So close . . .

We made it nearly 6 months with out Tori getting sick but the streak has ended. All three kid are sick, including Tori. They have a bad head/chest cold. Last night was a miserable night. Kasey was up three times by midnight, then finally came to sleep in bed with me (her first time ever). You don't want to share a bed with her, even if you have a king bed. Tori was up every hour and a half not able to breathe real well. So I called the doctor this morning. I have to watch her chest, without a shirt on every hour to make sure she isn't retracting when she breaths. It will be good to get the first sickness over with and next time I won't be so nervous. Needless to say we were back to a HO HUM day but worse. A lot of tears were shed (Kasey mostly) and a lot of movie watching today. Little Mermaid is a favorite of Kasey's right now and everytime I try to sing the songs she says, "Mom, mom no singing." Wylie's favorite movie is the movie Cars, Tori, well she doesn't watch movies, she just loves when you carry her all the time or constantly give her attention, she does like her swing too!

40 Degrees in Wisconsin

Only in the Minnesota/Wisconsin would you get so excited about reaching 40 degrees. We had a great day today, it was sunny and we got out side to play lots! It made me realize even more that we need nice weather soon! We were happier playing inside too! We went for a nice long walk, Tori bundled in her stroller, happy as a clam and Wylie and Kasey rode their big wheels around the neighborhood. Came home and they wanted to take their "big two wheel" bikes (with training wheels) around the culd-a-sec. So off they went like they had been riding them for months, yet it was their first time today. Kasey at 2 1/2 is riding it too, amazing:) I tried to get a picture but I had my hands full with two on bikes and Tori in the stroller, trying to keep the wind and sun out of her little face. Here are a few pictures of the happy kids today. . . . BAD NEWS . . . it is supposed to snow tomorrow. Another HO HUM DAY . . . ugh . . . Good day today so I will end with that:) Smile.

Ho Hum days . . .

A day at our house . . .

7am- all kids playing in living room, Tori has her morning bottle
8am-eat breakfast and tell Wylie and Kasey 50 times to stop playing at the table and eat their breakfast
9am- we are back to playing . . today it was Kasey painting, Wylie playing cars, Tori takes her morning nap
10am-Tori wakes up, feed her fruit and oatmeal and then we went for our morning drive about 20 minutes so I can get my coffee, kids all think the car ride is great
11am we are back home . . . playing again. Tori enjoys her swing, Wylie and Kasey want to play play-doh
12pm- we eat lunch, today quesadillas, strawberries, milk again telling them 50 times to stop playing at the table
1pm- They all go lay down for naps . .
2pm-Wylie is already up, so we start playing cars
3pm- they all up and ready to play again . . so kasey paints, wylie plays and Tori just does whatever makes her happy,she is always happy so it is okay
4pm- wishing it was time for dinner, but nope. we go in the basement and play some more . .
5pm-feed Tori her food rice cereal and a vegtable, start dinner which tonight was fish,salad and vegtables
6pm- we all eat, jacques just got home, and again told the kids 50 to stop playing but got so mad that I took their food away . . . which makes me mad when the food i made was good for them and they were eating it but they just sometimes DONT listen
7pm- I finally was going to take a shower . . . time to relax for a few,wrong two little kids join me. whatthe heck I don't care. they hop right in and play for 20 minutes.
8pm-get them ready for bed, brush our teeth, read our books and off to bed they go :)

(Don't forget running a two year old to the toilet every 30 minutes (she is potty training), doing laudry, cleaning and wiping two other kids butts!:) )

That is how all of our daYs have gone the past 6 months . . . just add different games, toys, play time etc. IS SUMMER WEATHER HERE YET SO WE CAN SPENT ALL THIS TIME OUTSIDE????? PLEASE . . . . WE ARE DYING OVER HERE . . .

HAPPY EASTER!!! Here is a short video of Wylie and Kasey finding their Easter Eggs.

CARS CARS CARS

It is expected that our four year old boy would be in LOVE with the movie Cars and watching NASCAR races. He has 80+ cars and he knows if one is missing. We are learning right along with him as we have started to watch the NASCAR series. My favorite was the M &M car because I like M&M's and Wylie decided that was his favorite too. Now he goes around the house talking about Kyle Busch, the drive of the M&M car. He has learned about 10 cars, their drivers, numbers and all. So just like big brother, Kasey has taken an interest in cars too, she will be the first one to point out a big fin (spoiler), and the brighter the car the faster it must be . . . no dolls and princess stuff in this house thus far . . . . Will Tori be our little princess????Not likely. She gets real big eyes, big "oh my goodness" face and starts yelling with excitement when she sees, yep you guessed it, one of the other kid's race cars. She has all these lovely, colorful, fun, noisy, toys and she will pick a car every time. Too funny for an almost nine month old to have picked up on how much the other two play with and fight over the cars :)

Oops, not about me!

So I just wanted to add my excitement about my first real outing since Tori has been home, so 6 months! Sure we went to dinner twice, once in October and then once in December and a over night trip for one night with my wonderful husband, but but in 6 plus months that isn't a lot considering my days. No Kidding! So this is a big deal for me, to get out with a friend, enjoy our conversation, enjoy some drinks and enjoy BON JOVI for 2 1/2 hours!

The kids are doing great. We have completed week one in Kasey's potty training. All is all, I am very happy with our progress. She has had three accidents in total, still gets excited to get her 1 pink M&M (thank goodness for easter because all she wanted was pink M&M's), or two if she does her poopies, Wylie still gets as proud of her as he did the first time and lastly she has only fallen off the potty twice as she watches herself go. I have only had to bribe her once to come with me and go potty and only been snapped at once. She started to do her "poopies" in her underwear and so we put her right on the toilet and I said, "Kasey you CAN'T go poopies in your underwear." She replied with a sharp, snappy tone " I DIN"T go poopies, I went ONE poop." Didn't know she knew the difference between singular and plural???

So hopefully this week goes smoothly. Wish Jacques luck as he will be alone with them from 4 until I get home from Bon Jovi! Adding potty training the week before my outing wasn't very nice of me, but he will do great! We are lucky to have him and the kids just LOVE spending time with Dad. It will be fine. Harder for me to leave probably, over worrying. " Just go, forget about it, it will be fine, have fun!" that is what I will tell myself until I am out the door.

My night out only five days away . . .

So I can hardly wait for my big night out to see the one and only BON JOVI!!! I am going with a good friend of mine. We are getting dropped off at McGovern's Pub at 5pm to get all "ready" for the concert. Also, opening is Daughtry! We have arranged for a ride home . . . .I just couldn't be happier :) Yeah!

Potty Training #2

So we are on day number 4 for potty training Kasey. So far so good, knock on wood. I finally just decided that I was tired of buying diapers and that she is a bright girl and should be able to get the hang of it even though she is only 2 1/2 years old. First day, I made a big deal about the whole thing. We picked out underwear (Dora and princess) and our reward candy for going potty on the toilet. Wylie is just as excited about it telling Kasey her Dora underwear are "beautiful" and that "you look cute,kasey" in her princess underwear. Do I have a kind hearted boy or what?

I am proud to say that we have gone 4 days now with out an accident. Not sure who is more excited when she goes on the toilet. It is a close call-Wylie? Mom? or Kasey? Wylie is genuinely proud or her when she goes. She is proud of herself too but don't tell her "Kasey you are such a big girl now." Because she will snap at you "no, I just a GIRL."

There is no turning back now-I am sure we will hit some big bumps but I have committed to potty training and she is on board. So giddy up! Wish us luck ;)

A sigh of relief

I can breathe a sigh of relief today for the first time in the past two weeks. I had visions that I was pregnant the past two week. Didn't help I was two weeks late and have felt extremely more tired than usual. Or that I was talking to a friend the other day and her husband said half sleeping when he knew it was me, "what, Is JoLynn pregnant again?" It was eery because I hadn't shared my inner fear that I actually thought I was to anyone but Jacques.

To make a long story short, I am not pregnant and THANK GOODNESS! You know you have made a good decision on getting your tubal ligation when the thought of being pregnant for real makes you sick to your stomach. Yes we would deal with it but no we don't want to. However, after being scared the last few weeks I learned that there still is a 2% chance of becoming pregnant after a tubal, higher if you had it during a c-section (which i did), and higher around the 10 year mark. What??? I don't want any chance . . . . so I am now convincing my wonderful husband that it is his turn to assure that there are no oops' in the future :) Is he on board?????

The whole Truth

Feeling guilty that I didn't admit that I took Tori to the pool for a brief outing with the family. We actually got a picture of her out and about . . . So hopefully she won't get sick. She didn't touch anybody or anything . . . Plus the doctor said it would be okay just don't make a habit of taking her out and about yet until May- So here is a picture of our little Tori.

reflecting on our one night get-a-way

So we traveled to Duluth for one night so Wylie and Kasey could go to the water park hotel we have been promising all winter. We were supposed to go in December but my mom tore her rotator cuff and couldn't watch Tori, so we rescheduled it. Then my mom found out she needed major back surgery so we cancelled yet again. I think it is time to expand our babysitter list . . . So we went with all of us, yep all five of us, and got a two room room thinking we can put the kids to bed and have some time to ourselves . . . what were we thinking. Better this way then being asked every day "how many days til we go to the waterpark hotel?" from a four year old who is still confused that when he wakes up from his nap it is the same day as when he woke up that morning :)

Well I can say I was not asked that today! They enjoyed themselves and played in the water, played at the arcade, stayed up late, had pizza and even got to sleep in the king size bed with mom. Mom and Dad, well we were just glad they had a good time. That is what being a parent is all about. After all, they have had just as long of a fall, winter and now spring as I have.

I did find a note on my glass the night we got home that said, " I love you and love going on trips with you and the ___, no just you!" from Jacques. (pretty funny!)

Tori's update

Tori had her first NICU follow up appointment today. If you want the scoop, check out her update on her caring bridge web page. If you don't have it, it is www.caringbridge.org/visit/toribaumer

We are so proud of little Tori and her personality is unlike any other infant. She is such an expressive little girl. The doctors told me the night she was born that she is a fiesty little girl and she is still that today :)

First "whole" family outing

Right now I sit in our hotel room updating out blog as Jacques and the "big" kids play in the water park. It is quite sad as I have been home ALL winter just waiting for an outing. I have proven again to be right when it comes to mom's instinct, which was " why go to the waterpark hotel when Tori can't be by everyone and it will just be a big pain for sleeping arrangements." Well I caved in after hearing Trace Atkins new song "You're gonna miss this." So here we are. No, here I am in our hotel room. Time will only tell how the sleeping will go. Right now, Tori is sound asleep after her busy day, but will I am sure be woken when the rest of the crew gets back . . . oh well . . .
As long as Wylie and Kasey have a good time, I am happy, a little annoyed and crabby but happy because they deserve some fun after this past fall, winter and upcoming spring . . . Only two months 'til we can let our gaurd down a little. Hurray for all of us:)