ONe month from today..

One month from today I go in to the hospital for my first surgery. I have sooo much I want to do and get done before that day, but I don't think I'll have time for any of it! The Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I want to do so many of the annual Fall stuff that I always do, especially since now Cameron can actually have fun doing them and it's Avery's first fall ever! But with all the stuff we need to get done around the house before I am out of commission for a few months to help Mark do them, I don't know when we are going to be able to do them. Ugh, I need to make a list. Actually, like 50 lists. I'm going to be in the hospital for at least 2 weeks, maybe a little longer depending, so I have to figure out what the kids situation is going to be. Stay together? At our house? At the grandparents? Does mark work during the day and visit at night or stay with me during the day and sleep at the house with the kids at night?

And then comes after I get out of the hospital! What do I do with them then? I thought about getting Cameron in to a pre-school for a few days a week to give him something fun to do and to lighten the load of who is watching us (me included!) that day. When I mentioned this to my social worker, Jeff (who is great and specializes in people going through neurological surgery), he didn't think it was a good idea. He thought (and now I agree) that it would be to much change in his life at once and that it could make him feel like me being "different" was his fault. He also suggested that the kids don't come in to see me while I'm in the hospital, which made me cry. But I understand that seeing me in that way may scare them, Cam especially, and I don't want to do that to them. But oh my Lord, what am I going to do with out seeing them??

I'm trying not to think about it, but it's constantly hanging over my head! It's sort of like a due date. I have to be patient (which I'm not!) for the day to come, but I have to stay busy so I don't think about it to much and get nervous or anxious. But, as with a having a baby, good stuff should come out of all the trials and tribulations. We are hoping at least!!

When you see this face...

Cell Phone pics, btw!

RUN!!!

Well, not really, but oh my goodness, it is not a happy time! My poor little Avery Cate hadn't gone the bathroom in 8 days!! She never goes every day, probably about 3-4 days so for a while we weren't worried. Then one day, about 5 days ago, she was screaming and pushing sooo hard she had formula coming out of her nose! This went on every few hours, with no results. So on the first day of misery, I added pear juice to two bottles and pureed up some pears and gave her those (which she LOVED, by the way!). No results. The next day, I called the doctor and she said to try prune juice instead, so I did that. Nothing. So today I gave her prune juice and got no results, yet again. She was going in to get her second does of her flu shot so I mentioned it to the nurse and she suggested to do a glycerin suppository. We picked them up on the way home.

Now I'll spare you the grossness (sort-of!), but you put those things in and it doesn't take long for it to work!! Like 2 mins! And let me just say, her little tiny ab muscles are not strong enough to do all of that pushing and daddy had to "assist" once it was one its way. Grossness, I know!!!! But she's was a happy, sleepy baby about five minutes later, and has been sleeping for the night since about 6 o'clock. Poor little girl. Hope she never has to be this miserable ever again!! Wish I had a picture of her being her happy-go-lucky self that she normally is after all was said and done!

Sorry for such a wonderfully gross post!! Normal-ness (and modesty) changes once babies arrive!!

She's 8 months today!!

Aww, by little baby is getting bigger! Well, older at least! She's still a little peanut, well compared to what her brother was at this age. She still wears her 0-3 clothes, but some 3-6. Most of those hang off of her petite little body. We weighed her today on our scale, once holding her then subtracting from our own weight, then had her sitting on her own and both came out to 14.5! If that is right, I think that's pretty little for an 8 month old! We'll see in 4 weeks what her official weight is. Her hair is starting to fill in and her little clips can go in (and stay in) now! I love to put them in, they make her look so pretty. She drinks 4-5 bottles a day and is starting to take to her solids better, although it seems like she can take it or leave it. Sometimes we have to force it a bit :) So far, she has had apples, pears, peaches, and sweat potatoes.

She just popped her first two teeth!! The middle bottoms. They are a tad through, which has been giving her a bit of a bad mood lately! And she's got seperation anxiety something fierce! She's always happy with me, but doesn't like many other people when I'm around. I guess it depends on the day! But when we are out and about, she is all smiles and giggles at the people who stop to say how cute she is! When they ask how old she is and I tell them we always get, "Wow, she's tiny!" Oh well, she's got the best little chubby cheeks that I just want to kiss all day long!

She's starting to get a little mobile, but doesn't have alot of strength yet, but you can tell she wants to! When siting up, she pushes forward and lands on her belly, but doesn't get on her knees yet. She can pull up on her own pretty good, but not for to long. But when she does, oh my goodness she is sooo proud of herself!! She is all smiles when you clap for her! It's the cutest thing!! Cam was a bit more mobile then she is at this age, but I can not imagine a baby her little size doing much more then she does now!

Ok, now we need some pictures!!

I know the composition of this photo is AWFUL, but I love that the kids are looking at each other. You can tell how tiny Avery is and how she just wants to do what Cameron does. Swoon :) Black and white was the only way it would look almost presentable. Well, you get the idea!

My new niece is here!!

My little sister Michelle and by brother-in-law Chris had there baby today, 9/10/11! What a great birthday, huh? They named her Aubrey Claire and she was born at 1:15 (-ish), weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 21.5inches. May seem big to some, but that's small to what we were thinking she may be! Regardless, she still seems like an itsy-bitsy newborn!!! I'll spare you the story of the loooong labor that she was forced to endure and instead just show you some pictures of her at about 24 hrs old. Love, love, love her and sooo proud of my sister and Chris for creating such a beautiful baby to join our crazy, kid filled life! She's going to have so much fun being a part of our family and Chris' family!

Dad, Tina and Avery waiting for Aubrey to be born

The next day, waking up to meet her Aunts and cousins (and Uncle Mark)

Baby Burrito

Cute Face

Has some hair, for now at least!

Bright eyes and alert

Do we like the antique effect?

Newborn feet that I'm in love with! Seriously, like obsessed with baby feet!

Proud Daddy

Avery and her new best friend! She's a peanut, but looks big next to a newbie!

Cammie, a pro at holding little ones!

Labor Day, Is summer really over??

Although summer isn't officially over, Labor Day is pretty much the end of it in New England. School starts up (although I'm not going back to teaching this year!!), the temperature starts to cool down, slowly but surely, and less and less people make it down to the Cape/beach each weekend. So this weekend, although it won't be our last, had a blissfully sad sort of feeling to it. We had a great time hanging out at the house, with the somewhat low temps and all! We took lots of pictures, I'll let them do some of the talking, but hey it's me, I have to put in my two (or maybe 10) cents in!!

Just to warn you: There are LOTS of pictures!!

Saturday just around lunch time, Cameron heard the ice cream truck and of course HAD to have some!! He waited patiently, with his sister, until the truck came back by our house.

He was very serious about this ice cream!

Spider Man bar

After the ice cream we decide that it was warm enough to go swimming. Not me, of course. I don't put bathing suits on on hot days, never mind windy, fall-like days! But Cam and Mark had a blast! I wore Avery and she didn't make a peep. She loves hanging around in her Baby Bijorn and it makes my life a lot easier!!

Cameron climbed down the stairs because it was high tide. When the tide comes up this high, the beach practically disappears so it's just easier to go off the dock. But he does not jump! I would have a heart attack! He walks down the stairs to daddy, waiting to grab him.

Watching my boys swim.

Cam helped shuck the corn that night..

...And made a mess!!

The next day, my sister Tina and her family came down. My other sister was down, too, but she's very pregnant (due tomorrow!!) and was very against getting her picture taken!! We let the boys play out in the yard. While we were out there, my dad and the other adult guys that were there came up with the great idea of going to the Labor Day Demolition Derby that takes place every year about an hour away. They took off for that around 4 and didn't get back until around 1!! But the kids slept pretty good and us girls had some fun gabbing until late at night!

Daddy and his love.

Cameron and his cousin Ryan

Hugs!

The next morning, after we hung out at the house for a bit, we went down to the beach to let the kids swim and play.

Think Papa loves his girly, and she loves him??

Sand castles

Me and my baby girl, and a pretty background.

The jetty

Boys being boys

My little, happy family.

I think this one was longer then normal, but I couldn't choose pics!! Hopefully no one fell asleep looking at them! Definitely more pictures of me then normal, but that makes me happy. I go for months without even being included in pictures of my family!! So sad the summer is coming to a close, but happy the fall is just around the corner!

Hope everyone had a great summer!!