Thankful day 10

Today I'm thankful for the saints! It's so great to learn about men and women who gave their lives to Christ. It's so inspirational to me and recently Madeleine has started to LOVE to read about saints! And today is Pope St. Leo the Great's feast day!

I'm also very thankful that I got a shopping and coffee date with my mom this morning. I see mom all the time but we hardly ever get alone time to just talk :)
While we were doing that, Ken took the kids on a hike and picnic on this beautiful day. And then M and I got to go to mass tonight while Ken stayed home and cooked dinner.

Anddddd I'm thankful that Leo hasn't had a major injury with his climbing habit yet. Any tips on how to keep the boy off of high places??

Thankful day 9

Today I'm so thankful for the bond Leo and I have. When he was born and couldn't breastfeed, I really worried that I wouldn't bond with him like I had with my other kids. I'd read stories online about mothers feeling like they had a different bond with their bottle fed children than with breastfed children. And I didn't know of any way to prevent that. So I just mothered him the best I could. I fed him probably 98% of his bottles in his life. I wore him everywhere. In fact he was over 16 months when he rode in the grocery cart for the first time. I held him, fed him, read him books, put him to bed every night. And he is probably the most attached of the three. He loves his mama. He's my cuddliest baby. He kisses and hugs me and sits on my lap all day. As much as I hope any future babies have no feeding problems, I will never worry about bonding again.

Thankful day 8

Today I'm thankful for the craziest thing!
Madeleine has had a rash on the back of her thighs for probably 3 years. The pediatrician and I assumed it was eczema the whole time. We have tried every prescription steroid cream, hydrocortisone, different soaps or lack thereof, etc etc etc. She is always itchy and has been suffering with this for all this time!
So about 3 weeks ago I called the pediatrician and said we had had enough and we needed to get to the root of this problem. He agreed and sent us to a pediatric dermatologist today. She looked at her for 5 seconds and determined that it was contact dermatitis from the toilet seat! She said its very common with harsh cleaners (which I use... We have boys) and also much worse with wooden toilet seats which we have upstairs. I can't believe it! She said to change the upstairs toilet seats and start cleaning them with dial soap and it should clear up in a few weeks! I'm so happy it's something simple.. But sad that it took us this long to figure out!

Also thankful that Leo said the word POOP.... He has never ever said the P sound at the beginning of a word until today! (It's a hard sound for a kid who had a cleft palate because it takes pressure in the mouth.) So yes!!!!

And I also had a dr appt today and she said baby girl is head down, great heart rate, good bp for me, and ill have group b strep test in 2 weeks and then start going once a week. Is it just me or did this pregnancy go really fast??

Also I checked off something on my to do list during nap today.... Lots to be thankful for!

Today....

I'm thankful that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Thankful day 6

Yes of course I'm thankful for the right to vote, and also I'm thankful for my son Leo. Since he was born with a birth defect I'm even more passionately pro life than I was before! He (and all babies regardless of any issues they may have) deserve the right to life just like everyone else!

Thankful day 5

It's been a rough day. Today I'm thankful my kids go to bed at 7:30!
And that we finally have a light and mirror in our downstairs bathroom.
And that our electricity came back on last night after a big scare where we envisioned having to call an electrician and spend $$$$.

I did make some shirts for the festivities tomorrow!

Thankful day 4

Today I'm thankful for my awesome friend Jenny! (On her birthday!)

Thankful day 3

Today I am thankful for an awesome husband who takes such good care of us on the weekends. Today he made everyone breakfast and cleaned up, finished painting the bathroom, is grocery shopping for election night, then M and I get to go to mass alone together while he stays home with the boys and makes supper! (He will go tomorrow while M is at Sunday school, it's impossible to take L to mass right now!)
Thanks for all the hard work you do Ken! And all while being extremely good lookin'. ;)

Thankful day 2

Today I'm thankful for the chiropractor! My hip was in so much pain I could barely walk, and after 2 weeks I feel so much better! I cannot believe the difference.
My hip was twisted and about an inch higher than the other one.... Probably from a certain giant baby always on the opposite hip! Today they rescanned me and there's a huge improvement.

Now, the lady who scanned me was going on and on about meeting Obama... And I was able to keep my mouth shut! Took a lot of willpower :)

I'm also thankful my mom watches the kids during my appointments and I get to go to the Starbucks drive thru by myself!
Hmmmm could this be the reason I need the chiro? :)

30 days of thankfulness in November

Today I got this idea from my friend Julie. Everyday I'm going to post something I'm thankful for.
Anyone want to join me?

Today I'm thankful that I get to go to All Saints Day mass by myself. And that I got to go to a great Halloween party yesterday and meet some new friends!

Happy Halloween!

Getting ready for baby girl

Mom made the pretty basket for diapers, got her coming home outfit, working on her handknits, washed the carseat today and I made all my ob appointments from now until mid December!

John Paul is 3 1/2 today!

And he is my little wild man. But also sweet and loving and the funniest kid I've ever met in my life! He's turning out to be a fabulous big brother for Leo and they are starting to play together really well. Ive been very blessed that he has not yet done anything that would hurt Leo. He is very gentle with him! He also loves helping me cook and will stop anything he's doing to help or watch.
He dislikes being told to do something, like pick up his toys, put his shoes on or go to the bathroom before we go somewhere. We've had some showdowns around here which can be tiring. However since I always win, surely he will learn sooner or later that he just needs to do what I ask in a timely manner without whining and flopping around on the floor. (Right??)
Daddy usually puts M and JP to bed but JP always wants me to come rock him for a few minutes, which I love. I love my cuddly, sweet, hilarious, assertive, adorable little Hancey Boy!!

Gift for baby Leo

Today would have been my grandpa Leo's 85th birthday. Pretty sure he sent this to his favorite great grandson :)

We got to meet sweet baby George!!

And Jenny is amazing! He's so sweet and I got to change his very first diaper! I may be going back tomorrow for the third day in a row! :)

Madeleine absolutely cannot wait to hold her baby sister now!

Overachiever!

The handwriting directions:
Trace the letter, write at least one more letter.

Best present ever!

For our new baby gift my mom deep cleaned and fixed up our whole bedroom! Bought us new bedspread, curtains, blinds, lamps and a bunch of other stuff, cleaned it all out and got ready for baby girl to stay in there (for as long as possible!)
Thank you mom!!! We love it!!

What the boys do during school....