Olivia's eye exam.

Today Olivia had her eye exam. A few weeks ago we recieved a letter in the mail from the County Health Dept. letting us know that we needed to have further evaluation done on Olivia's eyes b/c there were areas of concern on some of her visual skills during an evaulation. I took her into Sear's Optical. The Eye DR confirmed that Olivia is far-sighted and will have to wear glasses for at least 2 months. She will have a follow up appt. to see if there are any improvements. It's undecided until that point as to how long she will have to wear them. I will say, she looks absolutely adorable in the glasses she picked out. She tried them on in the store. We now have to wait 1 week for her prescription pair to come in. I will be posting pictures when we get them. I only had my camera phone with me and I'm still unsure how to upload those pics onto the computer. She's excited to have to wear them and I'm keeping it that way b/c I know how some kids hate glasses.

LiL Munchkins!

The kids are growing! Growing! Growing!

Gavin will be 1 in a few more weeks and I'm still finding that hard to believe. He's growing up way too fast! No more babies in the house! :) :(

He's pulling himself up onto everything and walking along furniture. He is a little chatter box. He is still repeating everything and his favorite words are, "GO GO GO, JUMP, Big boy, Bye BYE.!" He loves to dance. He loves to LAUGH!!

His ears have made quite the improvement! We still have to take him to the specialist on the 15Th of April just to be safe. He only has 2 teeth. He is full of smiles and is so much fun! I think we are just going to celebrate his birthday during Easter. Maybe we'll have something over here at the house and invite family for Easter dinner and then have a little b-day celebration for Gavin. ?? still up in the air.

Channing, The middle man, He is such a little people pleas er. If he's having a bad day, he will still go out of his way to make sure you are okay! On the other side of him, he's a little trouble maker! Its' so funny the little terrible 2 phase he's going through. He can throw a screaming fit for 20 minutes and we just ignore him (that's what you're supposed to do) when he's all done, it's as if nothing ever happened and he goes along with his merry little self. Channing had a little incident while not listening to mommy and jumping on the bed. He fell and smacked his bottom tooth loose. The DR said that if he were to eat anything hard on that side, it's more then likely going to fall out. However, if we give him soft foods for the next 2 weeks, his enamel will harden back up and he'll eventually lose it when he gets older. "That's what you get for jumping on the bed." says Olivia. :) Channing got to see a movie on the big screen for the first time last Sunday! We took him and his sister to see, "Monsters Vs. Aliens." He loved it! He did so well and I was surprised that he sat through the entire thing! He did get pretty loud a few times to ask questions but that was EVERY child in that theater! ;) He's still very much into tractors and Monster trucks! He also loves building blocks, Helping his dad and papa in the garage with tools and he loves being outdoors!!!

Olivia, Little miss Sunshine! She is just my little adult kid. She thinks she knows everything! So funny! She cracks me up when she gets off the school bus. She yells really loud with her (Wheat mouth) "MOM, I'm THIRSTY!" EVERYDAY, I expect this out of her mouth! haha! She loves her friends and cares for them so much. The other day, a friend of hers from school was sick and Olivia kept asking me, "Is she going to be OK? I hope she's OK, I miss her." She does really well in school. We have her all registered for kindergarten. Hard to believe! Today, she has to get an eye exam. This is a request from her teacher b/c of a few areas that Olivia is struggling with.

Olivia still loves to dress up. She loves playing with her barbies and just recently, I brought out all of the barbie clothes that were given to her. She LOVES dressing her barbies! Other things she loves include, Being outdoors, The Wii, coloring and crafting, and reading! She also loves to shop! (Uh OH)

There is so much more to share but I would be writing a book! They are all healthy and happy and full of life!

Mike is still getting over his nasty cold. He had to go to the DR last week b/c he couldn't break his fever. The highest it got was 104.1 and then stayed in between 102.3-103.2. It was pretty high. He's doing much better, but the weather has been so unstable these last few days that we are all once again feeling the cold-like symptoms.

I am now Senior Consultant in MK!! :)

Things are LOOKING UP!

There is a lot going on in my life that is starting to look up. I sat back and took a look around me and thought about the areas that need major improvement. First thing, my marriage. Sure, it's easy to blame blame blame, but I actually took the time to figure out what makes the husband tick and because I just sulk in the misery that I have allowed myself to create, I can only do 2 things about it and that's 1. Leave the situation. 2. Do something to FIX the problem. I have decided that I'm going with number 2. We've come this far already. We are going to go through with marriage counseling again and this time, we are sticking it out until the problems get resolved. :) Life is only what we create of it. We can take our mistakes and others' mistakes and let them sulk inside of us and live miserably, OR we can start from the beginning and try, TRY again!! Life has so much great but a lot of times, we can only see the not-so-great.

Mary Kay has played a major factor in my change of being. I was never as happy as I wanted to be. I let the smallest things bother me. I let so many people get to me and that is behind me. I can only move forward. I let my husband take the best of me and I never stopped to see what HE needed or why he was being the way he was toward me. . My husband IS a good guy on the days that he wants to be. lol. I say that with humor but that is EVERYONE. EVERY SINGLE HUMAN being. We ALL have flaws. Some are bigger then others.
I say that Mary Kay changed my life because it really and truly did. I have a sisterhood of women that rely on each other and count on each other and they build us up when we are down. No, it's not a "social club" but in a way, it sort of really is. If that makes sense. I feel more confident about myself. I feel like I'm in the limelight and not stuck behind in the shadows. I know that I am making a difference in someone Else's life and they appreciate me and it makes me more appreciative of others! I feel refreshed.
This past weekend, my mom had a party for Mary Kay.7 out of 8 people showed up which is an amazing number. I took home $712.26 that night. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I EVER think I could achieve something like that. I went into that party thinking about all of the women that I was going to bless and make them feel beautiful and without the thought of "hmm, I wonder how much I'm going to make." The money part is just a great bonus. If I were working a normal minimum wage part-time job, I would have to wait like 2 weeks for that kind o money. I made that in 2 hours. The BEST part is, I blessed those women and I can now help my husband with finances.
My husband is a hard worker. A VERY HARD Worker. He goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide for his family and I forget to remind him how grateful we are to have him working so hard. How much I appreciate what all he does for us. I know I'm not the only one in the world that has that problem, I just like to let it be known. I'm pretty straight forward and if you haven't already figured that one out, well I am. I was actually debating back and forth as to whether or not I should post this blog private or public and you know what, I'm proudly posting this blog PUBLIC. :) :):) There is NOTHING negative about this blog. SURE, there is a little more info out there then most people can handle but this is me and what's going on and I hope that others don't take it the wrong way and run with false misconceptions.

I went to church this past Sunday and the sermon REALLY Stood out to me. I'm going to share a little of it. This is just bits and pieces. In no particular order.....

A man at a revival meeting who answered the alter call and came forward to pray. He knelt and wailed loudly. "O Lord, remove the cobwebs from my heart." The woman beside him prayed, "Don't do it, Lord; Kill the spider."

We focus on the bad habits we can break and the new habits we can pick up. And these things are important. It is important to remove those things from our lives that separate us from God and from one another. It's important to pray more. It is important to spend more quality time with others and less time alone on the Internet. But this is dealing with symptoms, not the disease.
We have a tendency to focus on the symptoms of our spiritual lives. Psalm 51 reminds us to focus on what's really wrong: we are sinful and need a new heart, a right spirit. It's not something we can do for ourselves. All we can do is recognize our need and ask GOD to change us. "Create in me a clean heart, O God,/ and put a new and right spirit within me." ---Delmer L Chilton

MEDITATION: "We are immersed in a culture that feeds acquisitiveness, the appetite for more bigger, and that fosters the myth that self worth is found in material wealth and that happiness is found in possessing. 'We buy things we don't even need with money we don't even have to impress people we don't even know.' (The Dave Ramsey Show). Generosity, according to Wesley, was rooted in grace, an emptying of oneself for others, an expression of love of God and Neighbor." -Robert Schnase

Quote of the day!

What other people think of me is none of my business!

My MARY KAY WEBSITE!

Come shop with me 24/7!

I now have a personalized Mary Kay website www.marykay.com/hpendleton3 Here, you can browse through our updated catalogs and find specials! Free shipping! :)

A Long Day. Whew!

Yesterday was such a long day. A VERY long day. Where do I even begin! First of all, I had another long night with Gavin. He was waking up throughout and really pulling at his ears. I'm thinking, "Oh great, another ear infection." We get up in the morning and I make a DR appointment first thing. I had to bring him in at 2:30.
Olivia got home from school and was Ms. GROUCHO. She was being horribly mean to her brother and even BIT him, which she is NOT a biter. I decided to take a shower when Gavin went down for a nap. The kids were playing nicely so I'm in the shower and I hear SCREAMING. I jump out thinking something terrible had happened and Olivia had HIT Channing b/c she wasn't getting her way. This irritates me beyond belief b/c I know she is acting out of being overly exhausted. The fuss wakes Gavin up prematurely from his nap and that's NOT good! I get back in the shower after things calmed down and as soon as I'm dressed, Channing comes running into the bathroom screaming at the top of his lungs. There was blood in his mouth and I couldn't figure out what had happened. Olivia followed saying Channing was jumping on his bed and he fell and bit his lip. I'm thinking we are going to have to go to the ER b/c if you would have seen the blood you would have thought for sure, stitches. He did not bite his lip but instead, bumped his tooth. There was a lot of blood coming from around the tooth and it was a little loose. I decided I would just have the Dr take a look when we went in for Gavin's appt.

We get to the DR office and Olivia is still grumpy, Channing is crying and it's getting louder and louder, Gavin wants down and is head butting and pinching. Not a fun day! lol! We finally see the DR and she tells me that Gavin's ears look great to her. He is teething all at once and it's causing him some extra pain but other then that, he's good until April 15 when he sees the specialist. She took a look in Channing's mouth and told me that his tooth is going to fall out, we just have to wait until it does. (duh, it's a baby tooth. lol) However, the fall did knock it loose. Another DR came in and said that if we take extra precaution the tooth may firm up and he'll be good to go. When that was said and done, I was walking out of the DR office with Gavin in Channing in each arm. I swear I'm super mom.
Just a crazy day. I have those from time to time! The best part of yesterday occurred when my grandpa called to ask if I would be interested in bringing the kids to Iowa with him and grandma Sharon! They will be flying into Chicago and then coming up to stay overnight in Peoria and we all leave the following day! This takes place at the end of May! :) My uncle is graduating college!
Today, is going great so far! I was able to go out to a few garage sales this morning with the boys while Olivia is in school! Channing had his little wallet and was ready to spend some money! We didn't have any luck today with the sales, but I know there is def. more to come in a matter of time! :)

I am now waiting for Olivia to get home from school. The Boys are napping and when they get up, we are heading into mom's for lunch! I'm meeting a friend to give her money b/c this summer I'm signing up to be on a Co-Ed slow pitch softball team! I'm excited!!!!!!!! well, that's my crazy day! :)

wooooo!

I love to blog. I think it's a great way to get out what's been inside and for others to get to know me and my family a little better!

My blogs are all pretty random but that just explains a lot about me, right there!

I am so excited that everyone is feeling better and that all of my spring cleaning is caught up! Laundry included! That's a shocker! I usually never have enough time in the day but I'm starting to re-organize my schedule and do things the Mary Kay Ash way! I want to put more hours into my day and therefore I'm working on getting myself up every morning at 5 am!
I have a goal right now to see as many faces as I can so that I can donate $1 to a few very awesome charitable causes. 1. Being Cancer research and the other being to help put an end to Domestic violence.

Everything is working out wonderfully and I'm also excited to join my friend Trish's playgroup! I think I'm more excited about the bible study as well and every little bit counts to help me from not losing myself in life because being a stay at home mom, you can sometimes fall off the track a bit if you don't give yourself adult interaction and such.

I'm also excited that I just spell checked this and NO errors were found! Woohoo! Today is going to be a good day! :)

LiFe

When life throws you lemons
Remember, it's the sour people throwing them!
You get to catch those lemons and make whatever you want out of it.
Just a thought. :)

Get down with the sickness.

Poor Olivia. She is home sick today from school. I feel like she gets sick a lot. :( Mike started with a fever yesterday morning. He was up the night before with chills and aches. He came to bed and was so sweaty and clammy. I took his temp. and it was 102.5. He was feverish all day yesterday. I took the kids to Church and then over to my parents' house for lunch. When we got back home, I checked Mike's temp. again and this time it was 104.1. YIKES> I have never checked an adult temp. that was that high. He stayed in bed all day and I told him if he didn't get better by morning, he should visit an Urgent Care. He said he would. On top of the fever/chills... he's also been nursing a horrible headache.
This morning, I woke up to get Olivia ready for school as usual and she told me she didn't feel well. I didn't believe her at first b/c she will say that a lot to try to keep from going to school. (not enough sleep the night before) I noticed her lips were bright red and I could clearly tell something was not right. I took her temp and what do ya know.... 102.1 She was NOT going to school today.
Mike took the day off and Olivia is home from school and I'm going to clean/wash and spray Lysol so that no one else gets this. :(

Career Conference!!!

This weekend was a great weekend!!!! I was able to attend Career Conference in Chicago, IL!!!! It was an amazing experience and I was able to create unforgettable memories with Women who have become some of my best friends!! :)
I was very nervous about leaving the kids overnight. It was Mike's second time to watch them overnight. Gavin had a fever the night before and I know it's because he's been teething. It made it very difficult for me to leave, but I knew the kids would be fine!!
I drove and 3 friends rode with me. We made the best road trip and had TONS of fun along the way! When we arrived in Chicago, (took only a few hours) We headed to the conference center and had a class from 7:30-10:30 pm. Then the girlie's and I headed back to the hotel and put our Jammie's on for a slumber party! We all got together and talked and laughed and ate lots of yummy junk! lol! I needed this break! It was a great experience!!!!!!! I will always remember this. I'm starting to open up and realize that I need to get out more and be around other people. I felt AWESOME dressing up and feeling like a woman!! Saturday was spent in conference, but it wasn't a normal, boring conference. It was full of life and spirit and dancing and prayer and it was AMAZING. MIND BLOWING! I'm blessed!! Truly. This was my calling and where I need to be at the right time in my life. :)

GoOD NeWs!

Today was another ear check for Gavin! Last Friday, he had to have 2 shots, one in each leg. Then, he was re-checked on Monday and had to have the shots again. This time on his re-check the DR was super happy (I was happier!) that Gavin's ears have made quite the improvement. We still have to see the specialist on April 15th but so glad we can wait to see him. The DR had told us that if the ear infection had not gone away, then we would have to get him to the specialist ASAP.
I think a lot of Gavin's waking up in the middle of the night is due to teething. He's trying to cut them all at once. OUCH!
The kids did great at the DR visit and each time they are allowed 2 stickers! The kids love their DR and Olivia even calls her, "Grandma Dr." LOL! She really is a sweet lady who takes her time to really care. She greets the kids with hugs and lets them play with all of her tools. She is definitely loved by us!! That's a very comforting feeling knowing that we are putting all of our trust into her with our child's' care! :) Gavin weighs 19 lbs 4 oz and will probably have a very high metabolism like Channing!!! :)

Funny Channing moment!

This morning after getting Olivia off to school, I hopped back into bed. The boys were still sleeping and because I had been up most of the night before from a terrible cough and from Gavin waking up as well, I was exhausted. It was about an hour later that I could hear the little pitter patter of feet. I heard Channing put his toilet seat onto the toilet and do his business and then I heard the toilet flush and the little pitter patter of feet again. I had my eyes open as I lay there in bed and that's when I hear the little footsteps again. I was waiting for Channing to run into the room to wake me up with a "HAPPY GOOD MORNING." like his usual wake up call. This time, He was running toilet paper into the bathroom and putting it on the roll for me. He then runs into my room and has this cheesy little grin on his face and he said, "Good morning mommy, I fixed your toilet paper for you so you don't be out."
What a great start to my day! He's so sweet!
He's going through a new learning phase. Comparing "little" and "big" He said to me, "Mommy, I'm little but I'm a BIG boy. Olivia is big because her is bigger then me. Gavin is little b/c he's little then me and Olivia. You are the BIGGEST mommy because you are way up high to the ceiling. Can you touch the ceiling!"
I have the best wake up calls!!!! :)

Kids.

The weather today was BEAUTIFUL! It's too bad that my sinuses had to be all messed up. I have a lot of pressure in my ears and it's not fun. I did manage to take the kids to the zoo today! It was so gorgeous outside! They had fun and they were able to get out the energy that has been bottled up! We met up with a few friends! It was fun!
Gavin goes back to the Dr tomorrow for another ear re-check. I took him yesterday to have his ears re-checked from last Friday and it was still showing signs of infection. They had to give him another dose of the same shot they used last time. Tomorrow, if his ears still show sign of infection they are going to have us see the specialist a lot earlier then April 15Th. I just want him to be healthy and fine. I feel so badly for him. He is still a cheery little boy and being around him, you would never guess that he is in so much pain.

Olivia audiologist check.

I took Olivia to the Audiologist this morning to have her hearing and speech checked. There are a few words that she doesn't pronounce very well. I was also concerned with why she talks so very loudly. You could be standing right next to her and she will blow your eardrums with her powerful voice. :) (I also believe she has the Wheat mouth!)
The Dr Checked her today and she passed with flying colors! I was very impressed and surprised, to say the least. The Dr informed me that most kids this age do talk very loudly and they sometimes will ignore you when asked something.
I took the boys into the waiting area while Olivia did the tests! She was so brave and did such a great job being a big girl!

I believe her teacher was going to have a speech therapist pull Olivia aside to hear if she needs further assistance with pronunciation but we will find out about that later.

How well do my kids know me! This was fun!

How Well Do My Kids Know Me?ShareDo you ever wonder what your kids think of you and all you do? Ask them! This was hilarious! Fun for them, too! Copy and paste, send it on to other Moms you know!
Olivia 5 years old
Channing 2 years old

1. What is something Mom always says to you?
O um, you say you are so proud of me, but you don't say that when you have to spank my butt."
C stickers (? ...remember, he's 2.)

2. What makes Mom happy?
O- When I be nice.
C uh, cuz.

3. What makes Mom sad?
O Um After I leave and that's what make you sad.
C Where is olivia going?

4. How does your Mom make you laugh?
O Tickle me (must be a popular answer! lol)
C Cuz. BECAUSE.

5. Who are your Mom's best friends?
O UMMMM, Jessica, brandy and Coey
C Me.

6. How old is your Mom?
O 15
C Uh, best friend.

7. How tall is your Mom?
O 25
C me thinking.

8. What is Mom's favorite thing to do?
O You like playing Candyland with me
C laugh

9. What does your Mom do when you're not around?
O You do busy stuff and clean up the house and do your mary kay.
C laugh

10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
O you do a lot of things and it's so fun.
C / Laugh

11. What is your Mom really good at?
O At sports. (lol, I don't ever play sports around my kids)
C Cleaning

12. What is your Mom not very good at?
O You're not bery good at , Um, I need to think. You're not good at painting.
C You Are.

13. What does your Mom do for her job?
O You go to work and get some orders and you have lots of lots of make up! I like make up too. C Go to work. Clean.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
O Mexican (very good! She nailed this!)
C Um Mex i head

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
O make something pretty for me and you let me do stuff, you're my mom.
C You good girl. Cuz.

16. Who is your mom's favorite cartoon character?
O DAnce things. and Barak Obama.
C Drake and drosh

17. What do you and your mom do together?
O We play together, paint together and we do blocks together and we dance and we do everything.
C sticker. you take me bye bye

18. How are you and your mom the same?
O Because I came out of your big belly and that's why we are the same.
C cuz we the same

19. How are you and your mom different?
O different looking. you have lots of moles (freckles)
C cuz you ARE different.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
O you play with me a lot and you tell me that you do.
C cuz you love me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
O He does very fun things with you. and Cuz you're married from him.
C Cuz

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
O To the mall and buy stuff, I mean to walmart.
C um mall

Hard work is getting 3 kids to smile....at the same time.

Mike and I took the kids to get their pictures taken. We needed to get Olivia's 5 yr pics done and then we wanted to get all 3 of them. We haven't done that in a while. Next month, Gavin will go and get his 1 yr done and then in June, Channing will get his 3 yr done. simple. Right? WRONG!

I remember when Olivia was a baby and how easy it was to only have to get one child to smile! Then, I threw Channing in the mix and it was a little harder but not too bad.... Throw Gavin in the mix. Haha! Gavin and Olivia actually smiled and did well. Channing, he was a pistol today and was more concerned about the dollar in his pocket then he was getting his picture taken! He also woke up a cranky boy from his nap.
I HATE making appts for pictures. When we went yesterday, it would have been perfect if they could have gotten us in, right then and there. The kids were all happy and in great spirits, but because I HAD to make the the appt. Totally jinxed the whole idea of getting them done! I will say, Olivia's 5 yr pics turned out beautiful! She did such an awesome job! The last few years, she would just give a very fake smile. Today, she was very laid back and full of real smiles! I was so happy!! Our pictures will be back next week! I totally wish they could have photo cropped the picture. Posted the good picture of Channing on the picture he wasn't cooperating, but hey, it's great that they could capture his little personality! I told her she didn't have to wait for the smile. If we get a smile, that's our bonus. To me, kids are going to be kids. Of course, we all want smiley kids for pictures, but when you can't get it from them, at least let them capture the attitude! :) :) Now, the picture will always remind us how much of a crab stink Channing was on this special day! :) :)

blog reading

The kids are sleeping. The hubby is out. I'm here and I decided to go blog reading. I have come across some really entertaining blogs and then of course, the really boring, I could fall asleep blogs. I have decided that I don't want to be the "boring blog writer" I want to keep you interested in reading what I have to say.
I LOVE to write and as much as I love updating my family/friends on the kids, I'm also going to use this site as my time to write. I'm not even sure who follows along, honestly but this blog is going to tell you a little about me first! My inner me. :)
I'm confident.
I'm straight to the point.
It's hard for you to offend me, but very easy for me to offend you.
I'm judged.
I judge. Hard not too, but we are only human.
I'm a great listener.
I'm straight forward.
I know what I want when I want it.
I speak from my heart and that gets me in trouble.
I'm funny.
I'm random.
I'm random.
I'm definitely random!
This blog in itself is pretty random but that's just me. Why not come to a place where you can free your mind without having to....well, never mind you still have to worry sometimes, but that's just life. Life is the biggest Wart. You can only live your life the way YOU want to live your life. When you want change, YOU must first change and then everything around you will change as well. Those are great words of wisdom, spoken to me from a close friend. I follow words and guidelines pretty closely sometimes, even when least expected. I try to live a simple and easy life and that's impossible! Nothing is simple and easy when you are a mother. Even as a wife. Nothing is ever going to be simple and I'm fine with that. The problem with me, is that I'm the most stubborn person you will ever meet. I have been told this my whole life and therefore, when you put 2 stubborn people in a room We're not always going to paint a pretty picture. The problem with me, is that I see people how I want them to be and when they don't live up to my expectations I am easy to let down. I was told this by a counselor a few years back and she's absolutely right. I'm not afraid to admit that I have problems. As long as you show me respect and I show you respect we are good. The minute I'm disrespected, I have a problem with that, I really do. I am one that can NOT hold onto a grudge. (which is a great thing) However, if I'm betrayed on more then one occasion, it becomes upsetting to me and then come the trust issues. It's just nature. I guess. When it's a repeated trust issue, I usually just drop those kind of people out of my life because I keep telling myself I don't have time for it. I really don't. Out of nowhere, when I would least expect it, the one person who I let hurt me and let me down, comes back into my life and I can't help but to talk to them b/c (it goes along with the whole I see people how I want them to be) I love them and they are family.
I wish my dad and I had the relationship that I had longed for from him. For years, I wished this. When it never happened, I promised myself that I would not allow him into my life ever again and that I would take my step dad's last name. However, I never wanted to let my dad down. I knew he loved and cared for me, but was probably scared and didn't know how to show it. Understandable. I would get so mad b/c he would never call me and would hardly have anything to do with us and then years and years later, realized. I'm the same way. I could have just as easily picked up that phone and called him. I could have done so much being a daughter and I didn't. I still don't call. It's not b/c I don't want to, it's b/c I don't know what to really talk about. I over analyze the situation and I should really stop doing that. I love my dad. I love my step mom and I love my half brothers. I wish I took that time out of my day to tell them.
Life is hard but it's only b/c we make it THAT much harder! I am a mommy of 3 and I have friends who have 1 or 2 and I invite them to go places with me and they won't b/c they are so tired and it's such a hassle to take the kids anywhere and yada yada yada.... excuse after excuse, but that's life. LIFE IS HARD. what is so hard about taking your kid to the park with some friends and creating memories.?. I always hear, "I don't know how you do it? How DO YOU DO IT with 3 kids?" this is my answer. "It's the only way I know HOW to do things." I didn't just jump right into motherhood knowing everything. It took time. I got them on schedules right away and they are my kids. It only looks like hard work to those who comment b/c they only see 3 kids. they don't see that I'm raising them. :)
OK.. WHOA this blog was EVERYWHERE. I mean EVERYWHERE and I can tell I'm extremely tired so I'm going to quit while I'm ahead! LOL! Good thing it's only a blog and not an essay or something!

Gav man

I took Gavin to the Dr on Friday afternoon. He was in such pain with his ears. Constant pulling and tugging, screaming when placed on his back for diaper changes, waking up in the middle of the night.....etc.....

The DR confirmed that indeed his left ear was still infected, but also his right. Obviously there is fluid and obvious he is going to need tubes. They had to give him a shot in both legs this time around. I can't remember the name of the antibiotic, but it starts with an R and Olivia had to have the same thing injected into her legs when she was Gavin's age. If you remember, she developed a terrible ear infection in Florida when she was 10 months old and the day before we were to hop on the plane to head back home, She Then showed the signs of being in pain. She got really sick and My grandma and I had to take her to the Urgent care where they gave her the shots and then said we were very lucky she showed the signs of being ill b/c had we gotten on that plane, her eardrums would have ruptured. :(

Anyway, Poor Gavin. He has been through so much in his little life already. I just want him to be fine and nothing more. The Dr said that allergies can even play a role in the constant ear infections. Since Allergies/asthma run in both sides of the family I guess it makes sense. The DR was hoping that once the nicer weather kicked in, his ear infections would diminish, but I don't see that being the case at all. We have been referred to an E.N.T DR and they are going to set us up with a consultation and then a date for surgery. OH... the thought of my baby being put under again is TERRIBLE. Extra prayers are always great!

tubes.

Poor little man. He has just undergone surgery to remove a testicle that never formed and now it's quite possible that he will have to "go under" once again, this time for tubes. He has a repeated ear infection that just won't go away. Like Channing at this age, he has ear infection after ear infection and no antibiotic is making it go away. I'm pretty sure that the fluid is behind the ear, as was Channing's. Channing was around his first birthday when he had his tubes put in. I just hate the fact that little man has to go under again. He's already been put though enough already in his little life. Having 3 insicions made on and around his man hood.. :( geesh. I know a lot of people have been saying it's b/c I used formula on the boys and b/c I did not nurse. I nursed Olivia until she was 7 months old. I nursed the boys for only about a month and that's b/c my hormones were so out of whack that I hated the way I was feeling. I went through post partum and once I stopped nursing, I was completely fine. Some may think that's selfish, but what is more selfish? My sons having to drink a man made formula OR their mom being a complete whack job b/c of uncontrollable hormones? ;) I'll go with the man made formula! The boys are still just as smart as their sister! They talk very well and they are quick learners! So, I must have done something right! hehe!
Anyway, I'll keep my blog readers posted on what's going on!!!

Just wanted to add some more pics of lil man! :)

Gavin is 11 months.

This is Gavin's last month before his 1 yr birthday! Hard to believe!! He's so much fun and I do miss him being a baby! He has grown way too fast b/c he has older siblings to copy and repeat everything from! He is trying so hard to walk. He's been crawling on all fours and does a great job getting from point A to point Z! He loves learning new things and he's curious about EVERYTHING! He's also into as much as he's allowed to get into. His favorite game is taking all of the movies out off the shelf and laughing as he watches you pick them all up and put them away! I need to get a lock. He loves cars/trucks and makes the "vrooom" noises as he pushes the cars back and forth! He LOVES to dance! Any music that he hears he's boppin up and down and clapping his hands. He's Bashful but at the same token is outgoing. He loves picking on his brother but loves kisses from his sister. (He will go and push channing and then crawl over to Olivia so she can kiss him. ) HE LOVES TO EAT! He is really great about eating whatever you put in front of him! Not picky at all! He's finally sleeping through the night. Sometimes I will hear him cry out, but I just let him go back to sleep. He's doing so well with recovering from surgery! I know this is all a jumbled mess, but I'm in a hurry! He loves going to the store and sitting in the cart! He loves pointing and asking, 'What's that?" sounds like, Wass saa. He says hi to and bye to everyone. Even his reflection in the mirror! He loves babies. I could go on and on ......

Olivia is 5 now! She is so smart and getting so big, way too fast! A few days after her birthday I took her bed rail down! She feels like such a big girl! She would always ask me when we could take that thing down b/c she felt like a "baby" I kept telling her that I feared she would roll out of her bed b/c she's a bed hog like her momma! I could always hear her cracking her head on the wall and rail and sometimes she would kick it. There was even a time that I went to check on her and she was using the rail as a pillow.??? I Have NO idea how she accomplished that. Anyway, I took her rail down at rest time and she did fine, so I had her dad take it to the basement and she hasn't used it since! We are so proud of her! She still hits the wall a lot, but no fall outs yet!

Olivia can blow bubbles with her gum! She is very proud of that! She is learning how to rhyme words together! That is all we have heard nonstop today and it was fun! She loves to learn and is a pretty fast learner! This summer, I am going to try and teach her how to ride her bike without the training wheels!

She can pour her own drinks now! She is starting to help us out with setting the table. She loves to clean her room!

There is probably a ton more to share but that's just a little! :) :)

SPRING!!! :) :) :)

I'm So excited for SpRiNg!!! I have been cleaning like a mad woman! I have that Fever that starts with a BIG Ol' S!!! Our community is having another yard sale this May and I'm determined to be ready and organized by the time it gets here! We are getting rid of ALL our baby items! I have already given My best friend our exersaucer. Our swing is going to our realtor friends! 3 huge bags of Olivia's clothes have already gone to Arin and I'm still finding more that don't fit her! Plus, what we already have in the garage. I have come across several bags of boys clothes that will be divided between my friends and their boys and then the rest is going into the yard sale! It's AMAZING how much clothing items accumulate around here! I do a lot of garage sailing! lol! :) I'm trying to convince Mike to part with his clothing that forever hangs in the closet and hasn't been worn in YEARS. It's so hard to get a man to let go of clothing, I guess. I know my grandpa was the same way.

I'm also hoping to get up to my grandpa's graveside on his birthday. I miss him so much. The kids and I may make a special trip to spend that day with my grandma.

Olivia has her dance recital at the end of May and I can't wait! I'm hoping I can find someone to watch the boys so we can focus on Olivia's performance! I don't want to miss a thing! :)

I am also anxious for the nicer weather so I can be outside walking again!! I have lost 15 lbs so far since I have been using my wii fit. Probably would have lost more if I was dedicated, but I let a few weeks slip me by when we had things going on. I just recently got the "Jillian Michael's" workout on the fit and that is REALLY kicking my butt!! My arms are KILLING me! I feel great though and better energized! I know I'm really going to have to keep up with the kids this summer! ! I'm pretty sure Gavin will be walking by then. He's already pulling himself up onto everything and taking steps holding onto the furniture. He's so determined! It's going to be sad when there isn't a baby in the house anymore!

My goal is to lose 17 more lbs to be right where I'm supposed to be according to my age and height! I know I can do it and I know it won't take long, hopefully! I've already come this far! I have a few friends who are going to start walking with me and of course, I have several stay at home moms who will be getting out and about this summer with me and the kids and Tuesday morning kids will be starting up again and that was so much fun! I'm so ready for the great weather, grilling and the list forever goes on! Whew! I'm pumped!! :) :)

Spring, it's such a wonderful time of year!!!! :) :) :) :)

Gavin is recovering.

Our big boy made it out of surgery! I'm so appreciative of all the support from family and friends! Mom came over today to watch the kids and got Olivia off to school! Mike had forgotten about Gavin's surgery and luckily, at last minute, was able to get today off. We arrived at about 7:45 am and was admitted. Our Pastor Joy was there to greet us and it was so awesome to see her! She is so personable and she gave us prayers and we all said a prayer together. Gavin was quite fussy b/c boys like to eat when they are hungry and I felt terrible that he couldn't even have a sip of water, but rules are rules. Around 9:30 they hauled him off to surgery. They have a new system in the hospital where they give you his ID number and you can keep track of the process on the flat screen. It was all color coded to go along with what was happening. I was able to see when they started surgery, when surgery ended and when he was in the recovery. The waiting process was sickening. I held my composure very well and poor Mike, he has been on call this WHOLE week and is going on pretty much, NO SLEEP. He was hanging in there and for ONCE we were getting a long great. I think a lot that has been going on in these last few days has been a real eye opener to him and he's realizing things. He's been nothing but nice and I LOVE THAT!! :) :)

The first procedure that Gavin had to go through was the process of taking a little microscope through the belly button to follow the vein to his man hood. From there, they were going to see if there was anything to work with or if he just was born without a testicle. Mike and I were both praying that they wouldn't find anything, that way they wouldn't have to do anything further to Gavin. The Dr. called me on the nurse line and informed me that he had indeed come across the starting formation of the left testicle, but it never made it so he would have to take it out and then, make another incision through the scrotum, to pack where the testicle should have been so that way the empty space would not fill with something it wasn't supposed to. ? (medical terms) Anyway, We were bummed to hear about that. The surgery took maybe a good hour. After speaking with the Dr in person about taking care of Gavin once he was healing, I was able to go up to recovery phase 1. Only one parent was allowed in that room until he was sent to recovery phase II. Then, mike would be able to come and be with us.

When I got to the recovery room, it was so sad. He was just lying there and when he seen me, he immediately tried to get up and he started crying. I was ready to cry with him, but I had to be strong for him. I was able to pick him up and hold him and give him some juice. He was very cranky and was trying to pull the heart monitor off of his finger. I could tell he was in pain b/c of the way he was acting and I asked the nurse if they could give him anything. She gave him antibiotic through his IV and after about 5 more minutes of struggling, he passed out in my arms. (fell asleep, not literally passed out) Anyway, she showed me his 3 incisions. I spent about half an hour with him there and then we were moved to the recovery phase II. Mike was able to join us and that's where the nurses filled out the paperwork, went over care, and made sure Gavin made at least one wet diaper before they could let us go. I was impressed with how fast we got out of there. It was right around noon.

Gavin was sleepy through the ride home. When we got home, mom took Olivia back to her house. Olivia has a birthday party to attend tomorrow and so mom is taking her to that, so she got to spend the night. Mike had to go back to work and so I took Channing and Gavin for a very long walk around our neighborhood. It was such a beautiful day! Gavin did great! When we got back home, you couldn't even tell that Gavin had just gone through surgery. He was back to his happy little self and was trying to crawl around. I was scared for him, so I kept him limited as to what he could do. I held him and alternated with the swing. He did great! Mike and I are a little concerned with the bigger incision b/c there is a lot more blood then we expected. I did call the DR and he said to just keep an eye on it and if it looks worse in the morning, we are to bring him in. Gavin went to bed around 7pm. They told me that the day after surgery is when he'll act his normal self and I'm allowed to let him crawl around. We just aren't allowed to have him in his walker until after the Dr sees him in a week.

Channing is doing great even with Olivia not being here. Usually he is lost without her, but mom promised him that the next time was his turn to stay the night by himself and they plan on taking him up to the tractor museum in moline! Alright, well that was a long blog. :)