do over please!

On and off for nearly three weeks my oldest has been whoooing and haaaing just about everything. School, food, MOVING in general! The thing is this is just not like him. He is really just a happy kid. His even teacher even told me he went from being the happy pleaser in the classroom to being a depressed 30 year old. This kid is 7! I can't have the teenage years start now. He kept complaining of headaches and sore throats. He has had his yearly physical the week before so I thought this was a ploy to get out of school. He has been having trouble with a bully at school and so we thought all the stress of having to face his own Goliath was getting to him. (Don' worry- we have been taking action on this one)

Not wanting him to just bury his head in the sand when something gets him down, everyday I would give him a pep talk-"OK, you decide your own fate. only YOU can decide to be happy. It is a decision we all have to make. You have to focus on the good or you will make yourself sick. Throughout your life blah blah blah....."

Finally, yesterday he didn't want to eat anything and he said his throat hurt too much to. I took him in to the doctor who said- "first off lets do a strep test even though you would know if he had strep."

It was positive.

I should have known. This is a kid will quietly go "be sick" in the bathroom and forget to tell me. He is pretty tough when it comes to these things. I just totally missed it.

One day on antibiotics and he is playing Tommy Jones, (his alter ego), with is brothers again and begging to make scones.

When I told my father of my idiocy I hoped he would tell me how all parents make mistakes. Instead, he in his wisdom and lyrical tongue responded by simply saying this, "

The problem my dear is not mental.
The problem is as they say,
a problem that is parental
and will not go away.

Thanks Dad. I feel so much better.

Here at last!

Hooray, here safe and sound! Get ready for picture overload!

Ruby at the hospital.



My dear friend Kelly (thejensenkids.blogspot.com) came and took these at the hospital when she was less than 24 hours old. What a gift! She is so talented! Then- as if that wasn't enough- she took pics for me when we got home and even some of the boys!

As you can see- this could not have been an easy shot! Man, they are nuts! I think any amount of baby hunger a little package from heaven could induce was staved off for Kelly when she was done with this clan! It totally captures them- and my life.

Don't worry- I saved her about one minute after this was shot!

If you want to see something awkward- get me in front of a camera! I may have been the hardest of them all to work with.

Thank you all for all your prayers and fasting. Man this little one gave us quite a scare. For those of you that don't know about all the hullabaloo- it is because we simply didn't know what was going on! We were sent to a specialist at 36 weeks because of a likely chromosomal abnormality, a proportionally small stomach and head in utero- all of which has high risk of casing a still birth. There were so many possibilities that the exact problem couldn't be determined until after the delivery.. When she was born at 37 weeks, an estimated 41/2 lb baby was 5.10. She doest look too skinny though because she was 17.25 inches! In the delivery room I was surrounded by a pediatrician- a neo-natal nurse, a perinatologist , and my doctor. After she came each said in turn- what a wonderful surprise and wow- would you look at that! We feel so very blessed. The problem was a failing placenta and not something more serious. But now that she is out and able to get plenty of nourishment- she is growing like a weed. I was thrilled to see the rolls on her thighs yesterday when I was bathing her. Thank all of you again for your calls and prayers. I have the best friends and family.

p.s. This happened three weeks ago! I just don't have Internet or a home phone so forgive me for taking so long to post this!