P.R.E.G.N.A.N.T.

December 7th-8th, 2009

Yup, it says 'PREGNANT.' WHOA!! How did that happen??? Well, not the biology lesson part but the how-in-the-world part. I was wondering if something was going on the past few days, as I just felt a little off, but I figured it was surely NOT because I was pregnant. E.P.T. has proven me wrong, though. And, so has my OB/GYN. They had me go in yesterday, the 7th, for confirmation and to schedule an ultrasound since I was having some pretty bad pelvic pain and was unsure of my dates. The pelvic pain seems to be due to a 3.5cm cyst on my right ovary and the ultrasound showed a gestational sac and yolk sac, but no baby yet. They are guessing that I am 5wks3days pregnant, as that is what the ultrasound and my blood work showed. We'll see. I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound to see if there is a baby.

I have a flood if every emotion possible right now. Excitement, surprise, worry and fear top the list. Excitement because, how exciting is it to welcome a new life into our family and into this world?! Surprise because this is purely a surprise, just as my last two pregnancies were. Worry because I just tend to worry when I'm pregnant. I worry about my health and the health of the baby. I worry how it will impact our marriage and the boys. I have fear, because I usually have that when I'm pregnant, too. I fear for the baby's safety, my safetly and every other thing imagineable. But, overall I am embracing this pregnancy. Or, trying to anyway. I know that this is the LAST one. I didn't have this feeling with any of the others, so I'm guessing this is how I know I am done after four! This feeling along with our plans to do something permanent to prevent pregnancy in the next year pretty much seal the deal.

Ahhhh....Morning Sickness

Dec. 10, 2009



A.K.A. All-Day-Long-Sickness. Yup, it's hit. With a vengance. This is reassuring, as the one pregnnacy I lost I had absolutley zero morning sickness. However, I find it quite funny how you conveniently forget how yucky morning sickness is until you're pregnant again. But, at least they say it's a sign of a healthy pregnancy!



Robert and I are becoming more comfortable with the idea of baby number four. He even says I may have to get that minivan I've been dreading! And, he may be right. We'll see. We've also talked some about names and realize that if we have a fourth boy he may not ever have a name! We had a hard time settling on Graham's name, as he was like 12hrs old before we commited to anything. All of our family and all of my nurses kept bugging me about him not having a name yeat. It was kind of funny. If it's a girl we pretty much know what her name will be. But, we'll see. My gut tells me it's a girl, but my brain is telling me to expect another boy since we already have three. Honestly, I don't care about the sex. A happy, healthy momma and baby is all that is important. It would be kind of cool, though, to have a girl. Who knows!!

6 Weeks 3 Days

Dec. 14, 2009

Yes, I am 6wks3days preggers now. This time last week was when the good ol' home pregnancy test turned positive. I've pretty much felt like crud the past week, which is why I've been neglecting my blog and Facebook duties. But, I will resume my updates soon when I feel better. Speaking of feeling better, Baby Carraway #4 was kind enough to allow me to feel better yesterday and even today. And, by better I just mean able to function without praying I don't have to sprint to the bathroom to throw up! This feeling better also makes me nervous. I want everything to be okay with my little bean, and feeling a little better makes me wonder. Yes, I guess I just worry that much when I'm pregnant! But, since Friday and Saturday were SO terrible, maybe it's just all relative. Friday night we had Robert's work Christmas party and I barely survived. The party started at 7:30pm and there was NO food until 8:30pm and I just about died. Of starvation and on-the-verge-of-pukation! I made it through, though, as if I had ended up getting sick I'm sure everyone would have knows what's up. Especially since it was such a big joke that there were no new Carraway's to welcome in 2009. All of Robert's co-workers said they were holding out for 2010. Little do they know! But anyway, I'll have to start taking belly pics pretty soon. I go for another ultrasound next Tuesday so see what the cyst is doing and to see if they can see the heart beat. Maybe if all goes well at that appointment I'll take my first belly pic of my somewhat-flat-yet-I've-had-3-babies-flabby stomach!



Until next time, you stay nice and happy and sung in there Baby Carraway #4. We love you already and Daddy thinks you are a girl, and so does Momma, but only time will tell!

What's Up in There??

Dec. 18, 2009



Okay, Baby Carraway#4. What's going on in there? You have me a little worried today. The morning sickness is not really present today, but Graham's mo-mo's are still sore. So I guess that's a good thing. But, you know how I am. I get worried at the slightest little thing. So, not that I want to be hugging the toilet again or anything, but I'd like a little reassurance that you are okay in there! But, Tuesday is not that far off and that's when we will hopefully see your precious little heart beating on the ultrasound screen. Hang tough, sweet baby, I hope you are doing alright. :)

A Fluttering Heart

Dec. 31, 2009

On December 22nd we had our second ultrasound of Baby Carraway #4. They were checking to see if my dates were matching up (aka if there was a heart beat now) and looking to see what the cyst had done. Well, the cyst is still there and we saw that heart beat!! A sweet little fluttering heart. Yay! The two ultrasounds, my blood work and my knowledge put me at 7wks4days which is about a weeks and a half behind what the last menstrual dating put me at. But, I knew I was right! I think after being pregnant enough you just kind of know when it happened. So, everyone is settled on the dating now and I move to the regular every 4 week appointments. I go back in January 7th and hopefully they'll hear little Baby Carraway #4's heart with the doppler!

On other pregnancy notes...The morning sickness had gotten a TON better. It started earlier and with lot more vengeance than any of my other pregnancies, but it seems to have faded slightly earlier, too. This is great news for anyone that has to be around me these days! ;) I've also got the early pregnancy pooch thing going on now, too. I finally went and invested in one of those pregnancy band things so I can wear my normal clothes and just not button them up. Would be a great thing to have even when not pregnant for after all those Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners!! I might just have to hang on to this thing. :) And, Patrick and Marshall seem to know that there's a baby on mommy's belly. However, I doubt they really get what this means but it's cute to hear them talk about it, none the less. We did finally tell all of our family and friends while we were home for Christmas. They all seem to be pretty excited, some more excited than others, but I think that's just how it is when you start having multiple children. It becomes kind of the norm, so to speak, for you to be pregnant!! I am planning to start taking belly pics on the days of my doctor appointments, so I should have one next week at the 10wk mark. Until next time...stay nice and cozy in there little bean. :)

Preschool Christmas Party

Back on December 16th (see previous post about me being a little behind!) Robert, Patrick, Marshall and I went to the Christmas party for Patrick's preschool class. Graham stayed home with a sitter, as decorating gingerbread houses seemed a little out of his league at the age of 16 months! We all had so much fun! We decorated our gingerbread house (which was mostly eaten by the time we left the party,) made cranberry and popcorn necklaces and fruit loop necklaces and even got to watch the kiddos sing some Christmas songs!!

The boys really enjoyed making their gingerbread house, but couldn't resist eating more candy than they put on the house. Every time I turned around there was candy missing! By the end of it Marshall was using the popcicle stick as a spoon to eat the frosting and Patrick was taking big bites out of the roof!

Making the necklaces were just as much fun as the gingerbread house and provided a great opportunity to snack, too! Marshall strung his entire froot loop necklace and then ate every single fruit loop off! Maybe I should actually let them eat sugared cereal occasionaly and they wouldn't be so obsessed with eating it.

The kids singing songs was Patrick's least favorite part. He decided to sit in my lap instead of going up to sing. I guess he was having a shy day or something! But, all in all it was a great time and Robert and I enjoyed meeting some of the other moms and dads that came to the party!

A little behind...

Yeah, I'm a little behind. On blogging, facebooking, picture taking, Christmas gift wrapping, gift mailing and, oh yeah, packing for our trip. We leave tomorrow!!! Yikes! But, today I will get us packed, the house ready for us to leave and off we will go tomorrow at lunch time. A special thanks to my super great husband for helping with massive amounts of laundry the past few days so that I can just pack up the clothes we need. Whew! Usually I'm frantically doing loads of laundry so that I can pack, but now it's done. Thanks again, Robert. :) I will also attempt to get caught up on all the things I'm running behind on. I've been a little exhausted lately and I think all of us are fighting one of those yucky winter colds. But, we are super excited about our trip!! We can't wait to see all of our family and celebrate Christmas! Safe travels for us and everyone else that hits the roads and/or airports this season. I'll hopefully be back in full swing in the New Year with lots of exciting posts about lots of super exciting things. :) Merry Christmas!

Blessings

Blessed. Truly blessed, to say the least. That is what we are. We are blessed is so many ways, from having a warm, cozy home to food on the table to Robert having a stable job to me having the privilege of being at home with our beautiful boys to having amazing friends and family and I could go on. Forever. I am rich in so many ways, and I'm not talking about financially. This time of year, especially given our country's economic situation, I am finding it more important that ever to be so appreciative of all that we are so fortunate to have. Especially the small things, the small things that mean so much.

This Christmas we are able to buy gifts for our loved ones, but we are cutting back just like everyone else. Not just because we want to conserve money, but because in all honesty it's not about the material gifts. It's about the intangible ones. The feelings, the sights and the true meaning of this season. My boys will have more gifts from friends and family than any child needs. They will love it. However, Robert and I have never been big gift people and we tend to keep all gift-giving occasions pretty simple. The boys will have one present each from mommy and daddy and a few small things from Santa and some very small (can we say $1 bin at Target!) things for their stockings. And, to tell the truth, I would rather my children just have fun, positive, special feelings about this time of year than to have a single gift under the tree. This is what I strive for. For my children to have nothing but pure joy and understanding of the Christmas season. We are doing pretty well on this, too. They know why we celebrate Christmas and just love to see the manger and baby Jesus. They don't really understand the whole Santa thing, party because I have not stressed it too much. They will get into that soon enough. For now, I want them to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and set a foundation of nothing but happy memories.

I say a prayer every night for those families that are in a more difficult situation than we are. Although we may not be there now, we do not know what the future holds. I wish everyone a glorious, blessed Christmas and I believe that we should all be more appreciative of the little things that make us so rich. As these are the things that make Christmas a truly magical time of year.

Many Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Potty Mouth

Yes, I can be a potty mouth at times. I admit it. But, it's not like I'm dropping the horrible f-bomb left and right or anything. I just have a few choice phrases/words that I often mumble under my breath or not so under my breath if the occasion presents itself. And, many of them are not even "potty mouth" things, they're just things that I would rather my children not say. Such as, "Oh my GOSH!" with a huge sigh afterwards. This one is usually due to the boys getting into something. Or, "Seriously guys. This is RIDICULOUS!!" Again, when they are doing something they should not be doing. These are two phrases the big boys use all the time, and I have to admit it can be pretty funny. But, I do have one word I say that is a little higher on the inappropriate list. It's dammit. Yes, it's a favorite of mine. And, I usually don't even realize I'm saying it and it's usually when I *think* I'm alone in the room and drop something or hurt myself. However, the all hearing ears of my 3 year old and 2 year old have picked up on this word. Isn't it amazing what those little ears hear when you think they are busy doing something else on the other side of the room or not even in the same room as you are?! Well, the other night while Robert and I were eating dinner, the big boys were playing with their barn and trying to put their trucks inside of it and use it as some sort of auto repair shop. Evidently their trucks were broken or something, who knows. But, the trucks would not fit inside the barn and the next thing I know, both big boys are saying, "Dammit. Dammit!!" as they attempt to shove trucks into their little barn. I tried to ignore it, but after a few times I reminded them that dammit is not a very nice word and that they should not say it, and neither should momma. We'll see how it goes. But, I do take responsibility for this one. And, I apologize in advance to everyone because you know they won't ever use that word again until we're sitting at Christmas dinner or something! I can already see how it will go. One of them will drop or spill something and a big 'ol dammit will come out. So, as I've mentioned in posts before, I think watching my potty mouth will certainly be one of my New Year's resolutions!

First Snow

We had our first snow this morning, only a dusting, but enough for the boys to be excited. We bundled up and the played for a minute (probably less!) before getting in the car to head to the gym. It was barely 20 degrees, so our time outside was short lived. But hey, we got out in the snow a little bit and I even remembered to take a few pics!

Graham decided to sit right down in the snow! And yes, he was pretty wet by the time we made it to the car. He was also not happy that his hands were cold. He screamed the entire way to the gym!

Marshall liked the snow much better than Graham. He insisted on putting on my gloves instead of his!

Patrick went an immediately threw snow balls! However, he had not put on his gloves yet and was pretty upset when the snow melted in his hands and made them cold. I see a theme here! My children do not like having cold hands. But, who does?!

Decorating for Christmas...Personal Touches

Hmmm...Notice something a little odd about this picture?? I looked at our tree the other day and noticed that the boys had added their own personal touch to our decorations. Nothing like a dirty sock and even a Toys R' Us coupon on a Christmas tree!

After taking a couple of years off from decorating the outside of our house, I decided to dig out all the outside stuff and put it up. They boys love looking at all the lights on their house and it has definitely put me in even more of a holiday mood!! No dirty socks in the garland outside...yet, anyway. :)

Top Ten Signs It Might Just Be Time To Wean

10. Your child is over 12 months of age
9. Your child is capable of feeding himself table food
8. Your child drinks out of a sippy cup and cup just fine
7. Your pediatrician asks at every visit, "Is he finished nursing yet??"
6. Your child's older siblings walk him to you whenever they think he needs momma milk
5. Your child attempts to gain access to his momma milk by going down your shirt
4. If going down your shirt is unsuccessful, he lifts your shirt and crawls under it
3. Your child asks for momma milk by name, even if he's got a sippy cup right in front of him
2. Your child gets a giddy, goofy grin on his face and kicks his feet and claps his hands if you tell
him he can have some momma milk
1. Your almost 16 month old knows the workings of a nursing bra and will unclasp it, nurse and
close it back up when he's finished!



Yes, Graham is showing all of these signs. I think if might just be time for him to be done nursing! He's down to just a few times a day, which is nice. However, I do miss the "nature's boob job" that I've had for the past couple of years, as things are a little um, lower now that he's nursing less. But, I do have so much more energy and I am not ravenously hungry all the time since he's not sucking all the life out of me these days. So, once we get through our holiday travels I think we will be spending some time focusing on weaning Graham (of course I've been saying this since he was like 6 months old!) and even attempting to potty train Marshall.

Language Explosion

Graham's vocabulary is exploding! I swear, it has happened over night. Just today I have heard him say half a dozen new words!! My favorite so far is "Actic" for Patrick. Patrick knows Graham is calling his name and he answers, it pretty sweet. Graham also saw some batteries from our flashlight and pointed to them saying, "battery!" I just love it. Especially when at dinner he looked at me and mumbled, "Wanna ite, momma!" So, a bite of momma's dinner he got. It's so great to hear his language blossoming. Patrick was a very late talker, and to be honest I was a little worried. Marshall talked extremely early, and it looks like Graham is pretty much on target. I think there is something so exciting and special about hearing the voice of your child say words for the first time.

Wordful Wednesday

Yes, Patrick is wearing my boots. And, he even has my boot socks on, too. He thought he looked pretty good when this picture was taken! Hmmm....if he ever goes through some crazy cross-dressing phase maybe we'll be able to trace it back to this! ;)

Best Laid Plans

Yesterday I took a stroll through Home Goods (love that store!) while the boys were with the sitter. I saw this cute little "Time Out" chair and thought it would be great for the boys. Well, not so much. When I brought it home they fell in love with it. I explained that it was our new "naughty spot" and when they misbehaved they had to sit in it for a few minutes. The totally missed the point. They ended up carrying it around the house, sitting in it and pouting as if they were in trouble. We'll see what happens when they actually have to sit in it at some point today, as someone is in time out every day!

I spent yesterday morning, before the boys woke up, Goo Gone-ing my kitchen floor. The boys had made cute signs for Daddy's promotion announcement at work Monday. While I was digging through our arts and crafts bin to prepare, they got into the foam letter stickers and decided to make a "snake" with them across my kitchen floor before using them to make congrats signs for Robert. I didn't really freak out at the time, as whenever they stick stickers on things (my Waterford vase!) they usually just peel right off. Not these foam letter stickers!!! They were S.T.U.C.K. Urghh. I finally ended up finding the Goo Gone stuff and had to let them soak in it for a while before I could get them off. I also ended up having to mop the kitchen to get the greasy Goo Gone off of my floor. Lesson learned. And, Goo Gone is pretty fabulous stuff!!

Future Occupation

Graham was so in love with the toy doctor kit at Robert's parents'! He especially liked the stethoscope. He would bring the case over to me, wanting me to open it, so he could get it out! And, he would become quite upset if the stethoscope was not inside. It was pretty funny. Maybe he has a future in the medical profession? Who knows, but I do think that even at a young age he looks quite distinguished with that little stethoscope around his neck!

Graham even took the stethoscope over to Twomammy and Daddy Pat's Saturday night. He found their bear skin rug and decided that this bear needed a check-up!

Thanksgiving Part II

After enjoying a couple of days and a fantastic turkey dinner at MiMi's we headed to spend some time with Robert's family. We drove through Brownsville on our way to Dyersburg to see Robert's grandparents. They boys had fun seeing their great grandparents and especially their chihuahua, Dora. They just loved that little dog! And, I must admit that I was a little worried for Dora, as all three of the boys were picking her up, but she was so wonderful with them. Don't worry, though, there is NO dog in our future! As much as our boys love them, I have enough problem just making sure our cat is fed and has a clean litter box. The thought of one more thing in our house that requires any sort of care is exhausting! But, the boys had a great time and it was nice to see Grandmother and Granddaddy.

After our short visit in Brownsville we load back in the car and headed to Dyersburg. They boys did SO great through all of our Thanksgiving travels and were certainly ready to get out and P.L.A.Y. once we made it to Robert's parents. Hannah and Chloe came over with Brad shortly after we arrived and what better thing to do than to send them all out to the trampoline?!

Sweet Chloe :)

I just love the static in her hair. I was told it was

less than normal because she had somehow managed

to get wax in her hair! Sounds like something that

would only happen in our house, eh?!

Five crazy cousins jumping around on the trampoline.

We might just have to get one of these someday. It seemed

to wear the boys out!

Little Grammy getting some help from cousin Hannah.

He doesn't know how to really jump yet, so he just walked around

squatting as if he was jumping. It was pretty funny!

We also were lucky enough for the horses to come

over near us and the boys loved seeing them!

They even got to feed them carrots!

Graham decided that it was best to just

go on ahead and eat the carrot himself!

Why give such a tasty snack to a horse?!

The big boys with GanGan and "Brownie."

I don't know the horses' real names, but the boys called

the brown one "Brownie" and the black on "Blackie!"

Fitting enough, I guess.

Graham's really checking out that horse!


All three boys got to pet both of the horses.
Thanks "Brownie"and "Blackie" for being so kind and gentle!

After spending the afternoon outside we enjoyed a nice traditional turkey dinner with Nonny, GanGan, Brad, Julie, Hannah and Chloe. Of course it was filled with the typical little kid drama! Patrick was "all done" before he even took one bite, Graham just wanted down because he spoiled his dinner by having momma milk right before and Chloe was not interested in eating much, either! Oh, the days of enjoying nice, quiet dinners are probably not going to be around for quite some time. :) But, it was a great evening and the boys were so worn out!

Saturday night we headed over to Twomammy's and Daddy Pat's for Thanksgiving with all of Robert's mom's family. There was a total of 14 children ages 10 and under. Talk about busy! The kids ran around and played after eating while the adults enjoyed some yummy heavy hors d'oeuvres. We loved being able to see everyone and again, the boys were exhausted and ready for bed by the time we got back to Nonny and GanGan's. So, off to bed we all went so we could be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the drive back to Cincinnati.

The five of us before heading to Twomammy's and Daddy Pat's.
Patrick was NOT in a good mood and had ZERO interest in
taking pictures! The other two boys look less than thrilled to be
saying cheese, too!



Robert's parents and the five grand kids. Patrick could not
look anymore miserable if he tried! But, look at that grin on little

Marshy. :)

We had such a fantastic Thanksgiving and are SO thankful for all the special friends and family that we have. The boys had so much fun they are already asking to go back to MiMi's and Nonny and GanGan's!! We head back in just a few weeks to celebrate Christmas. We will even get to see Uncle Goob, my brother, Christian, his wife, Becca, and my mom's sister, Dian! We are all looking forward to it.

Thanksgiving Part I

Our Thanksgiving has be great so far! The drive to Memphis was rather uneventful- a good thing when travelling with three little ones! The boys watched A LOT of DVD's, ranging from Baby Einstein to 'Taylor Taylor.' We were even so fortunate as to have Patrick serenade us with Taylor Swift for the last hour or so of the drive! He just loves to watch the DVD that has her music videos on it. He wants to watch the same song over and over until he learns the words and then move on to the next song! We did have a little issue with the sun while driving on I-40 West. "He's lookin' at me!" is what Patrick kept saying. But, once I gave him a pair of sunglasses he was good to go...We arrived in Memphis about dinner time and went to El Porton for some yummy Mexican food. Then, it was back to MiMi's and off to bed!

Can't argue with Patrick, the sun is definitely lookin' at him!

Just chillin' with his shades on...

I don't know exactly what was going on when these pics were taken.

I think I was upstairs in the shower and the boys were supposed to

be getting dressed. But, look at that fun scooter that MiMi got the

boys and the stick horse and farmer's hat just make it complete!

Graham loved MiMi's stick horses. However, he managed

to chew off the ends of the sticks on all three of them!

Safety first!!! That's Marshy's motto.

He's got his helmet on and is ready

to have a go at riding the scooter.

Goin' on a cat hunt...

Not to be confused with going on a

bear hunt!!! The boys just can't leave

MiMi's poor kitties alone. See the cat

hiding under the dining room table?

Graham really enjoyed his Thanksgiving dinner! He sat right

down and had basically finished eating by the time we all got

started. The other two boys didn't do so well...

Patrick just wanted one of the cupcakes with a Turkey on top

that we got for the boys' dessert. Marshall just wanted to sit with

daddy. They both finally ate a little and then ate up a yummy cupcake.

After dinner the boys played, took a bath and were off to bed. The big boys have been sleeping very well and MiMi's. Graham, not so much. He's in the pack-n-play in our room and has just ended up sleeping in bed in between me and Robert! At random times during the night he will come on over to me and have a middle-of-the-night momma milk snack or just drape himself over you and sleep very soundly. Now, can't say the same for momma or daddy when he's on top of us! I have a feeling this new habit will be hard to break once he get back to Cincinnati.

Today we head to Brownsville for a short visit and then off to Dyersburg 'til Sunday. We've had a great trip so far and we're looking forward to the rest of our visit!

Road Trip

In just a few hours the Carraway clan is loading up in the car and heading to Tennessee for Thanksgiving! The boys are SO excited. They can't wait to see everyone and I truly think they are just excited to get to sit and watch DVD's all day as we drive! They even asked about it yesterday. And, when I got our packed bags downstairs last night Marshall asked what they were for. When I told him they were for our big trip tomorrow he ran and said he had to put his shoes on because he wanted to go, too! My sweet, goofy Marshy. :) I guess tomorrow means nothing in the mind of a two year old. But, we are all packed and I even got donuts for breakfast this morning so that the boys will be occupied for mommy and daddy to load up the car.

We have SO much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and every day. We have three beautiful, amazing, healthy children. We have great loving friends and family. We have a warm, cozy home. Robert has a great job that provides very well for us and also enables me to be at home with our boys. We have our health. Yes, we do have problems in our lives. Nothing is perfect. But, in the grand picture these problems are very minor in comparison to what many others are going through. I am SO BLESSED and thank God in my prayers every day. What are you thankful for? Be thankful for EVERYTHING, even those things that don't seem like blessings. They really are blessings and a learning experience that He has created.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING and pray for SAFE travel and BE GRATEFUL. Life is truly fragile.

Santa

A Carraway Family Portrait with Santa

November 22, 2009

Sunday evening we were supposed to have our holiday family pictures taken. However, I missed the email that our photographer sent stating her daughter was sick and all sessions were rescheduled. So, what to do?? All dressed up and no where to go!

We headed to the mall. Pretty much just to kill time and let the boys run off some energy. But, we got there just in time to see Santa before he left for the evening! The boys were pretty timid at first and none of them would sit with Santa unless momma and daddy sat, too. And, even then none of the boys would actually sit on Santa's lap! Needless to say, it ended up being a family picture with Santa. But, I think it turned out pretty cute! By the time we left the big boys were even giving Santa high fives, but still did not want to sit on his lap. One step at a time, right?!

Up Goes the Tree

Yup, our Christmas tree is up! Yay! I decided to go on ahead and get it up for a couple of reasons. First, the boys just love Christmas trees and now they have more time to destroy, oops, enjoy it. Second, this is part of my do-all-Christmas-prep-stuff-early-so-we-can-enjoy-December goal. Mission accomplished! They boys had a blast getting the tree up and decorating it. Mommy and daddy had a blast just watching the joy and fascination on their sweet little faces. :)

Daddy's boys helping him get the tree put together.

A cluster of ornaments. Yes, this drives me nuts. But, I am
fighting the urge to rearrange them since the boys placed
them there. I don't want to destroy their work of art!


It seems that they think each individual branch must have
a minimum of two ornaments on it!

Patrick placing an ornament.

Marshall just hung a bell!

Baby Graham even got the hang of it!

Wow! Look at our finished product. They did

such a great job! And, just so you know, I did

go on ahead the put up all the breakable, nicer

ornaments before they got started. I don't think

I could bear to see one of my Waterford angel

ornaments that I collect go crashing to the floor!

Ahhhh. So now we just sit back and enjoy our tree. And, I've completed about 99% of my shopping, too! Here's to a super fun, relaxed December! Merry Christmas, a little early. :)

A Dinner Date

Last night I had a dinner date. A dinner date with the four amazing boys that I am blessed to have in my life! Yes, that's right. Robert and I ventured out to dinner with all three boys in tow. We headed to one of our favorites, El Rancho Grande, for a quick Mexican dinner. We have been frequenting this restaurant too often since it opened about four years ago. And, I swear this place will send a pregnant woman into labor. I ate there in the 48hrs prior to each of the boys' births! But, back to our evening out. Patrick was SO excited to go out to dinner! And, overall the boys behaved next to perfectly. They ate their grilled cheeses and fries like champs and even liked daddy's fajita chicken, especially Graham. So, since they behaved so well, they got a little trinket toy out of the vending machines when we left. By the way, I HATE those machines! The ones will gum balls, candy, toys, etc. They are any parent's nightmare once your child figures out what they are! We came home, put on our pj's and were off to bed. A successful evening out, with children! YAY! I figure we will continue to take them out to child-appropriate dinner places occasionally, it's good for them. Until next time...

Just a Glimpse...

...of what is going on in my house at this moment. The boys have taken the couch apart and piled the cushions on top of the coffee table. They are jumping off of their "tower." Patrick is harassing me for bubbles so he can play with his little Gymboree bubble blower thing. Robert is calling, hopefully to say he's on his way home!! (Please let that be why he's calling.) I just heard a crash from the living room. No crying, though. I'm going to be optimistic and assume all is okay. They have now carried their xylophones into the living room and are using them as skateboards. Patrick is telling Graham, "That won't hurt bad! That won't hurt bad!" Oh Lord, what are they doing? Do I even dare walk in there? Oops. Graham just walked in and he is crying. Maybe whatever "that" was did actually hurt! Nope, he's just thirsty and now happily drinking his milk/OJ combo that the Carraway house is famous for. Now Graham is trying to open the trash can that I am sitting on as I type this. And, Patrick is back. He wants me to blow a "big bubble" with the wad of gum I am chewing. Is is bedtime yet?!? Nope. Only 6:37pm. About an hour and a half left. Urghhh. But, our dinner is simmering happily on the stove. Smells good. YUM! So, off tend to my rambunctious children and try to coax them into their pj's before daddy gets home. I think I may go run an errand or two when daddy gets home. I need to escape this madness for just a few minutes. Have a good night...

Momma and Her Lil' Turkeys

So, I went and got all crafty today! We made a trip to Michael's and after lunch we had some craft time. The boys (and momma) had fun! Our turkeys (aka gobble gobbles, according to Marshall) turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. However, my dining room and living room are now covered in feathers! AAHHH! But, so worth the clean up. I just love the 'gobble gobbles' we made. :)

Just Sprucin' Up the Place a Bit, Mom

Yes, this is my Waterford vase

that sits on our dinging room table.

Yes, my boys decided to spruce it

up a bit by adding some stickers!

No, I do not know how they got away

with this without my knowledge, as I

just came across it while cleaning.

All Tuckered Out

I think all the playing outside in our

beautiful weather just did Graham in!

Friday Night Lights

Since daddy is out of town until Monday, we decided to have some friends over for pizza and brownies and some playing on the playset after dark. Patrick was, however, somewhat disappointed when I had to explain to him that Pappa John's does NOT have a cheese pizza with chocolate chips. He settled for making brownies, though...They were all so excited, especially to be allowed to play outside after the sun had set. They thought it was pretty cool that the motion sensored light in our backyard kept coming on to keep it bright enough to play. Heck, it was so bright my boys had to wear sunglasses! They are a little confused about the whole sunglasses thing. They only wear them at night...But, we all had a fun time! All the kiddos chowed down on pizza, brownies and strawberries and were more than exhausted by the time they finally made it to bed. For once, there was no protesting or "one more minute, momma" in the Carraway house. And, all three boys even slept in until 8am. WHOA!

Graham playing on the big tow truck

Anyone else humming, "I wear my sunglasses at night..."
by Corey Hart?! Don't lie, I know you are!!



Marshall the cool kid

Here I come!

I'm guessing he can't really see a thing

with his sunglasses on when it's pitch black outside.

Having fun on the swings.

Random Thursday Ranting

Is this week over yet?!? I mean, seriously, it's lasted like 2 months!!! Urrghh. I'm in a bad mood, my children are in bad moods, and this week WILL. JUST. NOT. END.

For starters, "Taylor Taylor" has taken over my house. As much as I like Taylor Swift's music, enough is enough. However, I'll be honest, I had only heard a couple of her songs until recently. But, now I think I have heard ALL of them. 100 times. Seen all the videos that are on the DVD that came with her latest album, too. 100 TIMES. Had to get my husband to video the boys dancing to "Taylor Taylor" 100 TIMES. I'm glad that she won like every award under the sun last night at the CMA's, but sweet Taylor Swift needs to leave my house. Please. Hopefully Patrick's little crush/obsession with her will end soon. Very soon.

Second, both of the big boys have runny noses now. And, don't worry, it's NOT "cloudy!" So, I guess that means if I decide to ever return to our gym they are allowed to go?!? The problem with the big boys having runny noses is that it is contributing to their bad moods and now that they talk and all, they keep whining about it, begging me to get a tissue (because I guess they can't do that on their own?!) and wanting me to put petruleum jelly under their raw little noses like every other minute. Oh, how I just love cold and flu season!!!

And finally, (Don't worry. I could go on, but I will spare cyberspace) Robert goes out of town tomorrow and will not return until Monday. Just in time to avoid the boys' runny noses! Ahhhh, the joys of motherhood.

We will survive, I'm sure. And, hopefully we'll all be back to our normal (whatever that is!) selves soon.

Graham's First Haircut

My baby Graham sitting on the horse ready for his first haircut.

Sorry for the poor picture quality, it was taken with my phone.

Graham got his first haircut, ever, today. I finally broke down and had the baby mullet removed. The big boys had appointments this morning and when our hair lady, Ms. Lynn, had time to do Graham I just went for it. I had no intention of cutting off his sweet, fine baby hair this morning, but when even Ms. Lynn commented on his baby mullet I figured it was time. So, off came some inches, yes inches. Off came that sweet, perfect hair he was born with. It made me kind of sad, I must admit. I had no problem getting the big boys' hair cut when they were infants. They both had their first trims by the time they were 9 months old! But, for some reason I just didn't want to change Grammy's. Maybe this is because he is my baby, I don't know. But, I did it. And, he looks pretty darn handsome now! So, I guess he may loose his nickname of Samson that Robert came up with. He'll have to find his strength from something other than his hair!