Decorating Christmas cookies

I love this tradition! I remember going to my Aunt Margaret's house and her letting us decorate cookies. She always seemed so calm and patient during the process. I hope I come off the same to my kids, but with all the little hands, icing, and sprinkles...Eek! In spite of all the mess, it's just so fun!!


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Happy Birthday to Zane!!

Zane is turning 5 today!
Five years ago, while we were still in the hospital, I said to Bobby, "This one is going to be a dream as a baby, but when he gets older he's going to give us a run for our money!". So far, I was right! Zane is full of mischief (he's the kid in school that breaks the rules but with a wink and a smile gets out of trouble). He argues so well and long, surely he will grow up to be a lawyer! On the other hand, he's never met someone who isn't his "best friend"...he is a friend to all. He will make you laugh with a dry humor that goes right past most 5 year olds. That is our Zane!!

We celebrated today after church by going to Casa Ole for lunch. At Casa Ole, they will sing to you and you get free ice cream. These are pictures of him while being sung to...he was so embarrassed (which I thought was funny because he usually LIKES attention!).






(These were taken about 5 minutes before I had to RUN to the bathroom with Seth...a-hem...let's just say that I hope Germfest 2009 is not making a comeback...)

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Houston, we have a problem...

Boy, aren't we in trouble? She's learned to pull up. Doesn't she look so pleased with herself? :)



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Thankful

I love to see these "I am thankful for..." papers come home from school with the boys. It gives me a little window to see inside their heads.




Seth is thankful for family, Spike the dog (really?!?) and God.





Zane is thankful for his baby sister, Quinn.

LOVE it!!

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Yuck

Look at this poor sick baby :(

We have been held hostage by a virus this week. Seth had it first, shared it with Zane, passed it to Quinn and now I have it. Zane seems to be having a second run of it...one that requires LOTS of towel washing and lots of Lysol. Yuck.

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Testing

Wow. I have not even looked at my blog in so long! I just can't seem to sit down at the computer. I've been conducting all of my "Internet business" from my iPhone so when Bobby told me there was an "app for that", I was interested. So this is me testing it out. Did it work? ...hello? Any readers still out there? ~crickets chirping~


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Summer

So much to do, so little time to blog. At the beginning of the summer, I was a little nervous about how I was going to keep the boys busy, but we seem to be doing okay!
They have both had swimming lessons...the instructors were AMAZING! They had a money-back guarantee that your kiddos would be swimming at the end of the week. Seth had some experience, but Zane wouldn't even get his face wet before we went. He ended the week jumping off the diving board and SWIMMING to the teachers! That was a lot of fun to watch (but oh, so hot outside!).

We had a "Chandler Family Reunion" at Lake Brownwood. The boys both caught their first fish (or two). This was such a fun trip for them...so many "firsts"... first fish, first "smore", first time to stay in a cabin...

Slip 'n Slide...this is the best $10 I think I've ever spent! This kept them busy for hours (and made them tired at night...heehee!).
Of course...the sprinkler! This is a pic of the Jedi's using their lightsabers in a battle with Count Dooku... (don't laugh...this is serious stuff, folks...ha!)

Trip to the Space Center. The lighting in this picture is terrible, but what FUN we had! They had George Lucas' personal collection on display. Bobby was off of work and we took all three of our kids and Kai with us. I played tour guide for the boys. We got to go to "Padawan Training" where you go into a dark tent and crawl around avoiding laser beams. We climbed an Indiana Jones obstacle course and fought the stormtroopers in a black lit room with air soft guns. Oh yeah, and saw some space stuff.
Bobby took care of Quinn. When she got tired, he found a quiet corner, rocked her to sleep, and sat on the ground for an hour and a half while she slept. ~Parent Award~~We've done other things too, but isn't it more fun to look at pics?!
Quinn got her first "hair trim" today...stay tuned for a post on that!

Zane and Seth-isms

Last week, I made Zane run errands with me while Seth and Quinn stayed home with my parents. Zane wasn't very happy about it so it was a quiet ride. (Ahhhhh!) After a few minutes, I guess he had gotten over it because he sighed, shook his head, looked out the window and said, "Mama, (pause) ... I was BORN to drive a car...."
I can't say that I'm surprised. Zane is our "wild card".

~~~~~~

Recently, Seth asked me to open his can of Sprite for him. While I was opening it, he smiled and said, "It's like you're my butler, Mom, except I don't even have to pay you!!"

(REALLY?! Must be watching too much Batman.)

~~~~~~

When I am REALLY thirsty, I tell Bobby that I want a "big-fat, nasty Coke". I have no idea how this started, but over time, I've shortened it to "fat-nasty". As in, "Get me a 'fat nasty' please." I thought this was our own personal joke until Zane came in from outside recently and said, "Mama, can I have a nasty apple juice?" HAHA. It took me a minute to realize what on earth he wanted.

~~~~~

This morning, Zane said to me, "Mama, I love you but I kinda love Daddy the most."
~sigh~ I suppose that's okay because maybe,... just maybe, I'll be the one by next week.

Kindergarten

Today was Seth's last day of Kindergarten. Here are some pics of the final Kindergarten events:


Seth's Graduation:

Posing for daddy!
Family photo op!


Here comes trouble: Seth and his cousin, Kai.
Last day festivities:
Zane has become so much a part of the group, the little girl in the pink asked him to sign her yearbook..haha! He wasn't supposed to be at the party (strict no-sibling rules) but the teacher personally invited him the day before. He thinks he is big stuff!
Quinn TRIED to sleep through the party in her sling. She was all dressed up in her pink party tutu, but not in the party mood. The audacity of Kindergarten scheduling a party during her naptime! :)

End of School Year

This is the last week of school for Seth. I will be so sad for Seth to leave his teacher. She has been the absolute best. We couldn't have picked anyone better for him!
Since I used to BE a teacher, I know that the end of the year is a good time to show appreciation for putting up with our kiddos for 10 whole months! Seth is fairly well behaved, but I know that kids are a hard job...even when they're your own! This brings us to the end-of-the-year gift. ~sigh~
What to get? Nothing too cliche' like a mug, NOTHING with apples on it (seriously, just because we majored in Elem. Ed. does not mean we love apples and country decor), and nothing too "cheap". I decided on something "fun". We did this for Seth's preschool teachers a few years back and it seemed to be a big hit. We filled a gift bag with summer essentials: chocolate :), a fresh colored nail polish, a "trashy" magazine, a Sonic gift certificate, sunscreen, etc. We'll also include a note from Seth and I telling her how much we loved having her.

Hoop it up!!

So my sister, Erin came into town this weekend. She brought with her a weighted hula hoop. Seems like these weighted hula hoops are all the rage these days in the fitness world. Erin goes to a hoop group on Monday nights and has learned/is learning all kind of tricks with hers. "Hoop fever" can be quite contagious. We had so much fun playing with them in the backyard and as a bonus, they are supposed to work your core and whittle your waist. After such fun, I REALLY want one too!
Here's a video of Erin (showing off :) and Seth (Seth has been hooping in school and is quite good!).

Quinn

Is it wrong to use your blog to show off pictures of your baby girl? :)

M.I.A.

It's hard to keep up with a blog and keep up with life right now! I am doing good these days to get Seth's lunch made, his clothes for school clean, both boys baseball uniforms clean and Bobby's dry cleaning ready!
Baseball season is ending and I haven't even really written much about it. I didn't get to go to very many games, but between my dad and Bobby, the boys have had a good time.
Quinn continues to grow. She had her two month shots this past Wednesday. She is starting to chunk up weighing in at 12 pounds! That puts her in the 50-75th percent range for her age.
Seth is finishing Kindergarten and we are so proud of him. His teacher told me yesterday that he only missed one question on the End of Year Math test. On the Reading test, Kindergartners don't test higher than a level 16 and he read that level as "easy". What a smart boy!
Here are some pics from the last month or so:

"Q" onesie by Macy, Bow by Jenifer at bowkadots.com. Love them both!!

Should've seen it coming...

I should've seen it coming with a new baby in the house:

Zane: "Mama, pat my back."

~pat, pat, pat~...

Zane: ....BELCH....

Itty Bitty Pretty

Today, we went to Macy's house. I came home with another fabulous hairCUT and Quinn came home with a hairBOW!! 

I couldn't resist posting this picture...she has changed so much already!

New Pics of Quinn

I'm sure I could type just about anything here and none of you would notice because all you want to see are the pics. However, I'll try to tell you about how things are going anyway.  Okay, I know your attention span is short with all these adorable pictures so I'll use bullet points.

• Quinn is such a sweet, sweet girl! She doesn't cry unless something is wrong and we can usually fix whatever it is quickly.
• She eats every two hours 24/7. That makes for one TIRED Mama (not that you all are concerned about me).
• Her brothers ADORE her. Zane just wants to touch her every once in a while (and by "touch", I mean, touch...nothing more, nothing less). Seth wants to hold/talk to/smell her last thing before he goes to school and first thing when he gets home. 
• I had forgotten how hard it is to recover from having a baby! Esp. with two boys playing baseball and one boy in the middle of his Kindergarten year!
• Oh my gracious at the diapers this girl can go through!! Every time I turn around, she is poopy! (Just ask Aunt Michelle who came over today and witnessed this first hand!) I suppose this means she's healthy, right?! :)
  

Still the "Lady in Waiting"

I took Castor Oil this morning. I cannot believe I have resorted to Castor Oil. I debated for a LONG time whether or not to go ahead and in the end, I just couldn't resist. Let's just say that I'm thoroughly cleansed, but I'm still not holding a baby girl. ha! Oh well! Maybe I will end up waiting until my scheduled induction on Tuesday because Quinn is obviously not ready!
In the meantime, I wanted to share this absolutely ADORABLE outfit I got today from Misty. Is that the CUTEST thing ever? I can't wait!!

No news is... well, it's no news!

I don't have any new news except that my diaper bag arrived today! I ordered it from Etsy (an online community of handmade items) a couple of weeks ago and I am so pleased with it! It is so nicely made and has lots of room for Mama stuff, (cell phone, lipstick, money), boy stuff (DS, games, action figures) and oh yeah, baby stuff (diapers, wipes, clothes). If you are looking for a handmade purse, bag or a diaper bag go check out Doodlescoot on Etsy.  http://doodlescoot.etsy.com

Plan B

You all are not going to believe this. My dr. is going out of town next week and so in keeping with the "no induction unless you're here" rule, we are rescheduled for the 24th. That's right, friends, the 24th!! I am so...well, I'm not sure what I am. It was very important to me not to let this baby get too large and my dr. agreed that it was dangerous. She even went as far as to say that she felt like delivering a big baby was just as dangerous as delivering a preemie due to high blood sugars, etc. It was one of the first things I discussed with her because whether or not she was willing to induce early was a 'dealbreaker' for me. ~sigh~ 

At the same time, I have to have faith. Faith that maybe Quinn is not ready and that she is being protected by The Great Protector. In the meantime, we wait!!

Seriously...

Well, it's Friday and today's induction has been cancelled. I finally just called my doctor's office and spoke to the nurse. She is frustrated too. Apparently, I am not the only prego that is waiting to be induced! Unfortunately, my doctor does not do inductions on weekends when she is not on call. I suppose that is respectable... kinda like not making a mess for someone else to clean up. Anyway, all that to say that I am waiting for the nurse to call me back with Plan B. I have a feeling Plan B involves a date for next week, but even if I do get a Plan B, I don't have much faith in it. I am so afraid I am going to have to wait and go into labor naturally and deliver a really BIG girl when that was what we've been trying to avoid the entire time!

Until then, we'll keep you posted!

Update on the update

Well, we're trying again tomorrow. The charge nurse said it didn't look good for today. I'm starving to death and can't imagine laboring while so weak and hungry! She said she thinks there's a wave of people who were trying to avoid scheduling inductions on Friday the 13th so it's been busy. There's only 3 medical inductions ahead of me tomorrow so she felt like there was a good chance that we would be able to go in at 7 a.m. 

So... it looks like we may end up having a Friday the 13th baby! 

Personally, I'm glad to have a new plan and be able to EAT!! :)

Update

It was one thing to get me all excited yesterday and having a big let down, but doing it again today is going to be FRUSTRATING! 

I called this morning at 5:30 a.m. only to be told to wait to call at 10 again. What?! In the words of Zane, "You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Again? I couldn't take it by 7:30 and called the hospital again. I ended up speaking to the charge nurse who was more helpful than most. She said that they had 4 medical inductions (people with serious reasons to induce) to do today and that I was first on the elective inductions list (people with less serious reasons to induce). She said the EARLIEST they could get to me would be 11 a.m. and that was really pushing it. She asked me how long I was willing to wait today to be induced (remember, this is day 2 of fasting and Mama is hungry and won't get to eat until baby girl is here :). I was hoping to be induced early in the day, but am thinking that I better take what I can get before this baby girl keeps gaining weight! The charge nurse is also calling my doctor to find out how late she is willing to go tonight (she has a life too, ya know so maybe she has a big family reunion planned tonight...haha). I'll call back at 11, but I am betting I won't know anything more. That's just how it's been. I am coming down from all the adrenaline of yesterday (thinking "it" was going to happen) and now feel very frustrated and weepy! Oh, if you know me well, I loathe being weepy! 

Many people have said to just go in and tell them I'm in labor. I have seriously thought about it, but I'm not even having very many contractions today. I'm not very good at lying and living with it and they would figure out very quickly that I'm not in labor. Horror... they would send me home and then I'd really be frustrated! 

I'll try to keep updating when I know something... if you don't hear from me, either I don't know anything more or I'm BUSY!!! (Hopefully the latter!) Another place to keep up is http:/introducingquinn.com

Save the Drama for your Mama

So, I went to the OB/GYN yesterday. I have been contracting like crazy so I was expecting her to be impressed at my progress since last week. Unfortunately, she wasn't. Ha. She said I was still at 2 cm. but while she was poking around, she decided to "sweep" my "membranes". Ouch. All I know is that it was painful and she was pleased that the pain brought about a fresh wave of contractions. She joked that the action should really start now. I'll leave out the gory details, but I went home wondering what on earth kind of damage she had done to me. Later in the evening, I was timing contractions anywhere between 4 and 10 minutes apart with serious back pain. You know, the kind that makes you say, "Is this it?" 

Anyway, nothing ever came of it. I'm still contracting every 10ish minutes, but it hasn't gotten more painful. The plan was for me to call this morning at 6 to see if there was a spot for me in Labor and Delivery to induce today. Of course there wasn't. They told me to call back at 10 so now we are waiting until then. Actually, I'm waiting. Bobby is sleeping. ha. Lucky dog. I have too much adrenaline to sleep. How long can adrenaline keep you going? Can it last for three days because that's how much I need. 

Some of you might be wondering how the boys are doing. I'll tell you briefly:

Seth's anxiety is eating at him. We can see it in the way he is acting out. The teacher in me knows that his misbehavior is because we're having a life change, but the mother in me just wants him to make things easier and do what we say!  He is asking all sorts of strange questions that show his nervousness. Most of them start with "what if" and end with either Quinn or I dying or seriously hurt. Poor thing. He is excited though at the same time. He is so curious to know what she'll look like and assures me constantly of the things he can do to help. My sweet helper! 

Zane is downright hilarious (as usual). He has been so opposed to talking about her the whole pregnancy. However, last week, I took him shopping to gather last minute baby things and look at sweet baby girl clothes. Something happened in that shopping trip and he took her for his own. He started picking out what would look "cute" on her and finding toys she might like. He hugs her (my belly) at night, he talks to her ("Oh Quinn, it's me, your big brother...are you awake?" and talks about what she'll be like when she gets here. Such a sweet turnaround.  

So now we're doing what we've been doing all along...waiting. I probably won't post again until after, but you can follow Bobby's updates at http:/introducingquinn.com

Bobby's Blogworld

For those of you interested, Bobby is blogging about Quinn (and other strange stuff) at introducingquinn.com.  I feel like I should put some kind of disclaimer after that statement, but if you are reading this blog, you know Bobby well enough, right?

BEST. SHOWER. EVER!!

My girls had a baby shower for me yesterday. I was so speechless at how much work went into this shower...kinda makes a girl feel special! I had such a good time and felt so honored at friends and family who took time out of their Saturday to be there.

There were onesies and fabric markers for guests to MAKE onesies for Baby Quinn... so cute!!

Working on the Onesies:





Macy made one for Seth's baseball team and Zane's too!






The decorations were the best!
The cake matched the invitations and how cute is that diaper cake?!













SO fun!! Thank you to everyone came or had a part! Now, we're just ready for her to come!

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