he's finally here...

Andrew Thomas arrived Tuesday at 8:45AM. He weighs 6lbs 13oz and is 19 inches long. He is the sweetest little guy and is the perfect completion to our family. Poppy brought Bella to the hospital last night to visit. She held Drew almost the entire time and didn't want to leave him. We're so happy he's finally here and can't wait for everyone to meet him!

my poor little man

We had our second bee sting of the summer yesterday. This time Will got stung by a wasp and had a pretty fast reaction to the sting. I was sitting on the patio and the kids were all playing on the swing set when Bella yelled that he had gotten stung. I started to walk down to them to see what was going on and at this point Will was still sitting on the picnic table and wasn't even crying. All of a sudden he started screaming and shaking his hand. I looked at it and saw a little blister and a small hole but no stinger. I brought him into the house to clean it off and make sure the stinger was actually out of his finger. By the time I got him in the house and sat him on the counter, his entire finger was swollen and getting bigger by the second. I gave him some Benadryl and started mixing up some baking soda to put on it while I called the pediatrician and Jason. By this time he couldn't even move his finger and the swelling had gone into his middle finger and thumb. He was screaming and would barely sit still for me to apply the baking soda and ice. Thankfully he was screaming so I knew his breathing was fine. The pediatrician's office called me back immediately and called again an hour later to check on him. The pediatrician recommended applying wet tobacco to the area so we will be buying some to keep in the house in case we ever need it. His hand was swollen most of yesterday but seems to have gone down almost completely this morning. It was pretty scary for me and I really hope this was a one time reaction.

Here is a picture I took about an hour after the sting. The swelling had started to go down by then.

1st stuffed animal for the baby

Today the kids and I headed to Build a Bear to make a stuffed animal for the new baby. Jason and I made a bear for Bella before she was born and the siblings have made a new bear before each of their sister/brothers were born. The girls have especially enjoyed doing this and like that they actually made the bear themselves for their new brother. Today we couldn't find an actual bear that we liked and decided on a dog. We put him in the crib and he is now waiting for the baby to arrive with the rest of us.

4th of July

The 4th of July was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. I loved spending time with family, watching the parades and staying up late to watch the fireworks. As part of a military family, the holiday now has special meaning to me. I am so proud of my husband...for his honor, his humility and the sacrifices he has made for his country. I am grateful for the men and women that served before him and those that serve beside him now. The 4th seems to be the one day Americans come together to remember and and honor this great country we live in. For one day we are not Republicans or Democrats, we are not worried about the latest health care policies or budget crisis. We are all Americans and we are thankful and proud to simply be that.



We were able to spend the weekend with our close friends the Baileys. They just arrived in town from three years in Hawaii. We were stationed together in Arkansas and actually neighbors for the last six months we were there. We have a lot of fun, special memories with them and are so happy to have them here with us for a few months. We went swimming, had an impromptu barbecue and headed out to watch the fireworks. We all took bets on which of the five children would cry first. My choice was Amelia and she started wailing as soon as the first fireworks were shot. She eventually quit screaming and clung to Jason for the rest of the show. Everyone else enjoyed the fireworks and Bella is already asking when we can see more.

Splash Blast

The girls have grown tired of the small swimming pool in our backyard. I think that going to the big pool every weekend has spoiled them and the little pool is boring now. I originally thought I would be able to take them to the pool by myself a few days a week like I did last year. After a few weekends I realized trying to keep track of three children constantly going in opposite directions is a next to impossible task. I usually run a pretty good zone defense on dry land but have yet to perfect it in the water. Will has no fear of the water and requires one person's undivided attention. I knew I would need something to keep them entertained at home, especially with the new baby coming, and have been on the lookout for some type of inflatable pool/slide. I finally found one that was small enough they could climb without assistance and didn't break the bank. They love it and had so much fun!