Parties

What do you get when you mix 11 kids, 10 adults, 1 birthday and 5 pumpkins on a Saturday night? A rocking birthday party - for me of course.




















I turned 28 on Sunday so about Friday I decided I wanted a party. We called up a few friends and it turned into a great night. Everybody brought a desert, which left me and John all the birthday cake to eat the next day. We also had a You Tube party (John's idea) where everyone told us their favorite You Tube clip and we watched them all up on the big screen. Hurray for high speed internet. I'm now 28 lbs heavier too after eating everyone's yummy deserts.

Projects

Lots of projects going on lately.

First and foremost, John finished the crib - only 4 years in the making. When Ava was a baby and we were living in Upstate New York, I told John how much I'd always dreamed of having a cradle for my babies. He got to work on it right away and the morning I went into labor with Ava he put the last coat of tongue oil on it.



It was (and still is) extremely cool and functional, for about the first 2 months of a baby. He was very impressed with his woodworking abilities, so he decided he wanted to make Ava a nice crib instead of just a pine one like the cradle was. I was all for it since I was thrilled with the cradle so $200 later we had enough oak and ash to make a nice crib. He's worked on it sporadically throughout the past 4 years, in between getting a Masters, getting his first real job, and having 2 more babies. Luckily, we still happen to have a baby that needs it. Here's the finished product:

The Crib

And my finished product to put into the crib.

All I can stay is it was worth the wait. I'm constantly amazed at the skills John surprises me with and this is just one. He made the entire thing from scratch, designing and planning the whole thing in his head and on a few pieces of paper. I tried to add my two sense but when he started doing trigonometry to figure out the curves on the back I realized I was way out of my league and let him be. I'm mighty impressed with his handy work and will gladly wait another few years for the next project, which is this:








It's a very big, very old, very cool:

Black Walnut Tree

that has resided in our backyard for the past 100+ years but which is now sitting at the local woodchuckers (ie local lumber jack guys). They are going to cut it up into a ton of boards and posts so that we're able to use it. Once it gets back from them John's going to make us a bed and maybe a dresser and a few nightstands. It's a huge chunk of wood and I'm very excited to see what comes of it.



Here's what's been occuping my time lately.

Nathan's Cowboy Quilt

My ward has had a quilting enrichment night the past three months and I've been trying my hand at it. I'm making a cowboy rag quilt for Nathan's new "big boy bed" and it's been fun, but tiring since I only get time to work on it late at night after the babies are asleep. It's coming along well, especially since it's my first big quilt I've ever made. It has 7 rows and 6 columns for a total of 42 suares and three layers of fabric on each square. Eventually the middle fabric and the design will be ragged up but for now they're just there. I think it's kinda cool (I have to since I've put so much work into it) but I can't wait for it to be done. Which will be awhile since I still have to put it together with the backing, quilt it, and bind it. Wish me luck.

I've also been working on getting things up on the wall. John has threatened to start decorating for me if I don't so I'm frantically trying to put things I want up rather than Bob Marley posters all over. Here are a few attempts.



I actually really like this one because 1. John's instruments finally have a place I can put them away at that the kids can't get and 2. I actually put something on the wall. I have committment issues so don't often follow through with anything but these are on the wall and there to stay. Finally - we've only lived here 2 years now.

This is actually more letters (12 inches tall) that are light brown and will be centered above the couch in the family room. I've got 11 x 14 inch pictures of the kids faces matted to 16 x 20 in mat and then framed in 4 inch thick frames (in other words, huge pictures )to put under the words. John gave me the frames, which are made out of old fence boards, for Christmas last year but I was pregnant and life, let alone decorating, doesn't happen when I'm pregnant. I'll let you know if I ever actually get these up on the wall.

Fall Photos on the Farm

Chunka Munka


Nasin Masin

Curly Girlie

Ava Mava

Naughty Nathan

Lias the Pious

4 Months Already (my ramblings about Elias)

I'm finding it hard to believe, but my little baby is already 4 months today. I know it's clique but it really seems like he's grown up super fast (or maybe that's cause he never was little). He is far and away, the nicest baby I've ever had the pleasure of kissing and loving on. He started out a little rocky for the first few weeks when he didn't like to go to sleep til about midnight, but he's calmed down now.




We discovered, out of necessity and since he's the third kid, that he can put himself to sleep like a dream. About 3 weeks ago our normal methods of getting him to sleep (rocking, walking, nursing) didn't work so we started just laying him down and lo and behold, he fell asleep. We lay him on his belly and he grunts and sucks his hands and the sheet for about 3 seconds, then he's out. I can't believe how simple it is and how nice it is. He sleeps great too, for about 6-7 hours, then wakes to nurse then back out for about 5-6 hours. I always thought Ava was a good sleeper and Nathan was a horrible one, but Lias has shown me just what a great sleeper is. I absolutely love cuddling him and kissing his fat little hands while he's nursing at night.




He's also the giggliest baby I've seen. When he was only a day old he was sleeping and started giggling in his sleep. I thought that was awfully cute but weird for a newborn but he did it quite frequently and still does. When I go in to get him from his naps he giggles and squirms on his belly till I pick him up. We haven't been able to nail down what he likes to laugh at since it changes daily but currently his favorites are: John playing the guitar, Ava telling stories, me bouncing him on my knees and going over a bump in the road in the car. He giggled like crazy the other day on a windy road out here and it was too cute.




Anyway, he's a great baby and I'm loving every minute of him. For some reason, I don't feel rushed or annoyed by being tied down with a baby like I have at times with the other two. I can only guess that I've finally been broken - I like to equate motherhood to breaking a horse and for the past two kids I've still been known to buck and trying to get the saddle off my back occasionally. Now, if he doesn't sleep at a certain time - oh well, there's already 2 others awake too so it's not like he's much harder. Maybe this is how people end up with 6,7,8 kids. Not that that's happening over here. I'm just loving this one I have and thought I'd write it down for his sake when he's a horrible teenager.


-----------Lias Stats @ 4 month checkup: 21 lbs, 3 oz 25 2/4 inches---------------------------

Who's the bigger kid?

We spent a quiet 2 days this weekend sitting around, cleaning the garage and seeing which one of us (John or me) is the bigger kid. As we all sat around the kitchen listening to conference (our church has a Semi-Annual Conference broadcast around the world each April and Oct) I kept noticing John folding paper. I figured he was just doodling and since he did let me take a 2 hour nap this morning AND fed the kids breakfast AND lunch AND was making dinner, I didn't want to rock the boat(or get sucked into some adventure) by asking him what he was doing. Right after conference he jumped up, grabbed the papers and the kids (well, all the kids that can walk) and ran out the door. I followed to find this scene.


Yes, that's my almost 30 yr old husband standing on top of the icehouse in our front yard, throwing a paper airplane. And that's my 4 yr old and 2 yr old watching and learning and loving every minute of it.



He had made at least 5 different types of airplanes and wanted to see which one would fly the best. And of course he had to get leverage and momentum so where better than the top of the roof of the icehouse?



After each throw Ava and Nathan were recruited to find the airplane before Allie (our dog) did and bring it back to John for another throw. They ran around like crazy looking for all the planes and fueling John's fire by yelling, "Wow, Dada - that one went SO FAR!" and giving him adoring looks the whole time. I got roped into the fun too cause they weren't quite big enough to reach the planes back up to him.

Wind Blown Hair

Nathan dreaming of being just like Dada

You gotta admit, he's almost as cute as the kids. This is definitely where my babies get their dimples and looks from.

Fun's over - Lias got ahold of the planes

And my efforts to have some coolness factor with the kids too: We made a whole family of scarecrow people last night and even let the kids paint their faces on. We were thinking of giving them hair out of straw but ran out of daylight and energy so right now they'll just remain hairless. And please ignore my patriotic attempt that never got taken down after the 4th of July. I'm just waiting for next year.

Scary Family

Really Scary Family

Lias almost 4 months

The real deal

What a week

Has it really only been one week? Let me give you a 15 minute rundown of it and you'll see why I'm bushed.

Last Wednesday- Nathan and John spend the afternoon in the Dr for the thing up his nose. See previous post.

Last Thursday - We have our 2nd dinner guests of the week (who arrived just as we were finishing dinner since we thought they weren't coming and hadn't planned on them anymore. Luckily I had leftovers but...)

Last Friday - John has an all nighter Boy Scout "camp out" but it rained (as always) so 8 boys and 2 adults (big boys) slept in a barn, watched all 3 Lord of the Rings movies on my bed sheet with the DVD projector, and repelled off the side of the barn to get their climbing merit badge. I spent the entire night getting up with a kid every 30 minutes. Insane.

Last Saturday - John has the Boy Scouts at our house til 4 in the afternoon. I get home from the woman's broadcast for church at 11 after helping clean up.

Last Sunday- We have our 3rd set of people to dinner ( a new friend of Ava's from preschool and his twin 19 month old brothers and parents) in a week after not having anyone for 8 months. They turn out to be some of the awesomest people we've met in a long time and we hope we didn't scare them off (Hi Jayme and Hugh if you're reading this - we hope you come back!). Nathan seems to be coming down with a cold this night.

Monday- Kick around the house listening to Nathan's cold become a very nasty wheezy mess and finally get a hold of the doctor (after paging him 3 times) around 9 at night. Off to the ER John and Nathan go since his nebulizer doesn't seem to be stopping the wheezing. 7 hours (4 am) and many drugs later Nathan and John come home exhausted. They sleep till 11:30 am while I take Ava to preschool.

Tuesday- We try to make a follow up appt with the pediatrician and can't get past the office staff who repeatedly tells us they don't have any openings. Finally, we come in as a walk in at 5 that night and make them see us whether they like it or not- Nathan somewhat wheezy but not nearly as bad as the night before. The Dr is in a hurry to leave, so tells us Nathan's oxygen level is down, there's nothing more they can do and he needs to be HOSPITALIZED but our local hospital is full so he needs to take an AMBULANCE to the nearest hospital (hour and half away) that has any beds. I ask, can I drive him there myself and she tells me that he could DIE if he had any mucus clots or anything so she's not comfortable letting me do that. My head is spinning, I've got all 3 kids that have been waiting in the Dr office for 2 hours and they send me to our local ER to wait for transport to the other hospital. Nathan is bouncing off the walls - hyper from the treatments he's already gotten and lack of sleep. We (John came down to the hospital ASAP) sit in the local ER for 3 hours while they monitor Nathan, who they finally say is a golden patient and they can't find any reason why he would need to be admitted to the hospital. Thank goodness someone has sense and patience - we head home about 9:30 and crash. Nathan sleeps all night just fine.

Today - Nathan's a little wheezy but we keep him on the nebulizer and he seems fine, just a runny nose and little cough now. I head to the Dr to find out why in the world my forearms, wrists and thumbs are killing me for the past 3 weeks. He examines me and gives me dorky splints I'm supposed to wear daily and tells me they think I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and to take it easy. In the meantime, driving, writing on the computer (the real reason I haven't blogged for a week), folding laundry, and carrying fat boy Lias all hurt like crud to do. They also did blood work and we'll know in the next week or so if it's something like arthristis or even Lyme Disease (something bit me about a 2 months ago and gave me a really weird mark for about 3 weeks). I just hope whatever it turns out to be is something that can be fixed easily, but I'm guessing that's not how it will go.

Whew. I just reread this post and I think I'll go to bed and hope next week is a little better!

Don't stick your finger up your nose... the Outcome

I wish I didn't have another post about Nathan but currently he's at the doctor with John to inspect his nose. As I sat nursing Lias this morning he brought me a piece of the bean bag foam that had fallen out of the hole in the bean bag (the hole had been taped up until Nathan pulled it off yesterday). But two seconds later I heard Nathan say, "uh oh Mama" and stick his finger up his nose. One spotlight, one pair of tweezers and after one huge fight I realized I couldn't even see the foam anymore so off he went to the doctor. Hopefully they'll tell us that it came out the other side and he swallowed it but who knows. Boys.

Stay tuned for the outcome.

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So after 2 hours at the doctor John calls to tell me that they had to put him under and attempt to get the foam out....but Nathan ruined the joke by throwing a tantrum in the background. So home they came, with or without the foam we're not sure but we're not willing to put him under to let them shove something up his nose to see if there really is something up his nose. Anyway, they tell us that if the foam is stuck up there he'll start to smell really bad and have a discharge (ie, runny nose) and then we'll have to decide what to do. Don't hold your breath but I think its safe to bet that the foam went all the way through and I should be looking for it out the other end. Any one wanna come join me in my search?

Chubba Lubb, Chubba Lubb...

We sing this little song to Lias all the time --

"Chubba Lubb, Chubba Lubb. Lias is a big ole chubb. And he fills up the tub. Chubba Lubb, Chubba Lubb."

And here are the pictures to see why:

Chubba Lubb, Chubba Burnin Love



The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker



Brown vs. White



Demonic Baby



What do you do when your 3 month old already doesn't fit in a Bumbo?



Mister Green-Blue (but not brown!) Eyes



Oh, what a yummy neck to kiss!!


Now who wouldn't want to come have a little bite of him? Yum.

Toddler Minds

Pop quiz for mothers of toddlers:

Question: Please explain the difference between jumping and bouncing in words a two year old can understand.

Answer: You can never win a fight against a 2 yr old.

So yesterday I was trying to read my book during nap time, when Nathan, who decided he was "all done sleep" joined me on my bed. He kept jumping up and down, even though I've told him 100 times that he can't jump on my bed cause it messes it up but he's free to jump on his own if he likes. He looks at me as if I'm the dumbest person alive and said

" I not jump-ting Mama, I bouncing"

and then he gave a huge jump. Oh, of course Nathan and that makes it all ok.

And today at the park as I was explaining to him that we had to go he kept giving me this line

"Look, Mama. I haffa go ride my helicocer."

He's way into airplanes and helicopters right now so the jungle gym was his "heli cocer" and he just couldn't understand why I would want to leave it. Since when does a 2 yr old tell his mom "Look, Mama"??

One more Nathan-ism. Today John went to pick up Ava from a friends and he asked Nathan if he wanted to go. Nathan said no, he "haffa stay and ride he's motor cycle (tricycle)" so John left. Nathan screamed for over 30 minutes, inconsolable that he'd been left. I though about video taping it to show what we put up with over here but I'm not that good of a blogger yet. Are all 2 yr olds so indecisive and then mad about their decisions? This is a daily occurance for us.

Nathan and the Mushrooms

Mmmmm, mushrooms. My favorite. Raw, unwashed and stolen from the counter top.

Hopefully my mama won't catch me. I know I'm not supposed to eat the ones growing in the plants in the hall but what about this one?





I think I'll just take a little bite and see how it goes..





A little chewier than I thought..

Oh, hi there Mama. What? These are for dinner? And I'm not supposed to eat them raw? Seriously?!

Wanna bite?