Multitudes on Monday

1499. 5 bouts of the flu OVER with

1500. Tamiflu to lessen flu symptoms

1501. Ibuprofen and Tylenol for aches and fevers

1502. Feeling well enough to enjoy Christmas

1503. Having a baby in the house on Christmas morning

1504. Porter's silly faces for the camera

1505. Ella Beth and Landon "helping" Porter open his gifts

1506. Girl Legos!!! (where were these when I was little?)

1507. Landon "hunting" from his top bunk (his deer stand;))

1508. Quiet evenings with Scott, simply enjoying each other's company

1509. A new journal to start off a new year

1510. Celebrating the close of 2012 as a Family of Five

Psalm 109:30 "But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone."

Porter - 9 months

Oh my! 9 months sure have flown by.

Porter weighs 12 pounds!!! Woo hoo!!! He is 12 pounds of ooey-gooey sweetness. :)

He is still a fantastic eater - will eat anything we put in front of him except beans. Which is weird to us since he will literally eat anything else. He fusses for whatever we are eating and is great about trying everything.

Porter is sitting up like a CHAMP! Once he got just a little bigger, his body figured it out.

Porter is great playing by himself. Rarely does he get the chance with big sister and big brother around, but he is very content being surrounded by toys and playing.

He is a T-A-L-K-E-R. He babbles and carries on unless he is asleep. :) He is starting to put syllables together (e.g. la-la, ga-ga, ma-ma, and da-da). He is so close to actually saying Mama and Dada!!!!

He knows what milk, bite-bite, puffs, diaper, and toys means.

And he turned 9 months on Christmas Eve. It is such a joy to have a baby in the house at Christmas!!!

Multitudes on Monday

1488. Pepto Bismol

1489. a stomach virus that doesn't hang around too long

1490. Ibuprofen and Tylenol for fevers and aches

1491. lots of cuddle time with Landon - who is usually a Daddy's boy

1492. Ella Beth, Porter, and Scott staying healthy.......praying that continues

1493. quiet evenings at home

1494. going to bed early

1495. whispering Truths in my children's ears as we cuddle and anticipate Christmas

1496. lighting advent candles together

1497. Scott playing the guitar and singing Christmas songs as a family in front of the Christmas tree

1498. the reminder that Christmas brought Hope to our world

Psalm 136:26, "Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever."

12/12/12

What a day this is! Today is Scott's 40th birthday.
12/12/12
What a fabulous date to celebrate such a big day!

40 years ago my husband was born. He doesn't look a day over 33, and most people's mouths gape open when they learn how "old" he is. 

40 years ago the husband to my children came into this world. It fascinates me to know that God knew that we would marry and have TWO more children than we would plan on having. God knew how wonderful of a daddy Scott would make.

 

40 years ago my soul mate was put on this earth. There were twists and turns in our lives that seemingly led in differing directions, but in the end they brought us to one another.

And I am so very blessed!!

Multitudes on Monday

1474. a house that is {slowly} coming back together after laying hardwood floors in the kiddos' new room

1475. antibiotics that quickly take the pain from an ear infection away

1476. the baby boy sleeping through the night again once the antibiotics start working

1478. having the two bigger kiddos share a room and personal space to grow closer and learn to get along and work things out together - at least that's the plan :)

1479. friends who rescue orphans and welcome them into their homes, their lives, their families

1480. celebrating Scott, a little early, for his big 40th birthday

1481. laughing so hard at dinner that all of us who came out to celebrate had belly aches

1482. hearing from friends who have the same frustrations with certain stages in life

1483. playing games one-on-one with our kiddos

1484. Landon wrestling with his cousin Bentley and wearing himself out having such fun

1485. counting down the days until Christmas

1486. breaking out our Christmas books and reading them again and again as a family

1487. Ella Beth and Landon coming home from church excited about all they learned about Jesus, God, and Christmas

Psalm 50:23, "But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me [God]. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God."

When the baby's sick...

the Mama doesn't sleep.

After two nights of Porter being up at three different times and his fever going up to 101.3 yesterday, I took Porter to the doctor at 5:30 yesterday evening. He has an ear infection in his left ear, croup, and "probably has RSV" (though the doctor said there's no specific test to diagnosis it.) Thankfully, his blood oxygen level was stable so we didn't have to trek it down to Scottish Rite. Thankful.

We finally got out of the doctor's office close to 7 and then had to wait for the pharmacy to fill his prescriptions. It was almost 9 before we got home.

Porter nursed and went straight to sleep. And then the other two kiddos went down close to 10. It took them all of 28 seconds to fall asleep.

Scott and I went straight to sleep as well.

Until 11:39 when Porter woke up. I went ahead and nursed him again because he hasn't been eating well the last couple of days...and goodness knows he doesn't need to lose any weight! He nursed and fell asleep. Then I tried laying him down. OhMyWord. You would have thought I was putting him in an ice bath the way he screamed. So I picked him up, tried nursing him again but he wasn't interested. Nope, he was just wide awake.

Until 2:49.

That's three full hours of being up with the baby boy. I finally fought with him a little by patting his back and tucking a blanket around him so that he couldn't wiggle all over his crib.

He slept until 5:49. (He's nothing if not consistent with the "9s.") He nursed and went back down.

Until 7:59. Up for the day. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, still has a fever, eyes are weak. I feel bad for him because this is first battle with being sick, but I am so exhausted.

Scott had my coffee ready and waiting for me this morning. Love him dearly.

Porter Update - part 2

I took Porter to the GI Specialist last Friday afternoon. I was happy that the appointment was in the afternoon because I thought that might help him tip the scales a bit. No such luck.

Porter was weighed (11.11 lbs) and measured (25 3/4"), and then we were in our room waiting for the doctor. It wasn't too long of a wait, but we did look out the window and watch cars and people go by. Then the doctor came in, sat down on his rolling stool, looked at Porter's chart and said, "Well, this sure doesn't look good at all." Now, I like this doctor, but those words are not the First Words you want to hear from any doctor.

So far it seems that everything is related to his severe reflux - a "mechanical problem" as the doctor called it. (Meaning, his little valve that is supposed to close after eating...to keep burps from coming up...just isn't working correctly.) The doctor still feels that the results we got from Porter's Upper GI are indicating that surgery isn't necessary at this point. Sigh of relief.

The doctor decided to try Porter on a hypo-allergenic formula to see if there could be anything else in my diet (after omitting dairy and soy for the last 8 months) that is triggering such severe reflux. Yeah, that hypo-allergenic formula is $104/SMALL can. Thank goodness we left with 5 cans of samples!

Well, Porter is beginning to show his true colors because the sweet little fella who used to take 1-2 bottles of pumped breast milk a week while I took Ella Beth to our co-op will now not even put a bottle to his mouth. After trying the new formula and Pitching.A.Fit. about it, we tried giving him breast milk. Nope, he won't take anything "artificial." He is now even refusing his paci. Oh My Word!!!!! I know I should be grateful that the paci is gone, but seriously? He used to take his paci and be asleep in seconds. Now??? Not so much. It's awful. And all over trying some stinkin' formula.

I can literally feel gray hairs sprouting on my head.

So, now, we are back where we were before the GI appointment: with a baby who is "extremely underweight," "hollow" in his upper body, and "failing to thrive." According to the doctors.

But the tiny fella eats. He eats so well! We have yet to find a food that he won't eat - which is amazing. Now if we could just get him to keep things down.

I'm just trying my best to feed him a LOT. Which means I feel like an open buffet most of the day. Which means that Porter is off his amazing nap schedule. Which means the more he eats the more he spits up. Which means the more outfits we are going through each day. Which means...

MAMA is going CRAZY.

But it's a season. Right? Say it is; lie if you have to!

Multitudes on Monday

1461. nursing Porter in his nursery

1462. the way Porter nuzzles close to my shoulder when anyone talks to him

1463. Ella Beth acting like the BIGGEST goofball in order to get Porter to laugh :)

1464. Landon saying, "Mama, Porter won't look at me because Ella Beth is cuter than me." (I had to turn my head and run out of the room so as not to laugh my head off!!)

1465. "Buddy" the elf  - we have a love/hate relationship. I hate having one more thing to clean up after, but I l-o-v-e the kiddos' excitement of Buddy's mischief.

1466. making crazy sweet treats to indulge in; 'tis the season!

1467. sitting through worship at church with Porter before going to the nursing room to listen to the message

1468. Chick-fil-a Family Night

1469. knowing the servers at CFA by name, and they knowing us

1470. driving around to look at Christmas lights

1471. while driving, Landon saying, "Oh, these lights are just killing me! They are so AWESOME!" :)

1472. telling the kiddos that Santa isn't really real, and listening to them argue with me that he is - not how I thought that conversation was going to go ;)

1473. knowing that even though they still believe in Santa, my children celebrate Jesus first

Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."

Family Pictures

To say that taking your own family pictures is challenging would be like saying having a flat tire in the pouring rain while running late is annoying.

Taking your own family pictures is hard work. Getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time without being behind the camera acting like an idiot (e.g. doing jumping-jacks, making crazy noises, telling the silliest jokes) is almost impossible.

Almost. It does take time...longer than usual...but it is worth it to get some nice shots.

We went to visit my mom, and I had been looking for a spot for taking pictures. I had a few ideas in mind, but when I found these areas I was happy with them. Not to mention the turquoise wall just makes me happy. :)

This picture was not planned, I just happened to catch it. I knew there was a bit of blur in in so I tried to get the kiddos to "recreate" it about a dozen times. To no avail. But it's still such a fun shot!

Miss "I will pose even when you tell me not to." The girl is not camera shy. ;)

But she sure is a pretty little thing, so I can handle her poses. Pink boots and all. :)

I really, really liked this family picture because Porter was smiling AND looking right at the camera. Too bad no one was there to get Landon's attention. ;)

 
Now here's a good one of that handsome fella! This one was "posed" by his sister...who did a pretty good job.

After a nursing session and much needed wardrobe change (reflux.never.fails), the three kiddos snuggled up together. (It took me a good 10 minutes to decide which of these two to use on the back of our Christmas card.)

L. O. V. E. them.

And I surely love these two together. They have started bickering more lately...mostly because the boy doesn't want to do everything the girl tells him to anymore...but pictures like these, completely natural, reveal they still love each other and are the best of friends.

Melt my heart.

And easily my favorite. Our first portrait as a family of five.

Now I can breathe easy and enjoy these family shots. Well, until it's time for next year's Christmas card!

Porter Update - part 1

To say that today was an emotionally exhausting day would be an understatement. But, praise God, because the last emotion that we felt was JOY mixed with RELIEF mixed with THANKFULNESS!

We left early this morning. In the rain. When we got in the van, I said to Scott, "Does this weather indicate what's to come?" Scott said, "Only if you plan on getting wet." Love him.

We arrived early, and they were able to take us back. My stomach was in knots and I had to remind myself to breathe every so often. The ultrasound technician was Monique (or "Mo" around the office), and she was very nice. {Note: one must be very nice to work at Scottish Rite, and that makes parents very thankful. :)}

Mo instructed us on how to lay Porter on the bed and to go ahead and give him the bottle that we had to bring. He wasn't allowed to eat before the appointment so we thought he would suck that bottle dry in no time. Ha! Stinker wanted nothing to do with that bottle when Mama was right there. I forgave him for wasting liquid gold, and Scott fed him Gerber Puffs.

AND PORTER LAID ON THE BED EATING PUFFS AND NEVER ONCE EVEN WHINED.

I'm serious!!!!! That sweet boy looked from me to Scott for the first few minutes, and then - I kid you not - he turned his head and just watched the ultrasound screen! What a miracle. It took a good 30+ minutes and Porter's head was as red as a beet when it was over with because of the pressure needed to penetrate all angles from his small soft spot. Mo told us that she has NEVER had a child, let alone a baby, lay completely still and content for any kind of ultrasound.

Yep! That's our boy. :)

(Come to find out later, Scott's mom had specifically prayed for Porter to be calm and for the procedures not to be an ordeal. Now that's an answered prayer if I've ever heard of one!)

The X-rays were next. They didn't go quite as perfectly because they had to hold Porter's head and chin in a padded restraint. So he did let everyone know he didn't like that much, but no tears. And as soon as it was over, he was smiling at the nurses. :)

Unfortunately, there was no waiting around for results. We were told that the doctors would get in touch with our pediatrician within 3-4 hours and she would be the one to call us.

So the waiting began once we pulled out of the parking lot. Hours and hours of waiting. And worrying. And giving it back to God. And worrying. And giving it back to God.

And then our pediatrician gives me the news that Porter's tests were normal!

I have not gone five minutes today without thanking and praising God. Everyone who has called or texted or emailed has heard it, too. God is so good!

So now we wait for another appointment on Friday with the GI Specialist. And I know that God's got that under control, too. Praise God!

Porter Update - part 1

To say that today was an emotionally exhausting day would be an understatement. But, praise God, because the last emotion that we felt was JOY mixed with RELIEF mixed with THANKFULNESS!

We left early this morning. In the rain. When we got in the van, I said to Scott, "Does this weather indicate what's to come?" Scott said, "Only if you plan on getting wet." Love him.

We arrived early, and they were able to take us back. My stomach was in knots and I had to remind myself to breathe every so often. The ultrasound technician was Monique (or "Mo" around the office), and she was very nice. {Note: one must be very nice to work at Scottish Rite, and that makes parents very thankful. :)}

Mo instructed us on how to lay Porter on the bed and to go ahead and give him the bottle that we had to bring. He wasn't allowed to eat before the appointment so we thought he would suck that bottle dry in no time. Ha! Stinker wanted nothing to do with that bottle when Mama was right there. I forgave him for wasting liquid gold, and Scott fed him Gerber Puffs.

AND PORTER LAID ON THE BED EATING PUFFS AND NEVER ONCE EVEN WHINED.

I'm serious!!!!! That sweet boy looked from me to Scott for the first few minutes, and then - I kid you not - he turned his head and just watched the ultrasound screen! What a miracle. It took a good 30+ minutes and Porter's head was as red as a beet when it was over with because of the pressure needed to penetrate all angles from his small soft spot. Mo told us that she has NEVER had a child, let alone a baby, lay completely still and content for any kind of ultrasound.

Yep! That's our boy. :)

(Come to find out later, Scott's mom had specifically prayed for Porter to be calm and for the procedures not to be an ordeal. Now that's an answered prayer if I've ever heard of one!)

The X-rays were next. They didn't go quite as perfectly because they had to hold Porter's head and chin in a padded restraint. So he did let everyone know he didn't like that much, but no tears. And as soon as it was over, he was smiling at the nurses. :)

Unfortunately, there was no waiting around for results. We were told that the doctors would get in touch with our pediatrician within 3-4 hours and she would be the one to call us.

So the waiting began once we pulled out of the parking lot. Hours and hours of waiting. And worrying. And giving it back to God. And worrying. And giving it back to God.

And then our pediatrician gives me the news that Porter's tests were normal!

I have not gone five minutes today without thanking and praising God. Everyone who has called or texted or emailed has heard it, too. God is so good!

So now we wait for another appointment on Friday with the GI Specialist. And I know that God's got that under control, too. Praise God!

 

Multitudes on Monday

1446. leftovers from Thanksgiving

1447. my mother in law and Kristy cooking and baking with my dairy-free-butter so that I could enjoy {almost} every wonderful food prepared for Thanksgiving

1448. Porter working so very hard at sitting - he's gone about 30 seconds for his record!

1449. working on big projects with Scott

1450. moving bedrooms and making HUGE messes...and not stressing at all (a first for me)

1451. Porter's new nursery

1452. the kiddos "camping out" on their mattresses as we move the kiddos around

1453. children who go with the flow and think it's fun for the house to be turned upside down and inside out - literally!

1454. knowing there are people that I can count on without a doubt for prayer

1455. Christmas cards sent

1456. receiving Christmas cards in the mail

1457. eating at one of our favorite restaurants and enjoying every bite

1458. homemade spaghetti sauce that is better than any bought in a jar

1459. dairy free garlic bread

1460. grocery shopping with Porter in the Bjorn and having the opportunity to talk to many different people :)

Ezra 3:11, "With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the LORD: “He is so good!"

My Favorite Mommy Song

Music speaks to me deeply. There are songs that grow my faith. Songs that bring back fun memories of being young. This song reminds me on those hard, exhausting days why being Mommy to my three littles is so sweet. I am crazy blessed and oh, so lucky.

Porter, 8 months

I took Porter in for his 6 month check up just a couple of days ago. We are "behind" due to his early arrival and time in the NICU, but he's seen enough doctors to make up for it.

He weighed 11 lbs, 1 oz. Way way way tiny, but healthy and happy. :)

Porter is working hard on sitting up. He's just so little that it makes it a challenge. But we are looking forward to it because I know two kiddos who are going to love when Porter is able to play with them!

Porter is a great eater! His system is working great, so we have reintroduced cereal. Porter likes his food thick, so the cereal helps to thicken his pears in the morning.

He is still spitting up a lot...make that vomiting a lot. We thought for sure that once he was eating lots of solids that his spitting up would lessen. Not so much. Now he just vomits. And we still change clothes 3-4 times a day because vomit stinks. Yuck!

Porter has two bottom teeth. :) They came in one at a time, back-to-back weeks. It was rough because he was fussy.fussy.fussy. But now they are through and cute to boot!

Porter is still a Mama's boy!!! And I take full advantage of it. :) Most of the time I would rather have the challenge of doing things with him in my arms - even if it makes it more difficult or take twice as long - because I know that all too soon he will be on the move and not be in my arms nearly as much.

Porter still LOVES his bath! He loves to kick and splash in the water. And now with his new bath seat, he is able to  have even more fun. :)

Multitudes on Thanksgiving

I simply love Thanksgiving. The food, the company, and the reflections of thanks from those closest to me.

1431. cooking the turkey with my mom and learning all of the delicious secrets to make it the best

1432. scurrying around finding ingredients for the homemade sweet potato pies

1433. Ella Beth's excitement to help with anything in the kitchen

1434. Christmas trees adorned in sparkling lights

1435. spending a day Christmas shopping with Scott for the kiddos

1436. figuring out plans together for homemade gifts

1437. kissing under the mistletoe

1438. Porter {finally} filling out his 0-3 month clothes

1439. Hallmark ornaments

1440. giving grandparents new ornaments with Porter added to the grandchildren

1441. Porter's first Christmas ornament

1442. the love and salvation from Jesus Christ

1443. rearing our children through the love of God

1444. rearing our children to grow in the knowledge that salvation is meant for them

1445. being Scott's wife and mother to his children - there is no one I would rather share my life with

Hebrews 12:28-29, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Multitudes on Monday

1416. Porter being able to eat and digest oatmeal. God works in amazing ways, and sometimes when you pray He answers very specifically. :)

1417. standing in the back of the auditorium at church during worship and watching others fully give of themselves as they praise our Great God

1418. family movie night for Sophia the First.......that has been advertised for TWO months

1419. fun field trips on a Monday that had the potential to be a very wasted day

1420. watching the kiddos play "Fox and Rabbit" with new friends

1421. Ella Beth being the "fox" and being determined to get the big kids out

1422. a long nap for Porter  - since I was beginning to think he'd forgotten how

1423. loud squeals out of nowhere and Porter's smile when we turn around (the fella l-o-v-e-s attention!!)

1424. stopping for coffee to keep me warm when I know I'm going to be outside for a little while

1425. the sounds of Porter playing in his bed after he wakes up

1426. secret notes from the kiddos left for Scott and me to find

1427. Muddy Buddies/Puppy Chow/Garbage Bag Candy - whatever it's called, it's delicious :)

1428. Landon running around the house for a good 30 minutes completely naked after his shower. Every night. As if it's the most natural thing.

1429. walking into the living room after laying Porter down for bed and seeing Landon eating a bed time snack. Naked. With his PJs and under-roos laying next to him on the floor.

1430. the constant surprises from my children

1 Timothy 4:4, "Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks."

Failure to Thrive

I took Porter for his well-baby appointment on Monday of this week. To say that the visit didn't go well would be an understatement. At 7 1/2 months Porter weighed in at 11 lbs, 1 oz. He has fallen way off the Preemie Growth Chart, and to say that our pediatrician was concerned would also be an understatement. Thus, Porter was labeled "Failure to Thrive."And on top of that, Porter has prominent ridges on the sides of his skull that are now of concern.

As his Mama, that is simply hard to take. He is a very sweet and happy baby with quite a personality, and to me he's just perfect.

This is Porter's "thing." We call it his pencil, and he will even do it on cue because we all laugh hysterically at him when he does it. He's not shy on being the center of attention. ;)

He has learned to blow raspberries (aka, run his motor), and he crinkles his nose when he does it which I adore.

He L-O-V-E-S his toes!!! Neither one of my other kiddos ever played with their toes much, but Porter's favorite "toys" would be his sweet feet.  

 

The whole "failure to thrive" is just throwing me for a loop. It's messing with my head and heart because I pour all of me into my babies. When something is going "wrong" it feels like it's my fault.

We go for ultrasounds and testing at Scottish Rite and then back to the GI specialist in a couple of weeks. I'm trying not to let my mind "go there," but I'm a mama and it's hard not to.

But then I look at these pictures, taken just two days before his appointment, and they give me hope. He's a happy baby. Rotten, too, ahem. But happy. :)

And no matter what the outcomes of our appointments may bring, I trust that God is in control.

Psalm 139:14, "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Multitudes on Monday

1401. Hyland's teething tablets for a fussy, fussy teething baby boy

1402. the sweetest little tooth in Porter's little mouth

1403. soft PJs for all three of my babies

1404. taking Christmas pictures and having them turn out really well

1405. giving Scott and the two bigger kiddos a grocery list and letting them go to the grocery for me

1406. Scott not deviating from the list...too much ;)

1407. visiting the lake with my mom - too cold to swim, but never too cold to enjoy the view

1408. sharing a bed with Porter while the rest of the family "camps out" in the basement (despite there being enough beds for everyone!)

1409. stories about my grandparents to make them feel close to my heart

1410. yummy dessert recipes that I can make dairy free and enjoy with everyone

1411. listening to Ella Beth and Landon talk about picking out Christmas gifts for others

1412. hearing Ella Beth talk about how much she would like Legos for Christmas and knowing that she will be getting a lot of them :)

1413. knowing that Landon will be happy with anything that he gets for Christmas

1414. my mouth watering just coming up with items for our Thanksgiving menu

1415. cute and colorful toboggans to keep little heads and ears warm on cold, windy days

Psalm 69:30, "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."

7:09 p.m.

7 months, 2 weeks, 4 days and Porter has his first tooth! And a fever. And lots of drool.

Multitudes on Monday

There's this thing about the "Publish" button...you have to push it. Oh what 3 kiddos has done to my brain!


1389. starting my day off with the reminder that I am a small part of God's master plan

1390. listening to Ella Beth read her Bible to start off our school day

1391. the excitement the kiddos have about going to the dentist today...I'm just hoping it lasts once we are there

1392. Landon's enthusiasm for learning

1393. making simple Christmas lists

1394. making homemade Christmas gifts for the homes of family members

1395. the breathtaking BEAUTY of Fall leaves in the mountains

1396. enjoying our "magic doors" fully while getting in and out during a rain storm

1397. delicious food that I don't have to cook or clean up after

1398. good company over delicious food that I don't have to cook or clean up after

1399. fun colored folders to make school work even more fun

1400. starting our new Study of the USA...and knowing I will learn a lot right along with Ella Beth

2 Corinthians 4:15, "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."

BOO! to you

We had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween this year. The best part of any holiday is watching the kiddos enjoy themselves, and this year was just So Much Fun!!

There was the pumpkin carving - which the kiddos really get into, and this mama really doesn't.

Landon was an Arrgh, Pirate. Ella Beth was Lemon Meringue (from Strawberry Shortcake). Porter was a Leopard. 

Scott's family met at his Grandma's new assisted living to trick-or-treat with the residents there.

This little fella can't wait until next year when he can have his fair share of the loot!

All of the adults were required to dress up this year -  

The cousins -

Our family - Scott was "Turtleman" and I was a Farm Girl.

It was quite a chilly night for trick-or-treating, but once the kiddos were bundled up they didn't notice!

Ella Beth trick-or-treated with Kaitlin and Riley -

And Landon trick-or-treated with Hayden. These two little boys are best buds and super silly when they are together. :)

Fun memories and more candy than we can eat!!

7 months

Porter turned 7 months last week. Unfortunately, we had a sick household and there wasn't much picture taking going on. But we are all on the mend now. (Hopefully.)

We go to the doctor next week, but I'd say that Porter weighs 11 pounds. He's still a little bitty fella, that's for sure.

He is starting to wear 3-6 month clothes. They swallow him whole, but he needs the length. His build reminds me very much of Ella Beth - long and skinny!

Porter is a fantastic eater. I pray that it continues! I am hopeful that since I am making all of his baby food that he will not have a "texture issue" like his big brother. And his mama. Ahem. Although I pulse his food as much as possible, foods such as peas and green beans still have a good bit of texture to them. His favorite foods are sweet potatoes, pears, and strawberries. He has just this week started eating three meals of baby food, and he is still nursing 6 times a day. His little belly is still giving him a bit of problem, so we are holding out on cereal and grains. However, it is SO HARD because Porter wants to eat everything. He watches every bite I eat and will even try to maneuver my hand to his mouth!

And I would let him eat more, but I don't feel comfortable because he is not sitting up on his own yet. We are working on it, but given the fact that Porter is still the size of an average 2-3 month old, it's just tough. I have had to force myself not to read any more books or do any more "research" online about milestones. Preemies come with their own time table, and as we like to say around here, "Porter will just do things when he does them." It can be hard though because he is not delayed at all when it comes to his mental capabilities. He is ready to sit up and he is ready to feed himself, his tiny body just won't cooperate.

He still moves everywhere! He is learning that he can get to where he wants to be by rolling. Ella Beth did the same thing, and I remember how funny it is to watch! He may be tiny, but he's a determined little fella. :)

Although Porter is still gnawing on everything (yep, still hate that word), there are no teeth yet. Drool? Yes.

Porter's favorite toys are his....FEET!!! It is so funny to watch him play with them. He will chew on his feet, try to catch them as he kicks them all over the place, and if his feet are bare he will even suck on his big toes. :)

Porter's personality has started to come out a bit, and I'm afraid we are going to have a strong willed little boy in the near future. He has no hesitation about letting you know what he's thinking. Goodness help me!!

This is how he falls asleep most of the time. It started out because we used the nose of this little lamb to hold is paci in, but now he puts his arm around it and cuddles. So sweet. :)

Love. Love. LOVE this little fella!

Multitudes on Monday

1376. a baby boy who quickly adjusted to his new crib

1377. making it a family event when we built Porter's crib

1378. working on sitting up with Porter

1379. Ella Beth working so hard to make Porter smile and laugh when he gets fussy

1380. surprise kisses from Landon

1381. Hyland's cough syrup for hacking nighttime coughs

1382. sweet potato pie made from homegrown sweet 'taters

1383. pinto beans and Mexican cornbread on chilly evenings

1384. Porter staying in his PJs all day - making him even cuddlier than ever :)

1385. reading great books late into the night

1386. knowing that I will share a series of books with Ella Beth one day and watch her faith be strengthened by them

1387. warm blankets to sleep under when the weather gets cold

1388. knowing that because Christ lives in me I am able to overcome personal struggles and live free

Colossians 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Remembering "me"

Recently someone made a statement that really made me think. She said, "I think it's so stupid for anyone to color her hair." It was probably directed at moi, but that's OK. This person doesn't have children so she can't possibly understand.

Before I had Ella Beth, I didn't color my hair. I was naturally blonde...lighter blonde in the summer and darker blonde in the winter. But blonde. Naturally.

Then I had Ella Beth.

Then Landon.

Then Porter.

And now...well, one look at my toe heads and it's clear where all of my blonde hairs went. To their heads!

After Ella Beth was born, it was easy to get hi-lights every so often. My hair color didn't change that much, but hormones did take my once light blonde hair to a medium blonde. But I was still blonde and I still felt like "me." Then after Landon, those lovely hormones took my hair a couple of shades darker. And, alas, after the hormones ripped their way through my body with Porter my hair is yet another shade or two darker. I am not a blonde anymore.

Hair to a woman is a very personal thing. It defines us in a way. For a long time, I kept trying to get back to who I was before Ella Beth was born. I wanted to remember "me" as I used to be...young, blonde, cute, full of energy.

But one girl and two boys later, and "me" gets lost most days. I gave up running after those light blonde shades a couple of years ago. It was too time consuming and expensive. But in doing so, I also feel like I had to give up a part of who I used to be.

No one tells us gals what motherhood really costs. No one tells us about being pooped on, vomited on, lied to, snarled at. No one tells us how isolating it can be; how loneliness creeps in when babies' schedules need to be kept. How depressing it is to have to cancel plans because discipline requires consequences. Or how time consuming mundane tasks can be. Or how the excitement of the month is running around with the kiddos cleaning the house because we {finally} have company coming over.

Somewhere in all of that, it's hard to remember the "me" I used to be. My strengths haven't changed - I am still highly organized, creative, thoughtful. But there are times when my strengths feel like they are suffocated. Is it really all that exciting to organize the school room, bathroom cabinets, and pantry again? Is it really considered creative to take the kids on a nature walk in the backyard for the third time this month? And how thoughtful was it really to make the kids' beds for them as a surprise while they ate breakfast?

Some days I feel that my strengths used to be so much more. Like "me" used to be so much...better. 

But then Grace softly blows in. Grace is like that most of the time. It doesn't scream at you; doesn't tackle you to the ground. It whispers.

Grace whispers the reminder that "me" is still wrapped in the Love of my Heavenly Father. He remembers "me" even when I don't. He created the "me" back then, just as He's creating the "me" I am still unfolding into.

It's easy to get lost some days; hard to find the "me" I used to be or the "me" I am now. But God sends His reminder that "me" is not lost; not to Him. No matter what color my hair is.

Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." (emphasis added)

Baseball Celebration

Of the things that I enjoyed about Landon's first baseball season, the one thing that really sticks out to me is how the focus of Landon's team was about having fun. We played a couple of teams that had very "intense" coaches. And while I appreciate the time and effort those coaches obviously put forth, at the end of the season the boys are still only 4 and 5 years old. I am so glad that Landon had fun and now looks forward to playing again in the spring! For me, I simply want my kiddos to have fun and do their best. Let them be little now - while they are little. If they become competitive on their own as they grow, then they will have my support. But for now...it's these sweet moments of my son's 4-year-old year that make my heart smile.

The celebration was low key and at the baseball field. Eleven boys who are 4 and 5 years old don't want anything more than pizza, cupcakes, and a trophy!

Landon and his cousin, Hayden, had the best time playing on the same team. They are the best of buds. :)

Receiving his trophy from Coach.

So proud! And now we have a great way to display the game ball that he won this season.

Of course, I could have kicked myself in the foot for forgetting my camera. Ugh! But I'm thankful my iPhone is handy for moments such as these!