Not enjoying "food"

 Thatch doesn't quite know what to think of baby "snacks" or baby food. So, I keep trying to introduce it all, but he gets a mouth full and spits it out at me. The next thing you know, I am wearing his lunch! This is an everyday event! He will eventually try something that is way to good for mommy to wear ( Or i hope)  :)

Yes, this is the "your about to wear my lunch" face!

Sleep?!? What does that feel like?!?

Have you ever felt exhaustion creep up on you like a ton of bricks? I feel like I have been hit by a bus and it went in reverse and hit me again... After the past few nights of absolutely no sleep, I have reached my breaking point. The point where the tears flow with no end. Because as a mom of 4 and I LOVE my family so very much, but there is only so much one person can do with no sleep. I am up nursing a teething baby all hours of the night because that is what soothes him, walking the kids route to school 3 times a day and back....so that's six trips, keeping up on housework, bible studies and groups, football and soccer, church, and still trying to keep in touch with friends and family so they don't think i forgot about them. At the end of the night I barely have enough energy left to climb the stairs up to bed. Each day I pray that God gives me energy because being sleep deprived is not a fun feeling . If it weren't for my morning prayer to God and my cup of coffee...I would never make it through the day! I give him Glory for what he does for me each day and how he gives me one last energy boost to walk the stairs to bed at night, even though sleep has been boycotted in this house lately! Moms if you are going through this, I feel your pain and exhaustion. We will get through this, our babies will soon have bright, shiny, white teeth and we will all get a little sleep! Hang in there!!

The watermelon crawl

Thatcher,
         you are teething...it has been an exhausting for me and painful for you experience. I think we are both ready for these next ones to break through! It won't be long my little tough guy.

You are starting to crawl (backwards).... and it again is a bittersweet milestone.

TY kept saying "come to papa" , he really wanted Thatcher to crawl to him.

Who needs toys?!?

This is what happens when you try to get 3 boys ready for school and 4 boys out the door! ....One is caught at the last minute with not even a sock on a foot! Instead Ty thought it was hilarious that he could pretend to be an elephant.

And....this is where he decided he would like to wear his underwear today! What is it with my boys and undies on their heads? Did I miss that joke?? Anyways, in the moment of rushing around...he made me giggle and I just had to capture the moment. Never a dull moment in this house!!

Mommy's, Don't leave your babies alone with the daddy's and NFL gear

This is what happens when my daddy dresses me on Bengals day! Also, he didn't hesitate to send me to church this way!! Too bad our Bengals Lost! I was dressed to impress ;)

Sweetness

These are the pictures of sweetness! A teething baby who was up all night, he loves to snuggle at bedtime and can not fall asleep without a blanket smashed up against his cheek. At Q's football game, Thatcher's lack of sleep caught up to him and he snuggled and konked out! These are the moments that we miss, these are the moments that we take for granted! When time goes on and ages your family, you look back with a bittersweet sadness and think..." I was so busy fullfilling their needs that I didn't get to enjoy them". Our photographer said something to that effect this week and it really has stuck with me. I need to start enjoying them, their littleness, playing in the dirt and let my inner child come out to play with them all! These are our blessings to enjoy and LOVE and we need to not take them for Granted! 

LOVING the bad days...

This week has been quite stressful. Quentin had strep throat which now Jack has and my husband is getting it as well. The kids are passing it around and the baby has been up "all nights" teething. Jack isn't liking the room switch which is making bedtime hard and it is a scary change for him. These things are little things that make a week...just not go the way it usually does....
These are little issues that we will get passed, little issues that are a bump in our week. You hear about bad days and moments that throw your week for a loop. BUT... there are people you know that are going through a much worse time than you, have it worse off, that are fighting for their health and they wear a smile so bright, while you give a frustrating face with your "bad days"! I was one of those people this week, aggravated and stressed and i let it show....but then I hear of other struggles people are facing and it truly breaks my heart. I feel selfish in a way because I should cherish all days I have with my family. We never know when our time is up, we never know what could happen next or if the people we LOVE are going to join us for another day. So, with my eyes a little more opened, I am going to LOVE my good days, bad days and struggling days. I would rather have a struggling, hard day with the ones I LOVE most than a wonderful day without them by my side! Thank you God for giving me a rough week with the ones I LOVE!!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND....

Sunday afternoon and all day Monday we rearranged our kids rooms ...This way our oldest child, Quentin could have his own room and a space to call his very own.  I believe he needs this space at his age.  My parents helped make this room happen for him with a futon bed ( this makes Q feel so big because he also has a couch) and an awesome armoir that holds everything he needs!  Our two middle boys, they share everything including clothes making the choice for them to share an easy one. So they are loving this idea!
The in laws took us out to dinner Sunday at steak n shake.....So we can pretty much say my parents made the switch an easy one and saved the day and my in laws fed us dinner and dessert so we didn't have to stop in the middle and cook!! We have awesome parents and family!
Today...Tuesday, has been a very rough day....None of my kids made it to school today! We made a trip to the doctor...4 dr. appointments. Quentin has strep throat, Ty has croup, Jack has a stomach virus....Thatcher went for his 6 month check up! Thatcher is weighing in at 19.8 pounds and 27 inches...reaching all milestones and also was diagnosed with exzema! Yes, a rough day indeed but I just pray they all get better soon but in the meantime LYSOL is my very best friend! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!! STAY HEALTHY

6 months old.....Half Birthday letter

Thatcher,
             Baby Boy, Sunday you turned 6 months and although I know it is a joyous moment, I couldn't help but shed some tears as I got you out of your crib and kissed your sweet cheeks. I couldn't help the bittersweet moment of joy and sadness at the same time of trying to play like a movie in my head of the moments of the last 6 months that we have shared with you. They have gone by so fast, I just want to hold you and not let a moment pass by. The day I gave birth to you and held you on my chest for the first time...That was a Beautiful day! The moment we brought you home...you had tons of black hair and you were just so snug in those hospital blankets, all swaddled up. We have watched you grow, your eyes lighten to that beautiful sky shade of blue, your black hair fall out and turn to blonde and your tiny little body get longer and chunkier everyday. You amaze us with that huge smile and dimples that light up that face like a sun on a cloudy day! You now, have a tooth and one that just broke the skin, you are rolling over and almost sitting up. You are doing the army crawl to get what you want and get where you need to go and you are doing this all so fast. You hold my heart in the palm of your hand and I can't help but love on you every chance I get. You have accomplished so much in the past 6 months and you have really captured the hearts of all your brothers. You wake up each and every morning a very happy baby. As each day is passing by and becoming a memory, I look forward to what you do next, but sadly say goodbye to all of our yesterdays, because they have taken our "NOW moments" and made them moments of the past. This doesn't make sense to you right now...But one day, you will have a child of your very own and you will know exactly how I feel right this moment. Thatcher, You are so very LOVED.... Soon, today's moments will be our yesterdays moments and we will miss these too, But know... we are making each moment count with LOTS of LOVE and I LOVE YOU'S!! SLOW down Thatch your growing too fast...Let's make these moments Last!!!
Love,
Momma

These pictures are milestone pictures...from 4 days old, to 3 months old to 6 months old! My how you have grown!! My heart has grown with you each moment. I Thank God that he gave us the wonderful blessing of choosing us to be your parents! We are so Blessed!

Saturday.....

Saturday, Quentin won his football game and we thoroughly enjoyed the fall like weather with our awesome families.  Watching the kids run around as that subtle wind blew really put a smile on my face, watching them goof off and play around, giggling with their mamaw and papaw and joking with uncle Adam and stealing their mawmaw's blanket and curling under it in a fold out chair. These are the little things that make me smile and make us feel so LOVED. After the game we took the kiddos to Kings Island, again...amazing weather and they have the best blue ice cream ever! The kids had so much fun and their faces showed it along the way! Jack, Q and I rode a water canyon ride....Jack said "o man, I got soaped" , Quentin and I cracked up laughing because the seriousness on Jack's face as he let those cute little words out....well, that moment was a moment that just sticks with you! Saturday was a GREAT DAY!!

It's Friday?!?

This morning...I dropped the older boys off and the little ones and I set off for a morning full of errands. We loaded up the double stroller at the plaza. I got them through krogers....I wanted to try the sprout and ellas kitchen organic baby food with Thatcher. I got a few to try....as I was paying, Thatcher was overtired and screaming and Jack was sticking the "kroger stickers" the cashier gave him all over himself. I was a little flustered and grabbed the bag, but.....left the wallet behind. (NOT knowing) I walked about a mile over to walgreens to make a purchase and realized my wallet was gone, So I panicked....what do I do when I panic?!? I call my husband! So I super walked back to kroger ( didn't feel like a mile with all the panicking), and it is nice to know we have honest people in this world :) They took it to the customer service desk and the sweet woman said " we tried to catch you but we looked up and you were gone. " Well, while in kroger...I was checking out a hand cream, I leaned over to give Thatcher his pacifier and dropped the heavy cream on his tiny chest! Panic attack #2!!! First time, I have had my "I hurt my baby" moment with boy #4! So, as a mom I am thinking the worst of course... ( what if it hit him so hard that he stops breathing?, what if I hit his heart and it stops pumping?, What if he never lets me cuddle all his cuteness again because I just nearly killed him with a jar of handcream??, OHHH I am a horrible mom moment came and it has not yet gone away)... We went to walgreens AGAIN.... I paid for my items. Then went to starbucks and sat on the bench cuddling my poor little guy. He is doing ok and doesn't seem affected, Thank GOD!!  We made our final stop to the Family Christian book store.....I call it my "magical place" , The workers in this place are always so kind and they are so helpful....Today, I recieved a testimony from each worker, which made my rough morning seem like a walk in the park. I guess God knew I needed to hear these today so that I could be thankful for my "rough" morning with 2 amazing boys. He always knows to bring the right people in at the right time...It's like you feel you are drowning and he throws you a safety raft!!  Thanks again God for saving me!!
* When we got home, I cancelled my cards just in case, and  Thatch is doing excellent!!  The sun is shining and our day just brightened up !!

Team spirit!!!

Ok, so we have become quite the stallion football fans of Quentin! We all show a little team spirit, even the boys :) This would be Jack!

Let me just add a little something of what Jack did this morning before school.....I went to to wake the baby so we could walk to school...as I came down the steps, I caught Jack in the act of stuffing his bookbag full of every Toy Story toy we own. Did he think I wouldn't notice woody's hand sticking out the side??

Here is Ty, showing team spirit....and then he caught the camera flash and had a meltdown!! Yup, This would definately be his meltdown face!! We have had quite the rough morning...So I will add a little something about Ty as well, this morning at 5 a.m., Ty thought it would be a "bright" idea to turn the lights on in his room and wake everyone up. So, a challenging morning to get out the door today! But we survived and they are all in their school and noone took a toy (that I know of). But I have a feeling Ty will be a little tired today!!  

Teething is NOT going smoothly for you

Thatcher,
         Since Sunday, we have been snuggling through the night. Last night we walked the floors, rocked, snuggled, sang amazing grace, prayed for just 5 minutes of sleep and applied lots of oragel and a dose of tylenol! That other tooth is just giving you a hard time! Mommy hopes it comes in soon because we both need rest and you, my sweet guy, need to be pain free. This picture is one of the teething faces you have been making! You poor thing, it breaks my heart to see you miserable. But, this has got to be the cutest picture yet :)  It makes me giggle. I love you little guy and this too shall pass.
Love,
Momma