Babies & Schedules

Should those two words even go together? I used to think so...

It has been at least a week since my last post here. While I have "facebooked" quite a bit, I haven't taken the time to formulate an update. It's been pretty rough getting my bearings with being home with all 5 little ones. The first week home with them was pretty easy, but Joshua was still in that newborn state of sleepyness. Suffice it to say, he has awakened!

He sure is cute and one of the most-loved babies in our home (only beause of how many more people we have in our family these days) but boy does he have a set of lungs & a voice. The other day I am not sure if it was the taco I ate or the mocha I drank, but it seemed that something didn't agree with his stomach at around 8pm. He screamed & contorted his body to the right, when holding him & looking at him straight on, he looked like the letter "C" backward, cocking his head to his right & twisting his torso that way, even stretching his leg out only on the right side. It was kind of scary and I even almost took him to the ER. I held him to sleep & then let him sleep on me while Royce & I attempted to watch a movie, during which we all fell asleep. So after midnight when we transfered him to his bed, he woke up, still in pain & crying, so I comforted him next to me in our bed and just let him go to sleep there. He was fine for the rest of the night. When he woke up for his next feeding it was several hours later and he was back to normal. The next day he was fine, didn't seem to be in pain, but he cried a lot. That evening, he cried hard again, but this time didn't seem to be in pain as the night before, just crying until he fell asleep - seemingly hungry and yet eating a lot. Quite different behavior than his first 2 weeks of life. He's happy when he's eating & sleeping, but in between is kind of rough. This makes for an even trickier day when you factor in the 4 other kids. Fortunately, we all get a reprieve this weekend with Royce taking the older 3 camping. I'll keep the younger 2 here & we'll clean & chill.

Besides all of that, I do have a few pictures to share. The kids & I went on our first outting this week. The day I had Starbucks, we had gone "out" just to get out & only place we stopped was the drive-thru. Both at Starbucks to get mommy a mocha because the coffee has been left on that morning (which means it smelled burned) and to also get Taco bell for lunch because we had run out of bread for lunches! : )

Then today the kids & I had our first mile-long walk around the block. Hannah & Nathan rode their bikes, Preston rode his scooter (half of the way) and I pushed Spencer & Joshua in the double stroller while Joshy took his nap. Partly, the walk helped soothe him to sleep and he's been sleeping ever since. (it is 1pm now, time to wake him & feed him - such a tough thing to do to wake a sleeping baby)

This posting comes at a difficult time for me, but I am still trying hard to remember every precious moment because I know that they are only in this stage of life so long. Not just for Joshua at 2 weeks old, but for Spencer at 20 months old, Preston at 4, Hannah at 6 & Nathan at 8 1/2. They grow so fast! I believe that hormones are making me extra sentimental these days too. : )

So while our schedule is out of whack, at least it is summertime. Pray for us as you think of us. God is so faithful to teach us & grow us & to give us peace & clarity when we most need it. Now for some pictures....

Here is a picture of Joshua from just this morning.

Aunt Gracie visited several days last week which was super helpful!

Here are some super cute baby feet!