Yours Truly

Trevor has been begging to use my camera. Although I would never let him use it by himself, I let him take a few pictures of his favorite things. This was the first picture he took. I will have more to come. Not much time for downloading and editing these days. Christmas is less than a week away. We have been spending a majority of or free time baking, crafting, reading, playing and watching holiday movies. Life is good and God is so great. We are blessed to be able to spend time as a family doing these things. I cannot imagine having to work at a 9-5 job and enjoy doing these sorts of things when I get home. I have a feeling if I was still teaching, the students would be reaping the benefits and my kids would be hurting for my attention. I am so thankful to be able to be home with the kids. As much as I complain when we are having one of "those" weeks, I am so glad I get to do it. I can't imagine someone else doing my job.

The Joy of Baking

My sidekick and I have been baking this week.  I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to bake cookies and Christmas treats with McKenna this year and I can only imagine the fun we three girls will have over the next several years in the kitchen together.  McKenna and I made homemade candies and cookies for Trevor and Caleb's teachers, bus drivers, etc. this week.  Intentions were to make plenty to give to neighbors, friends and others...but they weren't making it to the cooling racks before being gobbled up.  It was a WONDERFUL memory to spend several days getting our hands dirty in the kitchen.  McKenna's mini apron (well, it is actually Trevor's Home Depot smock) was adorable.  We had a great time measuring, counting, pouring, stirring, dancing, singing and baking.  As stressful as it became, at times, with Aspen screaming and the boys interrupting, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.  We also made our fair share of pastries dipped in chocolate and homemade breads and manicotti.  I told Aaron we might be eating some frozen TV dinners for a few days, though.  As much fun as we had, I am done baking for a while.  I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed making the memories.

The other pictures were taken during a coffee/cocoa party McKenna had with her Mimi.  Mimi stopped at McDonald's and bought McKenna her own special "coffee" for a girl-time coffee party.  Too cute...

The Three Faces of Aspen

OK...instead of the Three Faces of Eve, we have the MANY faces of Aspen.  The usual faces include turned down lips with crying...although, I have to say, she is becoming a little more independent.  She was actually content without stimulation or rocking to sleep for over an hour today.  There are days I want to pull my hair out.  But, most days, all I have to do is look into her blue eyes (I totally think she will have blue eyes) and it all fades away.  She, like all the other kids, is a gift from God.  I don't need a single other Christmas gift.  I am so lucky. 

sickness be gone

Its been a long week with the girls being sick. McKenna has another ear infection and major congestion. Aspen seems to be following in her footsteps. Been a long, long week. Let's hope it improves. At least the new antibiotics give me some hope. Maybe I will be able to sleep more than 25 minutes at a time.

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No Distractions.

As usual, here are are pictures I have been meaning to post.  Most of these are from Thanksgiving weekend.  We had a GREAT time this year.  We were blessed that Aaron was able to be home this year.  I can't remember the last time he was home for a big holiday.  He is usually working or is only able to stop home for a few minutes to eat and run.  This year, I made a HUGE spread.  Everything was made from scratch.  I made turkey and gravy, sausage stuffing, black eyed peas, green beans, garlic smashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, biscuits (not homemade), and cranberry walnut salad.  I am sure there was more, but it has been so long ago that I have forgotten.  But, it was great to be together and celebrate.  We are so blessed.  The other pictures are of the kids and the crafts we have done this week.  Trevor read a story about a boat that floats. So, we made a boat out of a bottle lid, some play doh and a toothpick.  We also made dioramas out of our new shoe boxes and clay.  I was so amazed at Caleb's.  The detail was incredible.  If you look closely, he made a mom breastfeeding her baby next to a fire.  It was beautiful.    The other pictures are of the kids playing.  We have been practicing a "no distraction" policy a few days a week.  We implemented the day because I feel like there are many days where all I do is answer the phone, look at face book, get on the computer or text people.  The kids (and I) fully embraced this.  When we have a "no distraction" day, I don't answer the phone, tv and computers are off limits, I don't text, I don't get on the computer (unless I am printing out an activity for the kids), and I don't read the paper or magazines.  The kids actually told me they would rather have the tv off all day and have fun playing red rover, duck duck goose, simon says, etc.  thank watch tv any day.  So, we are doing this a few days a week.  My kids are so very special and I love "doing nothing" with them.  We actually look forward to the days when we don't have any distractions.  So, if you call and I don't answer, you will know why.  I am creating memories with my kids and there is NOTHING in the world I would rather be doing.

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Making it

All kids are FINALLY on the mend, along with myself. For those of you who don't know, the last week or so was a little crazy. I ended up with mastitis of the breast and cellulitis of the pelvis. I was taken to the ER with a fever hovering around 106. Yes, I said 106. I was in and out of consciousness and have never experienced chills quite like it. I was prescribed pain medicine for the shooting needles sensation coming from my boobs and the feeling of elephants trampling on my abdomen, along with antibiotics to cure the infection. Almost as quickly as the infection set in, it went away...thank God. I can't believe I survived and am still nursing. It makes me even more annoyed at the "but my nipples were sore" or "I didn't produce enough milk" women who want to make an excuse for not nursing. I have NEVER felt pain like I felt with the mastitis. Had heard the term before, but never knew what it meant. So, if you know anyone who had it and nursed through it, "way to go" is all I have to say. All the kids (with the exception of Aspen) got sick. Trevor had the whole asthma, bronchitis, wheezy stuff along with Caleb. McKenna ended up forming a rash from head to foot. Between me being ill and Trevor being on steroids, it was quite the week. Fortunately, we are all better and ready to take on this week.

I am so excited that I am finding myself becoming more "normal." I am finding it extremely difficult to get out of the house. But, I will get there. It is just hard to pump, nurse, diaper, dress, feed other kids, wipe butts, get dressed, clean up, pump, nurse, diaper again, get snack...you get the picture. It is not anything special. Plenty of moms do it, I am just struggling getting up and out. But, I am also enjoying these early days at home. We will see what the next few weeks brings. I am sure I might be itching to get out. However, not itching to load and unload all the kids in the cold weather. It might be a long fall and winter in the house. The prospect of packing diaper bags again, pumping in the car again, loading and unloading cranky kids is enough to make me want to hibernate.

Baby Aspen is here

OK.  Sorry for the delay in posting.  I have been a little busy changing diapers, nursing, holding a crying baby, nursing, burping, pumping, changing, bathing, nursing, burping...you get the picture.  This doesn't include all the daily tasks of dealing with 3 other kids as well.  Aspen Kennedy DeLisle was born on October 18th.  She was 3 1/2 weeks early due to the hernias in my pelvis and the very large varicose veins that were under extreme pressure as the pregnancy progressed.  She was a tiny 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.  So funny because Trevor was the same length, but weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 9 ounces.  He was a little bowling ball.  If she would have been term, she would have been close to Trevor's size.  At two weeks old, she is starting to pork up quite a bit, so I am assuming she will be giving Trevor a run for his money when it comes to weight, height and head percentiles on the baby measuring charts.  All that mommy milk does a baby good.  I have to say, Aspen is a great baby.  She has become a little spoiled in that she wants to be held and will not sleep in her crib.  But, it is so much easier to leave a boob out for her to feed through the middle of the night.  There have been a few nights where she was not easily consolable.  For the most part, though, she just eats through the night and the only time I have to really get up and deal with her is to burp her or change a diaper. 
    Aaron went back to work today as well.  I was so sad to see him go.  He has been a HUGE help to me.  I never imagined having so much help with the baby, the house and dealing with the kids.  I did not have to worrying about anything.  I cannot count the number of times I was told to go upstairs and rest.  It is going to be a real bummer when I am feeling better and the princess treatment comes to a screeching halt.  I could really get used to the help.  Yes...that is a hint, Aaron...lol

We are adjusting well.  It is loud and crazy most days.  And, it seems as though every time I do get a chance to sit down and nurse (as opposed to the usual standing and picking up, packing lunches, wiping the counters or sweeping while nursing), inevitably the phone will ring, a child will get hurt and need a band aid, the dog will need let out, etc. I will not lie, it is chaos at times, but a good chaos.  I would not change it for the world.  I have the greatest support in my wonderful husband, I have the greatest kids in the world, I have an amazing mother, and awesome in-laws.  I could not be happier and more in love with life. 

  You will have to excuse the lack of editing on my part.  It will probably be a while before you see pictures that are decent as I have NO time to myself to edit pictures, scrapbook, etc.  I would not change it for the world, though...

PE Tubes and Anesthesia

Well, Trevor's surgery is over.  He has his fifth set of tubes in place.  Let's all cross our fingers, say a prayer to God and hope that they work.  We have been dealing with ear infection after ear infection with Trevor.  I think he has had at least one every other month since he has been born.  Funny, the other two don't get quite as many.  In fact, I think they had one set of tubes each and were infection free after that.  Now, I should probably knock on wood.  McKenna did tell me the other day that her ear was bothering her.  Nothing compared to Trevor, though.  In fact, his ruptured a few days ago.  Nothing like blood and puss in your ears.  It is no wonder he has had a bad attitude for the past several weeks.  Maybe now he can start to like school again.  I can dream, can't I?  He is still struggling with wanting to go to school.  He loves to learn and loves to read, learn Spanish, do math, etc. when he gets home.  However, he is really having a hard time at school.  I am hoping a conference will manifest some new techniques or ideas to help him get back on track.

Caleb, on the other hand, LOVES to go to school.  There is no arguing or reluctance when it is time for preschool.  He is doing well also.  He loves to learn his letters and is in the emerging stages of reading.  Of course, I am eating this up...making flashcards, creating word family activities and singing silly "mat, cat, sat" songs.  Of course, Trevor remembers them from when he was learning word families and is loving to help teach Caleb (and McKenna) how to read.

We also took a quick fall walk last night.  I figured this would be the last with the beautiful trees, since I will be having the baby next week.  The leaves are sure to change when I am in the hospital for 4-5 days.  I would be pretty devastated if I did not get any pictures of the family with the spectacular background of orange, yellow, brown and red leaves.  That is one thing I love about Cincinnati...fall colors...  The process of snapping this picture was no easy feat.  Just be happy that everyone is looking at the camera.  I know Aaron is happy that I finally replaced the other family picture at the top of the blog.  He has been bugging me to do it for months.  You are welcome, honey...

Science Rocks!!

Trevor has discovered his new found passion in life...to do science experiments.  Cracks me up.  I think he is going to be like his mommy.  Loves reading, science and math...HATES, and I mean HATES, social studies.  Story of my life.  I couldn't tell you any more about the US Constitution or World War I, but I could figure out the Pythagorean Theorem...lol. Anyway, everything is a science project for Trevor.  He wants to guesstimate/hypothesize about everything science related.  He is interested in tree species, the difference in weight between things, how pulleys and levers work, how to grow things from seeds to plants, how bones are formed, etc.  Of course, this means that he also is interested in how babies are made too.  NOT a conversation I expected to have with my barely 6 year old, along with his 4 year old brother and 3 year old sister.  At least that is one uncomfortable conversation out of the way.  And no, I am not a "pee pee" and "wee wee" kind of mom.  He knows exactly what things are called, where they go and what happens.  Just so you know.  Let's just hope and pray he continues wanting to learn about earth science...

Balloons for God...

One of my very favorite traditions we started in the last few years is sending prayer requests and sending things we are thankful for to God. After every birthday party, we sit down and write things we are thankful for or things that we need God to hear. This year was extra special because the boys were able to participate more than normal. Usually, it is me asking and writing all the requests to send. This year, we sat down and discussed all those who were needing prayers and they kids made their own prayer lists. As usual, we wrote them all down, sat outside, spent a few minutes talking with God, and sent them up. This year was more touching than normal because we have many friends and family members who needed prayers to be heard. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the memory...

School, doctors and allergist

Well, it has been a few weeks since my last post.  Unfortunately, the weeks have been filled with visits to numerous doctors for a variety of reasons.  Trevor has had two separate batches of ear infections in the last month.  He had a double infection the day before school started and he has another now.  He also has been dealing with some skin reactions as well.  So, besides an exceptionally difficult transition to first grade, he is dealing with health issues as well.  We have more appointments scheduled with his ENT since he is still having multiple ear infections and fluid constantly.  His 4th set of tubes fell out several months ago and, unfortunately, I think he is due for another set.  We will see.  He has an appointment midweek.  Trying to get this all taken care of before the baby comes in three weeks.  YIKES!!  I have been visiting my obgyn weekly as well.  And, we have been dealing with McKenna having a bad cold on top of everything else.  Good times.  I did, however, get a new due date for the baby.  We are so stoked to find out what it is.  I am even more excited that the kids can finally enjoy the birth of a sibling.  They are all so close together in age that none of them remember ever receiving the gift of a sibling.  They are all so anxious and ready to meet this baby.  We will see how happy they still are come next month when reality sets in.  I know they will be great.  They are all so loving, caring and generous.  I just know, in my heart of hearts, that they will embrace this baby.  I am praying anyway...

Here are a few of the pics I took the first day of school.  Sorry for the lack of editing. I have just been a little exhausted these days...having the hernias, veins, and bladder disease are really starting to take their toll on my body.  Not to mention, the whining and demanding kids.  Hopefully once they get in the groove of school and start to feel better healthwise, things will get a bit easier before the storm...

The Beached Whale

As promised, here is another belly picture for all of you (who I think are all secretly laughing hysterically the blimp I am becoming).  All kidding aside, I don't think I look TOO terrible for 34 weeks.  With Trevor, I had already surpassed the Roseanne Barr look alike contest stage.  If I can locate some of those pictures, I will surely put them on here for all to enjoy.

Got to go up and have lunch with my favorite 5 year old today.  He was so surprised.  I was so proud.  He is becoming such a big and independent boy.  His smile from ear to ear melted my heart, as usual.  We shared a bagel, some chips and a banana.  I was also able to meet a few of his new classmates.  He seems to be adjusting well and liking school.  He was, however, a little disappointed, that I wasn't staying through recess.  I am going to try to get up to volunteer in his classroom before our lives become a little crazier next month.  Just writing that the baby will be born next month makes me gasp a little, just sitting here.  I am sure these next few weeks will fly by.  I cannot wait to find out the sex.  I am so glad we did not find out.  Trust me, it has been difficult since I have had so many scans.  But, I was strong and the payoff is coming soon...


***edited to add:
Ok...so maybe going up to eat lunch with Trevor is not a great idea at the moment.  Apparently, he became very sad and did not play at recess and was crying and depressed because he realized how much he missed me.  As much as I miss him, I think it is probably best not to remind him that I am still here when he is at school.  It breaks my heart to think of him standing by the fence at the playground crying because he misses his mommy.  God, I love that boy...

Bicycle built for 2...

Well, this gives a whole new meaning to the "bicycle built for two" saying, eh? As promised, here are some new pictures (taken by the wonderful and talented, Trevor). These were taken last week on one of our nightly bike rides. It was during this bike ride, in particular, that I determined that it might be one of the last. This is not because I can't physically pull the trailer with the kids, walk the dog and watch the others who are riding their bikes at the time. It is simply because the baby gets pushed under my ribs and I feel like they are going to break if I continue. This is a real bummer because we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to ride at least 3-5 miles a night.

The boys are loving school as well. Trevor is exhausted when he gets home, considering we are still doing nap/rest time in our house. He is a little confused about the whole schedule thing. When he gets home, he continues to think it is naptime. Although he doesn't sleep, he just gets all confused about when dinner is. He thinks it is lunch (forgets he eats at school), and wants to know if he can play Wii during naps. So funny. I am slowly adjusting to not having him here all day. I have to admit that, at times, it is nice to have a break from the chaos that three kids brings to the home. But, most days, I am missing him more than words. Life is so short. I really wish he could go half days until he turned 18. This is, of course, when he will go to a VERY close college, and live at home until I go to the nursing home...haha... Can you tell I am missing my boy?