Fotos For Family

New Blog address.

2009-09-08T12:20:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I used to keep two different blogs. One HERE for myself, my friends, and anyone else who was interested. It mainly contains thoughts, prayers, pics of kids, and anything else I felt like writing about.

Then I started a photo-heavy blog, specifically for family, especially those out of town relatives, interested in the kids and our lives, but too far to hang out with on a regular basis.

Soon the two blogs started mirroring each other. I would post vacation photos on my personal blog and write all about what we did, then post the photos on this family blog to share the kids with all our family.

No more. I am going to keep one blog now. It's called Issues, and it houses my thoughts, feelings, prayers, and daily happenings in the Mills household, and will now hold all those photos of the kids and show them growing up.

So, please, come visit me over HERE from now on. I will no longer be posting to this blog. Remember to bookmark Issues when you visit. You are welcome to read it, check out the photos, and enjoy!

Of course, since my camera died, it may be awhile for some decent quality pictures, but I will do my best to keep uploading from my phone's little camera. :)

Three!?!?!

2009-08-31T21:16:00.004-05:00

Really? Are you sure? It feels like he was just born yesterday!

Minutes old ...

I don't think it's just because I am pregnant, but this is really emotional for me. My sweet BABY BOY is three! He has grown so much, in stature and intelligence in this past year. Last year at this time, he was going to pre-school for the first time, I had to roll up his 4T pants, 'cause his little belly wouldn't fit in anything smaller, but he was still a bit short for them. :)

Last year, he was running(and often tripping) off to the playground, with just a handful of well-spoken sentences, now his only "baby" speaking left is the ocasional missed pronoun. His speech is clear and so sweet, he is more refined in his motor skills, he runs without falling almost all the time, he can climb and slide.

Silly boy at 1 year old.

First Birthday donut.

He LOVES all things boy. Even with two sisters and a room full of dolls and dress up clothes, he would still rather play with his cars and his new train set. Thankfully he still cuddles with me, tells me he loves me for no reason, and sleeps like an angel(only at night now!). I am sad for the loss of my baby boy, but am so proud of the boy he has become.

Second birthday donut.

Second Birthday cake. He wanted a cookie. :) Matt made this one!

This year, he has surprised me by reading to me from one of his story books, being able to count and on occasion do very simple mathematics(adding up his cars to equal a sum, or taking away cars and telling me how many are left). He still eats us out of house and home, but has developed a bit of pickiness.

He has learned how to cry at will, and throw some serious temper tantrums. He is now very specific about what he will and will not wear. I used to be able to throw a shirt and shorts on him, but now it has to be his "truck" shirt, or "Light Queen". He still doesn't like to talk on the phone, whereas his sister would carry it around the house talking to grandma or mamaw for quite awhile at this age.

Sweet kids, so big, riding without carseats. Integrated car-seats ROCK, by the way.

First Day of Pre-school, this year. :)

Hmmm ... what else?

Well, we have made it through two hospital stays due to breathing distress, and he's not been diagnosed as asthmatic, and we continue to pray that he will grow out of this soon. For now, he's got seasonal allergies, and the occasional skin breakout from different thing like soaps and grasses and bug bites. He has developed a stomach for fruit, where it used to cause almost instant diarrhea, now he can enjoy grapes and bananas and other fruit with no distress. Thank you, Lord, 'cause this boy is addicted to fruit now!

It's another birthday for my boy, he is getting bigger and more wonderful every day. I love this little guy so much, and pray every day that God continues to bless him.

At Chuy's for daddy's birthday dinner, last Wednesday. :)

THank you, Mamaw and Papaw, Aunt Jan, Aunt Brenda, Grandma and Campa, Poppy and Gam, Tia, Uncle Jon, and all our family for helping us celebrate on several different weekends this month. Bubba has had so much fun!

Lake Trip '09

2009-08-31T09:37:00.004-05:00

We are once again, blessed by having good friends who invite us out to their family's lake house, almost every year(Thank you James and April). This year though, unlike the others, we brought the older two with us. Last year, we brought Claire, but that was because she was just too little to leave home. :)

As you can see by the pictures, the kids truly loved the place. The Browns(April's parents) created this as a retreat not just for themselves, but for their kids and grandkids. There is a play area on the grounds, and lots of little life jackets for the toddler/kid set, so it was all fun and safe for the children.

Bella with her BFF for the weekend, Aaris.

Bubba in a hammock.

Bubba loving the slide on the playground.

Bella looking cute in her little life jacket, swimming in Lake Brownwood.

Bubba and Daddy on the jetski.

Rare photo of myself, the adorable baby belongs to some friends that were there with us.

Bella and Daddy on the jetski.

Bubba on the ride back. He was SO excited going out, but always had this sad face when it was time to dock. =P

Bubba in the kid-size rockers with Titus.

The Pollards, I know some of you know our best friends, and this is a cute family shot. :) As you can see, Kim is expecting soon too! January 21st for this one, don't know if it's a boy or girl yet. :(

Bubba burying a firetruck in the sand box.

Bubba and Daddy enjoying the view from the pavilion.

Bella playing on the fountain/waterfall with Aaris.

A Bubba and Lena burrito. Wrapped tight after swimming, and waiting for mommies to come get them.

Oh we had a blast, and are truly grateful for such wonderful friends!

First Days

2009-08-24T09:46:00.001-05:00

So this is kindergarten ... So small, so cute. Ready to make friends, do her best, and have fun.

Now that she's in first grade, she's an old pro. :) Here's her BFF Amanda, and they are both ready and eager to start their new year as first graders. :) So cute! Not so small anymore, her shorts from last year fit great, except I had to let the hems down, and they might still be grazing the required minimum length. =P And we had to get new polos(thanks M&P!) 'cause last years polos are navel-baring when she raises her hand!

Why do we even buy kids toys?

2009-08-13T20:56:00.001-05:00

Living room full of toys, but where did they spend almost two hours yesterday?

Look, she's making dinner!

All three little monkeys, with all my pans and baking sheets.

Fun times!

Tiny Toes

2009-08-13T20:49:00.001-05:00

"C'mon Tia! We should paint our toes!"

"Here, I like this color"

Three little sets of piggies. :)

After bath

2009-08-13T20:47:00.001-05:00

So, how much do they look like Mills/Sotos/etc?

Hi

2009-08-06T20:35:00.001-05:00

It's a girl!

2009-07-24T10:18:00.001-05:00

And the most important details are that she is wonderfully and fearfully made, with no detected abnormalities, measuring exactly where she should for a 19wk6day pregnancy. She has her head up by my belly button, facing towards my right, with her dainty little ankles crossed over my right hip. :)

We haven't agreed on a name just yet, but her middle name will be Grace. :) Here are a few views to check out our new addition.

Top Left:Profile, Top Right: Face forward with a wave, Bottom Left:Slightly profile with a great shot of the spine, Bottom Right: It's a girl!

First Summer Sport Camp

2009-07-22T14:27:00.002-05:00

Here are a few assorted pictures from Big Girl's first summer sports camp. Track was last week, and she loved it. Came home all sweaty and tired every day. It was great!

Dividing kids up for races. B is in a blue top and pink shorts, with pigtails in her hair.

Happy girl after three hours of fun!

Baby Girl trying to go join the big kids.

My girls walking down the hall together. They are so cute!

Coach Walker handing out awards at the end of camp.

B did not receive any awards, but got this snazzy tee and shorts! She was so proud!

Surprise

2009-07-22T14:23:00.001-05:00

After her first day of track camp, we took our big girl out for a surprise. I must say, she hates surprises, so I was so happy she actually kept her eyes shut the whole time. :)

No peeking! Even while getting out of the car.

Yay! It's Tomunchi! The frozen yogurt place at Parmer/Metric. It's one of those fill it up and pay by the ounce places. It's good stuff, and a little bit fills our big girl right up.

Baby girl and daddy, just enjoying the outing. :)

What a handsome little guy!

2009-07-21T21:01:00.001-05:00

Bubba: March 1st, 2008

Bubba: July 12, 2009

My sweet boy has lengthened out over the past year, he's getting taller and taller, and it's making me cry a river!

Just in case

2009-07-09T17:44:00.001-05:00

there is anyone who reads this, but hasn't heard.

The Cuteness, The Monster, and The Pony

2009-07-07T18:38:00.001-05:00

This morning we had a fun time up at church. They have been hosting Tuesday morning playdays, called Krazy Praizy, and today was time to ride ponies and paint a big monster truck. Good idea!

Claire and her homies.

Painting the monster truck.

Bella's purple hand!

Bubba riding the pony. Such a big boy!

My big girl ... holding her nose ...

Extreme Fun!

2009-07-07T16:07:00.001-05:00

Another fun, inflatables place here in Austin. This one is pretty nice, and the price is pretty standard for this type of place. :) We went here on Monday morning, after one of our good friends suggested we hit this place for some nice air-conditioned fun.

The foam pit was definitely a hit, if they weren't jumping around in it, B&B were building walls and knocking them down. Even Claire enjoyed rolling around in it a bit, though her favorite was just walking around with the cubes.

Brushy Creek Fountains

2009-07-03T18:05:00.003-05:00

Love it! These fountains come down, and spray up, so it's much more drenching than the triangle, or even Butler. Definitely happy I wore my own suit too, as walking around with Baby Girl, I got soaked as well. Enjoy the pictures! We all had so much fun, even Hubby, who said we will be coming back for more family time to this park. :)

12 Month Portraits

2009-07-03T17:46:00.001-05:00

Taken on June 15th, yes, at 13 months, but consider it early since she's number 3!

She loves her daddy

2009-06-27T12:29:00.001-05:00

Can you tell?

The Triangle

2009-06-27T10:04:00.002-05:00

We are blessed here in Austin, to have many different water features around town to go play in during hot weather. Here are the kids playing on Thursday, when we met some friends at this local park, called the Triangle. It's not even a park, really, just a great grassy area with fountains, situated right smack dab in the middle of some lofts and eating places. Makes for some cool, cheap, fun in the middle of Austin.

Here are the three biggest fountains going off in their "triangle" formation. I am sure it was meant to be all artistic, with the cool patterns and stuff they make, but the kids just like splashing!

Claire waiting patiently for mommy to get the other two settled before letting her venture out.

I am not sure why children think they need to drink water off the ground, but Claire joins in whenever she can. She loved splashing in the water that builds up at the center of the sprays.

I love this picture, 'cause of the expression on Claire's face! She is so excited that the fountains are back on. Just click on the picture to blow it up on your screen, it's precious!

They really do love eachother

2009-06-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

This is Bella playing with her online Webkins. Bubba wanted to watch, and ended up sitting right behind her on the chair, where they were both quiet and happy for more than twenty minutes!

This is the two of them watching a movie last Friday night, Bella didn't complain at all when Bubba lay on her, and they stayed like that for quite a while.

This is just the other morning when they were watching cartoons together, Bella even invited him to come sit with her, so they "could keep eachother warm". She's so funny.

As they get older, they are really playing so well together, and being such sweet siblings to eachother. I hardly ever hear them yelling at eachother anymore, and only arguing in the car now. =P

The Zoo!

2009-06-26T08:45:00.003-05:00

So, first off, the Waco zoo does not allow outside food and drink. Have to let you know, so you don't go up there fully stocked for a day with five kids, like I did, and then have to leave the cooler in the car. We took all the non-cold stuff with us anyways. Had to. I have toddlers, I can't feed them on the offerings of nachos and hotdogs that were sold from the concession stands.

Aside from that, it was a lovely zoo. Not so big you can't see it all in a couple hours, but large enough that the kids felt it was a great adventure.

Bubba in the wagon, full of anticipation.

This was the best group shot we could get. My three, E, and our friend Lena. :)

Bubba with his map, he loved that thing.

Checking out the bald eagles.

Running off to the next exhibit

The cuteness, as I have said before, I think with her being stuck in a stroller and four kids running past her throughout the zoo, she really got the motivation to walk, 'cause she hasn't returned to crawling since.

An overheated Bubba, sliding down on a huge playscape

The smart one, Lena, ignored mom's warnings and jumped right into the little fountain feature. She got a short cool respite.

Three curious adventurers.

I don't see it. Where's the aligator?

Oh! There it is! Those suckers where huge!

A cool little viewing area the kids could climb in.

Had to get up close with the fish.

Baby bison!

The kids loved the teepees.

Claire was so excited to get to walk around.

I love giraffes.

Passed out!

Rhinos only eat grass ... how do they get so big on an all grass diet!?

Elephant

Rawrr! Scary Tiger!

Zzzzzzzz ... sleepy tiger.

Tired crew, headed home. Yup, the baby's naked, got her clothes all ucky, just stuck her in a dry diaper and put her in the car.

Yup, that's sonic, it was happy hour and we had a long drive home!

Ice Cream!

2009-06-20T17:04:00.001-05:00

Ice Cream from Briana Mills on Vimeo.

More walking

2009-06-20T16:08:00.001-05:00

More walking! from Briana Mills on Vimeo.

Walking Video

2009-06-20T16:07:00.001-05:00

Walking! from Briana Mills on Vimeo.

Kraisy Praisy

2009-06-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Was a great idea, I think we will definitely be there for all of them, this summer.

First there was songs in the Crosswalk Studio, followed by craft time and storytime. All the kids loved it, here is Bella showing off her creations.

The best part for Bubba was probably the gym. He enjoyed the other parts too, but loves to be active, so the little obstacle course was great fun for him. :)

Claire was unsure at first, but then started getting around and loved the balls that were rolling/bouncing/being tossed around.

My Bubba fish!

Big Fish

2009-06-18T19:26:00.000-05:00

So Big Girl has been taking swim lessons since the first week in May, and she loves it!
We typically just take her, as this is a good opportunity for us to have one on one time with her.

BTW: Just another example of how much she loves to read, she is always carrying a book with her wherever we go.

Here is our swim place, Nitro rocks!

And Big Girl, just one of two students for the one instructor, I love that ratio, don't you!

Waiting until the end of the school year really worked for her, as we started off KG being overly tired all the time since we were adjusting to a new schedule. Many Saturdays were spent sleeping in. After the holiday break, though we started discussing what activities she wanted to do, and were not the least bit surprised that swimming was the top choice. She has danced and done gymnastics, but her big cousing E is in swim league, so it was her favorite too!

Butler Park in Six Photos

2009-06-05T22:03:00.001-05:00

Hmmm ... what's with the holes in the ground?

Hey! It's shooting water!

Wow! It's taller than the girl!

Ah! This is the life.

I think I like this too ...

Time to go home!

Shadows

2009-06-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Just so noone's shocked when they see him, our Little Guy got his summer cut a couple days ago. He loves it! He keeps rubbing his head and saying things like, "I got daddy's hair" or "I love shabing my head"

While Big Girl was learning how to ride her bike, we went for a walk. LG of course had to show me every cool leaf he found.

Then, we found his shadow, and that took his attention the rest of the time. He called it his "big boy shadow"

We of course, had to chase our shadows back home.

Look Ma! No Training Wheels!

2009-06-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

So excited!

Waiting for the tires to be aired properly ...

Heading out ...

Her first fall ...

I am so happy that Hubby has taken it upon himself to teach her, and the first night, I kept offering words and instructions, but then remembered myself. The second night, I just watched and then took Bubba for a walk.

As you all know, Big Girl can be a bit dramatic when it comes to getting hurt. The tiniest scrape or bump will illicit howls of pain. This experience has not been much different. The first time she "fell", it was so LOUD!!!! Turns out she had a little bump on her finger.

As she gets more into an experience, though, she enjoys it more and falling does not bother her as much. Such as, her first "real" fall, where she hit pavement and had a little bit of a scrape on her leg that she didn't even notice!

I love her so much, and pray everyday that she gets past this unwillingness(?fear maybe?) of trying new things, and starts to enjoy new experiences more. I am so excited that she is learning an new skill, that she will enjoy all her life. I still love riding a bike.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-06-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

Her last day in uniform!

Waiting patiently, sitting next to her BFF, Amanda.

Standing at the front with the rest of her class.

Sorry I didn't get more pictures, but even with Tia there, it was not fun corralling the little ones. Bubba can be a little ornery, when asked to sit still through these things!

When a fun day in the kiddie pool goes wrong!

2009-06-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

I never noticed that the area under the swings was such a good place to make mud.

I should have known the kids would figure it out.

Tia was watching the babies play in the water while I rested, and in the space of just a half hour, they managed to do all this.

'Cause the car needed a mud bath, too, right?

Huh?

2009-06-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

So we are driving to visit grandparents, and all three babies really need a nap.

But why is it that when there are three kids in the car, only two can be sleeping at any one time.
Here's Bubba sitting up bored(the sucker was to keep him from waking the girls)

And when Bubba finally passes out, Baby Girl decides to wake up!

Water Day!

2009-06-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

For their last day of preschool, Bubba and his class got to enjoy a fun Splash Day! Pizza lunch, followed by a whole lawn full of little pools and a sprinkler. It was a blast! Bubba was out there for the full two hours, and still wanted to splash and play when it was time to leave!

So happy to be in the water!

All the cute kids running around to the different pools.

Jump!

Strawberry popsicle all over his face, a good day!

Birthday Fun

2009-05-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Grandma and Mamaw and Poppy and Gam, and everyone else who contributed to baby girl's birthday. Here are a few shots of us enjoying the pool we bought with b-day funds this year.

Her Favorite

2009-05-18T21:34:00.000-05:00

The girl got clothes for her birthday, she got money, even. What's her favorite present? A pink ride on pony! What can we say? She's 1!

Baby Girl Turns One!

2009-05-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

In our household, we don't really get crazy about birthdays until they start getting crazy about them. So, as you can tell by the following, it's pretty low-key for the first birthday. :)

The traditional sprinkle birthday donut. This is the same #1 candle that was in Big Girl's first bday donut so many years ago.

All in anticipation ...

Baby girl loved the singing ...

My babies on this wonderful milestone occasion.

I got a box!

2009-05-14T22:50:00.000-05:00

How much more fun could Claire have had with anything else the UPS guy could bring us? She flipped, slid, turned, climbed on and off, and played with this box all morning.

Here's what was in it. :) Thought we could use some refreshers, since we haven't read pregnancy books since Bella.

Bella Faces part 2, and attack baby

2009-05-07T21:33:00.001-05:00

Angry

Exhausted

Delerious

Two seconds before she bit me on the knee

Bella Faces

2009-05-07T21:32:00.001-05:00

Happy

Sad

Huh?

Excited

Day after Rain Fun

2009-05-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

After baths to get all the mud off of them, this is what the kids come up with to entertain me while hubby is grilling and I am getting sides ready.

So sweet. And Hubby safely outside laughing at my joy!

More Playscape Fun!

2009-04-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Aunt Jan!

2009-04-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

Aunt Jan was so sweet to send Bella some money for going out to get ice cream, so Bella decided to treat us all to Baskin Robbins.

Bella was so excited to be "finally" going out for ice cream, she just had to dress up! This is her "nice" shirt and her pretty hat.

Bella scarfing down some sort of chocolate, fudge, overload.

Thanks, Aunt Jan! We had a lot of fun, and Bella even let Bubba pick out a scoop. :)

11 months old!

2009-04-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today my sweet baby girl is 11 months old. Isn't she just adorable?!?

Accomplishments this month include:
1. two more teeth! That makes 10 total so far.
2. More words! Claire is now saying "Tia", "Bella", "Bubba", "Dadda", "Mamma", and "mine"(sounds like "my", but was first repeated after Bella took something from her and said "mine!", now she says it when she picks up things, or gets handed something)
3. She is cruising around the furniture and while holding onto people.
4. She has not taken any unassisted steps, but has let go of one support and leaned to get another support while cruising.
5. She is wearing 24month clothing, and is longer than Bubba was at this age, so I am thinking we will have another tall one.
6. Growling is now considered a way of saying "I love you". She does it when shes hugging and kissing on daddy and I. I think she got it from daddy pretending to "eat" her ribs when they play together.
7. She is eating so many things now. We haven't had a bit of baby food in over a month now!
8. I am so thankful she shows no signs of sugar intolerance, fruits and other naturally sweet foods do just fine in her system, whereas they go right through her siblings!
9. She is sleeping solid through 12 hours every night, and takes one LONG nap and one mini nap during the day.
10. Where my two others used to play by themselves in the play pen just fine, she will stand there and scream until we come get her out. Even for just two minutes so mommy can go potty, she can't stand it!
11. I love her so much, and am ever so grateful that God has blessed us with her.

2009-03-17T23:56:00.001-05:00

Just around this time last month, my sweet boy went to Dell Childrens Medical Center because he was unable to breathe well on his own, and needed the help of oxygen and other medications.

Well, valentine's day was a bit of a disappointment this year, and now, so is St. Patrick's day. Not being Catholic, or Irish, or really even that enthusiastic about the minor holidays in general, it didn't bother me too much that Bubba would be having his adenoids taken out this morning. I didn't expect to be visiting the hospital again, though!

Phillip was checked into surgery this morning for the "twenty minute procedure", and we were told he would be ready to go home in no more than an hour. This was at 7:30am, after being there since 6:30am for all the paperwork and post-op stuff.

My darling hubby walked with me into the recovery area, and prayed with me, and then took off for work, expecting a call around 9am, to tell him we were home and taking naps.

Unfortunately, 9am came and went. His procedure went perfectly, but he was having trouble breathing, and coming up from anesthesia. They were administering a breathing treatment to help his lungs. They told me, they would release him when he woke up and coughed clearly for them.

After some more nerve wracking waiting, they let me know that his oxygen saturation was really low, and they wanted to keep him on oxygen for awhile longer until it came up. I wasn't able to be with him during this time, because of privacy laws, and not having individual post-op rooms, but during about two minutes when there were no other patients in post-op, they did let me go in a bit later and give him a kiss and see that he was okay, though. :) He was fine, sitting up and eating a green Popsicle.

After much waiting and praying, it didn't come up, and Dr. Sawyer informed me of his next plan. It was time to transfer Bubba to DCMC to be monitored, and so a pulmonary specialist could look at him. BTW, Dr. S was really nice and hung out with Bubba until Bubba was transferred, even though he had been done with all his procedures for more than an hour.

After a couple hours more waiting, we got a room at DCMC, and they walked us over through the cool tunnels, with Bubba on oxygen the whole way. Upon arrival at the room, Bubba balked at first to being there, but then they gave him popsicles, which he did not get last time! He was much happier. Due to the pain meds from the procedure(he was on tylenol with codiene today), this was alot more sedate visit. He was mostly happy to lie down and watch cartoons, and dozed off a few times.

He started doing better on the oxygen, and then they took him off and he was able to maintain an adequate O2 saturation level, so they left him off and we were able to visit the playroom, which he loves!

It was time for more pain meds around 6:30, so we had him lie down again and watched Cars, until Daddy got there after work. Mr. Anthony got to visit us later, and it was really nice to have a few minutes to sit and eat a sandwich while Bubba walked around with his daddy and Anthony. I appreciated that!

(10p)Now I am home blogging and hubby reports that Bubba is sleeping soundly and won't be bugged by nurses again after his last dose of regular Tylenol he just got. :)

This trip has been less troubling than the last, I am grateful for all the prayers, they have most definitely been felt! Also, it is a blessing that he has been admitted again, in a weird way. With this being his second documented episode, they are now talking about long-term management, rather than just sending us home with a week's worth of treatment options. We are scheduled to be discharged with a thirty day plan for treating "intermittent asthma" and an appointment after that to discuss the results with the pulmonary specialist.

Being able to name it, makes it easier to deal with. Having a set plan to deal with it, is so relieving!

And now for the pics!

Playing with daddy before his procedure.

Pre-op, he likes the sides up sometimes ... :)

Chilling

Much happier camper, taken earlier tonight.

Claire's first swing

2009-03-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

This is the official first swing in a swing. :) She loved it! I didn't get video of all the giggling, 'cause I was pushing the swing, but she loves it!

The playscape

2009-03-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you to all who helped make this happen. For buying the kit, helping haul wood, and helping with the assembly. I love all our friends and family so much for helping us get this done, finally!

Joe came over and helped Matt put the frame together.

The kids eagerly watched while lumber was moved around and power tools were used.

James also helped put together more of the frame and hang swings.

And everyone got to enjoy the swing by the end of the weekend!

Too bad the weather has not cooperated this week. Our first week with the new playscape and we have been stuck inside glancing longingly at it for three days ...

Cranky Girl

2009-03-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like the girls took after their father in the waking up department. Whereas, Bubba used to happily talk to himself in his crib for quite awhile in the mornings, and I am usually up and out of bed without too much grumbling.

Neither one of our girls wake up well. Claire Bear wakes up crying immediately for someone to come get her, and Bella takes much tickling and prodding to get out of bed.

It helps though when someone you love comes and gives you smiles.

Now they are happy girls.

Naptime

2009-03-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am not sure how this became a preferred sleeping arrangement for Bubba, but this is not the first time I have walked in and he's been asleep on the empty shelf of his bookshelf ...

Claire's first Bus Ride

2009-03-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

This is the first time we have forgotten her stroller while walking around a large shopping strip, so we rented the little stroller, and little did we know, she thought it was the greatest ride ever! She was so thrilled she didn't stop bouncing or smiling the whole time!!!

Ann's Wedding

2009-03-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

Ann's last few moments as a Soto girl.

Here is Jaime, Ann, and the Honorable Judge Edna Staudt

A beautiful wedding cake.

The happy family. All Aldacos at last!!!!!

30 months, 2 and 1/2 years, a moment in time ...

2009-03-01T21:03:00.001-06:00

My sweet boy, where did the time go?

Why, just yesterday, you were eating banana for the first time in your little high chair.

And tomorrow, you will probably be headed off to your first job.

Some days, you drive me insane. I have even considered some extreme measures ...

... but all in all, you are a unique, amazing, wonderful boy.

I love you, Bubba.

9 months! When did that happen?

2009-02-24T12:15:00.001-06:00

So, My beautiful baby girl turned 9 months old on Sunday. She is cute, she is perfect, and here are a few pictures of what inspired her to pull to her feet for the first time ever last Thursday evening. :)

And this month, something different, Hubby is going to write the 9 interesting things about our little E. Claire!

1. [except this one - Bri] She has four teeth! and four more coming in! at the same time! Argh!

2. She likes to chew on things. Everything, really. (See #1 above.)

3. She doesn't seem to be filled with a tasty cream custard, even though we call her E. Claire. She does, however, have tasty cheeks.

4. She has been crawling for several weeks now, which I believe puts her at the same age as Bella was, even though she weighs at least 5 pounds more than Bella did.

5. She is selectively spoiled. If tia Annabelle is here, she will cry if you put her down on the floor! When tia's not here, she's perfectly content to sit on the floor.

6. <this interesting thing intentionally left blank - Claire>

7. She loves all baby food. I don't think I've ever seen her not eat a food she was given.

8. Her first official word was "Bella"; she said it twice, very close together, sometime around 6 months of age while playing with her sister.

9. She loves to be outside. It doesn't matter if she's sad, tired, annoyed, or just cranky; if you take her outside, she will cheer right up.

Bubba's Trip to the Children's Hospital

2009-02-24T12:13:00.001-06:00

Scroll down if you just came for the pictures. This is all a record of events as well as I can remember them, so I can tell him all about it later!

Bubba scared us pretty badly on Saturday. He woke up around 2am on Saturday morning and said "I don't feel good". I checked his temperature, took him potty, cuddled with him, and sent him back to bed, 'cause there was nothing obviously wrong with him.

Well, he woke up around 8:30am on Saturday morning crying and saying "I need you, mommy" so I cuddled with him in my bed and held him until he fell asleep again. At which point I was watching him breathe and it was very hard and faster than normal, so we put in a call to the nurse around 9:30a.

At 10:30a nurse Marsha called me back and I let her know what I had observed while he was sleeping, and her exact words were, "wrap him up and get him down here", they wanted to see how hard he was working to breathe and look at his lungs.

So, by 11a we were both in the car(in our pajamas, Bubba holding onto a little mater toy and his blankie) and going ... TO CHURCH. Yup, the nurse had scared me so bad, and my sleepy-heavy-breathing kid did too, that I had taken the Steck/Anderson exit on Mopac instead of going to our doc's office! =P

We finally got to the doctor around 11:30a, after I had gotten just about to the church parking lot and turned back to the freeway.

They put us in a room and Dr. B looked at him and got out a little tool called an 02Sat sensor, that's oxygen saturation in the blood. On a side note, I was talking to the same nurse M while we were waiting for transport and she said that a normal person should be walking around with 99 or 100, 95 was not good, 90 was bad, 85 was scary and then it got close from there, with life and death being between 80-82) Bubba was sitting at 89-90, so they immediately gave him a nebulizer treatment with albuterol in it. The first one brought him up just a bit to 91-92, so they waited about 30 minutes and since it still hadn't come up, they gave him another treatment. It came up to 94 and that made them happier.

Next we went to the lab to x-ray his lungs and find out what had caused the "asthmatic episode". The x-rays showed a small area on his lung that was milky white, indicating moisture buildup, which blocked their proper functioning of moving the air around correctly. Then they took his blood and we waited about 30 minutes for the results and the nurse came right in with a double dose of roseferin(?). The blood tests showed a "way too high"(Dr. Bs words) level of white blood cells, so they initially diagnosed him with Bacterial Pnuemonia, as she said there was no way his WBC count could be that high without a bacterial infection. Apparently BP is really bad and highly contagious, so I said okay to the shots.

Bubba did not like that. The nurse told me to hold him 'cause this stuff stung really bad, but that it was a very powerful antibiotic and should fully clear any bacteria out of his little body. Usually Bubba has no problem with shots. While Bella hollered and carried on for most of the rest of the day when she got her flu shot, Bubba just said "ow" really loudly and shed maybe one tear. So, it must have really stung, 'cause he gave Bella a run for her money this time. I was just about crying too.

Along with the shots, they gave him a dose of oral steroids, which I think made up for it, at least in his mind. He said "yum" and "thank you" to nurse M, and was happy after that. Bubba makes for a very heartwarming/breaking patient, as he is very good at using his manners and kept thanking the nurses when they brought him meds, and saying "please" when asking for a drink of water or to go home. *sniff*

So they asked us to wait for twenty minutes to make sure he didn't have a bad reaction to the antibiotic injection and proceeded to give us instructions on what to do when we got home. We were to give him breathing treatments, and continue the oral steroid for five days, and the injection would clear any infection, and he should start feeling better within 24 hours. :) Yay! Bubba was even acting pretty normal for a few minutes, as the previous breathing treatments had eased his breathing for awhile.

Unfortunately, it didn't last. We were waiting for the girl to finish checking us out in the room(the BP being contagious and all, they didn't want us being around anyone else), then Bubba was sitting in my lap and starting to wilt. I asked her to call the nurse in, and they put the O2 sat sensor back on his finger and it was at 91, then 90, then 89 ... they immediately grabbed our little friend the oxygen tank. There aren't words for how much I love this thing. I was ready to panic 'cause the nurse was looking just a bit panicky, but with the O2 mask on, his levels went up again. 90 ... 91 ... 93 ... 94

They wouldn't go above 94 though, even with pure oxygen being breathed in, so the Dr. said she would like Bubba to visit the respiratory unit at Dell Children's for further treatment and observation.

So, we sat, and waited for 30 minutes or so for the transport to the hospital. We couldn't drive over, because each time they took the O2 mask off, his O2 sat dropped back down, like immediately. It was scary. Mask on, easier breathing, better numbers ... mask comes off, immediately he is laboring and the numbers are dropping.

The emts were really nice, Leon and Lisa. I thought that was cute that their names matched. Bubba was really small on that big bed with the wheels and all the equipment attached to it. I honestly credit my calm throughout this situation to God speaking directly to me the whole time ... "He's going to be fine. It's not his time." Over and over, I kept hearing that phrase and the tears stayed within, and the heartbeat slowed to a non-panicky rate.

On the way, the EMTs gave Bubba a double dose of albuterol in a breathing treatment. The trip to the hospital was really bumpy, as we headed over to Dell Children's Medical Center. Now that is a pretty hospital. Being a nurse's kid my entire life, I have been through many of them. This one is the nicest I have ever seen, and the most confusing to get around.

We got to DCMC and they wanted to scare me again, because due to the initial diagnosis of BP, everyone had to wear masks and gowns before coming into the room. Later I asked hubby, how come no one asked if I needed one? I guess mamas are automatically immune or already exposed to whatever their kid's got. :)

Since DCMC is a teaching hospital(as they explained to me later) we were first visited by a medical student. He looked him over, looked at the xrays from the doctor's office, and listened to him breathe. His initial diagnosis was that he had an "asthmatic incident" caused by a viral infection. Bubba "looked great, sounded good" and would probably go home in a few hours. It was then 4pm. He had just had a double dose of what I will no forever refer to as "baby crack" in the ambulance, and was running around the room like a healthy, active, toddler. It got worse. By the time the second doctor, a respiratory specialist intern came in, Bubba was bouncing off the walls! She laughed with him, listened to his lungs, played a bit and pronounced him as doing great, and also said we would be going home that night.

Thankfully the respiratory specialist on staff(the doctor that the student and the intern report to) was really busy that evening. She took a couple of hours before she could come and listen to the student and the intern present their patient and diagnosis. I am so thankful that she was tied up by another patient, because they were all ready to send us home, and then Bubba crashed. When the Chief RS doc came to see him, he was tired, pale, and his O2 sat was back down to 90. Thankfully she got to see him while he was actually symptomatic and could diagnose him correctly. She "didn't think it was really BP, but if so, the injection would wipe it out anyways", and wanted to keep him overnight for constant O2 and a few more treatments. That second part made me cringe, but I was happy they didn't send me home with my sweet baby laboring so much to breathe.

They gave him another treatment and just about thirty minutes later, he was bouncing off the walls again. I HATE BABY CRACK(albuterol)!!!!! I don't care how costly the alternative, there is one, and no kid of mine will ever take baby crack unless it is a life or death situation!!!!! Frankly, Bubba's behavior scared me to death. He was wild, running around, laughing and smiling like a loon at all the doctors and nurses. He would throw back his head and scream, only to stare blankly at the wall for a few seconds and then break out laughing again. *cringe* I really hope that we never have that situation again.

My darling and wonderfully thoughtful hubby came in with Poppy and Gam and they visited with us, and saw how crazy he was acting. Hubby says "that was not our Bubba". While P&G were visiting, the Dodds came in to visit with us. They are so sweet. Brad gave Bubba a bunch of valentines he had picked up from the lobby on the way in and Bubba was thrilled. He kept asking for his "balentines" later on, and made me prop them on the shelves in his room for him to see.

After visitors had left, they set him up in the bed with an O2 monitor on his finger which he kept trying to take off. It was pitiful, 'cause he was crashing from his treatment again and kept saying things like "I feel better", "I okay", "You take me home, mamma?", "You make me feel better, mamma?". I just kept telling him, that we had to stay in the bed, and let the doctors and nurses keep an eye on him tonight. They put him on oxygen to keep his levels up, 'cause he couldn't do it by himself on room air. Hubby had come back from eating with P&G, so thankfully he was there to help me hold him while the nurse set it up. Bubba has an issue with things in his nose. He hates it when I aspirate him, or put saline in their, and even soemtimes whien all we are doing is wiping his nose with a tissue. Thank you Hubby! It took a little bit, but he got used to it, and finally started to settle down. It took about 40 verses of "hush little Bubba" and lots of hand holding and hair rubbing, but he was falling asleep. :)

Around 11p, he finally got to a rested state, not quite asleep, but sleepy, when a nurse came in to give him another treatment. That's when I went into mamma bear mode. My baby boy had not slept since earlier that morning and they were about to give him baby crack? again? I don't think so. He has an oxygen tube in his nose, and that was keeping his level around 93-94, and he was falling asleep. I did NOT want him running around like crazy again!

I very politely asked if there was any alternative, as our pediatrician was going to send me home with a nebulizer and something called Xopenex. The nurse went and put in the question for the doctor and held off on the treatment for then. The intern came in awhile later and said that Xopenex was really reserved for babies and they use albuterol once they hit a certain weight level. I calmly(ha! I wanted to scream, but Bubba was by now sleeping) explained my reservations about giving him the albuterol when he was doing a bit better on the oxygen and was sleeping peacefully for the first time all day. She said they would keep him monitored and as long as he did not get to 90, they would hold back on the treatments until morning.

Other than waking a few times, and crying to take the oxygen tube out, he slept pretty well, but his levels dropped again around 5am, so they put in the order for another treatment. grrr!

You know how you sleep when you have a newborn? That half-awake-to-completely-alert-at-the-slightest-sound kind of sleep? That's how I had spent the night. Side note: Hubby had graciously offered to spell me so I could get some sleep and a better shower, but I told him no. I told him there was no way I could leave Bubba here, even in the more than capable hands of his daddy. So, he waited while I took a hospital shower(yes, it's different somehow) and put on fresh clothing for the night. Then he kissed me and brought me a coke zero and headed home to get some sleep.

Sunday: The nurse came in around 5am, did the breathing treatment while Bubba was fully asleep, and like a light switch, just thirty minutes later he popped right awake, ripped the oxygen tube off his face and was a happy boy again. It really made me want to cry when, while he was hyper and shoveling in banana and cereal the medical student walked in to evaluate him again. "Well, aren't you 100% better this morning?" God bless him, he keeps walking in while Bubba is high, and the Chief RS keeps coming in when he's needing breathing assistance. You know he didn't get any points for those patient evals.

Thankfully, though, even when the hyper period started to fade, Bubba was still a happy camper and was looking better. He was maintaining 93-95 on room air, and they started talking to us about an asthma action plan. To which I asked if he was being diagnosed as asthmatic. She said that Bubba has intermittent asthma caused by ? I forget the exact wording here, but it was caused by the viral infection in his lungs. I think it was something like Paradoxical Bronchial ... something about the infection swelling lung tissues and blocking other areas and the lungs were just not working well.

The nurse came in around 10am to give us our instructions for when we went home, and said that the Dr will be around 11am or so to give us our discharge orders, at which point I asked if we should go ahead and order Bubba some lunch. She agreed that would be a good idea, as we don't know what order she will see Bubba in.

I took this time to ask our sweet nurse J how come they wouldn't give Bubba the X drug instead of the albuterol. She said they reserve it for babies 'cause it has the less harsh side effects, but it's 100 times(!) more expensive. Apparently Alb is 10cents a dose, whereas the X drug is 10 DOLLARS a dose. Seriously, it's 100x more expensive. Okay, I could see now why they probably would set a cutoff age/weight for it. It does have really nasty side effects, but if you were taking it 6 times a day, which is what they prescribed, that's 60 cents vs. $60. As a mom, I say cost is not an issue, as a hospital, I am sure they don't agree.

After a nice lunch, with a happy and hungry Bubba, and a James that came to sit with us for awhile, we finally got to go home around 1p. I took the nebulizer machine, and the prescription for the oral steroids and albuterol and hope to never have to see that place again. We got our Bubba home and I used the X drug samples that the doc gave me Saturday, and we got through the day sleeping and taking our treatments.

Monday: I got a follow up appointment set with Dr. B for that afternoon. Bubba was doing well with his treatments, was back to his normal rosy color, and happy demeanor. I didn't see any of the labored breathing from Saturday, and he was having none of the baby crack highs. The x drug made him just the slightest bit different, but it was more of the up-past-bedtime high that little kids get. Dr. B and I discussed his treatment at the office. She said he looked so much better, and she loved his rosy cheeks, and was happy to see him more perky. I asked her about the X drug, and she said it was quite costly, but we wouldn't need to give him treatments indefinitely, just until his cough let up, showing that there was no more congestion needing to be eliminated from his lungs.

Also, she wants me to take him to an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. She said that the "perma-congestion" could be a sign of swollen adenoids, or at the very least, his tonsils may be getting in the way of the natural drainage of his nose, causing it to be congested all the time. Either way, a two year old shouldn't be constantly congested. She also suggested getting allergy tested when he's a bit older, and will give us referrals for that when that time comes.

I am happy now that Bubba is feeling better. That was scary. I feel so loved by all the friends and family that were here in person, by phone, and by e-mails too. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. I appreciate it so much! I will call you later, but for now. I wanted to get it all down and go back to bed. It has all been so overwhelming, and I was on pins and needles until this afternoon when Dr.B said that he would be better within the week. Now I am relieved and crashing. :)

The oxygen tank ... Bubba called it "a rocket"

Me holding Bubba, who is pale and sleeping

Ambulance, also referred to as "scariest image of my life"

Bubba in a cage! We were told to keep the sides up at all times that we weren't standing next to it. I think he was watching cartoons ...

Happy Bubba, sitting for a minute before jumping up again. :)

Playing with the race car that the nurse gave him

Bubba's glowing toe. I kept telling him that he had to keep it on his toe 'cause it was going to help the doctors make him feel better, so he kept putting it on my arm or chest and saying "It make you feel better too?"

Claire

2009-02-03T19:23:00.000-06:00

Our littlest princess ...

though, I am not sure she knows how to handle a tiara yet ...

I think we have another big'un on our hands though

at 22lbs 14oz, and 28 1/8" long, she is over 97% on both height and weight, just like her Bubba

Sweet Claire, you will grow into your princess-ness soon enough. ;)

Chew on this!

2009-02-03T19:22:00.001-06:00

We've had a hair chewing problem these past few weeks. Bella is trying to grow her hair "as long as mommy's", but can't seem to keep it out of her face. She also has an aversion to any sort of hairband, headband, or clip.

It may be a little lopsided, but hey, at least she can't chew on it. :)

7 months old!?!

2008-12-17T17:11:00.001-06:00

How did it happen so fast?!?

Okay, since I am already late posting this(Claire turned 7 months on Monday), we will just do a quick list of seven new things. :)

*Claire loves to yell at people now, it's really cute, I have video.
*She is eating three meals a day, just like the rest of the family, now.
*She keeps getting up on her hands and knees, so crawling is coming soon!
*She is on a pretty regular nap routine of three times a day!
*Claire is absolutely perfect!
*She is endlessly amused by her big brother's antics now and will stare at him for a long time when he's playing next to her on the floor.
*and last but not least, she now says "da da" when she sees her daddy.(and will keep saying it until he comes and picks her up or pays attention to her.)

Pictures with Santa!

2008-12-17T17:01:00.001-06:00

BCS had a fundraiser for one of the high school classes, so we got to have an all you can eat pancake breakfast with Santa over the weekend! :) THe kids had a great time, and I didn't have to stand in line and pay a ton of money for some mall santa pictures.

I think they turned out pretty well.

After Bubba finally warmed up to him. :)

My pretty girl, she's done this many times.

All three!

The many faces of Claire

2008-12-07T22:05:00.002-06:00

My little flirt

2008-12-07T21:59:00.001-06:00

Sitting outside Carino's ...

just chilling.

I sit on the bench and am bouncing Claire on my knee, I said to Claire, "Hey pretty girl!". Well, my sweet little Repeat was listening well, 'cause a few minutes later a woman my age sat on the adjacent bench and Bubba just grins at her and says "Hey pretty girl!"

Praying hands

2008-12-07T21:58:00.000-06:00

Bella was coloring while I made dinner earlier last week, and she showed me this finished picture. She traced each of her hands overlapping, 'cause they are praying. :) She just makes me smile more and more. :)

Cowgirl

2008-12-02T17:03:00.000-06:00

"The boots are western, the shirt is country, and the arm bands are western, so it all goes together, right?" ~Bella

Trapped!

2008-12-02T17:01:00.000-06:00

Bubba has been hitting alot lately. Therefore, this has been a common sight in our home. Pobricito, he gets two minutes of time out for every occurance, that totals to like half an hour behind the gate every day!

6 months old!

2008-11-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

Things I have learned about my angel this month:

1. She can get the puffs from the tray to her mouth all by herself.
2. She sits really well, until she gets distracted by something and then falls over trying to get to it.
3. She can do many fun things with her voice.
4. Claire's first official word is "(B)ella!". It has been repeated twice now, so it's official!
5. She can also babble "da-da" and "la la la la la la la la la ... to infinity ... pretty much.
6. She is ever so loving and just enjoys laying on my chest and snuggling.

I love this little girl, God has once again blessed us with another great surprise. :)

Just cute pictures of Claire ...

2008-11-18T11:46:00.000-06:00

Cute Pictures of Bubba

2008-11-15T15:40:00.000-06:00

Bubba In the Box ...

2008-11-11T19:30:00.000-06:00

Well, how else can he get to all his toys at one time?

I can sit!

2008-11-11T19:07:00.000-06:00

Really, seriously, and I hardly fall over anymore!!

5 months old!!!

2008-10-14T20:23:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby girl is 5 months old now. :) I am so excited! It seems like just yesterday she was born into this family, another happy addition. :)

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-10T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sisters

2008-10-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

The shirt says it all ...

2008-10-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

Claire Bear

2008-09-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

This morning while lying on our tummies and cooing at eachother, Claire let me know she knows Spanish!

She said ... "hola"

Well, it was more like "o" ... "la"

But, close enough right?

Pre-school

2008-09-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day Out, Kid's Day Out, Pre-school. I don't care what you call it, it means that Bubba gets to have a lot of fun with other kids his age, and I get some one-on-one time with my little Claire. :)

Here's Bubba with Mrs. Hutson(she had to stop him and turn him around so I could get a shot)

Then he took off and started playing ...

Never noticing that I was just chilling there with Claire in her stroller watching him have fun. :)

No seperation issues with this one!

Kindergarten Part 5

2008-08-20T20:50:00.001-05:00

Whew! I am all blogged out. This series starts four more posts down if you want to read them in order! Honestly this first day was not as hard as I thought it would be. I missed her, but also got to spend time with my other two and got cleaning done. The tears were held at bay all day until it was time to go to bed and as we were saying our bedtime prayers is when it finally hit me. =P I have a kindergartner!

Here's my two that I will have this year at home! :) I am so thrilled to spend more one-on-one time with my Bubba and Claire. :)

Here is Bella after a great first day with Mrs. Smith.

Kindergarten Part 4

2008-08-20T20:45:00.001-05:00

Here she is playing with Playdoh and not even noticing that I am leaving.

Daddy thrilled to have a 5 year old in school!

Mrs. Smith teaching something very important I am sure!

Claire waving as we leave the school.

Kindergarten Part 3

2008-08-20T20:44:00.001-05:00

Bubba was not thrilled with getting up that early. He usually sleeps until 8 or later, hence the giant yawn!

The sign reads "Be imitators of God!" and the other message was "Welcome BCS Students!"

Putting her backpack on it's hook.

Sitting down and putting on her nametag.

Kindergarten Part 2

2008-08-20T20:40:00.001-05:00

Standing pretty with her napmat. The three faces are in order ...

"Smile for the camera"

"Real smile"

"Done taking pictures now"

And then the happy drive to the school.

How can someone be so happy and fresh and AWAKE! at 7:35 in the morning?

Kindergarten part 1

2008-08-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday we got to go meet her teacher, Mrs. Smith. Bella was very excited and could talk of nothing else other than "I am going to meet my teacher!"

So we found her classroom, and she runs straight in and starts looking around at all the toys and wonderful art and other teaching aids all over the room.

She runs out in the hall to see where she will put her backpack.

And as I was putting her school supplies into the appropriate places and meeting her teacher, I don't think she even gave poor Mrs. Smith a second glance ... Oh well, maybe next time. :)

3Months old!

2008-08-17T19:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I am not sitting up yet ...

I can't eat real food yet ...

But, I am laughing at mommy and daddy, and have rolled over for the first time!

3 Months old is pretty sweet!

2008-08-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

Claire is happy to be home after our weekend at a friend's lakehouse. :) She is just chilling in her Bumbo while we eat breakfast.

These past couple of weeks, she has started batting at her toys on the hanging gym. She coos at the butterfly and swats it, and coos some more. It's really cute to watch. :)

But, then we get tired so easily. Here she is sleeping under her gym. One second she was playing and smiling, and the next she was passed out!

This is Ry-Ry, his parents, Joe and Kim, took us to dinner to celebrate Matt's new job. :)

Ry-Ry and Bubba were sitting across from eachother and the faces they exchanged were just too cute!

Here's a few shots of Claire surfing the web with me.

2 months and a checkup

2008-07-16T15:43:00.001-05:00

Let's see ...

In two months, Claire has fully integrated herself into this family. We weren't real sure about all that crying and eating and pooping at first, but it's working now. She smiles real smiles at us. She is sleeping ten hours at night, waking once in the middle for a bottle and back down immediately. No more fussing for an hour like she used to. *thank you Lord!*

She still has her grumpy times, around 5p until bedtime she will cry and complain to whomever will listen. We don't mind too much, we just hold her and tell her how much we love her and wish she was quieter.

She is 14pounds(over 97%), 22.5 inches(75%), and has a 39cm head(75%) so she is doing well. My little chubby girl is out of her 0-3 month clothes and rapidly sliding past the 3-6 month size as well. :)

To end this post, here is a cute pic of her and her namesake(She is affectionately called Grumpy-Bear in the evenings, and Claire-Bear the rest of the day.) I think they even look alike in the evenings.

Randomness

2008-07-13T21:56:00.001-05:00

Spot the Bubba!

Did the colic start after we bought the onsie, or did we buy the onsie after the colic started? Definition: Colic-A condition of unknown cause seen in infants less than three months old, marked by periods of inconsolable crying lasting for hours at a time for at least three weeks.

A wonderful big sister.

A very happy Bubba.

The only reason my kids aren't locked in their rooms or crying in their cribs all day while I am dealing with IBS. My sis has been coming over in the daytimes to help.

More pictures

2008-06-25T22:07:00.002-05:00

The 1 Month Stats

2008-06-14T11:02:00.003-05:00

We went for Claire's checkup yesterday and she did well. We do not have the results of her lab tests, but we should have them early next week. Here are her stats and a pic for you. :)

Height:21 1/2" Long(50-75%)
Weight:10lbs 7oz(75%)
Head:37.6cm(50-75%)

Wow, one of our kids is proportional! I am so proud ...

:) Random Claire Photos

2008-06-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

Being loved on by Tia and Little E.

All ready for an outing. I love this hat, she's been wearing it constantly, it's Jessica's, and we appreciate the loan! :)

Before Ry-Ry left she was fine ...

As soon as Jim started leaving with Ry-Ry...

Sleeping on Daddy.

Hanging out.

Being "watched" by Daddy.

We're ready!

2008-06-13T09:07:00.004-05:00

To go swimming that is.

Hold on, got to put on sunscreen.

Her first Krispy Kreme

2008-06-13T09:06:00.001-05:00

Now, I don't eat KK much(like 1 per year) anymore due to an unfortunate incident when I was pregnant with Bella. It didn't like me, and I have been wary of them since... but I don't mind when the hubby wants to go get some, and this past week without the older two, Claire got to enjoy her first trip to the donut place.

Walking in with daddy.

Basking in the glow of the "Hot Donuts Now" sign.

Getting her first free sample.

Graduation

2008-06-12T22:42:00.001-05:00

Friday, May 23, 2008. My little Bella spent her last time in her pre-school classroom. It has been such a great year, full of learning new things from both her wonderful teachers, and her classmates. I am so proud of my little girl. She has gotten so big, and developed such a wonderful sense of self-worth and caring for others as well. :) Hmmm ... now if I could just get her to pick up a different sense of style ... She has been dressing herself almost completely since this past summer, and boy has it been interesting!

Here she is coming into the chapel.

Here she is getting her "diploma", and had requested that April say her full name, just like they did when Daddy graduated from grad school.

Her pre-school class.

Bubba and Daddy enjoying the ceremony.

Claire sleeping right on through, as she should. :)

More pictures ...

2008-06-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

Bubba in his "sit". It's a little spot between two posts that are under the stairwell directly outside our front door. :)

Pappa with Claire.

Elizabeth and Bella.

Elizabeth and Grandma. :)

Two weeks ...

2008-05-31T08:56:00.003-05:00

8lbs 14oz(90%)
20 3/8inches(75%)

Healthy and beautiful!(Well, really, what did you expect?)

She is lovely and wonderful. Here's more pictures for you!

Getting a sponge bath.

Our little Texan.

A close up.

Daddy with his new girl.

Daddy with both his girls.

The Recital

2008-05-24T09:47:00.001-05:00

Since the recital started at 1:30p on Saturday(17th) and we had just gotten home from the hospital at 12:30p, mommy and Claire missed it. :(

But here are some beautiful pictures that Pappa took during the practice. There are plenty of good ones, so I just picked a few. :)

One week ...

2008-05-23T07:00:00.004-05:00

and everything had just gone by so quickly! Claire had her first doctor's visit on Tuesday. Dr. Owens pronounced her healthy and beautiful.(of course!) She has integrated into the family well. Both Bella and Bubba have been sweet to her, and haven't shown any jealousy or animosity.

My MIL, Mamaw, was here up until yesterday and made it so much easier to take care of our new little addition. She is a gem, helping with the older kids when I am busy with Claire and happily cuddling Claire when I need to hang with my other babies, not to mention the from-scratch pancakes and other wonderful culinary gifts. =P

Other than that, I am just exhausted!!!! I mean, I knew what was going to happen since I have been through this twice before, but man oh man! I still feel as if I have been hit by a mack truck, and then dragged forty miles or so ... very sore and very tired.

But she's so cute! and so loveable! I think we will keep her.

Here she is napping with Daddy.

Having her hearing test done.

Newborn pants?! I think not.

More napping with Daddy.

With her mamaw

And the details ...

2008-05-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

Here is another picture for your viewing pleasure.

Claire was born at 11:49am, weighing 8lbs even and is 20" long. She is absolutely fabulous, having slept so much and not really getting cranky at all.

Emily Claire Mills

2008-05-15T13:00:00.003-05:00

The Bluebonnets, part deux

2008-05-12T23:08:00.004-05:00

Here are some beautiful shots that Pappa took of the babies in the bluebonnets. :)

My little model.

Is he belting out a tune, or giving a sermon?

"I'm going to kiss you!"

"No, don't kiss me!"

"Ha ha! I kissed you!"

My little model again ...

Mamaw with her little babies.

Helping Daddy

2008-05-08T15:44:00.002-05:00

Well, it was a tight squeeze to hook up the dryer vent hose to the wall, so Hubby enlisted some help ...

Little Reader

2008-05-08T15:42:00.003-05:00

Just some cute pictures of Bubba flipping through one of his favorite board books.

A little late, but still a lot a love!

2008-05-07T22:52:00.007-05:00

April 30th, my little man turned 20 months, and here it is over a week later that I am blogging it. =P

OH WELL! There is just too much new stuff going on these days, just with Bubba. So I am keeping his 20 month post simple! Here is a pictorial review of the 20months my big Bubba has been alive. :) The first picture is of the day he was born, and each successive picture is one month later, ending with Bubba at 20 months, having just woken up. *sniff* FYI ... don't ever look at newborn pics of a previous child while pregnant, it's way too emotional. I am still sniffling and wiping tears away!

Bubba's First Fudgscicle

2008-04-18T08:56:00.001-05:00

Well, it's fat free, low sugar, and super tasty, why not?

He loved every bit of it, and the bath to follow!