Stellan is on the news...

Just wanted to let you know that the local news did a story on Stellan. Click here to check it out.

Not me! Monday...Stellan Style

Welcome to Not me! Monday...a new version for the week...Stellan Style. For those of you who have not gone read up on the sweet baby that I am asking you to pray for, now is your chance. Go ahead...I'll wait.

Ok, good...you're back. Now we can officially get started. Anyone who regularly reads my blog (thank you by the way!) knows that I have been participating in this crazy little thing called Not me! Monday for a while now. Well, in honor of little Stellan and his mama, Natalie came up with the idea that we continue on with our tradition this week but add a little twist...so make sure you head over there after you are finished up here to check out the other great Not me! Monday Stellan Style posts. I am sure they will all be so uplifting for Stellan and his Mama.

Are we ready now? Let's get a move on people! This week I have absolutely not spent every spare moment and then some praying for little wonderful Stellan. I have not been soliciting for gift cards for donations for their sweet family just for a chance to be able to help out such a wonderful family in times of need. I have not woken up in the middle of the night just to say a prayer for this sweet baby boy. I have not been in tears on more occasions than not when reading updates from his Mama. I have not been so torn up about this, not in the least.

I also have not added Stellan and his family to the prayer list for my MOPS group. I have not sent out emails begging family and friends to pray for this precious little guy. I have not told all of my friends about him like he is a member of my family. I have not talked about him so much this week that my husband and children all ask about him and if I have heard any updates on a very regular basis. My son's 6th grade class is not praying daily for little Stellan either. I have not been racking my brain trying to come up with other ways to help this precious family. I have not been updating my Facebook status according to new posts on his Mama's blog. And lastly, I am not begging all of you to start (if you are not already) praying for this little miracle baby.

This last one is just for you MckMama...I do not have the people from my favorite Chipotle asking about Stellan each and every time we have been in there in the last week. Yes, I did say each and every...sounds like an addiction if you ask me...

Now, head on over to see Natalie and find out what everyone else has not been doing! And remember...Keep on praying. God answers prayers!

Looks like another one of the kids is truly mine...all mine!

Well...it's official. Yep, I have a fit thrower on my hands. Looks like I have to claim another child's personality traits.

Tonight I was in the tub with Tutti-Frutti for a quick bath and he grabbed the soapy washcloth and was going to town sucking on it. So...bad mother that I am (bathwater never killed anyone, right?) I just let him keep it until it was time for him to get out.

When I was finished bathing and rinsing him, I called for Daddy to come and get him. Daddy arrived, warm towel in hand and I proceeded to try and take the washcloth from the little clutches of the sweet, calm, laid back baby. OMG!!! What happened to my sweet, calm, laid back baby?!? He started with a little grunt, letting me know he was not having any part of me reclaiming the cloth. I tugged a little harder trying to take it, he started wailing, holding his breath, turning red, couldn't catch his breath, all while still holding on to the cloth for dear life. You would have thought I had killed him as much noise as he was making. Needless to say, I have ruined his poor little 7 month old life. Oh well, life goes on. So indeed...I have another child, one who is truly all mine.

How old now?

My precious baby boy is how old today? 7 months?! No way! Where has the time gone? He is not my little baby anymore. Well, I guess he is kinda little still. At least compared to Boog at this age. He is my little beauty, my sweet little man. He loves his mommy, sometimes I think a little too much. He has gotten into the stage where he wants to be held, all of the time! Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly do not mind! Guess that is why I don't ever get anything done. But hey, they are only little once.
And besides, who could say no to a face like this? He has learned to turn on the charm.

Such a beautiful smile, an infectious laugh and wonderful personality. He is such a flirt. He draws you in then turns his head and smiles. He tries to act shy. We know better.

He is really starting to "talk" a lot too. He says "Mama" and "Dada" and when he is excited, his little arms, legs and feet just go crazy. He sits and rocks and he really loves the big kids. He gets so excited when he sees them.

We did manage to snap a few with him actually looking at the camera. That was hard considering all of the distractions around him. He is a real people watcher, just like his mommy and daddy!

He is still such a good baby. He has recently (knock on wood) started sleeping through the night again. I think we might have found the problem. When he was really little, we let him sleep in his baby carrier padded with a soft blanket so he would feel secure and also be sitting more upright after his last feeding. So, up until about 4ish months old, he slept like a dream. When he started getting a little bigger, we decided to go ahead and put him directly into his bed, laying flat...our nighttime battle for sleep began. We tried propping him up on a small pillow and he still would not sleep for more than about a 3 hour stretch. It was killing me, we had gone from a normal newborn waking every few hours to eat, to sleeping for about 5-6 hours, to sleeping all night long then back to waking every 2-4 hours again. Nothing seemed to help. So, last week when he and Boog were sick, we asked the pediatrician if it was possible to have reflux with no outward signs (meaning no spitting up and such) and he said yes, it was. He agreed to let us try zantac to see if that would help to bring on the sleep and I am happy to report once the head cold got better and he could breath again, he has been sleeping MUCH better! Most of the time, he still wakes up around 5am or so to eat then dozes back off for awhile, but I will take that!

Sleeping again has made Mommy a much nicer person! Which as you can imagine, makes everyone much nicer people as well. Now, if only we could get everyone into their own beds IN their own rooms. Ah well, it is nice to have dreams! Maybe one day.

Until then, we will bask in the joy of having our babies near. And how bad could that really be? They are only little for a while. And I am quickly learning that it is not near long enough.

But what a beautiful 7 month old he is, wouldn't you agree?

Praying for Stellan

Hello my family and friends. I hope that you are all still praying for baby Stellan. He is had a real roller coaster of a ride for the last several days. Many ups and many downs. Please continue to pray for him and his family. His momma has barely left his side, has barely had any sleep and is feeling such a range of emotions. I am sure like none of us could even come close to imagining. I have been following so closely the last several days, waiting for updates, praying like crazy. I even find myself waking at night to pray for this precious little guy. I feel such a connection to him and to this family. I guess that is what praying does for you. I have felt joy and pain right along with everyone else around the world who is praying for this little miracle. Lift him up and ask for complete healing so that he can go home to his family and live a long happy, healthy life. For the latest updates head on over to My Charming Kids. Please follow along and continue to pray for a miracle. Poor little guy is finally getting some much needed rest. The medicine they have him on makes him so manic and jumpy he cannot rest.

Weekly Wednesday

Little Mister Smiley Pants says Happy Wednesday! It has been a long time since he has been so full of smiles for my camera! I think he just really likes to be outside, and he loved the grass.

This is who I am asking you to pray for...

This is Stellan...the little one I am asking you all to pray for. There has been another update, not really any more "news" but an update on what is happening. Please keep this family in your prayers and please go read the updates, I know this family appreciates it.

I thought you might want to see "who" you are praying for.

Thanks again!

Please pray for Stellan

Please lift up this precious baby boy in prayer, he needs it. Stellan is MckMama's youngest and when she was pregnant with him, she was told that she would lose him. He had severe SVT and now it seems it has come back. Please stop by her blog to read the latest on him. Meanwhile, keep praying.

Not me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, where we can be brutally honest with each other, and live to tell about it. When you are finished here, head on over to MckMama's blog to see a list of more not me's. You will be so glad you did!

This week, we most certainly did not celebrate Lemon Drop's 11th birthday 3 different times on 3 different days. That would be just plain crazy, I mean people only have one birthday, right? Well, obviously not at our house...and we certainly do not have cake twice!!! Seriously people! So...you will never find evidence of Boog shoveling in eating chocolate ice-cream cake.

We also did not have a sleep over with 3 extra pre-teen girls...WOW...so glad we did not do that. That might have been insane. Speaking of that kind of insanity...does anyone know when the head jerks and eye twitching will subside?

Ok...so maybe it wasn't that bad.

Oh yea, I did not meet a photographer friend of mine this weekend to take some awesome pictures of my little monkeys in the gorgeous bluebonnets. Nope, not me. That might have been a good idea and we all know, I rarely have those! Intentions...that is what I have! Almost forgot...while not taking pictures, it was soooo not me who was standing within arms reach of Tutti-Frutti when he did not flip over head first out of his basket, right into the bluebonnets! Nope, not me! I am a way better mother than that, and a whole lot more careful too! I would never let anything like that happen to one of my babies! So, no, that is not road rash you see on his head!

Speaking of not taking those pictures, remember my Not me! post from last week with my baby not in the leg of a pair of boy's shorts...Well, the jumper we did not make from those turned out absolutely perfect. So, all 3 of my boys most definitely did not have the cutest matching shorts for the pictures that we did not take. So this is surely not the little sneak peak she teased me with this morning! I am not just dying to see what the rest of them look like either. Nope, not me! I have way more patience than that!

Wednesday, we did not show up at Grandma and Grandpa's house with said jumper in tow, begging hoping for Grandma's help with sewing them for us. And, since we begged asked so nicely, she was more than willing to lend a helping machine hand. But then again, who could say no to our precious little Tutti-Frutti? Have you seen that face?

We also did not have a fantastic dinner with some dear friends of ours Friday night, nor did we have the best baked ziti EVER, along with great conversation and lots of laughs. The kids absolutely did not have a great time playing, especially Boog, he might have had a terrible time, if we had indeed gone. Since we were not there, we did not get home at midnight THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR WONDERFUL BLUEBONNET PICTURE EXPERIENCE! I mean seriously, who in their right mind keeps their kids out until midnight the night before family pictures?

Upon waking...Boog did not have a major melt down, proclaiming that, "I wanna staaaaay hooooome! I don't wannnna go taaaaaakkkke piiiiicccctures at the paaaaark!" Only to be the most photogenic of all of the children! Nope, not him.

Oh yea, and in case you are wondering...still no pirate ship!

Ok, well that is it for me and my Not me's! Not that there aren't anymore...I just cannot remember them all and I would hate to bore you past tears. So...while you are still clear eyed enough, head on over to MckMama's and see what everyone else has not been up to this week. Of course, that is if she has had time to put up a link to Mr. Linky this morning. She has had poor sick babies this weekend and is not feeling great herself, keep her family in your prayers, little Stellan has already had RSV once this winter, I would hate for them to have another hospital stay. So, if that is the case, I guess you are stuck with me. Have a great week! Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Wednesday...a little late.

I love my little man...

and his precious baby feet!

Happy Birthday Lemon Drop

Today our baby girl turns 11...where does the time go? She is such a sweet loving child, no parent could ask for a better helper, daughter or big sister...but as for a little sister, well...that is debatable. She is growing up so fast, right before our eyes. She is not our little girl anymore. Or at least she doesn't think so. She will always be our baby girl in this house of men. This time last year, turning 10! This year she became a big sister once again!And 9, looking more grown up each year.

8, she loved going to Libby Lu for makeovers...love the pink hair. She wanted to wear it everywhere! 7, the year she became a big sister. It was one month and 4 days later that she was no longer the baby of the house.

We are so proud of the young lady she is becoming, foot stomping, eye rolling, door slamming and all...she brings such joy to our lives. We are proud to call her daughter, our baby girl. Happy 11th birthday sweet girl. We love you!

Not me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, where we can be brutally honest with each other, and live to tell about it. When you are finished here, head on over to MckMama's blog to see a list of more not me's. You will be so glad you did!

First things first...you will be happy to know that I did indeed make it all the way up the stairs at MOPS this week with no incident! Yay! We can move on now...

This week, after weeks of hot humid weather, we did not get a cold front! I am so glad this did not happen because we all know how I do not just LOVE the cold weather.

However, to go along with the cold weather that we did not have, we also have not had 4 (yes 4!) days of rain. Eeek...now cold and rain, I am not a fan of.

Since we did not have cold rainy days this week, I did not drag take the two little ones to the mall this week! Nope, not me! I would never drag take my babies out intentionally in the rain (that we did not have) just to go to the mall. What kind of mother do you think I am? Since that did not happen, we certainly did not get soaked, several times, getting to and from the car as well as a few outside stores! Glad that did not happen, what kind of parent does that?!? I mean, what could possibly have been that stinkin' important?

Last Saturday at Church, my dear, sweet, wonderful, handsome husband and I absolutely did not under any circumstances at all bribe make a deal with our sweet little 3 year old Boog by telling him that if for the next 2 times we go to Church and MOPS, he does not cry, we will buy him a Beggie Tales (Veggie Tales) Pirate Ship from the bookstore. Nope, not us!

So, Friday morning, he screamed like a wild child going into his class at MOPS, but he made it thru and had a grand ole time. No pirate ship...Saturday night going to church, never cried the whole way there, dropped Tutti-Frutti off, headed for Boog's class and he started in, "If you leave me in my class, I evah won't see you." Sure enough, he pitched a big one going in but made it thru and had a grand ole time. So...guess what he asked us before he EVER got out of the room? Yep, the pirate ship. We did not have to tell him no because he had cried going in; therefore, no pirate ship this time. We again told him if he does not cry next time we go to MOPS or church, he gets the pirate ship. Well, being the softies that we are, we most defiantly did not take him to the bookstore and get him a movie! WHAT?!? We rewarded the behavior anyway? Well, it's not like we actually got the pirate ship!

It is getting better each week though, he now goes into kid's church from his classroom, sings and dances and has a boot scootin' good time. Now, if we could only get him in there without the tears. There's always next week.

Oh, and this week is not Spring Break! Woo hoo! I absolutely will not be getting up early any day for the next 7 days! Now, will someone come break the news to Boog and Tutti-Frutti! HA! Too bad that is just a fantasy! How nice would that be?!

Sunday night, we (handsome husband and I) did not cram gently place Tutti-Frutti into one leg of a pair of boys size 12 shorts in order to work out a way to make them into a jumper so all of the boys would have matching attire for an upcoming photo shoot. Nope, not us! That would not be a very nice thing to do...and he did not have a great time chewing on the pants and zipper while we were measuring him either! Nope, not our child! He has way too many toys to have to resort to that kind of behavior. So...I guess what I am trying to say is...you will never find pictures to prove it...

And, as I sit and type this tonight, waiting to be the first to post on Mr. Linky in the morning (yeah, right!) I am totally not singing...

Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg...
Batmobile lost a wheel and Joker got away! Nope, not me!

That's it for my fun times, now get your hiney over to MckMama's and see what everyone else has to say for themselves, I know I will. Happy Not me'ing!

Beautiful Baby...Happy Feet

Santa Clause...

Yes, I did say Santa Clause...

Boog: Mommy, Santa Clause did a great job.

Me: He did?

Boog: Yep.

Me: What do you mean Santa did a great job?

Boog: He bringed me and Tutti-Frutti lotsa toys. He bringed me a pirate ship, and...(voice fades off where I cannot hear him any longer.)

Now that is what I call gratitude...3 months later, still thanking Santa. That's my sweet boy.

And yes, this was today.

Weekly Wednesday

Happy Wednesday...

Flowers

Mommy...I think your flowers are stirsty...they need a drink of water. Mommy, I think your flowers need to go outside so they can get a drink.
Of course I did not have the heart to tell him that these flowers need a whole lot more than a drink of water!

What a ham...