Our Day

We had a busy day yesterday. I got all the kids up and out the door in a hurry since Gavin had an Easter Egg Hunt at school and Emma Kate had her 9 month check up. (She is actually nine months and three weeks old.) We made it to the Dr.'s office on time(I am usually late). I had an appointment in the Annex, a building where only well children are seen. Our main office is separated into sick and well waiting rooms, but at the annex, even the examining rooms are for all well children. I really like going on that side. Plus, they see you quicker over there since there is only one doctor at a time. We were in and out in one hour, whereas at the main building it usually takes two. We had to eat breakfast(granola bars for Owen and I and a cereal bar for EK) in the examining room though. Pretty gross, but we managed.

Emma Kate weighed in at 18 lbs 7 oz(45%) and is 28 3/4 (75%) inches long and her head was 17 3/4 inches around.

Since she had a CBC last time, I asked Dr. A if I could see her results since it contains markers of Beta Thalassemia Trait(a genetic blood disorder the boys have that causes anemia). She definately has it. She will have a larger CBC panel run in July to make sure. This bothers me a bit since she is a female and because of menstrual cycles and pregnancies, she could become really anemic very quickly. My theory that she doesn't have it since her jaundice levels never became really high was wrong. :( My children will also need to evalute their partner's blood since two parents with the trait can have a child with Cooley's anemia which is fatal. I want grandchildren. :(

Other, than that, everything is normal. I did request a lead test at her one year checkup since she is constantly putting everything in her mouth. I have even noticed paint scraped off of some of the toys. She also eats paper, grass, etc. (I do take this stuff away from her, but as the quick baby of three children, sometimes I am not fast enough for her.) Dr. A also mentioned that since I am still breastfeeding, that EK should get direct sunlight several times per week without sunscreen so that her body will produce enough Vitamin D.

Owen isn't feeling well. He has a cold that results in a constant runny nose that has really chapped his upper lip. He wants to constantly lick, wipe, or water on his upper lip to alleviate some of the discomfort but really is just making it worse.

After our appointment, we went to the park to meet Gavin's class for his egg hunt. I really like watching Gavin from a distance interacting with other children. It just makes me well up with emotion inside. It is neat(and scary) that he has a life outside of us. (I want to elaborate on the scary part. I just want to protect him and keep him safe, and yes, I realize I can't baby him forever.) The egg hunt was neat, but I wasn't able to get as many pictures as I wanted. I think Gavin was, and know Owen was irritated at me for interrupting their fun for pictures. The party moms arranged for a Shave Ice guy to be there which was really neat. It has been sooo long since I have had one of those.

After that, we joined my parents for lunch and then headed home to play outside. We took a nature walk(well, I walked and the boys drove their Power Wheels and EK rode in her push car) and found some caterpillars. We brought them home on a stick(we scared the poor things, poking and proding them so much), took pictures and talked all about their life cycles. Last night, we read, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle and created the life cycle of a butterfly. I let each of them choose their media. Gavin chose markers and paper and Owen chose playdough. I also had Gavin label his stages as well, then they both verbally told me the different stages. How is that for an impromtu lesson?

Spring Happenings

I really don't have a lot of time to blog anymore. The laptop used to fit so perfectly on my lap while holding Emma Kate and now that is no longer the case. Lately it has been more spring-like as far as the weather so we have been spending lots of time outside which is where all three of the kids are their happiest. I have also increased my hours at work. I am still struggling with the decision to homeschool or send Gavin to public school next year and I just don't feel at peace with either option. I truely wish we could afford private school but not at the expense of not being at home to enjoy Emma Kate like I got to with the boys. I am also having to face my fears of roaches. We get the huge things in our house every summer and I am terrified of them. They make me want to bleach everything and since they are nocturnal, I have an incredibly hard time going to sleep at night in fear that one will crawl around my house. I have started early this year with pest control so we are crossing our fingers. What is bad is that the boys know this is my worst fear. I won't even let them get fake bugs from the Dollar Tree like they always ask for, because if I see a fake one laying there, it may cause unneeded stress and heart palpations. Seriously. I am not joking.

That said, there are a lot of great things happening at our house this spring, too. I love having fresh produce to choose from that is American grown. I don't always trust the pesticides and water-cleaning practices of foreign countries so, American grown is usually what I try to buy with the exception of bananas, avocados, etc. However, with the recent recalls on tomato, peanuts, and pistachios, I don't always feel safe eating anything these days.

We have been trying to get up and make it for Sunday school as well as church. We haven't been to both in years, mainly for having young kids with nap times, being able to sit still, and needing to be fed(breastfeeding). We have made it to Sunday school for two Sundays. Emma Kate has been attending our class(I am just not ready to hand her off to the nursery) and Owen and Gavin attend their own class. The first Sunday, Owen went kicking and screaming and Gavin ended up having to stay in his class. This past Sunday, they both went their own ways. Gavin is tired of having to go to "baby classes" because of Owen and Owen said, "I will go, but I won't sing with them". He went but didn't sing with them. LOL


I think we all should have a child's heart when it comes to knowing and understanding Christ. Children have a yearning for God, that adults replace with other things. I know that I am guilty of this all the time. For Easter, I bought the boys an Easter story book and an animated Passion of the Christ DVD. I decided that we should go ahead and give it to them so they would understand Passover, the Last Supper, and Easter beforehand. (Gavin has Bible at school and Owen knows some about Jesus and God, but they often focus on the nativity. Owen thinks of Jesus as a baby.) I read the book to them and stopped at every page to allow time for questions and then I asked comprehension questions of them, etc. I was surprised and thrilled that Owen knew what sin was. It may have been a lucky guess or a guess based on context clues, but low and behold, he said, "When you do bad stuff." (Layman's terms, LOL) Then we watched the DVD as a family this weekend. Normally, we make them watch kid movies in their room right before bedtime so that Eddie and I can have some time alone. However, we felt that we needed to be available to answer questions, etc for them. Since then, Owen has wanted to watch the movie everyday. They definately know that Easter isn't about bunnies. We don't even tell them about an Easter bunny. They will get small baskets from us, but no Easter bunny visits or anything like that. I want them to know why we celebrate Easter and never get confused about the true meaning.


I am also excited about next week since it is Spring Break for Gavin and for the college. This means that Eddie doesn't have to teach and will be at home every night around 3:30pm. Yay for Daddy! (EK would throw her arms up in a V-shape on each side of her head and squeal, when you say, "Yay, for ...") He will be able to get much needed and deserved rest and the kids will get lots of daddy-time. Mommy will also be able to keep the house much cleaner and organized since I will have help.


This past weekend we were able to see my cousin, aunt and uncle who I have not seen for several years(long story there) and my grandmother. I thought for the first time to take a generation shot of the women(making a note to do this with papa as well with the boys). They didn't stay long, but it was neat just to see them.



Prayer Requests: Please pray that I will be lead in direction about Gavin's school. It is like I don't know how to hear God unless something is just dropped into my lap, then I question even then, whether it is truely God or not.