'Ewizabiff' funnies...

"MoooooOOOmmy, Ewizabiff wants my sword."  ~ Christopher

 

Oh, does she?

 

"MooooOOOOmmy, Ewizabiff dropped my sword."  ~ Christopher

 

Sweetie, she didn't drop it on purpose.

She can't even hold it yet.

 

"MoooooooooOOOOmmy, Ewizabiff hit me." ~ Christopher

 

Christopher!

She did not hit you!

She's just flailing her arms around while she cries!

Scoot away from her!
 

 

No, I'm not making this stuff up!
 

 

Sweet Brother

  

The conversations around here have been HILARIOUS lately!

I wish I could remember them all to share!

 

Wearing his monkey baffrobe!

 

Christopher is so, so, so funny figuring out what babies can and can't do.

He seriously wants her to play with him.

He loves to rub his head on Elizabeth's head.

He says she likes it and he thinks it makes her stop crying.  :)

 

 

Puzzle champ!

 

 

Michael gives her loveys and stuffed animals when she is crying.

He tries so hard to get her to stop crying... such a sweetie!

 

Do the animals look like they're helping?

 

 

He also makes up songs about everything in our life right now.

"Mommy, did you hear my song?"

His songs usually have hints of Disney songs

or Christian songs in them - with a 'sweet Lizzy' or family twist.

 

Michael is singing here...

 

I love to watch Michael step up and be such a big helper.

He leads our bedtime prayer sometimes, too.

I'm impressed with how many people and things he remembers to pray for!

 

Sweet brother!  :)

 

"You talkin' to me?"

It's her "Aunt Allie says I'm super cute!" shirt

Just chillin' with "whisper" the deer.

 

 

In other news, we are working on getting our house show-ready again.

 

This picture is such an oxymoron to me...

Show-ready house + baby

should not exist in the same sentence!

 

Elizabeth approves of the clean living room.

 

Elizabeth gets this one piece of baby equipment...that's IT!

 

Sleeping baby = the only time to clean!

 

 

 

and a couple more 'Ewizabiff' funnies.....

 

 

When Elizabeth cries, Christopher usually says,

"MooooooOOOmmy, Ewizabiff wants to eat your chest."

We might need to explain a few more things here.  :)

 

and although he expected her to talk right away, he finally figured out,

"Ewizabiff isn't talking because she's a baaaaaby." ~ Christopher

At least he finally got THAT right!!

 

<>< Stacy

{ Things I Learned This Week }

{ Things I learned this week }

 

On Mommyhood with 2 little boys and a new baby...

 

Even if you wake up feeling GREAT... exhaustion will hit later!
(Sleeping in short spurts is simply not enough to sustain a person!)

 

 With lots of planning, you definitely can get out of the house with 3 kiddos!

(Allow LOTS of extra time and plan for EVERYTHING!)

  

The baby might be happy ALL day... until it's time to make dinner.

( Always check the timer on the stove before sitting down to feed baby.)

 

Everyone needs Mommy at the same time.

 

 

Runny noses happen when your hands are already full.

 

2 children screaming simultaneously can be funny... or debilitating!

Cherish a hot shower (and take them when you can...).

No amount of violin playing strengthens your arms enough for taking care of baby. 

 

Productivity around the house can only occur in 20 minute spurts.
(The laundry may not get done no matter how good your intentions are.)

When all 3 kids are napping, the inner dilemma begins --
Enjoy some "me" time or get some stuff done around the house?

  

Accept any and all help others offer you.

Some things you just have to let go for a few weeks....

 

 All the children go haywire after sundown.

 

 

Fresh air is good for everyone!

 

  Watching siblings interact lovingly is priceless.

 

 

 

We had a lot of cute awake time with Elizabeth yesterday!

The boys are SO cute with her!

She had her first tummy time and we attempted to go on a walk.

(we didn't get very far because Christopher

wasn't in the stroller and his bikes are still too big!)

 

We also had an awesome skype date with Daddy!

 

Look closely at the boys in the upper left hand corner...

and yes, you saw that right...

all 3 boys playing harmonica! 

 

 

Serenading Elizabeth

 

 

Today, Elizabeth is a little stuffy like the boys...

so we are off to buy saline when the boys wake up from naps.

Poor little baby, she's been napping all day!

 

Daddy comes home tomorrow!

<>< Stacy

I hope you will join us in collecting "Can Tabs for Christopher"!

 

Can Tabs for Christopher!

On the first Thursday in February 2 years ago,

Christopher had emergency surgery that saved his life.

(To fix intussusception - a life threatening intestinal blockage)

 

He was only 8 months old!

 

 

After surgery, he spent

21 days in the hospital {7 on a ventilator},

28 days home {still super sick},

and 12 more days in the hospital after a 2nd surgery.

 

 

 

I can remember every detail like it was yesterday...

and if I do, it still hurts ~ deeply.

 

MANY people

prayed for us,

encouraged us,

visited us,

brought us meals,

and helped us in others ways

as we endured some of the hardest days of our lives.

 

 

Our family, our marriage, and our jobs

were strained by the many days we lived in the hospital.

 

After we finally got home, life was crazy

as we helped Christopher heal

and rebuilt our life to a sense of 'normalcy'.

 

I never got to individually thank everyone who supported us,

but I remember and greatly appreciate each and every person

who made a difference in our lives during those difficult days.

 

Thank you doesn't even seem like enough.

 

Valentine's Day 2011

Moved out of the PICU!

 

 

I am so grateful God restored Christopher's health!

 

 

So - as if this week isn't crazy enough

with Casey gone out of town...

it's a little emotional, too.

 

 

--------------------------------------------

 

But onto the good stuff....

 

Last year, in celebration of Christopher's life

1 year after he fought for it,

we had a huge toy drive for Happy Wheels.

 

 

 

This year, we're doing something a little different...

and we would LOVE your help!

 

 

 

 

 

We will be collecting "Can Tabs for Christopher"

to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Can Tabs help raise thousands of dollars each year!

you can read about it here

 

Although we did not stay at a Ronald McDonald House,

we benefitted greatly from their "Family Room"

and frequently got food and drink from there.

you can read about it here

 

 

 

If you drink anything that comes from a can,

please consider collecting the can tabs for our donation!

 

If you don't live near us,

consider contacting a local church or school.

You may have a collection site nearby!

 

 

 

 

Thanks to my mom, my sister, and me,

the boys already have a pretty good start!

 

 





We would love to get a lot of people involved!

What a great, inexpensive, and easy way to make a difference...

and to teach children how they can make a difference, too!

 

 

Please contact me if you would like to join us

in collecting "Can Tabs for Christopher"!

 

We will be collecting Can Tabs through February and March!

 

 

<>< Stacy

2 weeks!

Last night was a VERY good night! 

Elizabeth slept 4.5 hours and then 3 more hours!

 

Yesterday....

 

Elizabeth had her 2 week checkup. 

The doctor was SO impressed

she had gained 24 ounces

since her appointment 2 weeks ago!

 

She is now a chunky 9 lbs 10 ounces.

(she was 8 pounds at birth and lost down to 7 lbs 9 oz)

 

Aside from some spitting up and a minor rash,

Elizabeth is in tip top shape.

 

We also discovered that Christopher's

cold is turning into an ear infection.

Luckily we caught it early since

we were already in office with Elizabeth!

In the waiting room

Being a SUPER good girl!

At Publix for Christopher's meds.

Where will the groceries go?  GEESH!

Guess I'll be "baby-wearing" when we grocery shop!

 

 

The boys were very good at the doctor's office,

and I was pleased at how well our "first outings" went.

 

We have been well taken care of by my sister

and Sunday School friends this week!

 

So hopefully I can find time to work in the house today...

I especially need to tackle this laundry:

 

Not 1, but 3 of these things overflowing in the house!

 

Lots of other messes too...

still not even 100% unpacked

from our trip to Spartanburg!  Ack!

 

I am SO used to a show-ready house

that its current condition is just killing me!

 

A good night of rest should be helpful today :)

 

<>< Stacy



Day 1 - A good day!

I was quite lucky to have my husband home
for the first 17 days after Elizabeth was born!

 

Now we are back to our usual lifestyle...

 

So today was day 1 of week 1

of living all by myself!

 

Today was a pretty good day!

(I can say that now that my killer headache has passed...

you know, the kind where every step you take hurts your head

and children crying makes your whole brain throb).

 

 

We started the day with this mess...

 

 courtesy of Christopher

 

 

After a lovely lunch date at my sister's house,
the boys napped while I set up this:

 

a gift from some violin students

 

Which somehow resulted in this:

 



wall art courtesy of Christopher

 

 Followed by a yummy dinner

(thanks to a church friend!)

 

and this:

a "Captain America Castle"

Uncle Steven - your shield is much

sought after and fought after around here!

 

 

and, of course, a little bit of this:

 

 Sweet Elizabeth!

 

Ultimately, I also experienced 2 out of 3 kids crying at once,

(the same time as my headache, actually)

Christopher backtalking like a teenager,

several tearful and willful timeouts,

a thousand runny noses,

and too much exhaustion to clean up from dinner

(or to clean, well, ANYTHING)

 

But those things are not as important as these things:

 

the boys insist on being near Lizzy!  ack!

 

 

So today was a good day :)

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------

 

I will slowly be trying to blog again,

and maybe even get some

good pics and stories up

from the last 2 weeks.

 

But I'm typing one handed

and admiring my sweet baby in the other...

which tends to slow me down!

 

Tomorrow we have a 2 week doctor appointment...

wish us luck getting there on time!

 

 

<>< Stacy