Happy Halloween!

It must be a Des Moines thing, but every year, the kids trick or treat the day before Halloween. It's called Beggar's Night, and the kids absolutely LOVE it, regardless of the actual day it falls on. Tonight before the kids scoured the neighborhood for their annual loot, we had a pizza party at the Jacovin's house (one of our neighbors) and the kids got to show off their costumes and play in the backyard together before they got wrapped up in the candy frenzy. Oh and what a frenzy it was!! Katherine and Caleb returned home with more candy and goodies than they could eat in an entire year -- or more than I'll let them! I'm sure they'd have no problem polishing off the bag in a week or so!! LOL!!

Today was also a big day in another way -- it was Andrew's four week birthday. I was looking at him in amazement today ... my sweet, cuddly, innocent little boy who has filled my heart with love and joy in ways I never know possible. He's such a wonderful baby.... so content.... so sweet ... so happy. In some ways, it seems like this past four weeks flew by and he's growing so quickly, and in others, it's hard to remember life without him. It's as if he was with us all along.

Katherine's dance studio is right next to the Hospice where my Grandma stayed the last weeks of her life. When we were on our way home from class last night, she mentioned that she missed Grandma Krekow and wanted to bring doughnuts for the people who were in there now. (Isn't she sweet and thoughtful)???? She started talking about Heaven and Grandma being there and then asked if she got to hold and play with Andrew before we did. Wow... Just wow... What a complex concept for a little 5 year old girl.

Katherine and I picked out this little pumpkin costume for Andrew and I couldn't wait to put him in it today. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best fitting costume in the world, but it's still cute anyway!

Happy birthday to my baby boy!!

The costume wasn't working out too well, so I took it off and got a few in his regular clothes. Oh, and do you notice anything that all of these pictures have in common??? If you said, "he's sleeping" you win!! That's right, my little Sleeping Beauty is getting lots of rest so he can play with his Mommy all night long! LOL!

Not to be outdone by their baby brother, here's the Halloween costumes!

Katherine as Shawn Johnson. Oh, and a little funny... She sat me down today after school and needed to have a *serious* conversation. She was all concerned that her friends wouldn't recognize her. That's right... she honestly believed that everyone would really think she was Shawn. AAAAHHHH, only my Katherine would be truly concerned about that....

Gotta show off the gold baby!! Isn't that medal adorable????

Caleb -- our little Hawkeye. When we were over at Rick and Danyel's house last weekend, they gave him this uniform as they are die hard Cyclone fans, and have no use for anything black and gold. Caleb was more than happy to take if off their hands for them!!

I have to laugh when I look at this next picture of Caleb. It's so him ... such a little charmer, a total showoff, and a complete ham. Oh, and tonight instead of yelling "CHEEEEEZZZE" every time he saw the camera, he started yelling, "I looooove you, Mommy"! totally out of the blue. Man, do I love that kid! He's so stinkin' sweet!!

Katherine just couldn't help herself - she had to start tickling Caleb!

Morgan, my sister's little girl, also came over to trick or treat with us. It was hilarious -- Caleb was terrified of her face paint, and really didn't believe it was Morgan. He wouldn't stand close to her for the longest time! Actually, he really didn't get the whole costume thing at all. Instead of calling someone by their name, he'd only call them the name of their costume. So instead of saying, "Collin and I ......." he'd say, "the lion and I .......". It really freaked him out. It was like he didn't get that all of his friends were dressed up as something else. Thankfully, Katherine wore a leotard, so he had at least one "safe" person tonight! LOL!!

If you look closely, that's Caleb's head behind Katherine. He wasn't warming up to the costume thing very quickly!

A group shot of the kids after we ate pizza. Too fun!! Let the trick or treating begin!!

Oh, and if you're still reading -- my medical mystery is solved! My lovely rash was getting out of control and literally getting worse every time I looked at it. So, I had to make the trip to the doctor today. After blood work and strep culture I finally have an answer.... Remember when I had mastitis? Evidently the good doc thinks that I was allergic to that antibiotic, as it really couldn't be anything else. So yea, fun times! Oh, and yet another drug I can't take or am allergic to!

Dots, dots and more dots!

This morning I woke up to the shock of my life. I am completely covered HEAD TO TOE in polka dots. That's right, my friend... I've got a fully body rash and no clue how I got it or where it came from..... But it's freaky looking, itches like crazy, and is only getting worse. It's literally everywhere -- my face, the top of my feet and palms of my hands. I can't touch a thing, because if I do, it only itches more. Oh, these are the fun times! I'm wondering... can one be allergic to lack of sleep?? LOL!!

So, since I generally don't trust DO's (sorry Danyel) I think I'm going to try and get into my dermatologist in the morning. Hopefully he can do something to clear this eyesore up!

Oh -- and my last post about the good news... I haven't heard anything yet, so being the eternal optimist that I am, I'm putting this in the "no news is good news" category. Please keep sending good thoughts and prayers, and I'll let you know as soon as I do!

Tonight Katherine wore her costume to dance class, and she was the hit of entire studio! (All the kids wore costumes). She wore her Shawn Johnson leotard and then today I went to this chocolate store and bought her gold medals to wear as well. All the girls just loved it, and Katherine was glowing the entire time. It was super nice out today, so after her class was over she went outside to wait for me while I buckled Andrew up in his car seat. I heard two girls gossiping about her. They loved her costume and wanted to get one just like it. They couldn't believe her gold medal was chocolate -- after all , how cool is that??? They only had one question -- was she Shawn or Nastia?? I'll post pictures after we trick or treat, so you can be the judge!

Tomorrow we're trick or treating, so I'll be posting pictures of the three kiddos. Be on the lookout for them! And I'm going to try and take some outdoor pics of Andrew all dressed up in his new pumpkin costume that I bought him. It's so cute!

Good thoughts needed...

I don't want to go into details just yet -- just in case things don't work out the way we've hoped, but please, please PLEASE send any good thoughts you have our way over the next day or so. We're waiting and *hoping* for some really great news - and yes, I can't wait to share it with all of you if things work out -- but until then just keep us in your thoughts prayers and be on the look out for some exciting updates!

Until then.... :-) Ann

Oh, man....

am I tired, and not just in a "wow, I could really use a nap" kind of way, but in a "totally delirious, somewhat delusional, I could sleep for a week" kind of way. I've got the kind of pure exhaustion that makes you really wonder how you can function, let alone keep three kids happy, safe, fed, bathed, and well... just alive! Literally, I've had under three hours of sleep every night since Andrew was born, and shockingly enough, I'm starting to adapt -- I'm not crabby, the kids are getting to all of their activities, and life seems normal without a normal amount of sleep. However, I am doing some really dumb, out of character stuff....

Here's a little peek into my altered state....

Tonight after the kids got up from their nap we headed over to my parent's house. When my dad opened the car door to get Caleb, we instantly realized that I forgot to buckle him in. So there he was, sitting in his car seat, totally unprotected if I would have been in an accident. I couldn't believe it. Oh, and this is coming from someone who almost didn't let Katherine ride the bus to school because I didn't think it was safe enough...

Friday night Katherine has gymnastics class at Chow's. We were expecting someone at the house, so I was putting on Katherine's shoes so we could get out of there quickly. On the way out to the car, Katherine starts laughing at me and says, "Mommy, how long would it have taken you to realize that my shoes were on the wrong feet?" UUUMMM, that would be never! I have no clue what I was thinking, but not only did I put on and tie ONE shoe on the wrong foot, but BOTH. Good night!

Andrew was crying for a good 30 minutes, and I HAD to go to the bathroom. I held it for as long as I could and then for some reason, I decided that I had to go, and actually walked into the bathroom holding Andrew. Katherine instantly started laughing and then I realized how insane it was that I actually considered (or thought it was acceptable) to bring him into the bathroom with me.

This morning I started unloading the dishwasher while I fed the kids breakfast. (I run the dishwasher every night and unload it every morning, so this is as routine as it gets). I had all the silverware into the drawer before I realized I didn't run the dishwasher the night before and had put all the dirty stuff into the drawer. UUUUUGH! So I had to take every stinkin' piece of silverware we own and rewash it all! NICE!

I officially have a new favorite breakfast. I'm sure you're just dying to know what I'm eating in the morning! LOL!! I now eat of bowl of dry Cheerios. Why? Because if it takes me an hour to actually finish eating, it's perfectly fine. Since there's no milk, it never gets soggy, and if I happen to forget a spoon, then I guess I just happen to forget the spoon and can still eat it. Yea, that's exhaustion!

I'm losing it, I tell ya!! But, since Andrew just dozed off, and Matt is still at the Metallica concert, I'm off to bed. Sleep... sweet sleep! Nighty-night!!

Random thoughts....

I have so much to blog about, but quite honestly by the time the kids are in bed at night, it's all I can do to keep my eyes open for one more minute. So, clearly my blogging time is non-existent. BUT, I promise that'll change!

Since I haven't blogged in ages, here are some random thoughts from the past week.

1. Andrew is still nocturnal -- he's up all night long, and by the time 4:00 am hits, any short 15 minute catnaps are out of the question. He's WIIIIDE awake and ready to party!!

2. Remember the "wonderful" advice -- rest when your baby rests??? Whoever gave such wonderful advice, clearly didn't have a three year old boy at home. Oh, how nice it'd be to have a little nap during the day, but it just doesn't happen, and it's fine. I must say, it's really nice to have some alone time with Caleb... just to focus on him without him having to compete for my attention with Andrew.

3. So far, Katherine and Caleb have been so wonderful with Andrew. They love to help out -- getting little things for him, singing to him when he cries and always kissing the top of his head. It makes it so much easier on all of us when there aren't jealously (and thus discipline) issues.

4. We're full swing into Halloween mode around here!! Yesterday we carved pumpkins and I roasted the seeds. The kids had a blast pulling out the pumpkin guts and are so proud of their creations. Matt bought special pumpkin candles, and lit them last night. Katherine and Caleb were just giddy!! Gotta love it!!

I must admit, any holiday is infinitely more fun when you can observe it through the eyes of your child. Watching them enjoy every little detail really makes you appreciate each moment, and want to make it as special as possible for them. Their eyes just light up with excitement, and their world is instantly magical. Oh, how I love it all. I love watching them experiencing it all.... watching their wonder... watching them as if it were the first time any of us had experienced it, and in many ways, it is the first time for all of us....

5. Katherine has decided that she wants to be Shawn Johnson for Halloween and nothing else will do. I've been looking all over for the *perfect* leotard, but haven't found anything close -- it has to be long sleeve, a solid color (preferably red or blue), made out of the traditional shiny material -- ie no velour/velvet and doesn't have a goofy skirt attached or legs in it. I've scoured the Internet and looked at local shops, but didn't find anything.... until today. Danyel -- you're going to die, but I bought her this leotard, and she's over the moon excited. Keep in mind, not only is this her Halloween costume, but she can actually wear it for at least TWO seasons. Oh, and she loves it, so how could I resist??? Right, I really couldn't!

Oh, and a little funny -- while were were looking at leotards, I pulled the one we bought down and asked Katherine what she thought. We both instantly fell in love, but Katherine had one concern...

K: Mommy, where's the bra that comes with this?
Me: UUUMMM, leotards aren't sold with bras. (I'm sure I gave her a what are talking about kind of took, as I heard snickers and laughter behind us)
K: Well, what will I put in the top then?
Me: What????
K: You know Mommy, what can I put in my chest so that I look like Shawn?
Me: Nothing honey. You don't need anything in your shirt. (Oh, my goodness... my 5 year old is already thinking of stuffing her shirt with stuff so that she has a chest. Heaven help us all......)
K: How will I get it to stick out then? You know... like yours and Shawn's?
Me: UUUUUMMM, it won't be sticking out, girlfriend!

6. Last night, Matt and I had our first date night since Andrew was born. We found the most wonderful babysitter, Mary Claire (who happens to be Isaac's girlfriend's little sister) and the kids LOVED her. Shockingly enough, Katherine actually asked me this morning when she could come back. Always a good sign!! We had planned to go to Bonefish Grill as I've been craving a pomegranate martini, but since the wait was 45 minute we went to a local place that we LOOOOVE. We had a relaxing evening, with real conversation and as a bonus, Andrew slept the entire time. Yea, we brought him along, but I didn't want to leave him with a new sitter, or any sitter for that matter yet.

7. As soon as the kids wake up from their nap, we're headed over to my parent's house for dinner. Matt is heading out tonight with some of the neighbor guys for a Metallica concert -- Troy happened to get a box suite, so he invited the whole 'hood to join him. I'm sure you can see me beaming with pride! Metallica -- you've got to be kidding me! UUUUGH! Anyway, the kids and I are going to hang out at my parent's house, so we're looking forward to that.

8. Speaking of looking forward to something -- tomorrow Katherine doesn't have school. Oh, Happy Day!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to have her with us for the whole day! I told her she could pick anything she wanted to do, so we're headed to the Playground for Kids in Ankeny. Morgan (my sister's little girl) is spending the night with my parents tonight, so my mom and Morgan will come too. I'm sooo looking forward to it!

Pictures!!

You have to check out these pictures. Rick and Danyel invited us over for dinner on Friday night and the kids had the best time. It was a gymnastics extravaganza -- her little girl, Ryan, is also totally hooked and Rick made a bar for her to do flips on. Holy cow! It was such a hit!! The kids couldn't get enough of that thing!

Oh, and most importantly, thanks to Auntie Danyel, Andrew slept like a champ Friday night. I got a little over three hours of uninterrupted rest and slept like a rock myself. When he finally woke up to eat, and I looked at the clock, I was so dumbfounded I thought I was seeing things! So thanks to our dear friends! Andrew is already wondering when he gets to hang out with Auntie Danyel again! LOL!!

Not fair...

Not to sound like a total whiner or overly dramatic, but man... could anymore medical conditions infect this house? First Caleb came down with the flu right after Andrew came home from the hospital, then Matt got it again last week, then on Saturday morning Katherine started medication for strep throat, and now me... I've got mastitis, and I've got to tell you, it's killing me! I literally want to hit the ceiling every time Andrew needs to eat. It's so bad that it's brought tears to my eyes.... UUUUGH! Not fun. I've got a fever, the chills, I ache all over and am exhausted to boot. It's just terrible.

Today while I was driving the car, every little bump I hit made me want to scream, and ANY temperature change literally made me ill. Not sure what I was thinking, but I let it go WAY to long. I assumed the fever and chills were due to the flu, and the pain, was just that... random pain. I didn't give it a ton of thought, but today it got so bad that I had to call the doctor. Sure enough... mastitis. Great. Like I have time to be sick, or not be 100 percent on top of my game.... LOL!!

So I'm on drugs now, and they assured me that within 36 hours I should feel remarkably better. PLEASE keep your fingers crossed!

Today Michelle and I took Caden and Caleb to Jumpin' Jacks which is one of those inflatable jumping places, and the boys had an absolute blast. It was great -- we were the only ones there, so the boys had the total run of the place. On the way out, Caleb grabbed my hand and said, "Thank you for taking me here today Mommy. I had such a fun time. I yyyyyyove you." Talk about melting my heart! I could just eat him up.... he's so stinkin' sweet!

Speaking of sweet....

On Friday afternoon I got a call from Katherine's school. It was one of her teachers and she wanted to know if it was a good time to talk and if I had a few minutes. My heart skipped a beat. Why on earth would the school be calling me at home, during school hours, and with conferences right around the corner???? A million different scenarios started running through my mind....

She started by telling me that her youngest child was starting high school this year and she had been teaching for almost 20 years now. She then went on to tell me that in all her years of experience, Katherine was one of the sweetest, most respectful, funny, thoughtful kids she's ever taught. She said that not only was Katherine way ahead of the curve academically, but excelling socially as well. She makes friends easily, listens to the teachers, always tries to do her best, was respectful of other's feelings, and tries to include everyone. Then she told me what I've known for about 5.5 years now -- she takes a while to warm up to strangers. Shocking I know! She said that Katherine was an absolutely amazing child and we have every reason to be incredibly proud of her. She then told me tons of funny stories about Katherine and the stuff she does and says in school. We ended up talking for about 15 minutes and at the end of the conversation she wanted to know if she could come and watch Katherine at the Olympics! I had to laugh! Evidently Katherine was trying to teach the class how to do cartwheels and roundoffs during center time!

I'm sure every mom thinks that they have the most amazing, charming, funny, sweet child on the planet, but when someone calls you out of the blue to tell you that, it's a great feeling!

My baby boy...

Right before I we left the hospital, I took these pictures of Andrew. He was still in his little hospital shirt and ID bracelets. He was sleeping so peacefully, and as sweet as could be. Oh, how I love to snuggle with him. He's so cuddly and warm -- perfect in every way, and absolutely precious.






All dressed and ready to head home! We had planned to leave the hospital hours before, but right as we were leaving, Andrew spit up some bright green stuff, which was about the color of his car seat, so the pediatrician wanted us to stay for a few more hours just so Andrew could be watched and they could make sure everything was OK. Thankfully it was, and we got home around 7:30 or so.

Here are Katherine and Caleb with their new little brother shortly after we arrived home.

A few more

Matt's parents came down Friday night to meet Andrew. They went to watch Katherine's gymnastics class at Chow's and then made the trip to the hospital when it was done.

Pictures!!

At long last... here are a few pictures of Andrew. I knew it had to be bad when my sister in law called and read me the riot act and demanded to see pictures of her new little nephew. So I promised that I'd post some yesterday. BUT, Matt ended up getting the flu and spent a good 24 hours locked in the basement, and I had all three kids to myself with 2 hours of sleep the first night, and less than that amount last night. So, I'm spent. Absolutely exhausted... It's so bad that Katherine calls Andrew "octurnal" (nocturnal). He just doesn't sleep at night, and since I'm playing with Caleb all day, there's no time for me to rest.

So, here's a few pictures, and I'll post some more as soon as I get some sleep.

Matt cutting Andrew's cord and the neonatal team giving Andrew oxygen and cleaning out his little lungs.

Caleb meeting Andrew for the first time. He's doing remarkably well adjusting to his new little brother and not getting my full attention anymore. Actually, it couldn't be going more smoothly in my wildest dreams. He's so gentle with Andrew -- holding his little hand, kissing the top of his head, and singing to him whenever he starts to cry. It absolutely melts my heart.... He's an amazing big brother, and I'm so thankful that he's adjusting to this new chapter of his life so well.

Katherine and I with Andrew. He was about 1.5 or 2 hours old in this picture, and Danyel and Andrea had just brought the kids down to meet their new little brother.




Here's the new big sister! This was taken the next afternoon after the kids had a chance to go home, relax and get some sleep. Katherine LOVES holding Andrew, and will take him every chance she gets!

More pictures soon! I promise! I just need to get through this sleep deprived fog that I've been living under for the past few days.

Welcome to the world!!!

He's here, and he's beautiful beyond words. I'm soooo love! It's amazing how instantly you fall head over heels in love with someone you just laid your eyes on. All week I've been pinching myself, trying to grasp how truly blessed I am....

Since I'm exhausted, here's the quick version of his birth....

Remember that I had my doctor appointment at 11 that morning??? I dropped Caleb off at my mom's house around 10, and then took off for my appointment. I was in so much pain, that I called Matt and told him that he'd have to leave work at noon regardless of what the doctor said. There was just no way I was physically able to take care of Caleb that day.

When I got to the doctor, I was dilated to a 3 and in active labor. Woo-Hoo!! So I called two of my neighbors (Andrea and Danyel) and asked for a couple of favors. My mom was going to drop Caleb off at Andrea's house around 2 and them she'd keep Katherine when the bus dropped her off around 3:30. Danyel was going to take Katherine to gymnastics (which she had NO interest in going to that night). Depending on when the little guy was born, they'd drive my car and bring the kiddos down to the hospital.

Matt met me at home and we took off for the hospital. We arrived downtown around 12:30 and I was admitted into a room (and out of triage) around 1:00. As soon as I got to the room, my L&D nurse started an IV (which was horrible). She missed my vein the first time, and had to "dig" around in my arm trying to hit it. Finally she blew the vein and I still have a lovely bruise to show for it. I about wanted to hit her over the head!! She got the IV set the second time in my other hand, so we were in business!! The doctor came in and broke my water, and within 30 minutes I had my epidural! So life was good!!

I picked up the phone, and chatted it up with tons of different people. Matt got a bite to eat, and we relaxed. I was on the phone with a different neighbor of mine around 5:30, and all of sudden, realized that the little guy was coming and NOW....

Bobbi, my nurse, made a comment on how high the baby still was, and said that she thought he was a big one... Exactly what I didn't want to hear when I was about ready to start pushing! Regardless, I had to ask her how big she thought he was. WRONG move!! She guessed him at 8 pounds 12 ounces. OMG, I nearly had a heart attack. Literally, the fear of God was in me, and I was afraid to push....

I was fully dilated, and only had to push for 10 - 15 minutes. It was a super easy delivery and our little guy was born at 5:56 pm. Here's the details...

Andrew Patrick
7 pounds 6 ounces
19 3/4 inches long

He's absolutely beautiful and I promise to upload pictures soon.

However, since Andrew was a meconium baby, I wasn't able to hold him for the first hour after he was born. He was on oxygen and the neonatal team worked on cleaning out his lungs. It just broke my heart. As you can imagine, I was in tears and when I found out that a resident was taking the lead, I nearly jumped out of my skin. My poor baby was having a very hard time breathing, and someone I didn't feel was qualified was working on him during this fragile time... Let's just say that a few choice words escaped my lips..... Everything turned out fine, and he's strong and healthy.

Danyel and Andrea brought the kids down at 7:30. I am beyond thankful to have such wonderful neighbors and friends. It was such a relief not to have to worry about Katherine and Caleb and trust that they were in good hands!

Danyel told me that Katherine was so excited to meet her little brother and she was absolutely glowing and full of smiles the whole way down there. Oh, how I wish I could have seen her face on the way to the hospital when she was anticipating what it would be like to hold her new little brother.

So far, both Katherine and Caleb have been beyond wonderful with Andrew. They love to hold him, cuddle with him, mother him, and "play" with him. I was worried that Caleb would be jealous, but so far, he's been nothing but loving and protective of his new little brother. He constantly wants to teach him all about cars, trucks, diggers, and the list goes on and on.... Katherine begs to cuddle with and hold Andrew as soon as she gets up in the morning and as soon as she walks in the door at night. She's such a good big sister, and I'm thankful beyond words that neither one of them is jealous!

Breastfeeding.... now I know this is a sensitive subject, and it's not my intention to ignite a firestorm, so please remember that this is my blog and my opinion. Either way, I'm not judging, I just do what I feel is right for me and my kids. With that being said, I do breastfeed my kids. However, I forgot how incredibly painful it was in the beginning and seriously wanted to quit on Sunday. I was miserable... sore, huge, you know... it was horrible. Andrew was having a hard time nursing and I was getting frustrated. So frustrated that I snapped at Katherine over a pair of shoes in the closet. Shameful, I know.... But, I was moody and wanted more than anything for the pain to go away. I was about ready to quit. In fact, I must have thought about quitting enough that I talked to several people about it and told them that it just wasn't working this time. I spent way too much time pumping, crying though the pain, and in sheer disbelief at how hard it was this time. Finally after a few days, things got better, and we're finally in a groove. The pain is, for the most part, gone. Thankfully!

Andrew just started to cry, so I need to run, but promise to post tomorrow and get some pics out here soon!

Good Morning....

.... and Happy 6th birthday to my niece, Morgan! Will she share a birthday with our new little guy??? I'm guessing so....

I haven't slept a wink all night, and today I'm just tired. All day yesterday the contractions kept coming, but not regular enough to call the doctor or make the trip to the hospital. When I went to bed last night they were about 15 minutes apart, so I called to alert my mom to be ready to come over.

Well.... the contractions stayed about 15 minutes apart all night --- just regular and painful enough that I never got any sleep. So today I'm pretty tired, but at least I have an appointment with my OB at 11. With all the contractions that I've had over the past 24 hours, I'd be SHOCKED if there wasn't progress! All this pain has to be worth something!!

I'll try to update after my appointment and let you all know how it's going. Keep your fingers crossed that the end is in sight!

OMG... the pain is getting out of control! I'm ready to get this started!