IF ALL ELSE FAILS HOLD HANDS AND STICK TOGETHER

These are Carly's friends Isaac and Evie. They were playing together when all of a sudden we turned around and saw them all holding hands. It was so cute. It also reminds me that sometimes we need to just return to the basics we learned in life--sometimes we really need our friends to help hold us up. That's when we take each other's hands and stick together. These pictures are not only cute but touching reminders of that. Hope you have a wonderful day surrounded by good friends and family that will hold your hands and hold you up when life gets hard.

LADIES & GENTLEMEN, ELVIS ACTUALLY HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

It's true folks. I got the call. It's happening. My parents are on their way here. Some of us thought this day would never come. Some thought we would be dragging my father and his fan club here by their ankles! (Don't tell him (or them) I said that.) I would have to hurt you.

This is a new chapter in all of our lives. One I know my children are going to remember with love and fondness for the rest of their lives. I hope my parents will too. Growing up near my Grandparents was one of the best blessings I ever had. I know if will be the same for my family. I love you Mom and Dad. I can't wait until you get here. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Thanks to all my family and friends who took a moment today to call, write, text, email or just plain come by to share their love with me! You are so important to me and I love you!

It has been a terrific day. We went to church, took a nap, and had dinner with family and friends--and my husband and kids cooked. The best part was--the cake was big and chocolate! Alright--that's not true--the best part was--I got to hear from all of you. Thanks for being such an important and wonderful part of my life. You have helped shape me into who I am today. I love you all. :)

I'M SO HAPPY!

I'm exhausted. My house is a mess. There is dust on my furniture. There are weeds in my flower garden--lots of them. I've started telling people they are ground cover.) :] I could go on--but you see where I'm going. All of that should make me frustrated (and does at times.)Yet, I am having one of those perfect moments we long for and often miss in life--not because they aren't there, but because we hurry by them. We somehow expect them to arrive in larger, more noticeable packages, but they are often simple, quiet promptings we only need listen for instead. We must simply get quiet to hear and absorb them. And we so rarely get quiet with ourselves, let alone listen to what our thoughts, or to what the spirit is trying to tell us.

In this moment, I am completely blissful. I am holding my precious new son in my arms and I know with his arrival our family is complete. I have the most loving, caring husband, five beautiful, talented and loving daughters and now a wonderful new son. I am blessed to still have my parents and now to have them even closer. I have loving sisters and dear friends. I am truly blessed and happy.

I am grateful for all I have and am.

IN ALL THE EXCITEMENT

Over Jonathon turning one month old I forgot to mention that Carly said a new sentence yesterday--right out of the blue. She is so funny and she understands a ton more than she lets on.

We were driving last night to look at a toddler bed for her and out of no where she says "I want to eat." We couldn't believe our ears. It was true,she was probably hungry but she only says two sentences and has for a few months now. Those are "I see you" and "I love you." Most of the time you can't get her to say the latter one. She has lots of single words and she has a whole language of gibberish only she understands but she hasn't even tried to say any other sentences. That is until I guess we let her get a little too hungry.

Anyway, after we got over the shock of her having spoken something understandable, I told her we were going to get something to eat as soon as we looked at the bed. She looked at me again and said louder, "I want something to eat!" "Okay, Okay, we are going to get you something. Hold your horses." So we hurried and got the bed and some food and made her a happy camper.

I'll tell you what--this little girl knows what's going on. Wonder if she's ever gonna let us in on it or if she's just gonna reel us in one sentence at a time?

I TURNED ONE MONTH OLD YESTERDAY (9-24-09)

Here I am just a few days old at 4 lbs, 15 ounces.



This is me today. See my tummy? I've gained a couple of pounds for sure. I know, I know--I'm slouching but trust me I'm a whole inch taller!



I'm thinking I might take up football. I think it's something I could throw my weight behind!



I think I'd make a great quarterback--whatever that is . . .



My mom loves me so much. She tells me all the time. I think she's funny. Girls are kinda silly, huh?!

MY LITTLE FASHION PLATE

Today I was going through some of Carly's old clothes to loan to a friend who just had a little girl. As I was going through her drawers and closet Carly pulled out a few things she decided she needed to wear. Now mind you, she was already dressed for the day in a t-shirt and pair of shorts. Well, she insisted that I help her put a jumper on over her t-shirt and shorts--not that it matched--it didn't. Then she came out wearing this multi-colored polka-dotted sun hat. A few other items came and went but these items were the constants.

I decided it was so funny I was going to take a picture. That's when Carly decided to lose the hat. I guess she realized posterity was a long time to be caught in that getup! I could coax her to put the hat back on but everytime I grabbed the camera she would take it off--that is until Julie and I agreed to wear it for the camera, too. So here is our little fashion show so we could show you our little "Fashion Plate!"

Look Carly, Julie's wearing the sunhat and it's so cool!


Hey there Baby Girl, It's Mommy and I'm wearing this season's ever so hot multi-dotted cap. Won't you try it?


C'mon Cutie Pie, You can do it! Just like before and sister will help you. Alrighty?


Well, If you insist! Here I am in my very own, handpicked, super-sassy wardrobe! Check it!

CARLY AND JONATHON, ISAAC AND ELLIE

This is Carly with her best friend Isaac. They are both holding their new siblings. One of them is doing a better job than the other. Of course, one of them is a bit older than the other one, too. Carly is 19 months and Isaac is 3 years old. Carly is holding Jonathon who is almost one month old and Isaac is holding his new little sister Ellie who is 2 1/2 months old.

Don't worry, no infants were harmed in the taking of these pictures. Mommie's were just off camera taking care of their young!

I AM JUST

sitting here holding the most handsome little boy ever! He is so amazing and I love him so much! I love being a mom!

SUNDAY NEWS

Jonathon actually slept for 2-3 hours at a time last night for most of the night. I think I managed to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep which is more than I have gotten for several weeks. It was enough that I was able to get up for Church this morning. I was happy about that. It's been a few weeks since I've had the energy to go on a Sunday morning. I did come home and take a nice long nap thanks to a lovely teenager who isn't able to nap who watched the babies for me.

I'm afraid Jonathon slept through most of the day though like normal so it could be another long night. I've got to figure out how to turn his nights to days and days to nights.

Carly is coming down with something. She vomited right before bedtime and I gave her a bath and some tylenol and got her settled down before putting her in bed. None of us have been feeling that great. I sure hope whatever it is passes quickly.

Not much else to tell today. Gotta get some sleep before baby wakes up for his feeding.

OUR SATURDAY

After a long night Julie watched the little ones for us this morning and let us sleep in until noon! Then we got some things done around the house and had a fun barbecue with one of our neighbors. We ate too much, played Rockband, had dessert, talked and laughed and just had fun together. It was a nice evening. We have babies and toddlers both within a couple of months of each other and teenagers near the same age, too. Since our toddlers and babies are both of the opposite sex we have decided to arrange marriages between them. It just takes the worry out of the whole teenage/dating process later--don't ya think? Ya, that's what we thought, too! :}
It's been a fun day!

Oh yah, except for the part where we went to get Carly up for dinner and found her half naked in her bed. (You don't have to ask--you know which half--and she was covered in her own . . . Well, you know that, too . . . the clean up was a gas!

SUCH SWEETNESS

WOW, I ONLY REMEMBER

Being this exhausted one other time and I had worked around the clock for almost 3 days straight at my job (and I was much younger.) Staying up most of the night with one and then getting up with the one who slept through the night--that's a new ball of wax! I can't wait to have this little one sleep through the night! Good thing he's so darn adorable! I have a wonderful neighbor who is letting Carly come play tomorrow morning so I can have a nap! YUM! I can taste the sleep already! Well, better grab some shut eye while I can. :)

LITTLE JOHN

Little John had a pretty good day until we went to the doctor this afternoon. We had an appointment for his circumcision. I'm not sure why they didn't do it at the hospital but they didn't. Turns out they should have because it was a lot more painful for him to have it done this much later. Poor little guy. This is a picture I took of him this morning. He must have been thinking about the appointment because I couldn't get him to smile! It's still cute, though.

Oh, his shirt says "To pee or not to pee. That is the question. I think you know the answer!" LOL!

RENAMING THE BLOG

I may have to rename this blog "The Carly Chronicles" if Carly keeps up her sisterly antics with Jonathon.

Let's see to date she has pulled his carrier on the floor from atop a chair with him in it. Thankfully he survived with no bumps or bruises. I guess she couldn't see him well enough from the chair. She has tried to sit on top of him in the carrier and the swing multiple times. To be fair, she has only punched him once and it wasn't hard enough for him to notice.

Most of the time she is kissing his forhead or trying to give him hugs. Problem is she does this with the full weight of her body on top of him--so we have to watch her constantly! She does love it when we let her hold him on her lap. She is very curious about this new little man in her life--she just isn't real sure what it means for her yet.

She loves to try to feed him his bottle--so what if she misses the right orifice! He should just take it and enjoy! "Cut the crying crap little John! What is all the formula running down your face for, silly boy? Suck it up!"

Yah, she is my little character for sure. Sure hope he gets bigger than her so he can take care of himself! Either that or hope he gets on her good side early in life! :)

REVERTING TO BABYDOM

Jonathon slept most of today and didn't notice that his big sister was busy trying to make herself small again. Today Carly remembered how to crawl again and tried to use a pacifier (not hers). We had visitors and she thought she should try to sit in that baby's carrier, too, with and without that baby in it.

But then, she had some very sweet BIG sister moments, too. She sat on my lap and helped me hold him for a long time and kissed his head. I asked her to run and get me a diaper a couple of times and she actually did. She brought it back to me and brought me wipes so I could change him. I think she is starting to like having this little guy around. She just hasn't decided yet if it is better to be the little one or the big one--so in the meantime she will probably keep covering her bases and do a little of both!

RECENT RANDOM PHOTOS

Cousin Keelie holding Jonathon. She loves babies and is so gentle with them.



Carly was so happy and excited to hold Jonathon and have her picture taken doing it that she couldn't quite settle down!



Oh, and did I mention that she was embarrassed, too?!



This is a shot I took of Carly hiding between my legs being shy when some friends of ours wanted to say hello to her. Silly little girl!

DADDY WITH HIS SON

Watching Rob with Jonathon makes me fall so much more madly in love with him. There is just something about the way a man is with his children that touches a woman's heart--well, at least this woman's heart.

AWWWWWW . . .

I'M ADJUSTING FINE TO HAVING A NEW BROTHER, WHY DO YOU ASK?

Yah, so after Carly turned about 7 or 8 months old I couldn't have coaxed her into this swing with a dozen chocolate chip cookies or a gallon of ice cream--and those are two of her very favorite things! But, this morning when I pulled it out to use for baby brother and started to put him in it she had a crying fit. I put him in it anyway.

Carly stayed at his side and monitored his swinging and pushed all the buttons on the swing a million times. She tried to climb in on top of him once and got in trouble so she kissed his head again and again and loved on him. She just couldn't leave the side of the swing as long as he was in it. He stayed in it for about a half an hour until he was hungry and started to fuss.

As soon as I took Jonathon out of the swing and turned my back my little 28 lb toddler climbed in the swing and began calling for me to start it and turn on the music for her. Now I'm pretty sure there is a 12-15 lb weight limit on this thing. But the delight on her face was so huge I couldn't resist taking a few pictures before I got her interested in something more exciting to do. Poor thing is having to share the limelight and just doesn't know quite what to do with herself!

Carly and Jonathon

Carly loves having a brother, I think. One minute she is kissing him and the next she is trying to sit on top of him. One minute she is giving him a hug and the next she wants him to get out of his carrier seat so she can rock in it like a baby. Actually, she has been very cute with him, she is just doing a little reverting to babyhood herself. She's been a little more whiny and cranky and needing to be held and cuddled the last couple of days. She threw her bottle down today and grabbed his. She was checking us out to make sure we weren't feeding him better than her. She didn't keep it long. She's on straight, fresh milk. He's getting formula. Yah, I'm just sayin'.

FINALLY, HOME SWEET HOME!

WAY DOWN YONDER IN THE PAW PAW PATCH

That's where it feels like we are . . . I'm a home-body and I want to get home with my new baby and be with my girls again. I'm sure I have mentioned this before but patience is not one of my virtues. So, I am waiting but not so patiently.