Spencer's Three Month Stats

I have to say that Spencer is the best surprise ever ;) I just love having him in our family! Spencer is a very easygoing, calm, happy baby! He is such a smiley baby too! And the kids LOVE to give him attention to earn his smiles. This third month with Spencer has kept us on our toes. Mew started it out in the hospital for two nights with RSV. Spencer was then on O2 for a week and a half. Spencer's sleeping during the day is sporadic. He sleeps between a half an hour to a hour every three hours during the day. But he makes up for it at night with a six to eight hour stretch of sleeping. He is spoiling me :) Spencer's stats - Hair is filling in, and I have hopes that it really is red and not just my imagination. Eyes are still blue. Not sure what his weight is, but he has got to be around 12 pounds. He loves to cuddle, and when he is tired and wants to go to sleep, he wants his face covered. I feel blessed every day that Spencer is a part of our family!

I came into the family room this afternoon and found this :)

School

I registered/started school again today. I took an unplanned year off of school. It was exciting today figuring out my school plan and what classes I need to graduate. Hopefully this time next year I will be getting ready to graduate. Yay for school ;)

Catalina (again)

Catalina is on a roll with cracking me up. Yesterday Josh thanked her for helping me with something. She turned around and told Josh welcome, and then proceeded to thank him for helping :) This afternoon Josh and I took Cat out with us to run an errand and then shop for some new pants for her. We thought we'd get a little one on one time in with dinner too. We asked Cat where she wanted to eat, and it was comical listening to her try and describe where it was she wanted to go. She wanted the place with the "brown, round chicken nuggets." We got Catalina a pair of white pants that are embroidered with a flower design. When we got home Josh put all the new pants in to wash... Catalina was trying to describe the pants to her sisters, but she kept getting stuck on "they are white, and they are so cute!" Love my Catalina!!!

Catalina's Question

I think with it being February and President's day, that the kids have been studying the different presidents of the USA throughout the different time periods. And I think all that Catalina has learned at school, might have confused her with things at church. As we were getting out of the car at church today, Catalina asked me if the Bishop (leader of our ward at church) had slaves ;)

Catalina

Pictures from a 100 Day project Catalina did last week in school :)

Grateful

I do a little data entry work from home in my spare time. I'm grateful for the opportunity it provides for me to earn a little fun money for our family, and still be home with our kiddos. The best part about it is I can cuddle my baby while I work. So I am literally getting paid to snuggle little dude!

Catalina's story

Myra snuck some things from Catalina's basket this afternoon. One of the things she took was a wiseman/foolish man puppet. When Catalina discovered Myra playing with it, instead of getting mad or grumpy with her, she told the story that goes along with it. Only she didn't have it quite right. Instead of a wiseman it was a smart man. And the foolish man was a stupid man :)

007 - ***Spoiler***

We watched the new James Bond movie tonight. I really enjoyed it, I even managed to stay awake for the whole movie :) I'm not a hater of James Bond, but I'm not his biggest fan. I could not tell you how many of the movies I have actually seem, but I know it is FAR from all of them (in fact right now I can only think of one other that I HAVE seen). Watching the movie this evening the question bugging me is this... James Bond can be shot multiple time (in close proximity to Major organs), he can fall from great heights into moving water, and my favorite, he can survive after falling through ice into freezing cold water for several minutes. But the person shot in the leg/hip area is going to drop dead after being perfectly fine for a good half an hour (since the gun shot). I guess I didn't realize James Bond had super powers ;)

Do you go?

I was a painfully quiet teenager. Painfully quiet. I ha several good friends that I was talkative around, but usually I was a quiet observer. I graduated in a class of over 500 kids. This year is my 20th high school reunion. And I am faced with the decision of do I go? It's not like I have to travel far and pay for a place to stay. I live about 10 minutes from the high school I graduated from. But I wonder how many will remember the quiet girl in a class of 500??? ***Have I mentioned lately that I am so glad my kids do not take after me in the whole quiet department? Even though it can be very loud at times, I am so glad that my kids are all talkers!

Too Funny

Josh and I caught lunch this morning after running a couple errands. We of course had Spencer with us. And wouldn't you know it, Spencer had his first big blowout diaper. Luckily I had a spare outfit in the diaper bag. Poor Spencer got a cold bum from being changed in the car. I was just finishing up with changing him when I noticed that his belly was wet... And his WHOLE head! He ha picked this time to pee while being changed! Poor cold kid :( Thank goodness for warm dry sleepers!

Too much to handle

I hate making extra trips... Like from the car into the house... I always bring in as many bags as I can carry to save me on maybe on or two trips. Sometimes is backfires on me. Sometimes things get dropped... And sometimes you have to pay the price. I hate paying the price :(

Pictures of Myra

So should we fight now or later?

That was the question Josh asked me over dinner tonight as we sat and had our romantic dinner to celebrate Engagement Day. Not quite the thing you would think one would talk about at dinner. Today is Engagement day for Josh and me. Josh and I don't celebrate Valentines day, we never have... If your curious as to why, go read Josh's blog from yesterday or mine from this day three years ago (I would link them, but that would require going to the computer, and I like my warm bed too much). We had a great day today... Kind of lazy, but as parents of seven kids, a lazy day is always a good thing ;) We did a little shopping this morning and then had lunch out. This afternoon we spent rearranging card sleeves so we can play our new game and figuring out a plan of action for redoing the yards this summer... And this evening we went out for a nice romantic dinner... And so did everyone else in Colorado Springs! We tried Texas Roadhouse first, and the line was OUT the door! We then went to Red Robin, and you could see with out getting out of the car that the whole front area was packed FULL of people! So we decided we would run to Target to get the few things we needed, thinking that if we waited like a half hour that the line would clear up... It did not! Now not being the patient type of people that just wait for a table for hours, we headed to On The Boarder... I actually got out of the car at this place to go see how long a wait, but I didn't even wait to talk to someone... I could tell by lack of room and the number of people still waiting to talk to the hostess that the wait would be longer than we would want... So back to the car I went. At this point we decided that maybe we should look for something a little faster. That's when I picked Captain D's. The closest one to us (and maybe the only one left in town) was about ten minutes away. As we drove there we continued to look at other places, and they were all packed! We got to Captain D's to find that it was crazy busy too! I guess Josh and I just don't go out enough on Fridays for dinner. But Captain D's was fun and something we haven't had in a long time... We finished the evening off (after buying formula for Spencer, and saving $36) watching The Bourne Legacy (it was really good! Just ask Josh, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time)! Thanks Josh for another fantastic Engagement Day!!! I love you!

A kid after my own heart

This afternoon Josh jr made hot chocolate for a afternoon snack for his siblings. When it was ready Myra excitedly called out to her sisters "It's chocolate time!" Got to love your chocolate :)

Weird

This evening while I was riding my stationary bike I was play a game on my iPad... It is one of those running, jumping games... The motion from the game, mixed with riding the bike left me VERY dizzy! Not fun at all!

Catalina's thoughts

Catalina came to me this morning explaining why a cat would be a good pet for us (that is of course if Josh wasn't so allergic to cats). - Catalina - You know mom we should really get a cat for a pet. - Me - Dad is really allergic to cats. - Catalina - I know, but if he wasn't we should really get a cat, cause it would scare off all the mice and rats. - Me - We don't have mice or rats in the house. - Catalina - I know, but we might... There might be a hole behind your dresser that they go in and out of... They might come out at night and eat all the crumbs on the floor... I sure hope she wrong ;)

My Boys

I love my kiddos. It is fun to see them interacting and loving on their little brother. Josh jr has ALWAYS loved holding his siblings. I remember when Ben was a little baby and we would have people over. The guest would always want to hold Ben. After they had held Ben for a short time, Ben would kindly tell pepole that it was his turn to hold HIS baby :) Here are some fun pictures of Josh jr and his youngest brother!

Twins?

Last Sunday savannah and Catalina wore matching dresses so they could be twins... I heard them explaining to Brooklyn, "it's like we're twins, only are hair is different, are eyes are different, are age is different, and are size is different. But we are like twins!" :)

Catalina

The younger girls rode with me this evening when I went to take Brooklyn to a birthday party. Catalina was cold (since she didn't wear any shoes or socks or a coat)! So she asked me to turn on the warm conditioner ;)

Knitting

I guess Myra thought I needed help knitting :)

Case Crew Cruise 2012

Pictures from our Disney cruise last September :)

Animals

Myra and I have been discussing animals lately, and the sounds they make. It seems each day Myra has a new favorite animal. Today's animal of choice is the monkey. Monkeys say "ooh ooh aah aah". The tigers say "roar". The cows moo. And the frocadile (crocodile) say "Frock, frock, frock!" :)

We are home!

We are home! Spencer got to come home today. It ended up being a little afternoon by the time we got set up with oxygen. The doctor didn't say for sure how long he will have to be on it, but they indicated that it would be a few weeks most likely. Having a baby o oxygen is ALL new to me! I know with 7 kids all born at this high altitude you would think that at least one of them would have come home on oxygen, but no, not one. We have been so blessed with such healthy kids! Savannah did get put on oxygen for about 5 days when she was 6 months old (for RSV) but that is the only time we have had to deal with the whole oxygen thing. I don't know how people do it! I have seven kids, and we have had a couple broken arms and other ailments, but the whole oxygen thing scares me (and I was a paramedic before kids). I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to have to lug the oxygen around with me. I don't want to have to worry about switching from one tank to the other, and turning tanks on and off. It's hard enough to remember to pick up the tubing and carry it with me... I will say it again, I don't know how parents do it when their kids have long term medical needs. I have so much respect for them. It can not be easy!

Day 2

February 4th last year was a great day... Josh and I spent it on a tropical island on a mini-jeep tour. We climbed a light house, saw Mayan ruins, went to a alligator farm(?), and snorkeled in beautiful blue waters... That was a great day in Cozumel. This year I spent February 4th in a tiny hospital room with a sick little boy. Not such a great day in Colorado. Spencer is still in the hospital. I knew by 7:45am that we would not be going home today. The doctor was quick to say Spencer would be spending at least one more night in the hospital... Most likely two more nights :( After spending a long day mostly alone here is what I have learned... -Even though there's "cable" on the TV, there still nothing good on. -Watching TV all day is REALLY boring. -If the nurse offers you a cushion for the rocking chair, TAKE it! -Parents with a sick kid under three(?) get food to eat if you call an order it. -The thermostat to turn the heat up some is on the wall by the door. -The ice and water machine is just across the hall. -There is also a fridge by the water, that is stocked with food for the parents -The O2 cord on my baby will barely reach the softer chair on the other side of the crib. -Don't know how parents do this when it is more long term and not just a few days. -How to get out (and back into) the pediatric wing of the hospital. -Google is a great spell checker ;) -This hospital has the BEST nurses ever!!! -I have the Best friends and family who amaze me every day!!! Thank you everyone for your love, concern, and prayers! Spencer is doing a little bit better today, and will soon be home with rest of our family! We love you all!

Spencer

Spencer is sick :( I always hate when my kiddos are sick. It is never fun, and always stressful. And it seems like they always get really sick on weekends ;) I debated for hours this morning on taking Spencer to the ER. When I got to the ER I had second thoughts... There was no parking near the ER, and MANY people waiting in the waiting room... It didn't help when the guy checking me in made feel stupid for being there... I'm sure he was just asking the questions he was suppose too. And I'm sure there wasn't really a tone to the way he asked them... But it came across to me like I was stupid for being there, and should have just waited until tomorrow and taken him to our doctors office. Boy am I glad I didn't wait! The ER doctor ran tests for RSV and Influenza and Spencer had a chest X-ray. The tests came back with RSV. And because he is so young, Spencer was admitted to the hospital for alight or two. He will also be on O2 for a couple weeks (or more). So glad that I took him to the ER!

Savannah

Savannah had her first piano recital today. She did great. She has only been taking lessons for three months now, but she played two different songs, and you could tell what they were. I am so proud of her. And also a little surprised. Out of all my children, I would have thought that Savannah would be my shy, scared to be in front of others child... But she is not! No hesitation from her. She just goes right up there and says and does what she needs to. I am so proud!

Pizza and Movie night

Tonight we did pizza and a movie night. The movie on tap tonight was "Night at the Museum". We followed it up with a double feature and watched the second "Night at the Museum". I know that we have watched these movies before with kids, but Myra (and Cat some) was a little scared. I shouldn't have laughed, but it was cute how she would react when she was scared. Josh ended up having to hold her because she was a little too nervous :)