Asher at 3 months...

Asher Wade: 3 months

Asher turned 3 months old on Friday! At his apt last week when he had the ear infection, he was 11lb 11oz! He is getting so big! He is sleeping better now, too. He eats last at 8 pm and then wakes once to eat between 3-4, then sleeping again until 7-8 usually. Now, for his 3 month present, I quit my job!  My official last day was yesterday. Asher has started to coo, laugh and likes to smile at Mommy, Daddy, Alivia and especially Addison (she is at his level a lot when I am carrying the 2 of them). Asher is not a fan of tummy time, as he usually spits up his lunch several times while on his tummy. So, he does not get tummy time too often. He loves to ride in the car and has just started to like stroller rides (in the mall or outside).Today he had his pictures taken with his sisters, and he smiled for us!

 We will continue to enjoy every moment of Baby Asher!

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He sleeps!

 

Oh, thank goodness for antibiotics. In his crib or in his chair, Asher now sleeps anywhere!

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Snowy Trail Mix

Snowy trail mix

This is a recipe we found in March's Family Fun Magazine. It has a sweet "melting snow" topping with a mix that I changed up a bit to make it a great snack.

In a large bowl, mix together:

3 c pretzels

1 1/2 c corn cereal (like crispix - I used chocolate chex)

3/4 cup pecan halves (I used almonds)

1/2 c cashews (I did not use at all)

1/2 c. dried cranberries (Alivia did NOT like these).

Melt 12 ounces of white chocolate and slowly pour it over the mix, stirring gently. Scoop mix onto waxed paper to cool (about 20 minutes). Then, break the mix into bite size clumps. Makes about 10 yummy cups!

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Turning 12 weeks old...

Asher, 12 weeks today!

After several weeks here of thinking Asher was just going to be a fussy baby who rarely slept (it is not uncommon for Asher to go ALL DAY with a catnap of a few minutes at most), I decided to take him to his pediatrician. Well, Asher has another ear infection (the first one he had along with his RSV in December). His Dr is also questioning some reflux issues since Asher tends to toss up a lot of milk in a day (but he keeps plenty down). We are going to fix the ears first, then move on to see if he needs a med for his little tummy. Wish me luck getting him to swallow this antibiotic! Oh, life as a 12 week old is so hard!

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I did it!

Mommy with Addi and Asher

I hesitated on what to title this blog..."2 weeks notice, " It's about time," "Finally, a smart decision is made," before settling on "I did it!"

I did what, you may wonder. Well, if the 2 weeks notice did not give it away, I gave my 2 weeks notice to my employer after nearly 8 years of employment (and 3 beautiful children later). This has been something I have wanted to do for quite some time. My employer probably even wonders what took me so long. This job has given me many rewards along the way, but I had to go through A LOT of challenges and shark invested waters, too (many more of the latter than rewards if I do say so myself). I will not even get into what I learned along the way. If I were to return (official return day was to be Friday not tomorrow), I would have returned on Friday and had to leave my babies and Chris for a trip on Sunday through Thursday night. Um, after 8 years, I am saddened that my employer did not realize that I have a heart.

So, now what? I get to wake up every morning to my beautiful little Alivia telling me, "Mommy, it's time for Cheerios." I get to eat breakfast at a normal pace (on most mornings) and eat lunch with my kids. Do you know how many hugs, kisses and I love you's I would miss if I returned to work? Well, Alivia hugs me and kisses me about 10 times an hour at least! I get to have my little Addison hold my hand as she runs me through the house, and ask to be held 90% of the day (while I am holding baby Asher, too, I may add.She is my little cling-on). I get to see all Asher's first moments without the caregiver telling me them (oh, he did this, that or the other thing while you were at work today). My caregivers were in a catch 22 because I wanted to know everything that went on all day but hated to see what I missed! And Asher and I are so close already. I walk into his room when he cries after waking from a nap and say anything, and he is quiet. He does not even have to see me. I would miss that if I went back to work. I would miss his little looks at me, his first little smiles. I am so looking forward to seeing his first little belly laugh that he is so close to doing. Would I miss that if I went back to work? Now, I no longer have to worry about that. I am looking forward to making meals, cleaning up meals, changing diapers and smelling like the things that Asher is spilling out of him now adays (afterall, that is why we have a shower, right? To use it 3,4, or even 5 times a day!). And, for those who say, "How can you stay home all day? I would go stir crazy." Um, have you stayed home? The laundry, the toys, the playing, the meal making, the shopping, more laundry, the laughs, the tears, the craft projects, the baking and...um, stir crazy? There is never a dull moment unlike there were with my job. My job paid well, but my new job as a full time Mommy is so much more rewarding. Heaven does not care how much money I make on earth. My kids will not care how much money they are left with if they are left with many memories of the fun and love we shared while growing up. My Mom stayed home with me. I do not remember not getting "things," but I remember all the fun we had together (and my Dad, too, since he was a farmer and was in and out, too). My worst memory (and many remember this one) was having to leave my Mommy for kindergarten. My kiddos will go to preschool to make that transition a little smoother, hopefully.

So, March 1, 2008, I will officially begin my new full time career as Mommy. So, let me say, It's about time! A smart decision is made! We did it! The way it should be. Thank-you, Topher, for making it happen. You are my knight, no armour needed. :)

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Vacation Day?

 

Today I was away from the kids for the first time in several months to attend a continuing education conference to keep my nursing license current. My parents watched the kids. Chris thought of this day as a vacation day for me. However interesting, this conference was far from fun. I really missed the kids, too!

These videos from YOUTUBE were ones of a few played during the trauma session at the conference. Now, I will always buckle up (as I always do anyway) and my kids will ALWAYS wear a bicycle helmet!  I also hope to never pump in a public restroom again! Now, today was NOT a vacation!

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Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Asher's first Valentine's Day - 11 weeks old today! As you can see, I was unable to successfully get a picture of all 3 kids together today (Addi just wanted to sit on my lap). Happy Valentine's Day!

We do not have big plans tonight. Chris and I have always kept things simple. Chris is making us his special shrimp and pasta (Chris is an awesome cook) and I made the heart shaped brownie dessert above (yes, I can bake!).

Aunt Norma's famous chocolate frosting (the brownie recipe is Norma's as well, but I will keep that a secret :) ). This frosting makes ANY brownie taste extraordinary:

3 TBSP softened margarine

3 TBSP cocoa

1 TBSP lite corn syrup or honey (I use honey)

Cream in small bowl, then add:

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP milk

Beat until spreading consistency.

Hope your Valentine's Day is Sweet!

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Dough you want to be mine?

Alivia's Valentine's this year include play-doh hearts & candy. We had a lot of fun with this project!

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Asher at 10 weeks

Asher, at 10 weeks, is smiling more and more. It used to be that only I saw the smiles and nobody believed me. Now, he is showing off a bit, above with Grandma Kathy. We are borrowing the chair from his aunt & uncle, and he seemed to like sitting in it!

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You warm my heart...

 

You warm our hearts!

I got this idea from one of my magazines, either Parents or Family Fun (I love both of these magazines by the way, and I now like reading them while breastfeeding). Of course I had to put my own twist on it. The idea: Place a single serve hot cocoa packet into a paper cup, cut out a heart and say "You warm my heart, Happy Valentine's Day!" within the heart. My twist, make my own hot cocoa mix, place in a cute bag, and place in a nice mug. We gave this to Chris' Grandma for her birthday (although I am not sure if she was excited to get it as I was to give it). The cocoa is a fun thing for kids to make, too.

Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe (from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
3 1/2c. nonfat dry milk powder

2 c. sifted powdered sugar

1 c powdered nondairy creamer

1/2c sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine ingredients into a ziplock bag and shake to mix. Store in an airtight container.

Directions for cocoa: 1/3c. mix to 3/4 c. BOILING water. Makes 5 1/2 cups mix (16 servings).

Alivia is going to give this to her preschool teacher, but in a paper cup as suggested.

We need anything we can get to "warm our hearts" when it is a high of 10 degrees!

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2007 in memory...

Here is the link to our 2007 shutterfly photobook...may we remember forever.

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EbNmblo3bsfO

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Soft Pretzels

 

Chris' wonderful masterpieces...yummy!

As to Lenten foods, the fasting at this time once even precluded the eating of eggs and fats, so the chewy pretzel became the bread of the Season. They have always been a Christian food, ever since Roman times, their shape being the creation of monks. The 3 holes represent the Holy Trinity, & the twists of the dough represent the arms of someone praying. Below is a recipe for the large, soft and chewy pretzels that Topher likes to make:

 

1 Package dry active yeast

1 cup lukewarm water (110 Degrees)

1 TBSP Sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 TBSP Softened butter

3 cups flour, divided in half

2 TBSP baking soda

coarse salt

Place the yeast, water, salt and sugar into a small bowl and whisk until the yeast is blended. In a large bowl, blend the butter with half of the flour. Add the yeast mixture adn stir until blended, then add teh rest of the flour and continue to knead until the dough loses its stickiness. Let the dough rest and rise for about 20 minutes.

Divide the dough in to 12 pieces and roll into ropes about 15 inches long. Twist into a pretzel shape, firmly pinching the ends together. LEt the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boiling, then add baking soda and reduce to a simmer. Add the pretzels, a few at a time, adn cook for about 1 minute on each side. Drain and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake in a 475 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Yummy!

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Lenten Season

Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. So, the kids and I went to the 8:15 Mass this morning (yes, I went to Mass ALONE with the kids!). Although I was in fear of how the kids would behave, they all were very good and received compliments following Mass. I got lucky as Asher slept. Now, Chris can go to Mass alone and relax.

This Mass is the one the school kids attended, so I got a lot out of it. :) Father talked about 3 things we should do during Lent.

1. Dedicate ourselves in Prayer (obviously)

2. Fast, abstain & sacrifice. Since I am nursing, I do not have to fast, but I will abstain from eating meat (although I rarely eat meat anyway). On this first day of Lent, I have to decide what I am going to sacrifice. In the past I have given up chocolate, and I have vowed to not do that again. Besides, I do not think that sacrifice necesarily brought me closer to God (but maybe closer to crazy). If Jesus died on the cross for me, the least I can do is sacrifice something during Lent.

3. Do something special for someone through Lent, someone who you may not feel deserves special treatment necessarily. I thought of 1 person right away and Chris reminded me of another. So, I have 2 Lenten people. But, I can not tell who they are. So, if you start getting special things from me, you can only guess you are my special Lenten person.

Last night I tried to explain the Lenten Season to Alivia and talked about how we give something up during this time. After what I thought to be an explanation at a 3 year old level, Alivia responed with a, "Mommy, can I have dessert now?" Okay, I guess she is just too young. And today, Alivia cried when I explained why Father was putting the sign of the cross in ash on everyone's forehead. So, she hid behind me so he would not "get" her. When we were seated again, Alivia asked me all worried, "Will I still get candy on Easter?" Okay, definitely too young to understand what is this Season is all about.

This Lent, let us all come closer to God in some way.

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Before & After

The Hole from the bedroom view

View of the hole from downstairs.

Before pictures from Asher's room

Above are the after pictures of the hole with new shutters. We love them! It keeps his room quieter and warmer. Also, it will prevent (in the future) the possibility of big items being thrown threw the hole. We are going to install a shutter lock at the top so they can not be opened by the kids to prevent falls. This was the best solution to the hole problem without losing the architectural component that we liked about our home. Better late than never...but we will enjoy these shutters for a long time.

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Learning Every Day

As someone who has experience in pediatric nursing, you would think I would know something about when my own kids are sick. Um, I do not, obviously.

Alivia woke up last night with her eyes mattered shut. Oh, she must have pink eye. So, I decided to keep her home from school. She woke with her eyes looking like she was in an overnight boxing match. Since I was going to the Dr with Asher anyway, I made an appointment for Alivia, too. The diagnosis? Viral eye infection, fever (I had not even considered taking her temp), & ear infection! When I asked her if her ear hurt, she responded, "no."

So, I am continue to learn everyday...& I know nothing.

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4 Year Anniversary & Get Lost

Today marks 4 years since Chris and I made our marriage official in the Catholic Church (we will celebrate 9 years of overall marriage this August). To celebrate, we ordered a pizza last night during Lost AFTER the girls went to bed. If you have kids, you understand why we ate AFTER the kids are in bed. Someday I will get to eat it when I am not nursing. too. Tonight is Get "Lost" Thursday...so we decided to not go out for our anniversary so we can watch LOST. Afterall, we have waited long enough to see it.

In the last 4 years since our Catholic Wedding, Chris and I have had 3 children. Humm, I wonder if there is any relation to that? Our home has changed from a quiet home with Chris and I and 2 cats, to an active one with 3 kids and only 1 cat (Sorry, Cosmo had to go). Next year will be a big year for us as we celebrate 5 years of Catholic marriage and 10 years of total marriage. Looking forward to every moment with the man I love enough to have married twice.

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Asher turns 2 months old & Getting so big!

Asher Wade: 2 Months old!

January 29th: Asher is 2 months old today! Asher has changed a lot since last month. For one, last month he was 7lb 11oz. At 2 months he is heavy to hold! He is now 10lb 11 oz at 29% (up from 5%) and 22.5 in long at 32%! He has really filled out and is outgrowing his clothes. He is not going to be small for long. So he is on his way to being an average sized boy (yeah...he will fit right in on that soccer team!).  He holds his head up well and has started to smile when I do funny things (so it is not just random anymore). Now, I am working on getting him to laugh. He has just started to make cooing sounds. Now, for that binky that Alivia and Daddy (and now Addison) like to give him. He turned his head, took the binky and put it in his own mouth yesterday. Alivia and I saw him do it, and Alivia could not believe it! "Mommy, he put the binky in ALL BY HIMSELF!" He, I would say, recognizes my voice as he quiets when I enter his room at night. He has also just started batting at his toys on his playmat. But, with that said, he does not like his playmat. He has had several colds since last month and does not like being flat on his back for that reason. He also tends to spit up almost immediately. 

Asher still has his own schedule. I do feed him around 8 at night (and that can take a while). He typically wakes twice during the night (midnight, then between 4-6am). It has gotten better or I have just gotten used to it. I feed him in his room at night in the rocking chair, which has helped both of us. During the day, he usually eats every 3-4 hours. He has just started napping more if I put him in his room away from his loud sisters. Now, I just need to get a baby monitor that does not pick up other babies or the neighbors telephone conversations. :)

Alivia continues to be a big help. She likes to hold him and help with diaper changes. She also calms him if I am busy with Addison. Addison has also grown into a big sister. She continues to love his hair and pats his head. But, now she likes to give him the binky and sit with him if he is in his chair. Asher's big sisters will be his little protectors, I think.

After 6 immunizations, Asher is resting now. Maybe with all that growing he is just wore out.

Until next month...

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How are 3?

We have a lot of people asking how now adays...how is it having 3 kiddos? Well, it really depends on the age of the kids I think. But, for us, there are a few things different. Going from 1 to 2 kids was a difficult transition for us. Going from 2 to 3 has been less of a transition in some ways and more difficult in others.

1. Time: We have little to none (Chris has little and I have none :) ). Chris typically gets his time after Alivia and Addison are in bed at 8. I have some time to clean up when Asher goes down for the night, but that can be between 8:30-9:30 or later. It all depends on Asher. Some nights, by the time I make dinner, give 3 kids a bath, put 2 kids down to bed (Chris gets Alivia down to sleep) I am ready for bed. So, the mess that Addison makes at dinner is quickly cleaned up. But, the dishes and toys stay out until morning. If I do not go to bed when Asher does, sometimes I get little sleep. 

2. Sleep: Huh? I don't know what you are talking about. I know this will change. Sleep is something few parents of a newborn do regardless of how many children they have. However, Asher and Alivia both wake up at night. I have learned to check on Alivia when I am up with Asher. That typically elliminates her calling me to tuck her in at 3 am right after I get back to sleep.

3. Shopping: I will now do less of this (and save a lot of money I think!). I go to the grocery store at 10-11 pm at night. Oh, and you would be surprised how many people grocery shop at 10pm (and with their small kids!!).I tried to go to Von Maur and Gymboree last week to get a baby gift and a few things for Asher with my Gymbucks with all the kids before Chris got home from work. I ended up ordering the baby gift and using my gymbucks online. Addison is not at a good shopping age, and I will leave it at that. It is just a lot of work to get all three kids bundled up in this cold and go anywhere. That is a huge difference over 2, I think. At least Alivia can get in the car and buckle herself up now. That makes it easier for Chris and I. If I do go to the store, it is during those couple hours when Alivia is in preschool when I am back to 2 kids. 

4. Cleanliness: My definition of clean has to change. It seriously drives me crazy how I can get nothing done. I was trying to have everything picked up before I went to bed at night. By lunchtime the next day, you could not tell that I did anything. So, if it is between sleeping an extra hour and cleaning up, I go to sleep. The mess will still be there bugging me anyway. If someone stops by and judges me, I challenge them to breastfeed ever few hours, play with your kids, cook, bake, do laundry and keep it any cleaner. But yes, I do see that it is dirty and I am doing the best as I can as I was when we just had 2 kids. The cleaning part just keeps getting more and more challenging.

5. Laundry: There is a lot of it. Period.

6. Busier: One of the kids always has something going on...preschool, Drs appointments, colds, something. Chris and I have our own stuff, too, so there are few dull moments. Now, I have been called to be on Jury Duty the 3rd week of Feb. Okay, let's see, how am I to do that with 3 kids and nursing one of them? I do not think they care, but I put in to get out of it. So, we'll see.

All in all though, I would not change any of these things. I love being the Mommy of 3. So, with all of the challenges, I would take them every day to be with my kids. Time? I can have more to myself later and wish for more time with my kids (when they are out with their friends and in school). Sleep? I will soon miss getting up at night I think. Shopping? I think I will save a lot of money by just not going shopping or doing the little I need to do online. Cleanliness? I do not think my kids will remember when they are older how dirty or clean our home was if I just do the best I can. Although I know my house growing up must have been really clean because my Mom actually likes to clean, I can not remember one way or the other. Laundry? It sure makes me feel less guilty about buying that high efficiency washer/dryer a few years ago.

So, let me get back to enjoying my quiet time (they are all asleep!) and maybe go clean.

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Why is our house dirty?

 

Can you say ADDISON ROSE!!

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Second Prize!

Our decorated home

Believe it or not, Chris won second prize in the 2007 neighborhood Holiday Lighting contest (and we did not even have that many lights!). So, we are off to eat at the Cheesecake Factory a few times! Yummy!

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