Are we going somewhere?

Mom, will you .... (insert long list of tasks here)?

Nelson, I'm making breakfast then taking a shower.

Oh.  Why? Are we going somewhere?

What?

Why are you taking a shower? Are we going somewhere?

Nelson! I take a shower every morning!  Or at least I'd like to! 

Oh, I thought you just did in the afternoons. 

Not sure how I feel about that conversation!  I do like to shower every morning and no it doesn't always happen because a lot of mornings little people wake up before my alarm and then life happens and I wind up showering during nap time or bed time.... and occasionally the NEXT morning.  Yes, it's true.  I go without a shower once in a while.  I guess I was just suprised that a 10 year old boy noticed and thought I only shower if we're going somewhere.  Ha! 

Catch up

This is a post just to catch up on everything from the last couple of weeks so get ready for some randomness! :) 

My dear husband brought me flowers last week.  He was trying to think of something nice to do for me like send me on a pedicure but I told him hinted to him that I wanted flowers.  Awe. Aren't they pretty? 

One of our favorite meals from this months menu so far has been the pork loin roast.  I just love love love pork with cranberry sauce (thank you Pioneer Woman).  I didn't follow her recipe exactly this time.  I just cooked a preseasoned roast in the dutch oven then simmered a can of cranberry sauce (with whole cranberries) with a little garlic, onion, and rosemary and used that to top our roast.  Throw on a side of rosemary roasted potatoes and carrots and we're good.  The plate pictured is mine so the carrots are raw.  The kids like there's sliced and simmered with a little water, honey, and butter. 

I saw a neat idea on pinterest and now my two youngest think I am so cool.  All I did was cut the netting out of the long sides of the pack-n-play and put a fitted sheet over the top and now they have a book nook that can be put away when not in use . I have big plans to sew receiving blankets together to make a top for it and sides that can hang down or be tied up.  But.... for now it's just a cut up pack-n-play with a sheet.  But they love it. 

Another favorite meal.... chicken pot pie.  This was my first time to not use canned chicken, canned soup, and canned broth.  I actually boiled a chicken, simmered the bones for 18 hours to make stock, and used a little bit of the stock to make the filling for the pie.  I did buy the pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (the two pack of rolled up crusts).... it's just so easy and it tastes great.  And I've never made pie crust.  Yet.  I made it in a giant cast iron skillet and it was perfect! 

The crust cooked perfectly... yum. 

Just enough left for Daddy to take for lunch the next day.  :)

While I was making the above chicken pot pie, the boys pretended to be in time out.  Silly boys.

Henry has a new favorite place to do his math. 

On top of the shelf under his window. Whatever works! 

Oh!  You know it's our first time to have a winter garden so while it's technically not unusual to harvest broccoli while there is ice hanging from the trees, it was a first for me.  How cool to go outside in 32 degree weather and pick broccoli?!  I also got a little bit of cauliflower.

And look at the brussels sprouts!  Our chickens peck at the garden every chance they get so the leaves aren't pretty, but thankfully they haven't eaten any of the vegetables yet. 

We also have a couple of nice heads of cabbage going. 

Last but not least, my handsome 10 year old begged me to let him try out his new basketball shoes that are suppose to be for inside the gym only .....

TAY goo

Tegu blocks caught my eye while Jack was a baby.  I couldn't justify the purchase at the time especially since I wasn't sure Nelson and Henry would be in to them.  I've looked at them online and watched for sales since then.  FINALLY Ecobabybuy had them on sale for almost half off a couple weeks ago.  I ordered a 52 piece set in Jungle.  So the day they arrived we opened them up and got busy.  I am wishing I had purchased more!  These blocks are awesome. They provide a great outlet for imagination and creativity.  Nelson, Henry, & Jack love them.  (kash loves to put them in his mouth).  I even had fun playing!  Now that I know how cool they are I would totally recommend purchasing them even at full price.  Besides being a really cool toy, Tegu is a great company.  The factory is in Honduras where 50% of the population live below poverty level.  They are providing jobs with good pay.  When you buy blocks, they plant trees to restore the forestry in Honduras that was destroyed in the 90's.  They also contribute to the education of many of the kids in Honduras.

Nelson's Birth Story

We were due with our 1st on March 30th, 2002. I had the typical morning sickness which I first thought was a stomach bug. It wasn't just in the mornings but it didn't last long and the rest of the pregnancy was a breeze. I gained just the right amount of weight even though I ate a "snack" (a whataburger jr w/cheese & jalepenos) every day on my way home from work and a bowl of Blue Bell's Tin Roof (before they changed it up!!) every morning for breakfast. We found out we were having a boy and were so excited! This was our true heart's desire! Towards the very end of the pregnancy my blood pressure was a little elevated. Not high but "high" for me. I was also a little swollen so as a precaution I was put on bedrest. The due date came and went and I cried. I was ready to meet this precious baby. Too hold him in my arms. I'm not gonna lie, I was also ready to get off bedrest and not be pregnant anymore! On April 9th I went in and had prostin applied to my cervix to get things ripened up so they could induce me on the 11th. Yes, you did read correctly above where my due date was March 30th! Nothing exciting happened and they sent me home to my mom's. We were staying with her because it was closer to the hospital and my doctor. A couple hours later I started having regular contractions every 3 minutes. Called the doctor and went to the hospital. I was monitored and walked the halls and after a while everything stopped and we went back home. The next day James and I made last minute preperations. We spent the evening at my aunt's house watching the Rangers play. I was having contractions but nothing significant. We went back to my moms to get some sleep and finish the Rangers game which went into overtime. My contractions were progressing but weren't any worse than when they sent me home so I didn't say anything. Then I couldn't get comfortable and kept getting out of bed pacing. I didn't realize it but my sweet mom was up too keeping an eye on me. Even though I didn't tell her what was going on, she knew. She too was so excited.... her first grandbaby would be here in the next day or so. Anyway, I was up and down all night. I went to the restroom around 1:00 a.m. It was the 11th and I was scheduled to be induced in a few hours. Well this baby decided he wasn't waiting for an induction. My water broke but I thought, nah, that was just my bladder. Ha! I got back in bed and immediately felt another gush and realized that it was not my bladder! I got James up and we loaded up and headed to the hospital. My mom followe up later after we got checked in. So the drive to the hospital went something like this. James: Are you okay?
Kassy: Yes. It's just like it was last night when they sent me home.
Kassy: Oh. That doesn't feel good.
James: Are you okay?
Kassy: Drive a little faster.
Kassy: DRIVE FASTER!
James: I'm going as fast as I can.
Kassy: DRIVE FASTER!!!
And we were there. LOL! It got so painful so quickly after my water broke. I was shocked and upset that I wasn't dilated past a 2 yet. I labored for a little while longer and got and epidural as soon as they would allow it. I will have to look up his time of birth ... I can't remember exactly which is his but it was either 1:something or 3:something p.m. Whenever it was, 2 hours before that I was fully dilated and ready to push. My epidural worked perfectly. I was able to get a good nap. I had pressure with the contractions but no pain. I had the urge to push. All good things. So I pushed. And pushed. And pushed some more. James and my mom were there supporting me. When it got close to 2 hours my doctor started talking about the possibility of this not working out like I had hoped. She said that word I didn't want to hear: C-section. Nothing like that to get me even more motivated to push that boy O-U-T! A few more pushes and she decided his sholders might be getting stuck (sholder dystocia) so she called for a vacuum and another doctor to come in and assist. He ended up being delivered without the vacuum 2 hours after pushing had started. He was AMAZING! Lots of long dark hair. A sweet face that was mushed and bruised. A conehead. Broad sholdered. Barrel chested. And he was PERFECT. Healthy, beautiful, a chunky 8 lbs 4 oz (did I mention I am only 5'2" so that is a big baby!), sweet sweet sweet. I couldn't get enough of him!! We all cried. Everyone rushed in as soon as they were allowed to. He was welcomed by so many people that loved him. He changed my life forever.

I am still amazed by him every day. Mostly because he is so smart and kind. He has such a tender heart. Still beautiful. Yes I can say that, I AM his mother. And because he loves God and his family so much. And sometimes it's because he is so much like me. We look alike. We act alike... which isn't always the best thing and causes us to butt heads... but he has taught me a lot about myself which I am greatful for! I am so blessed to be his Mom.

Happy Birthday Nelson! I know you have been my guinea pig and I haven't always done things exactly right but I love you and I always will!