Backyard Fun!

The weather here has been soooo great *ducks from the notherners' snowballs lol* I told Natalie before we moved, that once we got here we'd get some gardening stuff for her and Erica to play with in the backyard. Little did I realize (because I didn't remember from the one time we saw the house we're renting) that our backyard has virtually no grass and is mainly just hard dirt. But she was relentless, so I told her once she was well, I'd let her get some stuff. So today when we were at Target I finally gave in and let them each pick out a pail/bag, shovel, rake, watering can, and then I got them a bench to sit on.


I also got Graham a baby swing to attach to the swingset that's back there. He LOVED being outside.

I had to move one of the existing swings to put Graham's swing up there and Erica was not too happy when she noticed. (notice her shoes on the wrong feet as usual)





We tried a new playgroup yesterday and had a good time. We met at a duck pond in a neighborhood down the road and the kids had a good time feeding the ducks and playing on the playground. I got to converse with grown ups! I found another playgroup that we are hoping to try tomorrow as well. Hopefully one of them will click for us and we can make some lasing friends. I have to go the dr. in the morning at 10am for a possible UTI (fun stuff) and hopefully I'll be done in time for the lunch playgroup.

COMMENT TEST

Thanks girls!

Girls Day

Graham has been so high needs lately, that I really really needed to get a break. So Eric kept him today while I took the girls to Sea World! We had such a great time. It was Praise Wave today, Christian Family Day. They had a concert with Revive, Need to Breath, and Third Day. The concert was at 2:00 and we got there around 10:30. So we made our way around to the dolphins, fish, and sharks. Then we rode the Shamu kiddie roller coaster. Last time we went (about 6 mos ago when I was VERY pregnant with Graham), Erica wasn't tall enough to ride. But today, not only was she tall enough to ride, but Natalie was tall enough to ride without an adult. So it worked out great. Natalie rode behind me and Erica, with another girl who was alone. Then we stopped and ate lunch and then played at Shamu's Happy Harbor for a bit. Around 1:00, we started to head over to the ampitheater where the concert was. We stopped and got a snack - the girls chose cotton candy. Once we got seats and sat down, it was 1:30, just 30 more minutes until showtime. Erica was fine, she happily sat and ate her weight in cotton candy. Natalie on the other hand was not happy in the least to be "just sitting there". Finally the concert started and Revive came out. They are the only ones out of the three I hadn't heard of. But they were great. Erica was cracking me up. She was totally into it. When it was a fast song, she was getting down with her bad self. And when it was a slow song, she was swaying back and forth. And on the last song, several people were swaying and raising their hands in praise, and she joined right along! It was so cute! Natalie of course, whined the whole time. It was too loud, or it was taking too long, or the bench was too hard. Ugh... Anyway, they played about a 20 min. set, then there was a break before Need to Breath came on. Erica would have been fine through the rest of the show I'm sure, but I had had enough of Natalie. I asked them if they were ready to go and Natalie said yes. Erica didn't seem to care, so I figured we'd better just go. I'd have loved to see the other 2 bands, but oh well. So then we set out toward the exit. Again, Erica is holding my hand walking right beside me not making a peep. Natalie is complaining the whole time about how tired she is and how much her feet hurt and how she can't walk. I told her if she didn't want to walk, she could crawl, or skip, or hop, but those were pretty much her only options. She didn't find that amusing at all lol. Finally we made it to the car, all in one piece. I think a big part of why Natalie was like that today was that we didn't get to see the sea lion show, which was her absolute favorite thing last time. I forgot to check the showtimes when we first got there and we missed the first show. The second show wasn't until 2:00, which was when the concert started. I tried explaining to her that we have a year pass now, and we live literally 5 minutes from the park (you can see the rides from our neighborhood), and that we'd be going back a bunch of times. But that's no good logic for a 5 year old lol.

Here's me and my girls as they're munching away on their cotton candy.


Eric just left for Houston. He's gonna stop there at our house and finish cleaning it out tomorrow. Then he'll be off to Mississippi for a tech school. The plan as of now is for us to meet in Houston for Easter weekend, then we'll go out to MS with him for a few weeks. His class is over May 5, then we'll all be back here in SA. Wish me luck for the next 2 weeks as I play single mom in a new town where I know not a soul.

The kids' dr. appt.

I took all 3 kids back to see the dr. today. Graham had his 4 month check-up, just a month late lol. He weighs 17lbs 6oz and is 27" long. He is nice and healthy! She said that his eyes look like they're crossing a bit, so she wants us to see a pediatric ophthalmologist with my history (2 surgeries as a baby for severe crossed eyes) just to be safe. He got his vaccinations but handled them like a pro. He cried at first, but calmed down quickly. He's now asleep and I'm hoping he naps for a good bit today. He has been not napping well at all, and he woke up every 2 hours again last night. He needs his sleep! Erica got checked out and I need to take her to the lab for allergy testing so we can see if we can find out her allergens to try and get her eczema under control. Depending on the results of the blood test, she may need to see an allergy specialist to get the skin test done. The dr. also noticed the mole on top of her head, right in her hair part. She said it looked somewhat irregular, but that she also had dry scalp, which could be making it seem that way. So I'm going to get some Selsun Blue to use to try to get rid of the dry scalp, and then she's going to keep measuring the mole to make sure it's not growing. If it starts getting bigger or more irregular, she'll need to see a dermatologist for that. The dr. also checked Natalie again and the good news is that the antibiotics are working and the pneumonia is gone. The bad news is, Natalie has been complaining that her stomach hurts, which could mean her reflux is getting worse, so I'm hoping we can get in sooner to see the gastroenterologist. All 3 of my kids could be seeing specialists soon... it's always something.

Header

I'm working on getting my header resized. I forgot to do it when I was editing it, and now it's late and I'm going to bed. I'll try to get it fixed tomorrow, bear with me.

5 months

Graham is 5 months old today. The time just keeps flying by! I am taking him to the dr. tomorrow for his 4 month check up lol. Just a little late. But that's ok because his 2 month check up was almost a month late as well. I'm curious to see how much he weighs. Our scales are packed somewhere so he hasn't been weighed in a few weeks. I'm gonna guess somewhere around 18 lbs. I'll update tomorrow when I know for sure. I'm also going to see about getting Erica's allergies tested. Natalie had it done and we found out she had a milk protein sensitivity, and when we switched her to soy milk, her eczema cleared up almost completely (she gets occasional flare ups now if she has too much dairy). We tried switching Erica to soy, but it didn't seem to help anything, so she went back to cow's milk. But her eczema is out of control on her feet and ankles. I can get it under control with her prescription steroid cream, but once we stop using it, it comes back. And she can't be on that all the time. So we're thinking hers may also be some kind of allergy that we can eliminate and that will help.



Here's my sweet boy celebrating his 5 month milestone!









At 5 months Graham:

drinks formula from a bottle (he's been grazing a lot lately, so I'm not even sure how many times a day he eats)

has started solid food - so far he hates rice cereal, but loves carrots. I can't spoon it into his mouth fast enough (I need to get a new video of this)

sleeps ok some nights (and by ok, I mean maybe 5 hours straight) and not so great some night (could be waking up every 2 hours, or staying awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night) I miss my good sleeper from just a month ago

is starting to refuse some or all of his naps during the day

wears 6-9 months clothes

wears a size 2 diaper

still doesn't wear shoes on a regular basis, but I think he's a 2 or 3

loves to squeal and grunt

can easily roll front to back and back to front, but doesn't seem to care

does ok in the car as long as it's not mealtime - which if you refer above, could be at any given moment

sleeps mostly in his crib now, but occasionally snoozes with me in the early morning in my bed

can hold toys and bring them to his mouth now, and he does so all.the.time

still doesn't have any teeth even though he's constantly got something in his mouth and drools everywhere

is doing much better about spitting up, though he does still occasionally have "spitty days"

likes pretty much all his toys the same now, and will stay happy in any of them for a short time (jumperoo, bumbo w/ toys on tray, swing, exersaucer, crib w/ mobile)

can sit tripod for a few moments, it won't be too long til he's sitting up on his own

is growing cuter by the minute :)

Carrots and Easter Bunny

Since Graham didn't care too much for the rice cereal, yet still seemed interested in trying solid foods, I decided to try carrots. (Brooke it was funny you mentioned switching right to veggies in your comment, because just that morning I had went and bought some at the store to try out!) They went over much better! He still wore more of them than he ate, but at least he didn't act like I was trying to gag him with it! lol

Hmmmm, not sure...


Ok, I like them!


He needed a bath right afterward. He had carrots everywhere. In his hair, between his toes, just everywhere. I can't wait to get a high chair, although I know that won't stop the messes. :)

And I took the kids to the mall today to see the Easter Bunny. I know most of you are looking forward to seeing terrified little Erica leaping from the picture. But not this year! No, she was't my brave little girl this year. She was literally clinging to my body with a death grip. I had completely let go of her and she was still holding tight with every ounce of her being. I just could not make her sit there as much as I wanted that stupid picture. I mean, I literally could not pull her off of me lol. So here are Natalie and Graham :)


And here is Erica looking down on the bunny from upstairs. Still not impressed. lol


And then after I took that pic, I looked down at Graham and saw this...

I HAD to take a pic because that is a never before occurrence. This baby has NEVER fallen asleep in the stroller, EVER. I was beside myself. I was thinking how wonderful it was going to be to stroll through the mall and look for his Easter outfit and a pair of shoes for me, without him fussing. It was pure bliss. For all of 5 minutes when I was snapped back into reality at the sight of his eyes wide open, his legs kicking, and his lungs wailing. *sigh* Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Sickies, House News and Bluebonnets 2009!!!

I took Natalie to the dr. on Friday because she's been having some issues with her reflux and she also had a cough and fever. Turns out she has pneumonia which the dr. thinks was caused by the reflux allowing some junk to get into her lungs. So she's on an antibiotic and needs to see a specialist about her reflux. I'm going to see if I can find her one in Houston because the wait list here is 4 months! Her fever broke Friday evening, and so she's been feeling much better since then. She gets worn out easily still, so I've been trying to let her rest as much as possible. No playing outside, no vigorous wii sports, no fighting with her sister (haha!).

We got an offer on the house! We're in negotiations now and I'll let you all know as soon as I can if it goes through and all that fun stuff.

I was getting REALLY homesick looking at all the beautiful bluebonnet pics my friends were posting everywhere! I love taking my kids to take pictures in the bluebonnets. Last year I missed my chance, and then I didn't get a chance to take any before we left Houston. I was really bummed because I wasn't sure if I would be able to find any here in San Antonio. Then as I was taking Natalie to the dr. on Friday, I drove past a pretty decent patch! It's on the side of the road on a little hill, so I knew it would be good for pics. Now, getting my kids to cooperate was another story. Of all 3, I thought Natalie might be the most difficult, but after being cooped up for a few days, she was ready to do anything outdoors. I let Erica wear panties to bed last night since she'd been waking up for a few days with a dry pullup. Well, she wet the bed, and while I was very understanding and comforting, she was so upset about it. So all morning she was very emotional about everything. She cried when I made her take a bath (sorry kid, you smelled like urine). She cried when I gave her raisin bran for breakfast (even though that is what she asked for!) and gave Natalie oatmeal. She cried when we got the bluebonnets because she was scared of them (they are FLOWERS!!!). And this is my happy go lucky child! lol Convincing her that she could sit in the flowers and they would NOT hurt her was a chore. Graham absolutely flat out refused to take a nap this morning. So needless to say, he was less than thrilled when I strapped in his carseat! He actually did ok once we got there though. There was a nice breeze and he was loving the feeling of it on his face. And he loved looking around at all the flowers. The noise from the traffic on the road was loud though, so I had a hard time getting his attention to look at me, much less get a smile out of him. For what I had to work with today, I am really pleased with the pictures though.

Misc. Filler til I can get more up about the house

Graham has me a little perplexed. I know each child is different, and it's definitely holding true with my 3. I know Erica was and is very different from Natalie. But for some reason, I figured Graham would be more like one or the other of them. But nope, he's pretty much just as different. Once either of the girls learned how to roll, they would do it nonstop. Once they learned to roll front to back, as soon as I laid them on their tummies, they'd roll onto their backs. And once they learned to roll back to front, it was the same. So even though they learned to roll at different times, that was the same. Graham is another story. He rolled front to back a couple times when he was 2 mos, and I figured it was a fluke, because he didn't do it again for another month. And now at 4 1/2 mos. he knows full well how to roll either way (front to back or back to front), he's done so multiple times. But it's just not consistent. When I put him on his tummy, he's happy to raise his head up and look around for awhile before finally, maybe, deciding to roll over. Or when I lay him on his back, he's content to check out the ceiling or whatever is above him before looking around and trying to flip. Just so different! Anyway, here are some pics I took of him in his crib on packing day at our old house.

Graham, will you please roll over for me?

You want me to do what?



You're sooooooo funny mom!

















Ok, I'll do it. Here I go!



Almost there!



Happy now?





Now here are a few pics I've taken since we've been in the house. I think these were all taken last week, in the midst of unpacking. I don't have any of the actual house yet to show, but I'm working on it.

This is the kids favorite place to sit and play. I'm always tripping over them at the bottom of the stairs playing their video games, ponies, blocks, barbies, puzzles etc.







Graham's first taste of rice cereal. He was not impressed.







What kind of sick cruel joke was that?







And his favorite pastime is putting anything in his mouth and chewing. Still no teefers yet.













I just love this boy, and I think he's pretty fond of me too. :)





And I just love this one. I might get it printed and framed if I can find the right dimensions.

We made it!

We made it here to San Antonio last Sunday (March 8) and finally now have internet. I am soooo behind on all things online, so bear with me. I will eventually get some pictures posted and some new stories up, but for now just wanted to let everyone know that we are made it here safely and are really enjoying our new larger house!

We'll Miss You David

A good friend of ours, David McKay, passed away Sunday evening, after finding out just last week he had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I attended his funeral today. There were so many people there to pay their respects and show their love for the McKay family. It brought tears to my eyes to watch his beautiful wife Emily, 7 mos pregnant, walking hand in hand with their 5 year old son, Grant, following behind his closed casket at the close of the service. Please keep Emily, Grant, baby Aubrey (due in May), and the rest of the family in your thoughts and prayers.
http://mckayfamilylife.blogspot.com/

Hair help

I get into this hair rut every few months when my hair starts growing out. I always get it cut short, and then can't decided whether I want to keep it cut or let it grow and then once it gets to this middle stage and complain about it everyday. So once again I'm there and can't decide if I should cut it again and let it keep growing out. You can see how it looks in my previous posts. The pics from the rodeo, it was not really fixed, just shampooed, brushed, and air dried. The pics from Graham's dedication I actually blow dried it. Not much of a difference really. If I got it cut short, I'd get it like this again

This is how it looked at it's longest. I got it cut just before Erica's 1st birthday, so over 2 years ago.

Rodeo 2009

My friend Jessica and I took our kids to the Rodeo today. At first I thought we might be crazy to attempt to take 6 kids on our own, but it really went great! The only one to give us any trouble was Graham, but his meltdowns were easily remedied with a bottle and/or position change. The kids had so much fun! We are REALLY gonna miss these guys when we move (which is in 3 days!!!). :(













The aftermath: I got toasted

The girls just got some rosy cheeks