That Darn Dog....

Dogs...can't live with them, can't live without them! haha

So I ordered a ton of little party supplies from an online store (Oriental Trading Company is the greatest!), and I was expecting the shipment today.

I see that FedEx says the packages were delivered (via the tracking information online), so I look outside and sure enough a box is in front of the door. Just one box though, and I was expecting two boxes....

As I'm online looking carefully over my order list and which items where in the box I did get, to see if maybe they combined the shipment into one box...Billy comes inside yelling my name. Uh oh.

In his hands where the remnants of my missing box and the party supplies in it. Apparently, Lady had taken the other box (a good sized box! Not small!) and OPENED it (it was securely taped shut as well), then proceeded to rip open the items inside. She thankfully didn't ruin much, although she did try to bury a dozen pirate paddle balls. A little dirt isn't so bad though. phew
We are down one pirate sword pen that she tried to eat though.

UGGGGGH!

Change in party time...

For those we haven't told yet, the party is being changed from noon to 3pm.

So February 28th, at 3pm is the party!!

Can't wait! So much to do, so little time...

Happy Birthday Alex!

As I posted below, I'm running a bit behind in updating my blog. oops!

So today I'm wishing Alex a happy birthday although his birthday was yesterday, the 23rd.

Alex is TEN years old now!!! WHERE did the time go! I can't believe I'm the mother of a ten year old. haha He's starting to get a bit of the preteen attitude as well. *sigh*

Yesterday I brought cupcakes (that I MADE this time! haha) to his school and he enjoyed passing them out to his classmates and everyone in the office. Then when he got home from school, daddy took him out to pick out his dinner (a tradition we have, letting the birthday boy pick out whatever they want for dinner) and then took him to a video game store to pick out his present.

Alex chose take-out Mexican for dinner. YUMM Good choice! And then for his present, he got a new Nintendo DS and a game to go with it.
He told me that he had a great day yesterday, but it could have been better if he could have gotten a PS3. haha HOW many video game systems does one person need?!

He's excited to have friends come this weekend for his birthday, but he's really unsure about the whole pirate theme. He feels it's too "babyish" and he's too old for that. I'm sure he'll have fun though. ;)

Okay, so now for the day Alex was born....
I was a young single mom at the time, 17 years old, although I thankfully had my parents support and so I was prepared for childbirth (as much as you can be!). My mom was my labor coach, and we had been practicing a birthing method called The Bradley method together...a way to help deal with the pain.
Alex wasn't due until March 9th, but exactly two weeks early I went into labor on the evening of February 21st. It was very slow and easy at first. The next day, the 22nd, I went to school (in my senior year at the time) but halfway through my day the contractions got worse and I decided to go home. Throughout the day my labor picked up more and more, and by early evening I was finally in full labor.
My mom helped me relax and breathe through the contractions as we learned with the Bradley method, and so we stayed at home until it appeared that my labor was far enough along to go to the hospital. Finally I said I NEEDED to go to the hospital although my mom thought I wasn't in enough pain yet. She obviously wasn't feeling what I was feeling! haha Once at the hospital, I was already at 9cm dilated and almost ready to push!
Pushing took three hours, a very long and hard three hours. Thankfully I had my CNM (certified nurse midwife) as my doctor, because she let me continue to try pushing where other doctors would probably have suggested a c-section.
Finally, just after midnight on February 23rd Alex was born! He was 8 lbs 14 oz and 21" long.

Here is his baby picture, the day we left the hospital! (Apparently we had the wrong type of carseat so the hospital had to loan us one to take him home, which is what he's seen in this picture)



HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!!

Happy Birthday Billy Jr!

(I'm running a couple days behind right now, but trying to catch up while the baby is sleeping...shhhhh)

Billy Jr. turned two on Saturday, February 21st! I can't believe it's been two years!

He's definitely in his terrible two's though, no denying that. haha

We did a little family celebration, since his BIG birthday party is this weekend. I bought cupcakes (ran out of time to make them..shhh) and we got him his first bike. I didn't know the made bikes so small. It's a 10" and it's for 1-3 years old. He LOVES it. I just need to get him his own sized helmet now!

He was a bit afraid of the flames on the candle though I think. You'll see in the picture, but he was mesmerized by the flame and wouldn't blow them out. Then when daddy blew them out for him, he backed WAY up. Afterwards, he wouldn't even eat his cupcake although he did finally attempt to lick the frosting (see picture!) and that was that.


After he backed up....Taking a bite finally....



He was a bit cranky because it was his bedtime. He did NOT want to part from his pacifier, which we're currently working on trying to break him of. *sigh*



Okay now for my tradition (or I'm making it one now...haha) of telling all about the day he was born....
I was due February 16th and hoping he'd come early so that it wouldn't be during his two older brothers' birthday week, it was crazy enough with two birthdays the same week. Unfortunately he had other plans and I think he WANTED to join in on their celebration. haha Finally at five days overdue my wonderful doctor offered to help labor along by breaking my water for me on February 21st. I had him five hours later, and while I did receive the epidural, I only had it for 20 minutes before he was born. It did help, but I wish I had a chance to "enjoy" it and rest some! haha
He was 9 lbs 12 oz and 21" long. A BIG boy!

Here is his picture the day he was born:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLY JR!!!!!!!

Birthday invitation

(Click on image to see the full size if you can't read the small text)

Okay! Here is the finished birthday invitation to the boys' birthday party! The RSVP info is blurred out because this is the world wide web, BUT those who are local here know how to get a hold of us.

Also, I'm mailing out invitations today or tomorrow, that do have RSVP info on it.

Back to party planning...

~Bethany

Some cute new photos and updates!

Gabriel has been awake more and more lately, so it's getting more fun taking photos of him - where he can actually show some personality!

I have just a few updates and announcements, which is the main reason for this post, but I wanted to add the cute new photos too. haha

Updates:
It's almost BIRTHDAY WEEK!!! What is Birthday Week you might ask? Well Birthday Week is the crazy week when three of our boys decided to be born, all 2 days apart (well and years too haha). So we have....little Billy turning 2 years old on Feb. 21st, Alex turning 10 yrs old on Feb. 23rd, and Brayden turning 7 years old on Feb. 25th.

We will be having a party for them (a combined party obviously!) on Saturday, February 28th - probably at noon and it will be a lunch party. (Subs will be provided) Friends and family are all welcome, and I hope to get invitations made and sent out soon.
In addition, we'll be doing a PIRATE theme! Mostly Pirates of the Caribbean (since my mom has some left-over island type themed decorations! haha).
So come dressed like a pirate!

Okay other updates,
Alex's schedule has just gotten even crazier...now he has Math Academy (a math enrichment program) on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, and German language club on Wednesdays. Also, cub scouts are on Tuesday evenings. Phew!! What are we going to do when soccer starts back up this fall?! And this is only one child so far...
Brayden can't wait to start piano lessons, so we're going to start actively looking and getting information on piano teachers VERY soon!
Owen is doing well in preschool and is nervous to start kindergarten this fall. AAck where did the time go? I can't believe he'll be in kindergarten this next fall (and Brayden will be in 2nd grade and Alex will be in...*gasp* MIDDLE SCHOOL!)
Billy Jr is still very unhappy to not be the baby anymore...lots of toddler tantrums, meltdowns and naughty behavior. *sigh* He does love to give the baby hugs and kisses though!

That's about all of the udpates for now, more to come after the boys' birthdays next week!

~Bethany


Owen and Gabriel
Gabriel at almost 4 weeks old...


Ninja Gabriel!

Just a couple new pictures...

I need to take more pictures! It seems though that lately I'm pretty much tied to the couch most of the day feeding the baby. I can't wait until he gets into more of a feeding schedule and is actually happy and allows me to lay him down in his swing or for naps. Right now he cries when I'm not holding him, and then immediately wants to eat again even if he just ate. It's all a lot of fun though!

So here are some new Gabriel photos. Can you believe he'll be a month old next weekend!? Where did the time go? haha



As for other updates, for Valentine's Day the boys got to have heart shaped pepperoni pizza which they were very excited about. Brayden went with Billy and helped pick out a singing balloon, a box of chocolates and roses for me. Later on, Billy and I got take-out from our favorite Italian restaurant to eat after the boys went to bed. (so that we could actually enjoy the food! haha) Billy also got me a new mouse (finally! I was tired of my right click button not working) and an under the counter can opener. (previously I used a super old manual can opener that was on its last legs haha). Romantic gifts, maybe not, but practical and I needed them! yay!

Also, I'm including a picture of baby Billy after he got into my makeup. This is not the first time this has happened. In fact just yesterday I caught him in my mascara and he had mascara all over his forehead. *sigh* In this picture he has gotten into my lipgloss. haha


Today we went back to Church for the first time. It was a bit chaotic trying to get out of the house on time, but we made it with about a minute or two to spare before Church started! haha And even though Gabriel wants to eat all of the time and can be a bit fussy, he did pretty well and I only had to go feed him twice and he slept the rest of the time. yay!

That's about all of the updates for now! The boys' big birthday party (Alex, Brayden, Billy Jr) is coming up soon so I'll have pictures for all of those birthdays and the birthday party in the next couple weeks.

~Bethany

Thanks Joy! New Baby Pix...

I have to share these pictures our friend Joy took of Gabriel last weekend. I've never done baby photos of the boys before, so this was fun.
There was a bit of a "mishap" when Gabriel shot poop and pee all over Billy! But it provided some good entertainment at his expense. haha

Anyway, take a look! They turned out great!

http://albums.phanfare.com/4944566/3428879#imageID=60850897

I can't wait for things to get back to normal....

We were almost back to some kind of "normal", things were going well and I started to venture out of the house more and more - trying to return to some sort of routine. I was looking forward to returning to church today! I've felt so out of the loop for the last 2+ weeks.

But then the sickies came. Alex and Brayden got strep throat. wahhhhhh! We're just holding our breath (literally! haha) hoping that Owen and Billy Jr don't get sick as well. And now (big) Billy isn't feeling well and Billy Jr is getting some cold symptoms -I don't know yet if it's the start of the strep or not, but we decided to stay home one more Sunday just in case one of the boys is still contagious with it. ugggh!

Here's to hoping that next week is a MUCH better week and that we can get back to "normal"!!

~Bethany

Back to reality

Well time to get back to reality and out of the "new baby-moon" period where everything is new, different and special. The reality of having lots of kiddos has to hit again sometime, and it has. *sigh*

Yep, the sickies have found us...yet again.

I've got two boys home from school today with puking and fevers. Two more to go - praying that they don't get it as well. The baby should be fine as I'm breastfeeding, and he's still so new that he should have all of my antibodies, etc to protect him....but pray for us that he doesn't get sick too!

These are the days of our lives....

P.s. In the five minutes it took for me to sit down and type this, baby Billy has thrown cat food everywhere from a brand new bag that somehow got opened. *sigh*