Her Royal Highness, Princess Rebecca of Charleston

Of course, the buzz this entire week has been about the Royal Wedding. I enjoyed watching the news as we led up this this day; however, I didn't have plans to get up at the crack of dawn to view it live. I thought I would DVR it or catch one of the many replays. In fact, most of my thoughts surrounded around how sad it was that their life was so public without being able to go anywhere without a zillion photographers!
Well, last night, Rebecca surprised me by asking if she could get up and watch the wedding! If you know her, you know that getting up early for anything is not usually on her agenda. So I decided that I would indeed set the alarm and share this special event with her. I asked Andrew if he was interested in watching... he was not, in fact thought it was dumb that we were getting up early to watch a "boring" wedding in another country!!! :)
My alarm went off at 5:20. I went and got her, and we watched history unfold snuggled under the covers. She talked, giggled, asked questions, critiqued the styles and clothes. It was so much fun to watch from her fairy tale view point and for a few minutes, set aside the reality of the life that Princess Katherine (aka Duchess of Cambridge) is about to begin.
Charles, a secret romantic at heart, was up studying and joined us about 1/2 way into it. Andrew jumped in the bed around 6:55 asking what was going on and even got interested enough that he asked why we didn't wake him. I reminded him that I asked and he refused! (He didn't remember this conversation as it was while I was tucking him in, and he was probably already 1/2 way to dreamland!!!)
Charles, a true teacher who missed his calling, told the kids that if they thought this was a grand event, just imagine what it will be like when Christ welcomes His bride into Heaven. What an amazing thought that is!!!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Baby Samuel!

One year ago today (well at 1:30 this morning actually), we were on our way to East Cooper Medical Center and at 6:40, we welcomed our sweet Samuel into our family. For years, we knew that our family was complete. We had our daughter and our son. There were 4 of us... it worked perfect for vacations and vehicles. They were getting older and more independent. We had a date night every Friday night as they headed over to my parent's house. Everything fit perfectly in the life we had planned. God had other plans... He saw fit to add an odd number to our family, a helpless baby who was not independent, who did not spend every Friday night with Nana and Papa and could care less if we every went on a date again!!! :) And we couldn't be happier. I didn't even know that a piece was missing in our family until he joined us. He has turned everything upside down (now that he is mobile, this is a literal statement as well!!) We all adore him so much.

Happy 1st Birthday Samuel... we love you bunches!

Is it bedtime yet?

I ask... because we have been up since 5:00am! Samuel's surgery to have tubes inserted into his ears was at 6:30 this morning... not exactly the time that we like to get up on Saturdays! :) They try to get the little ones in early though due to not being able to eat after midnight. He seemed a littled confused when I went to his room and started changing his diaper at 6:00 this morning!
We were taken into the examining room where Charles held him to get checked out. The procedure went great but he had a rough time coming off the anethesia. Imagine what it might look like for a baby to be drunk and that is what he looked like! He tried to open his eyes but they didn't quite work right. His limbs flopped about much like they did at birth. But most of all, he cried and whined and screamed... He didn't want to eat, acted like he was sleepy but wouldn't go to sleep. When we got home, we tried again to feed him but finally just rocked him while playing his Praise Baby DVD (best invention ever...) and he caved to the pressures of sleep.
I don't have any pictures because prior to the surgery, we were running on coffee and not quite thinking straight and afterwards... well, those would have just been to pitiful to post anyway!

Those pesky little ears...

Well... it started in October when we were in Atlanta for a wedding. The baby woke up around 1:30 screaming with a high fever. I suspected an ear infection but we were out of town, with no Motrin and no idea where the closest 24 hour pharmacy might be! We headed home the next day with a very miserable baby. I took him to the doctor the next morning and my suspicions were correct. I didn't think much about it since babies get ear infections all the time. Well... it is now December and two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with ear infection #4! Plus, even without having an infection, he was keeping fluid behind his ears. We have been on amoxicillian two times and augmentin two times. (side note... have no idea how he takes augmentin - it smells terrible!!!) Well, Dr. Hutton sent us to Charleston ENT, and our appointment was this afternoon. With absolutely no external symptoms, he had yet another ear infection today, fluid behind the ears and tested positive for mild hearing loss (due to the fluid). So, bright and early on Saturday morning, Samuel will be getting tubes in his little ears!
The bright side is that this has not caused any sleep disruption and no obvious discomfort since that first ear infection. He is the happiest, most content little guy. We are enjoying him so much.

Check ups

Our sweet Samuel is 6 months old today! Rebecca had her scheduled 11 year check up and I took the baby with me. When I got there, they weren't busy so they went ahead and did his 6 month (which was supposed to be on Friday.) He is doing wonderful. He only weighed in at 15 lbs which is the 10th percentile so we just have to add some formula or cereal to each meal. His length and head were just above the 50th percentile. He got SO upset when they gave him the shots. I had to blow in his face just to get him to breathe :( It is so hard to believe that we have had him for 6 months now. He is getting to be so much fun - makes lots of noises including coos, grunts and squeals.
Rebecca's appointment went great too. It is scary how fast she is growing up, made more real after the appointment and some of the girly things the doctor talked about! YIKES! I guess she is getting too old to reveal all of her measurements but she was 50% for weight and 70% for height. (So I guess there is hope for Sam since she stayed in 10-25% for weight when she was a baby and toddler!)
I love my kiddos so much. The other night I went and just watched each of them sleeping for a few minutes. I am just amazed at how God has chosen to bless us with 3 beautiful, healthy children!

Small but mighty...

I remember when I had just found out that we were expecting Rebecca. We went to JC Penney to look at maternity clothes. I was only about 6 weeks along so it was just insane excitement that sent me to that department. I did end buying something because I just couldn't resist the clothes that would show off my growing belly. I remember vividly that the lady who helped us said as we left, "your life will never be the same again." We laughed after we left because she said it like it was a bad thing. And of course, as a young married couple with no experience in parenting, we gasped at the thought of allowing children to dictate how we lived our lives. We would be the same... just add a new member to the household...
Fast forward 11 years... I was driving to the nursing support group that I attend and literally laughed out loud in the car as that long ago shopping trip came to my mind. Wow, to say that our lives haven't been the same is quite the understatement. I struggle to recall a life pre-children. Was there ever a time that it was just Charles & Irene? I know it is true because of the dates between our wedding day and the birth of Rebecca but it seems like a lost, distant memory. It is so funny how our lives are completely dictated by children. Not in a sense that they tell us how things will be run but how their activities rule my calendar. My close friends now are people who have children around the same ages as my children. My afternoons are now spent at soccer fields with other moms in this same season of life.
Now add the newest piece of the family, sweet baby Samuel and I have now conceded that life as we knew it has changed once again. Adding a baby to my home of 2 older kids was a more difficult transition than I had anticipated; but we are now wondering what we ever did before him and know that we wouldn't want to live without him.
Charles & I always laugh at how the smallest people in the house are the most demanding and who think that they get to rule the home.
I wonder if that is how God sees us. Compared to His power, wisdom and strength, we are much like the infant who is sleeping soundly in my home. He cannot get from one place to another without my help but he will scream with all of his might if he doesn't get what he wants, when he wants it. I find myself saying, "Baby, I know what you need. Just give me a minute and I will have it for you." Maybe I need to hear that word from God. "Daughter, I know your needs and I will take care of you. Just wait on my perfect timing."

Yay for Mommy's Milk

August 1-7 is National Breastfeeding week which celebrates the benefits of breastfeeding.