Heights and Weights

Since our computer crashed we don't have all of Jacob's height and weights (I'll have to get the missing ones from the doctor) but I figured I'd put them all on here so we don't lose them again.

UNO
Birth-8.12 pounds, 21.5 inches
1 month-
2 months- 12.02 pounds, 23 inches
4 months-
6 months-
9 months-
12 months- 21 pounds, 29 inches
15 months- 21.6 pounds, 31 inches
18 months- 23 pounds, 31.5 inches
2 Years- 25 pounds, 33.75 inches
2.5 years- 27 pounds, 35.75 inches
3 years- 28 pounds, 36.6 inches
4 years- 33.6 pounds, 40.25 inches

DOS
Birth-8.11 pounds, 20 inches
1 month-9.12 pounds, 22 inches
2 months-10.12 pounds, 24 inches
4 months- 12.12 pounds, 24.5 inches
6 months-14.12 pounds, 25 inches
9 months- 14.10 pounds, 25.5. inches
12 months- 15.04 pounds, 28 inches
15 months- 16.12 pounds, 30 inches
18 months- 17.13 pounds, 32.5 inches
2 years- 20.10 pounds, 32.5 inches
3 years- 25.4 pounds, 36 inches

TRES
Birth-8.13 pounds, 19 inches
1 month- 10.06 pounds, 22 inches
2 months- 11.10 pounds, 23.5 inches
4 months- 13.06 pounds, 25 inches
6 months- 13.14 pounds, 25.5 inches
9 months- 13.06 pounds, 26.75 inches
12 months- 13.15 pounds, 27.25 inches
15 months- 18.4 pounds, 29 inches
18 months-

QUATRO
Birth- 9.2 pounds, 20.5 inches
1 Month- 10.13 pounds, 21.5 inches
2 months- 13.10 pounds, 23.5 inches
4 months- 15.04 pounds, 25 inches

Quatro's birth story

Two months later and I'm finally writing this thing. I'm forcing myself or I know I will keep procrastinating and it will never get done. This is the worst I've been about writing a birth story but I'm just so busy!

Quatro's birth story starts on April 7, 2011. I started having some contractions during the day and since our other three were born on 12/4, 4/4, 12/7 and now 4/___ we thought there might be some divine intervention about him coming today even though it was two weeks early. So as my contractions kept coming we walked, and walked...and walked. They were coming pretty close so I called hubby and told him to take the day off of work tomorrow and head home (he has a 2.5 hour drive so I wanted to make sure he made it in time). He finally arrived, we headed to the hospital and minute by minute my contractions slowed down. I went to L&D triage and they monitored me for a couple of hours and sent me home since I was too early to induce or keep labor going and my contractions had slowed WAY down. The next day I woke up extremely sore from walking so much and tired beyond belief. I told myself I would never do that again when it came to 'making' the baby come out. They'll come when they're good and ready because I am not going to physically make my baby come out by exhausting myself.

Skip forward to 4/25/11 (four days past my due date).
I went to the midwife for my weekly checkup and ultrasound to make sure my amniotic fluid levels were good, neither he or I were having problems and to check his position. Everything looked great so we were going to be sent home. We discussed induction and tentatively scheduled an induction for the following day. I was really hesitant because that is WAY more medical intervention that I ever wanted but I felt like we were on a time crunch since my hubby was already on his leave and had till Sunday before he had to go back. The midwife stripped my membranes and we left.

I had contractions but nothing big or out of the norm all morning and afternoon. Finally around 4:40 I texted my hubby from bed that maybe we should head over to my moms house since my contractions were starting to pick up and that way we didn't have to wait for my mom to get there to watch the kids or anything. We left the house and got to my moms house around 5:30. I got out of the car and couldn't even make it to the garage without having to stop three times with big contractions. My mom saw me and insisted that I go to the hospital but I refused. We all came inside and she still insisted that I was close and needed to go but I really wanted to have a home birth and luckily my hubby stepped up and said no and told me to get in the tub. My mom and sisters were freaking out. No one was really on board with a free birth (unassisted homebirth ) except my hubby and I but we were confident that we could handle it. Mom watched the kids and my sister was in charge of the video.
I labored in my moms bathtub for what felt like hours but in the long run was my fastest labor to date. My wonderful hubby kept checking my cervix to see how dilated I was and kept telling me how great I was doing and that I could do it. I was fully dilated but baby boy was still very high but I felt the urge to push so I did. I pushed and pushed just to get his chubby self down. Finally with a big push my water broke. This was the first time my water has ever broken on its own and it was the first time I felt it. POP...WOOOSH! So, let the panic begin! My mom freaked and called 911 right at that moment even though we knew he was no where near coming out. Within minutes my moms bedroom and bathroom were filled with police, firefighters, EMTS and the chief of police. The paramedic informed me that "we dont like doing this in the water" but they knew it was planned so they let me stay in the water and deliver. I kept having urges to push so I just did my thing. 15 men watched as I pushed and pushed some more until my babys head came out. My hubby freaked and said "hes face down", I panicked and said "then let the water out!" but then realized 'wait, HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE FACE DOWN!'. Oh well. My hubby suctioned and I pushed another giant push and his shoulders shot out of me and I screamed (when you have a baby at a hospital, they typically push one shoulder down and kind of wiggle the baby out but that is not what happened to me. Daddy was so focused on suctioning that this baby came out full force, like a little football player. But he was out and I was relieved. I did it. I DID IT! I was so thrilled. So proud. I labored AND delievered like I had wanted to without anyone telling me what to do, how to do it or anything. It was awesome! I held my "little" boy and we cleaned him off and eventually cut the cord. Daddy took him to finish suctioning and I just lay in the tub exhausted. Baby Quatro was born at 7:04pm on April 25. 2011. The EMTs set up the gurney to take us to the hospital. I did want to go to the hospital to get all checked out and make sure everything was ok but also so I didn't have to jump through hoops to get his birth certificate (a baby born at home but the placenta birthed at the hospital will still be considered a hospital birth but baby and placenta born at home is considered a home birth and I'd have to submit proof of pregnancy and all that to get a birth certificate. )

So off we went to the hospital in the ambulance. My moms street was filled with emergency vehicles and nosy neighbors. We went through the ER and up to L&D. A nurse in the ER clapped and said she loved "these stories" and I beamed. The nurses in L&D were excellent. No one thought I was crazy and they all called me super mommy. It was such an awesome experience! They called my midwife and she came to deliver the placenta since I hadn't birthed it yet. She was pissed. She attempted to seem happy for me but we could see through her fake smile and her questions "why didnt you call me?" and saw how aggravated she was that we did it at home. I didn't care. This was the plan the whole time, she just didn't know about it.

Baby boy weight and measured, checked over and cleaned up then given to me to nurse. He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces and 20.5 inches long. He was my biggest baby! I expected him to be around 8.14 which would have been right in line with the others...8.12, 8.11, and 8.13. We stayed the night at the hospital but as soon as my 24 hours was up, I was out of there.

This was such a great birth experience. I am still so proud of how it all happened and my strength. Yay me! I labored and delivered how I wanted and my baby and I were safe and healthy, that's all I wanted.

(I would post pics of the labor but Uno was given the iPod touch to play with during labor and all of our other cameras are broken so I have zero pics of this birth until we go to the hospital. I do have a video but I'm debating whether or not I want the world to see my crotch since my sister didn't exactly take the "tasteful" shots that I wanted. lol. We'll see. Maybe I will add it and everyone will just be warned)

Tiger Butter Popcorn

First off, let me warn you all that this is not a figure friendly healthy recipe but it is delicious!

The other day I overheard a recipe similar to this on the Food Network but I sort of tweaked it to make it my own.

What you'll need:
popcorn kernels
air popper
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup agave nectar (or honey)
1/2 cup (approx) dark chocolate morsels
1/2 cup (approx) white chocolate morsels
a few pinches of salt

In a large bowl, pop the popcorn and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, agave nectar (or honey) and sugar. Melt in 20-30 second increments in the microwave until melted but not cooked. Stir it all together and then pour over the popcorn. Use a spatula and stir the popcorn and peanut butter mixture together.

Spread the popcorn on a large baking sheet lined with wax paper.


Melt the dark chocolate in the mircowave or using a double boiler. Be careful not to over cook it.
Drizzle over the popcorn.


Melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the popcorn.




Then sprinkle a little bit of salt all over the popcorn to give it that sweet and salty deliciousness. (You can also crunch up pretzels for the same taste but I didn't have any and I wanted this NOW!)

Put it in the refrigerator for about an hour or until hardened.

After its all cooled and firm break it into bite size pieces. And enjoy!!

And she's off!

TRES started walking on DOS' birthday, 4/4/11, and slowly but surely she's finally walking more than crawling. Her physical therapist is thrilled and thinks she's right where she needs to be. Woohoo!

Neuroligist update

Yesterday we saw the Neurologist and with it came the "news" that I sort of expected. She wants TRES to have an MRI because she suspects that during the car accident that happened 3 days prior to her birth or during birth, she had a stroke. She watched her movements, the way she sort of tucks her thumb into her hand when she's not using it and the overall "neglect" that she shows towards that hand. Yes, she uses it but sometimes its like she forgets that its there and that's when the folding of her wrist happens.
She is happy with the improvement that TRES has made during the last 2 months of physical therapy and wants her to continue to get PT because she still has some low tone in her arms and core. She also wants her to start occupational therapy to work on her fine motor skills which need refinement (pincher grasp, banging blocks, etc).
The Neurologist did say that strokes in infants are VERY common because the little blood vessels are so fragile and birth is very traumatic to the head. She told me that she always tells parents that if a stroke were to happen the best time is when you're a baby because its so much easier to learn/re-learn how to use your body. She wants us to persue "early intervention" to try to get the PT and OT covered by the state. She isn't showing any signs of developmental delay so this is just a brain/hand thing.
She doesn't think that TRES will have long term effects and that she will be able to function completely fine so I'm so thankful for that.
This is just a hard time for my hubby and I as parents. The thought of my baby being put under is stressful and very emotionally draining. But we feel like we don't have an option whether we do it or not. We'll never know unless she has the MRI done, so as soon as the insurance clears it the doctors office will call to schedule it So please just keep her in your prayers. She continues to make progress every day and hopefully soon will have no signs that there was ever something wrong.

Yes, I'm still alive

We've just been really busy around there and the computer has been on the fritz for the longest time. I wanted to do a quick update of what the kids are up to before I forget but will post a quick synopsis of our summer some other time.

Uno is learning like crazy! He never ceases to amaze us how fast he learns, how he just picks things up and then spits them out when we least expect it. Over the summer he taught himself how to write his name and it has progressed into BEAUTIFUL penmanship! He also taught himself how to write the letters a,b,c,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,o,q,s,t,u,v,and z! He says some of the funniest things but of course I cannot think of anything offhand. He knows how to graph, sort, read and identify all of the letters and can identify numbers 1-10.

Dos has learned most of her colors(she sometimes pretends she doesn't know but then will point something out and say the correct color on her own). Her favorite color is pink, of course. She continues to be the princess of the house and has quite the little attitude. She loves dresses, necklaces and looking like a princess. She says "I'm like a princess" or "I look so pretty" all the time! She can count from 1-13 (and higher with a few mistakes). Her vocabulary and speech is AMAZING! She does not talk like a typical 2.5 year old.

Tres is doing well in PT. She has a neurology appt at the end of November (hopefully sooner if I can get in) to see if there is nerve damage or something. This little peanut LOVES to eat! For being a tiny petite little girl, she eats more than Uno or Dos! She has been pulling up, cruising and sitting back down for months. She knows the words more,hi, and hair but usually sticks to just "hi" and a loud scream/yell when she wants something or our attention. She loves dogs and said "Hiiiii" to them and pets them any chance she gets. She is starting to walk (with push toys or our help).

Quatro is 15 weeks today. I feel some movement (rolling, swimming, and tumbling) but no kicks yet.

Physical Therapy

So it all started when Tres started crawling at about 4.5-5 months old. She would turn her right wrist under (kind of like a seal) and when we would correct her she would turn it back within seconds. So at her 6 month check up with our old doctor, they said it was just a phase and that she would grow out of it. That didn't make me feel better and that's when I got the info for the pediatrician from a friend. At her 9 month check up with the new doc, I told the doc about it and she said that was definitely not good so she sent me to a peds PT.

We met with her yesterday for the evaluation and she did a bunch of little strength tests and watched how she moved to see how the muscles were all working. She said that her arms are really tight when moved like you were lifting air weights. She said it shouldn't be that tight. She said its called "tone" and we're all born with different levels and Tres' is just higher in her arms. She lacks a little strength in her shoulders/neck area. And then her wrist is too flexible. When crawling she did point out that not only does she barely use her right hand, but she doesn't really use her left leg. She said that is completely typical to not use the diagonal extremity when one isn't working right.

So, she gave me little exercises to do at home to help bring her attention to her wrist and gave me more things to do with her when correcting the placement when she's crawling. She wants to see her for a couple months at least. She said that we will do this first but if we don't start seeing improvement, we might need to have neurology clear her for any other issues. And as far as a brace goes, the PT said that therapy is the least invasive so we'll try that first and maybe have to do a brace later. A brace can limit mobility and hinder the situation.

So, overall, she's fine. Since she's met all other milestones and all, the Dr. and PT don't seem too worried. But Mama's mind can wander and think of all the "what if's" so that's whats hard for me. I just feel bad that I didn't listen to my instincts sooner and demand that she be seen by a physical therapist when she first started crawling and when the wrist situation wasn't working itself out. I just need to remember to pray and put things in His hands. I know she'll be fine and this is a minor problem.


So, as for this little journey we're on, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13.


So please keep her in your prayers :)

Sweet little Tres, 9 months old

Thinking of my little girl brings tears to my eyes. She is so sweet, so mild tempered and a love bug. About two weeks ago she got her first tooth (bottom right) then the next week got her second tooth (bottom left). They're still barely coming through the gums but they are there enough to hurt. :( She can say "more" which sounds a little more like "mmmmo" or "mmm" but she's trying. She says "hi" and just yesterday she waved. I thought she had waved before but I wasn't sure if it was a fluke. But this time it wasn't. She did a full wave to the doctor yesterday! It looks a little like a bird flapping its wing but it is so cute!

She's growing up so fast! I can't believe how fast 9 months has just flown by. I start crying uncontrollably in the car when songs come on about little girls all grown up and their daddy walking them down the isle. Before I know it, we'll be picking out prom dresses, wedding dresses and watching my little babies get married. I know some of this is pregnancy hormones but some if isn't. I just love them so much! Them growing up is a love/hate thing in my mind. I dream of what they will do, who they will become and all that but I already feel my heart breaking for when they leave me. I will definitely be one of those moms that lets my kids live with me forever. But for now I will just love on them as much as I can and watch all of the new things they learn, because "one day, she'll.. be..gone". Ahh, bring on the tears!

It's a bird, it's a plane...

it's a seahorse!

Not only do we look at the clouds and find shapes, animals and many other things in this house but my potty training curly haired two year old find shapes and animals in her poop! This girl is obsessed with poop! Every day, every where, and any animal that we see...she discusses poop. Oh the joys of parenthood!

But at least she is almost 100% potty trained! :)

I'll save everyone the urge to throw up and not post a pic of one of her discoveries

My CD Journey

I attempted to cloth diaper with my first child with gDiapers back in 2007. With many leaks and never really taking it on completely, my cloth diaper journey ended right there with him. Fast forward a year and a half to two years, I wanted to venture into the cloth diaper (CD) world again. I had a few reasons 1) I wanted to know that future generations would not have to deal with “my” diapers in the landfills 2) I'm trying to go green little by little 3) I wanted to do the best thing for my baby and any future babies in our family and 4) I wanted to prove to people that CDing wasn't as bad as everyone thinks it is and that I CAN DO IT!

So with a little advice from a friend, researching and getting a chance to view a bunch of CDs from a private seller I knew what I wanted and what I didn't want. I wanted something easy, I wanted velco (snaps just seemed too hard since I have very wiggly babies), I wanted a “one size” diaper so I could use it with all of my kids no matter how big or small and I didn't want to have to worry about folding, stuffing or anything else that would make my diaper change take more than 30 seconds. So, low and behold, I found the GroBaby (which just changed their name to GroVia) AI2.

From the moment I saw the GroBaby, I knew it was the diaper for me! A shell that can be reused and a soaker pad that snaps in. The shell can be used a couple times before needing to be washed (unless it gets a lil poop on it) and the soakers take all of 2 seconds to snap in during a change. I also loved that the colors were all very simple, very gender neutral and only a few (mandarin, blackberry, kiwi and vanilla). I didn't want to have tons of options because I know I'd go overboard and go crazy!

So, I ordered a “part time” package just to try them. A few soakers, a few shells and a few boosters (to keep the munchkin extra dry). Ater no time,I was hooked! I loved them! I loved the way they fit (all three of my kids ...3.5 yrs, 2 years and 8.5 months, fit in them!)! I loved the ease of use! SO, I ordered more. And more. And more.

I'm now on my third baby (8.5 months), my second one in these CD's and I'm still loving it! I have about 30 soakers and about 15-20 shells. GroVia just came out with new shells (and new colors) and new soaker pads that are amazing! The shells are a tiny big bigger so it allows for even longer use, they have tuck under laundry tabs so they don't get hooked on other diapers in the wash and the soakers have true leg gussets and a waterproof backed soaker pad.

I cannot say enough good things about GroVia diapers. They have saved me so much money, I'm keeping yucky disposables out of the landfills and I'm having fun!