NOLA -part 2

We decided to take the kids to the Insectarium.  It was both cool & gross!  They had a kitchen area with chefs that cook bugs (specially grown for this) & educate on the nutrition they can provide -yuck!  The guys got to try Chocolate Chirp Cookies (crickets baked in) & cinnamon-sugar meal worms.  I bought an adorable royal icing dragonfly cookie (no bugs for me & H!)

 

NOLA

Let me preface this post by saying this....I love the beach. I love the smell of the ocean, the seafood, the sand. I love the time spent without schedule. There is no "next" activity. It's simple. WEll, this year, we didn't get to go to the beach :( My consolation prize was New Orleans (because R had to go on business and asked us to tag along.) I decided to make the most of it. I like to expose my children to lots of different foods, cultures, experiences and NOLA definitely has that, right? 

 First Stop - Audubon Aquarium

It's Been Awhile.........

Okay, so I realize my last blog post was July..... 2 years ago. And, I'm okay with that. My hiatus turned into a lengthier absence than I originally intended, but life with 3 boys has been BUSY! Between a husband that travels, E's traveling ball, work, and life in general, I have felt swamped. BUT, I miss cataloging the funny sayings, the pics, my thoughts and feelings, so....I'm back!

Playing Catch-up

Only two weeks till school's back in session and I can't figure out where the time has gone! I feel like I'm so busy with 3 that I'm not getting many pics (and I've ALWAYS harassed my mom about not doing/having pics/scrapbooking me since I was #4 child.) Here is part 1 of a few pics from this summer, but first I need to update on baby boy.
H is now 4 1/2 months. He weighed in at 16 lbs at 4 mos. check-up and has since been eating a little baby food. We've had peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and bananas up to this point. Oh, and rice cereal, but I think he may have a little allergy to it, so I quit it. He rolled over for the first time on our anniversary, June 10th. His first little tooth (yes, folks, that's right - a tooth!) broke through around July the 8th and the second one came through this weekend. I can't believe it!

Update

Not sure why the pic on the last post was so big, so I just deleted it. So far, I've started painting the walls (not so sure about the color, yet) and decided to tile a backsplash. Will post finished pics when I get it all done!

My Mother's Eyes

I have my Mother's eyes and I feel like I'm beginning to see through them. You see, I found this picture of my mom with my oldest brother, Jimmie. I'm not sure if it's taken in the hospital or at home, but he's obviously a newborn. When I found this it made me tear up. I know that in the blink of an eye, I, too, will be looking at pictures of my children & comparing their features to that of my grandchildren. My heart already aches at the thought of everyone growing up. I just need everything to slow down a little. Let me soak up every time those tiny fingers curl around mine. Let my ears catch every sweet, little laugh. Let my arms embrace every hug and heal every ache. Please, Lord, let me keep all these memories and cherish these wonderful years.

1st Bath

These are pictures from H's first bath. This "first" actually occured two weeks ago, but I've been a little behind on posts --- not to mention laundry, thank-you notes, grocery shopping, etc, etc.....
Anyway, as you can see from the pics, he's not too happy about this strange, cold experience. Even afterwards, you can see that he is still a little miffed :)

Wow!

All I can say is, "Wow!" I just checked Kate's blog and saw that she had 93 comments on her last post. I started reading through them and just started crying (as usual.)
The difference this time is that I am crying not out of tears of sadness, but from feeling moved. I am overjoyed that Lucy is celebrating her 5th birthday and am completely in awe of how one little girl has ignited so much prayer and love across a nation. There are people sending prayers from New York to Texas to Illinois to the Carolinas. Wow!
Go Lucy Go- and Happy Birthday!

1 Week

I can't believe it's already been one week since H's birth. Here are a few pics of from the hospital. He seriously did not look like a newborn next to those other babies :)

A Week Full of Prayer

This has been a week full of emotion and frequent praying. As Wednesday came around, I found myself fearing the surgical process of having a baby, anxious to meet him, and prayerful that he would be healthy. It was a scary process with some difficulties, but we made it through. As soon as I met him, I fell in love. He is beautiful.
That night, though, I received the heartbreaking news about Lucy. I just sat in my hospital bed crying for my friends.
Thursday night brought another round of fear with tornado sirens going off and the hospital making us get in the bathrooms - btw, not easy after c-section. I worried about my children at home and about this new little one and my friends. But, like so many of life's little storms, we made it through.
This week, you'll find two bows at my house. The blue one to celebrate the life of my own child and the pink/purple one to celebrate and pray for the life of a friend's child. I pray that God will bless all of our families with health and healing.

Is It Time?

That's the question I've been getting all week. At 39 weeks today, I feel bigger than ever, but also better. The only problem is that everyone at my house still isn't. In the past few weeks of baby preparation, I have Cloroxed this house down several times. Despite my efforts, everyone continues to get sick. It seems like someone always has a fever or sore throat or vomiting. I really don't think I can take much more!
Baby Update: This week's doctor visit included an ultrasound to check for position. He has been transverse (sideways) and has finally turned head down. The first question the sonographer asked me was if I passed my glucose test! She says he's going to be a big boy! Ultrasound said 9 lbs 2 oz, but it can be off a little.
Oh! And, I need help! With the boys, we used Playtex Premium Nurser bottles. Well, those are all long gone and there seem to be a LOT of new types of bottles out there. Tell me your favorite!!!