Saturday, October 31, 2009

Smile Please!


This is what happened when I told each of them to smile. Stinkers.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Halloween Craft, Take 3

I had a leftover piece of coroplast from building the rabbit cage so we put it to good use. First, I traced Maeve's body. Then she drew her face and decorated her body with flowers. The following day we filled in her body with laminated skeleton pieces. It was fun and both kids enjoyed feeling their bones and figuring out where they were in relation to what they were seeing. 

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Halloween Craft, Take 2


I thought the kids would have fun decorating felt pumpkins. I cut out all sorts of shapes and faces. Finn never touched his felt pumpkin and Maeve had fun for about three seconds. 

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Halloween Craft, Take 1


We made these ghosts to represent everyone in our family. From left to right: Finn, Oren, Daddy, Maeve and Mama. Maeve hates my ghost because it doesn't have a smile. 

If anyone is interested in re-creating these, I used the following materials: 
*Wooden balls
*Wooden dowels
*Orange pipe cleaners
*White pillow case
*Piece of styrofoam for the base

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Defrosting the Freezer

There are many methods that can be used to defrost a freezer. The simplest method, of course, is to unplug the freezer, empty it and leave the door open. We don't do simple.

Mathew decided to speed up the defrosting process by using the heat lamp and propane tank method. Mathew hooked the heat lamp to the tank and set them in front of the freezer. When he turned it on, flames were coming out of the heat lamp so he turned down the tank. Except the tank didn't turned down. In fact, everything burst into flames. 

Mathew grabbed the flaming propane tank and heat lamp and threw it out the side garage door into the yard. He ran and grabbed the kids and dog and we all went around the house to the front door. I've never seen Mathew run so fast. Several years ago, we were in bed and noticed that our night stand was on fire. It was not a big deal to either of us and we just did what needed to be done to put out the fire. This, however, was not the case with the propane tank. 

Mathew called 911 and within minutes two police cars, a fire truck and an ambulance were all at our house. The fire was safely put out and the propane tank didn't explode. It was a good day.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Reading

Finn read his first word! He was looking at a pamphlet in the doctor's office and I heard him say "G-out. G-O-U-T. Gout" 

Finnegan knows all of his letters and their sounds. He can count to 20 without skipping numbers. He's not at all interested in writing, but absorbs everything he sees and hears. It's funny because he and Maeve are at about the same sound/letter recognition level, but Maeve is showing an interest in writing words she sees and spelling everything she hears.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Baby Got Back

According to the Wii Fit, I currently weigh 162. It usually takes me 9-12 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I have a feeling that I'm going to need to work a little harder this time to get the weight off. Oren gave me two stretch marks and my belly is squishy. I have a muffin top when I wear certain sweat pants, I can feel back fat and my hips are so wide I don't even fit into the fat jeans I bought after Finn was born. My thighs touch. A lot. Yeah, it's awesome.

130 seems very far away, but I am certain I will get there. Fortunately for now, my lovely new body can be hidden under sweat shirts and my adorable 15 lb son.


Monday, October 12, 2009

7 Weeks



The Rabbits


We acquired two more rabbits last weekend. From left to right: Max, Heart Scary Witch and Rainbow Kicking Jack-O-Lantern.

I made a rabbit cage for the new buns. It has three levels and they seem to really like it. It's not quite done, but close enough.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Learning Links

I have bookmarked quite a few learning sites and thought I'd be nice and share a few of them. 

http://www.abcteach.com/

http://free.ed.gov/

http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/activities.htm

http://www.montessorimom.com/toddler-scope-and-sequence-lesson-ideas-practical-/

http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Free-Downloads_ep_35-1.html

http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/sensoryideas.html

http://www.homeschoolingadventures.com/k3.html

http://www.makinglearningfun.com/index.html

http://www.currclick.com/

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/

http://www.freewebs.com/mytwomonkeys/

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/index.html

http://www.jmeacham.com/emergent.readers.htm

Monthly Goals: October

In an effort to keep myself organized, I'm going to start making monthly goals and posting them here. 

1. Create and stick to a routine. Simple enough, right??
Let out dog
Books and breakfast with the kids
Clean rabbit cages and feed them
Feed dog
Homeschool/Preschool/Tumbling
Lunch
Computer time while I do laundry or dishes
Active play/errands or fun craft
Dinner prep
BEDTIME @ 7
2. Have one craft or new activity for the book shelf planned daily (minus weekends)
3. Plan meals again
4. Exercise two nights a week. I know this isn't much, but my dear Oren still prefers being held over sleeping anywhere else.
5. Create master Christmas list and start gathering supplies

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I'm Not Just a Mom

Mathew and I were watching tv last night and they were talking about mothers. A comment was made that when stay at home moms are asked what they do, their response is "I'm just a mom." The host went on to say how mothers are so much more than "just a mom" and how important mothers are to our country. 

Not once since I've been at home with my children have I thought of myself as "just a mom". I think mothering is one of the most important things I will do in my life time. Perhaps if more mothers were as passionate about their families, the world would be a better place.

NICU Visit

I want to write about Oren's stay in the NICU, but am having trouble finding the words. I have never experienced something so incredibly emotional and gut wrenching. 

When Oren was just six days old, he was admitted to the NICU due to severe jaundice. I took him to his pediatrician that morning because I thought he looked yellow. Jokes were made about him being our pumpkin baby, but no one was concerned because he was responsive, easily aroused, eating and pooping. Oren was born a good sleeper (and at six weeks still sleeps 19 out of 24 hours), so I didn't notice him sleeping more than usual. I was told to take him to the hospital for a blood draw to check his bilirubin level. 

When I got home from the hospital, I was happier than I had been in a long time. Maeve and Finn were delighted to see me and I was looking forward to be alone for the first time with my three kids. That's when I got the call. Oren's bilirubin level was 26 and we were to head to the hospital immediately. 

The ER pediatrician thought that the blood draw was not taken properly because Oren showed no signs of severe jaundice, other than being yellow. Another blood draw was done and his bilirubin level was 30. At 30 babies are usually comatose. Anything above 25 can result in brain damage and requires a blood transfusion. I had gone from being completely elated to absolutely devastated. 

IV fluids were started and we were taken to the NICU where the doctor and nurses immediately started prepping for a blood transfusion. We signed some papers and were sent out of the room so that the lines for the transfusion could be put in his belly button. Fortunately, his cord was too old and the doctor couldn't get the lines in. They had done another bilirubin check and is was down to 25 so he was able to avoid a transfusion. Oren was blindfolded, put in a crib under four lights and was not able to breastfed. 

Everything I was as a mother was taken away and I ached to hold my other two children. I am a mother who sleeps with my children, loves breastfeeding and wears my babies during the day. In the blink of an eye, all of that was gone. My six day old child could exist without me. It was heart breaking and I still tear up thinking about it. 

Almost two days after being admitted, a nurse was changing Oren's bedding and asked me if I wanted to see him. She was the first nurse who used Oren's name and treated me like a mother. She turned off his lights and took off his blindfold. It was such a gift to be able to see my baby again. Several hours later, I was able to start breastfeeding and I can't even begin to describe the joy I felt holding him in my arms. His smell, his touch, his breath...

Oren was given a urinary tract infection by the hospital when they inserted a catheter into his penis. Because of that, we were forced to stay seven days until all of antibiotics were finished. The days and nights were long and I was alone most of the time. I was grateful for good nurses, phone calls and visitors. Mathew brought the kids up every night so that we could eat dinner together. I went home a few times, but toward the end of the week, it got harder to leave Oren because he was breastfeeding again and just wanted to be held. 

The day before we left it was discovered that a cyst on Oren's adrenal glad had hemorrhaged. The cyst was one of many factors that contributed to his high bilirubin level. Oren's level was at nine at the time of discharge.

Life is normal now and I am thankful to have all three of my babies together again.