Places to Go

2 posts today!
I have been without a computer for several weeks now. I feel like I used it constantly when I did have it but I didn't even really miss it when it was gone. I had the occasional recipe I wanted that was of course saved on my computer. Or the time I needed to pay bills and of course all the info was saved on my computer. Without a computer I got lots of sewing done. Three quilts in 2 months! Pictures later when the last one is received by it's recipient. But mostly, I kept our house clean. I throughly cleaned once we were cleared by the health department. I loved our house so much that I knew I wanted to keep up on the cleaning. I just felt so much happier. I'm sure going jogging and stair running at 6am with some friends also helps with the attitude change.
I got a replacement cable (yeah!) Now I can go back to neglecting my house and not finishing my last quilt. He he he - just kidding.
I'm posting two posts at once. My sister got back to me (a month later - love you Shawna! She's crazy busy and doesn't have time to sit around doing nothing, unlike like me). I decided since I had so many pictures I wanted to post from that one party I would separate them. That's that and now this is this :-)
I usually download my pictures right after I take them, posting them every week. I just plugged the camera in and I had 86 pictures. Not to mention the few here and there I already downloaded. We haven't even really done anything in the past few weeks. That's all pictures of just our everyday life. I am so grateful I am able to capture such moments. I always want to remember every moment I get as a mother.
So, without further ado ... this is what we have been up to:
We're all feeling better. Still coughing a bit but so much better. And most importantly, contagious free!
Alexander trying on a Snow White apron that was made for his sister. You can be mad at me in 12 years for taking this picture, I give you permission :-)

 Trying new recipes ... stuffed peppers in the slow-cooker. They needed a different sausage and more flavor but were pretty good!

Family night treat we made the drink I was going to make for Alexander's Star Wars party ...
Yoda Soda!

 This pretty much sums up Kaleb's thoughts on the drink:

Mostly, we've been taking lots of pictures of a very happy little girl that has us wrapped around her finger:
I love her naturally crazy hair!

I took her to the E.R. one Sunday evening. She wouldn't eat and was severely dehydrated. They tried for an hour and couldn't get a vein. They discussed maybe shaving her head to find a vein - I about cried - No!! Not the hair! Fine, if it saves her life! Well, they couldn't find a vein their either. She was too tiny and too dehydrated. Instead, they had me sit there for 3 hours until I could get her to eat an ounce. She wouldn't nurse, detested the Pedyalite, finally a nurse got her to drink a bottle. That's a funny story I have to tell; doctor tried to get her to eat, another nurse tried to get her to eat. She screamed and fought. Finally doctor says "this is ridiculous, go get nurse Kathy" (or whatever her name was) Then explains; "she's our baby whisperer. She can instantly calm down any baby or make them eat". Sure enough; Kathy came in and not much later Breahna ate her required ounce. Uh, can I keep you on speed dial?
We had to supplement a bottle off and on. She lost a pound and a half but she stayed out of the hospital. She needed to eat an average of 1 ounce an hour. It was a fight but we did it! Now we're under orders to feed her on demand until she gains more weight (she went from the 60th percentile to the 14th!)
Through all this, she is still very happy. And growing so fast. Faster than I think babies should grow. She must be trying to keep up with her brothers:

 She looks mischievous: (also, she loves her doll! A little girls first instinct is to love a doll)

Amid all the playing and smiling the kids helped me make cookies for a neighbor dinner we hosted. We had two new families in our two 4-plexes (that makes sense, right?) move in within days of each other. We wanted everyone to get to know each other.
Best helpers ever ...

 Breahna was the entertainment:

mmmm - peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal, M&M cookies. Perfect for indecisive people like me. I usually do 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, these were regular size. The massive cookies are the reason why I call them Power Cookies - they are a meal in themselves!

 laughing

Uses her feet to push off the flour and her arms to help pull - scooting forward on her belly to get where she wants to go if rolling doesn't get her there

 I tell you, this girl is growing way quicker than she should be:
(she's already had her 1st dentist appointment! No, she doesn't have teeth. I thought she was getting one in a weird place. Turned out to be a benign cyst called a Bohn's nodule, no treatment necessary)
Sitting up isn't allowed at 3 months old!

 Not sure what I did wrong but I feel like she's telling me off about something:

 toes are awesome!

Such a happy girl. She only cries when she's hungry and whines when she's tired.
She loves to laugh and especially loves attention
Please ignore the ugly close-up of the side of my face and me slobbering her on the belly. It's hard to videotape and tickle a baby at the same time :-)

and ... the boys started preschool - again
I love the preschool on campus. It is a fabulous program. This year, the boys are in the same class

I'm so sad how fast all these kids are growing - stop it!