TTT: Season 2, Episode 41

1. New Babies
My very first niece was born this week! Yay! After five consecutive boys (on my side of the family) we finally have a girl. My brother Mike, who just returned home from Afghanistan, and his wife, Casey welcomed little Kennedy Olivia yesterday morning. It will probably be Christmas time before we get to meet her, but man, I can't wait to get my hands on a fluffy little girl! And we also found out this week that another brother, Andy, and his wife Abby are definitely having another boy! Baby Will is due to be born in February and we can't wait to meet him either. If he's anywhere as sweet as our godson/his big brother, John, I know we're going to love him. So of the seven grandkids on the Hefferly side, it will be 6-1. We should have known with my parents having four boys and one girl that it's obviously in the genes! With Kolbe's fourth birthday approaching in just a few weeks, I asked my mom if she ever imagined that in a span of roughly four years she'd have seven grandbabies. Of course she said no way! But it's definitely so much fun and oh so exciting. Lots of children means lots of love. Sure, they're lots of work and sacrifice, but the love we all get back in return as a big family is worth all of that and more.

2. Finding a Routine
I'm happy to say that things are starting to feel somewhat normal around here for me. I even ran into someone I knew at Target the other day. I know that sounds so minimal, but up until this point, I haven't "known" people here outside of my parents, their neighbors, or our neighbors. And the boys and I have finally established somewhat of a routine. Like every Tuesday we go to the library for story time. On Thursday mornings we go to my little book study group with a few other Catholic moms. The only part that is still lacking...and I want to remedy...is our Sunday mass. There are two big Catholic churches in The Woodlands. So far we feel most at home at St. Anthony's, but my parents go to Sts. Simon and Jude. The problem right now lies in Mark's call schedule. Of course we want to go to mass as a family. But when Mark is on call, he usually has to be rounding on patients during the mass we'd like to attend...which is 9am at St. Anthony's. So what usually ends up happening is that I go to my parents' mass so that I can have help with the three boys and Mark goes to the Sunday night 6pm mass. Technically we could all go to this mass together, but it's a very lengthy mass at a not-so-opportune time for toddlers. So right now it's just a mess. And back in Lubbock, going to our regular mass at St. E's was one of the constants in the week that I loved so much and felt so comfortable with. Hopefully we'll be able to figure out something soon. At least everything else seems to be balancing out. Finally.

3. Random
- The weather finally cooled down this week. Like seventies in the day and lows in the forties. Hooray!
- But with the weather change, now I feel like I might be getting a sinus infection. Boo.
- And now I face the dubious task of switching out all the summer clothes for the winter ones. Not fun.
- I got the boys' Halloween costumes made this week. They look adorable! Pictures to come next week.
- Mark has been on call for two weeks. Two weeks straight. His call is the thing I hate the most about his job. It's really not good. At all. Especially for a family with young children.
- Flights were finally booked this week for Mark's parents to come spend Thanksgiving with us. We haven't had guests in several months and we can't wait!
- Grant's four month appointment is next week. After the insanity that was his two month appointment, I'm dreading it! Maybe his extra chubby thighs will make shots more bearable this time around. I'm hoping.
- Can you believe Christmas is just two months away!?! Just typing that makes my anxiety level go up. I've got a lot to do between now and then.

Our new niece!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....(aka: Lubbock)
This picture was taken from my brother, Dave's apartment during one of the biggest dust storms Lubbock has ever seen. Definitely don't miss this part of Lubbock!

Grant has finally taken a liking to "the baby in the mirror"
He smiles and flirts with him no-stop!

Yes, this is a picture of a picture on a computer monitor.
We all keep wondering who Grant looks like. When he's asleep he looks like Kolbe. But this looks exactly like him too. And it's actually Reagan at the same age.

Yesterday my dad came and picked the boys up so they could go to his house and watch as some dead trees were cut down in their backyard. They were definitely fascinated by the brave guys that climbed "way, way, way, way up there!"

And in the mean time, Mama got a nice break and got to spend some time with her favorite little baby!

TTT: Season 2, Episode 40

1. As previously mentioned, we broke down and bought a new minivan back in June, just a few weeks before Grant was born. Our previous rides were a 2004 Camry and a 2004 Altima. Despite the Camry's better condition, we opted to keep Mark's Altima because we knew we'd get a better trade for the Camry and also because the Altima's windows already have a dark tint. Since Mark is parked outside in the constant Houston heat and drives quite a bit for his job, he thought it would be better to just keep driving his same car. Considering it's now 2011, we knew it would only be a matter of time before we started having car issues, but we hoped it would be later rather than sooner. Unfortunately, "later" came "sooner" and the Altima took a turn for the worse this past week. Let's just say that overall I'm not a big fan of the car repair industry. I'm convince that they know that most of us have no idea what we're doing when it comes to car repairs, so they get the privilege of pulling the wool over our ignorant eyes. We took the car up to the Firestone shop that's near our house and thirty minutes later they had a print out (that cost us $100) with over $1,900 in recommended repairs. And of course when we tried to pin them down as to what really needed to be done, they were extremely vague and non-direct. I suppose they are hoping for some fools to just say Oh well, I guess I don't really have a choice...just do it all. Luckily, I've got an awesome dad who knows a little bit about just about everything. He convinced us to let him do a few of the items on the Firestone list, and sure enough, the car was up and running fine within a few days. Still, the whole thing has left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. For example, they planned on charging us $29 each for four spark plugs plus the labor to install them. Mark went to Walmart and bought all four spark plugs for $20 total. They wanted to charge us $130 for a new battery and installation. Our old one still had a warranty on it so we got an $80 replacement battery for $40 and had Pa install it. And really, an ape could change out a car battery. Did they really need to charge us $50 to loosen a few bolts and then tighten them on a new battery? Ugh. I mean, I know they have to make their money somewhere, but come on! Anyway, there's still a few lingering repairs that will need to be done, but at least for now the car is running well and we're only out about $300 instead of $1,900 or whatever. Thank God for Pa's free labor!!!

2. There's many little things about having a new baby that are easy to forget as the months/years go by. And they only pop back up into your memory when they start happening again with the next baby. Case in point would be the massive amount of shedding I've been doing over the past few weeks. I'm sure you've heard everyone rave about how when you're pregnant, your hair and nails thicken up, your skin glows, etc. Well all of a sudden, after the baby is born, all of that seems to just give up and call it quits. Usually around three to four months post partum. It happened to me with both Kolbe and Reagan but with each of them I had short hair, so it didn't seem that noticeable. This time around I have long hair. And it's everywhere! Like after witnessing the massive hairball that forms after shampooing in the shower, I can't help but glance in the mirror to make sure there's not a bald spot somewhere. And my nails keep peeling like crazy. Apparently no amount of prenatal vitamins, water drinking, etc can stop it. Really, it's just a minor annoyance, but with long hair it just seems to be more major. 'Cause man, don't you hate that feeling when you have a hair on your arm or something and it feels like a spider is on you!?! (hopefully that's not just me. I'm not crazy, am I?!?)

Dear Self,

If given the opportunity again in the future, never take full, radiant pregnant-mama locks or strong, shiny pregnant-mama nails for granted ever again. It's your only shot to have these things, 'cause you know good and well that normally your hair is thin, stringy, and bland and your nails are short, brittle, and transparent.

Signed, Self

3. Kolbe is just two years away from being "kindergarten age" and Reagan is three years away. Considering Reagan is still two-years-old and Kolbe is almost four and closer to starting school, I tend to spend more time working with Kolbe on educational type things. Not that I totally neglect Reagan or anything, it's just that he rarely seems interested and tends to be in his own little world when we're working on school stuff. But after this week, I'm starting to think that it's probably less about his interest in learning, and more about his learning style. Kolbe is easy, because he's so much like me. I simply have to put it the way I'd want it explained to me and he seems to get it. But Reagan totally blew me away a few days ago. Kolbe was pointing letters out to me on the computer keyboard and feeling very proud of himself for knowing where they all were. Just for fun I pointed to the "R" and asked Reagan what letter it was. He immediately responded with "R." I briefly cheered for him and then assumed he got the right answer simply because his name starts with that letter and we write his name quite a bit. Especially since I haven't formally started teaching letters to him. So I tried a few more letters and nearly fell off my chair when he responded correctly to letter after letter. Now by no means did he get all of them right, (I'd give him about 75%) but he certainly knew far more than I ever suspected. And he's somehow managed to pick it all up simply by listening and observing the repetition of Kolbe and me working on the alphabet. There's a lot more going on behind those big brown eyes than we'd ever know! Guess I need to pick my jaw up off the floor, accept the fact that sometimes it's going to be my children teaching me, and get moving with this smart little guy too!

Roomies for life...or at least until Kolb leaves for college...

Crazy teeth! Some times it's the simple things...our little family had a blast the other night goofing off with crazy teeth and fake mustaches. Remarkably, this guy's mouth is big enough for the adult size crazy teeth to fit perfectly.

Mama and Grant workin' the mustache!

Crazy teeth #2

A few days ago I was having the boys try on a few winter items to see what we needed for the upcoming cold season. (it is coming still, right???) Rudy was thrilled to find out that he gets to wear the Air Force jacket this year! And he's pretty much willing to wear it all the time. Even when it's ninety degrees outside. He definitely looks the part!

As of this week we've definitely got a thumb-sucker on our hands! I knew it was coming...heck, he was trying to suck his thumb in every single sonogram I had! And he's been working at it for the past few months, but this week he finally figured it out. And now there's no stopping it! I know I'll probably take this back when I can't get him to stop at the age of twelve, but right now it's just so cute!

TTT: Season 2, Episode 39

1. Do you ever have one of those weeks where no matter how much you plan, things just don't seem to go smoothly? That's how this past week has been for me. As professed many times over, I'm an ultimate list maker. Something about having that sheet of paper dictating everything that I hope to achieve in a week/day/naptime makes me feel so in control. And oh, the satisfaction of scratching something off! (and yes, I still continue add things to the list even after they're completed just so I can scratch them off. You know, just so I can remind myself when looking at the list at the end of the day that I somehow achieved all of that!) But every now and then I'll have a string of days where I'll literally get to the end of the day and have maybe two of twelve things crossed off. Not for lack of effort, but just because everything has gone completely opposite of "the plan." Something pops up, an "issue" arises, and the whole day is off track. The problem that I have isn't so much that things that I wanted to do didn't get done. It's the way I let the whole derailment affect me. Why should I have anxiety when I get to the end of the day and my to-do list is just as long as it was when the day started? I've literally caught myself feeling like the world might come to end because menial tasks are starting to pile up. It's something I really want to work on within myself. And it takes me back to Philippians 4:6:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." I need to let go of the idea that things have to run smoothly, and simply be thankful that I have "things to run" in the first place. I'm far more blessed than I give God thanks for.

2. As a mom, I'm constantly torn between wanting to be there for my family 100% of the time and the need to take a break. It's that feeling when Mark takes the boys to do something and I'm left all alone and all I think about is them. Really, it's just the discerning process of whether I should go one way or the other that gets me some times. Case in point, this past weekend we had a wonderful opportunity to go out into the country and spend some time at my uncle's ranch near Leona, TX. The original plan was for Mark to take the boys and for me to stay behind with Grant. It would have racked me up about six or seven hours to spend alone and with my baby. I even had grand aspirations of painting the boys' bathroom while Grant slept. But something about the dynamic within our family on Saturday morning left me feeling like I needed to go with them. So I did. And man, was I so glad that I made that choice. We had a wonderful time together. Spending time in nature, listening to silence, just being away from the hustle and bustle of the real world. Something about being out in nature...where you can't see any form of civilization at all...makes me feel like it's just me and God. Even if only for a few moments. It's like you're able to let go everything else that's clouding your mind (like the aforementioned to-do lists) and just be. And there's something spectacular about watching the children enjoy it too. Witnessing their little cheeks get dirty. Cheering as they reel in a fish. Seeing their fascination as horses eat grass from their hands. I know we're by no means country-folk, but I wouldn't say we're big city people either. But having a little bit of both sure is nice. And finding God in places other than church and prayer never disappoints either! Somehow, the break that I sacrificed to be with my family ended up being just the break I needed.

3. Is it getting cooler where you are? I skipped across the news this morning and saw massive snow storms up north. Still ninety here. I will admit that it has been a little bit cooler. A little bit. Like the AC kicks on at nine instead of running through the night. And we've even had a few mornings in the fifties. (by "morning" I mean prior to seven a.m.) I'm still looking forward to warm (ok, light-weight) sweaters, cute boots, and trendy scarves without breaking out in a full on sweat. Maybe by this time next month? With the slightly lower temps it has been nice to be able to get outside in the afternoon and evenings and finally mingle with some of our neighbors. When we first moved in (just as the temperatures were heading north), all of our new neighbors greeted us with promises of block parties, loads of kids riding bikes and playing in the streets, and friendly conversations till the sun went down. With the summer we've had, absolutely none of that has taken place in the four months we've lived here. Even walking down to the mailbox has been cause for a shower. But now we're finally starting to see it. The bus stops by around four and from then on there's bound to be someone out and about. Just how we hoped it would be when we moved to this neighborhood.

Little Grant turned 100 days old this week! We have a little family tradition where my Mom makes them a card filled with 100 decorations to celebrate each day. And for my kids, who are born about a month early, I think it's an extra special celebration because it's roughly one year from when their life actually began.

Doesn't Grant's face crack you up!?! "Get me outta here!" Sorry, kiddo, you're stuck with the these two for life!



Fishing with Uncle Kirk and Aunt Cathy



Nice catch!

Nothing beats a Texas sunset

Yikes! (shopping at Walmart with Dada...couldn't pass up the Halloween wigs!)

TTT: Season 2, Episode 38

1. We've had a much better week. Much better! The lion tamer has managed to squash a large majority of our major issues, as discussed last week. I think Sassy-pants #1 caught on that Mom means business, and like always, Sassy-pants #2 has followed along. It really hasn't been a matter of doing things much differently than we normally do. Just cracking down and following through every. single. time. Not having the oh, I'll just let this one slip 'cause I really don't want to get up right now moments. And not allowing myself to fall back into the trap of allowing them to be the masters. Somehow that always tends to happen when involving food. "Maaaaaaa! I'm hungry! I'm ready for my dinner! I want more milk!..." I had gotten so bad about responding with "Ok, I'm going as fast as I can, sit down, it will be done in just two seconds, I'm doing my best..." What am I? A slave!?! Teaching children patience is about as easy as gaining it for yourself. Still, that predicament too has improved. I've had to bust out the "I'm making dinner as fast as I can and it will be ready in a few minutes. If you mention it again, you will be in the other room not eating while the rest of us eat together." So far it has shut them up every time. We'll keep plugging along with these turkeys. I tell ya, they require more effort than the baby for sure!

2. We've finally made a major transition with nap time. For months now Kolbe has been trying to give up his afternoon nap. It follows these guidelines:
- If he takes a nap, he wants to sleep for at least two hours.
- If you try to wake him early, he's a bear for the rest of the day.
- If he takes a nap at all, he doesn't fall asleep till 9:30 or 10:00 every night.
- If he doesn't take a nap, he's a little emotional from around 6:00 on, but then is asleep by 8:00.

So the obvious answer would be to give up the nap and have the much earlier bed time. But, it's been a move I've been afraid to make for a long time now, mainly because I love my quiet time in the afternoon so dearly. It's used to run my business, relax, clean, do projects around the house, etc. I really didn't want to give that up. But it turns out, we've managed to establish a system that seems to work just as well. When Reagan lays down for his nap, Kolbe has a thirty minute quiet time in Grant's room. He can rest or read books. Then for the next thirty minutes, I take him in worksheets on things we've been working on in "school" (letters, numbers, matching, rhyming...) and he works on those or colors pictures. After that hour is up, he's allowed to come out to the gameroom and play while I finish up my work. I'll also do little activities with him while I finish up like spreading number or letter flashcards out on the floor and having him put them in order. And we have some fun pre-school software that he likes to try out on the computer as well. Little games like "pick the fish with the letter A!" The computer is right beside my work area so it makes it easy for me to help him. And let me just say, it's so funny seeing a little guy learn how to use the mouse! Man, our kids our growing up in such a high tech age! Anyway, this routine has afforded me not only the quiet time that I thrive on mid-day, but an earlier, more peaceful bed time too. Score!

3. If you haven't caught word on facebook already, my brother is home!!! Mike left for Afghanistan to serve in the Air Force back in March and made it back on Tuesday night. We are all so proud of him and his commitment to our country. We pray that his time overseas has been life-changing in positive ways for not just him, but for his entire growing family. I also can't help but sing the praises my sister-in-law, Casey. It's hard being pregnant; it's hard having your husband gone for six months; it's hard raising a toddler alone; it's hard knowing your husband is in danger; it's hard living far away from family. But man, combining all of those things at once!?! Sheesh! And she managed to make it look easy! We are so proud of her and her commitment to her husband, the military, and her family. We are blessed that they are "ours."  And can't wait to welcome the newest member, Miss Kennedy, in just a few short weeks! And again, praise God for bringing this deployment safely to an end.

Wish I could have been in Idaho to see this in person! Jackson loves his Daddy! (Picture courtesy of Heather Baker Warren) 

Last week I mentioned hopes of getting some fall decorations up. We didn't quite get there will the "fall extravaganza" but maybe this week. Instead, the boys and I made a fun little ghost garland for Halloween. Hopefully I'll get a post up soon with pics from our little project.

At Target this week I indulged the boys with a trip through the Halloween section. Though nearly a million items were begged for, I managed to hold them to these two little light up jack-o-lanterns. Kolbe loved to hide out in the pantry with the lights out so he could see them glow. That was, of course, until they got confiscated for being kicked like soccer balls. You'll notice them in the above picture up on the mantle out of reach. Don't you love how when you have little kids, your decor teeters heavily on the side of garish?

Love these boys! (And love how Grant looks like a little old man when he's not smiling.)



Somebody turned 3 months old this week! Man, is this guy a great baby or what!?! He's a sweet, happy boy, with irresistible blue eyes, and weighs from  15-16 pounds according to our scale at home. Plumpest baby yet!

 

Dear Fall, please hurry up and get here! I baked fresh zucchini bread!

Yes, it's still hot enough here to play with shaving cream and the sprinkler in undies in the backyard at 9:00 in the morning.



Have a great week everyone! And Go, Red Raiders! (no seriously. Go. As in "Go get your act together 'cause if you keep playing like you did last week, you can plan on breaking our sixteen season bowl game streak.)



My Favorite Things: Baby Edition

I recently saw a magazine article that was featuring baby products of years gone by. Let's just say that it's a good thing that the baby item industry has grown and developed significantly in the past thirty years! For example, I certainly remember the one car seat that we had growing up. It was covered in brown vinyl. And as soon as a new baby was born, the prior youngest got booted out to the hard plastic booster seat (like what you'd use now at your kitchen table!) so that the new baby could have the car seat. Which was, of course, forward facing.

Anyhow, for nothing more than posterity's sake, I thought it might be fun to document some of my own "favorite things" for child raising. Don't you know that twenty-some-odd years from now my boys' wives will look back at this and think Oh my gosh! I can't believe she used that! Ha! So here goes...almost four years and three babies and these are some of my favorites.

 You can't leave the hospital without one! (a car seat, that is) The Sunshine Kids Radian line of car seats is what we have used for all three boys. It's a convertible car seat, meaning it can be rear facing as well as forward facing, and depending on the model you buy, can serve as your baby's car seat from 5 pounds all the way up to 80 pounds. Kolbe and Rudy both started out in portable carrier car seats for their first several months and then up-graded to this seat. With Grant, we just decided to skip the carrier seat all together and start out with this guy. So far I haven't regretted my decision at all! These car seats are fantastic. They are slim (you can fit three across in a back seat), they fold up for travelling/airplane use, and they sit lower to the seat which is a feature I like more and more the older the boys get. I just can't picture them being down with sitting in one of the ones that's really raised up off of the seat of the car when they're say five or six. Read: this one has the ability to look more "booster" and less "car seat" the older they get! And at the rate Kolbe is going, he's not going to be legally allowed to go without a car seat until he's thirteen.



 I mentioned above that we decided to forego the carrier style car seat for Grant. There were lots of reasons behind this decision. With my lupus, I struggle with strength and mobility in my wrists a lot. And I can't tell you how many times that I had flare ups when Kolbe and Rudy were babies from lugging those heavy car seats around. Secondly, I felt that with having three little ones...and two "on the loose" I would need to have my arms free when possible to keep them corralled. And thirdly, most carrier-style car seats have weight limits of around twenty pounds. So for most babies, they should only be used for a matter of months anyway. So instead of buying another carrier seat that I'd just use for a few months, I invested in the ErgoBaby chest carrier. Yes, I know it looks somewhat like a straight jacket, but it's so worth it! Not only does it place your baby in the right position for healthy hip/bone development but it's also fantastic on your back. Somehow it manages to distribute the weight evenly. I've tried lots of different chest carriers and this is by far my favorite.

Another thing that I've tried my share of is diaper bags. I think no matter which bag you carry, there's always going to be a little something to be desired. That being said, this Skip Hop diaper bag is the bag that I always come back to. It's got tons of dividers which I love for organizational purposes, is roomy and overall just functions really well. Plus, I love Skip Hop's built in clips that can attach your bag to your shopping cart or stroller. When other kiddos and mounds of groceries need room, it's nice not to have your purse/diaper bag taking up space. As for what's to be desired? To me it still does look like a diaper/utility bag. Not a cute purse. But I'll still carry it any day for its functionality!

If you plan to breast feed, a really good pump, in my opinion, is a necessity. Even if you don't plan to pump and bottle feed whatsoever, you never know what situation may arise that could cause you to need one. In my case, I have needed my pump for all three children. Kolbe, for obvious reasons with his cleft lip and palate. With Reagan, he went his entire babyhood without taking a bottle of any kind at any point in time. That still didn't help the fact that in the early months I produced way more milk that he could consume so I still had to pump to prevent problems from occurring. In Grant's case, I've had to use it not only for the over production of milk, but for all the other issues I've had with nursing too. Like those lovely bouts of mastitis. Ugh! Anyway, I'm a huge fan of the Medela pumps. Yes, they're quite an investment, but mine has lasted through all three kids with no problems at all, and just think of all the money you're saving from not having to buy formula!

Speaking of breast feeding, Bravado nursing bras are the best. Hands down. Especially if you're an abnormal size like me. They offer lots of different options, and while yes, they are pricey, it's so worth it to have good support, functionality, and appearance. Meaning they make you look normal through your clothes. : ) And no, that's not a picture of me!

Enough with the nursing! On to the next stage of feeding! I have to give a shout out to my favorite bibs. They're made by a company called Dex, I believe, but all of ours say Sally Huss on the front...I guess she's the artist that does the cute drawings on the front. Anyway, these can't be beat, in my opinion. The fold up pouch at the bottom uses snaps instead of velcro so they don't get all nasty. And speaking of the pouch, it actually stands out from the bib, if that makes sense. Other pouch bibs I've tried lay flat up against the chest...so they don't catch anything at all! Never a problem with these. And the front has some type of laminate on the top so they can either be machine washed or just wiped down for cleaning. They're kind of pricey online but I've bought them at Walmart at Burlington for $5 a piece.

Speaking of straight jackets, I'm a huge fan of the baby version! At least for the first few months while trying to establish nursing and days/nights. While babies do have the inate ability to suck, they're not exactly clued in on where the milk comes from at first. So, at least in my experiences, they're constantly fighting to put their hands up to their face/mouth while nursing. It can get frustrating and difficult! Using baby swaddlers (doesn't matter which brand to me) helps a ton. While they do prevent any skin to skin contact, they keep the baby's arms out of the way and keep them feeling warm and secure. Same goes for sleeping. When Grant was born I used the swaddlers for him to sleep in during night time hours and went without during day time naps. It seemed to help him sleep deeper at night. We only used them for the first two months or so beacuse at that point they start making a massive effort to break out of them, but I really do like them for all intended purposes in the beginning.

As for diapers, I'm definitely a Pampers mama. For our boys, we've had way fewer leaks and skin irritations than with other diapers. If you buy them straight out at the store, they are certainly more pricey than other more economical options, but not if you use an awesome little online program that I'm a member of. I joined Amazon Mom shortly after Rudy was born. The way it works is Amazon offers many different brands and sizes of diapers (and many other items too) that you can "subscribe" to (you'll notice an option that says "subscribe and save".) You choose your brand and size and how often you want to receive them. (anywhere from 1-6 months) By signing up, you get a greatly discounted rate for the diapers. And you get to join Amazon Mom which grants you free membership to Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime is free two-day shipping not just on the diapers, but on the majority of all other items you buy on Amazon too. Plus there's the obvious fact that there's no tax on Amazon. The last time I calculated it, diapers that would cost me around thirty cents a piece at Target can be had for about nineteen cents a piece on Amazon. As for the subscription, you can cancel at any time and you can either estimate when you'll need another shipment, or just set it at six months and whenever you're getting low on diapers just log in and select the option to send the next shipment now. Love that program!


Ok, that's all for now. Do you think I should send a bill to the makers of all of these items for free promotion!?! Ha! I wish! These were genuinely just my honest opinion. And something that I thought would be fun to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon while the babes nap. Now off to change another nineteen cent diaper!

TTT: Season 2, Episode 37

1. This week officially marked six months of The Asmussens in The Woodlands. Has six months really gone by? Every now and then it feels like just yesterday, but mainly it feels like a long time ago. Heck, a lot has happened since March. Started a new job, sold a house, bought a house, moved, had a new baby. And that was actually just in the first three months. That's a lot to take on in three years! I think all of it has kind of started to catch up to me. And sometimes I find myself just wanting to take a break from my little corner of the world. 'Cause really, being a stay-at-home mom is not just a "full-time" job. It's an all-the-time job. Usually about fourteen hours each day and then on-call every. single. night. But then when I do get a break, even if just for an hour or so, all I find myself thinking about is my family, my home, my life. Really, for the most part, I'm so happy with what God has given me. Have you seen all that I have? How could I have the nerve to complain!?! I think lately I've just been a little blue. Being a stay-at-home mama in a city that you're new to can be pretty lonely. And really, I'm trying to meet friends and connect with people, but most of the time, I'm doing well just to keep everyone fed, clothed, and cared for within the walls of our house. I know it will all come in time. And I'm trying to be patient. And trying to put forth an effort too. It was much easier to move as a child. I had the crutch of going to school to present me with a revolving door of potential friends. All I had to do was get on the bus each morning and be myself. Moving as an adult is much harder. Especially when you have little ones at home, none of your husband's co-workers are anywhere near your age, and your kids aren't in school/sports yet so meeting their peers' parents isn't an option either. Thank God my parents live here! If I didn't have all the contact I've had with them, I'm pretty sure I'd go most days without talking to a single soul over the age of three from the time Mark leaves for work until the time he gets home. I sound pretty pitiful, huh. No woe-is-me. Really, knowing that God is with me is the most important thing to keep in perspective. And I know he's showing me something in the solitude.

2. We had somewhat of a meltdown of epic proportions this past weekend with the boys. You know, one of those what-the-heck-is-going-on-and-how-did-it-get-like-this type moments. I think I knew before Grant was born that we'd go through a major adjustment period. But with everything else going on, I think I let it become more major than I wanted it to be. As in, I let the boys slip a little bit farther than I should have in discipline and behavioral issues. From visitors coming to town to our trip back to Lubbock and multiple other "events" in between, it's been somewhat chaotic at times. Which I'm sure all you other parents out there would agree is a total excuse-generator. Oh, they're just acting up because they've been around grandparents/aunts/uncles/friends for the past week. Oh, he's just throwing a fit cause he's getting over that fever. And on and on. And man, it's so easy to just throw out an excuse when you're tired and taking care of a newborn. But the result is a pair of sassy-pants that are way out their element. And I've let them get that way. So now it's time to crack the whip. (Not literally. Just picture me channeling my inner lion tamer. Top hat and all.) In our meltdown this weekend, Sassy-Pants #1 asked me for a sip of my drink. When I told him no, he responded with "You put that cup down. Right. Now!" And minutes later when I took a toy from his hand his retort was "Excuse me. You. do. not. take something. from. my. hand. when I'm holding it." That was my breaking point. Clearly, he views himself as my equal, and again, I've only got myself to blame. After all, I'm the one constantly waiting on them hand and foot, honoring their every request. It's become a mom's-the-servant type scheme that I've foolishly fallen into in order to just get through it all. But come on now! I'm trying to teach them how to live appropriately in our world. Not how to think that everyone else lives in their world. So the past few days have been a lot of cracking down on disrespect, and I'll fully admit that the effort on my part to make it happen has been difficult, but worth it. I can already see improvements already, and regardless of how tired I may be, I'm just going to have to keep at it till it's the way it needs to be. Little turkeys.

3. Not much else to say this week. Kind of a downer, huh. It's funny, 'cause I never fully know what type of week I've had till I sit down and finish off my blog post and hit that "publish" button. Reading through all this mumbo jumbo makes me want to have a positive week. So hopefully next week you'll be reading with a smile on your face instead of cranking up your blender to fix me a much needed margarita. Or busting out your violin to play me a sad, sad song. And hopefully by this time next week I'll have some fall decorations going up! The next three months are my absolute favorites. Who cares if it's still 95-100 degrees here every day!?! It's time for fall!

Not very heavy this week on the iPhone/Instagram shots. But the ones I've got are goodies!

On Friday my parents went downtown to watch my cousin (on my dad's side) Kristen play volleyball. She's a freshman at Southern Miss and was playing against a Houston team. They took Kolbe along and he had SO much fun and is now in love with volleyball! (and terrified of school mascots) Apparently there were some pretty big trees down at this campus...he normally doesn't look this tiny!

While it is still in the 90s every day here, we finally got a few really good rain showers this week which seemed to cool things off a bit. At least enough to go to the park without suffering contact burns from the play equipment! (Yes, we're at the playground...though this could also be a good pick of the two sassy-pants boys spending a little time in the pokey for sassing their mama!) 

My fave of the week. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Rudy LOVES his baby brother! We have a bed time routine at night that involves reading a few books, saying our prayers, and then Mama serenading them with a few bed time songs. (no shattering glass as of late) Over the past few weeks, Rudy has started a practice of begging me to hold Grant while we go through our routine. On some nights, Grant is just not up for this, as he's pretty much ready to hit the sack too. But on other nights, I'll lay him up on Rudy's chest and the two of them will just cuddle and cuddle while we do our bed time routine. It makes me so happy to see them building a friendship. Of course, the Kolbe/Rudy combo will always be a strong one, but Rudy will also always be Grant's "Kolbe"...so he has big shoes to fill! And is just me or does our former youngest not look like a baby any more whatsoever!?! When did this happen!?!

TTT: Season 2, Episode 36

1. This past week has been a fun, sports-filled week for two little Asmussen boys. Namely, Kolbe and Reagan. Grant got in on the mix a little bit too, but the big guys were the main ones to benefit. On Friday night, Mark took the boys to their first high school football game of the season: The Woodlands High vs. Strake Jesuit. Last fall, back in Lubbock, Mark loved to take Kolbe to see Frenship Tiger games. (his alma mater where he played on the O line) This year, Rudy is old enough to go too. In all honesty, I think it's actually more enjoyable for Mark. Something for him to go "do." A way to take a break from the hectic work week and partake in one of his favorite past times. And, as I like to see it, a way to give the wifey a break. Sure, the boys love all of the fanfare too, but I'm sure to them it just looks like a bunch of chaos down on the field. They'll learn what's going on down there as the years go by. While I too am a football lover, I certainly can't pass up a few hours with out Tweedledee and Tweedledum. My sweet little baby (the future Tweedledoo?) and I hung out at the house together, smiling and cooing. He got a nice relaxing bath, lots of cuddles, and a peaceful of-to-bed time. And I even squeezed in about an hour of uninterrupted sewing before they arrived home. I sure did love the calmness of the evening, though at times I have to admit it almost felt a little too quite. Sure, I love to get away from these guys every now and then, but when it comes down to it, I'm thinking of them constantly. Always wondering how they are, if they're having fun, if they're safe, how they'll be when they return home... Let's face it: caring for them is my job. While you always need a break from "work," it's never far from your mind.

To add to the sporting excitement, we finally made it to an Astros game yesterday! Pinkie and Pa treated us to an afternoon game and we had a blast. Unfortunately Mark still had to work so it was just the boys and me with the grandparents. I would have loved for Mark to see the excitement on their faces. Especially Kolbe! He really (I mean really!) got in to it and knew what was going on. I'm saying he skipped going to the food court to get snacks because he didn't want to miss any of the action! Now that's some serious baseball lovin'! We had a fabulous day and since the Astros definitely won't be making an appearance in the post season, we'll just have to plan on doing it again next season...and this time with Dada!

2. Last week was supposed to be the kick off get-togethers for a couple of groups that the boys and I are joining. One, a pre-school group and the other a mom's book study group. Wouldn't you know it, Reagan just had to get sick on the day of the first one. High fever and all. And decided to let it linger for five more days. He acted just fine, continuing to play as if nothing was wrong, yet he ran a fever non-stop, had a nagging cough and a bit of a runny nose too. I took him to his pediatrician because we couldn't find Mark's otoscope and wanted to rule out an ear infection. Of course, we got the "it's probably just some sort of virus" for an answer. Don't you just hate that response!?! I'd much rather have the "here's-what-you've-got-and-here's-how-to-fix-it" diagnosis. Instead it was just "keep treating with Tylenol or Motrin for the fever and it should go away within the next few days." Sure enough, it did, but still annoying. I'm Mama! I'm supposed to be able to fix it! He's much better now, and thus far, no one else has shown any signs of having it, so hopefully the coast is clear!

3. So. Over the past week I finally broke down and had to get a little extreme with my whole nursing issue that's been going on. I haven't mentioned it in the past few weeks, but it has continued to rage on. I finally succumbed to the obvious and realized that there was no way the thrush was going to clear up with the tactics I had been using. Grant is going to continue to pass it back to me, I'm going to continue to pass it back to him, and on and on. Heck, I went through 2 seven day rounds of doctor prescribed medicine for it, tried all kinds of probiotics and cleaning methods, and plenty of other recommendations from various people and websites. All to no avail. So I bit the bullet and decided to stop nursing until I felt like it was cleared up for both of us. I strictly pumped and fed him his milk from a bottle for five days straight, all the while praying that at two-and-a-half months old he'd still be willing to go back to nursing. I'll start by saying that the pumping and bottle feeding method that I was forced to use with Kolbe (due to his cleft) is much harder when you have other kids roaming around. It takes just as long to bottle feed Grant as it does to nurse, and then I still have to sit and pump for another ten minutes or so. It takes way longer! And then there's the whole issue of modesty when the big boys are sitting right there. Anyway, I started nursing Grant again yesterday when we went on the Astros trip. Thankfully, he went right back to nursing as if there was no lapse at all. (That's my boy!) But unfortunately, a day and a half later the burning and blanching in back. That took no time at all. Not sure what to do next. I know that I don't want to have to pump and bottle feed from here on out, but I also know that I can't tolerate the pain and burning and stay positive for my other kiddos and family yet I do want Grant to be fed breast milk and not have to switch to formula. Reagan went his entire babyhood without having any form of a bottle whatsoever. So I just assumed it would work the exact same way with Grant. Man, was I wrong! I'm giving it all I've got, but at this point, I need any prayers I can get too.

Want to see pics from our week?

Last week I mentioned my hubby's birthday...here's the Oreo cake the boys and I made him from scratch. So yummy! And not fattening whatsoever! (wink, wink)

Two brothers watching high school football!

This is one of my favorite things the boys do lately. When I say, "Show me your muscles!" they do this and flex to the point that their little arms quiver. Hilarious!

Have I mentioned that these guys are obsessed with baseball? We finally got Rudy a glove and he loves it so much that he sleeps with it on. And a ball in the other hand.

Headed to my first Astros game! (By the way, Kolbe wore this same outfit at ten months and Reagan wore it at six months. This is Grant at two months.)

Take me out to the ball game...

I love baseball!