One Month

This little man is one month old. Crazy how fast this month has gone by. Braxton is such a good baby. Mellow and content (unless hungry). He wakes up 1 or 2 times during the night to eat. He LOVES being held during the day. It seems like he eats all day long...usually every 2 hours or so. He does have a span during the afternoon where he will take a 4 hour break from eating! He is making a lot more noises. He likes being snuggled with his blanket to go to bed. He now weighs 11 lbs. 4 oz. and is 22 1/2 inches long. He is now in a size 1 or 2 diapers. He really doesn't like baths. I put him in the water and he starts to cry...and then really cries when I start washing him. Doesn't like his butt changed at all. Likes to hold his head up and look around when I hold him on my chest. We are so in love with this little guy. He brightens are day!!!

Braxton

Just some pictures of Braxton I took today. Notice the sore under his left eye...my dang fingernail got him. :(

Update

All day Sunday, Tyler had a fever and not feeling good. I kept asking if his ear hurt and he would tell me "no" it didn't. Come 7:00 at night, the Motrin I kept giving him would only take his fever down a little, I thought he might have an ear infection. I pushed on his right ear and asked if it hurt and he said "no," but when I pushed on his left ear he said "no" but winced in pain. He was crying because he didn't want to go to the doctors. All he wanted to do was go to bed. Come 9:00, I got him out of bed and off to instacare we went again. It was very busy and we didn't get home until 11:00 that night. But he indeed had an ear infection and was started on antibiotics. Here is to hoping that was our last trip to instacare for awhile...and hoping all gets better this week!!!

I'm so thankful that Braxton is still doing well. He is stuffy mostly in the morning and late at night, but he is doing great. Little miracles and tender mercies in my life!

Last Soccer Game

Here is Makena's last regular game of the season. She had a great time this year playing soccer.

Tyler decided to get into the chair bag and jump up the hill. He was having a fun time...laughing and having Grandpa Boyack chase him.

Ear Infection

Update on Hailey:

She is having no more "strider" noises when breathing, but still has a nasty cough and runny nose.

She didn't sleep through the night last night and woke up about 4:20 with a fever of 101.2. Gave her medications and she went back to bed.

When she got up about 7:30 all she did was cry and want to be held. She looked miserable. We took Makena to school and when we got home, Hailey still was crying, was very thirsty and just wanted Mom and to be held. 

We went downstairs about 9:30 and she didn't want to play and finally came over to me and I picked her up and she fell right to sleep. I knew something else was going on because seemed to be getting better. I remember the Dr. telling me on Tuesday that a lot of time croup will make them get an ear infection.

I carried Hailey upstairs and put her on the couch and she woke right up. I tried putting her back to bed, but didn't want anything to do with her crib. So I held her and she went in and out of sleeping. 

At this point Braxton woke up and wanted to eat. So I laid Hailey down by me and I fed Braxton. Finally Hailey fell asleep for a good hour. When she got up, she was hot again...more meds and this time all she wanted was some popsicles. I called Jarel and he happened to be on his way home :) So I had Jarel take her back to instacare because I would touch her left ear and she would pull away and then she would come up to me and point to her ear and say in her own way "that it hurt." So I figured it was an ear infection. Sure enough, her left ear was infected. So antibiotics were ordered and pain drops were given. Poor little one...one little miserable girl. Hoping tonight she can sleep better and that they antibiotics will kick in soon!

Funny

Today's conversation with Tyler

Tyler : "Mom, I like beating up Dad."

Mom: "You do?"

Tyler: "Yes, it is fun. But I don't beat you up Mom."
Mom: "Thanks Tyler...I'm glad you don't beat me up."

Tyler: "When you get to be big and a Dad...I will beat you up!"

Yesterday Kali came up to me with an eyelash on her finger (I told her a couple of months ago if she found an eyelash to put it on her finger and make a wish and then blow it off). She said, "Mom I wish my birthday is tomorrow." Then she blew off the eyelash.

She went back to watching cartoons and sitting on the floor. A few minutes later I looked at her and she was pulling eyelashes out of her eyes and putting them on her fingers and making wishes. So if you see Kali with no eyelashes...just know she has lots of wishes out there!!! 

Visitors

Loving the milk mustache on this little one.

First time really being outside!

Tuesday night, the kids were playing outside and I was sitting on the porch steps trying to survive, waiting for Jarel to come home. I saw something out of the corner of my eye...brown and wings were flying...coming straight towards me. I thought it was an owl at first, but it turned out to be a pair of ducks. It scared us (the kids were on the trampoline) but then the kids got so excited. I went into the house and got some Cheerios to throw to them. The kids were so happy feeding these ducks. About 45 minutes went by and then the ducks flew away. Well, it is Friday night and every night since Tuesday the ducks have come back to get more Cheerios. They come about 6:30 and the kids are outside waiting for them to fly in. Today they came a little late 6:55 (maybe they had a Friday night date!), so I thought maybe they were done coming to our house...but Kali ran in and yelled "the ducks are back, can we get cereal?" So once again, the kids are outside feeding the ducks and watching them. It has been kind of fun having them around.

What a Day!

What a fun day it was on Tuesday. I woke up with mastitis (I always get it the first couple of months after I have a baby) and felt like crap. I was debating if I should get on the antibiotics or just tough it out. But I was so achy that even my hair roots hurt. My fever got to 101.5 and I had chills all day. I decided that I needed the drugs...so I called the doctor after lunch and got an order called in. But I wouldn't be able to pick it up until after Jarel got home from work. I wasn't about to drag 5 kids to the pharmacy. 

As this was going on, Hailey started coughing last night and this morning it was a nasty cough. Great...sick kids with a brand new baby...not a good combo. Her cough became worse and she was making noises when she would breathe. I became worried and wanted to make sure she was getting enough oxygen. So about 4:00 I called Jarel to see when he would be home and he said not for a long time. I wanted to take Hailey in, but didn't want to take the other kids with me. So I called my Mom, and at this point I had had enough and it all came on and I started to cry...I guess when you cry on the phone to your Mom, she drops everything and comes on over!!! I will be ever grateful to her for giving up her afternoon to come up watch the kids while I took Hailey to the instacare and then to Harmons to get my meds. 

At instacare, Hailey was diagnosed with croup. They gave her a steroid to help open up her airway. That helped so much and she wasn't making the "strider" noises anymore while breathing. The doctor said it would last about 3-5 days. It is a viral infection and just to treat the symptoms (fever, sore throat) with Tylenol or Motrin and to put a humidifier in her room at night. It was a very fast visit to the instacare (we were the only ones there). After we ran to Harmons to get my medication (oh, before I went to instacare...I was able to find some meds from the previous mastitis I had with Hailey, that were still good so I took one of those) and I had to get some milk while I was there...no milk in the house doesn't go well with kids that like to drink milk.

We got home and the rest of the night we just didn't do much. I'm so glad my Mom was willing and able to come over at the last minute. Jarel didn't make it home until 8:30 that night...so if I had to wait for him to get home, wouldn't have been pretty. Hailey slept through the night on Tuesday which was very nice. My meds didn't kick in until Wednesday night...as I finally started to feel better. I just keep praying that Braxton won't get it. He has a slight fever 99.8 and a stuffy nose...and I hope it only goes this far with him. We have been using sanitizer but there is only so much you can do with sick toddlers in the house that drool on everything, snot noses galore. You try your best to protect Braxton and hope it is good enough! It was a rough day...but we survived and are feeling so much better! Now round 2 of the cough begins...with Tyler starting a cough last night :(

Bath Time

Here is Braxton having his first bath at home. It took us 2 weeks to do it, but I figured he is not a spitty baby and it is easier to bathe them once their cord falls off and his circumcision heals. He loved the water, hated being dried off. He felt much better once he was dressed and snuggled in a blanket.

2 week doctor visit

Braxton had is 2 week doctor visit on Monday. He had is 2nd PKU drawn and didn't even cry with the poke! He is growing just fine, looking great. He passed with flying colors! My milk "cream" is in and he is gaining lots of weight.

He is 9 lbs. 8 oz.

22 inches long.

14.7 inches head.

Happy Birthday Kali

Kali eating her Birthday breakfast donut. She picked out the chocolate, chocolate donuts from Costco!

Kali and Grandpa Boyack were on a team for the treasure hunt!

Playing with the Tinker Bell toy she got from Grandpa and Grandma Boyack.

Licking the frosting off of the candles.

As we were singing Happy Birthday to Kali!

Blowing out her candles! She did it in to blows!

All Kali said she wanted for her birthday this year was a Dora cake. And it had to be purple. So when I showed her the finished product, she said, "Mom...that is just perfect. I love you!"

Cute Birthday Girl!!

Opening up her presents. She got this dry erase activity center, TinkerBell toy, Dora book, TinkerBell pajamas, Dora outfit, a flower outfit, lots of treats, Strawberry Shortcake movie, and new earrings. She loved what she got!

Tyler running to the next clue.

Grandma Boyack and Makena searching the big tree for their next clue.

Grandpa Hathaway and Hailey looking by the tramp for another clue.

Kali and Grandpa B. trying to outrun Grandma H. and Tyler!

Team Grandma B. and Makena

Team Grandma H. and Tyler

Team Grandpa H. and Hailey

Kali was so excited this year for her birthday and that she was turning 5 years old! On Tuesday, she brought zingers into her preschool to celebrate. The countdown to her birthday began then.

On her birthday, she woke up to the house decorated with signs and balloons and her chocolate donuts. During the day...we didn't do much but she did get to pick out the movie for after lunch.

Then we had McDonalds for dinner that night and 30 minutes later the Grandparents came to her party. We played a treasure hunt game, opened presents, had cake and ice-cream and read her new book and played with all her new stuff. She was in heaven and had such a good day.

Kali...you are truly a blessing to our family. You keep us hopping and going everyday, but your smile, laugh and personality make up for it! You have a big heart and always try to do the right thing. You love the color purple, Dora and TinkerBell, anything sweet to eat, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, playing with friends, preschool (and so excited for Kindergarten), taking care of your siblings, watching cartoons (you would watch TV all day if we let you) and sleeping. When you are tired, you go straight to bed.

Hope you had a great birthday...we sure LOVE YOU!!