Already One?

I can't believe our Lukey is 1 already! And he's still SO tiny-especially compared to his big brother. But it's all good. Luke is just our little Ellington-we call him that because he reminds us so much of Ella. His looks, expressions, even the way he puts his head down on the floor and raises his bottom in the air and looks between his legs playing peek-a-boo. Caleb never did that, but Ella did as a baby-all the time. And Ella was consistently in the 5% range for her weight and height, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised about Lukey. It is interesting though that he eats less solid food than Ella did at this stage. She mostly just had breastmilk until age 1, but on her 1st b-day she was chowing down on corn-on-the-cob. The only solid food Luke cares for is crumbs on the floor! He'll tolerate sweet potatoes and yogurt or spinach smoothie-but only a few bites. Then he's done and just wants to play with or bite the spoon. So I nurse him still 8x a day. And that's okay. But I know that one of these days, he must start expanding his diet.

Ella and Caleb are so good w/Luke. And I can't believe Caleb is 4 now! Luke loves to play w/his hair and Bubba doesn't mind so much since he has a crew cut and Luke can't really hurt it by pulling on it like he can w/mine or Ella's hair. Ella loves toting him around still, though she can't do it for as long now since he's gotten bigger. She'll take him outside to see the animals or give him a ride on the hammock. And Lukey loves to ride the muffin man car. Just the other day, he fell off of it and Caleb said, "Uh-oh. You fell off. You have to be more sensible with this Muffin Man, OK?" Too cute.

We had these pics taken at a lake about 15 minutes or so from our house. Will said it's the last time we're taking pictures professionally...unless we have another baby. Not because he didn't like the photographer-we love her-but because it's such a hassle-finding coordinating outfits, getting everyone to put on the outfits you've picked out, actually making it out the door, and then once you get there, taking 70+ shots just to get one where Caleb is not opening his mouth or biting his shirt, and Luke is not trying to run away so he can explore this new territory, and where Ella is looking at the camera and not at the crazy things her brothers are doing. Arrggh! But even Will said it was worth it all when he saw the pictures.

I am blessed. We are blessed. These pictures are just a reminder of that. And a reminder to treasure these times because already I see how much Ella is changing and growing-she's looking more like a girl and less like my little baby girl. And I almost hate to see that. I keep saying to myself, "I really need to go play with her today in her room-with her Barbie dolls or with her tiny dolls and her dollhouse-before she doesn't want to do that kind of thing anymore." I don't even want to think about the fact that in 6 more years (which will go by just as fast these 7 have), she'll be a teenager. God, please let me redeem the time...these moments with my children. To wake up to what's really important. Not checking my email or organizing recipes, but playing with my children. And instructing them in Your ways. And being in Your Word myself *daily* so that I can instruct them. I want them to see You in me but I have to let You change me first. Every moment of every day. I need to be changed into Your image.

Luke's Birth Story

Luke Dinkins was born October 4, 2011 at 1:05a.m. He was 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 21 inches long. Now, for the rest of the story...

Once again, we were all sick right before my due date. Will says if there is a next time, we are all going to be under quarantine 2 weeks prior to my due date, so we don't have this problem again. But even though I was thankful that the baby didn't come on time (my EDD was 9/25), after several days had passed and we were all better, I was starting to worry. My midwife Lisa Byrd (Covenant Birth Center) couldn't legally deliver past 10/9, which meant we would be on our own at home or have to go to the hospital to have the baby (the horror!) :-)

Well, we increased our walking (the weekend before he came we walked about 3 miles) and I waited. I was feeling rather anxious, but that Saturday before the baby came, God gave me such peace that all would be well-that He would make all things beautiful in His time. And then at church on Sunday morning, the song in the hymnal which was across the page from the one I was playing was, "In His Time." Just more confirmation of Who was in control of all this!

Monday morning, I finally lost the bloody show-wahoo! I was so excited. I was hopeful that labor would start soon and it did. I had a few contractions throughout the day but nothing I was timing. But around 3:45 I called Will to tell him to come home. I had just had a stronger contraction and the kids were fussy and I was starting to panic. But in the hour it took Will to get home, things had quieted down-only one more contraction and it wasn't bad. I was finishing up Ella's school for the day and wanted us to go walking right away to hopefully get the contractions going again. We only walked for about 10 minutes and I had 3 contractions in that time, so I was hopeful. But back at home I went almost an hour w/out having another contraction, so I decided to do some nipple stimulation to get things moving again. I used the breast pump and had a 40 second strong contraction, but then nothing for 15 minutes, so I pumped on the other side. Once again, I had another strong contraction followed by nothing for 15 minutes or so. I was tired of pumping and just decided I was going to leave it alone, but soon after that, the contractions started coming more consistently. And by that, I mean from around 7:00p.m. on, I had a contraction anywhere from 3-10 minutes apart lasting anywhere from 15-40 seconds in length. I called Lisa and she said to let her know if things were still progressing at 9p.m.

(Taken about 9p.m. before anyone had arrived.)

Well, they were and even though it was still inconsistent like this, with it being my 3rd, she decided to come on and I'm glad she did. She had at least an hour's drive too. I stopped writing down my contractions soon after she arrived, which was about 10:30p.m. At this point, my birth photographer Christy Gant (Studio 9 Photography) was already at the house and Lisa's apprentice Kristen arrived soon after. I was still talking and making jokes in between contractions and they were getting things set up, but by 11:45 p.m., I was definitely in the zone. No more talking and by this point, they had all moved in to the den to wait. My contractions finally did get a little more consistent-about 3-5 minutes apart and 30-75 seconds in length-let me tell you that 75 seconds about killed me AND Will since he was my birthing stool!

I used the birthing ball some in the beginning and looked at my birth affirmation cards some before things got too intense. The 3 main cards I read over and over were, "I can do this because Christ gives me strength," "All you have to do is relax and breathe-nothing else," and the Psalm 23 adaptation taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible. I wrote the following lines on a verse card and put a sheep sticker on it. It was beside me throughout the labor and I often got Will to read it to me.

Inside my heart is very quiet. As quiet as lying still in soft and green grass in a meadow by a little stream. My Shepherd knows where I am. He is here with me; He keeps me safe. He makes me strong and brave.

The part that I kept repeating over and over to myself as it started getting more intense was "My Shepherd knows where I am. He is here with me; He keeps me safe." I didn't care about feeling strong and brave; I certainly didn't-I just needed to know He was with me and would get me through it.

Once again, like at Caleb's birth, I could feel the baby moving down inside me-what a glorious feeling-truly amazing. But unlike my labor with Caleb where I dealt with contractions by leaning into the dresser and swaying from side to side, with this one, I squatted down during every contraction. It really is true that every labor is different and what worked for one might not for the next one. By the time I got to the contraction that was 75 seconds in length, I was almost on the floor because I was squatting so low.

By this time, I knew I was getting close and Will was so thankful because he had been holding my whole weight up for quite some time now. I started blowing on Ella's small pinwheel since I had heard you should blow the baby out and not push so you don't tear. I had torn with the last two and was really hoping I could avoid it with this one. I wanted to continue in the position we were in so I could help the baby out (I really wanted to catch the baby myself), but Lisa had no where to get in that position-Will was behind me and the dresser in front. I really did want someone to apply warm cloths (Lisa's soaks washcloths in ginger root that has been warming in a crock pot) to also aid in preventing tearing, so I had to change positions. She suggested hands and knees or side lying on the bed. There was no way I was moving up to the bed, so I went to hands and knees and continued blowing the pinwheel. Things were very intense at this point and I remember shouting, "It's not blowing!!!" I was blowing on the pinwheel as hard as I could, and the stinkin' thing was not turning. It was also hard to hold it and be on my hands and knees too-thankfully Lisa suggested moving the birthing ball to me, so I had that to rest my elbows on.

But all bets of blowing the baby out were off when Lisa said, "Laura, give me just a little push. " Um, excuse me, I don't know how to do little when it comes to pushing a baby out. Seriously, I've had 3 tries at this and still can't get it right. If one of you has a suggestion, please let me know! :-) So, quickly out comes the head. The baby came out to his lip and then on the next push, his hand came out right next to his head. Maybe that had something to do with my tearing-who knows? Then the baby's all out and Will says, "It a boy! You were right. I wasn't sure, but you were right all along." Will passed the baby up to me and I just hovered over him in disbelief and love. It's so hard to go from such intensity to such ecstasy in just a brief moment. But oh the relief-it was over-praise God! I said over and over, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus." He had helped me through it, and I was so happy to be holding my healthy baby boy.

He came out covered in vernix, so obviously he and God did know what they were doing-he needed those extra 9 days in the womb. And he looked just like Will's baby picture. The same squinty little eyes. And only 7 pounds, 14 ounces. After the birth, I looked at him many times and thought, "He is SO tiny-why was it so hard to get him out? Why did I tear with that little tiny head?" I tore a little bit less with Caleb and he was 8 lbs. 15 ounces! Lisa had even told me a few weeks prior that she was thinking that this baby may be a girl since I was measuring small and Caleb had been so much bigger. Ella heard that and her hopes of having a little sister revived.

(Lisa was doing his newborn exam. See his furrowed brow? He has this all the time unless he's sleeping. It's like he's worried we're not doing something quite right.)

Speaking of Ella, the really amazing thing about the labor was that the kids slept through the whole thing. I had expected the kids to watch the birth but I didn't know I'd have the baby in the wee hours of the morning or that they would be in such deep sleep that they wouldn't wake when they heard me pushing the baby out (this is the only time I get loud-and I think it's pretty loud). I even contemplated getting them up right after he was born, but thought, "Why wake them? They'll never be able to get back to sleep," so we just enjoyed that time with Luke ourselves and knew they would be getting a wonderful surprise in the morning.

They did know when they went to bed that I was in labor and that hopefully the baby would come soon. I'll never forget their reactions. Caleb woke first and when he came in the room he was a little perturbed to find someone in his snuggle spot. I explained to him that he had a new baby brother and he could climb across and snuggle on the other side next to Daddy. He was still half asleep so he didn't say anything but just got beside Daddy and dozed off again. Ella was a completely different story. Oh, how I wish I had the video camera ready to capture her amazement. "A baby! You had the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?" It was dark in the room and hard for her to tell. I paused a moment. How would she react? She had so wanted a sister. "It's a boy, sweetie." And her precious response? "Oh, I love him!" Then she proceeded to give him lots of snuggles and hasn't stopped since. She's a wonderful little Mama to Luke.



Looking back, the only thing I wish I had changed was getting on my hands and knees to push the baby out. If God blesses us with another little one, I won't be in that position. I just felt a disconnect to the baby when he was coming out. He was way down there it felt like-so was Will and Lisa and I was by myself with the ball. It's helpful for me to look at someone's face when it's pushing time. It calms me and keeps me steady and somewhat sane. I didn't have that with this one. And also I couldn't help thinking, "This isn't the best position for pictures!" So, I'll just stay squatting down or maybe even try another water birth if there's another little one. But still, all in all, it was a great birth and I'm so thankful to my Savior, my husband (I couldn't have done it without him!) and my birth attendants. "To God be the glory, great things He hath done."

Great time with the Fisher family!

And Baby makes 5!

It's been way too long since I've updated this! In January Will and I found out we were expecting our newest addition. We were both super excited as we had been trying for almost a year. I'm due September 25, so I'm 27 weeks now. It's been awesome feeling the baby move around though I must say I don't feel quite as connected w/this babe as I did w/my other 2. I think it has something to do w/the fact that I am so busy tending to the other 2, so I don't have as much chatting time w/this one. Ella is super excited about meeting her brother or sister (and especially about holding him/her-of course, she really would prefer a sister!) and Caleb gets the concept (I think), but he's started to be extra clingy lately, so I'm afraid it will be quite the adjustment for him when this one pops out. Caleb will be celebrating his 3rd b-day October 5, just 10 days after my due date. I hope to at least make that day a little special for him as much as I can. He'll need lots of extra attention, I'm sure. And it doesn't help that he decided to stop his "Me-Me" about 2 months ago; at least if he were still drinking some breastmilk, I could comfort him w/that and he could share some special time w/baby. He's stuck in that transition from baby to little boy. From wanting to do it all himself to sometimes still needing his Mommy to hold him. And that's okay-I'm in no hurry for him to grow up.

We aren't going to find out the sex of the baby-it will be a surprise once again. And so far, we have come to no agreement on girl names. I think if it's a boy, it may be Luke. We shall see. And we're planning on a homebirth once again with Lisa Byrd as our midwife, but we're still praying about it as we're open to God directing us to the birth center if He thinks that's where we need to be (it's much closer to a hospital than we are at our house.) I think this time around I won't even try for a waterbirth; Caleb's birth was fine w/out it. And it will be easier not to have to worry about setting it up. I'm glad to have had the experience with Ella's birth though.

And speaking of Ella, she just finished up her first year of homeschooling! She's now officially a 1st grader! It was a wonderful though at times trying experience. God still has much to teach me about patience. But the awesome thing is my little girl knows how to read! Her current favorite easy reader series is Henry & Mudge. I think we'll continue with Math-U-See next year, she'll continue reading books, and we'll introduce Story of the World. Science will be more nature studies outside, and we will continue reading through the Gospels and memorizing Scripture. Not sure how baby #3 and baby #2 (who is starting to take more sporadic naps) will all fit into this, but I'm sure God will give the grace we all need to get it done.

Hopefully I'll update this come October with a wonderful birth story.


21 weeks.

Caleb's 2!

This month has flown by! It's been quite busy with homeschooling, playing the piano for church, and grading SATs. And...birthday celebrations, first Caleb's, then Will's. Caleb's favorite gift was his fishing rod. Will loved his homemade sour cream pound cake the best, I think. :-)

Caleb has added 2 words to his vocabulary, "probably" and "actually" and uses them correctly. "Actually, we don't eat sand. We eat snacks." Or "Probably, Daddy can fix it." Yes, son, he probably can. Oh, and he often calls Ella, "young lady." And not in such a nice tone. Hmm, wonder where he learned that? Just the other day, I heard him squeal, "That's mine, young lady!"

Ella's doing great in school. I decided to go through 100 Easy Lessons again and this time I'm more consistent-we do a lesson every day instead of one every week (like we did when she was 4). She's currently on lesson 48-woohoo! We stopped at 50 last time, so I'm excited about passing that milestone soon. Her prize for finishing 1/3 of the lessons was an afternoon at the park with a friend and Chick-Fil-A for lunch. For her next milestone-Lesson 66-she'll get a picnic w/me and Caleb at a local *free* petting zoo. She can't wait! And she's loving Math-U-See! So glad I got this. And I must say I understand math-especially place value-better by teaching her with this method. She's been building and reading 3-digit numbers and Caleb enjoys building w/her manipulatives and putting them in between his toes!

Miss Ella is getting plenty of social interaction with her homeschooling club day classes in town. She's taking an arts/crafts and tea party Bible study class. She also takes ballet and tap on another day. But her most valuable social interaction is precious time with her baby brother. Just the other day, while I was chopping veggies for lentil soup, I observed them out the window. Hand in hand, splashing in a mud puddle and both of them under her princess umbrella. Priceless. She would have so much less time and memories with Caleb were she in traditional school all day long.

And we're all loving our baskets of yummy fruit and veggies since we joined our local CSA. For a while there, I must admit, I was growing weary of eggplants; however, we just cooked some delicious mustard greens and broccoli (no cheese added!) that both children gobbled down. Awesome!

And I've been reading Crazy Love. Wow. Definitely not a book you can read quickly. In fact, I finished a little over half and had to return it to the library, so will have to check it back out again soon to finish it. It has really got me thinking about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It really is all about loving God and serving others. That's it but yet those two commandments are the hardest for me to follow. Why is that? Do I really love Him most? More than anyone else, including my own children? Do I long for His coming? Really and truly long for Him? Am I doing the will of my Father by serving "the least of these"? Do I delight in serving others? Do I see them as God does-treasures created in His own image- or as an annoyance that I must try to fit into my schedule? Truly God has been revealing my selfishness. My heart needs to be cleaned out, renewed, restored. I've been praying Psalm 51 a lot lately, crying out to Him for He alone can rescue.

It's Been Way Too Long!

I guess it's finally time for an update. My little man will be 2 soon-how crazy is that?!
He's been going to the potty consistently since 18 months, but still has a dipe on for nap and nighttime. He's diaper-free around the house-still working on him wearing underwear b/c he can't seem to get them down by himself yet. And he talks all the time; his vocabulary amazes me- I guess having a big sister helps in that area. Of course, that also means he learned the word "Mine!" super early and also the exclamation "Don't do that!" They definitely have their squabbles but when they're playing sweetly together (see pic above), I think what a joy siblings are and wish for more. The other 90% of the time, I'm pulling my hair out and swearing off any more children for good.

God has been dealing with me about the tongue. The law of kindness is usually not found on mine. Rather it's an ugly tone...often yelling, "ELLA! What did you do to your brother?" So, I've been memorizing verses in James. James 1:19-Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." And James 1:26, "Anyone who considers himself to be religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, deceives himself, and his religion is worthless." I'm often coming to Ella, many times during the day, asking her forgiveness for getting angry and yelling at her when I should have dealt with her transgression in a kind, calm manner. I don't want my tongue to permanently damage my children-you know it's full of deadly poison, set on fire from Hell, impossible to tame. And the worst part is Ella is imitating me in her dealings w/Caleb. That's the worst...when you finally get to hear what you sound like. I just tend to lose it when I hear Caleb screaming or crying. And why is it that I always rush to his defense and assume she is to blame? He's the baby...she must be to blame. But, of course, that's not always true. Often she just wants him to do what she wants him to do, whether he wants to or not. Instead of yelling at her, it goes much further when I calmly sit her down and explain that it's okay for Caleb to do his own thing-they can still be in the same room with each other. And we can't always get what we want (yes, I'm singing it now!), and we have to treat others how we would want to be treated. Basically it's easier to yell out in frustruation than it is to train over and over again. How sinful I am! Training in righteousness takes such work. Parenting is hard...period. So, my friends, that is what I'm struggling with now...and have been for sometime. I covet your prayers. I do love my children...I just need God every minute of every day to put a watch over my tongue. To cry out to Him before I bellow out to my children. Because they are, after all, children. They must be taught. Just like I am God's child and still am being taught. "But you're 34, Mommy!" Yes, Ella and I'm still learning to have the law of kindness on my tongue. To speak blessings and not cursings. There's a huge difference in saying, "Ella! I can't believe you did that! What were you thinking? You're a very bad girl!" And, "Sweetie, please come here. We need to talk about what you just did. That hurt your brother and God wants us to love one another, not hurt each other."
Oh, for the grace to always do the latter.

10 Years!

Happy Anniversary, Honey!



Yes,we got married on Christmas Eve. I wouldn't recommend it. Not if you're a celebrate-on-the-exact- date-kind of person (like I used to be before kids). :-)
And yes, I forgot to get my bouquet back from my wonderful Maid of Honor before exiting as Mrs. William K*...but look at my face-did I seem to care? I was actually glad to be relieved of that 10 pound bundle!
Ah, and so happy to be done with the ceremony-too much stress-mostly caused by my lack of delegating. :-)
But mostly, I'd like to think that radiant smile came from within-because "I found him whom my soul loves" (Song of Solomon 3:4).

And 10 years later, honey, you're still the only one who truly gets me. The one I most need a hug from at the end of a long day. The one I love to laugh with. And the most wonderful father to our two beautiful children.

I Love You!

Beach Memory

Caleb's One!

My Dearest Little Man,

How has the time passed so quickly? I can still remember first holding you in my arms and telling your Daddy, "You have a son!" You have been a true delight to us every single day. Your smile is so nourishing for my soul as are your precious giggles. You have been such a happy and laid-back baby from the start.

You're still getting lots of Mommy's milk but you're also enjoying table food. Your favorite? Taco salad made with venison. And of course your favorite snack is still Cheerios. And...you're walking now! It's still more like a waddle but we're so proud of you! You're so funny; if you're trying to make a super quick getaway, you'll just drop down on all fours and take off. You can still get anywhere faster by crawling. You've also recently tried out your push car and love it. With your long legs, you have no problem getting it wherever you want to go.

And you know so many words; you're constantly amazing us. Moon, night-night, ball, dark, doll, deer, dog, many animal sounds, and lots more. And you can sign "please." Your favorite toy remains the beloved green tractor and your favorite thing to play with in Ella's room is her dollhouse. You grab the tiny wagon or horse rocker first. However, you've also recently taken a liking to the little brunette doll...or should I say her hair. Another favorite pastime is coloring with Sissy. Right now a cardboard box is working just great for that.

You have 8 teeth and weigh 25 pounds. You're quite the load to carry, especially as you'd rather be down exploring new territory now.

Happy 1st Year, Little Guy. Can't believe we've already celebrated 12 months with you. We look forward to many, many more. We love you so much dearest! We're so thankful God chose us to be your parents. We couldn't be more thrilled.

All my love,
Mommy

Busy Summer!

So many events in the last 3 months! Let's see if I can get them in the correct order. First, Laurance and Kimberly had their 2nd baby boy, Joshua, at home while Jonathan slept. The midwife barely made it in time. Then I met my college roommate in Columbia for a day at Riverbank Zoo. Oh, it was so hot, but it was great to catch up with Sarah and meet her newest addition (she now has 3 girls!). And Ella really enjoyed the lorikeets eating out of her hand. Next, it was off to RI for Charles and Sarah's beautiful wedding. The most touching part was when Charles sang "Yours Forever" to Sarah after she walked down the aisle.  We all enjoyed our rented 2009 Chrysler Town & Country-I could so get used to that-and getting to stop to visit with friends on the way there and back. Ella, of course, loved being a flower girl!



Soon after we got back, Jeff and Emily finally had their little baby girl, Lydia Aven.  She was able to be delivered at the birthing center on the last day possible before Emily would have had to be induced! Next, came Ella's 4th b-day and then Charles and Sarah came here to visit w/the family after their honeymoon. There was the 4th picnic, having lots of playdates w/Karanena and Gracie (yay, I have a friend in town who is not a relative!) and then my b-day. The summer won't be officially over for us until we go on our annual beach trip (3 nights to Surfside) in a few weeks. When we get back, it'll probably be time to close up the pool (sigh) and then I suppose it will be back to the treadmill for exercise. However,  I have located a Pilates instructor in the area who gives lessons at her home. I really want to try that out-we'll see. 

My little man has 4 full teeth and 3 half ones. Confused? So are we. His first 4 came in fine by 6 months, but the next 3 started coming in around 7.5  months and are still only halfway in. In fact since 8 months, they've been at the same spot and now Caleb is fast approaching 11 months old. Not sure if something's wrong. Usually it only takes teeth 2-3 weeks to come in once they break through. I'm actually taking him to the dentist this week just so he can get a quick peek and see what he thinks. Not that there's anything that they could really do about it right now, but if it puts my mind at ease, then it's worth the trip. 

Our Ella Belle has started taking dance! She actually did gymnastics this summer and is now taking ballet and tap and loves it! Just last night she put on a show in the kitchen for us. "And a tap, and a tap, and a tap, tap, tap!" She's just too cute. She said she likes tap better than ballet because "I can be loud in tap!" And of course, our sweetie is now 4! She had a princess pool party complete w/a princess castle cake. It was a homemade cake and worth saying the $40 I would've paid to buy a similar one, but let's just say you could tell it was homemade. :-) Ella was still so proud of it and that made everything okay. The kids enjoyed swimming, decorating their crowns, and waving their paper towel holders wands.







It was a great b-day party, but Will and I decided that for Ella's next one, we're taking the year off! It was just too much planning and stress, and I didn't get to really enjoy the day, so we're having her 5th b-day party at the lake at my parent's house. Pressure off me, yay!

Caleb is standing and cruising now. Actually he's been pulling up on things and cruising for several months now, but just in the last couple of weeks he can get to a standing position all on his own and push his walker around. I'm sure by his first birthday (how can that be coming up already?), he'll be walking. And Caleb loves to clap, for himself or others. When we were swimming the other day, Ella jumped off the diving board and I yelled, "Good job, Ella!" Immediately, Icee began clapping for her in his float. He's such a sweetheart! I was just telling my dear friend Sarah (who is due in Feb!) how I used to wonder how I'd be as a mom to a boy-I didn't even have brothers growing up to help me adjust to having a boy in the house. I even thought nursing a son might be weird. I know that's a crazy thing to think, but I did wonder about it. And then just as soon as I met him, it was as natural as could be. Not just nursing him, but loving him, getting to know him and providing for his needs. He is really my little man now. I love him to pieces and could not imagine my life without him. 



Caleb likes watching deer videos w/his daddy. He says "Duh, Duh, Duh!" when he sees the deer. However, that is also now his word for any creature-such as our dogs and cats, or Ella's Raggedy Ann doll. He gets so excited and pumps his arms up and down, "Duh! Duh!"  This morning, he said it while he was on our bed.  I couldn't figure out why he was saying it. Then I realized he was looking at Will's deer picture; as soon as I put him on the floor, he crawled over to the chest of drawers so he could see it better. He then wanted me to lift him up to give him a closer look.  Aww, just like his Daddy. I'm sure he'll be out in the woods by the time he's 2!



Ella's already asked Will about going out this year but it's just too hot to take her. He did get a hunting blind though and now that he has permission to hunt in the woods behind our house (yay!!!), she'll be accompanying him when the weather turns a little colder.  Just last night when we were coming home from Ma-ma's, a big buck ran across the dirt road in front of our car. "Did you see that, Ella?" "No, Daddy." Later she said, "Daddy, what I was thinking was (she loves saying that phrase), you should have had your bow so you could get him!" 

And I've been teaching Ella how to read using the How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We're on Lesson 11 now and she is already reading "me, am, see, sat, mat," etc. She can write the words too. I'm so proud of her! 





Oh, and re: extreme couponing which I referenced in my last post; I'll just say, if you're at all interested in saving some money off your groceries/dipes, etc., go to www.southernsavers.com. All the info you need is there. In a nutshell, CVS is great because of their Extra Care Bucks. A few weeks ago, they had a deal where if you bought Pampers for $9.99 you got $5.00 in ECB. There was also a $1.50 off manufacturer coupon. So basically you paid $3.49 for a jumbo bag of diapers, which is much cheaper than even the Parent's Choice diapers at Wal-Mart. Just last week, I went to CVS and spent $1 (after the ECB) for 3 Aveeno sunscreen products.  Rite-Aid does single check rebates, instead of ECB. A couple weeks ago, I got Will two 45-count Zyrtec bottles for free at Rite-Aid. Grocery-wise, I save much more by shopping at Bi-lo than I ever did at Wal-mart. The key is to buy the buy one get one free products (you can just buy one-it rings up half off) and then use a coupon on top of that (coupons double up to .60 at Bi-lo). I got Will a 4-pack of Yoplait yogurts for 5 cents!  It does take some time to get it all organized, and I'm still trying to simplify things, but I think I've found a new hobby! I just don't want it to get all consuming!

Well, that's all I have time for now. Who knows when I'll post again. This seems to be turning into a quarterly blog. And Facebook is not much better. Oh well, I guess occasional updates are better than never blogging/updating at all. 

 Here's a video of Caleb making some cute sounds.

Playing Catch Up

Well, this update is long overdue! Between online grading, getting way too involved in extreme couponing (more on that in another post), and life in general, I've been too busy to sit down and post. But it's been bugging me every week that my blog is getting so outdated, so I'm finally up early and am determined to do it!

Ella has grown over 2 inches since Caleb's been born! She now looks as tall as a 3-year-old girl should. But then again, perhaps not, as she is about to turn 4! Some humorous incidents that have happened since February.... She stayed w/ Will's parents last month while I did some errands. Mom said nothing when I picked her up but several days later when she was keeping her for me to go to a homeschooling informational meeting, she said, "I need to tell you something when Ella's not listening." When we could finally talk, she said, "The other day when Ella was here she said something that really surprised me." "Oh no," I thought. Then Mom told me how Ella said proudly and loudly, "I'm a little pis*-as*." Mom was of course so shocked-where could she have learned that word and why would she be so delighted about calling herself that? Delores (the nurse who watches Ma-Ma sometimes) said, "Ms. Emily, kids just pick up things from places. My grandkids do all the time." But Mom said what she really couldn't understand is that Ella kept smiling so when she would point to herself and say it. Finally, that day that I was gone to the homeschooling meeting, Ella had pointed to something they were watching on TV and said it again and finally Mom understood. Ella was not a pis*-as*, she was a little PRINCESS. Oh, we got such a good laugh out of that one.



Another time, Will and I were explaining to Ella that nothing in this world was free, including water. She was listening intently, but suddenly spoke up. "Uh-huh, Mommy, kisses and hugs are free."

On another note, not too long ago, I was cleaning up and told Ella we needed to hurry and that I needed her help. She questioned innocently, "Who's coming over?" That's pretty bad when even my 3-year-old knows that Mama doesn't really clean unless she's expecting company.

And just this past weekend, when we were driving home from visiting at Ma-Ma's, we were talking about "why all churches have crosses on them," and she said, "Is Jesus the same as God?" I told Will he could feel free to tackle that one. But amazingly the Trinity didn't seem to faze her little mind at all. :-)

And our Ella's been drawing lots of pictures lately. Here's one she drew of Icee.

And here's what he had on when she drew it.



Now, on to Caleb. Wow-my boy is a big one. I swear, he's going to get bigger than I am before he's one! He's almost 22 lbs. and is 29.5 inches long. He's been sitting up by himself since 4.5 months and is trying his best to crawl now. He'll get up in a full push-up position, then get down and bring his legs all the way up to his bottom, push his bottom in the air, but then he just gets confused and settles back down on his tummy. Not a problem though-he can swivel anywhere he wants to go on his tummy and can inch himself forward to get fascinating objects like Ella's Thomas the Train Engine. His two bottom teeth are in (he got those by 6 months) and he's almost finished getting his top 2. Insert lots of grinding noises here! :-) I think he's trying to keep up w/Ella; she had 8 teeth by the time she was one.

Despite the discomfort he has to be feeling while teething, he continues to always have a smile. The only time he gets fussy is when he's overtired. He loves going outside and visiting w/the doggies-he giggles w/delight when they lick his hands. And we FINALLY got our pool cleared up and in swim condition-and to my total delight-Caleb loved his first time in the water. It was a little too cold for swimming, but he got in up to his waist and smiled and laughed. Other things he loves to do-bounce like crazy in his exersaucer, lick strawberries, and grab Mommy's and Ella's hair. Ella fell asleep in the car the other day and her head had fallen to the side-right w/in Caleb's reach-and he grabbed a handful out! She woke up but didn't cry; she just looked at him with a confused expression on her face!

Back to the strawberries he loves to lick and gnaw on. We recently went to a strawberry patch and Ella had fun feeding him one when we got home.

I didn't start Ella on any solids this early-she was pretty much 1 when she ate anything other than Mama's milk-save for some cheerios. That was convenient b/c she could go right to eating whatever we had-just mashed up slightly. However, Caleb has shown an interest in eating our food since 5 months! He tries to grab whatever I have in my hand. I held him off until almost 7 months and since then have let him have little tastes of things we're eating. Mainly it's at supper time when I'm trying to eat and he wants to nurse. (No, I can't do both at the same time-he's a crazy nurser and I'm a hungry Mama!) I'll give him some pieces of bread or mashed up sweet potato, etc. He still nurses every 2.5-3.5 hours and sometimes more at night. When Caleb was first born, I told Will that attachment parenting sounded so good, right, natural, to try this time around and that I wished I'd done it more w/Ella. But now that I'm still feeding Caleb 4 times at night and he won't sleep in his crib at all-even for naps-I'm wondering if he'll be sleeping w/us for the rest of his life! :-) Seriously though, I know he needs me right now, and all too soon, we'll wish he was still this little and snuggled up right beside us.

Now...other updates. Will had to take up the decking that leads to the pool b/c we had so many problems w/wasps last year. When he removed it all, he found over 40 wasp nests! We're planning on building the spot up w/more dirt and then planting grass there. Eventually we want to do a flagstone patio big enough to hold a table and chairs. We also planted a wildflower meadow in our front yard. The flowers coming up don't quite look like the seed packet picture (do they ever?) but it's still pretty. And we refinanced our house. So now we definitely can't move for at least 2 years. (Don't you love closing costs?) But I couldn't pass up the 4.375% rate for a 15-year mortgage.

(Ella took this pic-pretty good, huh?)

And several months ago, I decided to read The Shack after seeing it at Ma-Ma's house. I had heard about it but was skeptical. Mom had read it and said it was a little strange but that Dad had enjoyed a passage on forgiveness in the book. It is a work of fiction but has some awesome insights about God and how He is viewed and should be viewed. Too often, we see God as the Judge and not the Lover of our Souls. I've been feeling pretty inadequate lately about a lot of things-mainly about how do to this thing called parenting-and it was comforting to be reminded that God's plan is not for me to beat myself up w/guilt and condemnation (Romans 8:1). I sometimes forget how much our Father-our Papa-loves us. I could go on and on about the novel and take aways from it but I'd never actually publish this post. I'd just recommend pushing past any prejudgements you have about the book and reading it anyhow. I think it will provide some good discussion b/w you and your spouse, friends, etc. And hopefully some fresh dialog between you and the Lover of your soul.

Now to make you *smile*
A mini hoe down session at Laurance and Kimberly's.
(You'll need to pause my music on the sidebar first.)

Valentine's Day Treat

Will came home from work Saturday to tell me Jim had called him on his cell. Since Jim and Abbie were in Sumter visiting family, they were going to stop by on their way back to Florence to visit us. My first reaction, "Are you crazy?" "This house is a wreck!" But thankfully we had an hour to prepare, and Will cleaned while I nursed the baby, took a shower (I had gone 2 days without one!), and dressed in something other than sweats.

We had a wonderful time w/Jim, Abbie, Sam and Faith. It was the first time Abbie had seen Caleb; I hadn't seen her or the kids since Sam's party. Faith has grown so much-I think she looks just like her mama w/those big, brown eyes. And her hair is getting longer; it looks like it will be curly. It was so fun watching the kiddos play together. I wish I had a video of Abbie doing ring-around-the-rosie w/them or playing "We're going on a bear hunt." And Ella loved running around the den whenever Sam shouted "Ready, Set, Go!" and then coming to an abrupt halt when he yelled, "Stop!" Later that night I used this to teach her "Red Light, Green Light" and am planning on playing this often to tire her out!



Caleb is still congested; we all were sick but we're better. It'll be 3 weeks tomorrow for him. Poor guy-I know it would help if he could just blow it all out. As it is, I'm using the bulb syringe, and of course he hates that. Please pray he'll be able to breathe properly soon. Last time we went to the doctor it was $95 for them to say, "It's a viral infection (i.e. cold); there's nothing you can do for a baby but suction." Um, thanks. He's not running a fever and is still eating well though he continues to sleep a lot between feedings. And since I wrote last, Caleb had a first-he can now roll over! And our big boy is now over 18 pounds! We also have a new nickname for him; "Wide-mouthed Frog" because this is how you'll see him most of the day



And here's a couple more of my favorite pics!

Peek-a-boo!


My Little Tigers!

Unique

We were delighted to have some snow yesterday at our house! We got a dusting, about 1" but it was enough to make Ella squeal with delight! Right after breakfast we went out and helped her make a tiny snowman. The snow wouldn't pack very well because it was so powdery, but Ella was happy w/it.
She even threw her first snowballs! But after awhile, when I'd give her one to throw at me or Will, she'd say, "No, you throw it at me!" and hand it back to me. Funny girl!

As I enjoyed the snow falling down, some snowflakes landed on my gloves and jacket. Have you ever really studied one? Each one was so tiny, yet so intricate, detailed, and of course, unique. I could have stared at them all day-each one was so beautiful and different. I tried in vain to capture one with my camera.

Seeing the snowflakes reminded me of how each one of us is intricately designed by God for a unique purpose. Of course, ultimately all of us have the same purpose-to glorify God by loving Him and our neighbor. But He also has specific tasks for each of us based on our personalities and talents. I'm still asking Him to clarify mine. All I know right now is that I am to be a godly Mom to two wonderful children and a godly wife to my loving husband. And I'm still very much a work in progress.

The Truth

Sometimes it's hard for me to like my toddler. It's easier to like and love a newborn because they don't disobey you yet. They still seem so perfect. And when you compare that to a willful 3-year-old, it's hard sometimes to not choose favorites. Of course, this is all a stage-soon, Caleb will begin showing his sinful nature and hopefully my dear Ella will become less willful as she learns more about the Savior who died for her. And hopefully her Mommy will spend more time in the Word so she too can become more like Jesus. I am so very much not like Him most of the time.

My Aunt Miriam, my dad's sister, passed away Tuesday. She battled with cancer for years. We attended her funeral yesterday. What was impressed upon my heart was the simple but sobering truth that she has finished impacting lives for Christ. Her time on earth is finished. And I believe she now has her reward. And this made me think. What about the lives I have before me every day-my two precious children. How am I impacting them for Christ? Will they be drawn to Christ by my actions and even more telling, by my reactions or will they be pushed away? I only have now. Life is short. And I want mine to count. The only way to do that is to invest in people-nothing else matters.

I want to be fully here. Embracing this stage of life. Thankful for this wonderful opportunity and yet awesome responsibility I have to train my children up in the ways of the Lord. To not be weary in well doing. God's pointed out some changes I need to make to this end and I ask for your prayers that I would be faithful to make them. That I would be diligent in this most serious task of child-rearing.

And we're desperate for a church family. We so need the fellowship, the ministry of the Word, and the service to others. We have visited so many different churches and are getting weary thinking we'll never find where we're supposed to be. Please pray that we will be open to His direction in this and will find a church home very soon.

Now about how much my Caleb has grown! He'll be 14 weeks tomorrow and weighs over 17 pounds now and is 26 inches long! He's in the 90th percentile (according to the World Health Organization charts) while our Ella was always in the 5th. What a difference. We call him our "Chunky Monkey." And he's lost most of his hair and no longer has his Elvis sideburns. He does have a nice, big bald spot at the back of his head though! He gets it from turning his head from side to side at night when he wants to nurse. That and wiggling all around are how he wakes me. He nurses about every 2 hours but at night sometimes let's me sleep for 3 hours at a time. It's really not so bad since he's still sleeping with us. Though even rolling over to let him latch on seems to take so much energy when you're in a deep sleep. And speaking of nursing, I LOVE my bebe au lait nursing cover. Now I can feel totally comfortable nursing even with Dad K. in the room. :-)
Caleb loves to grab things now-the burp cloth, my shirt, my hair! I literally have to pry his fingers away one by one. And he's cooing so much; he'll carry on a conversation w/anyone who will listen. "Gu", "Ge", "Caaah", "Huu-aa" are just some of the sounds he enjoys making.



And Caleb lights up whenever Ella comes near-as long as she doesn't get too close to his face. :-) He loves to laugh at her while she's jumping on the bed singing the monkey song. You know, "5 little monkeys jumping on the bed; 1 fell off and bumped his head...." She is my little helper. And I don't seem to appreciate how much she helps until a day like today when she's gone duck hunting w/her daddy. Suddenly there's no one to bring me a cloth wipe when I'm done pottying the baby or a fresh diaper. And she has had to sacrifice a lot. She was the center of our world for 3 years-and now she has to compete for time with a newborn. That would be hard on anyone. One of the changes I realize I must make is carving out segments during the day that are just "Ella and Mommy time." Even if we only get 10 minutes together before the baby cries, it will be special for her. I also just bought this book and plan to begin it soon with her. Another important change is getting to bed earlier so I can wake up before she does in order to have some time with my husband before he goes to work and some time in the Word.

Ella ready to go hunting!


Ella and Caleb (6 weeks old)



And I am practicing infant potty training with Caleb though the ultimate goal is not to potty train my baby faster than someone else. It's more about communicating with him by learning and responding to his cues. I'm able to catch most of his poops (he latches off while nursing to let me know he's ready to go) and do catch some pees after his naps. But considering the child pees about 40 times a day, I don't get most of them. I probably could if I really went diaper free-it would make me pay attention to him more when he's in the bouncy seat or whatever. But honestly, then I feel like I'd really get nothing done around here. He's still on the potty about 10 times a day and seems to enjoy going on it. We got a toddler insert that fits on the toilet and though it was a little big for him at the beginning, now it fits him just fine. The only problem is it's too awkward taking that with me when we do errands and if I try to potty him without it, he makes a fuss. Even if I sit on the potty with him. But at least he gets to use the potty at home which is where we are most of the time. And at least I know when he is ready to go by himself, he won't be afraid to use it.

Caleb at 6 weeks.


At 12 weeks-now a little pro!

I'm also using cloth diapers though I do supplement sometimes w/disposables (White Cloud brand-why I ever thought I had to have Pampers, I'll never know. These are so much cheaper and work just as well. You were right, Cil!). Kimberly let me use her Fuzzi Bunz that she used for awhile on Jonathan and I love them. I have a couple Bum Genius as well and some prefolds but prefer the Fuzzi's. There's no toilet dunking-since he's just on breast milk now, they can just go straight into the wash-even with poop on them. When he starts on solids, I'll probably invest in a toilet sprayer. And I'm using cloth wipes-why not-I just throw them into the wash with the diapers. Since Kimberly is due with her 2nd in June, I'll have to look into getting some of my own Fuzzi's soon. Unless of course, Caleb decides to walk and take himself to the potty faithfully by the time he's 8 months old. Ha!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Happy New Year!

Life With Two

I'm slowly adjusting to life with 2 kids-and I thought one was hard!
:-) It must have taken me 30 minutes longer just to get out the door with both of them the other day. I kept forgetting something one of us would need. Caleb went to Grandma's and Ella to Kimberly's so I could get a much needed trim and go grocery shopping. Of course, after the haircut I had to stop at Grandma's so Caleb could nurse before I went to the grocery store. But soon the day will come when I have to take them both with me on errands-and I suppose by God's grace, I will survive.

I can't believe our Little Man will be 3 weeks tomorrow! Time is already flying by. I'm feeling great now (no more walking w/my legs together-wahoo!) and wanting to get out more. Today, we all went to a nearby farm with my MOPS group for a hayride, lunch, and pumpkin-picking. I think Ella's favorite part was petting a bunny and Caleb's? Nursing, of course. As Ella says, "Caleb is growing, growing, growing 'cause he's nursing, nursing, nursing." :-)

Ella continues to be a help by bringing diapers, wipes, etc. to me when I need it and likes to comfort "her baby" by patting and kissing his head. In fact, though most toddlers have a baby doll to play with, mine has "Spotty dog." She diapers him, wipes him, nurses him, burps him, and has tummy time w/him, just as she sees me do with Caleb.

However, I have been crying out to God for help in dealing with Ella especially when she wakes up the baby by running into the room singing at the top of her lungs. Let's just say I don't win the mom-of-the-year award for my controlled response. My verse to memorize and most importantly utilize this week is Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. I know I don't show Ella as much grace as God has shown and continues to show me and by His power I want to get better at that. Mainly I don't want to make mountains out of molehills-something I'm famous for. The next time she spills her juice, I'd like to not get aggravated and yell but just say, "It's okay, honey, that happens. Next time, please hold it with both hands." Please pray for me in this area. With me just completing my first week having them both by myself (Will was off the first week and my Mom came up the 2nd-such a blessing!), the hardest part was getting frustrated with Ella and therefore not enjoying the time with her as I should have.

She really is such a precious child. And I can't even tell you how much BIGGER she seems to me now that Caleb is here. Holding her in my arms now, I feel like I'm holding a 10-year-old. After giving her a bath the other night, I just kept exclaiming, "Ella, you're HUGE!" which made her laugh and laugh. But I was serious. When did her legs get so long, her hands and feet so big? She's growing up right before my eyes and I want to be right in the moment with her and not wish the time away, longing for peace and quiet.

And she's already had a big adjustment to make-no more Mommy's milk. She got her last official feeding the day before Caleb's birth. I had gotten her down to one morning feeding every other day but the week before his birth, she was doing one morning feeding every day (anything to get the baby out!). I'm so proud of her for realizing it's Caleb's turn now. She still has comfort in pinching my underarms and sucking her two fingers. :-)

As for Caleb, he's quite the grunter. He grunts in his sleep, while he's nursing, basically all the time. And poor thing is still getting so much milk as it's letting down that he can't keep up. He gulps and gulps with very loud swallows and then chokes and coughs. But he is gaining weight. We took him to get weighed at 9 days old and he was 9 lb, 5 oz. (He had lost down to 8 lb. 8 oz.) And we can just look at his tummy and tell he's doing okay. Oh, and he has sideburns-ever seen a baby with those? Our little Elvis man. He loves his Native Baby Carrier (thank you Letisha and Sarah!), his bouncy seat, and sleeping on his Daddy's chest. And he does sleep a lot; I forgot how much newborns sleep. Sometimes his feedings take an hour because he drifts in and out of sleep; I usually wake him by changing his diaper-those cold wipes sometimes do the trick. Speaking of diapers, we're on our 4th pack already-our man poops A LOT! I bought some cloth diapers (hemp-they're sooo soft) and I'm going to try those this next week and see how it goes.

And my favorite thing that he does and has done since his first day? Flash that beautiful smile-we call it his "sleepy smile;" others call them "gassy smiles." I know he is not yet smiling because of us, but it's no matter to me. I love to see it. And he's laughed in his sleep a few times too-sweet dreams, I suppose. He's had several baths now too and seems to love the water, just like his sister.

Thank you all for loving on us and praying for us.

Enjoy some of my favorite photos.