lucky number six

Jason and I celebrated our sixth anniversary last weekend. It was the first anniversary that we were 1) in the same time zone 2) on the same continent 3) not in a mandatory FRG meeting discussing his upcoming 12 month deployment. Definitely, hands down, the best way to celebrate your first anniversary let me tell you. Not. Not even close.
This year I found out Jason would be in town because of school. I booked our favorite babysitter from church at the beginning of January and checked around for some local restaurant suggestions. Reservations were made and we were actually going out to dinner at a fancy restaraunt. Alone. That never happens. It was wonderful. We are so not used to eating without getting up from the table to re-fill drinks, get extra napkins, etc that from the time we sat down to the time we got the check only 50 minutes had passed. My how times have changed.
Sometimes I can't believe that it has only been six years since I married Jason. It feels like soooo much longer than that. It still amazes me that we even met each other in the first place. I truly believe that fate brought us together that day and that my life is better because he is in it. The past six years haven't always been easy. We spent the first two years apart and have had a few 4 month trips thrown at us several times along the way. We've gotten used to it and we've gotten through it. We're stronger because of it. We've lived in two different states. Finally after four years, this one is starting to feel like home. I never thought I would say that. We have four, amazing children that bring so much laughter to our lives. I'm living the life I always dreamed of and I thank God every day that I'm able to spend it with Jason. I'm hoping the next sixty years are as happy as the last six. Corny but true.

still learning

After four children, one would think that I pretty much have the parent thing down. There aren't a lot of things the kids are going to do that are going to catch me by surprise anymore. I've been there, done that. I remember when I was pregnant with Bella, I read all the baby/toddler books on What to Expect. I was a nanny during college but I still wanted to be fully prepared for my own child. I followed all the "rules" and advice given in the books. These were experts, they had to know what they were talking about, right?
Enter child number four. He needs his own separate chapters. I assure you there was nothing in any book, anywhere to prepare me for his special brand of pickiness. The first rule I broke was sleeping. After fighting to put Drew to sleep for an hour and having him sleep for maybe 10 minutes and then fighting to get him back to sleep for another hour and having him sleep for maybe 10 mins. Well you get the point. I was exhausted. Jason was exhausted. We had three other children to take care of and a job to go to. He would sleep for 2-3 hours if he was on our chest but the minute you laid him on his back, he would startle himself and start screaming uncontrollably. We tried wedging him between the sleep positioner on his side. Finally I put him on his belly and he slept for 5 hours. Before I receive any emails alerting me to the dangers of this, I read all the research. I was terrified of putting him on his stomach but couldn't survive on an hour of combined sleep a night. I purchased the special breathing monitor and he's still sleeping on it and we are able to get some rest every night.
Rule #2..Drew is a thumb sucker. Gasp. I'm not a big fan of thumb sucking and would much prefer the pacifier. He sucked his thumb in utero and tried immediately to suck it as soon as he was born. I tried soooo hard to keep his hands covered or swaddled and hoped he would lose interest. He most certainly did not. I introduced the pacifier, he gagged and spit it out. He loves his thumb. He likes to eat a bottle and suck his thumb at the same time. His own special version of double fisted. Literally. Do I think it's fantastic and beneficial to his orthodontic hygiene? No, but he's 7 months old. There's not really a whole lot I can do to break the thumb sucking at 7 months old. I'll just have to deal with it later.
Rule #3..cereal and baby food. Drew cannot stand the stuff. Take note of the pictures below. He's not closing his eyes or blinking from the flash. He is shuddering, sputtering, gagging and shaking side to side. And it's fruit. He hates the food that much. He refused to eat cereal and wouldn't even take his thumb out of his mouth for it. If it touched his tongue he just gagged and spit it out. Total mess. Now we are moving on to baby food per the doctors request (more like orders) and he despises it all. Except for bananas. I had a little chat with him (like that's going to work) and told him he can't drink cereal out of a bottle until the end of time. He needs to eat some food. Doesn't he look like he's thoroughly enjoying himself?





**note** Drew's hemangioma is still fine. For some reason my camera flash turned it black in these photos.

hello...

I have been on a bit of hiatus with blogging lately. I apologize to my loyal readers, I'm sure you've missed the posts. We've been incredibly busy but of course since it's been so long since my last post I can't remember everything we done/accomplished. In the past I have done most of my blogging at nap time. It's really the only time I can sit quietly and process my thoughts without interruption. Starting January 1st, I have hit the treadmill hardcore and that unfortunately also now includes nap time so for now blogging has taken a backseat. Being a mom, I feel like I usually put the kids or the house first and I have really stuck to it this time. And let me tell you the last thing I want to do most days is get up at 445AM when everyone else is sleeping. I'm logging around 35 miles a week and hoping to be back in pre-baby shape by swimsuit season. It may be a lofty goal but it's a goal.

On to the house update..oh this freaking house. That I can not wait to sell. We received and accepted an offer on my birthday. I can't tell you how excited and relieved I was. I felt like we were finally over this ordeal. Our realtor was assured the buyer was pre-approved and waited for three days for the pre-qualification letter to arrive. Of course, once the bank ran the paperwork there was a problem with her credit and she would have to wait to reapply for the loan. Talk about taking the wind out of our sails.. We've shown the house four times this week and are PRAYING we get an actual, qualified buyer soon. I really can't take much more of this. I just want to move..now please.

Drew is now sitting up. He was diagnosed with RSV this week. It has been a rough few days. He woke up from a nap and was wheezing like he had just ran a 3 mile race. He had been battling a cold for almost two weeks and had a doctors appointment scheduled for the next day. He's using an inhaler four times a day and using albuterol. Nighttime seems to be the worst and usually Jason has to sleep sitting up holding him. Poor little man.