Day 31 of 366 Update

Day 31 Update

My frames are hung.  And, Rob informed me that I must post pictures and tell everyone how awesome he is and that I love him soo much.  :D

So, to you my dear.  You are AWESOME!  Thanks for hanging my pain in the rear photo wall.  You did an excellent job, and it looks AMAZING.  I love you very much!!  It looks much better than I could have ever done.

Day 31 of 366

Day 31


Rob's agenda for the evening:

Get dishes done
Get some company books up to date
Get Haley's new frames hung before the kids destroy them

Accomplished:

Getting Kyson asleep


Oh man! Why is it the moment a daddy has a baby on his chest he falls asleep?? It has been like this for all four children and I know he isn't the only one. Rob's going strong, and then at 7:00 when he is hanging out with Kyson he is out. :) He asked for 20 minutes, but that was an hour and a half ago. And, I don't see any signs of life. Now, since I am too nice to wake him up, the only question is whether or not I am going to attempt to hang this 15 frame picture wall myself.

Update:  Just before I hit the publish button, the dead arose.  I think he knew I was writing this about him.  :)  My wall might get done CORRECTLY yet.  I will let you all know.

Day 23 - 30 of 366

So, once again I am playing catch up!  I fell behind and then it seemed like I could never find time to post everything so I keep getting further and further behind.  I really want to continue this for my kiddos, so tonight is my solution.  I'm gonna post all the images for Day 23 through Day 30 in one post.  There probably won't be a lot of writing, but they will get on here darn it!!!

Day 23

Adelyn is growing up too fast.  Today, she demanded she make she own sandwich for lunch.  It included bread, mayo, 2 pieces of cheese, 2 pieces of Bologna, and 2 sticks of string cheese.

Day 24

This is such a normal site in our house!!  Parker loves his food!

Day 25

Daddy putting together a puzzle with all the kiddos!

Day 26

Today, I was really sick AGAIN!  I never get sick, and so I get sick twice in two darn weeks,  Ugh!  But today, Rob was my backup picture taker.  He snapped this picture with my good camera and on manual to boot.  I am super impressed!!!  Usually he is to intimated to even touch it.  Nice job Rob for saving my project!!!

Day 27

Our CRAZY family!!!  (Minus Thaxton.  He was already in bed.)

Day 28

Daddy and Kyson hanging out.  Or maybe it is Daddy sleeping and Kyson hanging out.

Day 29

Parker was pulling Thaxton around in a tote.  After, they cuddled in it and watched TV.  :)

I love catching moments like these.  It totally melts my heart.

Day 30

Daddy putting make-up on Adelyn.  It may not be pretty, but at least she has a daddy who is man enough to play make-up with her.  She is a pretty lucky girl!!

Day 22 of 366

Day 22

This is my first "daughter like person".  She has been a part of our family for almost as long as Adelyn has.  :)  She has taken care of my children for just as long.  She has truly become a daughter to me and Rob and so much more than just a "babysitter" to my children.  She is the most caring, patient, trustworthy, and loving person you will ever come across.  She has played a huge part in my children's lives, and has helped shaped to they are and who they will become.  She was even witness to Thaxton being born, and was also lucky enough to be allowed into the operating room when I had to deliver Kyson by C-Section.  Now, that goes way beyond a babysitter relationship.  :)  She has been their big sister, teacher, supporter, playmate, caregiver, nurturer, and the list is almost endless.  She is really their second mother.  But without a doubt, my children are incredibly lucky and are much better off with her in their lives. 

I completely enjoyed watching her grow up over the years.  She went from a teenager to an incredible adult.  She is smart, hardworking, and I know she will accomplish anything she wants.  And even though she is in college, she rarely goes a week without stopping by to check on her children.  She loves them, and they love her.  She is my also my friend.  Throughout the years, we have had many fun times, great talks, many laughs, and even a few tears.  She is the greatest daughter like person I could have ever asked for.  I feel bless to have her in my life.  This is my Stephy!

Day 21 of 366

Day 21

My little Adelyn is such a character. At 10:30 tonight, when she should have been in bed, she decided to organize the cupboard.  I walked in with her standing on the counter.  "Everything needs to go together Mommy." She proceeded to pull everything out and organize it all by herself. I did help when it came to the heavy plates, but she insisted on doing it her way. It does look great. Nice job Adde!!!

Day 20 of 366

Wow, this project gets tough some days.  The taking pictures everyday has been pretty easy.  But, posting them on here has been another story.  I promise I will try really hard to keep up.

Day 20

Today was an exciting day. We decided to take a road trip to Grand Island. I wanted to run to Hobby Lobby. Well, on the way there I got pulled over by a State Patrolman. I got my driver’s license out, grabbed the registration from the visor, and was digging for my insurance card by the time he got to my window. He asked to see the normal things, but I couldn't find my insurance card anywhere. He then asked me to come back and sit in his car. What the heck is up with that??? But me being slightly weird once in a while, I was excited. I have never been inside a cop car. I have to say it was pretty cool. And maybe it was because I was sitting in the front seat. :) It turned out that I handed him the registration to Rob's Super Duty truck. Why it was in the Suburban, I have no idea. I didn't have our new address on my license, and I had no proof of insurance on top of speeding. It turns out Office Hewitt was a pretty cool guy. He was about my age so we chatted about the kids. He and his wife wanted four too, but after the first he thought they might rethink that. :) I told him that it might be weird since I did get pulled over after all, but I thought it pretty neat to see the inside of the cop car. He laughed at me. Well, it ended on a good note. I got a warning and an extremely long "fix it" ticket. I actually ran him out of paper. Oops!  So, thanks to Office Hewitt for making my day!!!

While I was chilling in the cop car, my poor daughter was freaking out. I guess she had her eyes glued to the cop car. It might not have helped that I am famous for telling her if she doesn't stay in her carseat Mommy will go to jail. After this whole ordeal, I bet I don't have to remind her to stay in her carseat!! :) 

My warning, and since it is on the Internet for the world to see, I
decided to black out vital personal information, like my weight.  :)

I wanted to add this photo.  It isn't the best, but I love how sweet and caring Thaxton is.  He was sitting next to Kyson on the floor just loving on him.  He keep giving him hugs, kisses, and holding his little hand.  It is going to be fun watching these two grown up so close to each other.

Thaxton holding Kyson's hand.

Day 19 of 366

Day 19

My kids amaze me on a daily basis.  Today Adelyn and Thaxton helped me pick up the living room without complaining.  *shocker*  Then after, I was folding clothes and they were playing.  Adelyn was trying to teach Thaxton how to send the car down the little slide.  She seemed so grown up.  She was so patient with him.  She kept taking his hand and telling him to push it down the slide.  She is a wonderful big sister, and I totally LOVE it when my kids get along.  :)

I truly hope my kids remain best of friends as they grow up.  I know there will be the normal sibling arguments and fights, but I hope they learn to lean on each other.  I hope they are always there for each other.  I hope they always back and support each other.  I hope they remember that they are family.

Day 18 of 366

Day 18

Two year olds are sneaky. Thaxton, Adelyn, Kyson and I were hanging out in my room folding clothes and watching cartoons. Great! Everyone is dandy. Kyson who wasn't feeling very well (I am pretty sure I gave him whatever it was I had.) was hungry so I began feeding him. Well, in this house that means jail break time. Thaxton goes off gallivanting around the house.  Normally that involves cleaning water off the floor since he can now reach the water in the refrigerator door.  (I now know how to child lock it.  YAY!)  Soon I hear Adelyn yelling “MOM!!!  Thaxton is on your computer.”  Great!  Wonderful!  What am I supposed to do?  Naughty kid vs. Hungry kid.  Well, this time since no one was in immediate danger, I chose to finish feeding Kyson.  This is a choice I have to make often.   As I am sure any mother with multiple children, especially infants and toddlers, has to make.   When I was done, I came in to servey the damage.  Admittedly not too bad, but that little stinker had pulled almost all my keys off my keyboard.  And, they were scattered around the floor.  He is so good at it too.  I have to try and pry one off.  But, not Thaxton.  His little fingers have just the right touch.  Well, all’s well that ends well, right??  I got my keyboard back together so I am able to write this.  I did have to google an image of a keyboard though.  Some of those symbols are pretty tricky!!

Day 17 of 366

Day 17

Well, today I was SICK! I'm not a talking about not feeling good either. I was I totally think I'm going to die sick. It was a horrible day. This is a day I totally wish I worked outside our home. Then, I could have called in sick. :) But nope! Rob was busy at work, so I had to attempt to care for our children. Needless to say, I failed miserable. My biggest goal for the day was to make sure the baby got feed, and that Adelyn and Thaxton didn't have any sharp instruments. You can see the chaos below. And of course, I had to take a few pictures. You’re lucky this is what I choice. It could have been more colorful. At least, it was a long 24 hour bug and I am feeling better. My house even looks better too.

Day 16 of 366

Day 16

First off, I totally want to apologize for the incredibly crappy photos. But since I only took the one of me with foil in my hair, I thought I better add it. The others were taken by other people. And yes, I added them backwards. I didn't want to scare people away with the foil photo first. :)

Tonight, I got my hair cut. It was a scary experience. Not that Nicole is scary, because she isn't. But, my hair unintentionally has become symbolic of sort. I haven't got my hair cut in almost 6 years. I have got it trimmed a couple times a year, but nothing drastic like now. Six years ago around Easter time, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. I remember the day, because I just got a haircut. I had short hair back then. My dad was in the hospital with what we thought was pneumonia. I had a haircut that morning, and then I was going to visit him in the hospital. On my way, I got the call that they were taking him to St. Elizabeth's in Lincoln via ambulance. Once I got tothe hospital, the doctors told me he had lung cancer and that it most had likely spread. That was the beginning of my living in a hotel room, a hospital, and my car.

When thinking back to the last time I had my hair cut, I could always remember.  I'll never forgot that day. It was a day my life was forever changed. But today, I was ready for a change. Next, time I may not remember exactly when I got my hair cut last, but that is okay. I know hair has nothing to do with the memory of my daddy. That will forever live in my heart.  And, not one single day goes by without me missing him.  Some days are just easier than others.

So, thanks to Nicole, for being patient with me today, and for doing such a great job as I totally freaked out on you. You are the greatest.

The results!!  Nicole at Joyful Cuts in Nelson did AWESOME.

Day 15 of 366

Day 15

Kyson is 5 months 4 days old. He is already developing such a cute little personality. He is an awesome baby. He is quite and content most of the time. He is a lover and a cuddler. He is incredible mellow. He has the most contagious smile.  He is now rolling over like crazy. The minute you lay him on the floor, away he goes. Parker came yelling tonight, because Kyson was clear across the room. I think he is enjoying his new found freedom. I have been through this three times before, but it still amazes me how they grow, change, and develop new skills. I wish I could slow things down. Before I know it, he is going to be running around like the other kids. But in the meantime, I'm going to remind myself to enjoy each day, because they grow up tway oo fast.

Day 14 of 366

Day 14

Parker is the greatest big brother any little sibling could ask for. He loves to help Mom out. He loves to help feedKyson.  He loves to play with Thaxton. He enjoys helping Adelyn learn her letters, and he loves reading books to her at bedtime. He is sweet, caring, loving, and compassionate. He is super protective over all of them, but especially his little sister. He enjoys being the BIG brother. These three little ones are incredibly lucky. I hope that as they all grow up they all remain close. I hope the 8 years between Parker and Kyson is positive. I hope they have the relationship I have with my little brother who is also 8 years younger than me.  I know Parker is going to be a great role model.  He already is. 
.

Day 13 of 366

Day 13

All my children are very creative and inventive.  It amazes me the objects they choose to play with.  My children have plenty of toys yet they choose to play with boxes, paper, tape, cups, and the list is endless.  The new fascination in the Sintek household is Cup Stacking.  Parker participated at school in helping set a Guinness World Record for the Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day.  Since then, we constantly have cups being stacked in our house.  The one problem it causes is that Adelyn loves to set them up, and Thaxton loves to push them down. 

Day 12: Extra Edition

Day 12: Extra Edition

Here are some extra Day 12 photos.  Now that I am playing extreme catch up, I thought I would share these as well.  I  just thought they were too cute! I spend a few days taking care of sick kids, and now I'm not feeling that great. Ugh!!  

Day 12 of 366

You get a treat today.  Wonderful photos taking with my iPhone.  I didn't think it would be very nice to whip out my camera at the doctor's office, even though I thought about it. 

Day 12

Parker waiting to see the doctor.

What a day!  It started with Parker getting up at 2 a.m.  He was in terrible pain.  He said his right ear hurt really bad and that he couldn't here out of it.  So I gave him some medicine and tried to get him to go back to bed.  :)  I hadn't been asleep yet.  Kyson was being a pickle, and I was working on Photography stuff.  Well, no such luck.  So, we decided to lay in bed and watched T.V.  I finally feel asleep after 4 a.m.

 First of all, Parker NEVER gets sick.  I already had a well-baby check for Kyson today so the Doctor was going to squeeze Parker in too.  When they looked at his chart, it has almost been two years since he had been in to see a doctor.  Holy Cow!  I am convinced that he is just a carrier.  He brings the germs home and spreads them to the other kids, but he never gets sick himself. 

Not feeling good. :(

So, off to the doctors we went.  Kyson had to get his shots, but little did Parker know he was going to get one too.  Our doctor recommended we all get flu shots since Kyson can't get one.  Parker HATES shots.  Last time, we had to drag him out from behind the table and all but hold him down.  This time went much better.  I was so proud of him.  He answered all his own questions the doctor asked, and I just sat in the background.  It amazes me to see how grown up he is becoming.  Parker has a double ear infection.  His right eardrum was almost ruptured, and the doc said it still might.  :(  But other than that, he is perfectly healthy.

Kyson before he got his shots.
photo by Parker

Kyson weighs in at 13 lbs 14 oz at 5 months old.  He is finally gaining weight and up to the 11th percentile.  Awesome news!!  But, we found the cause to his feeding problems.  He has a high palette that prevents him from getting a good suction.  So, we are going to try some different bottles to see if we can find something to help.  I have mixed emotions.  At least I have an answer to why we were having such a hard time nursing.  But, at the same time it means I am pretty much done and have to rely on bottles.  I knew this was coming.  He was been taking most of his feeding with a bottle since we knew he wasn't getting enough from me.  This is hard for me.  I didn't have any problems nursing my other children.  I love nursing and I am not ready to stop.  But, I will do what is best for him.  I had so much guilt thinking I wasn't producing enough, so at least I know it not my fault now.  So, that helps me a little.

 Kyson also got 3 shots today.  I HATE watching him get those.  I think Parker had a harder time than me though.  He didn't want to be in there, but he wouldn't leave Kyson's side.  He had to be there to protect him.  I could see the pain in his eyes when Kyson was screaming.  That broke my heart too.

When we got home, Parker took a long nap.  So, now he is up.  I was working on this blog post earlier, and he was sitting on the couch watching TV.  I hear "Mommy will you come cuddle with me".  I love those words.  As much as I had having a sick child, I love the fact that they need me.  :)  It was been quite a while since Parker has wanted to cuddle.  So we cuddled.  We ate a snack, watched Shark Boy and Lava Girl, and I tickled his back.  He loves having his back tickled, and I am pretty sure that runs in the family.  I remember lying on my dad's lap asking him to tickle my back.  Heck, I am pretty sure I did that even when I was in High School.

I was planning on getting to bed before 3 a.m. at least once this week, but no such luck.  But, I am not complaining.  I got to spend some much needed one-on-one time with my oldest.  Many days, I feel like he gets pushed to the sidelines since he can do most things for himself and the other children can't.  It not fair and I try not to let it happen.  But, this is our crazy life, and hopefully cuddling on the couch until 3:30 in the morning makes a small part up to him.  I love him unconditionally, and I am selfishly enjoying having my sick little boy.

Day 11 of 366

Day 11

A couple days ago I shared with everyone the story of Evan.  http://www.facebook.com/healingevan  His story touched many people, most of whom had never met him or his family.  Today, he made his journey to Heaven.  My hands are shaking as I type this.  I never knew this little boy, but my heart is breaking.  I cry for his parents.  I cry for his brother and sisters.  I cry for myself.

This family has shared their grief with a world full of people.  And, the people have responded.  In less than a week, this little boy had more than 2.893 people praying for him on Facebook.  There was more than $7,000 raised to help with family with their expenses.  You can donate here.  I have always believed in people.  I always try to see the best in people.  But, even I am astounded that so many people are willing to care about a little boy and his family.  Evan has left quite a legacy behind.

I can’t imagine what this family is going through.  I can’t even begin to understand what it feels like to lose a child.  So, I will hug my children a little tighter today, worry less about the things that need done, and make sure they know just how much I love them.  After all, life is short.  And, I thank God every day that I get spend it them.  Thank you little Evan for reminding me what is important.

Day 10 of 366

Day 10

Today was a crazy busy day with not much time for much.  I was working on Haley Sintek Photography stuff.  I didn't get much picture taking in.  So last night after supper, I grabbed my camera to take a few photos.  Parker decided that today's blog should be him.  So, he wanted to take pictures for today. 

So, here is my aspiring photographer's images!  He has a great future ahead!  Make sure you leave him some love.  He could use a self-esteem boost.  :)

To be fair to my project, here is my image for the day.

Parker taking photos for my blog.

Day 9 of 366

Day 9

Today, I am feeling extremely grateful for my children. Last night on Clickin Moms, a photography forum I am a member of, a woman posted a request for prayers. Her two year old son Evan had fallen 8 feet off some playground equipment at their local park. He went into immediate cardiac arrest. He was air lifted to the hospital, and he is currently fighting for his life. You can read more of his story here www.facebook.com/healingevan, but grab Kleenex first.

Her story hit close to home. I haven't quit checking the Facebook page looking for an updated post. Looking for a miracle. I look at Thaxton, and I can't even imagine what this mother is going through. How hard it must be to feel completely helpless, and not being able to trade places with him. So, I will continue to pray for this family. Pray they receive their miracle.

But, I am also so very grateful that my kids are safe. As I type this, my children are safely tucked into their own beds. I was able to get hugs and kisses from them tonight. I even got in a few extra for safe measure. I got to hear I love you from them. I got to tell them I loved them. I am very blessed tonight.

Sometimes, it is easy to forget to slow down. My life tends to run at a crazy pace. Today on Pinterest, I seen this quote by Robert Brault.

"Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things.”

I have this before, but today it hit home. This quote is going on my kitchen wall so that I can be reminded on a daily basis. Tonight, I feel grateful and extremely blessed.

So, here was some of my day!

Thaxton playing Mommy!  He looks so grown up.
I love this picture!!!

The fort Adelyn and I made today.

Kyson playing while Mommy cleaned.

And for some BIG news for the day......

Kyson ate rice cereal for the first time!!

Kind of a sad day for Mommy. :(

Parker feeding Kyson.  I love the way Parker is looking at him.
I can actually see the love Parker has for him. 
It makes my heart melt. 

Kyson likes his cereal.

Day 8 of 366

Day 8

What to say about today?  Honestly, I though about skipping this post.  Today was kind of a different day.  But, I sure you all know not everyday is sunshine and roses, so eventually these kind of days will come up.  And if I am being honest with myself,  my kids who will read this some day, and the people who read this now, I will write about my day.

Lunch! (or my leftover lunch)

Yesterday afternoon, Mommy needed a break. So, I left for the night completely alone. It has been years since I have done that. I think the last time was when Parker was just a baby. I needed some alone time to gather my thought and get myself back on track. Sometimes, I think that I get too busy being a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, ...(you get the point), that sometimes I feel like I lose myself. So, I went on a little road trip. I spent hours in the car with my music cranked. It was amazing. Nothing like a little Chris LeDoux to get your spirits up. I spent the night, and today I grabbed some lunch and headed home. I was gone just short of 24 hours and man did I miss my children. It was the first time ever I have left Kyson too.  But, Mommy's back!  The kids were super excited to see me, which of course, made my day.  I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for the week.  So, I guess maybe I learned that I need to do this every once in a while and that it is okay.  It makes me a better mom, right??  :)

Day 7 of 366

Day 7

Today my kids decided to have a little fun!  They had a pillow fight/sumo wrestling match on my bed.  Every once in awhile they are lucky enough to get away with it.  Parker usually helpfully suggests just how cute the pictures might be.  So with my artistic growth on the line, the fun began. Darn smart kids!