10 Years of Fun



This year's trip to Mackinac Island made 10 years of trips with the first being our honeymoon.  We've always enjoyed it, and it's nice that our kids are learning to appreciate a relaxed and slow paced vacation.  The island has no motor vehicles allowed.  Transportation is either by horse, bike, or foot.  We definitely listen to our share of whining kids, but we still have a great time.  It's amazing how they can act like they're legs are about to fall off, but if you stop to let them rest their legs they just run around and climb on stuff like a bunch of monkeys.  I had a slightly harder time this year with the walking (that's putting it very lightly).  This baby is really taking a toll on my hip joints.  Essentially, I'm in a lot of pain all the time.  This is a trip where we could easily walk up to 10 miles in a day.  We always walk out to the far side of the island to eat lunch and throw rocks in the water.  It's a really beautiful location, so it's always worth the walk.  It short cut is about 2-1/2 to 3 miles, which I had a hard time doing in the first place, but I just couldn't make it back.  For the first time we had to call a taxi (pulled by horses of course) to get us back to our hotel.  The boys loved the ride of course, so it was good all around.  And I can definitely say it's never felt so good to lay on the couch with my feet up!

 

My hubby decided that since this is our 10 year anniversary he would contact the local newspaper and see if they could mention us in the paper.  We thought it would be a nice keepsake to have.  It turns out they were interested in our story and decided to meet us at our favorite location for an interview and a picture.  We subscribe to the paper, and when it arrived today we were pleased to see that our picture made it!

Since we've gotten home from vacation it's been full speed ahead on getting the nursery ready.  I want to try to get the majority of the work done this month because next month will be really busy, and after that I doubt I'm going to feel like doing much.  I already don't feel like doing all this work.  I've got our nursery furniture in the garage right now waiting to be painted as soon as the temps cool off later this week.  I've just got to sand and prime first.... I'm tired just thinking about it.  It will definitely feel good to have it done though! 

Big-G and Little-G are actually at a Brewer game with daddy right now.  Surprisingly, Little-G sits a lot nicer for the games than Middle-G does.  Plus Middle-G has been having a very hard time listening lately, so he was sort of being punished.  So, he's at home because he was naughty, and then he writes black marker on the closet door and then I catch him in the living room with a knife, trying to cut up a peach that I told him he couldn't have.  If it wasn't for the fact that he can hear a bag of chips opening from a mile away, I would think he had a serious hearing problem.  Just trying to be consistent and remember that this stage will pass just like all the rest of them. 

and the dream lives on!

So this Wednesday was our BIG day.  I hadn't slept for many nights beforehand.  I actually woke up at 4:30 Wednesday morning and just couldn't fall back to sleep.  At first I was just anxious to find out the sex of the baby, but the closer we got to the ultrasound, the more I was worried that there would be some kind of problem.  You just can't ever take a normal pregnancy for granted, and I feel like I've just been waiting for something to happen.  I could feel myself starting to get panicky about it.  And the hubby, who never gets nervous about anything, was even starting to get a little anxious in the waiting room.  He said to me - "This is where the dream lives or dies."  I'd been trying to prepare myself to not be disappointed if it was another boy, but I knew that I would be.  Not that another boy would disappoint me, but just knowing it would be a couple more years before we could try for girl again. 

As soon as my doctor started the ultrasound, she immediately went to check 'girl or boy.'  Baby was definitely cooperating, and she said, "Those look like girl parts to me!"  I think she was just as excited as me.  She has 3 boys the same ages as my boys, so she knew where I was coming from.  Even when I heard her say that I didn't want to believe it - just in case!  I feel like it's still sinking in just now.  My hubby is definitely more excited about this than I've seen him about anything else.  He just keeps looking at me and saying, "We're having a girl!"  And of course he feels the need to talk to my tummy a lot more now.  It's like having our first baby again.  It's just so stinking exciting!!!

Big-G was a little disappointed at first, but he has definitely warmed up to the idea of having a sister.  He's very excited to help me paint the furniture and decorate the room.  He just keeps saying how he can't wait until October to play with the baby.  I don't know how much the other 2 really understand.  Middle-G does enjoy kissing my belly though.  He has been asking some pretty interesting questions too.  Like, "When you swallow your food, does it land on the baby?"  Oh, the mind of a 4-year-old!  Gibson even told me the other day to "go to the doctor and get us a new baby."  He makes it sound so easy!

Tomorrow morning we'll be leaving bright and early for our annual trip to Mackinac Island.  We went there for our honeymoon, and we've gone every year since.  This June it will be 10 years for us.  Hubby called the local paper from the island and told them that we were taking our annual trip and it would be our 10 year anniversary this summer.  A reporter called us back, and they want to meet with us and get a picture and do an interview.  Hopefully we'll make the paper.  It would be a nice keepsake for our 10 years married. 

I am so extremely exhausted from all of the overtime I've been doing lately and the baby incubating, so I am ready for this vacation! This is the kind of trip where we usually walk about 10 miles a day.  I don't know if I'm quite physically capable of that right now.  I've been having a LOT of pain in my hips.  Hopefully Tylenol will make all of that walking possible.  The boys are so excited because they basically get to be outside whenever they aren't sleeping.  I'm just excited to not be working!

Here are a few pictures from all of the Brewer games we have been attending lately. 

So happy, so proud

What a crazy busy weekend!  I feel like I haven't been able to relax since... I can't remember actually.  We got up early on Saturday morning to go to the 1st annual Eggstravaganza at church.  They had tons of eggs plus games and inflatables.  Bud was in charge of the obstacle course inflatable, which I think he enjoyed seeing how he loves being in charge of people.  The boys had a blast making their Grandma and Aunt K chase them around all morning.  Next we headed out to Chili's for lunch to celebrate my wonderful friend's birthday.  I have to say, I love Chili's.  I wish their food wasn't so deadly.  In the evening we headed off to the first of two Brewer games that we had tickets for this weekend.  The Brewers lost, but of course the boys didn't care.  They just loved being there, and they got to sit with their friends, so I don't know how much game they even watched.  It was Little-G's first game ever, and we weren't quite sure if we were going to be sorry we brought him.  He turned out to be pretty well behaved.  He doesn't like to be contained, but he was pretty good about it thankfully.

Then this morning we had church.  I was in the nursery, so I was kind of sad to have to miss my favorite church service, but Bud got to go with his mom and sister which was nice.  We had 10 kids in the nursery this morning, which feels like a lot.  It makes me very grateful that I don't have ten 3-year-olds at home!  Makes my realize I could be a lot more busy. 

We had to leave straight from church to the ballpark so that we would be there in time for Big-G's special day.  His Aunt K entered him in a contest to go on the field during the National Anthem and stand next to a player, get a hat, ball, and autograph.  They put his face up on the big score board, and announced his name.  It was a pretty awesome prize to win.  When we first told him that he won he said, "I'm not doing that!" We talked him into it, and I think that he is very glad that he did it now.  His Nana, Papa, Grandma, Aunt K, and Uncle M all came to see him.  He ended up smiling from ear-to-ear when it was over.  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.  When he got off the field he said, "What am I going to hit this with?"  He was talking about his freshly autographed baseball.  Silly kid.  Middle-G is already planning for when he turns 6 and is old enough to enter the contest.  Hopefully lightening will strike twice, and we'll get picked again because Middle-G already has his heart set on it.  Little-G was a good boy again, and he even fell asleep for a few minutes.  It's kind of hard to nap when everyone keeps jumping out of their chairs and screaming though.  It was a great win for the Brewers and a fun day for all.  Not the classic Easter, but fun none the less.

No matter what we did today, I couldn't forget about the joy and excitement that I live with because I know my Savior lives.  Jesus' death and resurrection are such powerful forces.  Completely life changing.  What would I do without the blood of Jesus to cover my sin, his healing, or the peace he brings me day-to-day?  Death will have no victory over me, and THAT is a reason to cheer!

 

Big-G's Big Day









  

Grayson getting his ball autographed by Wil Nieves, the catcher.



Little-G giggles.

Big-G standing at home plate with Wil Nieves for the National Anthem.

Serious game talk.



Little-G taking a snooze.

And the 5 shall become 6...

As I am finally nearing the end of this long road they call the 1st trimester, we are ready to make it public that we are expecting our 4th baby.  Having just gone through 2 miscarriages in a row, we've been very cautiously optimistic about this one, but I think we are just about out of the danger zone.  I always have this nagging feeling that as soon as I spill the beans something will go wrong.  It's been hard enough to keep the secret this long, so God willing everything turns out okay.  Plus by baby number 4 the abs aren't what they used to be, and it's getting hard to hide!  It seems like no amount of sit-ups can make me what I used to be.  Thankfully my boys are worth all the stretch marks and sagging skin. 

It's getting a little more fun now that I don't feel as nauseated 24/7.  In a couple more weeks I should be bounding with energy (I hope).  I haven't slept for over a week, so hopefully that's just another hormonal 1st trimester thing that will end soon.  At least now when you see me and I look like death warmed over you'll understand why.  I don't think I'm one of those glowing pregnancy gals.  Being pregnant just sucks the life out of me.  It's more a means to an end.  I'm going to try to treasure every moment of this one in case it is my last.

I've been so nervous about the baby being healthy this time that I bought an at-home fetal Doppler to listen to the baby's heart beat.  Definitely the best $60 I've ever spent!  It was funny because when the boys saw me use it for the first time, Big-G immediately said, "Do you have a baby in your tummy?'  Don't know how he knew that.  Then Little-G proceeded to ask me to listen to the baby in his tummy.  So cute!  We're obviously hoping for a girl since this is probably our last try, but a buddy for Little-G would be so great too.  The boys are all saying that they hope it's another boy.  My hubby keeps calling it a "she" (wishful thinking), and I keep calling it a "he."  Obviously only one of us will be right.  I can't stand to wait until May to find out the sex, but I don't have a choice!

Whether it is a boy or a girl doesn't matter as far as my blog goes.  "My Three Sons" has become an irrelevant name.  So here's the start of the next chapter - "The Busy Quiver." There are companies that will bind your blog into a book, which is what I'm planning on doing with the old one.  I'm so horrible at recording cute things the kids do, so this blogging thing is actually going to pay off for me when I get that book!  They will probably appreciate having some record of their childhood when they grow older. 

In the meantime, I'll be praying for God's protection over this little one's life for the next few months while I have so little control and giving Him the glory for every day closer that I make it to the prize - the birthday!  May God's will be done - it's always perfect. 

Sunning, Splashing, and Snowmageddon

Those 3 words basically wrap up the last 5 days. It's been a load of fun for the boys. We went took a mini-vacation to the Wisconsin Dells over the weekend. We were basically in the water whenever we weren't eating or sleeping. It was exhausting for me, but the kids held up relatively well. I think they were pretty much spent by the end though, because they all fell asleep within 5 minutes of getting in the car to go home. Middle-G is still our thrill seeker. He had to go on the giant tube slide "this many times" (he would hold up all his fingers). His daddy took him, and I can't even count how many times he went. It was never enough. Me and the other 2 just floated in the lazy river a lot. Big-G really prefers the lazy river. He didn't even want to try a slide. I can understand that. One of the water parks has a glass ceiling so that you kind of feel like your outside (minus the snow and bone-chilling cold). It was sunny when we were in there, and I just sat there and baked. It felt so very wonderful! It has been so long since I just got to sit and feel the heat of the sun. Those kind of feelings make me very anxious for summer to come again.

Unfortunately, we have had a huge reminder that summer is nowhere in sight! We just had the biggest snow storm that I can ever remember. A blizzard. It's a shame that the kids probably won't remember this, because I doubt they will ever see anything like it again. They had a ball digging tunnels around the back yard this morning. The entire back yard is under 3-4 feet of snow. I have a 6-foot tall drift outside my kitchen window. It's not after every snow storm that you wake up in the morning to find all your windows half covered with snow and all your doors blocked. Thankfully, the hubby didn't have to go in to work today because of the snow, so he got to spend hours trying to shovel us out. There is still a ridiculous amount of snow out there.

The bad part about working at home is that I don't get a snow day. I got to work even more than normal. I guess it's a job, and I'll be thankful for that! I finally got caught up today with work, so hopefully that will take some stress away for the rest of the week. I've just been feeling completely overwhelmed every day. It is a not week that I want to repeat, but thankfully our God's mercies are new every morning (and boy do I need them!)

Here are some pictures of our growing boys and giant snow drifts:

Two cool dudes.

Big-G on the far left during his Ranger Kids awards ceremony at church.

First Little-G is a little worried about the giant dumping bucket of water, but then he started having fun.

Big-G and his cheese smiles.

Daddy with Little-G in the water dome. The sun was so warm!

Funny face! The boys were watching the rubber ducky race. Middle-G and Little-G both won.

Fairly decent picture of my boys, except Big-G looks like he's about to attack.

The entire trunk of the tree was buried.

Big G trying to climb a giant drift, and Middle-G by the bench at our front door.

Our back door.

That's my kitchen window that's getting covered.

Our mailbox.

Our patio table barely visible.

There I am inside where I belong!

My Baby Story

It was 4 years ago now, but I remember it like yesterday. I remember being in the OB/GYN's office and having a 2nd ultrasound done at 10 weeks to check the heartbeat. We were being extra cautious because I had just had a miscarriage a month before. My doctor knew immediately that something was wrong. She could see a very enlarged bladder inside the tiny baby. She tried to keep things calm, but sent me to see a specialist immediately. I can remember going home after the specialist and looking up the different possibilities on the internet. None of it looked good. The survival odds were terrible. Over our many months of weekly ultrasounds we were told so many horrible things - that he might have Down syndrome, that he might have another chromosomal abnormality that was incompatible with life, that he would have kidney failure, be on dialysis, may need a kidney transplant or may not live long enough to receive one.

Thankfully we found out through a biopsy of the placenta early on that he had no chromosomal abnormalities and that he was a boy. It was a relief, but it was still impossible to relax. We were sent to see all the specialists before he was born so that we could be prepared for what may happen after his birth. They told us about what happens in the NICU and what happens when the baby doesn't live. The nephrologist told us about how it would be when he was on dialysis and how big he would have to be to receive a transplant. Lastly, we saw our urologist, whom we have grown to love over the past 4 years. I sat there 20 weeks pregnant while he looked at our ultrasound pictures. We were on information overload after the previous 2 consults. He just looked at us and basically said that everything would be okay, and he thought we were going to have a great kid. He was a gift from God. We needed that encouraging word. It gave us hope.

We had weekly ultrasounds, but basically made it though the pregnancy uneventfully. At one point, his bladder was so distended, that we thought we might have to do some sort of intervention. Then miraculously the next week the bladder was totally deflated. We had no idea what had happened, but we were so grateful because this would give his lungs a better chance to develop. We were always wondering how much kidney function he would have, if any, and would his lungs be developed enough for him to survive.

At 35 weeks, the real adventure began. We went to the specialist for our routine appointment. The doctor watched the blood flow in the placenta and umbilical cord way too long. You just know when something isn't right. He didn't think the placenta was functioning well anymore, and told us to go straight to the hospital to deliver. We came to find out later that as much as 80% of babies with Middle-G's condition are stillborn. It was just another miracle that our doctor got us to deliver in time.

At the hospital I was induced, and Middle-G made his appearance in the morning. It was a beautiful delivery, didn't even have to push once. It was all such a blur after that. He had more physical defects that we knew about from the ultrasound. We came to find out that the reason his bladder deflated was because it ruptured out the front of his abdominal wall. He had a hole in his abdomen, and you could look inside and see his organs. They put his lower half in a plastic bag to keep him sterile, wrapped him in a blanket, and I got to hold him for a few minutes before they transferred him to the children's hospital. I can remember having 2 guys from the ambulance service come in and have me sign papers for transfer. They said they would take care of him.

It was a weird feeling sitting there by myself in the hospital for the rest of the day while my husband was consulting with all the surgeons and specialists. It wasn't until late in the evening when my husband finally returned, and I learned all that had happened and would happen in the morning. It hurts to even think back and remember that night. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. My doctor let me be discharged before the sun rose the next morning, less than 24 hours after the birth, so that I could rush to the hospital and make it before my baby went into surgery. I had only held him for a few minutes, but I still cried when they wheeled him away. I had no idea what the future would hold for him.

Needless to say, we survived that surgery and many others after it. His doctor has said that there is no other child on earth with the same constellation of defects. He is truly a 1 of a kind. It hasn't been easy at all, but every experience has been a blessing. We have learned more about ourselves and our God than we could have ever imaged. When something like this happens in your life, you can't deny the hand of God moving over and over again. Many children in Middle-G's situation do not live past the age of 2. We were so overjoyed when he reached that milestone. Now at 4 years old, he's as vibrant as ever. His physical condition is better than we ever could have hoped. Never has there been a more energetic, animated, and affectionate child. He means the world to everyone in this family, and I hope someday he can really understand how much God loves him and did love him even before he was born.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAHAM!

Winter Wonderland

What a beautiful Christmas we had. Every year that passes the gift that we have in the birth of Christ seems more real. I'm understanding more and more how incredible it is to know the One True God. Christmas is such an awesome time to celebrate even more all we have in Christ.

We took our annual trip up-north to stay in the cabin in the woods. Middle-G calls it the "silly hotel." It's such a cozy place, and the nearly 20 inches of snow just added to the atmosphere. The kids really had a great time playing in the snow. We found a snowmobile trail that went down hill, and did some sledding. Even I was enjoying the snow, which isn't normal for me. I usually don't enjoy the cold, and I probably haven't played in the snow for over a decade.

My parents came to the cabin on Christmas Eve to open presents with the boys. I tried not to talk about presents too much because you know how easily kids get fixated on what they're going to get. They just got a few things to share, but that's really enough. There is absolutely nothing they need. I feel like throwing away their toys on most days anyway because I hate the clutter and continually stepping over them and picking them up. They play with each other much more than they do toys anyway. We did get them one "fad" toy - Stinky the Garbage Truck. It is truly the most annoying toy ever made. Needless to say Little-G is really enjoying it!

Christmas Day at my Grandma and Grandpa's house was a blast as usually. I really wish we got to see all the cousins, aunts, and uncles more often, especially my Grandma and Grandpa. We only end up seeing them at Christmas, and it isn't enough. It's just a good time talking and laughing with everyone. Little-G was quite the handful on Christmas, as usual. He didn't stop moving from morning until night, and I'm not over stating that at all! He messed his clothes with food so bad that I had to take them off, and at one point he even had jello under his armpit. But really that's a usual day in the life of Little-G.

Thankfully it wasn't too cold, so we got to stop by our friend's church in Appleton on the way home. We had to leave the dogs in the car. They did okay, but the car got super furry inside, and extremely stinky. Anyway, they have a great pastor at their church, and we really enjoyed the service and especially getting to visit with our friends at BW3s after.

It worked out nicely that me and the hubby both had off on New Years Eve, so we got to spend it with some wonderful friends. They were generous enough to invite us over, even though our kids are monsters. Apparently the kids were doing damage while we weren't paying attention. I thought they were really keeping to themselves, and as usual that's bad news. Little-G fell asleep at 11, but the other 2 stayed awake until midnight. Really surprised they made it. They were terribly cranky on New Years Day, so don't know if I'll let them do that again.

Now it's time to take down the tree. I know it should be down, but I haven't wanted to think about it. I put up 3 trees this year and a bunch of garland, so it's going to be a huge chore to put everything away, not to mention all the outside decor. I can probably only put it off a few more days before I start looking like a lazy homeowner. I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the last few days of the tree. The living room is going to look empty without it.

The mini-tree we brought to the cabin.

Christmas festivities at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Me and my hubby.

Some freezing cold fun!

Little-G in the sled. He got pulled a lot because his legs were too short to walk in the deep snow.

Middle-G getting ready to sled the hill.

Love the snow in the woods.

Big-G loves snow. He was even asking for it during the summer. Crazy kid!