6 Months!

Okay so since I'm so far behind in my blog posts (I won't even comment on how my 21 day cleaning challenge is going... let's just say it's going to take a LOT more than 21 days!) and this sweet little 6 month old is under my feet complaining as I'm typing I'm going to keep it short and sweet with a few pictures thrown in (of course).

Our little Baby Sugar (which may end up being her actual name since once again surprise surprise a name isn't growing on me... but that is really a whole other blog post in itself) was 6 months old yesreday. She weighed in at 16# even. I have no clue how that compares to the other kids. Maybe some quiet afternoon (are you laughing at the thought of that too?) I will dig out some notes and check. I never even bothered with height... she tall like the rest?

She's darling and adorable of course and always doted upon by everyone. I can't get a good picture of her teeth yet but she is up to 3 now. The strangest thing was the first one that came in. She got a top lateral incisor first, then followed by the two bottom front teeth... never had a baby do that before but as I always say each one has find some new way to surprise you since you've seen it all before.

As you can see she can sit as well now. Still wobbly but getting better each day.

I'm seriously in love! I was of the mind set that one doesn't truly appreciate having a girl until you've had a couple boys first (and I'm sure that goes both ways) but I think it might be even better the second time around.

I absolutely love how the kids love and care for her. There is nothing more precious!

In other news the sheepdog, I mean Ozzye, did get a hair cut since this picture...

Another this one had an interesting night a few weeks ago which resulted in 5 staples in his head. No it wasn't from this day when his sister was rolling him around the yard in a box... but rather when he was sitting on a folding chair and it folded on him. He opted to catch himself with the top of his head but the TV stand isn't all that forgiving so blood was drawn. I'm kicking myself now for even bringing him in. The bleeding stopped quiet soon after it happened I looking back I think it would've healed fine. Certainly better than the botch job the new Dr did on it. I knew we were in trouble when I told the Dr. he never lost consciousness and didn't appear to have a concussion and he replied saying "well if he had a concussion he would've lost consciousness". Of course, what would I know anyway, I never went to medical school...

Anyway he numbed the area and proceeded to staple into my son's head immediately after telling him it doesn't hurt while he is flinching in pain. Then had to take two staples out and redo them. Dave said after he went in for a third time he was going to grab the stapler and start in on him! The nurse was not any more gentle with with my son's broken head until I actually ASKED him (imagine that) if it hurt when she was washing off the blood and THEN she agreed to be gentle. Not five minutes after the finished up he excitedly said "head isn't stinging any more!" Again I'm no Dr but isn't this when one should start putting staples in a child's head?

Thank goodness it's over now, he's fine, I will be fine. It has healed horribly crooked. Usually one likes to subject their child to pain and trauma when there will be a better end result... I think we just ended up doing it for the hell of it but lessons were learned. Like next time maybe just call a good Dr you know at 9pm, just in case they recently switched their practice to house calls only... which come to find out, a bit too late, I'm lucky enough to have such a Dr.

It was bound to happen...

...forgetting my child somewhere that is. Luckily for them (and me) it was at home and for a VERY short amount of time. I remember I use to tease a friend of mine about the time his mom (of 3) left him at a park. Mostly I did it because one could tell years later he was still emotionally scarred by it and how else are our friends to know we really love them but to continue to remind them of childhood traumas. But truthfully I'm not that cruel and neither was his mother whom made a very honest mistake much like I recently did.

As a rule we trust the eldest to watch the younger children now, except for the baby that always comes with me unless my mother is over with the kids. The second eldest is allowed to watch himself or the younger ones for extremely short periods of time. This morning particular my mom had come to watch the kids since we had Dave's Aunt's funeral this morning which had left my mind even more scattered than usual. At a very young age she lost her battle with cancer so it was more heartbreaking than the average funeral.

Once returning home hubby left for work and my mom and I hung out with the kids for a while. She offered to go pick up Kain for me which would give me enough time to get Aubriel ready before I had to run out with her. My mom was expected back before I had to leave so I thought nothing of it when I told Gage he could ride along with her... however that somehow in less than 20 minutes slipped my mind as I grabbed the girls and snuck out of the house while Brode and Ozzye were distracted in the basement (me assuming Gage was distracted with them). I knew my mom would be along shortly (as she usually runs late) and Gage was perfectly capable of handling things for another 10 minutes... or he would've been, had he been there. I waved to my mom just as she entered our subdivision and our vehicles passed one another still not noticing until I was miles down the road that I also waved to the child I thought was home babysitting. Then the horror set in. Luckily by this point I of course knew they were well cared for but it still didn't rid me of that over whelming "bad mom" feeling. I called immediately so that my mom would not think I was nearly as negligent as I made myself out to be but then again I DID leave my 3 and 6 y/o home by themselves even if it did only end up being for 5 minutes.

At least I know that there are others out there with good, but scatter-brained mothers that still end up raising perfectly healthy, safe children, without too much emotional trauma... or at least that could be the case if their friends can keep from tormenting them with it.

One Month!

A whole month without a single post... and shamefully my last was about buying jeans (which I may still update with a picture). I have thought about writing several times... I had big plans as usual. I was going to write about our adventures with the chicken pox in July, my amazing new friend that is single handedly keeping my business afloat (bless her heart!), my seemingly odd (only those who know me may get why it's odd) position organizing home school activities through a new local rec center... not even close to my kind of thing (but I do say often I *want* to grow... I think), even all the little things that I have seen six times over that still make my heart skip a beat like a new tooth popping through or sitting for a few seconds on her own... my sweet 5 month old that is. Even now I should be catching up on my 21 day cleaning challenge I agreed to do with my friends. I got through my junk drawer, never did get any farther than the before picture of my desk and I do not see making it even that far with my Tupperware cupboard today. So yeah, my days have been crazy, my nights have been exhausting and despite the fact that I complain about driving my kids all over the place I love it. I honestly and truly love it!

Aubriel had a busy summer at the gym learning new skills. I'm not sure which one of us is more jazzed about these upcoming fall meets. Gage didn't get out golfing as much as I would've liked for him but Kain and him got out quite a bit together and I hope it was time together they will cherish. Kain started football two weeks ago, first year not being in pop-warner. And he started his first day back to school today. New school. 7th grade. He seemed fine this morning... me not so much. I mean I'm "fine" I'm just not fine. I know he is going to do great. He's like his mom, social and has to be on the move.... usually. Which is probably why I'm not really all that fine. Last year was suppose to be THE year. It was our year to travel a lot, for me to spend lots of time with the kids (which I did do) but I had visions of it being out and about and on the go constantly. And I think we sat at home more last year than ever before. Between being pregnant and our excessively long winter and the lack of schedules meshing it just didn't happen the way I wanted it to. It is certainly no wonder he wanted to go back to school. And now of course I can already see things changing for us. We joined the new Kroc Center that just went up here in town and the classes they are or will be offering seem endless. Poor Kain, after the Y just didn't have much for us last year we now seem almost over whelmed with all the extras we want to add to our already busy schedule.

On a more selfish note I have gotten incredibly spoiled now that he is of babysitting age. Although it might be good for Brode who has become a bit too much of a home body. I love having my children home with me, I love the bonds that they create with one another because of it but this is his choice and I honor that. I honestly believe each one is so different they need to be raised in their own way, which for Kain is going to school. I'm excited for him. I hope he has a wonderful year. He is already thrilled to be back into the sports he loves so much. We have a scrimmage tonight we will be going to watch! And the rest of the kids are finding their way through life and schooling, taking it one year at a time. We are kicking off our "school" year with a not back to school swimming party with our home school group. The kids can hardly wait and have been in half a dozen times in the last 15 minutes asking when we will go. So this post is short. I can't promise anymore anytime soon, although I know I have some new pics I should be posting, but I promise to try... just like I will try to clean my desk and Tupperware cupboard.