Big Helper

Aidan has been loving his new role as a big brother!  Big Brother=Big Boy=Big Helper.  He loves helping around the house.  He helps with the dishwasher, picks up his toys and is the Master Pacifier Retriever.  He is so proud of himself when he helps.  I cant believe how much my baby boy has grown up.  Hes so big and kind and sensitive.  Whenever someone is feeling bad he shows so much concern and is moved to help comfort them.  When he hears Aislyn cry he immediately heads for the anti bacterial pump to wash his hands and then runs over to find her paci, puts it in her mouth, kisses her head and tells her "its ok Aislyn!"  He offers hugs when Cami is in a bad mood and a smile and kiss when I've had a particularly hard day.  I love that even though hes all boy- rough and tumble, loud, boisterous, and a total dare devil- he also has a soft side.  Now if we could just conquer potty training...

Dreaming

So heres my two week old sleepy little cupcake.  She always looks so happy and content when she sleeps.  I sometimes just sit and watch her with her random smiles, soft little sighs and her eyes moving under her eyelids and I wonder "what is she dreaming about?"  Her world is so simple right now.  She wakes up to eat and get a diaper change or just to look around for an hour or so before slipping back into quiet content sleep.  So what is going on behind those eyelids??  Does she dream of her brother's kisses?  Her sister's songs?  Her daddy's touch?  Her mommy's snuggles?  Gramma's laugh?  As much as I cant wait for her to be more awake and expressive, I also want it to go by slow.  These moments pass too fast...but I know I'll have glimpses back to these days when I watch her sleep like her 2 year old brother and 5 year old sister.  It doesn't matter how much they grow, they all have that same expression of quiet comfort when they sleep.  At the end of the day, when you see them so peaceful, all seems right with the world.

Kindergarten Field Trip

Yesterday was Cami's first public school field trip...she was sooooo excited!  She was up early, ate breakfast and dressed in record time.  Im still not cleared to drive, so daddy went on the field trip while I stayed home and thought of all the fun I was missing with Cami...guess when you have three kiddos you have to get used to dividing your time.  Im sure Ian often thinks about all the fun Im having with the baby all to myself throughout the morning, or at playdates and activities with Cami and Aidan.  Im so glad that he is flexible with his work schedule and gets plenty of time to be a part of all the milestones and activities.  

On top of all the excitement of Dewberry Farm itself, Cami also got to ride the BIG YELLOW BUS for the first time ever.  I asked her if it was as great as she thought it would be and she said "um, not really...the other kids kept leaning on me to see out the window.  BUT I still wanna ride the bus to school because I dont mind kids leaning on me so much."   Hmmmm...bottom line, Im still not ready for my baby to ride the bus on a regular basis.

Over all they had a great time.  Ian had 4 kids assigned to him and the trip was very well organized...only one little mishap.  At one point, Ian was gathering the kids to move on to the next activity.  They were just waiting on Cami to come down the "fireman's pole" on a playfort.  Somehow she missed the pole and ended up free falling about 6 feet from the second level of the fort landing on a wooden deck below.  Ian said it looked really scary and he thought for sure there would be a broken bone involved (she fell on her hip).  However, she only cried for a moment and spent the next 20 minutes jumping on an inflatable bubble, confirming that all was well.  I think Ian was counting his lucky stars that of all the kids to have anything go wrong it was our kid and he was there to comfort her.  

So at the end of the day we had one exhausted kindergartener who was in bed by 7:45!  God Bless Field Trips!

1 Week Old!

What a week this has been!  The first seven days have gone by so fast!  Aislyn is proving to be a perfect name for our newest little sweetheart.  The name is Irish for "dream like"  and she is exactly that...a dream baby!  She is nursing like a pro and taking a bottle with no problem switching from one to the other.  At her appointment on Wednesday she was back up to 6 pounds even!  She sleeps for 5-6 hour stretches at night and is blending in perfectly with our household routines.  Nothing seems to bother her which is a good thing since our home is filled with noise and activity most of the time.  Cami and Aidan love being "helpers"...going to get burp cloths, throwing away diapers, helping with feedings and retrieving pacifiers.  My mom has been so amazing this past week, running the kids to and from school, gymnastics and swim, making them feel special and important and making sure that Ian and I are getting plenty of rest, time to organize and time to recover.
Aidan adores Aislyn, she is the first thing he looks for in the morning.  He wants to constantly be looking at her and touching her.  However, we have noticed some behaviors from him that we hope will pass.  He needs our attention and wen he doesn't immediately have it, will mis-behave to get it.  He is also doing things like constantly putting his hands in his mouth, he tried to put on Aislyn's cap, sit in her car seat and the other day he came around the corner with Aislyn's paci in his mouth (he hasn't used a pacifier since his 1st birthday).  I know all of this is to be expected, but its still a little frustrating.

We had a conference with Cami's teacher today and she reassured us that all was well with Camryn at school.  She is meeting and exceeding all academic expectations, has a good attitude and is making friends.  Ms. Havard says that Cami seems to be handling the new arrival well, that she is excited about her sister and enjoys writing and talking about her.

Over all things are going well.  Our family is all falling into place.  I cant believe how fortunate we are.  Ian and I are more in love with each other every day.  Our children are healthy and happy.  Our lives are so full.

Welcome Home

Aislyn Heath Noble

Born 10/10/08 

5:55 pm

6 lbs. 3 oz

18.25 inches

We are so happy to finally have you home with us!  Born at 36 weeks, you came much earlier than we expected but you are perfect and healthy...proving that only you knew when the "right" time was.  You are such a great little sleeper, so peaceful and content.  When we brought you home today you were 5 lbs 10 oz at your last weigh in, but you are eating well and will grow bigger and stronger every day.  You look so much like your brother and sister did.  We are all so completely in love with you!  Cami came home from school today and made a beeline for you! She stood and held your little hand for about 15 minutes...never saying a word just held your hand and smiled down at you.  Aidan came in when he woke up from his nap and stood peeking over the edge of the cradle next to Cami saying "shes sleepy!" and "shes cute!"  Daddy and I are still in awe of all three of our little ones...so strong, beautiful, happy and amazing.  Each of you a special gift.  

So with you we are now a great big family of five and I cant imagine being a part of anything greater than that!

Faces with names

Most of my friends have heard me talk about my family, but have never had the chance to meet them all in person- so this is my opportunity to put some faces with names!  This past February they moved back to the Houston area...and even better, across the street from us!  Cami and Aidan can walk over anytime they feel like it, which is pretty often!  They love to go over and play with Gramma's buckets of toys, sit in Papa's chair and raid the pantry.  They would be over there every day if I let them!

My brother Todd is 12 and in the 7th grade.  He loves to skateboard and we get to see him daily playing in the cul-de-sac with his buddies.  Aidan adores him, looks up to him and wants to do everything like him.  I can convince Aidan of pretty much anything if I tell him its Uncle Todd's idea.  My sister Nicole is 16 and a Junior in High School.  Shes got a pretty busy social calendar so we dont see as much of her as we do everyone else.  She does pop over occasionally for help on her homework or to "borrow" a flat iron, bag or some other necessity...and sometimes just to say "hey".  She's getting her license in December so this is fair warning to the rest of you Katyites...coming soon to a roadway near you!

We really have enjoyed having them all so close.  They moved out of the Houston area just after I graduated from college- heading first to Arizona then to San Antonio.  It seems perfect timing for them to be back near us now with Aislyn on the way.  What a blessing to be able to have the children grow up with close family near by, hopefully they will stay put for a while!

Hmmm...now if only we could convince my sister and her family in Minnesota that Texas would be a good fit!

IKE

So I know that my out of town friends want all the gory Ike details about how we weathered the storm...so heres my official IKE POST!

We were very lucky in the grand scheme of all the devastation that the Houston area has suffered.  We never had a loss of power, cable or water services.  We had no damage to our home or property.  We have pretty much come out on the other side of Ike unscathed suffering only a few minor inconveniences.  Schools have been closed since Friday (scheduled to reopen here in Katy next Monday 22).  Because of this the children have come down with some pretty severe cases of cabin fever!  Even though we have power and cable TV still in tact, Cami has found other things to busy herself.  She has constructed every puzzle in our possession, our floors and tables at various points over the last couple of days have been littered with completed puzzles that she refused to deconstruct (although Aidan has no problem with deconstruction much to her dismay!).  She has roamed the house with a clip board and pencil copying every bit of print within her eye line of site...accumulating pages and pages of lists of random words.  She has played babies, barbies, pet shop and potato head, made a trip a day to Gramma's house and ridden her bike in circles inside and outside.  

Aidan on the other hand is much more content to watch TV, lounge and wait for an invitation to play from Cami.  He too has looked forward to his daily visit with Gramma...shes more fun, has better toys and better snacks :)  In all of the madness he has also taken to securing his valuables.  He has a bag and a box that he has been carrying around from room to room...even toted "his stuff" across the street to Gramma's house.  The bag is full of underpants and the box has his Spiderman lunchbox (with tech decks and random toys inside), his pirate halloween costume, his bunny and his blankie...you know, the necessities!

As for Ian and I, our main challenge has been gathering those basic things that we need on a daily basis for ourselves and the kids.  Prior to the storm we consumed most of our refrigerated and frozen foods in case we lost power and refrigeration.  Local stores are slowly reopening, but most are poorly stocked as far as dairy, produce and meats.  The kids are big milk drinkers and fruit eaters so this has been particularly difficult. However, round of applause to my super hunter gatherer of a husband who managed to track down two half gallons of organic milk, a dozen eggs, strawberries and bananas keeping his promise to never let his family go without!  Gas is the next challenge.  Fuel stations have also been reopening, but the long lines are a bit of a chore.  The good news is that the more Im out and about, the more it seems that Katy is on its way to quickly getting back to normal.  I predict that by this weekend, with the exception of some cleanup and debris around our town, we will be back to (or close to) business as usual.  We really do have wonderful neighbors, friends and community that are all looking out for each other.

It seems that when things are uncertain and thrown out of whack we look to the things that are constant in our lives for comfort- for those "constants" I am thankful.  Im especially thankful for my husband who always makes sure we are number one on his list, my parents who have been such a part of ours and the children's lives since the day the moved down here and my dear friends for the sanity saving play dates and girl time.  You are all my treasures and Id be up a creek without a paddle without you!  

Sugar and Spice

At my last visit, my doctor noticed that my blood pressure was elevated.  This little setback landed me on modified bed rest for the next week.  To me that means take it easy and slow down...to Ian that means sit around and do nothing.  So I've been trying to find a happy medium.  There is so much still to be done!  Washing and putting away clothes, going through lists of what still needs to be bought, packing my bag for the hospital and decorating the nursery...not to mention keeping up with Cami and Aidan, regular laundry and general household stuff.  Too much to do and not enough time!

One of the things I enjoy most on my long list of "to-dos" is going through all of Aislyn's tiny little things.  Today I took some time to photograph some of her little shoes, clothes and parts of her nursery...instant relaxation!  Its hard to believe that she will be here so soon!  By the time Cami and Aidan are putting on their costumes and getting ready to go on a Halloween candy binge, our baby girl will be here!  Whether her room is ready or the clothes are all hung or everything is washed or the house is clean- shes coming!  So now we just have to let go of all the lists and enjoy these last few weeks with Aislyn safely tucked away.  This is our last baby and our last chance to experience all the little kicks and rolls and aches and pains that go along with this miracle growing inside.  So I guess bed rest is a blessing...its Gods way of saying slow down and enjoy life before you miss it all together.  Pregancy is not always fun and its easy to wish away these moments, but soon they will be gone and we will be longing to have them back.  So Im off to enjoy a nap with my little one nestled safe and sound.