Our date!

Well we went to see the Phantom of the Opera on Saturday. We had limited view seats, but Pete was unaware of this until we both got there and sat down! But we were still able to see most of it.. and more importantly we could hear the music... I am such a music fanatic that I got goosebumps just listening to the orchestra and the players singing the beautiful songs.

We hope that it will come back to town again and if and when it does we plan on getting front row center seats! So that we can see all the parts that we missed.

It was also very nice to have some time to ourselves without the kiddos. After we went to the play we came home and changed then went out to eat at a new mexican restuarant, Pancho's. It was very good! I just wish that I had had what Pete had for dessert and not what I picked out. He had a caramel cheesecake... soooo good.

We had so much fun that I hope we can go on a date again really soon! Maybe dinner and a movie sometime in the next few months.

Can you see them??

Check out our newest family members.... Oh wait, that's right.... YOU CAN'T!!! They never come out of hiding.

We bought two tetra fish for Emma the other day thinking she would like to see them swim around... the problem is that they never swim around... they just stay next to the intake tube for the filter!!

I told Pete we should just go back and get "Nemo" !!

Emma's New Words

1.) Fart
ex: "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I farted!" (followed by running away fast while laughing hysterically!)

2.) No Touch
ex: Mom has told Emma not to touch Josiah's privates. Mom changed Josiah as Emma says "No touch" and touches.

3.)Happy
ex: Favorite past time, wearing knitted hat, running in circles, clapping and shouting happy... over and over and over again.

4.) Cold
ex: Mom takes off Emma's coat. She hugs herself and says "Cold!"

5.) Poot
ex: Emma's other word for the passing of the gas. When she hears other's "poot" she puts her hands over her open mouth, giggles and says: "Ohhh... Poot!"

Josiah: Two Months

And what a wild roller coaster ride it has been!

Within a week after your one month checkup you developed a cold. A cold that undoubtedly came from your loving family. I tried not to worry but worry I did and I rushed you into the doctor's on a thursday... the day after you got sick. They told me not to worry it was probably just a cold. Two days later I took you to the ER because you looked like you were having a hard time breathing. Same diagnosis there. Just a cold...

Somewhere deep in my heart I knew something was wrong. But I took you home anyways and just watched you all the more closely. The next day you situation got worse and I took you back to the same ER. This time they finally admitted you. By now you had developed RSV, bronchiolitis and were severely dehydrated.

It was horrible to watch them work on you that night. They would suction you with a long suction catheter stuck into your nose and pushed down past your throat. You would cry hysterically and turn all sorts of colors. I finally got to the point where I had to leave the room. I felt so sick watching my poor baby suffer. I went out into the hallway crying. A nurse (I wish I knew her name!) came and put her arm around me. After I blubbered to her about being a horrible mother for not being able to handle the stress she gently told me to not be so hard on myself... it is hard to see such a small baby suffer.

Well what was supposed to be a short 1 or 2 night stay ended up being 6 nights. Boy were we glad to get you home! By the time you came home you were 7 weeks old... the month had almost passed already!!

That next week went by fast. You were much better and your feeding situation was better as well. But last week you came down with thrush... and another cold... it just isn't fair! You have been through so much in your small life... I can't wait until you are better... spring is here and you become the happy baby I know you really are!

If nothing else this past month has taught me to how to truly lean on God! And this month also brought us your first smile! Now you smile so much... especially when mommy and daddy talk to you. But right now your favorite thing is when your little sis talks to you and points out the parts of your face. You give her a smile that could light up the night sky!

We love you so much Josiah and you are becoming a bigger part of our life more and more each day... Can't wait to see what this next month brings us!!

I think I'm in heaven

Josiah just recently started to bump bedtime back up to a normal hour... For about three weeks I couldn't get him to sleep before midnight! This week we have slowly migrated back to a decent hour. Somewhere between 8 and 10... and then I don't hear from him till somewhere between 2-4 depending on when he finally went to sleep...

Four to five hours of sleep for me... Heaven, I tell ya!

Tax Return: Here I come!

There is nothing I love more in the world then spending my hubby's hard earned money... With his input and permission of course!

So that being said, as soon as we found out how much money we were getting back this year we started making plans for it (after we picked our jaws up off of the floor!)

First and foremost we are about to become debtless people! (Aside from money owed to parents... but who counts that since it doesn't show on credit reports?) We are well on our way to fixing our credit so we will be approved for a bigger house when the kids hit puberty. We are very excited to get rid of the rest of our debt... We hope to stay that way... The only thing left now is regular living expenses.

The second thing we planned for was money set aside for a trip out to Indiana to visit Pete's parents. We saw them last spring but haven't seen his sisters and brother since 2004. So gas will cost us big time... better set aside the money while we have it!

Third and lastly... since we felt we were responsible with the first two thirds we decided to splurge with the rest...

Here is what we are getting.. in no particular order...

A stainless steel refrigerator

A stainless steel stove

Dvd player for the van ( Don't have link yet because we haven't decided which one... we wanted to get one that installed on the roof of the van but due to the crazy console we have up there we can't do it! So we may be stuck with the ones that hang on the backs of the front seats)

I am also hoping to convince Pete to let me get some things for my newest hobby... Diaper sewing... It's so much fun!

Like this, or this, or maybe even some of this!

Can't wait for that check to come in!

Happy Valentine's Day

Check it out! It's here in town for the first time.

Pete gave me an early gift for Valentine's Day. Two tickets for a date out of the 25th of Feburary.

We are going to go out for lunch to a restaurant we haven't tried yet, then go to the show. I am so excited because I have always wanted to see it. He sold something of his to get the money to take me. How sweet is that?? It will be the first outing we have had since before the baby was born. Ah... an afternoon without babies... I can't wait!

He told me about it today while I was having a rough day with the babies. He really comes through when I need it the most! I really love my hubby...

A smile

I know its dark but the flash scares the smile away!!

And who would ever think such a cute face could have a mouth with the death grip of a pirahna??

He did it!!!

Josiah is finally smiling!!!!

And now he won't go to sleep because he wants to play and use his new found talent!

I have graduated!

I am sitting here as we speak... er uh read... Nursing Josiah... and typing with both hands at the same time!! See?? I graduated!!

I am so excited that today went better. The pain is still there. Not as bad. Just kinda there. Today he also started to nurse without the supplementer and then when he is done I finish him up with the bottle. It is working much nicer because I was getting so frustrated with that dumb thing.

So I really believe that he is getting something or he wouldn't be staying on... if there was no milk he would pop off and start screaming... I am beginning to hope and believe that this is going to work and I will have a full milk supply.

Everyone keep thinking milky kinds of thoughts!

Where did the day go?

Pumping and breastfeeding is taking up all my time!

I now breastfeed the baby every two hours... and if he isn't ready after two hours I pump...

The lactation consultant told me today that they need to be stimulated every two hours for a couple weeks to build up supply.

Problem? I am using a supplemental system where Josiah gets formula through a tiny tube while nursing to help me build up my supply and to allow him to still get nourishment. The bottle only holds two ounces... Not enough for an 11 lb 7 oz baby. So when I give him the extra ounce in the bottle he isn't ready in two hours for another go around...

So needless to say my day seemed to have vanished into thin air... what with the nursing, pumping and reprimanding Emma all day (who, might I add, seems to know when I can't get her out of the trouble that she creates...)

Ah motherhood....

Moooo!!!

If you ever want to feel like a cow just do this...

1.) Cut a hole in each cup of your bra.

2.) Put the pump mechanism through these holes.

3.) Finish assembling pump parts.

4.) Put bra on with pump parts in all the right places.

5.) Turn on pump.

6.) Grit your teeth in pain.

7.) Sit for twenty minutes while watching milk fall into bottles.

Last but not least....

8.) Moo every once in awhile for good effects....


(If you are wondering... I am trying to relactate... Josiah is allergic to all the formulas... this is my last hope... Pray for success...)

We're Baaack!

Wow... what long week I had!!

Last Saturday night (Jan. 28) Josiah's cold got really bad and I started to notice that he was having a hard time breathing... So I brought him in to the ER. After about four hours there they told me he just had a cold and that I should just watch him and it would eventually go away...

So Sunday we got up and got ready for church... We went and Josiah was okay not himself but okay... By afternoon he had thrown up every feeding I gave him, was still having a hard time breathing and wasn't wetting his diapers much... So we made a second trip to the ER...

This time after closer examination, a few tests and listening to me recount the last 24 hours to at least five different residents, they finally decided to admit him. The head of pediatrics for that shift assured me it would probably be just an overnight observation...

Sometime in the middle of the night he started to have a harder time breathing and his oxygen levels went down so they gave him oxygen.. The would then pound on his chest..(something called Chest Percussion Therapy) and then deep suction him with a catheter that went in his nose and down into his chest...

At around 4 AM I broke down... I was by myself and could no longer stand watching them do all they had to do... So I called my mom and she came out to be with me...

So what turned out to be a supposedly short stay at the hospital turned out to be a six night stay! He would seem to get better but then have to be put back on oxygen and get more breathing treatments... Then on Thursday he started to throw up after every feeding...

So they put him back on the IV after he had already been taken off of it... Then on Friday they took it off again and then back on again and went into some investigation of the cause...

Eventually they came to the crazy conclusion that he has a milk protein intolerance. Now I knew already that he was having a problem because he is on Nutramagen... A hypoallerginic formula. But now they were saying it was bad enough to warrent another formula change. This one would cost us $128 a week!!!

Finally after changing his formula and watching him for another 24 hours we got to go home on Saturday afternoon... Now, I think he was getting sick after the feedings because he had so much mucus! But who am I??? Certainly not the doctors!

Today we went in for a checkup to make sure he was doing okay... I told his pediatrician about the formula change they made at the hospital but that Josiah didn't seem to like it and wouldn't take more than 2 ounces instead of his normal 4... Not to mention we were back to getting up every two hours... So the ped told me to go back to the Nutramagen since it had been working before he got sick and if he was having problems we would address the issue again...

So that was my week! It sure is good to be home.. I was getting sick of sleeping in that sorry excuse of a fold out bed! My flannel sheets felt so good the other night! And that cafeteria food was good the first few days then it got old! Yumm... finally I was able to get some homemade food!

I am just so glad that Josiah pulled through... and that Emma (who got sick last week as well) is better now.. Now maybe life will settle down into a nice routine and we can move on! Boy I can't wait till spring is here... supposedly six more weeks... We shall see!