Shoe shopping with four kids is pure torture, oops I mean pure fun! Actually it wasn't too bad I guess. The girls were the only ones getting new shoes. I must say their new shoes are pretty cute!


The fun stuff really came after the shoe shopping though. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we spent all day outside enjoying every minute of it. Some neighborhood kids came over to play and a great time was had by all.

The highlight for sure was the worm that they found. Maggie was sure that "she" had a baby but the older kids kept saying that her head fell off. "But don't worry, a worm can grow a new head." Fun with nature and science!

This afternoon Ben had his two month visit to the doctor. All was great. He is up to a whopping 14lbs 4oz and 23 3/4inches long! That is the 95% for weight and the 75% for height. He definitely is growing quickly! The doctor has no concerns as Ben is meeting all of his milestones, yeah! And the best news was that his ears still look wonderful!!! The bummer is that he had to get three shots but I will say it bothered Katelyn more then it bothered Ben. Do you think we will make it two months without seeing the doctor again???

Katelyn also had her checkup today. We talked at length about the cough that she has had for weeks now mainly when she runs around and when she is sleeping. He thinks it may be allergy induced asthma. He did send her for a chest x-ray just to rule other things out so hopefully that will come back fine. As for now she has two inhalers, one for preventive and one is a fast acting if she needs it.

As for everything else.... She is doing GREAT!!!

Here is a copy of her x-ray that she requested and the tech obliged. She was very excited to bring it home and share it. We put it right into her scrapbook so we will have it forever! I must admit it is pretty cool to see her bones!

Tid-Bits about Ben

I am sure you are wondering why in the world I would put this picture in a post called, "Tid-Bit's about Ben". Well maybe your not but I will tell you anyway... I would like to introduce you to Ben's best friend! This is Octopus, I know original name uh.

Ben chats with Octopus, coos at him and smiles big for him....

Sometimes with the way Ben is concentrating I almost think Octopus may be talking back....

The final "Tid-Bit about Ben" is that his belly button looks like a star. Yes folks this is true... It may be hard to tell in this picture but I assure you I am not joking! Connor discovered this Tid-Bit just this morning when I was changing Ben. I thought that was rather observant of Connor and I just had to take pictures.

So there you go, you now know two Tid-Bits about Ben that you did not know before.... Was it worth reading??? I may be biased but I love these Tid-Bits!

Busy weekend!

So it was a busy weekend in the house full of monkeys!

Friday was a cranky day for Ben. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed and remained a cranky baby all day. The great news however is that I took him to the doctor to get his ears checked and they looked great. He was simply having a bad day, don't we all at times?

Katelyn on the other hand was a very happy girl when she climbed off the bus because it was the start to her vacation week. No school for her or Connor this week and I am just as excited as they are.

Saturday was beautiful! The kids spent the whole day outside enjoying the sunshine and sprinkler. Then in the late afternoon a few little girls came over for a pizza and movie night to celebrate Katelyns Birthday. They all had a good time but I will say the movie wasn't a hit so they ended up outside. (Even better in my opinion)

Then on Sunday Chris took the three older monkeys to Charmingfare Farms again and I stayed home with Ben. I think next time I am going to go though. They seemed like they had a great time. When they got home they headed outside to enjoy more of the sunshine and sprinkler. We had to drag them in for dinner. All three of them were ready for bed last night though!!!

On a very different and very sad note my little cyberbaby is not doing well at all. The has taken a very serious turn for the worst. Please spend a moment to pray for her and for her family as they go through this difficult time. http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com

You may remember that the other day Ben's smile looked like this! I will add that I still love this picture by the way!

Well this morning it looked like this...

No I am not putting bright purple lipstick on my baby boy nor am I giving him grape Popsicles! We have been battling with thrush for almost 7 long weeks now! Because of the antibiotics it has been even more difficult to get rid of. He has now been off antibiotics for over two weeks and the thrush is not going anywhere. I am beyond sick of putting the nystatin on me and he absolutely hates it now! Every dose is terrible! So we decided to give something else a try. It is called gentian violet and it is PURPLE, well violet to be exact! For three nights I have to rub a q-tip all around the inside of his mouth and on my, well you know where. Boy do I hope this works! I am ready for thrush to be a distant memory!

Today was a hanging out kind of day. We had our pellets delivered this morning so we will be ready for the upcoming winter. Wow, I really don't want to think about cold weather any more. This afternoon we spent some time outside and it was pretty windy!

Uh-oh, Maggie is falling asleep on the couch so I better go get her or she will never go to bed!

No one told me...

So today was a little bit hard as a Mom. No one told me that it would break my heart when my little girl is devastated by a friend. One of Katelyn's friends called her "mean" today and Katelyn was just devastated. She was balling! Part of me wanted to be nasty about that friend but the realistic part of me knows that the two girls will likely be back to normal in just a couple of days. Such a typical part of growing up and life but I didn't realize it would be so hard!

We had a little girl over most of the day so Maggie and Connor had a blast. They played and snacked the day away!

I dare say that Ben is doing better now on his previcid! I began seeing some improvement the other day but worried it might just be a good day or two. I think though we are seeing what will be the norm for Ben now. And I will add that I love it! He is so happy and chatty lately, especially first thing in the morning. Priceless!

Hey, do me a favor and just write a quick comment to let me know you are checking out my blog. I am so curious in who is visiting!

I now have a 7 year old!

What a busy weekend this was! It was wonderful though and full of family which is always so great. However, since it is already after 9:30 and I am wiped you won't get too many details!

Great news.... I got a new camera! Not sure how much I like it yet though so I am still playing with it. I need to get some of the pictures developed too so I can see how they come out. Here is one of my most favorite pictures ever though! I took this today and plan on framing this baby! Is he the most precious thing you have ever seen? Look at that smile! I must admit that I am madly in love with this little boy!


So today my first-born monkey turned 7! Unbelieveable! She had a wonderful day and so did I. My sister, Stephanie, watched Maggie and Ben so I could go to lunch with Katelyn. Connor was in school. I picked up Milano's pizza and steak/cheese sub so she could pick what she wanted out of her two favorites. She picked both! She was so suprised to see me and kept saying how, "This is my best birthday ever!" It was just wonderful to have this special time for just her and I. (Well kinda, there was 150 other first graders there too!) I loved it and she did too!

Chris came home early and brought this rose for his little girl. He is an amazing man and Dad!




Check out the shirt! She just beamed all day with that very cute shirt and beautiful smile! My baby is 7!

I also thought I would share this picture with you. On Saturday night I was getting ready to put Ben to bed and layed him on my bed. I went into a different room and when I came back he was no longer in the same position as I left him. He rolled onto his tummy! He has been rolling from his belly to his back since he was just a couple weeks old (yes, it's true) and now he rolled the other way. He is 9wks old, I have a very athletic little boy on my hands! LOL!!

Katelyn's first celebration

Today was a busy day! Connor had a friend from school over for the day and they had a great time playing inside and out. They did a wonderful job including Maggie too which was wonderful for her and I :) The weather was absolutely beautiful today too!

Tonight Nana, Pa, and Uncle drew came over for our regular Friday night dinner but it was an extra special Friday night dinner because we also celebrated Katelyn's birthday with them. Milanos for dinner, cake for ice cream and great company was had by all. Katelyn received a DS which she has been wanting for a long time, she couldn't stop giving hugs and saying thanks! We will be celebrating her birthday on Monday too which is her actual birthday and next Saturday she will have a couple of friends over for pizza, cake, popcorn and a movie.

My camera broke! I am simply devastated because I am a picture person right down to my soul. I dropped it last night but didn't realize the damage I caused until today when it wouldn't work! At least I got off all the pictures but aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I am very disappointed!

Chris is out playing poker tonight, the kids are in bed (all but Ben) and I am going to put on a chick show! Have a great night!

The ice cream truck is back...

Today was a good day. The weather was beautiful which is always wonderful. Auntie Stephanie called last night to see if she could bring Connor and Maggie to the park today. My answer..... absolutely! It worked out great because Ben and I ran an errand while they were gone which is great for me and for them. After Ben and I left the store he needed to eat in the car. After nursing he was smiling, laughing, and cooing! It was absolutely adorable and I took many pictures on my cell phone. I couldn't wait to share them with everyone but I have no clue how to get them off my phone now. I tried and tried to no avail, anyone got any ideas?? There must be a way to get them off or what would be the use of having a camera on the phone. If someone can help me it will be a win/win situation. I will know how to get the pictures off and you will get to see some adorable pictures of a very cute baby boy!

When Chris got home from work he stayed outside with the kids while Ben and I came in so I could make dinner. Ben took a little nap in the swing (amazing) and I was working on dinner. The girls came in a little bit later and sat on the couch to watch a little tv. A couple minutes later Connor comes flying into the house yelling something, it was so loud and abrupt it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. "KATELYN, MAGGIE THE ICE CREAM TRUCK IS COMING!!!!" Out the door fly all three of them! Katelyn and Maggie didn't even take the time to put their shoes on for fear of missing it. By this point Ben is awake so he and I go out to take pictures of this exciting moment. I remember from when I was little the feeling of the first time we got to get ice cream off the truck every year, just amazing. We all walked down to the corner to make sure the truck didn't miss us. Well actually the kids ran and Chris and I just tried to keep up. Connor picked Sponge Bob, Katelyn picked Tweety Bird, and Maggie picked Teenage Mutant Ninga Turtles (really Maggie, that's the one you want??). There is nothing better to a kid then picking a cold treat off the ice cream truck. Well maybe one thing.... Picking a treat off the ice cream truck that has bubblegum eyeballs! We tortured them by making them wait until after dinner to eat them but they didn't seem to mind too much.

AAAAHHHHH (sigh) spring is here and summer is right around the corner....

I thought I would share this sweet picture too even though it doesn't have much to do with todays blog just because I love it!

Ben's first outing

Ben had his first outing today. Well, other then doctors offices which he has "frequent flier miles" for. We went to the mall. He is now two months old and has the official ok from the doctor to go places. (For those who don't know, he had RSV at two weeks old and we were under strict orders to stay home!) I will admit that I actually had butterflies in my stomach, no I am not joking, when we got to the mall. I felt like I could look around and really see germs everywhere! I went for two reasons... One, I am typically a very active mom so staying home so much was quite difficult although very worth keeping him healthy. (Thank God we have had some nice weather so we could go outside the past two months.) Two, my best friend seemed like she could use a bit of adult company today and that was where she was headed. I just had Ben and Maggie and it was a fun/uneventful trip. Now I just keep praying that he doesn't get sick!

After the mall I go to pick Connor up from school and his teacher is very excited to share what Connor did today. They were making taffy (she is an amazing teacher and is very creative with her teaching!) and were charting what ingredients they were using. The teacher went to label Connor's pictures and he told her that,"I can do it". He did it! Granted he was copying the words off the board but the fact that he wrote them is a huge milestone for my growing boy! I was so proud of him!

Maggie tid-bit

So two nights ago at dinner time we called the kids to the table. The kids plates were waiting on the table. I was nursing Ben at the table. Chris was putting a plate together for himself. Connor and Katelyn come right away and sit down.
A minute later:
Chris: "Maggie come to the table for dinner."
Maggie: Silence
Chris: "Maggie come to the table now."
Maggie: Silence
Chris: "Margaret Rose come to the table right now!"
Maggie: "You're not the boss of me!"
Me: Trying so hard not to spit out my mouthful because I can't contain my laughter.
Chris: "What did you say?! I am the boss of you! Get in here right now!"
In walks Maggie talking about something completely random, completely clueless about Chris being grumpy. He says something along the lines of him being the boss. She ignores him. He looks at me and says, "In one ear and right out the other!"
Meanwhile Katelyn and Connor are discussing who infact is actually the boss of the whole house. One says, "Mom" and one says, "Dad" We say "both"!
Our Maggie sure is a pip with a great spunk! She keeps us on our toes, we never know what's coming. Thank God she is so sweet, cute and happy!
Oh, where, you ask does a three year old learn to say something like that? We asked the same question and Katelyn said, "Sometimes I say that to her." Well ok then....

The weather is just beautiful out there! I love the sunshine! It is so good for the mind, body, and soul! I plan to bring the kids to the park later this afternoon to soak it all in.

Before we can do that though I will be picking up Katelyn early from school to bring her to the doctor's and have her cough checked again. She has had it for weeks now and can't seem to kick it. I really have a feeling that the doctor is just going to say it is a cough that will go away with time but I will bring her in just to double check.

So Ben has been on Pepcid for a week now and we are not seeing very good improvement so the doctor has now called in a script for Previcid. This was a miracle drug for Maggie so I really hope we will see a huge improvement in Ben soon! I also need to pick up some more Nystantin because the thrush we have been battling for 5 wks now is still not going away! Any ideas for me?? The good thing is that Ben has been flashing us some amazing smiles lately!

I have some artists in our little monkeys! The three big Monkeys are so into drawing lately and are blowing me away with their ability. Connor drew this the other day, I couldn't believe it since this is the boy who wouldn't even pick up a pencil not that long ago. In case you are wondering.... It is a picture of our family as Easter Bunnies! Too cute!!!

This is the picture that Maggie brought to me just a little bit ago. It is a duck! This is an amazing picture for a three year old!!!!

Soon I will get a picture that Katelyn drew so everyone can see one of her artworks too! Do I have a future artist in the family???

Guess I better take advantage of Ben taking a nap and get into the shower. His naps don't tend to last too long and I have already used up some of the time!

ETA: Katelyn has a sinus infection.... Ben's ears look good and he started his new meds.... The park was great!

Welcome!!

I am a big time blog reader but didn't really think I would end up doing one of my own. I have decided however to give it a try!
Here's my plan..... I will blog daily (well let's be realistic, it may not be daily :) ) to update everyone about the life of our four monkeys as they grow. This is hopefully going to be as much for me as for you so I will have a type of journal to look back on.
Life here is ok today! Today happens to be the day I gave birth to my second lost Angel one year ago. I am suprisingly doing well considering the other day I was quite a wreck. As Nee wrote to me the other day, "God took a life away from you, and then gave you a life in Ben. I can see how that would bring conflicting feelings for you." I couldn't have said it better myself! I just love Ben and could not imagine life without him but I still grieve my lost babies. Well I think I quoted that pretty accurately but I just checked my email and no longer have it so I could be off by a word or two. I had hoped to pay a visit to the Memorial Garden our little one was laid to rest but it is very cold and windy so we will wait for a nicer day.
Yesterday was Easter and we had a wonderful day filled with family, love and great food. Oh, and chocolate, lots of it too! We went to Chris' aunt Joann's house which was so much fun. The kids had a blast hunting for the 360 eggs that were hidden outside!
Well Ben is calling (crying) to let me know he is done with his not-so-long nap. What do you think, will I get the house clean today????