Today's the day!

Well, we're packed and ready to go! We have another 1/2 hour before we leave to the airport, and the boys are chomping at the bit. I don't know if I'll get a chance to post while I'm away, but I'll try! Praying for safe travels, healthy, cooperative kids, and a wonderful time of fellowship! Pray for Peter as he has the next 2 weeks without us! We're gonna miss each other, but look forward to when we'll be together again. Thankfully he knows how to get on Facebook, and e-mail, 2 things we didn't have while we were dating. lol

See you all soon!! :)

Less than a week left at home!

Already, it's only 6 days until we head to the north country! I'm getting so excited to see my family again! The boys know now too, and they already have their back packs packed and ready to go! lol I'm thankful that the question "when are we going mom" has not been asked much, as that was the reason we didn't tell them right away. A couple of my kids need to know what's coming so they don't get too overwhelmed, so we couldn't just tell them the day before and be ok. What can I say? Peter's the same way... likes to know what's comin' even when it's not always possible. I think Daniel is most like him for that.

This week is the week of thanksgiving, so I'm hoping Peter will take Thursday afternoon as a family day, and Friday maybe as well. It does so much good when he spends quality time with the kids, and since they won't get that chance for a couple weeks, it'll be a good way to spend a day or 2. The kids all adore their dad and I'm a little nervous how they're going to be after a week or so without him around at all. I'm going to have to make sure to call him during the daytime so the kids can talk to him too. Hopefully that will help. I'm also hoping that they stay busy enough that they don't really have time to think about it too much. No, I don't want them to completely forget about Peter, but the less they think about the fact that he's not around, the less tears to dry. Lucas will probably have the hardest time with that as he already struggles with that at home.

Kimberly is more of a mama's girl, which is kinda nice, but she always has a big smile and kiss for daddy. She's just so affectionate that way. My boys used to be too, until we told them that it wasn't ok to kiss EVERYONE that came over when they left. Even the insurance guy was supposed to get a kiss! They are still really out-going to anyone that comes in the yard, which sometimes concerns me because they talk to anyone and everyone, but thankfully, they're a little more shy when we go shopping or something.

Caleb and Daniel are already planning on helping Grandpa with the chores and playing with Andrew and Melinda. My brother is having surgery while we're there, so those 5 kids will be there too, which will be nice for them to get to know those cousins. One huge downfall of being so far from family is that my kids will not know their cousins the way we did. We were so blessed to have such a close-knit family, even if it was really large.

Well, I best get going... work doesn't do itself and I've nothing more really to write...

YAY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!

I just got the phone call back from the dr's office with my glucose test results... I PASSED!!!!! I was really not expecting to pass, as I have only passed with Caleb, and even then it was close to failing. I'm SO thankful to not have to deal with the 3 hour test or the finger pricks. :) I'm still doin' the happy dance! lol

Not too terrible much has been going on here this last week. We celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Sunday, with a night out for supper on Saturday. Peter wasn't feeling so great, so we were home before 10, but it was still nice to get out for a little while and be able to talk with minimal interruptions.We thank God for bringing us together and blessing us so richly these years!

Yesterday, we had my aunt and uncle from BC here for coffee in the afternoon. It was sooo good to visit with them! It's so rare to have anyone from my side of the family down here, it's always to get caught up with them.

That's about all for now... I won't be able to get on here much in the next little bit... gonna get the house in order before I leave for 2 weeks. I managed to get through 3 rooms yesterday morning, but there's still a lot more to do!

Great Dr. Appointment today!!! And other tidbits...

I had an appointment with my new dr today and came away still feeling like I know what I'm talking about! He is VERY pro-natural, and said my birth plan was one of the best he's seen lately! He also did not make me feel like considering a home birth is a stupid thing to do. I was (and still am) encouraged by what he said. :) Although I would still prefer a home birth, the fact that the money isn't there right now, and this dr did not say anything that would make me think that having him catch the baby is a bad idea, I feel OK with this compromise. I am still going to try convince Peter that a home birth is worth the money, but feel better, even if it doesn't work out this time. I feel at peace right now, and that's something that was lacking with the last dude.

We still have not found Skip back, but are not ready to give up yet. We posted a couple ads on craigslist, so hopefully, somebody, somewhere will contact us and give him back. The boys are missing him terribly and keep asking where he is and when he's coming home. It's really hard to not have a definite answer to give them. All we can say is I don't know, and sometimes that's enough, sometimes not. We feel we have done all we can in terms of looking for him, so now we keep putting up posters, and hoping we hear something.

Kimberly is trying more and more to walk on her own. She took her first uncoaxed steps this morning, and it'll be just a little bit yet before she is taking off all the time! I also put little pig tails in her hair, and she looks more like a little girl than a baby. She's talking a blue streak, and learning more words daily it seems! They grow up so fast!

Lucas has made it his job to clear the table after supper and does a great job! He puts leftovers in Tupperware, puts food left on the plate in the garbage and even wipes the table!! I am pretty impressed with my 3 1/2 year old's initiative! I hope he keeps it up and always helps out that willingly! :)

Daniel's new thing is that he can ride a 2 wheeler!!! He took the training wheels off his bike and off he went! No help needed, just took off! He and Caleb are now chasing each other on their bikes "like the Dukes mom" they tell me. However, we have had to take the bikes away because they don't stay off the road and we don't want them getting hit by cars. They were heartbroken, but hopefully they'll learn to obey and stay off the road.

Caleb is showing us that he can learn something quickly. When he talks, he'll try separate some words by the sounds in them and try to figure out what letters make the sounds. If he keeps this up, he'll be reading soon! I am continuously amazed at what he comes up with. I didn't think that he was understanding that different letters make the sounds in a word, as we have not really worked on that, but when he writes his letters I make sure he knows what sound that letter makes, so maybe that's where he's picking up on it? Little minds are like sponges, and they soak up EVERYTHING!

Peter has bit the bullet and made a purchase that he has talked about for a little while... A new work truck! It's a slightly larger truck, but definitely a great deal! He got it on an auction and was pretty pleased with himself when he "won" it for less than his maximum bid! I'm glad that he got such a good deal for something that we knew was coming up, but didn't need immediately. Because his old truck is still doing OK, he's going to take his time and customize the way it's set up so that it's easiest for him to work off of. The boys were pretty excited about it and the neighbor guy was drooling over it Saturday after Peter got it home. :)

That's about all for now... I have a headache and a few loads of laundry to get folded before bedtime, so I better get cracking. Tomorrow I'll have a few more to do and I'd rather do a few at a time than a mountain! :) Unfortunately, a mountain is not too hard to come by around here... Can't wait for the day the kids can learn to do their own laundry! :) 

Wow, another post this week!! :)

I'm SOOO EXCITED!!! I have my tickets booked to go to Edmonton!!!!!! I'm kinda sad that Peter can't join us, but so HAPPY to be able to go!!! I have someone from Edmonton to go up with so I have a little help with the kids, and we're thinking my sister will be coming back with me!! It's going to be sooo good to see everyone again!!! :) I'm going to be there for 2 weeks, so that should cut down the busy factor. If anyone wants to see me, they can come to mom and dad's for coffee, just call or facebook me and let me know when! I booked my tickets Saturday night and don't think I slept much because I was soooo giddy with excitement.
Sad news to report though... our dear puppy Skip has been missing since Sunday night. The way it happened, we're thinking someone took him. We keep expecting him to bound up on the deck and look at us with his big brown eyes begging to come in, but so far, that's just not happening. So far, the boys are dealing with it well, but we all miss him of course. It makes me angry a little too, to think about someone possibly deliberately taking our puppy. If he doesn't come home, we will be looking for another one, so if anyone out there has seen this dog, please let me know, or if not, let us know of some free pups. We have called area shelters and they have not seen him as well as ask neighbors, who have not seen him either. So frustrating!! He was finally getting the potty training thing, and now we're possibly going to have to start over again. Not to mention, you finally get used to him and now he's gone. It's so weird waking up in the morning and no little tail wagging a greeting to you.

I've been told...

that it's time for another post.... so here goes. :)

This last week has brought us on the edge of some decisions that have been waiting too long to be made. One is whether I'll be able to head "home" to Edmonton yet before this new baby arrives, which we're still waiting for some more info on, but so far, we're working towards that goal. It will be just me and the kids, and I'm going to miss Peter like CRAZY, but it's been nearly 4 years since our last trip, so it's past time for us to go. I feel like I've missed out on so much! We are still waiting on the Lord's will to show us that this is what we are to do at this time.
Another decision has yet to be made, but on that too, we are awaiting more information.The gist of it is this. I want a completely natural birth with this baby and the dr I was seeing was laughing at my birth plan that I had worked on and shown him. That was a red flag that he was not going to honor my wishes and I'd have to fight with him and hospital staff while in labor. Not the situation that anyone wants to be in at that time. He was very patronizing and made be feel about an inch tall. Peter was there for that visit, so he saw first hand how the dr reacted to my wishes. So, we have switched drs and I see the new one in just over a week.
We have also met and talked with an experienced home birth midwife, and really liked what she had to say, her transfer rate and her philosophy regarding birth, as in it being a natural, normal process, best left alone as long as mom and baby are doing well, NOT a medical emergency. I have done a ton of research on this and feel that for me, being low-risk and tending to go over-due, this is definitely an option. As of right now, I, personally, am leaning to going with the midwife and staying at home. My mom has been such a support in this area as she has had 3 babies at home herself. It was reassuring to hear the midwife say that my birth plan was well thought out and I was not asking for too much or anything that the dr could really deny me. The problem is this. Understandably, Peter has some reservations re the home birth. His biggest problem is that he doesn't know that I'll have the help I need after the birth with the kids so I can recoup and rest. After talking with the new dr, we will hopefully be able to make an informed decision with which we are both comfortable. Pray for us as we wait for God's leading.
As for the rest of the family goings on, not too much is new. The boys are their usual busy selves, getting into what they can, whether it's allowed or not, and cracking me up quite a bit when I just listen to them talk to each other. Caleb already has a sense of what's fashionably acceptable or not, (don't wear socks with crocs), Daniel tries harder every day to be more like dad (ie. rolling tires from the house down to the barn and all over the yard, Lucas is following his brothers when he can and loving the fact that Skip will play with him over his brothers when given a choice, and Kimberly is always finding new things to climb. She cracks us up with her funny facial expressions and the way she "preaches" at her brothers and Skip. They are all such blessings and how very different our lives would be without even one of them!
Peter's work continues to be steady, keeping him out until after supper 2-3 nights a week. I really miss when he was home on time for supper every night sometimes! But, being the only one that is working for his company, he has nobody to pass the service calls off to. We are thankful for the work that he does have, as we see God's hand in it, and we are extra thankful for our Sundays that we can spend more time together worshiping as a family.
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a very blessed Sabbath!
Happy Reformation day as well! :)

Yeah, yeah, I know...

I've not been posting as regularly as I usually do. Things have been a little busy here lately. With doing 3 (or is it 4) bushels of apples, (with Peter's help, of course), homeschooling, doctors appointments, and just the general busyness that comes with having 4 young children, a puppy, husband and house to keep up, blogging is just not high on the priority list right now.
So far this pregnancy is fairly "normal". I have days that I feel pretty run down, and that usually triggers migraines, but the nausea is gone and we have had no more scares. Baby is growing on "target" and kicking the most first thing in the morning and after the house quiets down at night. I really treasure these times of being able to enjoy the new life inside! Peter has also been able to feel kicks and somersaults now too, and that makes it feel more real to him that we're going to have 5 kids in a few short months! God is so good!
Peter's work still has not slowed down as we had expected it to, but given the current local economy, we are very thankful for God's providing hand. He (as of today) expects it to be quite steady through the end of the year at least! We are hoping he can manage a couple of slower days when the baby is born to be able to help out with the kids and just spend time as a family getting to know the new addition.
Caleb has loved doing school work thus far and he and Daniel are making it a competition to keep at the same level as the other one. If one of them does a little extra work one night, the other one works to get caught up the next day. I have kept a casual approach to it all and that seems to make it less like work and they think it's so much fun, they ask to do their work on Saturdays and Sundays as well. They are very quick learners and it's a joy to be able to see them progress in their capabilities. They started with pre-k books in September, but they'll be completely done with them by Christmas at the latest. I would not be a bit surprised if it was Thanksgiving and they were done! We are thankful for their sharp, healthy little minds!
Lucas likes to do "school" too. he will get his coloring book and color in there when I'm working with the older boys and he is constantly asking me to write his name for him. He's definitely smart, but is still struggling with his speech. It's still hard for me to understand him sometimes and I'm a little concerned about it. I would not be too surprised if he either had hearing problems or needed speech therapy. Poor guy gets so frustrated when I can't figure out what he's trying to tell me.
Kimberly is almost 16 months already and into everything. She is not walking yet, but she crawls and scoots on her butt to get where she wants to go. She is not afraid of heights and will climb anything! We have to be super diligent in buckling her in the high chair because once she is finished eating, she will sit on the tray with her legs hanging over the side, happy as can be. She really thinks she's big stuff. :) Her favorite thing lately is to have the shoes on her hands so she can hear the sound they make on the floor. Nobody's shoes are safe!

Well, that's a basic rundown of what's been going on here, we have a few decisions to make in the short future, but we feel it's best to keep them quiet for now. I'll try to get on and update a little more often, but again, no promises as we don't know what the future holds.

This and That... not too much new

This past week has been busy with canning and school work with the boys. I (with my dear hubby's help) managed to get 24 quarts of spaghetti sauce, and another 21 quarts of tomato juice! The boys love when I'm cooking up stuff in the kitchen... they're always right there watching everything. I would still love to get enough applesauce for the year done, but we're waiting for the apples to start dropping. Peter's parents have an apple tree that we'll use the apples from. To get through a year, I'm going to need about 120 quarts, so it'll be a few days/ nights in the works. Thankfully, we don't have to spend the time to core and peel the apples before cooking, thanks to my super handy food strainer! It separates all the junk from the good stuff by itself, and is one of the best buys I've made!

The boys have been singing a lot now. My mom left a CD for the kids and they LOVE it! They set up their little chairs in rows and take books and pretend they're singing from the book. I did get a pic of it this morning, so I'll try post some pics later. Just too cute!

Caleb has also shown that he is growing up spiritually as well. He cut his thumb fairly bad last week, and instead of screaming for hours, he asked God to help the pain go away. After the pain subsided, he told me that God helped him not hurt so much. What a blessing to know that our children are learning the Truths that are being taught them!!! To go to God for help and thank and give the glory to Him when he answers those prayers! May we have such a child-like faith!

Right now its time to hit the books with Caleb, as I am going to be visiting my sister this afternoon, so I'm hoping he'll be done by then. He does really well with the book he's in, but I'm going to have to start looking for something a little more challenging for him. I'd love to have a day and check out a couple teacher's stores around here to see what they have to offer.

Background on the updates...

I got a couple notes asking what's going on with those updates, so I guess I better elaborate a little.

Lucas got hit in the head with a garden rake that his older brother was swinging around. The bleeding hadn't stopped 5 hours later, so I took him to urgent care and thankfully they were able to just glue it together instead of messing with stitches. It's almost all healed up now, and he'll only have a small scar.

Labor day weekend I hadn't felt baby move since Friday night and was having some cramping, so I called dr on Tuesday morning, and he sent me to ER. Some of you may wonder why wait so long, but I wasn't feeling baby every day yet, and I was not bleeding or anything, so I decided to wait. Monday night/ Tuesday morning the cramping was getting worse, so we were starting to worry a little more, but thankfully (after being in ER for 6 hours) they sent me home with the knowledge that baby was moving fine on ultrasound and the heartbeat was 148. I was totally thinking we'd be seeing a dead baby on the ultrasound because the nurse could not get a heartbeat on the doppler. Surprisingly, I wasn't panicky or anything, especially considering I was by myself. I thank God for the peace that he gave me!

My sister Pam (as I've mentioned before) has been on bedrest, and the latest OB appointment didn't lift any restrictions for her, and they also had the ultrasound that gave less than desired results. Our prayers go out to her and Tim as they face this trial.

Ok, so that should clear up most questions...

Things have been busy here as always. We have started schooling for the year and Caleb and Daniel are loving it so far. I love how they help each other with their work. I still have to sit there to make sure they understand the instructions, but they're usually finished with most of it by lunch time, so they have most of the afternoon to play outside. Today we took a bit of a break with the writing, as Caleb cut his thumb on his right hand yesterday, and it's still quite painful for him to try to write.

Lucas likes to take his coloring book out while the big boys are doing their work and Kimberly just plays nicely by herself, or takes a nap, depending on the day.

This past week we have had the flu in our house. So far, Caleb and I are the only 2 that hasn't had it, and hopefully it stays that way. Peter is still sick with it since midnight Sunday night and he's becoming dehydrated, but nothing stays in him long enough to do any good. We're still waiting for the dr to call back and see if he can do something more than he already has. He called in help for today to help him get caught up with work (first time in 2 1/2 years) so he can hopefully get to bed early tonight without worrying about all the work he has to do. We'll see if Dale's coming again tomorrow or not. That's going to depend on how far he can get today.

I got my latest thyroid results and for the first time, I don't need to adjust my medication!! YAY! I'll still need to have regular blood work done to keep an eye on it, but that's ok. As long as my levels stay good, I should be able to avoid the problems I had with Kimberly's pregnancy. Today I'm 18 weeks, so almost half way (about another 3 weeks before I consider myself halfway as my kids seem to stay put longer), and the nausea has subsided for the most part. I still get waves of it, but it's not constant like it was for 16 weeks. Now, if only I could figure out a cure for the headaches, we'd be all set. :)

Oh, I forgot to mention that we now have a puppy!! His name is Skip and the kids love him to death... literally. I'm surprised he's still thriving with the type of treatment the kids give him! lol He was a pain for the first 4 nights with crying all night, but he has improved a ton and only cries if he has to go out, or if someone else is up and doesn't let him out. We're working on the training part now... the goal is to eliminate all puddles on the floor in the next week or so. Kimberly loves to peek over the side of her highchair and feed him her supper. He knows where the food is and patiently sits there at supper, or wanders around under the table and gets all the crumbs the boys drop. I guess their piggyness is beneficial to someone! lol

That's all I have for now, hoping you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

Updates

Wow, a lot has happened here since my last post. A trip to Urgent Care with Lucas for a puncture wound in the forehead, a trip to ER for me due to lack of (felt) fetal movement (Baby's HB was 148 and arms and legs were moving, so he/she is fine) and cramping (more detailed ultrasound tomorrow morning to see if we can figure out why) and disappointing news for my sister Pam and her hubby. They found out today that she still has complete placenta previa and the hemotoma is still the same size, as well as the baby had 3 markers for either Downs Syndrome or Trisomy 18 syndrome. Please remember them in your prayers as they await the next test results and rest on God's grace.

Today was a busy day and I'm bushed, so I'll try update sooner than this time.. haha

What a week!!

Last week my mom was out because she brought kids down for convention. She also had Melinda and Andrew with her. They got here Friday afternoon and left this morning. Last week was busy but it was great to have her out again, even if things didn't quite work out as we had planned.

Mom ended up staying with Tim and Pam most of the week last week due to Pam having some major complications with her pregnancy which eventually landed her in the hospital. Thankfully baby is still doing well, and Pam is recovering, waiting to go home.

We still made it Simon's birthday party on Wednesday morning and she was here Thursday night with the kids while I went to my ultrasound. That was interesting as Peter couldn't make it for the first time, I think, other than when Rebecca was here for my last one with Lucas. A little disappointed, but what can you do? This was the earliest ultrasound I have ever had, due to me measuring 2 weeks ahead, but after the ultrasound, it's really 5 weeks ahead, so they checked for twins. No, no twins in our immediate future, but I'm still curious why I'm measuring so big. With all my other pgs I was right on target... Oh well...

We also spent all day Saturday together in Kalamazoo, visiting some friends and checking out the Airzoo. We did not make it all the way through the airzoo, but it was still a lot of fun for the kids, they're still talking about the cool rides they went on.

Yesterday was church and we had a visitation to go to for a man that Peter has known for years. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall/ winter, got that taken care of then 3 weeks or so ago, they found a tumor on his pancreas. It was so fast growing that it grew 5cm in a matter of 5-6 days. Last week Tuesday they put him in the Holland hospice house and he died 2 days after being transferred there. Very tough to comprehend how something can just take over your body that quickly. We have the funeral service tonight.

That was a run down of my week. This week doesn't look to be too busy but we are getting out puppy for keeps on Wednesday, so that will add a little busyness to our home. The boys are so excited!

I guess it's time to post again...

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks almost since I posted last! They sure blew by quickly!! Not too much has been going on besides the ordinary, I don't think...

Kimberly has cut her 4th tooth, and is working on 5 and 6 at the same time, making for a not so happy little girl. She is getting around a lot faster now too. She is pulling herself up on almost anything she can and is cruising around furniture. Her talking is also improving daily. Her favorite words are Baby and puppy.

Lucas is pretty much where he was at 2 weeks ago, as are Daniel and Caleb. Busy, busy boys!

I have been keeping busy with getting the basement cleaned for when my mom arrives this week. I'm so excited to see her!!!! She is taking her 4 youngest kids as well as my nephew for convention which is next week. Good times! We'll probably have a fairly busy week next week, but it'll be fun. :)

Peter has also been fairly busy, for which we are thankful, with so many companies going under, we are grateful for ever service call! He still loves doing what he's doing and doesn't look to be regretting going on his own at all. This business has been such a blessing for us, giving him confidence and showing him that he does know what he's doing! lol

We are also very excited to announce that we are expecting our fifth child in January of next year! Although we are a little overwhelmed with the prospect of five children aged 6 and under, we are thankful for another blessing from our Father's hand. Pray for a healthy pregnancy minus the complications of Kimberly's, and if those complications arise again, for the patience to wait on HIS will.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Another week flew by!

This past week has been a decent one! I am finally starting to feel more "normal" again, so things have been getting done that I've been pushing to the back burner for a while. Yay!

The kids have been doing really well this year for staying away from the road, so that makes my days a little easier when they're outside so much! Next year though, I'm sure I'll have to watch Kimberly like a hawk. Although... Caleb has been a HUGE help with her lately. He will take her out of the playpen, exersaucer, highchair and get her out of the bathroom if I'm busy doing something else. He loves being a big brother! :)

Caleb also pulled his other loose tooth out last week Thursday, right after I posted my last post... go figure. He was so excited about it, he couldn't wait to tell his Sunday school teacher... apparently, she said it was awesome. lol
He is also learning the days of the week, and he's getting it slowly, but surely. He understands what tomorrow, yesterday and last week were, but months are a little harder for him to grasp that long of a time span. (He's trying to figure out how much longer until we get to bring Skip home.) I have seriously thought of making a paper chain (one ring for every day) to help him understand a month. Maybe while we're waiting for Daniel to fall asleep tonight he and I can work on that. That means I'm going to have to make a run to the dollar store for construction paper and a glue stick.

Daniel has had an interesting week. He got his finger caught in the chain on Lucas' bike on Monday and it got pinched hard. He has been soaking it 1-3 times a day to get all the gunk out, but we're still a little concerned about infection. It was a little swollen Tuesday night but Wednesday morning it looked a lot better so we're continuing to soak it and goop it up with Neosporin to hopefully ward off infection and help the healing process. He doesn't seem too bothered with it most of the time, but he usually asks to soak it if it starts bugging him. He's a tough little man, of that there is no doubt. We have also talked to him about taking his training wheels off, but he's not too sure about it yet. When he's riding, you rarely see him using his training wheels, but he likes the added security, I guess. :)

Lucas has been a typical 3 year old. He is quite moody some days and we're still dealing with the occasional accident. He is really easy to keep track of when he's on his bike out front though. He makes his bike stationary. There is a rut beside the driveway that when he has his back tire in it, the training wheels keep him propped up and he can pedal away and go nowhere. He gets his exercise without me wondering where he took off to now. haha

Kimberly is getting braver daily. She loves playing on the deck and since the boys broke the gates off, she has full access to the steps. Her latest thing is to army crawl as far as she dares, sit up and scooch on her but until her legs are over the edge. Then she can see the neighbors dogs, preach at the boys and have a grand ol' time. She is quite the character, that is for sure.

Peter has been crazy busy this week. He has not been in the house before 10 after supper or home before 6. It has made some really long days for me and the boys. At about 5, they start crying for him, and nothing I do is good enough, so that can be frustrating, but we manage. :)

Anyway, I better get going. Lucas is in the bathroom and I do not want to mop up a swimming pool off the floor. Hope everyone is having a really good week, and have a good weekend!

Busy week, but finally a couple answers!

So yes, we've been busy (as per the usual) but I got my lab results back last week and my thyroid was low. I have been officially diagnosed with Hashtimotos, an autoimmune disease where your own body kills your thyroid gland. Six months ago, we weren't sure if it was post-partum thyroiditis, which has very similar symptoms, so it's good to know a definite diagnosis so we know a little better what we can expect. My thyroid hormone has been upped, so we're waiting for that to take effect. I'm really looking forward to having more energy!

Last week we did go to the tractor show, but I was not there as long as Peter was, for the sake of Kimberly's naps. It's not so bad if she misses one nap a day, but both is not such a good idea. So Friday I showed up after lunch and was home a couple hours before Peter and the boys were. I really enjoyed some one-on-one with Kimberly and the peace and quiet after she went to bed! :)

This week isn't too exciting. The weather hasn't been the greatest, so today I'll be working downstairs getting that cleaned up and the old carpet pieces pulled outside to head to the dump. They came from my sister in law's house and the boys have not been too kind to it, so it stinks. I am going to look for the foam puzzle pieces that are easy to clean and makes the floor not too hard if the kids would fall while they're playing.

Kimberly has been getting braver. She now walks around the playpen and crib when she's standing and if told to lie down, she lets go and flops down to the mattress, giggling like crazy of course. A couple more months and she should be walking. She does not have the insane fear of falling that Lucas did, so it shouldn't take her so long. :)

Caleb has lost his first tooth. He decided to pull it out Sunday night by himself, after he'd gone to bed of course. The other tooth is a little more stubborn and is sitting loosely in his mouth still. He tried most of Monday to get it out, but to no avail. Maybe this Sunday it'll be out. :)

Daniel has been trying to ride his bike without using the training wheels, but he's a little apprehensive yet when we suggest taking them off. I think he'll have it by the end of the summer, but if not, I'm not going to worry too much. I was almost 8 before I was riding without training wheels... :)

Lucas is talking more clearly every day. He can be quite the character when he does talk, making me laugh often. He and Kimberly are best buds and more often than not, they are laughing and messing around long after being put to bed. Lucas is different than my other boys though, for this reason. He and Kimberly might mess around, but he stays on his bed when they do. Only in the morning will he climb in her bed with her, even though she's not a big fan of that, and he always locks their door first. Turkey. :)

But that's about all for now... time to get another load of laundry switched and some cleaning done. :)

Busy life in the summer!

Well, I guess it's been a week again... Things have been busy with the kids and Kimberly is getting around a lot more than she used to! Thankfully she doesn't mind being contained in the play pen once in a while. She actually fell asleep in there yesterday.

As I said, Kimberly's getting around. She has figured out how to pull herself up completely and although it took a couple days, she's not scared to get down by herself anymore. She used to scream until I "rescued" her, but she's all good now. Next item is to teach her to get down steps the right way so she doesn't bounce all the way down off the deck. She's done it twice already, no injuries, but she was scared. Once she calmed down though, she was right there, ready to do it again. Little stinker. She has also aquired her third tooth!! Finally! For a while, I thought she'd only ever get 2, but I found #3 on Sunday.

The boys are busy as always, but even more so now that the sandbox is filled again. They have been playing in there every day for hours at a time. One downside is that they track so much in the house with them. Oh well, I guess that's what vacuums and brooms are for, right?

I have been feeling a little better where my cold is concerned, but I am constantly tired. I'm usually ready for bed about as soon as the boys are quiet, and I'm never ready for morning. haha. I do believe my thyroid is low again. Crazy how much that affects one's body! I am managing to get done what needs to, with the help of a great hubby. :) I'm so thankful for him and that even though he works hard, he's still willing to help with the kids, and strangely, he loves vacuuming. He takes FOREVER to do what I can in a few minutes, but, at least he's thorough! :)

That's about all for this week... we will be up in Allendale Thursday night and probably most of Friday and Saturday morning for the Allendale steam show. They have all kinds of old tractors there, and we usually go. I don't know that I'll be there Saturday as after Friday I'm usually all tractored out, but we'll see. Thursday night is the horse pulls and those are fun to watch. :)

Hope you are all doing well, and have a good week!

Yeah, yeah, I know I've been slacking with the posting. But I have a really good excuse, I promise! I had a massive sinus infection for 4 days last week, and after I started getting over that, it got really busy with catching up with all the work I didn't get done when I felt so sick. I finally started feeling better Thursday night/ Friday morning, where I could actually breathe while sleeping. So, Friday I got some dishes done, and some laundry too.

Saturday being the fourth, we went to the parade in Dorr in the morning and then to Ray and Evie's for lunch. We got home around 3:30 and Kimberly went to bed. We just kinda hung around spending time together as a family, and at 4:30, we realized Lucas was no longer hanging out on the couch because he decided he was tired too, and had headed to bed. He actually slept until about 8PM and was back in bed at 9:30. After the boys were all tucked in bed, we watched the Dorr fireworks from the kitchen window and headed to bed ourselves.

Sunday was pretty typical. I was home in the morning with Kimberly and Daniel, as they were both sleeping when Peter left, and we all went to church at night. Because all the kids slept in the afternoon, bedtime was a bit of a fight, but we managed to have them all sleeping by 10.

Monday was busy chasing kids out of the garden, turning the hose off before all my flowers floated away, and laundry. We also got a new load of sand for the sand box, but now there's so much of it, they are covered from head to toe and banished to the outdoors. haha The guy who brought it is a customer of Peter's and he kinda over-did on how much we needed. The sand box is full, yes, but the sides of the sand box are not 5 feet high!

Another new improvement is that Lucas decided out of the blue last night that he doesn't need pull-ups to bed anymore. We were a little nervous, but he woke up dry this morning and went to the bathroom as soon as he got up. I'm SOOO HAPPY that I only have to buy diapers for one child now! Wow, it's been a long time since we only had one in diapers!!! He has also done really well with staying dry during the day too! YAY! *doin' a little happy dance* :)

That's about all for now... time to get working on laundry and cleaning the basement... the boys have made such a mess down there, it's embarrassing.

Doctor visit...

Ok, so I didn't think I'd say this, but I REALLY miss my old doctor. He never ordered blood draws for lead, or any other test that was unnecessary either. Kimberly had her 1 year check this morning and the poor baby was poked 3 times before they actually hit a vein!!! She was a trooper though. Hardly a wimper outa her. Next time though, I think I'm refusing to put my kids through that.

On a good note, Kimberly is growing well, although she is still quite a bit smaller than my boys were (YAY). She weighs 20lb 9oz and is 29 1/2 inches long. That equates to 40th% for height and 60th for weight. Caleb and Daniel were always 90-95th% and Lucas around 75th%.

We did something different for sitter for the boys today though. Our neighbor lady has offered to watch the boys when I need to do groceries and that kind of stuff, so we asked her to watch the boys this morning. It worked really well because I didn't have to drop them off or worry that they were going to run circles around my in-laws. And when Peter got home, they came home, so it was a good arrangement. We might be doing that again. :)

Kimberly has started to get ambitious... she has been pulling herself up to her knees in the crib and reaching on her dresser and pulling things off into her bed. She thinks it's great, me, not so much, especially when her face is covered in butt cream. (that was with the help of Lucas of course.)

More pics!

So, Saturday we FINALLY got new family pics done. The last ones we had were when Lucas was about 7 months old, so we were long overdue! We also got some of just the kids! When we got home, Brenda and I did a "photo shoot" of Kimberly. She loved every minute of it as long as we didn't try to take her baby away. LOL

Family~ Peter's used to wearing a hat so it seemed REALLY bright to him

Just the kids
Caleb~ 5 1/2 years

Daniel~ 4 years

Lucas~ 3 years

Kimberly~ 1 year

Mommy and Kimberly :)

Caleb also learned to ride a 2 wheeler bike by himself on Saturday. He just took the bike and went, no instruction given. Sure didn't get that from me! haha

Wow! My baby is 1!!

Today marks the one year since my precious baby girl's birth. It has been a year of ups and downs, but she has made it one full of joy! She is always happy, with a smile ready for anyone who is willing to say hi, and her brothers absolutely adore her! It is such a blessing to watch my God-given children blossom and grow! Our lives would be so boring without them.

This week Kimberly has started to try pull herself up in her crib, but she has to work on the upper body strength part... she's so girly. haha She loves being set free on the floor to play and roam at will, but is also good about it if I need to put her in the play pen to keep her out of trouble. Like I said, she's a very happy little girl! :)

My Dad also celebrates his birthday today. It's his 60th! I really wish we could be there to celebrate with them, but so it goes, another milestone goes by and we're so far away! I hope you have a wonderful day and many more years dad! Love you sooo much!

Kimberly just a few hours old

Kimberly May 30, 2009

Just a quick update

I FINALLY got Daniel's blood test results. His lead levels and cbc were all good and his celiac one was negative, which really surprised me. Now we still don't know the reason for his frequent tummy troubles. Poor kid.