When in Rome........

Up for a 4 a.m. feeding, little bigger slept all night.....ALL NIGHT! He's eaten, had a bout of hiccups, now getting "The walk" around the couch with Pop's to see if he'll fall asleep. Thank you God for giving me such a helpful and fantabulous husband! Since up I decided to do some blogging. Baby A has been quite a challenge for Pop's and I. I missed the boys Christmas program performances cause A was having a crisis and missed family dinner with mama and papaw cause crises couldn't be averted. I can't clean, bathe, eat or use potty cause A won't allow it! My hairs greasy, nails need a mani/pedi, my house could make it on this season of HOARDERS and I will have to put the upcoming school semester on hold due to this little newbie, yet when I carry him (which has to be ALL.THE.TIME) all I can do is inhale him. Hold his little head close to my cheek and nuzzle him. Yeah I honestly tell people he's awful and one HARD baby cause its TRUE! But can't imagine anything else. Sure our household would love sleep but all 4 of us agree, he's the single most precious little man. We are utterly smitten by him, or bewitched whatever you get the picture. Baby A and I. He hates the Moby wrap so out of sheer desperation I used this scarf shawl thing and rigged a quick sling, saved my life....and my ears.

Quick minute!

I have stolen a quick minute while I can. Mr.Grumpy Gills (as nicknamed by his Aunt) is sleeping...for now.

He arrived all 6lbs 6oz of him and he's just beautiful. His big brothers are crazy about him as we all are. Little A is 6 weeks old this week and I promise you he already thinks he's the boss. We had so much help with him, Z, E and around our home since I was down recovering from my csection so blessed to have such wonderful and loving family, could never thank them enough. Now I'm driving, getting out and joining society, joining with a little newcomer who blows out my ear drums daily but fills my heart. I didn't realize how rusty I was at this "New Mom" thing. But slowly but surely I know she'll emerge and do all she can for Little A, for now she's trying to recover from her finals and sneak in some nap time along with him (which I should be doing now). I have a confession. I never wanted to be a mother, I couldn't imagine my life with little lives depending on me, I was selfish I only wanted to depend on myself...the End. But from the time Z was born I feel like life just couldn't get any better, than Little E came long now Little A,

How?

Why?

Why am I so lucky? Thinking back to 6 weeks ago as I sat with Little A in my arms and Z & E on either side of me and Pops behind me so the grandmas could snap a picture of our new family I couldn't help but feel like the luckiest woman alive. I remember looking over at Pop's feeling so full of love with these little guys we've been blessed with. I sat there feeling like, these boys are half me, half Nick and just feeling so amazed. I'm a very simple and modest woman but then and there I felt like a Queen. I carried these boys and poor Pops had to put up with me. I carried them, I birthed them and now I will raise them ( with Nick's help of course :). Yes, a Queen that's exactly what I am, but then isn't that what every mother is?

Baby A's first pair of shoes. I think they are just precious.

~ Liza

Big Day!

Well tomorrow we go from a family of four to a family of five. Yes tomorrow is little A's birthday and I am horribly nervous. It's been a long time since I've had surgery, a long time since I've been a new momma. But I know with God and a wonderful family helping me and by my side everything will be ok. Though I'm still nervous. So I tried to look at things that made me happy, read books to keep my mind off things and this picture made me smile the most. Boys were chilly at the super market a few weeks ago and decided to share Pop's sweater. I'm crazy about these boys and grateful God felt I was worthy of one more.

Signing off for a bit, pics of our newbie to be posted soon!

~ Liza

This really stinks......

Well my weekly doctor visit took quite a turn. High blood pressure led to a stress test then  a night in the hospital when my bp continued to rise. Whole time Baby A is doing fine, Thank God. I on the other hand don't feel fine and am now on bedrest til his royal highness makes his debut. So anyone who knows me knows This.Is.Torture.

Still have so much to do but have to well...suck it up. So I will do my homework, finish up some exams and wait.Ugh less than 24 hours of bedrest and I already can't take it!!!

My view for the next week or so, guess I shouldn't complain  I could be weeks if not months from delivery right??

Guardian

So I can't sleep much lately. Pain here and discomfort there needless to say Baby A couldn't get here soon enough! On a restless most uncomfortable night I decided to see if the firmer mattress on the guest bed could bring some relief and much needed sleep. I had just climbed into bed when I hear Nina, oh that rotten Nina, walk into the boys bedroom. This I must say is a no no for they own legos and she thinks legos are a delicacy. I roll out of bed to tell her to get out of there when I realize she walked in did a quick sniff check and walked backed out.

Is she doing rounds?

Is she checking to see that her boys are safe?

I brought this up to Pop's in the morning. He told me he caught her doing the same thing recently and she goes as far as to sit in their doorway for a few Zzzz's before getting up and going back to her own bed.

Nina you hyper active knuckle head your the best pooch ever!

And to think your no designer dog your a sweet soul we fell in love with at the pound.

Nina giving me a quick glance.

At her post, keeping watch taking care of Momma and Little A while we are home.



Yeah best little shelter discovery ever.

~ Liza



Normal Morning Breakfast at Home.

 You mean this isn't how you eat breakfast every morning???

Hmmmmm Odd.

~ Liza

A little Urban Goodness.

Yesterday while feeding the girls, Toshia and Katy Perry I discovered that Toshia had been laying secretly in the boys over grown butterfly garden. All this time I figured she'd stopped laying for some reason or another but nope there were her eggs all hidden behind a rose bush! So while I was at it I decided to prep their little house with new bedding, a new nesting box and pray they stay out of the garden.

Just a couple of goodies to make their egg laying experience so much nicer! That black thing not a bowl but my belly. Kinda hard to take a pic from above with out Baby A not getting in on the photo.

Girls a bit bothered that I was emptying out their bedding, but they were happy to have it all new and fluffed up! Well Toshia was she's our only layer. Katy is a rescue that has been through alot so she gives us eggs once in a blue moon. Oh well can't win them all.

So tomorrow what to make with these yummy eggs? I think with this lovely fall weather some banana bread is in order.

~ Liza

Howdy along with a few tears

Well our year long awaited tradition finally arrived....STATE FAIR OF TEXAS!!!

If I have said it once I've said it a million times my boys have yet to miss a year of the Fair since birth!! Both were 3 months of age when they took their first peek at the Fair and we've kept the tradition going. Silly dog tricks, food, piglets, food, fancy vacuums mommy can't afford, food oh and did I mention food? Yes we love it all! BUT this year it came with a price. I'm VERY pregnant and Baby A chose a perfect day to torture me something awful. Braxton Hicks, lots of pelvic pain, and fingers that looked more like sausages. I lasted only about 4 hours and was huffing it. Thank goodness for sunglasses because I shed a few tears as Pop's made the "Executive decision" that mom couldn't do much more walking. I wanted to be a trooper, Little E had his heart set on watching pig races since last year that he missed them. But having the sweetest boys on earth they said they understood....that's when the water works really came in. Pop's bought us a funnel cake to share and stopped and bought his sweet and very understanding boys an icee to wash it down with. They really are the sweetest kids.

Z & E with  BIG TEX

Next year Little E we'll see those piggies race that I can assure you.

Window Murals, decorations and preparing!

It's that time of year...Halloween!! Boys and I wanted to start decorating since September but Pop's told us we'd be "That" house. So we held on as long as we could. Now decorations are down from the attic and it was time to pick a window theme. This year the boys chose Hotel Transylvania. We've yet to see the movie but we're hoping to soon. To be honest I really want to watch it too but think my guys will have to go without me. Don't know if my body will allow me to sit so long in a theater, this baby hasn't been too kind. My sciatic nerve gets pinched regularly, my upper back is killing me and now I'm having pregnancy carpal tunnel. UGH! COME ON OCTOBER 29th!!!

That date is right around the corner so reality has hit Pops and I like a freight train. We have been scrambling to prepare for this little meatloaf. His clothes washed and "mostly" put up, changing table almost completely organized and crib is ready for his little ol' self. I on the other hand was getting nervous about a week ago or so about my c-section. I told Nick I was a bit scared. I don't want an epidural, my backs weird (slight medical deformity as I was told) and they poke and prod me for 45 minutes until I can't take the pain anymore. Then there's recovery, getting up to walk for the first time was a blankity blank. But Doc told me a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-Section) would be to risky for me...sigh. Pops told me I'd be OK and that as tough as this pregnancy has been I'd probably RUN through the hospital doors and beg to be sliced open. Of course a punch in his arm later and a yeah right! He was right. Carpal Tunnel was the icing on the cake and I want my back pin cushioned so I can feel nothing, hold my child, try walking with a gash across my abdomen and sit in bed and have someone cater to me for a bit, yes like a mini painful vacation. Odd but I'll take it!

Outline to our Halloween Mural. Check out the year before lasts mural http://www.monkeylemur.blogspot.com/2010/10/yesterday.html

We didn't do one last year I think I was in the fetal position somewhere crying over how hard my Bio teacher was.

~  Liza



Here we go again........

I started this blog so my family in South Texas could see the boys grow up. I started when they were pretty young and did pretty well for a while. Then Little E started Kindergarten leaving me home alone...heart broken. I still marched on then right before the boys started 1st and 2nd grade I decided I had to return to school myself. So blogging took a back seat to my studies. Well my mom now has super easy Internet access and I figured it would be nice for her to see her boys up in North Texas growing because before you know it they will be young men....sigh don't really want to think about it.  Well boys are excelling and schools going strong for me, hard but going. Quite honestly I'm just one course away from enrolling into nursing school so I'm pretty excited, I've come so far. Last Spring semester while studying for a major Anatomy exam the day started out like any other, send boys off to school, lazy around with Pops a bit before he has to head out to work then assume my position on the recliner to study. While in the middle of brain diagrams I smelled a food odor from the waste basket next to me and got an overwhelming sensation of nausea. I froze, my mind raced, I tried not to panic, NOTHING nauseates me....NOTHING! Except one thing and I ran to make sure I was wrong. Well I wasn't, so in a zombified state made a call to Nick. "I'm pregnant" was all I could muster and his reaction saved me. He was calm, cool and collected, that there helped me from freaking out. Now 6 1/2 weeks away from my due date I blog, anxiously awaiting our new little addition. God has blessed us with another little boy and we just can't wait to meet him. So now I'll be back to blogging firsts, picnics in the park, teaching him how to pick leaves, make mud pies, decorate cookies and how wonderful it is to watch him follow and imitate his big brothers. 

Little A's first Real photo. 

(little thumb sucker!)

Big Brothers E and Z

A hubby, three boys, a pooch and top it off with a little late night courses. Yeah I'm in for one wild ride!

Thus far in our month of love & chocolates.......

We have had our class Valentines Parties!

Conquered a Fever!

Took King Cake to the boys classes for Fat Tuesday!

And one coat for one special pooch! Yes, E said Nina "needed" a shirt of some sort. Thank you Target for your super clearance section!!

Not pictured are pictures of the begining of our Spring Garden, a tear stained face me stressed from studying (yes the do exist!), our first yard sale where the boys set up a stand with candies, chips and cokes, transformation of our guest room and fresh eggs from our urban coop. With this said I have to get my head out of the books once in a while and take more pics, these boys are growing way too fast! I need something to look back on when my mind can no longer remember.

Think I will begin this weekend, well sounds like a plan to me!

Black History Month, Z chose Dr. Martin Luther King...Great Choice!

For Ms. Coopers Class!

How can something so rotten be so wonderful?

A few years ago on my way home from grocery shopping my hands had a mind of their own. They spun my steering wheel a sharp left and I ended up at the local animal shelter. I found myself walking in, unaware of what I was doing there, then there she was, sad, pitiful, beautiful. I was given permission to walk her so I took the leash and we sat, we chatted..... okay I chatted she sat soaking in the sun loving her belly rubs.Then and there I should of known, known the impact this little extra mouth to feed would cause. Two little boys were soon to live and breath her, love her, make her the missing puzzle piece they`ve wanted for so long. I pick Nick and the boys up to come see her, sure enough boys are instantly in love. I love that her breeds are said to be great running partners no more running nights alone for me....yes! We hug her, sign her papers, name of Butch is rejected, name of Faranina is given by two wiggly boys. We drive home. Almost two years later here I am typing away with the beast sitting at my feet....all 65 lbs of her noisily gnawing on her bone. She's the worst running partner, has issues with some her glands which is disgusting! We swear she has doggie ADD and  I wanted to hug her last night she got all happy jumped up and scratched my face, has really poor manners but they, they love her and she would die for them. I give her a hard time but I am crazy about this beast, beast who plays tag with my children, lays and cuddles with "her" boys, and eats up all and any affection directed her way. Nina your the biggest pain in my rump but I love you,we all do.