April 2011

 Big Belly at 36 weeks

 Grandpa & Princess Alaina for Daddy's b'day

 present for baby from Aunt Lisa

 Playing cars with Cousin Dominic

My boys

Writing a letter to Nana

 Here it is..."Nana, I am so thankful God for making Nana. Nana I love you.  From Kylan"

 Birthday Lunch for Daddy including Mickey Mouse pancakes for the kiddos!

 My little sheep princess with 2 purses...

 This is a face we see quite often with Alaina

A very happy daddy with his Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

 Nana came to celebrate Daddy's b'day too!

Just another playdate...7 kids...38 weeks pregant...yeah I was crazy!

Newest members of the family--Maps, Shimber & Lava Girl

Very excited about the new family members

 Chucky Cheese!

 We introduced Alaina to Nutella...

Do you think she liked it? (notice the bread missing the Nutella).

Painting at the Children's Museum

Let's see---day before Thanksgiving and I am writing about April...Yes, I do find this amusing.  I will catch up--especially if Talia keeps giving me sleepless nights like these.  ARGH!  It has been one sickness after another since Ky has started school.  She was such a great sleeper and then with all the colds and such she turned into a lousy one.  Now I am at wits end and I think she is just going to have to start crying it out.  Sorry Love--but I believe it is best for the both of us.  And on the bright side maybe I can spend these sleepless nights catching up on my blog as well as some housework.

April came and went in a flash.  I suppose it had to do mostly with anticipation of our new little one as well as trying to stuff in all sorts of fun stuff with Alaina & Ky before Talia came.  I definitely had some mom-guilt going on.  I was thinking about the lack of attention they would get as well as how outings would most likely be fewer when the weather was finally getting nicer. 

Kylan seemed to understand the whole baby concept at this point, but I knew sweet Alaina had no idea of what a "new baby in mommy's tummy" would entail.  I think it seemed more like pretend to her. 

Rob's birthday was at the beginning of the month and we had a celebration at Pop's and Debi's.  Ky had a wonderful time playing with his cousin Dominic and Alaina ended up being the sad "third wheel" that wanted to play as well.  It's hard when your older brother and his friends don't want you to play (I remember those days...:) )  Luckily being the only granddaughter--she got more than enough attention from the adults.

Daddy's actual birthday fell on the Brewer's opening Day.  We took Rob out for lunch and enjoyed quite a treat at Monty's Blue Plate diner.  We had a waitress that took special care of the children.  She provided them with mickey mouse pancakes and chocolate milk that came with whipped cream and sprinkles.  You should have seen Alaina's eyes BUG out when she saw that chocolate milk.  What a day it was to be a kid!

At home I had made Rob a special peanut butter cheesecake.  He loved it.  Yeah--I think that recipe is a keeper! :)  Alaina loved it so much that you can see the "love" all over her face!  :)  Rob's mom & Jan also came and celebrated with us. 

In my last week of pregnancy, I was really feeling the mommy guilt with the kiddos.  We ended up having a play date with some friends at our house--and yes I, alone, watched 7 children.  It was a really good time though--and the kids were awesome and had lots of fun.  It was worth it just to hear the laughter and watch them play.  (I will definitely do it again!)  I also took the kids to the pet store and bought them goldfish.  We picked out 3 and Ky named his "Shimber".  Alaina named hers "Lava Girl".  And they shared "Maps".  (Ky let Alaina pick Maps name--which I was really impressed with.)  The kids were fascinated by these fish and were always begging to feed them.  In fact, occasionally I would catch them trying to put something inedible in the bowl just to see what they would do.  Poor fish.  In fact, the fish did not last more than a few months--with the first one passing away when I was in the hospital with Talia.  Ky was so upset about it, that he wanted Rob there to help send the fish to "fish heaven."  So into the freezer went Shimber...

I have since bought an aquarium stand and have painted it.  I plan to set it up at some point this winter for the kids.  I know they will love it!

We also managed to cram in a visit to Chuck E Cheese as well.  I really wanted to take the kids as a last hurrah.  Ky now understands that the faster he gets tokens the quicker he can play games.  I am a bit bummed about that--since we could make the tokens last faster before when he would wander and just play with things and occasionally put a token in.  However--we have still been able to hide the "ticket" redemption from him.  We have multiple ticket redemptions that we have saved.  We are hoping that the kids can use them when they get a big bigger to get something good--as opposed to a spider ring and a piece of candy....

And finally, I took the kids to the Children's Museum.  Yes--I was crazy...all in the last week of pregnancy.  I remember it was sleeting outside and I couldn't find a parking spot except on the roof of the parking garage--where it was sleeting..Yeah!  I was pretty upset.  I had to then carry Alaina down 6 flights of slipper sleety stairs.  Yeah--that was no fun.  We got the kids there though, and they had a blast.  I remember sitting a lot as I watched them play.  I was trying to treasure this time with them and at the same time treasure my remaining time being pregnant.  It was all very bittersweet. 

Bummer to me for not remembering more for this blog--but I have a feeling we are going to have more sleepless nights ahead and hopefully I can catch up.  Right now I am in a new "season" of life where I know that keeping up with this blog like I did before is just going to be hard.  But eventually there will be a new season and I will get back at it like I did before.  Right now, all I can do is treasure the time I have now with being with the kids and watching them grow.  This time is too precious for me to miss. 

March 2011

 Alaina playing Dr.  She likes checking for the baby's heartbeat.

 Over 100,000 people protesting this week

 Ky & Nana display their splints.

 Rob carving his 1st turkey.

 We tried a new look--Ky didn't like it

 A trip to the Rockford Children's museum

 Alaina and the GIANT dollhouse

 Excited to be on tv!

 Ice Cream!

And funny faces!

March was quite an emotional month for me.  With all the government stuff cracking down, it was hard to see the teachers, nurses, and many other government workers be so downtrodden.  When I would sub, I was impressed by how the teachers kept so "upbeat" in the classrooms and yet when in the teacher's lounge for lunch they would be so upset.  It was especially difficult seeing those teachers who rely on one salary (single parents of ones with a stay at home spouse) wonder how they were going to survive paying for their own healthcare. 

I have to say that we are blessed to live in Madison where most of the people fully support the Unions in this.  At the same time it is AMAZING to meet those who are ignorant about what the Unions actually do for the teachers--now I am not saying all their actions are good--however--some things are needed.  For example the Unions have fought to not let building temperatures go below 66 degrees....now remember your kids are going to school here.  Do you have your house at 66 degrees during the winter?  Pretty chilly.  Especially for those that come to school improperly dressed--and yes there are many where their parents cannot afford or just do not take the time to dress their kids properly.

Despite all this, I was most touched when I subbed for a day at a local elementary.  They were releasing me early and I asked if there was anything else I could do.  They told me yes and set me to work on sorting HUNDREDS of donated hats, mittens, coats, shirts, pants, etc...  Many were given by the teachers and some from the community.  They were putting together baskets to help families in their school.  These clothes were NOT just for the school aged child--but also the families.

I think many people lose sight of all the "non job descripted" things that teachers, nurses, and other city workers do.  These people see needs and they meet them--not thinking about whether they should or shouldn't.  I see teachers all the time send kids home with some of their own food just to make sure that kids has something to eat that night or over the weekend.  These needs many do not see on a day to day basis because they don't encounter them.  Think about the bus driver and the same people they see every day.  I find it hard to believe that they do NOT get to know the people and meet needs.  Anyway--I am just horrified by the fact that people in these jobs have been attacked by others.  These jobs are not lucrative--in fact they are some of the hardest jobs out there---dealing with people's needs--and yet we have others attack them and say they are "leeches" on our society and need to pay their fair share, when they really aren't making that much. 

Okay--I should probably stop with my rant.  However, when I have a friend tell me that she can't make things work for her family of 6 on $70 some thousand a year and it isn't fair that they have to pay for their health insurance on top of that--and then tell me it isn't fair that her husband can lose his job, while these union workers are protected.  I am appalled. It isn't about fair (boy-- isn't this what our mother's told us?)  It's about taking care of each other.  I don't understand how she can be upset about her family situation when they are already starting off WAY better than the average teacher.  What about a teacher who has a family of 6 making 40 some thousand a year?  How are they supposed to make it?  Anyway--ultimately I believe that it is our responsibility to take care of each other--not tear each other up or envy what someone else has.

So in March--I joined the "march" around the Capital.  At 8 months pregnant, it was worth it.  I wanted to stand with these people who give so much of themselves and yet were feeling rejected despite what they do.

I also have to say, it made my delivery of Talia shine in a WHOLE new persepctive too.  So many nurses worked with me.  And in the end before my leave when Talia would not nurse--I had one nurse in particular who really put some extra time and effort in working with me and making sure I was okay.  Her job requirement does not state "Have compassion for others" however that is what she did.  What a valuable contributor of society she is! 

Anyway--other March stories...

In February, at our last ultrasound with Talia--a friend of mine watched Ky and Alaina.  I guess at some point, Ky slipped and fell.  She said he didn't cry, but she informed me that he had clutched his arm after the fall.  Well, I looked at it and didn't think much of it.  He was acting fine--I did notice it was a bit swollen, but he was using it and moving everything fine.  A few days later, I pulled him out of the tub by his wrists.  He screamed.  I looked at the wrist and noticed it was still swollen.  That night I took him to urgent care.  I felt like a pretty lousy parent telling the doctor it had happened 3 days ago.  The doctor did make me feel better though and told me that it happens all the time.  Ky had x-rays done without me.  (Since I was pregnant I could not go in there with him.)  Well sure enough he had a buckle fracture.  Ky was in a split for about a month before he was able to get out.  Nana--also at that same time--had surgery on her wrist from a fall she had had.  It was cute seeing them bond over their injuries.  

We had Thanksgiving in March which was fun.  I cooked my second turkey ever and Rob carved his first turkey ever.  We were both quite proud of the job we had done.  And from that turkey,   I made 4 freezer meals preparing for our new little one. 

In February and March I was also blessed with the opportunity to watch 9 month old twins.  I watched them 1-2 times a week.  They were foster children of a friend of mine.  The kids and I really enjoyed watching the babies.  It also gave us much to think about since Rob and I have considered fostering in the future (when our kids are older.)  We had so much fun with the babies--but BOY twins are a handful!  (So thankful I have had my kids one at a time :) )  At the end of March they went to live with their Grandmother.  I continue to pray that God is with them in that situation and that they are raised to know him and follow in his ways. 

Growing up

 ready for school

 rode his scooter to school

 with 2 of his friends-Zachary & Noah

His Locker

 
Getting to work!

Talia 4 months

Alaina's 1st field trip---to the zoo to find animals that start with the letter "o"

Well It is official now! I am a mother of an elementary school boy.

With Ky being my first, I have had many overwhelming emotions the past month. First off-I tried to do EVERYTHING possible with him. I had a "fun" list and we were going to complete it all. I guess it seemed like or last chance to be the 3 amigos (really 4 now with Talia.) I probably overdid it. But--I needed those extra memories with my boy. When his first day did come around, I cried when I packed his lunch, I cried when I took his pictures by the tree. I cried much of the walk there (we walk to school) and I cried when I left him in the classroom. And then I went home and cried. Ky--well he did fine. You could tell he was nervous, but he was SO excited too! He rode his scooter to school. (I think he felt like such a big boy to do that.) He put his stuff in his locker (yes locker--my boy has a locker now!) And he sat down and began writing his name like his teacher asked.

It's really amazing how everything just flashes back. Bringing him home from the hospital, taking him apple picking, introducing him to pigs at the State Fair. And now he is no longer that little kid we tote around. He has a life of his own--one in which I won't be involved in. I won't know what is going on for 7 hours of his day. This is a really big change for a Stay at Home Mom.

And yes--you know the moment I pick him up I try to pry all the juicy details from him. And of coure-him being 5--he "doesn't remember." Or the best he can tell you is what he did at recess.

His first couple of days were hard. In fact, Ky told me he was worried that since his teacher only speaks Spanish, she doesn't understand him. (Ky is in a dual immersion program where he is taught in Spanish.) I was glad that I was able to talk to his teacher and him to straighten that out. He is also concerned that some of his classmates don't understand him (the native spanish speakers). I have informed him that they do--but I think it will take him some time to figure that out. Right now he plays with Noah and Zachary (a couple of kids he alreday knew in our neighborhood) and another boy named Keagan.

It is kind of funny--b/c Ky has not looked the part of an elementary kid until a few days ago. I was waiting for him outside and he came running up to me with a BIG grin on his face and holding the shoulder straps on his backpack. That image will be forever engrained in my head. He just looked bigger. He was confident and happy. He was all grown up.

Ky is starting his second full week of school now and thankfully I can see that he is learning. He can count up to 16 already in Spanish and he told me the other day that his backpack was his "mochillo".

Alaina update-

Alaina--wow--let me tell you--this girl cracks  me up.  She LOVES to shop.  NEVER take her into a shoe store--it is a mess.  She whips off her shoes SO fast and then starts trying on shoe after shoe.  She prefers heels and shoes that "sparkle".  Yes at 2 1/2 this girl could walk in heels better than me.  At department stores, she is ALWAYS keeping an eye out for princesses (aka dresses) and of course purses.  She LOVES purses.  She likes to cram all sorts of random toys in her purse and drag it with her.  She is quite an amusing girl!  She also gravitates towards anything princess, which I find interesting since clearly she did not get these interests from me. 

When Ky was getting ready to start school, I told Alaina that she was going to begin "Mommy's Preschool of Love."  She was ecstatic and told many people that she was going to the "School of Lub".  I have started working with her and have been happy to find that she is an eager student.  She sits well and likes to work with me at the table.  I was a bit concerned that with her personality it might be harder to sit, but so far things appear to be working well.

Talia update--
Shortly before we left on vacation, Talia discovered that she could roll. And roll she does. Back and forth and back and forth. She loves her new found mobility. She can also scoot some too. I will leave her for a moment on the floor and come back to find she has moved 1-2 feet.

At 3.5 months, Talia also discovered she could scream...and I mean a shrill scream. It was horrible. Luckily it was only a month long phase as she has appeared to grown out of it--but it was AWFUL at the time. She would scream when she was happy, scream when she was sad, and scream just to hear herself scream.

Talia is by far our most affectionate child.  She slurps on your face and gives you honest kisses.  Now that she is using her hands more, she will actually grab both of your cheeks and pull you forward to give you a kiss.  From birth we have noticed how giving her kisses just seemed to soothe her.  She ESPECIALLY loves daddy kisses.  I do think Daddy has gotten "his girl" (Alaina being mine). 

Well--I still have not figured out my "picture" predicament--(OH! That's a Ky memory too--how he learned the word predicament when he was 3 and was using it all the time....*Sigh*)  Anyway--I loaded manually on blogger--but it takes FOREVER!  I will figure out something.  In the meantime I want to catch up on my blog, so expect me to start backdating some of my entries since I want to catch up.

Frustrated with pictures...

So I have LOTS of pictures I want to share--but I am having problem uploading. GRRR...Remember my new camera? Well, the pictures are SO fabulous they take up too much space! So now I can only load a few before my free storage is gone on picassa. SO if you know of any great free web albums with LOTS of space, let me know...

Here is a picture my friend Crystal took of the kids last week. I especially want to get her photos up since she did such a great job! Look at how Talia has grown!

Guess which kid....

 This is a fun blog!   So everyone thinks Talia looks like Alaina...however I think she looks much more like Kylan...So what do you think?  Below I have grouped similar poses/age pictures of all 3 kids.  Can you figure out which is which?  Answers are revealed below, so scroll slowly.... 

From top to bottom: Talia, Alaina, Ky

Top to bottom: Ky and Talia

From Top to Bottom:  Talia, Alaina, Ky

From top to bottom:  Alaina, Ky, Talia

So, how'd you do?

Heaven Sent Dew...

Makes the grass smell wonderful in the morning.  It makes the earth so much livelier and all seems so magical--it didn't rain and yet the Earth has been renewed...Such an appropriate name for our little girl.

She has definitely renewed our lives and outlook.  She energizes our desire to be better.  She seems so magical and yet we know that God gave her to us.  We are blessed.

This blog covers Talia's first 10 days at home.  Surprisingly they were very easy days at home.  The kids were adjusting well and Talia slept like a champ!  She was doing 4 hour stretches at night.  We were amazed.  She is definitely our best sleeper yet.

Ky & Laina did very well with the initial adjustment of Talia.  They wanted to hold her ALL the time.  We had to actually start telling them "no".  They would ask when it just wasn't convenient and you can only crouch down next to them for so long.

On Saturday (5 days old) Pops & Debi came to visit.  Debi was so happy that she finally got her "I(Talia)n granddaughter.  (Get it--iTALIAn? HA!)  They took Ky & Laina out for the afternoon and also dropped off a bunch of meals.  It was such a blessing to have the afternoon with Rob & Talia.  Talia slept and we went for some burgers.  YUM!  Then afterwards we stopped at a few garage sales.  It was a good time.

Pops & Debi took Alaina & Ky to McD's for lunch and then shopping.  Grandma Debi bought Alaina some silver dress shoes--and she LOVES them.  She wears them all the time!  She calls them her sparkly shoes.  The kids also picked out a bunch of stuff at the Dollar store.  I know they felt LOVED & got some good spoiling--something they don't get much of.  Once they came back to the house G. Debi set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids in the backyard.  (Easter was too wet to have an Easter egg hunt and Ky was disappointed.  G'ma Debi was so thoughtful to do this for him!)  Thanks so much Pops & Debi for giving the kids an unforgettable afternoon. 

I also need to add that Debi had heart surgery later that week.  She went to the hospital on Monday and they doctor's found blockage in her heart.  We are so grateful for the expertise of doctors and God's hand in this situation to keep her safe.  Please keep her in your prayers as she is still recovering and having to deal with changes in lifestyle. 

So  you notice the lots of cute little naked pics of Talia--babies are SO cute and they grow and change SO quick, it is amazing how quick they fill out and turn into this little person.  I really wanted to capture some of those first moments so I don't forget how infants are.  For example, all the wrinkles on the back--that only happens with new babies.  And then their inclination to be in their fetal position.  Talia's legs were (she doesn't do it anymore--too big :( ) crossed in the womb so for the first month she always crossed them.  Their little legs are also very "bowed" looking--but straighten in the first couple of months. 

The red outfit Talia is in is one of the first outfits I bought for Alaina.  I think Alaina wore it once before she outgrew it.  Talia outgrew it by 1 month old.  Looking at her pics though, you can see how it is actually big on her (the pants were falling off) and now 1 month later the shirt is too small and the pants fit fine. 

Back to Talia's first week home.  Monday (Day 7) we all walked together to Kylan's school for Kindergarten introduction.  Ky really enjoyed showing off his baby sister (and still does).  Alaina as well.  They would say (and still say)-"We have a new baby!"  And Alaina adds "her name is Talia Rose."  It is very cute!  So the teachers got to see Ky's new sister.  It was nice to be able to walk Ky around the classroom and show him where things are at and what he can expect.  He seemed to take it all in stride. 

The next day we walked to Culver's for our first family custard outing.  The kids really enjoyed it (of course!)  Rob and I were a bit exasperated by the end.  Ky & Laina were starting to act up and well, we just don't appreciate that behavior.  Since then we have noticed a change (increase) in naughtiness.  I am sure this is just because of the new adjustment in their lives.  Hopefully things will go back to normal soon. 

The next day was windy, but we took a family walk anyway.  I noticed Alaina hanging on to her hair.  I asked her why, and she told me she didn't want her "piggy tails to fly away."  (Very cute).  So yes she hold on to them for much of the walk.  Silly girl!

Well I think that pretty much wraps up Day 10 for Talia.  I should probably also add that as of day 7 she started crying...(in my previous blog I mentioned that she hardly ever cries)  It appears she figured out that the "crying" thing gets her food/held/diaper change--so yeah--she uses that a lot now!  (But not in a colicky way--she really is a good baby.) 

Next blog--MARCH!  (and then another baby update--I gotta keep up with those she is growing SO FAST!)

February 2011

Feb 20011!

Wait a second...it's almost June! What is wrong with me!!!



Well better late than never...and yes more Talia updates & pics soon--I cannot deny you pictures of one of the three most beautiful children ever, and let me tell you she is gorgeous and GROWING like a weed!

So not many pics in February. I did not have a new camera yet and was using the old one so I didn't take many pics.

As far as pregnancy--this was the month I had extra ultrasounds to check on Talia. We were reassured with the first that Talia was fine--however underweight. Then our following ultrasound revealed we had a healthy girl of 4 lbs 11 oz at 32 weeks. (And yes, I asked them to confirm that the baby was a girl every time--even though I had seen it for myself, I was still in somewhat disbelief--after all this is me--I have been around boys my whole life and never imagined I would have one girl let alone two. Also the pregnancy was going so well, it just resembled Ky's much more than Alaina's.

Anyway, at the first ultrasound, I dropped Ky & Laina off with a friend. At that play date, Ky slipped and fell and hurt his arm. When my friend told me about it, I didn't think anything of it. Ky was acting fine. I did look later that day and noticed his wrist was a and he yelled. I looked down and noticed his wrist was still quite swollen. I ended up taking him to urgent care (it was a Saturday)--and wouldn't you know--it was broken. The doc said he had a buckle fracture. Basically the bone was misshaped. They put him in a splint and said he needed to wear it for at least 4 weeks. WOW! Boy didn't I feel like a bad mom. The doc reassured me that even she didn't take her own daughter in for an xray when she hurt her leg once. Several days later they had also discovered it was broken. Well, I did feel a little better.

Ky was such a brave guy. I couldn't go into the xray room since I was pregnant. He went with the nurses and did a great job. It was also somewhat ironic that Nana had also broken some bones in her wrist about the same time. They had matching splints which was rather cute in an odd sort of way. Ky was pretty proud.

Feb was a pretty emotional month for me with the pregnancy scare, the political stuff going on, and then the additional subbing I was doing as well as concern over a close friend who fell ill. Looking back on that month--I am glad it was a short one. I usually dislike the month of February because it feels like it just drag, but the business and stuff I was dealing with made the time fly.

I did find joy in a few things, like buying Alaina and Talia matching sweaters (my first matching gender purchase.) They won't wear them for another year yet, but hey--it's the little things! :) Alaina also was enjoying playing doctor with my tummy. She would often take the stethoscope and listen for the baby's heartbeat. I know she had no idea what was going on, but boy did it melt my heart!

In February, I also started to help out a friend by watching her two foster girls one to two times a week. They were beautiful twin girls--and boy did they touch my heart. Their story was sad, but their smiles were priceless. These little girls brightened everyone's day. They were 7 months old--so it was also nice to introduce Ky & Alaina to what it was like being around babies. Alaina did very well (though she was rough, she was very loving.) Ky was a natural helper. He would feed them bottles, bring them toys and play with them.

Rob and I have talked about fostering in the future and these two girls just drove home the need for loving families to show children such as these what family life should be like. No matter how small of a time you have with them--you do make an impact. Someday in the future (I am talking years--we need our kids to be a bit older before we are ready), I hope that we can also have the opportunity to love some children who need that extra support.

Well--I think that wraps up February. Next March--Isn't that pathetic. I think I will do a Talia update first! She is growing SO FAST! *SIGH* Well, all I can do is to try to treasure each moment as much as possible. I love that girl--she has truly melted my heart (just like Ky & Laina).

Our Talia Rose

I have to say that everything about this pregnancy has surprised me. From the beginning, I was convinced that I was having a boy. Everything with this pregnancy was just reminiscent of Ky's pregnancy. However, when I saw two "little butts" in the 20 week ultrasound--I was given my first warning that "things are not always the way they appear." Towards the end of the pregnancy, I was also feeling that this little one was going to arrive early. My intuition of an early delivery with Ky and an on-time delivery with Alaina had been correct, so I was pretty sure that I would be delivering in my 38th week--once again I was wrong. And finally, I felt this baby was a pretty big baby. I was guessing close to 8 lbs and boy was I surprised to have delivered my smallest baby. Anyways--time to begin Talia Rose's birth story....Hang in there--this will be a long one (after all, I was the best rested with this birth!)

Monday, April 25th (39 weeks) I was scheduled for a c-section at 10 AM with check-in at the hospital at 8. Easter was the day before, and with all the plans made for the holiday and packing the kids overnight bags to stay at Nana's and getting the house in order and things out for Nana--it was just a crazy day.

Rob and I dropped Ky and Alaina off at Nana's Sunday night and had one last meal as "just the 2 of us." By the time we got home, it was already 9 and there was much to be done. I needed to finish packing my bag, sweep the downstairs, do a load of laundry, pull out clothes for the kids for the next few days, and eat & drink. My fast for the surgery began at midnight--and yes I stayed up until midnight making sure I could drink all the water I could and have a small meal to suffice me. So what did I do---start a load of laundry and then Rob and I sat down to watch the rest of "Avatar". Yeah--I had priorities! After all, this might be the last movie we are able to watch for a while! :)

Of course, by the time I got to bed I was exhausted, it was after midnight, and I could not sleep. BLEH. So much for going in well rested. I cried a little- realizing that everything would be changing soon. (This is just how I deal with any change...) And of course ended up moving to the couch downstairs so I could watch my last night of reruns. (This is what I did every night of my pregnancy when I couldn't sleep.)

At 6:45 the next morning, Rob and I were up--and of course running late. Traffic was a bit more than I imagined it would be. We got to the registration desk at 8:30. EEKS! I was really worried they would be mad at me. Well, it turns out we were on time! I was scheduled to come in at 8:30 and the C-section was scheduled for 10:30! WOO! Talk about a close one.

We were taken back to triage, where I got changed into my LOVELY gown and took a few last pictures. From there, the nurse came and got my vitals and asked me all sorts of dumb questions like "Are you pregnant?" "Are you in labor?" I know these questions are protocol--but PUH-LEASE! Aren't some things obvious? And shouldn't they already have this information in the system?

From there it was IV time. UGH! I really don't mind IV's, however, I have an issue with the process that IV's become. I don't like the "let's just stab the patient everywhere and not take her advice on where to put it in" method. My veins move. They are hard to get. With every kid they have ended up having to go in my hand because that is the only place the veins don't move so much. So of course, I recommended that they just put in my hand....Six sticks and 3 nurses later (actually, it isn't just a stick, it's a stick and then probe with the needle until we make large bruise marks and then make you bleed...) they finally took my advice and put it in my hand. BLAH!

For this pregnancy I named my new IV companion "June". I felt it was only appropriate since we would become good friends over the next 24 hours or so. From there the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me. And let me tell you I had the BEST anesthesiologist EVER! I really have an issue with needles being put in my back. When I had to have it done with Ky--the anesthesiologist yelled at me. I was starving after 24 hours of labor and just totally bummed about everything and he yelled at me for moving. The anesthesiologist with Alaina was better-however, he missed. I still remember how he got out of my cord and the weird and painful feeling it left in my side. *Shudder*

This guy was really cool though. First of all he said that Rob could come in the operating room with me to be my support. (This isn't usually allowed.) Secondly, he talked me through it all. Granted, he had to do 2 tries and left some nice bruises, but it was all worth having this guy. And finally this guy took our camera and actually took pictures of Talia being pulled out. (Some of these pictures I am not putting on the slide show since they show parts of me that I would prefer not everyone in the world saw.) Anyway--back to the story...

So off to the operating room we went. First time I had ever walked there on my own. It was really quite weird. I also was able to get a good look at everything that was there. From the other 2 c-sections I don't really remember those details. After I was all numbed up they laid me down. The Docs had put on some nice pop music for themselves (there was no music for Alaina's birth, but I do remember music playing for Ky's). They then began their work. When they began to pull Talia out, she was already crying. The anesthesiologist at this time (11:08 AM) grabbed our camera and snapped several pictures. There were tears from myself as well as Rob. This had been a stressful pregnancy with the ultrasounds, but to finally hear her proved everything was alright. She was BEAUTIFUL.

The nurses whisked her away and Rob followed several minutes later to take more pictures and get her footprints. She weighed in at 7 lbs and 1/2 ounce and was 19 inches long.
I was very alert (not too exhausted) through the whole process of the surgery. Rob came back with our little girl and we watched as she smacked her lips and looked around in bewilderment. Little Talia looked so much like Kylan it was uncanny.

From the operating room, I was taken to recovery where I was able to hold and nurse her. Rob then made the family phone calls. I was kept in the recovery room for several hours. At one point, I had some additional bleeding as it pooled down my legs (okay too much detail..) and my blood pressure dropped a bit, but it was quickly controlled with some additional medication and additional compression bandages. The doctor said that the amount of scar tissue they had cut through on one side was causing the additional bleeding. My pain meds and IV meds were pretty high so I was getting pretty loopy at this point and some of the remainder of the day is fuzzy, but I will fill in as much as I can...
Sidenote: Rob called Debi to let her know that we had a little girl. Debi told Rob "I was sure it was a boy. All your presents are for a boy and I am not taking them back." (This had Rob and I laughing for quite a while!)

Once we were taken to our room, we had some time to bond with our little girl. She received a bath and Rob changed her first diaper. We talked a little bit about the baby's name. My favorite name was Talia and Rob's was Karena. We both liked the middle names Rose and Annaleen. (Annaleen was a name I had come up with--it represented many women family members--Ann from my middle name and Rob's Great Grandma Anna, "leen" from Grandma Arlene and Rob's mom Kathleen as well as "een" from my mom, Maureen.) The only thing was Annaleen just didn't seem to flow as well as Rose did with the two names.

I had issues with the name Karena since I really did not want people shortening it to "Rena". (Makes me think of renal glands--ewww!) I was also foggy headed so I told Rob that we should sleep on it. AND...Rob had picked Alaina's name last time, and I think he made the right choice so I was thinking that perhaps Karena was the way to go and I just needed to sleep on it.

That afternoon, Rob's mom and Jan came with Ky and Alaina and they got to meet their new sister. You could tell that Alaina really did not understand. She was pretty antsy. I imagine seeing me connected to all the tubes and being told to be careful around me was probably a bit scary. Ky, however, quickly took to being a big brother. He was holding Talia and loving every minute of it. We could tell that Nana was disappointed that her granddaughter didn't have a name yet (and even more disappointed the next day when she was still unnamed--though we quickly rectified that...)

We had purchased two toys for the kids from their baby sister to them. Talia gave Ky the much MUCH desired Buzz Lightyear. (He had been asking for it for the last 2 months). And Alaina got "Jesse" from Toy Story. That really helped the mood (Alaina's anyway--Ky was already doing well.) Ky was quite the happy boy as you can see in the pics.

The next day went by quickly as they took me off the IV drugs and the IV. I was also able to get around. I was definitely feeling much better. We chatted briefly about the new baby's name, but had some visitors and so we did not quite finish by the time Nana had arrived with the kids. We had decided at that point that Rose would be her middle name. Rob had also told me he was fine with Talia. At this point he pretty much left the ball in my court as far as deciding the name.

I felt really bad when Nana & G'ma Jan arrived. You could see the disappointment on their faces when we told them we didn't have a name. I then told Rob that if he was sure he was okay with it, I would like to go with my name. Talia Rose Schnake was then named. Whooo...boy did that take a lot of stress off.

Here's a little background on the name Talia. I had first found the name Natalia and really liked it--thinking we would shorten it to Talia as a nickname. Rob however did not like Natalia, but did like Talia. The name Talia made it on our list. Talia is a Hebrew name and means "Heaven sent dew", "little lamb", or "blooming". I LOVE all 3 meanings--however when you put it with Rose you have a "Blooming Rose". How pretty is that?!

That night our little Talia did not eat well. She was rejecting me. I was a little frustrated, but did not think much of it. At midnight the nurses weighed her and she weighed 6 lb 5 oz. They were a little concerned about her large weight loss, lack of wet diapers (she only had 1 that day), and even more concerned that she was not eating well. The next day (the day of my discharge) she did the same thing. I had the lactation consultant in with me several times as well as several different nurses. We would get her to eat, but only briefly.

The pediatrician told me I could leave with Talia, however I needed to be seen by my lactation consultant the next day and/or our pediatrician. I was also told that I should consider supplementing with formula--and this was just not an option I was willing to consider at this time. I had Rob call to set up the appointment. At the last minute our LC said they would see us that night since they did not work the next day.
Let me tell you--seeing an LC is BRUTAL. If you see one with your first child--realize that what they do is NOT how normal nursing should go. They use some pretty drastic measures to make sure your child eats. When we left, Talia had eaten 1.1 oz and I was VERY sore. I told Rob on the drive home, that while I will use some of her measures in nursing, I will not use all unless Talia totally refuses to eat.

Perhaps Talia also did not care for the brutality of the LC, because she began eating again--and well. Throughout the weekend, I nursed her continually and even woke her up to nurse. (She is a very good sleeper--she sleeps 3-4 hours at a time, perhaps longer if I did not wake her up.)

On Friday we took her to the pediatrician and she had gotten her weight up to 6 1/2 lbs. On Monday, May 2nd (her due date), we took her in and she is now back to her birth weight! PHEW! What an AMAZING weight gain after all this. Now I figure I can step back and relax and let her sleep!

So final thoughts on Talia. She is SO SWEET! She doesn't cry much at all and seems so content. And she smiles--seriously she already smiles. She will look at you and you can see she recognizes you and smiles. Amazing! As far as adding her to the family, so far she seems to be an easy baby (knock on wood). Really it is just a matter of Ky & Alaina adjusting at this point, which I am sure they will.

My little Talia is quite amazing though, and I already cannot imagine my life without her. She melts my heart. (Did I mention she is an AWESOME snuggler?!) She has blessed so many people already in her short 7 days of life--and I am not just saying that--God has really used her to help the spirits of several friends of mine that have been really down. I know that God has a special plan for her. And I am SO PRIVILEGED to have been given her to raise.

So the pics...yeah...I am obsessed...expect many more...just like with all my kids!

The newest Schnake has arrived! Video and Pics

I don't have a ton of time right now to write all about her arrival...but I will soon.  For this blog, I figured I would just get some pics and video up.  I will get her story up soon!

Daddy took this video just minutes after Talia Rose was born. You may notice the camera work isn't the greatest--but I think it just shows how Daddy was caught up in the moment. How precious!



This video is about 10 minutes after birth when I got to meet her.



About 2 hours after birth. I am "recovering" and Daddy is bonding with our new daughter.



Two days old and a bumped nose...



Rocking the baby...



And finally, these are pictures that the photographer at the hospital took. Very cute!

http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=020f217e-dc79-4aa1-9ffc-7cb146eb7570

Baby Breaths...

Such an appropriate title in so many ways...

Last night, I was doing my routine "Sitting on the couch with Rob with my shirt pulled up so I could watch the baby move" when I noticed that the part of my stomach where the baby's back was--was moving up and down.  It was like he/she was breathing.  It really was quite eerie.  I showed Rob and then we started to work on trying to figure out what was going on.  I thought that maybe it was my heart rate--but no, my heart rate was different.  I tried moving the baby.  That would disrupt the movement, but a few minutes later it would start up again.  Rob was starting to think I should call the doctor or look it up online.  Three pregnancies and I had never seen anything like this...

So I looked it up online (I know you aren't supposed to self-diagnose--but I didn't think there was anything wrong or to concern a doctor with...)

Sure enough, there are other women out there, close to their due dates who have also noticed this weird rising and falling of their stomachs.  Talking to the doctor they discovered their baby practice breathing--something that you can rarely see outside of an ultrasound.  How neat that I got this "peek"!  My baby is getting ready and this is all just another step in the process that very few know about.  Each pregnancy with each of my children has been so precious and special--and God just continues to make each moment with this one just the same. 

So baby breaths?   Yeah--I have been frustrated that this one has not come yet.  I nested the last 2 weeks.  This week I gave up.  I have NO desire to nest.  I am tired of being up at night because I am uncomfortable or just can't sleep.  I am tired of these "episodes" that make me so sick that I can't function.  I am tired of running "last" errands and planning ahead wondering--will I be able to actually do that?  I am also tired of worrying about being so BORED in the hospital for the FOUR LONG days they will probably try to keep me.  But in the end, I just need to realize that these are just "baby breaths" preparing me for what is to come.  And once the baby comes--there is NO going back. 

So here I am at 4:30 in the morning--once again NOT sleeping--but at least appreciating these last few moments/days before my baby comes.  So for today, I will appreciate my time with him/her finishing up his/her time inside me and know that I won't get this time back.  These baby breaths are all just practice for what is to come.  And I can't wait for that glorious moment in such an appropriate season. 

Jesus gave us new life and soon I will meet the new life he has given us.  Happy Easter everyone!

Baby? Not yet....

Let's see...

I am currently 38 weeks and 2 days. I have a C-Section scheduled this Monday--April 25.

I have been getting asked about updates of where I am at--and yes I am behind on my blog. The last week and a half have been pretty rough. I keep going through these spells of cramps turned to nausea turned to contractions and then they teeter out. In fact--I am at the beginning of a new "episode" right now.

I have predicted from the beginning that this kid would come early (before my c-section time), but I give up. I really have no clue right now. It is funny that I have done so well all pregnancy--and now the last week and a half are just bizarre episodes that leave me wondering "is this it?"

In fact this past Saturday's episode was so convincing that Rob did all the dishes and laundry because he was convinced that the time had come. Hmmm...I guess there is a bright side to these "episodes."

As far as pregnancy updates, my last ultrasound was FABULOUS. The baby had gained weight and at 34 weeks they estimated the baby was 4 lbs 10 ounces and looked PERFECTLY healthy. The baby is also still pretty active and I can watch feet move around my stomach--however quarters are much more crammed. I don't think this baby will be as big as Alaina, but I estimate over 7 1/2 lbs.

Ironically--today--it is snowing. A low pressure system is moving in. This can cause women to go into labor (making their water break.) So we will have to see--but like I said, I have NO IDEA anymore. *I WISH I DID!* 

I have told Rob from the beginning, I REALLY don't want to be in the hospital over Easter--so if this baby comes early, PLEASE do so today or tomorrow, otherwise wait for the scheduled c-section. I really don't want to miss Easter with Ky & Alaina. Though, honestly if the baby does come--it would be the best Easter gift a girl could get.

I think that is really all I have.  I just wanted to do a quick update for those who are asking.  Please pray for a safe delivery of a healthy baby and a quick recovery AND of course I will update once he/she arrives.

A couple of videos....

This video is actually disappointing. I wish I had been quicker with the camera when she was really THROWING a tantrum about going potty...


We got Ky a new mattress for his bed...and I thought--why not move the old one downstairs and let the kids have some fun...

January 2011

With the beginning of a new month, we also began many new things.  Kylan began a karate class at the Y which he attended 2 times a week.  He did very well and really enjoyed the class.  However, we did not enjoy twice the commitment in such cold weather over dinnertime.  I also began a new schedule with NOT working at the Y and then using much of that time to help a good friend in need.  Rob began his LAST class for his MBA.  He is anxious to get it done and is ready to NOT be doing class work anymore.  And Alaina, well she began NOT going potty on the the potty anymore.  Yes--this was a VERY trying time.  We tried everything to get her back on track--we bribed with candy (I mean rewarded), toys, stickers, we ignored--unfortunately when she is ignoring too it doesn't make a difference, we washed her bottom off with cold water, we had her clean it up (and of course she can only do so much before she makes a mess worse!)  Of course all this was happening during the time we received the results of the initial ultrasound.  I was in really rough shape and not dealing well with the situation at all.  Poor Alaina--at least she is back on track now.

Alaina also received her first haircut.  I cut it myself.  I was so worried she was going to lose her baby curls.  And so far she hasn't.  I cut off about 3 inches.  She held really still (helps to have a video on).  I have to say it looks much better as one length!  Kylan also went ice skating for the first time.  He had a lot of fun with Dad and came back and informed me that he fell 26 times!  Ah...I wish I had been there to see...Alaina and I had a girl's day though and did some shopping.  She got a balloon from the mall and was so upset when she lost it.  Luckily I had just bought a treat and it helped to distract her from her loss.

Rob took MLK day off in January and we went for a walk in the Arboretum.  We thought it would be really fun.  Well it turned out to be pretty cold and very snowy.  The kids also got a bit tired of trekking in the snow.  I have to say the best part was watching Alaina fall and then use all her energy to awkwardly stand up with her many layers on.  Daddy helped her out though and carried her much of the remainder of the way.  After our walk we went to Red Robin and enjoyed a yummy meal--however Daddy missed much of it.  He took Alaina & Ky to the bathroom and then spent 20 minutes or so in there aiding Ky...Pottying with kids is always interesting--let me tell you.

When we left Red Robin, Ky's balloon blew away and that started a trail of tears.  I went in and got him another.  Wow!  It is amazing how the loss of a balloon can really turn your day upside down. 

So reminiscing on January and my big kids....

Ky is now a full-fledged reader.  He reads small chapter books, cereal boxes, signs--anything out there.  He is doing FABULOUS!  I am so proud of him.  We covered the 5 food groups in January for his "schooling".  That was a lot of fun and now he can identify what foods belong in what groups.  I was hoping to do a month of international studies in February--and I can tell you that that did not happen...perhaps later...He still LOVES Spanish though and we are really hoping to get him into our school's dual immersion program.  Last week I actually abandoned him at the story as he started babbling his Ky-Spanish to 2 Hispanic men.  It really is just plain embarrassing.

Alaina has become VERY independent and VERY girly.  She knows what she wants and asks for it.  She always wants to wear a princess (aka dress), and puts on heels and clops around the house.  She occasionally will carry a purse if we leave (yeah--seriously--you know she doesn't get this from me...).  She also likes to have input on how her hair is fixed and what barrettes are put in.  She also LOVES to dance--and will often ask for Daddy or I to dance with her.  She has also started making up her own songs.  Yes, I will get that on video soon.  It is VERY CUTE--especially when she is dancing too...With all this girlyness she can hang with the boys quite well--her climbing skills are awesome and she rarely cries.  You know that there is probably blood involved if she is crying. 

So enough about my cute kids---oh wait--that's the purpose of this blog!  HA!  Stay tuned for February...Yes I will try to be more timely...and don't expect much for pics, with my camera mishap we didn't get many pics taken, though I have made up for it in April.

To see and experience is to have your eyes opened to the reality...

I’m taking a mental & physical health day today. If you know me, you know I avoid politics. However, I feel like I can no longer be silent. I am so disheartened by how things have turned here in Wisconsin. Please take the time to read this note from a local Wisconsin “Welfare Queen” (quoting New Jersey Governor Chris Christie). AKA a former Milwuakee Public School Teacher and a current substitute teacher in Madison.


“A great many people, including Ghandi & the Bible, said that the greatness of a country can be measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us. By that measure the USA sucks. As long as we see nothing wrong or immoral about paying obscene salaries to people who can throw a ball or sing a song or act in a movie or run a corporation that produces nothing of real value or worth, while people who educate our children, care for the elderly and disabled, provide childcare for our small children, guard our cities and towns, fight fires are presented to us as the “enemy” and the source of all of what ails us, we descend into a deeper and deeper pit. If people in this country expended half as much energy protesting the fact that multi-millionaires got extended tax breaks, that the gap between the incredibly wealthy and the rest of us continues to widen as they do worrying that teachers and schools, for example, might get a few extra dollars, maybe we’d live in a better, fairer, more just world. I’m not holding my breath for that to happen.” (This by the way is a quote from my beloved Mother-In-Law.)

When I went into teaching years ago, it was because I wanted to make a difference in public education—specifically with children from low-income and poverty situations. I wanted to show them that THEY CAN DO BETTER FOR THEMSELVES. They are NOT stuck in the situation that they were born in. EDUCATION was their way out. And who should know this better than me—afterall, this was my background and where I came from. However, being white, and having middle class families that supported my family gave me an advantage to what many of these inner city kids face.

However, I was not mentally prepared for my first day at a public school in Milwaukee. Instead of taking the time to decorate my classroom, I spent my time duct taping together the students’ books. There was not enough money in the budget to afford to buy new books and these books had to last at LEAST another 2 years. This is really when the reality of the situation hit me. How do I let these kids know that they can do BETTER for themselves, when I can’t even hand them nice books? Is this really showing them the value of an education, or THEIR VALUE?

Day after day of teaching, I would come home weeping for my students. My husband became my confidant. I could tell him about the 14 year old that told me she was pregnant and scared. I could tell him about the student whose mom died and was not sure where he was going to live. I could tell him about the Hmong student that was being forced into an arranged marriage at 14. And I could tell him how guilty I felt for not having enough room for the 38 students in my class. Afterall—budget cuts=increased class size (and that is just one consequence).

The first couple of weeks at school I was lucky. I had 36 desks and only 36 students coming to class. (Of course I asked for more desks—but there was the issue that there were no more desks AND my classroom didn’t have room for anymore desks.) I had to *hope* --yes HOPE that 2 of my students would not come, because I did not have enough seats in my class for them all. I still remember the one day that one of my two “surplus” students actually came to class. It was a student that had been assumed to have dropped out. He showed up late, but he showed up. NOW, more than ever, I NEEDED to show all the compassion I had for this student and try to get him to come back again and stay off the streets.

I had no alternative but to sit this student at my desk in front of the class (facing the class). I didn’t know what else to do. How do you think this student felt? Do you think he wanted to come back being “on display” for the other students? As much as I tried to encourage him throughout that class and afterwards, I never saw him again. I LOST my chance, my opportunity--due to my inexperience, sure, but more importantly due to an overcrowded classroom and lack of taxpayer dollars. And this is a memory that still haunts me today. Where is that boy now? I imagine there is a good chance he is in jail—a place that your tax dollars also pay for. Luckily the jails aren’t getting significant budget cuts, so there should be plenty of money available to jail him. (Personally, I think I would have preferred to invest my tax dollars in his education...)

Currently, I am a substitute teacher in the Madison Public School District. I teach once a week and stay at home with my 2 little ones the other days. I am BLESSED to have this opportunity to afford to stay at home while many cannot and there is not a moment I don’t THANK God that he has provided our family with such a wonderful opportunity.

As a substitute, I have been to most schools in the Madison District. And while the Madison Schools are MUCH nicer than the public schools in Milwaukee, many are rundown buildings with dark lighting and dingy walls. In the past 2 months of teaching, I have been in one class where the window would not close (on a 10 degree day), a middle school where only one sink worked in the restroom, and many schools with broken toilets, stall doors, and sinks, not to mention classrooms with torn and stained carpet or tiles that are missing. (AND yes—in elementary schools the kids sit on this carpet—carpet I would NEVER allow in my home!) And yet we want these children to see how VALUABLE they are and their education is, when we as taxpayers and politicians CLEARLY don’t care about it ourselves.

Taking a step back—why do Madison schools get to be nicer than Milwaukee’s??? Oh that’s right—tax base. Because Madison has a higher taxpayer income the kids get nicer schools. And Milwaukee—well—why do those kids matter anyway. At least that is the visual impression I get as well as any student that attends. Why do you matter?

Teachers are told that we have it easy. Hey- we have 3 months off a year and Christmas & Spring Break. What a breeze of a job! I can tell you of all the private sector jobs I had, teaching was by far the most stressful and I have put MANY more hours into teaching than any other job. I would go into work at 6:30 and leave around 5 PM. Much of my before and after school time was spent working one on one with kids who were struggling as well as contacting parents. I would then come home at night and spend 1-2 more hours working on lesson plans and grading papers. The weekends were an additional 5 hours or so of work. But thank goodness I had my summers off! I mean—how else was I going to take the MANDATORY continuing education classes to keep my certification. Of course teachers have to pay for these courses. That is why you see many teachers working summer jobs at parks and local community centers.

So where do I stand on what has been going on? I am appalled that middle class has been turned against middle class. Our focus should not be on ourselves, but on the most vulnerable. The children in EVERY school district—especially the poorest! The unions have given in to the pay cuts—many of which will DRASTICALLY hurt them and their families. However, they are willing to sacrifice as am I. Our schools CANNOT take anymore budget cuts. Teachers already spend hundreds of their own dollars to supplement their school supplies (YES THEY PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR WHAT OUR TAX DOLLARS FALL SHORT OF!) and now we are looking at not only cutting teacher salaries but school budgets as well. Where does that leave our children?

I am willing to pay for the deficit—out of my own pocket, but not at the expense of public education and public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. These are the people that need this money more than ANY of us AND thus need to be PROTECTED more than any of us! One man in fact already did the math for us. If each adult pays $32 the deficit would be taken care of. I am willing to pay my share as well as the shares of others who cannot afford to do so (i.e. those who collect Medicare and Medicaid.) Please help protect the most vulnerable of our nation. This is not about who has the most money—it is about who NEEDS the money to survive and know that they ARE somebody.

My pastor often tells us that the truth of our heart lies in our pocket books. I think we ALL need to take the time to examine where our money goes. What does the money we spend say about our priorities? And who is really most important? I will NEVER look into the eyes of an impoverished child, or an elderly veteran and tell them, “You are NOT worth the expense.” It is time for us to unite and get our priorities straight. Let’s protect our children NOW and in the future. Please join my family in praying for a resolution that will protect ALL because EVERYONE is WORTH it!

For more info on paying off the deficit--$32/adult visit this site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfsIW6RY8Q