are finally here. They smell beautiful!

New Blanket for Gracie

2009-04-26T13:37:00.001-07:00

My mom came up to my house with a "Drag-A-Rag" pattern and a bag of fabric and we made this blanket together. It was totally fun! It was a lot of cutting, but it turned out so darling! We didn't get any pics of me sewing or working, but I did some of the work too, honest!

I tried to take a picture of both sides of the blanket. It is technically my first quilt and I completely plan on doing many more! I wasn't sure how it was exactly going to come out, but I am totally impressed. It is not a summer blanket, but it will be great for tummy time as well as when it gets a little colder out. Having made one, the rest will be a lot easier to make now. Not such a big challenge.

"Like New" Baby Bag

2009-04-26T13:28:00.001-07:00

My friend Misty was kind enough to give me back the baby bag that I gave to her for her little Lilly. Now, Gracie gets to use it and so I embellished it a little. I love doing stuff like this.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Before you think I'm all that and a bag of chips, I purchased the patch and the letters (pre-formed). I sewed the patch on and then super-glued the letters on one at a time. It was not entirely too much work.

New Pink Things in the House

2009-04-26T13:22:00.001-07:00

I think that some of my friends and family are just as excited as we are about having our first girl! My dear friend over in Hawaii TAMARA sent this to me just out of the blue...no note, no card, no correspondance, just a beautiful dress! I love it! I just can't wait to see little Gracie in it!

My mom knitted this hat for her too. I couldn't get it to rotate to being right side up, but you get it either way. And, as I'll probably say many more times (and actually too many times)...it is so cute! Thanks Mom! I love it! What about a knit sweater too?

New Habits

2009-04-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Judah has a modest side to him. He is kind of a private kid. Well, at least when it comes to...well...going number 2. He likes to hide in another room or in a closet while he's "busy". While I was doing some sewing, he made his way into the pantry closet.
He plays in there, organizes my spices the way he wants and "multi-tasks". While somewhat gross, it is pretty cute at the same time?!

A Lot of Love!!

2009-04-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

These boys will follow their daddy into every room he goes to....poor guy. Even when he wants some alone time, they follow him. They love their daddy so much. Chris decided to wash up the truck in the beautiful weather and of course, the boys followed....
(Chris won't like this picture much, but he is making that face because the sun was in his eyes. And, I am not about to begin to complain about the amount of sun we have so far.)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here's my beautiful boys! It wasn't very easy to get them to hold still while trying to snap a photo...it usually is quite the task. We didn't do much in the ways of the traditions of Easter (ham, Easter baskets, chocolate, etc.) but we didn't miss the main point...and that is to remember and celebrate that JESUS IS ALIVE!! We are so glad that Jesus keeps His word in saying that He would rise again. We have been reading The Story of Easter (by Pingry) to Ethen about Easter and he gets what it is about. That's pretty cool to us.

Grandpa and Grandma did bring us...I mean Ethen and Judah a goody bag though. Plenty of chocolate to go around! Thanks Dad and Mom!

Happy 4th Birthday Ethen!

2009-04-04T18:35:00.001-07:00

We celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese's and it was a lot of fun! We had some family and friends to help us bless Ethen. At first he wanted to go to Disneyland, but when he found out Big Ethen went there for his birthday, he changed his mind immediatly! He had a really good time (and we did too).

He knew just what to do when the birthday cake and candles came out!

Opening presents was almost his favorite part!

I thought this picture was so cute! This is his face as we were on his way towards Chuck E. Cheese's. He was so excited!

We celebrated his birthday a little early (Friday morning) by opening our presents with my parents. As you can see, he is not too expressionate!

We are so blessed by Ethen and we are so in love with him. He is so beautiful and we just can't get enough of him! God bless you Ethen. We are very blessed parents!

Not all better, but WAY better!

2009-04-04T18:30:00.001-07:00

Ethen is doing so much better. And while he is not 100% better, he is almost there. There is no more swelling...in fact none since he left the hospital really. All the big red bumps are gone and there are only a few remaining little tiny red spots that are almost gone. He doesn't feel as fatigued as he has in the recent past and no signs of sickness are present! Hallelujah!

On the other hand, Judah has a runny nose, an occasional fever and he's pretty clingy and whiney. I'm not really sure what it is, but I'm thinking he might be cutting his 2 year molars. We'll see.

So Here's The Story

2009-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home. It was quite an ordeal...if not realistically...it was inside. It is not easy to see your child hurting and going through Emergency visits and unknowing issues?! Ethen's diagnosis is: Poststreptococcal Reactive Arthritus (PSRA) w/ Erythema Nodosum (EN). Quite a mouthful huh? Basically, he got strep throat (type A) and his body over-reacted in fighting the strep and some of the effects are the arthritic tendancies, mainly in his joints. The EN is a rare association with the strep reaction.

So, what all that means is that he HAD strep, his body fought it off, then it went overboard and he got the other things. He has red bumps throughout his body, but they are not necessarily internal (only in the fatty layers of the skin). He looks kind of unsightly at times depending on where the rashes are, but he is NOT CONTAGIOUS in any way. It is all WITHIN his body.

I know that this all sounds wierd, and it is, but is is a rare, but known result from the strep. The bad news is that because of the severity of all of this (mostly the strep) he has to get penicillin shots one time per month to prevent this from coming back like this. Hopefully none of our family members are carriers. I've heard there is a test you can take to find out if you are a carrier?! So, 3 medicines a day and some revised activity levels and we are good to go! Because of the red bumps (EN) we probably won't be too publicly active. I don't want him getting teased or stared at.

If you're wondering how Chris and I are doing with all of this...well, just ok. We are finally so happy to have a diagnosis. We are very grateful to have such a great team at Emanuel Children's Hospital to figure this out and empowering us to go home and recover on our own. It was a lot more scary and emotional for me than Chris. It was pretty hard on my heart to see Ethen in pain; seeing him get an IV; seeing him have to take meds, vitals taken, laying in a hospital bed, etc...that's hard for a mommy. I cried quite a bit, but overall, I know that I can trust God and the doctors and specialists to do their best for us! He is a good God! We are in a good place.

Here are a couple of pictures from our experience that sum it all up. The first is of Ethen in bed playing with his toys. Although he is sick, he still loves playing with action figures. The second is of the team of doctors and specialists meeting to discuss Ethen's issues, diagnosis, and treatment plan:

* Here is a link for the Poststreptococcal Reactive Arthritus and Erythema Nodosum. You can certainly google it for yourself though if you want.

The Pics...as promised.

2009-03-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

So here is his lower leg...kinda spotted. It started out like a sandpaper feeling rash, then some bug bite looking spots appreared. That was Friday night when I took him to the ER. That's also when he started to complain about the pain in his legs. The red spots on his legs started getting what looked like bruises behind them. Today there are only bruises and no real red spots on his legs. We are still having him sit down for the most of the day and today I started putting cold packs behind his legs while he was sitting to help with the swelling. One of his legs is just about normal size, while the other is still slightly swollen. Good progress though! The funny (?!) thing about his whole thing is that is started with strep throat, which has been basically a non issue from the beginning. The first day he complained of a sore throat, but after that we didn't hear anything from him about it?!
This second picture is of him playing just after he came home from the hospital. He was pretty pale and tired, but he wanted to play with his Transformers a little bit before nap time (which lasted 3 hours)...a record nap for him!

Again, thanks for your prayers and thoughts. I know that your prayers have made a difference!

I Spoke Too Soon..

2009-03-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Ethen had his 1st hospital stay last night...and it was pretty scary for all of us! To make a long story short, Monday Ethen came down with a fever and vomited. Tuesday a rash (kinda like a sunburn over sand-paper skin) appeared, Wednesday we took him to the doc and he was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever (strep throat with a rash/fever). So, they put him on amoxacillin, his fever went away and his rash went away (for the most part). Friday evening, bumps appeared on his calves and shins, along with swelling and pain...scary! I called the doc but they were closed so I headed off to the ER. It seems like I only visit the ER during the night hours?!

I carried Ethen into the ER (it hurt bad to walk) and they got him in pretty quickly. We were in the triage room of the ER dept from around 8pm - 12am when he was finally admitted to the Pediatrics unit with a potential diagnosis of Rheumatic Fever (which is BAD!). He got his first IV (didn't go too well, could have been worse though) and x-rays and blood draws. Good thing was that they used the same port for all his meds and blood draws, so he only saw one needle the whole 12 hour stay! Good thing. He got a pretty good nights sleep (considering?!) and was woken up early to have a few more tests and things done. Well, now that this story has been longer than shorter, a Rheumatologist was consulted and it is NOT Rheumatic Fever...he doesn't have the classic signs (joint aches and swelling, a fever). What a huge relief!!!!! So, as of about 9am this morning, he was discharged with slightly swollen legs. He can walk (pretty pathetically) but nothing that some ice cream and a couple days won't resolve. :-) We were pretty scared for a while but as all the tests came back normal, we were relieved.

He's napping now. And, so is Daddy for that matter. He didn't sleep at all last night. Poor guy has enough trouble sleeping in his own bed let alone a hospital bed with all those types of distractions. So, hopefully he'll get rested between this nap and tonight and be good to go. We probably won't go to church tomorrow or anywhere else for the next couple of days. Hopefully the swelling with go down to his normal size of leg and be on his feet in no time!

I really appreciate all your prayers and concerns. It is not really fun to go through a situation like this, but it is so nice to see how amazing family and friends can be in times like this! Thanks everyone. Your prayers and hugs are very comforting. I'll try and keep you all updated. And, for all your weirdo's like me, I'll try and post a pic of his swollen bumpy legs.