FRIDAY FIVE

Friday Five is a bit early as we are leaving for MI for the holiday weekend. Buh-bye.

FIVE BEST SONGS TO SING REALLY LOUD IN THE CAR OR SHOWER
1. You Light Up My Life~Debby Boone
2. Leave the Pieces~The Wreckers
3. I Wanna Know What Love Is~Foreigner
4. Love Stinks~J Geils Band
5. Like a Virgin~Madonna

FIVE THINGS I WILL NOT MISS ABOUT SUMMER
1. Mom, I'm bored.
2. Mom, she hit me!
3. Heat.
4. Rain.
5. Shaving my legs every stinkin' day.

FIVE BEST MINDLESS DAYTIME TV SHOWS TO WATCH WHILE KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL
1. Days Of Our Lives
2. Baby Story
3. I Love the 80's on VH1
4. Shalom in the Home
5. All In The Family Re-runs

It's WWWWWAAAAYYYY Better Than Christmas

What's the happiest day of the year? Not Christmas, my friend. It is the first day of school. Oh the joy. Caroline started 4th grade and Amelia started FULL DAY Pre K~the absolute greatest invention ever. They were both so excited. We had the Open House the night before and what a scene that was. Lots of tears. First from Amelia because she did not want to go home. She had just entered something as amazing as Disneyland and there was no freakin' way she was going to go home for something as mundane as bedtime. Then Greta started in. SCREAMING. In front of all the nice blond people.

"I WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!! I 4!!!"

Mrs S had nicely told her that she needed to be 4 for PreK. You can see how well that worked. We had to carry her out kicking and screaming. And then Wyatt started howling for a bottle.

The first day went off great. Caroline disappeared as soon as we got out of the van. Too. Cool. For. Mom. I walked Amelia to her class line and said goodbye. I even put lipstick on to place a kiss in her hand just like in this book which we knew they were going to read first thing. What does my daughter do? She says, "GROSS MOM!" and wipes it off. So much for cheesy mommy moment.

I picked them up promptly at 11:30, though why we couldn't have a full day is beyond me. Caroline talked a mile a mile on the way home. By the time we reached home I knew what everyone was wearing, who played with who at recess, and that 4th grade was awesome. And that Mrs W is the "BEST teacher ever! Well, almost. Not as good as Mrs D." (Mrs D was the most rad kindergarten teacher who is now one my close friends.) What did Amelia learn? She was pretty quiet. School was "Good." A few hours later Wyatt was screaming. So Amelia says, "I'll teach you what I learned at school, Wyatt." She proceeded to sing about 30 verses of "The Wheels On the Bus" Ok then. She broke out with a new one.

"The Daddy on the bus says, 'Read your Bible, read your Bible, read your Bible.' The Daddy on the bus says 'Read your Bible', all through the town."

Why do we choose Christian schools? That's why. So my kid can learn new verses to childhood classics. Maybe it came from the Protestant Reformers in our midst? I guess I am getting my $2500 worth for pre-K!

Just Call Me Betty Crocker

Well, not really cuz I don't bake. Maybe Rachael Ray. Or Tyler Florence. Or Guy Fieri. I love them all. Anyhoo, I wanted a better way to organize all my recipies online so I can always find 'em. So I started a new blog. Check it out and feel free to add your own faves.

HA!

If you have EVER taken your children grocery shopping, read this. And laugh so hard you'll shoot beer out your nose.

Playdates for newborns are SO first-time mom

Here is Wyatt's first official playdate. Doesn't he look like he's having fun?! On the left we have Camden, born 7-19, almost 2 full weeks after Wyatt. And who's bigger?! (I did try to get a pic of them full length but the lighting wasn't great.)

Camden is the 4th son of my good friend, Candi. We met at MOPS over 5 years ago, lost touch for awhile and then ran into each other at the ABC Preschool Open House last year when I was talking to the teacher and heard this voice yell, "SHUT UP!" I turned around and we started hugging and jumping up and down like we were 13. We like to have babies together. Camden and Wyatt are 2 weeks apart and her #3 Sam and my #2 Amelia are 4 weeks apart. Funny story. . .

We were at the MOPS convention in St Louis in the fall of 2002. I had just Caroline who was 4 and we were trying really really hard to have another baby. Candi had 2 boys~Jacob was 3 and Tyler was 1~and was NOT trying really really hard to have another baby. She commented one morning that she did feel quite right. I then informed her she was probably pregnant and dragged her to a Walgreens in the ickiest mall in all of Missouri to buy a test. Did I let her go back to the hotel to take the test? Oh no. She went the the bathroom of the ickiest mall in all of Missouri and peed on the stick with me cheering her on from the other side of the bathroom stall. And Yippee! I was more excited than I think she was when it turned blue. Or pink. But nothing in Candi's world is pink so it was probably blue. Bless her heart (throwing in a bit of Southern Baptist here) she felt so bad that she was preggers I was not. Fast forward about 5 weeks. My turn to pee on a stick and turn it pink. Thus Sam and Amelia have entered our lives and caused a ruckus every since!

Candi is one of the coolest people I know. She loves God and her family and still makes inappropriate jokes that make me shoot beer out my nose. Love her to pieces! And now we're pretty excited to have 2 little boys who will be BFFs forever. Do boys have BFFs or is that a girl thing?!?

We'll Always Have 2005

Wyatt still hasn't given up on his Sox. The rest of us are just re-living the Glory Days of 2005. We are now officially in last place. We are even worse than Kansas City. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Please bring back Aaron Rowand.

FRIDAY FIVE

FIVE THINGS I MISS ABOUT COLLEGE
1. Functioning well on 4 hours of sleep.
2. Yelling "Leonard Berstein" in the middle of REM's "End of the World" at parties and dances.
3. Club AWOL.
4. Having very little actual responsibility.
5. Living on salad bar and ice cream at Knollcrest.

FIVE BEST MAKE OUT SONGS
1. In Your Eyes~Peter Garbriel
2. Every Rose Has It's Thorn~Poison
3. Patience~GnR
4. Take My Breath Away~Berlin
5. Bed of Roses~Bon Jovi

FIVE BEST GIRL NAMES I NEVER USED
1. Georgia
2. Charlotte
3. Grace
4. Scarlett
5. Abigail

Works for Me Wednesday

Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer hosts "Works for Me Wednesday" every Wednesday (duh!) Leave it to a new mom to state the obvious. I have decided to join in the fun of these things to add to my blogging material. So here's mine for today! (Not anything new for those of you who know me well! :-)

Shannon talked about buying girl's clothing on Ebay. I have learned to finance my fierce kids' clothing habit by selling. I sell 3 times per year~spring/summer, back to school, and holiday/winter. I have gotten up to approximately $6000 per year. Enough to buy new stuff for the kiddos AND pay for Christian school tuition. I do actively seek out gently used stuff, my kids wear it for a season, and I re-sell. Often for more $$ than I originally paid for it. The downside? I am the crazy woman at church yelling "DON'T give her a cookie! DO you KNOW the resale value of that dress?!?!"

I Know Just How To Whisper. . .

I was at the mall yesterday with Christine and something like 4000 children. We got to have lunch at a restaurant with staff that brought me things. Oh the joy. I LIVE to eat at restaurants where the menu is not posted on the wall. Of course My Little Owner of Outdoor Plumbing decided he needed a new diaper change ASAP. So off we went. While I was changing away, I started singing along with this song on the radio. Loudly. To my little man. Then someone walked in on our little lovefest. She looked at me with that look that said "Please, woman, get your tubes tied because you have lost it." Wyatt and I finished up and made a speed exit. Later as we were finishing up our lovely lunch about 20 minutes later than the 4000 kids we had with us, we received that same look.

Tim's Guy Factoid o' the Day~That song is one of two that a guy can rely on to get to at least third base. What is the other?

Let's All Go Back To School!

In my zeal for the girls to go back to school, I am reminiscing. Ah, high school in the 80's. Wasn't it grand? Feel free to cut and paste to your own blog to play along!

1. Who was your best friend?
Jenny, Christy, and Crissie~JJCC anyone? Also, Nancy

2. Did you play any sports?
Cheerleading! And yes, it's a sport.

3. What kind of car did you drive?
Usually my mom's Mercury Sable which was the color of dirt. Sometimes I got lucky and got to drive my dad's really cool metallic blue Cougar.

4. It’s Friday night. Where were you?
At a football or basketball game and then Bakers Square. Or FFN at Nancy's. Or a party at John Lobbezoo's. Or smooching boys from Michigan.

5. Were you a party animal?
Not really~~but I really wanted to be one!

6. Were you considered a flirt?
Sure. Yep.

7. Were you in the band, orchestra or choir?
That's just too funny to even answer.

8. Were you a nerd?
I was so cool. Or not. I dated a nerd though! (ducking while Doug throws things at me)

9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
Nope. Did get detention for walking out of Kwas's class over "women's rights"

10. Can you sing the fight song?
"Stand up and cheer for Christian High, Send the banner waving high!" I can also do the dance routine.

11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr Decker cuz I would sit in his office for hours. Kwas for US history~he taught like a coach~"You know why the South lost the Civil War? They didn't give 110%!"

12. What was your school mascot?
the Knights

13. Did you go to the Prom?
Yep.

14. If you could go back, would you?
Only if I could have a re-do. And pick and choose what to go back to.

15. What do you remember most about graduation?
We did the Wave, sang "Happy Trails", and I was barefoot and bra-less since I was so totally sunburned.

16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
West Beach~where I got the aforementioned sunburn.

17. Did you have a job your senior year?
Yep, County Seat selling acid washed Guess jeans and Quicksilver T shirts.

18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
the yummy cafeteria

19. Have you gained weight since then?
Not at all. And if you believe that let me sell you some real estate.

20. What did you do after graduation?
Party-hopped

21. What year did you graduate?
1990

22. Who was your Senior Prom Date?
Very hot Mullet Boy~Mark

23. Are you going/did you go to your 10 year reunion?
Yep. I was on the committee. I really didn't want to go but I'm glad I did. It was actually really fun!

Ok, someone needs to cut and paste so I'm not the only dork re-living the glory days. My sis always says she peaked in HS so maybe she'll tell us all about it!

Thunderstorms and Computers Do Not Mix

Remember that thunderstorm we all had last Sunday night? I was online checking the radar~cuz that's what we do in our Tommy Skilling loving household~and heard a loud buzz. And then no computer or phone. Our lines were struck by lightening. Yippee. So we had to go out and buy a new computer and new phones. Spent most of the day Monday with a creepy Comcast guy who appeared as if he stopped by my house after being released from prison. So now we have a groovy new Gateway computer. Its cool! Only bad thing is even though it would be covered under our homeowners policy, our insurance guy said not to bother with the claim. It is only slightly over our deductible and the insurance company will almost certainly raise our rates if we have a claim so it will cost more in the long run. Ick.

On a funner note, here's a few snapshots of our world this week.

Wyatt has taken up barfing for distance. We hope he'll be ready for the 2016 Games in Chicago.

Greta made it exactly 2 hours dry in big-girl undies. And then said she liked diapers better. OK, then.

Amelia needs to go to school. NOW.

Caroline's quote of the day "Mom, when can I get on my hands and knees and clean the kitchen floor?" I am not making that up.

Friday Five Is Back!

FIVE THINGS TO KEEP YOU AWAKE
1. Diet Coke
2. Red Bull and Vodka (thanks Jefferson for introducing me to that new drug!)
3. Nick at Nite
4. Yelling at toddlers who throw things
5. Talking on the phone to anyone who will listen

FIVE BEST MEALS TO BRING TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A MEAL
1. Lasanga~re-heats most excellently
2. Chicken and stuffing~nice and bland for new mommies
3. Italian beef~can be made is small portions when one can eat at 3am
4. Bucket 'o KFC~just cuz I love it
5. Brownies or bars of any sort~great to eat with one hand

FIVE BEST WAYS TO START THE SENTENCE "I JUST HAD A BABY"
1. I can't possibly pay my bills on time, I just had a baby!
2. I can't wear make-up, I just had a baby!
3. Yes, I'd love an extra helping of french fries, I just had a baby!
4. Please carry my groceries, I just had a baby!
5. Sorry, I can't possible make it to that boring meeting, I just had a baby!

Free Candle for Me! Well. . .Maybe. . .If I Win. . .

One of my new favorite blogs to read~I Should Be Folding Laundry~is hosting a giveaway of these cool Febreeze candles. As my home smells of 2 children in diapers, this is a great thing. I wanna win! :-) So check her out!

And Friends Are Friends Forever. . .la la la la la

Way back in the day, us Christian Reformed youth used to attend something called the Young Calvinist Convention. It was a 4 day gathering of several thousand high school students from all over the US and Canada. It took place at a university somewhere in North America. Tim went to 3~~Rhode Island, Arizona, and Washington DC, and I went to 2~~Washington DC and Kentucky. Funny story about both of us in DC but more on that later.

These conventions, while spiritually enriching, were a HUGE hook-up fest. NOT in the way the kids mean it today, just lots of opportunity to meet cute boys/girls who loved Jesus too. We used to have this thing called a Hug Line which was exactly was it was. All the girls would form a huge single file line that snaked around campus and the guys would come thru and hug the girls. It was great fun! Each week would end with what was called Koinonia. All 3000 of us would be in a sweaty gym for hours singing classic worship tunes and weepy songs like "Friends" and "Pray for Me" (What is it with Michael W Smith and CHEESY songs?!) There was an open mic where people would share their stories and then there was even more tears. We would then run around all night long saying good-bye to all our new friends~particularly those of the opposite sex.

Sadly, our church's student ministry does not participate in convention. Hopefully, by the time our kiddos are in high school, we will convince the Brickhouse powers that be that Convention is a must for all teens. Until then, join us in song "Packing up the dreams God planted. . ."

Life As We Now Know It

I do intend to blog about something other than Wyatt but I really don't know what. He's pretty much the world right now. The girls are trying my patience as we try to figure out our new normal. I guess that's par for the course.

Kim, Jer, and Elise are coming for a visit next week. I'm really looking forward to that! I have also started sorting things for my back-to-school Ebay listings. Not as much volume this year but hopefully some big $$ anyway. Speaking of back-to-school, how many more weeks?!?! We got out class lists this week. Caroline got the teacher she was hoping for but all 3 of her BFFs are in the other class. So she couldn't decide whether she was happy or sad!

So that's about all in my life now. I spend a lot of time feeding Wyatt and watching the Food Network. Dreaming when I can cook again. Not just make dinner but really get in the kitchen and cook!

Wyatt's Two Week Check

We went for Wyatt's two week check up today. He's doing great. Up to 5 lbs. 13 oz and 18 inches~growing like a weed.

Things are going good here. We went to Josh and Sara's wedding this weekend. It was really a nice wedding. My aunt was teasing us that they could tell that Wyatt's was our 4th kid since everyone and their brother was passing him around at the reception. At one point we didn't even know where he was!

A prayer note~Wednesday is the anniversary of Jesse's stillbirth and Andrew's is next Tuesday. Please remember Brian and Shawnie and Jeff and Dawn through these two weeks.

Ch. . .Ch. . .Ch. . .Changes

Wow. What a week it's been. My first week as mom of a little boy. And what a sweetie pie he is!

Things have been going good. Almost too good. Wyatt is sleeping and eating like a champ. Rarely cries except when he's had too much of his sisters love. He loves to cuddle and be held~almost always stops crying as soon as you pick him up. The diaper changes do have a me a bit befuddled! I am never quick enough and his poor little winkie is so red from the circumcision. Tim is not wanting to change his diaper which is kinda funny since he was the diaper king with the girls! I think he feels his pain, so to speak! He is sporting some fierce diaper rash which is also new for me. The girls NEVER had a problem at all. So if any of you have an idea for curing that on one so little, let me know!

This whole 4 kids thing is a bit of a shock to the system. I looked at the back of my mini-van on the way to church this morning and it appeared as if we had 30 children back there. Yes, we did make it to church today AND out for lunch to a sit-down restaurant. We were so proud of ourselves! The girls are adjusting too. Amelia and Greta are used to getting away with murder since Pregnant Mommy was Slow to React Mommy. Now I'm a bit quicker on the draw and they are reeling to catch up to the new plan. I am hanging on til he sleeps thru the night and I can come up with some sort of schedule for the whole house. Right now it's just go with the flow which is SO hard for me!

Knowing that Wyatt is the last baby for our family, I am trying SO hard to savor and enjoy the teeny phase. HOLD ON~He just sneezed. CUTE! CUTE! The sleep deprivation is killing me again but I actually feel pretty OK for having had a section. Some soreness from my incision and the very painful process of drying up the milk are about all I'm left with. That and a spare tire around my middle! WW here we come.

Really Cute Baby Pictures!

So which one do I pick for birth announcements? They will be black and white so try to ignore the green blanket. And I can crop them in . Which one?

Wyatt's Wild Ride

I think there is a reason we had a cowboy name picked out all these years. Wyatt entered the world quite dramatically!

On Friday morning I went to the hospital~alone and not packed~for a Bio-Physical profile to check on the baby and to see if he/she was still breech. Dr McMahon got there, says "Don't even bother to put a gown on since you're probably going home. Let's have a look-see." So I got on the bed and she put the U/S wand on my tummy and lo, and behold, Baby is head down. Hallelujah! So I get into a gown, call Tim, and we're off! At 8:00 AM they gave me Cytotech which is a gel to soften the cervix and get things going. At noon they checked for progress and nothing was happening. So Dr McMahon came in and did another dose of Cytotech. We talked about my previous deliveries and decided to start the Pitocin at 4:30. We started up the Pit at 4:30 and around 6:00 Dr McMahon decided to break my water to speed things up. WOW! That was the most painful experience of my life. I sounded like one of those women who scream in childbirth! :-) I did not feel the gush that I expected with that so Meredith the Wonder Nurse suggested we get walking the halls to bring Baby down into my pelvis more. I got up to use the bathroom and started bleeding. And bleeding. And bleeding. I got really scared since I didn't remember it being like that with the girls' deliveries. I asked Meredith if that was normal and her answer was "Baby looks great." OK. So NOT the answer I was looking for. Before I could turn around Dr McMahon was there and checked me. She looks at Meredith and says, "I felt the head before but now all I feel is placenta. Jen, we need to do a C-section. NOW." Needless to say, I got really scared at that point. Things started happening really fast. Like "Grey's Anatomy" fast. They took me into surgery and started hooking things up to me. I got a spinal and a second IV line and all kinds of other goodies. Soon Tim was there and they start the section. Everything was very clinical for a few minutes. "Knife #1. Knife #1. Sponge. Sponge." Then I heard Dr McMahon chuckle. That was a HUGE relief because up until that moment I was scared to death. She says, "Tim, stand up." So Tim stands up and looks over the drape to see a BOY with his legs spread! The anesthesiologist says, "Dad, tell us the news." Dead silence. Finally, Tim says, "Um, it's a boy?" And then I threw up.

Then Wyatt started to cry that awesome newborn cry. The neonatologist took over, they gave him an IV for fluids and gave him some help breathing. I kept asking how big he was and if he was OK. They finally told me 5 pounds 2 ounces, 17.5 inches long. Wow. Teeny little boy. Tim went with Wyatt to the nursery and I stayed in recovery for an hour. I found out from Dr McMahon that my placenta was 40% abrupted and we made the right decision going to the C-section.

When I finally got back to my room it was an awesome party! Dad and Judy were there, Tim's parents, Caroline, ReeRee, Shawnie, Leenie, Megs, and Christine were all there. Dawn was there but graciously offered to take Amelia and Greta home to bed so my in-laws could stay. It was exactly what I had wanted. My family and best gal pals there to greet Wyatt and me. I almost cried. Or maybe I did but that was probably from the morphine pump.

So our sweet baby boy is here and we love him to pieces. His sisters are also totally smitten and fight over whose turn it is to hold him. Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and well-wishes. Without further ado, here's more pictures!

IT'S A BOY!

Wyatt Nathan
7-6-07 7:00pm
5 pounds 2 ounces
17.5 inches

Yep, you heard me right. It is a boy. And wow, what a wild ride! When I am up to it I will post his whole birth story but here's a picture of the teeny one.