Update on Elsi's fever

Thankfully, Elsi's fever didn't last long. It was gone before I got home from work at 3 the next day -- not even 24 hours. I'm glad it didn't last long. Nobody likes having a sick kid; it's sad for them and sad for you!

Elsi's first fever

Elsi has a fever tonight, somewhere around 102.5, but since I don't like to do the rectal thermometer, I don't know the exact temperature. I gave her Tylenol; hopefully, it helps. She seemed mostly okay today, but tonight, she was a little more whiny than usual -- not upset, just puny.

I'm slowly learning to trust my "mom-sense". Usually, when I think they might have a temp., they do. I like that I can use that hunch to make an educated guess when it comes to the welfare of my children!

Sleeping help!

Sleeping is not going well in our family these days! Elsi has stopped sleeping through the night. Greg and I have been having allergy troubles and both snoring and waking each other up. Those sleep problems I can cope with, though.

What I can't handle anymore is this: Luke and Ben take FOREVER at night to go to sleep -- I'm so tired of it! It's 10:30 and they're still awake back there, inventing reasons to yell for me to come back there to answer a question, scratch an itchy spot, pick up a dropped stuffed animal, etc. I used to let them read books while they were going to sleep. We haven't let them do that in a couple weeks and it hasn't made one bit of difference. They've also been taking really short afternoon naps, around an hour today -- shouldn't they be exhausted by now?

Sunday

Well, today was our first day back at Sunday school, with the start of the new Sunday school term. I think we might be one Sunday late, but it didn't sound like it in the ladies' class I went to. Luke's starting the four-year-old class, and Ben is finally in an actual class, not just a nursery. I want to check out the other ladies' class too, though. Today I went to the group that is studying Colossians. Next Sunday I think I'll check out the "Women equipping women" class and see what that's all about.

Seems weird to write about this stuff for other people to read it. Do people really want these details of my life? They're just so ordinary.

Conversation with my boys

I just had this conversation with my boys.

 

Me: I'm going to go get clothes for you guys while you eat your cake. Should I leave you here and go to the store and buy some?

Luke: You will get arrested, Mommy.

Me: Why would I get arrested?

Luke: If you do naughty things and leave your kids at home by themselves, the police will come arrest you.

Benny: Don't do it, Mommy! Don't do it!

Blah days

Us grownups around here are feeling a little blah these days. It's been yucky cloudy, rainy weather for the last three days. We're both tired -- three early mornings for Greg this week (he normally gets to sleep until I go to work at 10, because he doesn't get home until after midnight and can't go to sleep right away); and struggling with allergy related symptoms: sore throat, headaches, snoring, etc. Not that these things are rare -- I'm sure all of you have some experience with them!

Milestones

Elsi just rolled over, all by herself, back to tummy. This is the first roll that I knew for sure wasn't a fluke, because she was laying on her back on the floor -- she got no help from the surface she was on or because I propped her up on her elbows. She did it!

Enjoying my children

I believe that for Luke's first years of life, I mostly survived my kids instead of enjoying them. FINALLY I realized, I needed to stop trying to get other things done and just be in the moment with them, because those moments would be gone before I knew it! I am so thankful to the Holy Spirit for speaking that insight into my heart. It also helps that Elsi is sleeping through the night, so I can get a decent amount of sleep and not be so irritable and exhausted all the time. Now, I have my Bible Study friends praying that I will be disciplined about going to bed at a decent time. Should I start tonight . . . nah. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.

Elsi at Luke's 4th birthday party

Elsi is getting so talkative! She is definitely showing some female
qualities. It's really fun to hear her. Right now she mostly squeals.

Luke's party

We did manage to have Luke's birthday party yesterday. He doesn't realize that his actual birthday hasn't happened yet =). He got a new bike, which was the one thing he asked for. It looks so big, but he can ride it. We took him to the playground tonight to ride around the track and he had a great time. I just wish I had my camera! I feel like I'm missing out on so much.

Frustration

I FINALLY remembered to take a bag of carrots back to Bi-Lo this evening that were slimy when I first got them home. It was rather frustrating though, because the receipt I pulled out was over a month old, so they wouldn't take it back. First of all, it is awfully hard for me to get to Bi-Lo with three little kids in tow, so I can't just run over there to return stuff that's bad -- it's hard enough for me to go grocery shopping in the first place! Secondly, I could've sworn I bought them just a couple weeks ago. I don't know for sure that that was the right receipt, but it probably was. The cashier came at me like I was a liar trying to pull something over on her. I hate it that she though that, but I guess I understand. It's just frustrating trying to get things like that taken care of when you have the rest of life to worry about too, and I don't like throwing three dollars in the trash can! I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was a bag of carrots that my kids can't eat now. God's money, right? Is that the answer I'm looking for here?

I love being able to vent on my blog, to no one in particular!

Elsi's newest tricks

Elsi has really been coming alive and active these past couple weeks. She's started to be very interested in toys, staring at them, touching them, holding them, putting them in her mouth. Another first occurred last night. I tried to feed her in the women's class I was sitting in. She couldn't eat for being distracted. While it was frustrating, I'm glad she's learning new things!

AWANA

We went to AWANA tonight for the first time since I was a little girl. I remember loving it, so I wanted my kids to get to have the experience too. Plus, it will help them memorize Bible verses and the books of the Bible among other things. They had a great time. Lukey even got a special balloon because he was one of the best behaved kids. Granted, it was his first time, and he was among people he doesn't know. He's bound to behave worse in the future. Luke was in Cubbies and Ben was in Puggles, and they're really looking forward to next week now!

a different night

We went up the mountain to help a friend of mine from work start a blog. She lost her husband in October and the Lord has shown up for her in miraculous ways. Friends keep asking her to put her journal in a blog. She was telling me about the different feelings she was having about it that she believes were attacks from Satan to try to discourage her from sharing with others. Guess what happened tonight? Her internet was down! We'll just try again next week.

I believe the Lord brought us together because I almost missed meeting her.She came to work at my office last year on the same day that I left on maternity leave, so I only met her briefly and a few times later as I've gone back to visit. We were fast friends because we found out that we go to churches in the same denomination (a pretty small one) and she has a daughter at Covenant. And I don't even work at that office anymore, but she e-mailed me to ask me to help.

Katie was wonderful to us tonight. She bought us pizza at Mr. T's, gave my kids juicy juice to drink and me coke, and helped me take them to the playground when her internet proved not to be working. It was a great evening. Can't wait to try again next week!

Doggie Blues

So, I let Kaiser run away and drove around for an hour looking for him to no avail. I let them out to go to the bathroom, went to put Elsi down and came back and he was gone =(. I thank the Lord for Becky living downstairs to let me drive around with my kids still sleeping here at home. Greg had just given him a bath and haircut too and he's been in the house and being SOOO good, not chewing on stuff like he usually does. Pray that he comes back or we get a phone call from somebody that finds him and gets our number off his collar.

Sunday Dre:ss

My kids were all dressed up for church today for one reason only: Luke was determined to wear his shoes with "high heels." He likes his black dress shoes because they have heels that click when he steps. So, I told him if he was going to wear the shoes he had to wear nice clothes and he was fine with that. Benny then wanted to dress like his older brother, so they were wearing preppy little sweater vests over collared shirts with nice khakhis. They looked so handsome. If only my camera wasn't broken . . .

Growing girl

I took Elsi to the pediatrician today for her four month well visit. She got shots, of course =(. She weighed eleven-and-a-half pounds and was twenty-four-and-three-quarter inches long. That is 10th and 50th-75th percentiles respectively. It's crazy that she's so tall compared to her weight and compared to her brothers at that age!

Elsi is 4 months old

Elsi turned four months on Thursday. Can't believe it. She's so sweet and precious! Didnt' sleep through the night last night, however!

Baby Faces

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Luke's foot update

Luke, Elsi, and I visited the pediatric orthopedist yesterday. Good news! Luke has a buckle fracture of his first metatarsal, which is supposedly a very "stable" break. He doesn't have to wear a cast; he just has to wear a shoe (his own), and go back to the orthopedist in four weeks for a new x-ray to make sure it's healed up. It hurts if he walks barefoot, but he is allowed to go swimming, which is a major relief.