Fall Update

Jude is 4 months old and such a little cutie.  I had to put this picture up so everyone could see those soft, fat, chubby cheeks of his.  He is laughing, cooing, and even tries to "sing" along with Maddox.  He is turning over from his back to his tummy and then gets very angry because his neck is not very strong so his face stays squished into the blanket.  We all watch him and laugh and then turn him over on his back again so that he can repeat the process. He has also discovered his feet and spends a good bit of time yelling at them because he can't get them to go in his mouth. He is a good baby and has such a sweet, content disposition. 

Maddox is known around our house as "Curious Maddox."  One, because he loves Curious George and two, because we believe Maddox IS Curious George but just in a human form.  He still keeps us laughing with his funny faces and his silly ways.  He is very loving and friendly and is determined to do whatever the big boys are doing. The other day we were outside and I made Preston run 2 laps around the house because he was being mean to Maddox.  Maddox looked at me, furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Mommy I mean."  He then took off running around the house with Preston.

Preston  is doing well in first grade. I love his big sparkling eyes, innocence, and unbridled enthusiasm.  He is starting to enjoy going places that have crowds as opposed to the previous 5 years of his life when he would scream anyplace that had more than 10 people together at one time. He now enjoys the football games & even went to his first DCI Band Competition at the Georgia Dome. The Air Show we went to in Warner Robins in May was an exception, though.  I just have to include the picture. (at right)

Some new Prestonisms:

• "Mommy, what keeps scratching you? What keeps making you itch?" -Preston (asked while I was making he & Bryce take turns scratching my back)
• "Daddy I have a big poopie from the good waffle at the waffle house!" (loudly in the bathroom at Lowes)
• "When is Jude's hair going to grow? Does it grow when he cries?"
• " My friend Luis from Mexico went to 'Help A Child Smile' at school but I don't know why cause he's ALWAYS smiling!"
• "Dear Lord, thank you for Pluto being a planet. Even though they said it wasn't a planet in 2006, I know that it still is." (Preston's nightly prayer for a few weeks)
• "I pulled Jude's fingers out of his mouth so he wouldn't get the H1N1 virus"
• "I know how you can get Maddox's eyedrops in his eyes without him crying.  You can put him in a deep sleep like God did to Adam when he tok his rib."
• "Maddox said he came from England but I told him that he came from Heaven up with God- his real Father."

Bryce is in third grade this year. He is in the chorus at school and is the student conductor for one song at their concert in December.  He began taking piano lessons in September and his piano teacher calls him "Speedy" because she says he picks up on things so quickly. In September he played the drums for a fund-raising concert for the Henry Medical Center Foundation in McDonough, Georgia. He is still such a little adult.  Here are a few of his latest comments:

• "Mommy if you are still on a diet then why are you eating mashed potatoes?" (who needs an acountability partner when you have him?)
• "There are always interesting facts on the gas pump."
• "Mommy, why do you need your black purse?  Are you trying to look hot or something?"
• "Mommy, why did you and Daddy kiss behind the car? Don't you know we're in public?"

A few new quotes that have inspired me lately:
"It's not about the water. It's abut trusting the One who calls us out on the water! "-Dan Garrett

"A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for." - John A Shedd

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys." ~Harmon Killebrew

Love to all!!

Amy

I'm Learning As I Go....

Things I've Learned as a Mother of Boys:
* 2 year olds are pretty strong and can break those plastic cabinet locks.
* If a 2 year old drinks Clorox Greenworks the only really harmful ingredient in it is ethanol which causes them to act enebriated. Give them lots of water & put a new lock on the cabinet.
* If an 8 year old gets bitten by a field mouse that is still alive b/c it's caught in the mousetrap by its' foot -wash the wound, give them an antibiotic because mice have bacteria in their mouths but they will not need a rabies shot because rabies is rare in small rodents. (But if you are bittten by a ground hog, woodchuck or beaver you could be in danger.)
* Your nice table & pretty things will get scratched, beat up and broken- just say "I loved you while you lasted!"
* When amoxicillin gets thrown-up onto your carpet, blot it and go ahead and call the professionals in- regular carpet stuff just isn't strong enough.
* Water will be splashed all the floor outside the tub so just go ahead and put a towel down over the mat. Don't fight it.
* Always have a plan.
* Always have a plan B, C, & D.
* Always have in your home: Mr. Clean Magic Marker, Shout, Carpet Spray, and Clorox Clean-up.
* Running laps around the house or down the driveway is excellent punishment and benefits all involved. Boys get exercise & their extra energy released & the Mom gets the pleasure of having them outside the house for a few minutes.
* Those balls with the suctions cups on all sides of them are more expensive than they seem- they will break out a window pane- don't let them come into your home.
* Dirt is your friend. Embrace it. Love it because it will always be on your kids & in your home.
* Keep an icepack in the freezer at all times.
* If you accidentally wash a disposable diaper in the washing machine with all the other clothes it explodes into tiny pieces and makes a huge mess.
* Never leave your purse where your 2 year old can reach it. He will get out your lipstick and draw all over his face. This could possibly happen at the same time that your 8 year old is crying because his finger is bleeding from a mouse bite.
* Don't even try to take a "relaxing" bath while they are still awake. They WILL find you.
Things I say as a Mother of Boys:
"Get your hands out of your pants"
"Put down your weapons and come eat!"
"Shhhhhhhh!"
"Don't touch the mousetrap in the garage!"
"I TOLD you not to touch that mousetrap!!"
"Get down from there or you are going to fall down the stairs"
"I TOLD you to get down from there!"

Hey Jude!

 Jude Clinton was born Wednesday, June 24 at 6:45 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. His due date was July 6 but I was very excited that he came early. It was the first time I have ever gone into labor on my own without having to be induced. It was very exciting being able to run around throwing things in the suitcase like I've always seen on TV shows!

We got to the hospital at 8:10 am and thought that he would make his appearance before lunch. We waited and waited. I got an epidural at 11:30 am and then we watched a NCIS marathon on TV while we waited some more. After about 10 hours of what Dr. Palmer called "piddly little contractions, " he finally made his appearance at 6:45 pm. My hand hurt from texting so much because I was supposed to be at church with my teens and had to keep sending updates to everyone about what was going on. We had a great experience at the hospital and was so thankful to have my Mama and Margaret keep the other boys while we were there. I think Mama and Maggie were more excited to see us come home from the hospital than anyone!!

Jude has been a great baby and is so soft and cuddly. I am enjoying those precious little newborn sounds, the sweet smell of his skin, the soft peach fuzz head, and being able to rock and hold him. I have found that I didn't mind so much rocking him in those dark hours of the night. I even cherished them this time. I guess I have learned that all to quickly he will be running around not wanting to be held and rocked. There is just something about holding a little baby that makes the whole world seem ok.

Summer 2009

I have been scolded because I have not updated my blog since March so I will try and do better.  Here is a little snippet of our summer.  I will give all the info about Jude next and then catch everyone up on the other boys later.  So you all will just have to take what you can get right now!!

                                         Little Cabin at the Beach:

We decided to go to Savannah in June since it wasn't too far away and we knew that we would not be going anywhere on vacation this summer. The hotels were expensive on the beach so we decided to rent a cabin for two night nights at a campground on Tybee Island. I booked it online and it sounded great- a cabin that sleeps 5-6, a pool, and a laid-back campground atmosphere. . When we pulled up to the "cabin" we all looked at each other with our mouths open wide and just started laughing. Our "cabin" was a tiny little shed that we could techincally hitch to the Expedition and pull it away with us. It was probably equivilant to a very tiny RV. The dining room was the picnic table you see out on the porch. In the picture below we are all sitting in the "living room" together. It was quite an adventure in this tiny cabin with the three boys, Maggie, Clint, and a very pregnant me!

March 2009 Update

We’re having boy #4!!!
"Sometime in the first trimester, a boy fetus begins producing male sex hormones that bathe his brain in testosterone, for the rest of his gestation. 'That exposure wires the brain differently,' says Arthur Arnold, professor of physiological science at UCLA. How? Scientists aren't exactly sure."
-Newsweek, January 30, 2005

Here are answers to the many questions we’ve been asked:

YES

• We are excited about and fine with another little ball of endless energy.
• Clint is still working on getting the bonus room finished.
• I was a little disappointed that I could not pass on my Barbie Dream House or my doll house made by my Uncle Jim (that had real shingles) and I loved playing with growing up. So it’s up to my siblings to have a little girl now!
• Four is a good number for us- we’re WAY outnumbered now!

NO

• We weren’t trying for a girl.
• We aren’t going to keep trying for a girl.
• We aren’t trying to have a football, soccer, volleyball, or baseball team
• We don’t have a name picked out yet. And when we do, we aren’t telling!

Bryce
Bryce auditioned to be in “Milledgeville’s Got Talent” back in January. He and his band (Jamie Tanner on electric guitar and Bradly Pfohl on bass) will be competing against 9 other people/groups on Friday, March 27 at 7pm in Russell Auditorium. It should be a really good show- there will be singers, dancers, rappers, a classical pianist- it’ll be fun and a great experience for Bryce.

He will be playing baseball this Spring and has already begun practicing everyday in our backyard after school. He finishes his homework, changes clothes, then tries to talk Preston into hitting and catching with him. Preston goes out for about 2 minutes then comes back in saying there are too many bees outside to practice ball. If I hear terrified screaming like there is someone stabbing his flesh, then I know that a bee is somewhere near Preston. I used to run outside with fear and horror when I heard this shrieking thinking a bone was broken or blood was gushing from some extremity but now I just know that Preston has spotted a bee.

Bryce reminds me a lot of myself when I was little. Mostly in the way that he treats Preston- he loves him but yells at him a good bit. The other day they went on an “adventure” (Bryce’s idea) to the creek beside our house all dressed in their Bible Man/Superman/Power Ranger/ Batman costumes. I heard Preston’s screams so I walked out onto the back porch to see Preston running in his too-tight Power Ranger costume with “boots” which was actually black mud all the way up to his knees. And boy did that mud stink- he just happened to get stuck in the mud where the cows like to drink so it was mud mixed with cow poop! Bryce said, “I jumped over the creek but Preston got stuck in the mud and then he just cried like a little baby and wouldn’t get out!” And did Bryce help him? Nope. Such compassion- sounded just like me years ago yelling at my brother because he couldn’t “tie his stupid shoes” or “climb a stupid fence.” I made him follow me and do things with me but got mad at him when he couldn’t do all the things I demanded. I have already apologized to him a few times so I will say again, “Sorry Ralphie!”

Preston
Preston continues to do well in school. His newest interest is Tee-Ball. He announced to us that he would like to play this year. Clint and I looked at each other knowing that it would be quite a challenge for all of us. See, Preston’s coordination is not one of his best features. Preston falls at our house at least 5 times a day for no apparent reason. He’ll be sitting at the bar and just fall off the stool onto the floor. Or he’ll just be walking through the house and boom, he’s on the floor. He also doesn’t have any kind of ambition or perseverance when it comes to exerting any kind of energy. One example is the new bike he got for Christmas. It has training wheels but you’d think it didn’t the way he falls off of it and the way he cries when he is trying to go up the slightest incline. We went to the River Walk to let them ride and I just wanted to throw that bike in the river at the end of our outing. I had to push Maddox in his stroller as well as push Preston on his bike for much of the way. The sounds that day consisted of “Mommy, (cry cry) Mommy!” and “PRESTON, pedal, use your muscles God gave you!!”

Clint and Preston went and bought all his equipment so that he could start practicing for Tee-Ball. On Saturday, Preston wanted to practice hitting off his new tee. We got out all his equipment except for his batting helmet. Preston said, “I need my helmet.” And I said, “No you don’t” but little did I know that he did need his helmet and so did the rest of us! At the end of our family practice session, Preston had not only hit himself in the head with his bat but poor little Maddox got whacked in the head with Preston’s bat as well! By the way, Preston doesn’t run after the balls- he skips, frolics, & hops as he is chasing it into the outfield.
So if you want a good laugh, you should definitely come out and see some of Preston’s games. You may want to wear a helmet!

The newest Prestonisms:

• “Daddy why do they keep cutting down all of God’s trees at the High School? We’re not going to be able to breathe!!!”
• “Dear Lord, thank you for the birds and the bees and the trees and please send the bees away to somewhere else so they won’t sting me."
• “Hey Mommy, remember one time when you ate a pig’s rib for lunch?”
• Hey, your baby smells like he has egg poopy.”
• I asked Preston to put up the puzzle that he had left unfinished on the table and he said, “But Mommy, I was waiting for God to finish it.”
• Bryce asked Preston why he wouldn't hug him when he saw him in the school lunchroom and Preston said, "Because I don't like your spiky hair!"
• "Dear Lord, please help Maddox's breath to not smell like poopy anymore."

Maddox
Maddox turned 2 on February 8. He was peeling icing off the cake and eating it as we were singing to him. Now any time he sees a candle burning he exclaims, “Birthday!” He is the parrot of the house, repeating anything anyone says. Nothing is missed by Maddox- whatever we do, he must do. I was at Bath & Body Works the other day trying out lotion and he demanded to try everything I was trying. If I rubbed lotion on my hands, then I had to put it on his hands as well. If the big boys are climbing a tree then you can bet he’s going to be trying his best to get up that tree any way he can. He insists on practicing baseball with his brothers and can actually hit off the tee pretty well.

Maddox has begun to use incomplete sentences like "Preston head." Which means "Preston hit me in the head with the bat." His most used words are typical 2 year old favorites- "no" and "stop." He still enjoys dancing and every Wednesday night dances in the aisles at church when the youth praise band plays. He has become quite picky about his music and is now very demanding in the car when it comes to songs. If he doesn't like what is on the radio he starts hollering, "Song, uh song." Which translates to "I want a new song, I don't like this one" or " This news is boring, I want music." It's been fun watching him continue to develop into his own little person.

And if you haven't seen him recently, his drooling problem is much better. He had his adenoids out in January. They were enlarged which made it difficult for him to breathe through his nose so he always breathed through his mouth instead. So his mouth, therefore, was always open with drool coming out at all times and soaking all his shirts. Then his shirts would sour because of the wetness. Yuck! The surgery went well, but his breath smelled like a dirty diaper for a week. (That's where Preston's quote came from.)

To conclude this post I do want to say one more time for those of you who insist that we "keep trying for a girl" and want us to keep populating the earth with more offspring- "NO chance!!" I would like to leave you with a conversation the other day that helped in the decision making process:
Bryce- "Mommy, what are those purple things on your belly?"
Me- "Those are called stretch marks. That is what you, Preston, and Maddox did to my body so you all need to tell me you are sorry for those."
Bryce- "We're sorry- but we didn't know we did it!"

We love our boys! They stretch us, keep us busy, make us laugh, cry, & want to strangle ourselves sometimes... life is never dull. We thank God for them and thank God for our wonderful friends and family that help us chase them around (especially WyWy & KK running after Maddox), encourage them, and help us keep pointing them towards being young men of God. The Joy is In The Journey!!