Baby you are COLD

I went to pick the kids up at school today. It is always a crazy mad house. Instead of 1 kid going happily crazy to see his parent/caretaker, I have 3. Well, today 2, with all the commotion, I did not realize that Bralee was not present. Yes, bad, bad mother. We greet each other happily, as Joseph gets mad for having to give up his time.

I notice Bralee (all 20 lbs of her) is a very cold, not hot, but COLD! I continuously state, ‘Bralee, your hands are frozen!’ Finally one of the ladies informs me, ‘yeah, she has been outside.’ Joseph and Brian are warm as snuggle bugs and show no signs of having been outside. This did not throw up flags to me as a parent, until on the way home…about 7 minutes after leaving the school. Cough,Cough,Cough,Cough.

Joseph and Bralee are in the same classroom. Brian has been moved up into another, but this morning, due to lack of students, he was back in with the other 2. Luckily, I dressed them in fleece lined pants and double layered their shirts. So, I ask myself, why was Bralee, the most fragile outside and the other 2 inside for play time. The high was 43 degrees today. I do pick up at 5pm. If you think about it that 43 degrees was probably not at, or close to 5pm!

Do I ask that they give special treatment to Bralee? Ask that they only allow her to be outside for a set amount of time? I do not want to be that parent, but I have to look out for the best of my child. Bralee has struggled enough in and through my eyes.

I have been keeping them secluded from stores and crowds. For fear of them getting sick and unable to go visiting for Christmas. Hopefully and more than likely it is just another flare up of Bronchitis!

Christmas Tree Up's & Down's

This is the first year Shane and I have put up a Christmas tree. True, we have never put up a tree. We have never even owned a tree. The tree we have put up was given to us. Which is great. That way if the kids tackle it, I will not blow my top nor will Shane. My mother brought up a entire assorted box of lights. We are sure to have plenty. We are putting a limited number of ornaments on it.

We are putting 1 ornament per child/per year. These ornaments are to represent them at that stage in life; their likes, favorite characters, favorite animal, etc. We are going to keep this going and when they move out on their own, send their ornaments with them for their 1st tree.

The other night, I took each child individually out front to see the neighbors Christmas lights. Nothing major, just a couple around trees and such. They went crazy. I decided to load them up and go hunt down some “really light up houses.” I was amazed, they would spot them before I did. Now every evening in the car, they look for lights and have finally noticed that Red Lights exist. I wonder how they would react if they saw flashing lights in the rear window…lets say blue? I do not want to find out either!

When we plugged the tree in and the lights came on, it was magical. Brian said “wow,” very low tone. None of them could keep from touching the lights. As if making sure they truly did exist.

A week later: The tree only has the lights, 4 ornaments, and a topper remaining. Two branches have been broken off. I placed gifts underneath it today. Guess who sneaks a gift to unwrap? Joseph, no, not Bralee our candy thief. I have caught Joseph unwrapping 2 gifts, 1 his and 1 Bralee’s. After they went to bed, I just put all the gifts into a closet. Hopefully they, well Brian, does not open the closet door. If he does, he will be buried under gifts and pampers.

Milesone's
Joseph- has really taken to singing. What songs you may ask? It does not matter, he likes them all. Happy Birthday, particularly well for some reason, possibly because we attended 2 parties back to back recently. He pronounces his name 'Oseph', spots and pronounces 'istmas ree'! For him this is a major milestone. He still says 'iemu' for 'I love you'!
Brian- is really play mother duck to her ducklings. He will undress Bralee and Joseph for bath time. He has been able to put his shoes on since August and put them on correct footing with simple directions. Now he is able to put shirt and busily working at pants, as well. He is showing more eagerness toward the potty.
Bralee- is able to make more compound phrases. We were sitting together and all the sudden, I said 'boo,' she grinned and said "mommy you care me!" She is able to put on her shoes and with little directions get them on the correct footing. She is showing a lot of interest in the potty as well.

As with last winter, we stick with habits, they all 3 know that NO ONE goes out the door without their hat. Brian is the only one that knows how to put his hat on, but strangely enough, they all know how to take it off!

Tonsils Vs. Ears

Cookies and they will do anything!
Dead giveaway...the chair and poor piggy

Shane's current project. The kids Swing set.

Yeah, I know it is on backwards, but all he knows it that he accomplished getting it on! He can get his shoes on, now his shirt. I'm fine with it!

Gotta love the mocking!

Thanks to seeing another mother’s blog, I decided to ‘interview’ the kids at this stage of development. I do not know what will be more interesting. The way they express themselves, or the fact that while I was talking with Joseph, Bralee came running in a mad dash in nothing but a shirt and socks for her sippy cup of milk. Yeah, she was minus the diaper! I just followed her back to the potty and did my interview of her there! I just really need someone anyone to come, sit with me, and walk me through it once.

I took Brian to the doctor this morning to check out his tonsils. Naturally, we go in for one thing, come out with something else. His tonsils are okay, just a little enlarged. No reason for removal. Although, his left ear did have fluid behind it. The doctor asked, “has he had a lot of ear infections?” I proudly reply, ‘only a couple, maybe 3, the last being this summer.’ He decides to put him on some nose drops and do a hearing test.

Okay, Brian’s appointment was at 9:30, it is almost 12. We go do the hearing test and Brian does not do so well. Nothing that the drops or possibly tubes will not help. In the waiting area, every child was so antsy and tired of waiting that us parents decided to just let them rule the roost! When the doctor did come in to see us, Brian was asking for his milk, that I had him ask the doctor when could he have some milk.

Joseph and Brian on a nightly visit in the NICU...holding hands. They never co-bedded, but Brian would go visiting!
Bralee...our fighter. Beating the odds stacked against her. She kept a lot of people on their knees praying. The angels (which come in so many forms) watched over her.

Now they hate to be touched by one another. (Joseph {L} and Brian{R})

Brian...he was as jealous with his attention then as he is now

Joseph...I call this my superhero pose. Needless to say he was not feeling like no superhero.

This morning was another bad morning with Brian and separating. He stood, face plastered to the glass of the door, screaming ,kicking and banging his head when I dropped him off.

I stood outside the door, out of sight, ready to cry myself. I know what it feels like to be that child crying. Scared of change and being separated. Also when any of my kids cry, I cringe.

Each one of my kids have a certain cry, you know the one that says, ‘something is not right.’ I hate that cry. I HATE doctor appointments where they have to get shots of any kind. Yes, I know it is for their own well being, but it hurts me.

Their are 2 places that I have spent time at with loved ones that made me look at life differently: 1. a chemotherapy center –the people are full of hope, survival and fight.

2. a NICU- the littlest of fighters I have ever seen. The only voices they have are that of medical professionals and loved ones. Because most of their cries are so faint, they are not able to be heard. It is an experience that will break you down to your knees.

Both of these environments changed me. Helped me to grow. They have a common bond, they both fight to survive.

Sleep Study

This is what Bralee is doing to her pacifier's

Okay, I have discussed Brian and his odd sleeping, or lack their of, issues. He is the only one that is not in a toddler bed. I guess he thought he would make himself one. He has turned the bottom of the closet into a bed. His bed.

A couple of days ago, Shane and I decided to de-clutter closets. We moved all the diapers from their closet to the hall closet. Their shoe tub out from underneath the bed and put it in the closet. The shoe tub is now Brian’s bed.

On the other hand when you open up the hall closet, you now have to worry about being buried in diapers, pull ups and wipes. Instead of the usual blankets, sheets and pillow cases.

Brian had his sleep study. It went fine. The most pain free and stress free (if you do not have sensory input/texture issues) test you could ever have preformed. I warned them to bring help to put all those sticky things on him. Luckily they listened. Brian did not eve let me put on his admission bracelet. Therefore the Doritos bag wore it.

The technician came in and said ‘we will start with the ankles first, that way it will be easier.’ I thought to myself, yeah right, the kid will not even let me touch his feet, he hates his feet to be touched unless he initiates it. That did it, Brian started screaming, grabbing at the technician, and pinching. We decided to keep moving with placing the probes. I knew, no matter what, it would not be any better or easier.

Bottom line, all went well…he slept, as he was intended to. They woke us at 5am. They de-corded him. He told them bye.

Joseph is starting to “think” he is ruler of the bedroom. Now that he is in a toddler bed, he controls the TV, lights, and radio. He would also rather be in his room more than any where else.
Bralee is attached to the chairs. She has come to realize that if something is out of reach it is ok.

She goes gets a chair. Carries it back to the destination (no matter how far that may be) and she will climb to get into anything her heart desires…anything. Great for problem solving. Not so great for the childproofing aspect. I am considering contacting the local fast food restaurants and asking about bolting all chairs into the floor.

On the other hand, I have been getting together some photos for a family member for a Christmas gift. My oh my, I cannot believe how much the kiddies have changed.

Bralee has went through some great and some really bad hair phases.

Brian’s biggest changes have been in his face.

Joseph, it is really odd, he has not changed very much.

All my photos are “semi” organized on cd’s. When I say “semi” I do mean semi. If anyone has some ideas on how I can organize these photos and get them stored please tell me. I would rather start now and not wait and play catch up at 4 and 5 years old.

I am on the verge of throwing the keyboard out the window. My rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr button is stuck. That is fine, but not when you never realized how many words contain the letter “R” and you are stuck hitting delete more than actually typing. I will be purchasing a new keyboard on my trip to Wal-Mart.

My bed last night from 4am til 8am. Yes I was kicked out of my bed. Then rudely kicked over by Brian at 5:30am sleep walking or some craziness. Once he realized it was Momma that he had tripped over, well he thought it would be fun to join me. Luckily the floor never runs out of space!The bed got to be a outrageously crazy place this morning at about 4am. I honestly do not even know which one came into our room first. I just know they kept coming and the space kept getting more limited. I decided I would sleep more peaceful knowing I was not covering one with a pillow, if I just slept on the floor. At least on the floor, I would have plenty of space.

Joseph is now in a toddler bed. My mom (Nanna) lucked up on it for the bargain price of $2.00. As for Joseph, it is the grandest thing. He will come and get his milk or snack, go back to his bed and turn on the TV and just veg out. No, this is not a behavior I will accept, but I will let him get familiar with the new bed. What he does not know, is that the TV is coming out of the room all together in a couple of weeks. Also, as you can see, Bralee is still in the middle of things.

Oh yeah and for those who do not know...do not let Joseph touch your hat. He gets attached really quick.

Shane letting the kids help make deer jerky...yummy!

I take Brian tomorrow evening to stay overnight at Children's Hospital for a sleep study.