It's a Jeep thing!

Santa brought Noah a Jeep for Christmas. It's a Rubicon just like his Daddy's (too bad Santa couldn't find a red one like Jason's). Noah smiled the whole time he was driving that thing. He loves Daddy's Jeep so much, and now he has his own!

Christmas

Here are a few pictures from Christmas. Hope yours was as good as ours!

Lilah with her first Barbie doll. I understand it's a bit premature, but I wanted to make sure her first one came from me (something that was randomly important to me).

Too much TV???

Last night Landon came up to me and said "You know Mom, Christmas costs less at Walmart". Then this morning he yelled from his room "Mom, Christmas really does cost less at Walmart. It really does".

Listen to the next Walmart commercial. Their advertising is obviously working on one little boy. Maybe it's time I find some activities for the boys to do instead of watching the tube...

Noah's Christmas Performance

Noah claims he was dancing, so we'll go with that. That's really all we can hope for...





Note: I'm so disappointed because the other video is better (and funnier) because he still had on his wings. The file was too big. When Jason and I saw that the kids had on angel wings, we panicked a little. We were worried Noah's would burn once they touched him or he would be the only one that came out in a devil's costume. Don't worry--those wings stayed in tack while he "danced" away.

Desitin--YIKES!

Last week my friend Heather and her sweet daughter Avery came over to visit and bring us a fabulous meal (seriously, Heather, it was beyond yummy!). Heather and I were enjoying a nice visit when I noticed it had gotten way too quiet in the other room. We ran in to find this...

The only good thing about them having Desitin all over their bodies is that their skin was quite soft. :) I tried really hard not to laugh when I went in there as we were supposed to be mothers and correct them for this behavior. I didn't succeed. For some reason, I thought it was so funny. I missed my parenting opportunity, I know, but at least I left the room when I laughed. If you don't laugh once in a while, life just isn't so fun.

Making cookies

On Saturday, Landon and I made our Christmas sugar cookies while Daddy and Noah went shopping. This is something I can remember doing with my mom as a kid, so I make it a point to bake these cookies each year. Nevermind the fact that I eat most of them myself. Noah and Jason got home in time to help do some decorating. Noah was more interested in eating the frosting. We just kept adding frosting to the one cookie he had, and he would lick it off. We did that a few times until we realized the kid was going to be on a major sugar rush (and that boy doesn't need any help in the energy department). I enjoyed my time with Landon. Maybe when he's 34, he'll remember our cookie making at Christmas time. I hope so.

Lilah was there, too, but she didn't help out too much. Next year...

Rudy the elf

While I'm catching up on the blogs, I thought I would share with you our visitor for the Christmas season. This year, Santa sent us one of his elves to care for. His name is Rudy, and he is a toymaker elf. Rudy got here last week and has been a much welcomed guest. The thing is, though, that Rudy sometimes gets into stuff while we're sleeping. Most of the time, he just ends up in a different place in the house. One morning we found him in the Christmas tree, and another morning he was sitting on Noah's potty (needed some private time, I suppose). He has ended up in a stocking, and he's gotten up to read books about Santa. On Sunday morning, we found him in the kitchen. Our little elf knew that I needed to make muffins for my brunch, and I guess he decided to help out. He did a good job of baking, but unfortunately, he hasn't mastered clean up yet (see picture below). I appreciated his help, though, and cleaned up myself. Rudy will stay with us until Christmas Eve when Santa will pick him up and take him back to the North Pole.

Here's Rudy helping himself to one of the muffins he made.

Angel

Why do I waste my time???

I'm trying to figure out why I waste my time making my bed in the winter. Each day I make the bed, and a few hours later, I find this...

I guess she gets cold, but seriously, Kasey, do you have to mess up my bed??? The silly thing is, I will remake it only to find her back under the covers again. I think I may be the dumb one here...

Tatas Christmas Brunch

On Sunday, Lilah and I joined my "tatas" ladies for a fun Christmas brunch. It was so great to get together with everyone, and luckily, Lilah was very well behaved. She wasn't too interested in taking a bottle, but she didn't fuss about it--she just didn't drink as much. It was only the second bottle she's ever had, so I can't complain. She just seemed to enjoy having an afternoon of girl time versus listening to the boys wrestle. I have such a good time with all of these ladies, and they mean a lot to me. Especially during this holiday season, I realize how blessed I am to know and love my girlfriends!

Lilah with Leslie

Lilah hanging with Caroline. Caroline has agreed to be Lilah's godmother which means the world to me!

Kerri (aka Martha Stewart) holding our sweet girl.

Happy tears

Today I was holding my crying Lilah trying to console my sweet girl, and all of the sudden, I started crying with her. However, my tears were happy ones. No crying has sounded more beautiful to me as the sounds I heard today. They were coming from a healthy baby--a baby without trisomy 18. A big, healthy baby girl who is mine. I took the time to stop what I was doing and just thank God. I am truly smitten with this little one. In fact, I'm just a little head over heals with my whole family right now. Merry Christmas to me!

Good place to sleep

First Bath

Uh--Lilah wasn't too excited for her first bath. I have to admit that we weren't the smartest in our approach because she was really fussy before we even started. Being the determined girl that I am, I was giving her a bath because it was bath night. The good news is her second bath went much better, and she actually really liked it. Check out the video to see her not-so-happy first bath.

Time to decorate the tree

Landon by the downstairs tree

Decorating the upstairs tree...

All dressed up with no where to go.

Nine Days...

What I've learned, discovered, and observed in the past nine days...

• Lilah is a good baby. She lets you know when she's not happy, but overall, she's content.
  
• So far, she only makes me get up once in the night.
• Landon tells his little sister that she is beautiful every day (if not several times a day). It melts my heart every time he says it. I'm only a little jealous that he thinks she's prettier than Mommy.
• Lilah's hair isn't getting any darker. I'm not sure she's mine--her eyebrows are blond and that hair is much, much lighter than the boys.
  
• Landon sings "Big Girls Don't Cry" when Lilah is crying.
• Noah sings "You are my Sunshine" to his little sister.
• The arrival of Lilah hasn't slowed the boys down one bit. They still run around like wild animals every afternoon.
• I love my alone times with Lilah--even if it's at 4am.
  
• Breastfeeding in the Kohl's dressing room isn't so bad.
• After three kids, you would think I could remember the diaper bag. Nope, I forgot it. It's now sitting in the car to avoid that little issue again.
  
• I can take all three kids somewhere by myself. It was only to the boys' haircut place, but still, I did it!
• I only get about 50-75% of the stuff done that I had planned for the day.
  
• Little kids think a baby needs the pacifier all of the time.
  
• The boys cannot leave the bouncy seat alone no matter how many times we tell them to get away from it.
  
• I think Noah was more proud of his "I'm a big brother" t-shirt than he was of his little sister when he went back to school.
• At age 5, Landon has already mastered the typical male response to a baby's crying--"I think she's hungry". Of course, this statement is only good for the men whose wives breastfeed or who never do the feedings.
  
• Kasey got knocked down the chain a little more, and I think she's feeling it. The poor dog is dying for some attention. Maybe I can sneak out for a walk with just her and me this weekend.
• We're actually taking care of three kids and not drowning. It may not be pretty, but we're doing it!
• Jason and I have become closer knowing that we alone created this madhouse we live in.
  
• I never thought having three kids would make me feel so complete, but it does.

Lilah in her "Mom and Dad's Best Present Ever" onsie.

My sweet girl

Love the wink, LCS.

Crazy Noah & his little sis

Lilah Anne Seabolt

Lilah Anne Seabolt

November 25, 2008
12:16pm
8lbs 13oz, 21 inches

PERFECTION!!!!

She's here! Our healthy baby girl has completed our family of five. I have to admit--I'm one proud mommy! Sometimes I feel like I can't get enough of her. This sweet little girl was definitely worth the wait. So, here's how it all went down...

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30am. Around 8:45, the doctor broke my water and the drip was started to induce. About an hour later, I started to feel some contractions. Within another hour, I was pretty much at my "10" for pain. It went very quickly, and I barely got the epidural in time. In fact, the nurse purposely didn't check to see how far along I was because she knew they wouldn't give it to me if she had. God bless that woman! She is definitely my hero of the month! Right after I received the epidural, it was time to push, and Lilah joined our world at 12:16pm. The first thing I asked Jason is if she looked healthy. His response of "yes" brought tears to my eyes. She was here--our big, strong, healthy girl was finally in my arms. What a wonderful feeling.

We've all adjusted well to our new addition. The boys have been amazing with her. Every time they talk to her, she stops to find their faces. Lilah has been kind to her mommy during the night by sleeping for 4-5 hours at a time, and then going back down very easily. She's a bit fussy in the evenings but definitely manageable. She does what most babies do--sleeps, eats, and poops. We took her to the doctor on Friday for her first check-up and was told that she looked great. She has only lost 5oz of her birth weight, so they said to not worry about coming back until she's a month old. When she was born, they told us that she was 19 1/4 inches long; however, when she was measured at the doctor's office (3 days later), she was 21 1/4 inches. The nurse told us that many times they don't get the proper measurements in the hospital. The 21 inches made more sense as she is much more proportional than her initial measurements indicated.

I'm always in awe of how much love you can have in your heart. Each one of my children has their own special place in there. It's hard to believe that I can love as much as I do right now. I'm so in love with my husband who has given me these three children. I'm so in love with my oldest son who has grown leaps and bounds in this past week. I'm so in love with my youngest son whose energy keeps us on our toes but brings us so many, many smiles. I'm so in love with my only daughter whose presence warms me beyond belief. It's my party of five, and damn, does it feel good!

The time has come

Well, they finally scheduled my induction for tomorrow. Wow--after all of that disappointment and frustration, it's time. And now instead of being ecstatic, I'm nervous. My mind is racing...is she healthy? Will it take as long as Landon or go quickly like Noah? Am I ready for the pain? Please don't let me have to have a c-section. Am I ready for the night feedings? Will she eat okay? How big will she be? Will she be a she and not a he? What were we thinking--3 kids??? Will I be able to handle all three? Seriously, will I? How will the boys handle the addition? Will Kasey be too lonely while we're in the hospital? And it always goes back to will she be okay, healthy, and those cysts meant nothing? Yeah, I don't see tons of sleep coming my way tonight. I'll try, but I've got to calm this mind down.

My mom and sister have already come and taken the boys home with them. So nice of them to make the trip and let me avoid the drive. Once again, our family has come through to make things easier on us. Landon has been a bit much lately--feeding off of my lack of parenting maybe??? He gets so hyper and then won't listen. He needs this baby to come as much as I do, so he can have his mom back. On top of that, Noah has been sick. We went to the doctor today, and he was diagnosed with croup. I feel so bad that I'm sending a sick child to my parents, and I feel worse that it won't be me taking care of him. I should be welcoming this break (the second one in a few days thanks to Debra having the kids on Saturday night). However, when they drove out of the driveway, I wanted to shout for them to come back. I missed them so much the minute they left. How could that be? I realized, our family is about to go from 4 to 5. Maybe I needed our foursome for just a couple more hours. Maybe I needed to hold on to them and hug them while I didn't have another child added to my radar. I'm not sure. I just know I miss them right now.

This is the problem with scheduling an induction. You have time to think about it. Well, hopefully the next post I make will be about the baby that finally decided to join our family. Extra prayers are always welcome!

Rambling

I'm pretty sure this baby is not coming out without being induced. Each night I'm convinced I'm in labor--knowing there is no way I'll be able to go through the next few hours without calling the doctor and heading to the hospital. Each morning I wake up just as pregnant as I was the night before, even a little more so. It's an annoying cycle. Not really one that I would like to continue to repeat, but my instinct tells me that tonight I will be heading to the bathroom five million times wondering if I really have to go again or is my water finally breaking (Jason's finger is starting to get sore from pushing "pause" on the DVR so many times). I will then fall asleep (last night it was sitting up), and then wake up about 3am--get out of bed because I can't lay there anymore, turning on the TV, and finally falling back asleep on the couch about an hour later. I will wake up on a Saturday morning thinking "here we go again". I'm trying not to complain. I'm not so uncomfortable that I'm miserable. I'm lucky that I have good pregnancies. I'm very active, and I've received more than one look of shock when I tell people that I WAS due on Wednesday. So, I'm trying to count my blessings. At the same time, I am so darn disappointed. I don't want to be induced, but at this point, I would pay money for them to hook me up with the drip and get this thing going. I'm scared that the longer I go, the better chance I have of needing a c-section (they have already told me she's big). I want to see our daughter. I want to hold her. I want her to see her wonderful daddy and her crazy brothers. I want Kasey to wag her tail when she sees we've brought home another food source. I want to close off this chapter and start the next.

As many of you know, I'm very much a "next step" person. When I am done with something, I am more than ready to move on to the next. I desire control, and my situation right now is killing me because I have no control. She is already starting to torture me and rebel against my wishes. I know my sweet boys wouldn't have done this to me (yeah right--Landon was 11 days late, but he says he was so cozy in there--who could blame him???). I think we've already begun a true mother/daughter relationship. I bet if Daddy was carrying this baby, she would have joined our world a week ago. :) I believe I'm in trouble--big big trouble.

I guess I'll continue doing the things I do have control over. I clean my house almost daily now to try to not think about it. I've done more loads of laundry just because. I've pretty much finished my Christmas letter, and I've gotten over half of my shopping done just this week. If I didn't want her in the picture, I would probably already have the cards made and ready to send out (note: the longer she takes, the better her chances of getting axed from it). By the end of the weekend, I will probably have the inside of our house decorated for my favorite holiday. If only I didn't need to be in control...

My mother-in-law has offered to take the kids one night this weekend, and I almost cried when Jason told me that. I didn't realize how badly I needed it. She has given me a wonderful gift. Jason and I will be able to have some much needed time alone together, and I won't have to worry about my lack of parenting that has been happening the last few days. Hopefully, I will be refreshed and able to tackle the waiting game with more energy. Even if that doesn't happen, at least I get to hang with my best friend.

Ah--the ramblings of an overdue pregnant woman. Please come see us soon, baby girl Seabolt!

You are my sunshine

It's not the best video because I was competing with the TV. He usually does a much better job of singing it all.

Reading with Grandma

The problems of a 5 year old

Yesterday Landon and I were talking about how few boys are in his class. He is one of five boys, and there are 19 children in his class. He said it was really hard for him because there were too many girls to decide which one he would marry.

I told him his dad would have loved those odds.

Chomp & Stomp

Here are a couple of pictures from this past weekend. We met our friend, Barnum, down in Cabbagetown for the Chomp & Stomp festival. We enjoyed the beautiful weather, some chili, a funnel cake for me, and some music. I was hoping to walk the baby out, but no luck.

Pomegranate

Yesterday I cut a pomegranate in half and started munching away. A smile crossed my face as the sight of a pomegranate always reminds me of my mom. When I was growing up, my mom would buy a pomegranate or two in the fall. While we sat and watched football on a cool Sunday afternoon, my mother would bring out the "golden egg" for the two of us to enjoy. Covered in towels so we didn't stain anything with the juice, the two of us would savor every bite of that pomegranate. I don't remember my brother or sister ever taking part of this ritual. If they did, it was when I was too young to remember. So, for me, this is one of those special times for just me and mom. Anyone who knows my mom knows that popcorn is a food group in her pyramid. The kids pretty much expect to have popcorn if they spend the night with Grandma and Papa. Even Abby knew my mother's love of the kernel. As soon as she walked into their house, she ran over to my mom's spot to see if there were any leftovers on the floor. So, popcorn will forever bring the image of my mom into my head, but the pomegranate...that lovely fruit brings the memory of just the two of us and our forever growing relationship.

Obviously, my mom has taught me a lot over the years, but one of my most favorite lessons is that sometimes life is best with a pomegranate in hand and football on TV. I hope that I find a pomegranate for me and my daughter to enjoy. Isn't that what a mother/daughter relationship is all about?

Trophy time

Tonight Landon had his end of the season party. The kids loved their trophies (surprise, surprise). I think that's the main reason they play.

Landon with his team

Halloween night

Pumpkin carving