4 more days (insert happy dance)!!!!!

Yes ONLY 4 more days of school for the kiddos. BRING ON summer time:) I am looking forward to Friday and no more school and crazy schedules. I can relax, and enjoy my kiddos. Although this weekend was a crazy busy one, but a fun one with the family.
Friday night we went to our parish picnic, all the kiddos were interested in was riding the rides, which was fine with me. For the most part they loved the rides. H and M rode a kiddie "roller coaster" basically little hills with a little turn type roller coaster. Well I can tell you M is not going to be my roller coaster girl- LOL!!! I kept telling hubby while they were riding she looked like she was going to throw up and he said no I think she is bored. UM nope when she got off she said "Whew! I almost threw up!" LOL!!! I had a blast watching the kiddos have fun and the bond they have together (going on rides with each other, helping each other etc..) is so precious.
Saturday we were split in all different directions, hubby at the gym, my mom had M at gymnastics- she moved up to Gold Team!!!! SO PROUD of her and all the hard work she has put into it:) and I had H and L with me for H's tball game and family day at the ball fields. H did great in his game, I love watching my kiddos in sports and we had fun at the family day at the ball fields. I sure was thankful that his game was early in the morning- it was a HOT one! That afternoon the kiddos and I headed to a birthday party for a friends little girl and then to a family get together that evening. Sunday was church and M's gymnastics meet (she got another trophy- she loves getting those!)as well as a girl scout meeting in the evening. Last girl scout meeting of the school year and M got quite a few new badges to put on her vest. Great weekend with my kiddos!
This morning H's class had a class picnic at the park. It turned out to be a gorgeous day and we all had a great time. H played and played for 3.5 hours and ate a little during that time! I got some great pictures of him with his friends. L enjoyed being outside and watching the kiddos. We fed the ducks right before we left- they were really hungry and a bit aggressive it frighten the kiddos so we didn't stick around the ducks too long. It was a great morning and makes me look forward to picnics in the park this summer with all my kiddos.
Hope everyone has a great week! (how about that, two posts in one day, what's gotten into me- LOL!!)

11 months

WOW!!! Eleven months old already! Time is flying by way to fast and you are growing up too fast *sniff*sniff*. L you are a pure joy, and the happiest baby. You just adore your brother and sister and I am starting to see a special bond between you and H, the sweetest ever, it makes mommy's heart just smile:) You are a very busy little one, who loves to down on the floor playing and getting into anything and everything. You are very determined, you don't let anything or anyone get in your way and if they try whew the temper you have- LOL! I laugh now but have a feeling I won't be in a year or so. You are crawling and cruising all over the place and we have been catching you more and more standing alone. I have a feeling you will be walking or close to walking at your first birthday. You love to play pat a cake, itsy bitsy spider, and twinkle twinkle little star as well peek a boo. You give THE BEST baby hugs ever, I just love to get hugs; and kisses oh my nothing like open mouth slobbery kisses:) You are "talking" more and more. You say momma really really well! It sounds like you try to say your sisters nickname, and occasionally you will say dadda, we've also heard papa.
You are 20.5lbs- we were just at the doctors on Friday for your ear infection:( although you seem to be doing better. You are still in a size 3 diaper but probably moving up to a 4 soon. Clothes are anywhere from a size 12 to a size 24 months (the 24 months are dresses that are a little big on you but look just fine plus it gives you more time to wear them!). You are still taking 3 bottles a day and it varies on how much of them you actually take. Baby food you love your fruits:) Not a huge fan of the green veggies especially spinach and green beans however you do "tolerate" peas, and mixed veggies. I still cannot get you to eat meat so I have quit trying for now. You are LOVING the snacky baby foods like the puffs, and the yogurt melts etc... you are also a fan of chee.r.ios and r.it.z crackers. You do great with a sippy cup even the one without handles:) You still have only one little tooth so I am not sure on starting table foods etc.. although you had some apple today at the park and corn the other night and did great. You LOVE to make a mess with your foods, I think you do it so I have to give you a bath because you absolutely love the water and bath times, you will get upset when bath time is over. I just recently started bathing you in the big tub, it is a challenge because you are all over the place, pulling up, crawling etc.. but having a blast.
I could go on and on about you. You are a pure joy and I am so blessed you are my daughter! Happy 11 months old L (Oh and you can slow down anytime now;)

Ear Infection and more

My baby girl has her first ear infection:(  Poor Miss L hasn't been herself this week, she has been extremely clingy, and fussy- which she never is! She hasn't been sleeping well, not eating well and coughing more- she has had a small cough for about a month probably allergies. Then this morning I noticed she was running a fever so I called the doctors office and they wanted to see her. The "bad" thing was the appointment they gave us was 10:10 this morning. I said "bad" because M was off from school today but H had school (they go to two different schools), so M was looking forward to a girls morning of shopping at the mall. I try to make it up to M by stopping at St.arBu.c.ks for a smoothie and a cake pop. We spent ALL morning at the doctor, it was getting so late and the doctor hadn't been in I thought we were going to have to leave to go get H from school without seeing the doctor. Fortunately the doctor came in and checked out L, she has her first ear infection and is now on antibiotic, the "bubble gum" kind. L does not like the medicine, she spits it out, and it is a fight just to get it into her mouth, crazy enough she takes the tylenol just fine! I am hoping L takes after her brother and sister and this is her only ear infection!
We have another CRAZY CRAZY weekend ahead- tball game, gymnastics practice, gymnastics spring meet, birthday party, family get together, church and girl scouts and that is just Saturday and Sunday. Tonight I am taking the kiddos to the church picnic to ride some rides and play a few games. I love church picnics- I grew up going to them, my hubby however can't stand to go, he doesn't like crowds and doesn't see the "fun" in the picnics.
Speaking of hubby he got a new assignment at work this week and he starts that assignment next Wed. it is a temporary assignment that will be evaluated the end June and could be extended till the end of Aug. He will be doing the same thing he does now just at a different location down in the state. Which means he will be gone ALL week, getting home sometime on Friday nights, and leaving late Sunday afternoon. I am thankful that it will be during the summer, and not during the school year. It is what it is and hopefully this will lead to a promotion and a different assignment/ job after this temp. assignment is over:) It isn't going to be easy on the kiddos but we will manage.
Only 5, yes 5 more days of  school WOO-HOO!!!! Can you tell I am excited:) I am looking forward to summertime, and time with my kiddos!!
Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Mother's Day

I've been contemplating this post and exactly what I want to say about Mother's day and I am still not sure what I want to say/ convey in this post. So here goes. Mother's day is never what I imagined all the years I yearned to be a mother, I think in part to due our struggle with infertility. I have a hard time with Mother's day, yes I am excited to be able to celebrate yet I know there are woman out there that this day brings sorrow and hurt. Just like in church when Father asks all the mothers to stand for a special blessing for some reason I have mixed emotions, I love standing (finally a mommy) yet I hurt for the woman who aren't standing, wondering what they have/ are going through.
I will say the one thing I absolutely love is getting all the special cards and gifts that the kiddos have made at school- I truly cherish those items. This year M's class typed a letter on the computer that says why she loves me: she loves shopping with me and I make yummy pizza:) H made me card and they painted with their fingerprints on a glass cylinder that holds a candle- I got his present Friday afternoon because he was soooo excited. He was so cute when he gave it to me, he warned me it's glass be careful!!! Then when I opened it and saw what it was he said " I could catch it on fire anytime I wanted!" LOL! He's a mess (a  good mess!).
As far as the actual day, it was just a day. The weather was cruddy- raining all day and of course cooler than normal. I went to church with L, just the two of us; M spent the night at my niece's house and H changed his mind and decided he didn't want to go- which I'm not surprised he has a tough time at church. I have to admit I was bummed to be going to church with just L but it was what it was. I did go out for coffee with my aunt and cousin afterwards- which was nice. Then I hurried home so that hubby could go train, so I had the kiddos the rest of the afternoon having lunch and just hanging out. Later in the afternoon we went over to my parents to spend some time with my mom and give her, her gift- I think she liked it, and I hope she enjoys it!!!! (I paid for and got her an appointment with my hairstylist for a haircut and color). Then we went out to dinner just the 5 of us. Going out to dinner is a struggle, because I never know what I want to eat, M is BEYOND picky and due to H's allergies he can't always eat just anything. So we figured out what we wanted and went- it actually went well but then it came time for dessert. We basically went where hubby wanted to go, and it was packed he didn't want to wait so we ended up stopping at Bur.ger K.inG- YUCK and got M some ice cream, H decided he would just have a Popsicle at home; hubby stopped at So.n.ic and got himself a shake and I didn't have any desert. Then it was time for to get the kiddos baths and to bed for school the next day. So in some respects just another Sunday.
I hope you all had a special Mother's Day, for those that struggle with this day, you were in my thoughts and prayers ((HUGS)).

7 years ago today

7 years ago today I should have been giving birth to my first son, William Joseph however God had another plan. On this day 7 years ago I mourned the loss of our son and what should have been a joyous day for us. 7 years ago I picked my nephew up from daycare took him shopping for his new baby sister. I then took my nephew up to the hospital to see his mommy, daddy and new baby sister for the very first time. 7 years ago I stood in my sister-in-laws hospital room happy for them and my new niece while quietly trying to hide the pain inside, wishing that it was me showing my baby to everyone, wishing the pain would go away, wishing that it was all just a horrible horrible nightmare and I would wake up and everything would be different- but it wasn't. I remember every detail of that day 7 years ago. I also remember every detail of my pregnancy and loss of our sweet William. As the years have gone by, it has gotten easier but by no means have I forgotten anything and I still feel the pain and the hurt.
There are days that I wonder what if? There are days I often wonder what it would've been like if things would've been different. But it is God's plan, and God's plan has played out with my little Angel in heaven watching over his baby sisters and brother.
I think what hurts the worst today is some of the "comments" put on my fb post by two of my family members today. I posted my remembrance message for our sweet William. I know that when we lost William that I inadvertently hurt some people in how I dealt with my grief, but I dealt with it the best and only way I knew how. I cannot believe that some people cannot just let me remember my son and grieve the way I want to.

The "adventures" of shopping with 3!!!

WOW! Holy cow! I just got back from a shopping trip from you know where at one of my favorite places Tarjay;) What was I thinking taking all three kiddos in the middle of the afternoon?? I tell you what I was thinking, my three days that H is in school this week I have other things I have to accomplish while he is in school; we needed to get my niece's birthday present and M wanted to pick it out or at least help pick it out so that meant we needed to go sometime after she got out of school. So that is why we headed to Tarjay this afternoon with all three kiddos. Well M typically has  a bit of an "attitude" after a long day at school; H typically falls asleep on the way to pick M up from school so he was still a little sleep = cranky and then you have L who is typically okay till about 3:30ish when she takes her afternoon bottle. ALL three kiddos had their "issues" on the shopping trip, but I was SHOCKED by my sweet baby L!!!! Well Miss Thing has gotten to be a handful, trying to stand (often times succeeding) and throwing a fit each time I would sit her bottom back into the seat- sheesh she has quite the temper already! (Yes I buckle her in the front of the cart however I have one of those cart covers and so I can't use the actual buckle to the cart) M was giving me attitude because I would point stuff out and she would get upset; well come to find out she didn't want her cousin to have something she didn't- WOW! Needless to say I did make her get her cousin something she didn't have (and likes) trying to teach her a lesson. Then there is H who was cranky, and upset that I wouldn't buy him an icee (UGH!!! my mom buys the kids icee's I think every time she takes them to Tarjay), upset that I wouldn't shop in the boys aisle and just cranky because we were shopping to begin with.  Then while I was wrangling with L to stay in her seat, dealing with Cranky H and trying to purchase my prescription I handed M the coupons and asked her to hold them for me- she lost over half of them- how I don't know:(  Then there was me trying to hold L (I finally gave up on trying to keep her in the seat) put the stuff from the cart on the belt and talk to the lady checking us out so I could get gift receipts while M and H also putting stuff on the belt and arguing over who can put what on the belt- talk about chaos.  Needless to say I am so HAPPY to be home!!! I do want to put a disclaimer on this post that I am BEYOND THANKFUL for my three beautiful blessings and love them beyond anything I could ever image (but some days are not easy).

Kristen from Louisville, Ky

This is for SUYL (Show Us Your Life) on Kelly's blog, I am (attempting) to link up to meet and maybe make some new friends in my city:) I would love to find / make some friends who have kiddos who are close to L's age. I am a stay at home mommy of three beautiful kiddos, I am 36 (almost 37 yrs old). All my current friends have kiddos around M and H's age and that was fantastic for play dates especially since I am a stay at home mom and they didn't go to preschool till they were 4 years old. I would love to find/ make some friends who have a kiddo around 10 months of age for play dates.
A little about me, as I mentioned I am a stay at home momma of three kiddos, M is 6.5 yrs, H is 4.5 yrs and L is 10 months old. We struggled with starting our family, going through some infertility issues and the loss of our son. We turned to adoption, and were blessed with two beautiful children and then to continue to grow our family we turned back to fertility treatments and were blessed again with our precious L.  Would love to hear from you if you live in our around the Louisville area:) Who knows maybe we could become friends, meet up at one of the parks or the zoo for a fun play date. Thanks for stopping by and reading :) Have a great Derby weekend!!!