Settling Into Summer

We've officially settled into summer here at the Carr house. Liam and Ben have both finished with school for the year, Kevin is getting a chance to catch up on some long-neglected personal projects, and I'm enjoying spending time with all of my boys. Nicholas is now 5 weeks old and we're enjoying every minute of having a baby in the house again.

Nicholas is all set for Memorial Day.

Liam and Ben decided to wear their Hawaiian shirts this day, and I happened to have one for Nicholas too. It was a little big for him, but he didn't seem to mind.

Liam turned 7 on Friday and we celebrated by going to Chuck E. Cheese. I realized that it's kind of become a tradition to go there on, or almost on, his birthday to celebrate both his and Ben's birthday since we have a combined family birthday party somewhere between both birthdays. Ben will turn 5 on Tuesday and since their birthdays are only 4 days apart, it's just easier to schedule one party for them to share.

Liam and Ben caught up with Chuck E. Cheese after he finished the rounds at a birthday party.

I am also feeling pretty pleased with how things are going with Nicholas. He is truly a wonderful baby. He hasn't quite reached the point where he is responsive or expressive, but he is such a sweetie. We've finally gotten him to the point where he spends more time awake during the day instead of at night, which is where we were the first 2-3 weeks of his life. He is a total snuggle bug and everybody loves to spend time just holding him. This is especially true of Liam, who just about pouts if he goes for more than a few hours without having time to hold his baby brother. I am additionally privileged because for the last five nights, Nicholas has slept through the night. The first four nights was between 6-9 hours, but last night he slept for 13 hours!! Go little man!! I can't tell you how surprised I was to get up and discover that he was still sleeping.

Liam enjoys snuggling with his little brother.

So, now that I'm not totally exhausted anymore, I can begin to appreciate the joys of summer. With our newly purchased minivan, we have some mini-trips as well as our "big trip" planned, heading to the Bunny Park (a neighborhood park with some waterworks) with friends, signing up for the summer reading program at the library, spending some time at the pool, and Friday Family Movie Nights. Let the fun begin!!

Ben (in the blue trunks in front) splashes in the spray at the Bunny Park.

Nicholas snoozes in his stroller at the Bunny Park.

Liam runs through the fountains. It was a perfect day to just play in the water. It was 90+ degrees out and it was so refreshing. Unfortunately the sunscreen didn't hold up as well as the boys did and we all ended up with sunburned shoulders.

Welcome Nicholas Ronon Carr

A lot has happened since my last post. We welcomed Nicholas Ronon Carr with much joy and celebration on May 7, 2008 at 8:30 am. Our new little guy weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds and was 21 inches in length.

At about 2 1/2 weeks before he was due, my doctor performed an ultrasound (just keeping an eye on things because of my history of pre-gestational diabetes with the last two pregnancies) to make sure there was enough fluid for the baby and got a little surprise. Even though I had been measuring only 3 days or so ahead of my due date all along, the doctor discovered that my little guy's head was too big to be measured by the ultrasound wand! He estimated that he was between 10 and 11 pounds at that point. So, in order to have the safest delivery possible, we scheduled a cesarean section for the following Wednesday. I was supposed to continue working until Thursday, but those plans had to be re-arranged fast.

Luckily, I had had a c-section with Liam, so it was really no big deal to have another one. I wasn't the least bit nervous about that. I just wanted to make sure that both the baby and I were as safe and healthy as possible. So, we made the calls to family and friends and everything was set to go. My mom would come down on Tuesday night and spend the next few days with Liam and Ben so that Kevin and I could concentrate on bringing our third son into our family. What a blessing to know that we could focus all of our energies on the baby and not have to worry about our big boys at home.

So, Wednesday morning we arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am and I was wheeled into surgery at 8:15. By 8:30 am, Nicholas Ronon Carr was testing out his lungs and what a beautiful sound it was! I'd forgotten what a weird sensation it is to have your entire lower body numb and not be able to feel anything. Luckily the anesthetic didn't keep me from holding my beautiful boy for too long.

When Liam got home from school, Nana brought him and Ben to the hospital to meet their new baby brother. They were so excited to meet Nicholas and hold him and love all over him. Liam was especially anxious to hold Nicholas at every opportunity.

But now we are home and trying to figure out our sleeping and feeding schedules while trying to maintain some normalcy for Liam and Ben. Like Mommy, Ben has finished school for this year and Liam is the only one on a "regular" schedule. Nicholas isn't awake much yet. He pretty much eats, then falls asleep, then wakes up, then eats again, then sleeps again. But needing attention every few hours is tiring, as all new parents know. I guess the thing that makes it different this time around is Liam's regular school schedule and, for once, Kevin has an almost regular working schedule. Ah well, we'll figure it out. In the meantime we'll enjoy every minute we have of this new adventure in parenting!

Bowling, Blizzard, Baby and Webkinz World

The only problem with having an entire week off from work is that I tend to stay up late and sleep in while I'm off. I just finished Spring Break and went back to work today. But after a week of sleeping in every day, I'm finding it hard to get to sleep, even though I'm quite tired. So, I hop on the computer and do some surfing. As I'm looking at some of my favorite links, including my friends' blogs, I realize that it's been a while since I've posted on my own. I'm averaging once every couple of months. So, being the last day of March, drifting into the first day of April as I write, I figured I'd post a little recap of our month here at the Carr house.

BOWLING

For some unknown reason, the boys got it in their heads that they wanted to go bowling. I think it was the talk of a friend's dad about how he was going to spend a Saturday with his three kids while the moms were scrapbooking that got it all started. Bowling was mentioned as a possible activity, Liam latched onto it and it snowballed from there. So, one Sunday afternoon at the beginning of March, we found a bowling alley not too far from home that had family specials and headed out for a couple of hours of family fun.

Liam had a blast, and was actually not too bad (with a little help from the bumpers.) Ben did pretty good at first (with a little help from Daddy) but tired after the first game. Mommy hit her stride in the second game and was rolling some strikes. Daddy also made a few strikes, but he'll admit to having a little help from the bumpers on these. Liam even managed a strike or two during this outing. It's a little expensive to be a weekly event, but it's some good fun for a cold Sunday afternoon.

Liam is really concentrating on his technique....

...and gets a STRIKE for his efforts. Way to go Liam!!

Ben's pretty excited about the outcome of his roll too.

BLIZZARD

About a week after our bowling outing, the "Blizzard of 2008" hit. We got dumped on big time. We were pretty well snowed in and didn't go anywhere for a couple of days. It's a good thing we've been doing a lot of cooking at home because we were well-stocked for the duration. The boys bundled up and went out to play a few times too. School was canceled, much to the delight of Mommy and the boys.

The front door was pretty well inaccessible thanks to the drifting snow and the sheer volume of snow that got dumped on us.

Ben and Liam all bundled up for some backyard play.

Even Sadie got in on the action. Poor thing didn't know what to think when she stepped off the back step into a snow drift. She recovered quickly and went bounding across the back yard like a jack rabbit!

BABY

As I write this, I'm a mere 6 weeks from my due date. It's strange to be in the home stretch. When you already have kids at home, your time is occupied by so many other things that you just don't realize how quickly time passes. I remember being pregnant with Liam and all the anticipation that made me constantly aware of my impending "change in life." It's like the baby was all that occupied my thoughts. But with two kids, full-time work and so many other things that go along with both of those, time has just flown by in this pregnancy. So, with a month and a half to go, I find that I still haven't got the baby's bedroom set up, I haven't gone through any clothes for him, the house is a mess, and I still have to work for 5 more weeks (which is a first for me.) With Liam and Ben both, school was out before they were due. But with this one, I'm due before the end of the school year, so it's a race to see if I can get everything done before he arrives. I have so much to do before I can go on maternity leave. However, I can't worry about it too much.

As Kevin said this morning, I have to concentrate on my "have-to's" not on my "want-to's." Yes, I want to have the nursery set up, but the baby will sleep in a bassinet for the first few weeks so I don't have to have the nursery set up. I want to have the house cleaned and the carpets professionally cleaned before his arrival, but I don't have to have those things done. I want to have my classroom packed up and ready for the summer when I go on maternity leave, but I can come back in the first few weeks of the summer after he's born and do it, so I don't have to have it done. I just have this idea of the way I want things to be and I won't be satisfied unless those things happen. I know I don't have to have his room painted and get new bedding and "decor" for him, but that's something that I want really badly and is important to me.

Here I am in my eighth month. Only six more weeks to go!

The boys already love their baby brother and can't wait to meet him. They give him hugs and kisses every day!

WEBKINZ WORLD

I just have to say a few words about the boys' new obsession--Webkinz. If you've never heard of them, I'll give you a brief overview. They are stuffed animals with a secret "code" on the tag. The child goes online, signs up an account in Webkinz world and adopts their pet. Then, a whole world of activity is opened to them. They take care of their pet, feed it, give it love, and play with it all in this virtual universe. They play games, earn "money", and buy things for their pets and their rooms. They can have multiple pets that interact with each other as well as being able to interact with other children and their pets. I had heard about them from my students a few months ago, but Liam started hearing about them at school just before Valentine's Day. So, while visiting their Nana in Mansfield, she bought each boy a Webkinz...and so it began.

Now, it's like an obsession. They each got a new pet from the Easter Bunny and another one from Nana and Papa in their Easter baskets. Liam wants to be on the computer all the time playing in Webkinz World. He has lots of "friends" from school, the neighborhood, the gym, his brother and now his cousins (because Nana got a Webkinz for all 5 grandchildren--much to the frustration of my sisters-in-law.) For the most part, it's been a good thing. It keeps him occupied, some of the games are actually educational, it gets him motivated to get ready for school quickly in the morning because he gets to play on the computer once he is dressed and ready to go. He's even learning some economic lessons. Recently, he would get "real" money and it would burn a hole in his pocket; he was just dying to spend it. For a while, the Webkinz situation made it worse. Then we had a discussion about the difference between "Kinz Cash" and "real" money and he has a much better understanding of the value of a dollar.

Liam with: Mac, Liam (sometimes known as Sparkles), and Sandy

Ben with: Broof, Sport (sometimes known as Spot), and Lion

But the funniest part is that Daddy and I are addicted to Webkinz World too! When the boys go to bed, or are otherwise occupied, it's not uncommon to find us in Webkinz World playing games! We have our favorites...especially those that can rack up a lot of Kinz Cash for the boys. It's some mindless, end-of-the-day, unwind-before-bed fun. We take turns logging in as each of the boys and earning them Kinz Cash. Just as in the real world, they can spend it faster than we can make it, but at least they aren't spending our "real" hard-earned money!

It's A Boy -- Again!

As you read a few months ago, we are expecting Baby #3 in May. I convinced Kevin to find out the gender with this one (which we didn't with the first two because we both liked the surprise of finding out in the delivery room.) After having two boys already, I was anxious for the possibility of having a girl. All the pink and ruffles and lace and frills are so cute. But, I didn't have any of that stuff. So, if this was a girl, I wanted to know so that I could get some of that in time for her arrival.

Well, the day of the ultrasound came and I was excited. I would know if I was finally getting my daughter or if I was going to be blessed with another boy. The doctor waved his magic (ultrasound) wand and showed us the head and the face and the stomach.

If you look carefully, the baby is on its side with its forehead on the left side of the picture. The eyes are on either side of the white mass (the nose) in the middle of the oval that is the head. At the bottom of the picture is an arm with the abdomen at the very right edge of the ultrasound.

Then the doctor waves his magic wand and shows us the baby's bottom and legs.

And right in the middle of the opening between the legs is proof that I am carrying yet another son. It might be hard for you ultrasound novices to see, but after two separate angles, there is no doubt in the doctor's, or Daddy's, mind that these are the first photos of our baby BOY.

So, as we are in the car in the pouring rain leaving the doctor's office, Kevin's asking if I'm fine. Knowing I'm disappointed, he does everything he can to make jokes and lighten the mood. Sure, I'm disappointed, but I'm really okay with it. I think I knew it was a boy all along, but I was still hoping. I don't know if it's so much being the only female in the house or knowing that I only have one more chance at a girl (because we are planning on a total of four children) or knowing that we have no boy names that we like. We have lots of girl names to choose from, but no boy names. So, on the way to pick up Liam at the bus stop, I make him take me to Half Price Books to pick up a baby name book. We've got to start somewhere.

I think the best reaction of all (at least the funniest) came from veteran Big Brother Liam. I had bought a bib that was blue and said "I'm the Little Brother" (I had also bought a "little sister" one just in case it went the other way) to give to Liam and Ben to share the news. Liam takes the bib out of the gift bag, sees the blue, reads the writing and says, "Another brother? Darn it!" with a definite tone of disappointment. I think having a little brother was old news; he'd already done that once. He wanted a little sister. He's okay about it now, but I just had to laugh. We picked Ben up at Kevin's parents, who were babysitting while we were at the doctor, and he caught onto the significance of the blue right away and was totally excited. Both of them can't wait to meet their little brother. We just know that they won't be naming him. Liam's first suggestion? Mew--a character from Pokemon. I don't think so.

Later that night, Kevin came home from seeing a movie and going to the gym and he brought me flowers and a mushy card to make me feel better. It did. He knew just the right thing to do and say. What a guy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2008! Yes, I realize we are 2 months into the new year, but as I said in my previous post, I'm way behind and trying to catch up.

Every year for the last 5 years or so, we have hosted New Year's Eve at our house. It's not a big bash or anything. Just a small gathering of family with no pressures for those without spouses, no need to find a fancy dress or pressure to get as "toasted" as you can before the big toast. I make a bunch of appetizers, we play some games with the adults, have games in a separate room for the kids, and ring in the new year. Here are some pics from this year's get-together.

Ben, Ander and Liam have a toast with their Sparkling Apple Juice.

RP, Kelly and Liam wish each other Happy New Year!


In the living room are Sean, Becky, Carrie, Dan and Libby playing a fun game that Becky introduced to us called "LOSER."

Over in the dining room Kevin, Kelly, Nikki and Josh play euchre. Nikki and Josh are new additions to our celebration this year. It's nice to have another couple who is willing to join in on the fun.

As usual, Kevin's dad is asleep with a book on his lap way before midnight.

It was a bit disappointing this year that my Mom and Dad couldn't make it down. Dad has to work on New Year's Eve and then open the store on New Year's Day. Although Columbus is only an hour away from Mansfield, it's become difficult for them to make the trip twice in one night, especially when the return trip is in the early morning hours. Maybe one of these years his bosses will come to their senses and not be open on New Year's Day.

Holiday Traditions

Okay, I realize that the date of this post and the title are kind of opposites. As I was downloading pictures tonight, it hit me that I hadn't posted anything in months. So, as I'm looking at pictures from the last couple of months, I decided to make a couple of quick little entries. The first one is about Holiday Traditions. Well, actually Christmas traditions to be exact.

For the last couple of years, we've been getting our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving. But this year Kevin didn't want to leave the house on the crazy shopping frenzy day that is the day after Thanksgiving. So, seeing as how we get our fresh tree from his Uncle's Christmas Tree Farm, and Thanksgiving dinner was at their house this year, we decided to head to their house early to cut down our tree. We like the variety known as Canaan firs. The branches are really compact and the needles are pretty soft, even as we're un-decorating and taking it down.

Here are some pics of the tree as it's being cut down and after it's decorated.

We also have some family Christmas pictures.

This one of the 4 of us in front of our tree is taken using my tripod.

This one of Santa (Daddy in costume) with Liam, Ben, and Sadie is at PetSmart where Kevin volunteers for a shift to help out the rescue organization that Kelly works with, through which we adopted Sadie.




The next few pictures are just some shots of our various Christmas traditions:

Liam, Ben, and Daddy decorating Christmas cookies that Daddy baked and made the icing for (from scratch I might add.)

Christmas Eve is spent in Mansfield with the English side of the family. First, the Christmas Eve pageant at church, then opening presents at Nana and Papa's with all the kids.

All the grandkids look so sweet, don't they? These are the last few moments of calm before they all tear into the many packages waiting for them. In the back are Libby, Brianna, and Liam and in the front are Ander and Ben.

Then, we drive home to Columbus where we put out Reindeer Food, Milk & Cookies for Santa (don't forget carrots for the reindeer!), put the Santa Key on the door, and off to bed!

Christmas morning brings presents from Santa and Mommy & Daddy.

Then Grammy, Papa, Kelly, RP, Great Grammy, and Bev join us for more presents and breakfast.

After a little time spent relaxing, playing with toys, and preparing our contribution to Christmas dinner, we head to Kelly's house for more presents with Jesse, June, Tracy, Ike, Nikki and Josh and Christmas dinner. By the end of the day, we are exhausted.

A Very Busy Fall - Leading to an Even Busier Spring

As is typical in Ohio, we once again went pretty much straight from Summer into Winter. We had a week or so of fall-like weather, marked mostly by the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. As I began to write this, we were on our first day of spitting snow turning into rain. I was nearing the end of the ever-joyful Parent-Teacher Conference week. I work much longer hours during this week, not only in preparation for conference, but actually holding them; and in the week following Thanksgiving, in which I have to get Progress Reports written. In the past, we've gotten the Friday following conferences as a comp day for all the extra hours we spend at school in the evenings actually holding our conferences. However, this year we voted to work on Friday and get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off. Now that I have finally gotten to finishing this entry, I can tell you that it was nice to have that 5-day weekend to get me through Progress Report week.

So, speaking of Thanksgiving, this year we have one more thing to be Thankful for. We are expecting Baby #3, with a due date of May 16th. (That's right Mark and Leah, we're due shortly after you!!!) We had planned to start trying at the beginning of the fall and, sure enough, in spite of my advancing years (ha ha!) we got pregnant right away. Of course the grandparents were totally thrilled (they found out on Halloween.) But, the most excited were the big brothers.

Ben was with us at the initial ultrasound and was fascinated to see his little brother or sister kicking around on the monitor. Our wonderful doctor printed out an ultrasound picture for each boy to have of his very own. Liam was still at school during the appointment, so I got a card that said, "Congratulations on your new baby!" and gave it to him when he got home. He opened the card, read it, his eyes got wide and he exclaimed, "We're going to have a new baby?!" He then proceeded to clutch the card and ultrasound picture to his chest and yell, "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Think he was excited?

Ben and Liam show off the first picture of their new baby brother or sister.

Liam has been through this whole "new baby" thing before when we were pregnant with Ben, but since he was less than two at the time, he doesn't really remember much about it. Ben is being an absolute doll. I'll come home from work and he'll say, "How is your baby Mommy?" and pat me on the belly. And he's very careful not to do anything that might hurt the baby. When he gives me hugs, he barely puts his arms around me for fear of crushing the baby. It's quite cute.

Not much is different about being pregnant with #3 than with #1 and #2, except that I'm not chasing after a toddler this time and I'm about 30 pounds lighter to begin with on this one. What I'd forgotten is how quickly you start to show once you've already been pregnant. Wow, do those stomach muscles and skin remember what to do. I started showing by 10 weeks or so. We were going to try to wait for Thanksgiving to tell the family (just to make sure we were out of the woods and everything) but Kevin looked at me one day before Halloween and said, "You're not going to be able to wait till Thanksgiving." I totally looked pregnant. So, by Thanksgiving everyone had been told and I could openly release my breath and let my belly all hang out.