Happy Birthday Ike!

Isaac, you turned 3 this year and what a year it has been! There have been some big highs and some big lows but without a doubt, the year wouldn't have been as spectacular or interesting without you.
We call you Hurricane Ike because when you come barreling through, we brace ourselves and prepare for one massive path of destruction. In your defense, I am not sure you are much more messy than any other toddler but you are following Will and Sam who are two boys that play rather neatly and organized:) You are loud and spirited. You are pretty fearless and tough. You are quick witted and too smart for your own good. You are sweet and loving. You are funny, really funny!
You spend a couple of days a week at Kids Day Out this year. You were not keen on the idea for the first few months but you have warmed up to it and always come home with a smile on your face. Mommy is VERY thankful for KDO because not only does it give me a little down time and you a little time to socialize, it is also the place that really brought potty training home for you. Thanks to Will, I promised myself to never push potty training on you boys and just let you go as you were ready. (It helps me rest easy at night knowing that dating won't be a problem even at 16 if you are wearing a pull up:)) So, getting you out of diapers was far from my mind. But I think your teachers took a gentle approach and seeing your friends do it made you want to as well. So, you are the first of my boys to be potty trained before 3 years-old. Way to go Ike!! Now you go like a champ. Our only problem now is convincing you that you do have to hold the apparatus in order to aim with much accuracy and that wiping is required as is washing your hands.
Your brothers are into aliens and Wii games. So, you are into aliens and Wii games. I am amazed at your ability to retain names like Humungousaur and Water Hazard although you pronounce them Hugemungousaur and Wazer Hazard:) and the patience, confidence, and success you have with the Wii. There is no game that you aren't willing to tackle. I do get summoned in from time to time to try and get you out of a pinch and onto the next level. And although I do my best, sometimes I am a help and other times, you send me away I guess figuring you are more likely to get it done that me.
You love Mario and Luigi. You pronounce them "Maweo" with a slight Italian accent and "The Wigi". You were Maweo for Halloween and several days after that and that was your birthday party theme.
You are not shy about making your feelings or opinions known. You are very certain about your choices which is a characteristic you got from your daddy, not me. I am proud of you for it too. You are not wishy washy that is for sure. You are also quite vocal about how you are feeling. You scream at will and right now tell us quite a bit when we say, "No" to one of your requests, "You are making me cry."
You still talk a lot in your sleep and holler out which makes you kind of annoying to your roommates:)
You have about 6 or 7 things on your menu that you like to eat: cereal, oatmeal, pizza, chicken nuggets, milk, chicken nuggets, and more milk. You aren't interested in trying anything new. The Lord knows we have tried. So, if you forever have to order off the kids menu at restaurants, don't look at Dad or me.
Ike, you are my busy boy. You are always up to something. That doesn't mean it is a bad something, just something. You play VERY well by yourself but love a partner although at times you drive them up the wall. You know just how to get under Sam's skin, and I know you like to do it;) If there is controversy in our house, it is usually between you and Sam. You are the best of pals one minute and the worst of enemies another. One of these days, you will just be the best of pals.
Isaac, you are one crazy smart little boy. I know you will use it for good rather than evil and for that reason, I cannot wait to see the plans God has for you. You are the dancer, singer, all out entertainer in this family. You are rarely shy and love to make us laugh. You appreciate a smile and readily offer up kisses. You like to tell us when you are gassy because you know that always gets a laugh. You can wear me out physically and emotionally but my days are more fun and interesting with you in them. I love you so much little buddy. Happy Birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday Will!

Last week, your dad and I gave you $10 to take on your class field trip to War Eagle Cavern and spend in the gift shop. We told you to get what you wanted but to not feel obligated to spend it all just because you had it. As an incentive to be responsible with your $10, we told you that whatever leftover money you brought home, we would split with you. That afternoon, you came bounding in the door excited to show us the treasures you had purchased. You bought a stuffed bat ($7) for Mac, 2 small velvet bags ($1 each) for Sam and Ike, and 2 bags of precious stones ($1 each) to fill the bags. (I guess the cashier found you sweet because she gave you a $1 discount so that you could purchase all these items.) So, with the $10 we sent with you to buy something for yourself, you came home with nothing but gifts for each of your brothers.:) I guess I wasn't surprised because this is the perfect illustration of who you are.
Your classroom at school has partnered up with Sam's class this year. Every other week, your class goes and does activities and reads with their book buddy from Sam's kindergarten class. Given that scenario, most kiddos would choose someone other than their little brother to partner up with but you chose Sam. I am not sure if you picked him for yourself or if you did it because you knew that he would be disappointed had you chosen someone else. Either way, you make me proud.
Will, Dad has been traveling for work quite a bit lately. Out of your own desire and out of a bit of necessity, you have stepped up and really helped out. Unfortunately, quite a few times lately, your being the "man of the house" has caused a bit of frustration with your "mom of the house". You might be 9 years-old but your heart and your head are far ahead of that. This is part of what makes you spectacular but also part of what makes you so very challenging, not bad challenging, just "I gotta be on my game as your momma" challenging.
You have a wonderful 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Powell. She gets you and because of that your writing and penmanship have improved tremendously from last year. You are still in a bit of a rush with your work so you make silly mistakes. And you are always making plans in your head so you miss a few instructions here and there but again, Mrs. Powell gets you, so she is working hard to keep gently polishing you, helping to make you shine:)
You have played soccer and basketball this past year pretty much against your wishes. You aren't yet nearly as competitive with others as you are with yourself and you aren't currently in love with sports. But, that is okay. It is okay if you never love sports or get an athletic scholarship to college. However, we do want you to know how to be a team player, how to be a humble winner, and how to be a gracious loser. We want you to learn to honor your commitments even when you don't feel like it.
Will, although you have been in my heart ever since we first found out that I was pregnant 10 years ago, you have only been in my house for 9 years. I wouldn't say that the time flew by, but looking back, I don't know how we got here so quickly. You are a precious gift with a very true heart for others. I really think God took the goodness from Dad and the goodness from me, added them together and made one great creation.
I love your sweet spirit and your soft heart. I love your laugh, and that when you giggle too much, you almost always get the hiccups. I love that you enjoy sharing a room and a bath with your brothers, at least for now.;) I love that when you can't sleep, you come to my bed. Although you won't snuggle with me, you will share what is on your heart. I love your complexity, and I love the simple way you live by your heart. I love you bud, and I know that right now you may not be able to see all of the gifts God has blessed you with. One day you will, and God is going to do great things through you:)
Happy 9th Birthday Will.
PS - You got braces this year, and although you are kind of annoyed by them, you have been a trooper and wow, are you ever handsome:)!

Happy Belated Birthday Sam:)

Happy Belated Birthday Sam! Although this blog is late, our happy wishes for you and the upcoming year were not. Year #5 was a good one full of fun memories.
You lost your first tooth, well teeth really. Your two front teeth were injured from a fall many years ago. They became infected a few months back and the dentist had to remove them. Although it originally broke my heart when you fell and injured those two teeth, they became a part of you. They were symbolic of the way you fully live life. You, although hesitantly at times, run full on into it with every ounce of energy. I was sad when the dentist pulled your teeth. (You referred to them as your gray tooth and your brown tooth.) I was sad that day because they were a reminder of my little two year-old boy running down the hall with his pacifier in his mouth. You tripped over your blankie and busted your mouth. You cried until a popsicle saved the day. It didn't save your teeth, but it saved the day.
You went to church camp for the first time this summer. You were a little uncertain about it and cried the first day. But you leaned on Will the rest of the week and did amazing. I knew you would:).
You also started kindergarten. I was so nervous for you. Although I knew you would do great once you found your feet, I worried it might take you awhile to find them. Boy, did you prove me wrong. Although you don't enjoy the long days, you have found your groove now. You are making friends and becoming so much more self-assured. I guess I should have known better.
I think that is the lesson I am learning with you boys. I can fret and worry about you, but God always takes care of you. When I think you are already amazing, you manage to come out even better, stronger on the other side.
I love that you climb in the car each day after school full of stories and little tidbits. You seem to have a new friend everyday. You don't always know their name but I guess that is a minor detail for you. Right now, it's about just having fun and learning about life with them. In a day or two, you'll learn their names.
I love the little songs you sing about how to spell the different color names. I love the pride you showed in yourself when you drew your first stick person this year. (You weren't much into art in preschool:)) I love that you think it is funny that your school name tag says, "Samuel Walker" even though you are "Samuel car rider":)
I love that you were Batman for Halloween and for several months that followed. (I got my money out of that costume.:)) I love how much you look up to your big brother, Will, how you play superheroes with Ike, and how you said early on that Peanut (Mac) was gonna be "your" buddy.
I love you Samboy. I love your sweet toothless smile. I LOVE your infectious laugh. I love that you are always honest no matter how much that hurts;). I love that, almost every night, you ask to sleep with me because you just feel less scared there. I love that when you ask for something and are told, "No.", you reply, "Uh, I was just kidding." And even though it can be frustrating at times, I love that sometimes I can ask you a question and get a response totally unrelated because you just got other things on your mind.
I love the emotion you bring to life. Sometimes it is a bit dramatic but really, your heart is always in it:) Your expressions sometimes...craziness!
You turned 6 years-old this year Sam. Your daddy and I are SO very proud of you. We are proud of your soft heart, your sweet nature, your rowdy spirit, and your love for Jesus. Tonight I heard Will say to you, "Sam, do you ever feel like someone is watching you?" Your reply, "Yeah, God is always watching us.":) Thank you Sam for challenging me and making me a better mommy. Thank you for making our family GREAT! Happy Birthday buddy!

Sam's First Day of Kindergarten & Will Goes to 3rd Grade

I am a little, okay, a lot late in writing about the first day of school. Honestly, I am a lot late on a lot of things right now. I am not sure where the time goes. Well, I know it goes toward taking care of my children but they do sleep. Then again, when they sleep, I sleep. So again, I am a lot late on my writing but I am trying to turn over a new leaf and catch back up. So, here goes.

Sam and Will are off to school. Sam was placed in Ms. Norris' class. She was Will's Kindergarten teacher too so although Sam wasn't really interested in getting this school thing going, it is going, it is familiar, and it is good. The mornings are still rough even beginning week #3. Sam has never been one to rush out the door in the mornings. I am sure one day he will be a coffee drinker. He likes to sit and savor that time. If school started at 10:00 am, I think I would get a totally different a.m. attitude. I say a.m. attitude because when I pick him up at 3:00, he is really pleasant and has lots to share about his day. So far, in his 3 weeks, he has decided that PE is fun but tiring and makes you sweat which he is not a fan of. He has seen a child or two vomit which was less scaring to him than it would have been for me. He has caught the eye of a few of the ladies in his class. When teased about it by his brother, his response, "Will, sometimes that happens!":) He is making friends but still a little standoffish to the boy who speaks no English. I just don't think that makes any sense to him at this point. But really, that is our Sam. He is always honest and you can read his face like a book. He is a fun kid to be around and always up for some fun, well except for early morning fun. So, although he is a bit shy in new environments, we knew he would do well and find his place. Go get 'em Sam!

Will began 3rd grade this year in Mrs. Powell's class. She seems to get Will and appreciate the gifts that God has given him even if they are not always classroom friendly. She is tapping into the things that excite him which is a real treat for us. Because this is year four at BYE, Will has many familiar faces in class. Will is a friend to everyone so no one is a stranger. Against his wishes, he is beginning Spanish this year and will continue with Gifted and Talented classes. Really, it's hard not to be excited about a great teacher when he is in class, but so many extras outside the class that the days are always changing. Will was sweet to Sam those first two weeks of school, encouraging, explaining, and walking him to and from class. We are SO proud of the boys. They work together most of the time and really look out for one another. They have yet to realize the blessing that God has given them in each other;) But one of these days...

Here are some pictures of the first day. Mixed in you will find some of Will's first day of Kindergarten. I didn't blog back then but I did take pictures. Even though he didn't have a big brother to navigate the way, Will was also very excited about starting school back then. As I mentioned, he had Ms. Norris too. She took great care of our Will boy which is why he still holds a place for her in his heart. I know she will take special care of our Super Sam too!
PS#2 - You will see Paw Paw in the pictures from this year and Will's first day so many years ago. He just doesn't want to miss that first day of Kindergarten. Thank you Paw Paw for being as excited as we are!

Welcome Home Mac!

Welcome MacArthur Reid Chism! You are 3 weeks old today so I guess a "Happy Birthday" is in order:)
You arrived 10 days early from your June 4 due date on May 25, 2010, Nana's birthday. The day began like any other except that we were preparing for Nana's arrival from Florida. She was hoping to be here for your birth so she came a little over a week early. Little did we know what a great day she chose! We saw Dr. Gorman the day earlier for our normal weekly appointment, May 24, and he was pretty sure we would be back in another week for our regular visit. So when I began having pains on Tuesday, I didn't think too much of it. I had a few on the way to the airport to pick up Nana, and they continued throughout the afternoon. None of them were extremely bad just more of a pause in the day's normal activities. After about 3 hours of contractions that were very inconsistent, I called the doctor to find out when I should begin taking these seriously. I was told by the nurse that since this was baby #4, Dr. Gorman would like to see me.
So off to the hospital we went. Nana, Will, Sam, & Ike drove me to the doctor's office, and Daddy met us there. Dr. Gorman checked things out and said that I had progressed quite a bit since the day before so he was going to send me downstairs to be monitored for awhile and then Dr. Partridge, the doctor on call, would make the call. Nana took the boys home while Brent and I went down to triage. Down in triage, we filled out our paperwork, answered a series of questions, dressed in a stylish, backless gown, peed in a cup, and got hooked up to the monitors. After an hour and a half of being monitored and increasingly painful contractions, the nurse came in and said that although I was 3 1/2 cm dilated and having regular and lengthy contractions, they were not consistent and I had not dilated any further. Some were contraction 2 minutes apart while others were 7. The nurse told us to go ahead and go home to eat dinner and relax maybe even take a bath. I will say that I was a little frustrated. I didn't necessarily need to have a baby on Tuesday, May 25 but my contractions were pretty painful and regular in my mind. How could I go home and take care of 3 kiddos with this level of discomfort? She said that I might be back tonight or in two weeks she didn't know but it would be when the contractions came at consistent intervals. I am sure that I was pretty annoying at this point because I asked several times how I would know when it was time. (I have had 3 other babies and none of them came with consistent contractions until after I was at the hospital in full labor. In fact, with Ike, I never felt a contraction. They told me my water was spilling out and I needed to have him within 24 hours. I got an epidural and never felt a contraction;)) The nurse assured me that when it was time, I would know. So, we signed out of the hospital, made a phone call, got in the car, and began our drive home.
I had a contraction leaving the parking lot at about 6:15 pm. We got on the interstate with a contraction at 6:18 pm and at 6:22 pm, as we were exiting the interstate, my water exploded in Brent's car. Now my water broke with Will and it was like little bubbles bursting every few seconds. With Ike, my water was leaking. Never have I had my water explode before. It was strange! So Brent quickly looped around and got back on the interstate heading back to the hospital. When we arrived at triage, they cut off my roughly 15 minute old arm bands and fitted me with new ones. I filled out that same paperwork again and answered the same questions before. "Yes, I still feel safe in my own home. No, I did not take up smoking in the past 15 minutes;)" I got a new gown, hooked up to monitors, and that nice nurse came back in. She reminded me that she did say that when it was time, "I would know". I guess that is why she is paid the big bucks because I certainly knew:)
At this point, things began to move quickly, not quickly enough for my taste but quicker none the less. When the nurse reexamined me, I was now at 5 cm and she confirmed it was my water that I experienced. (Good thing for me. I think Brent and Coca-Cola will forgive me for my water breaking in the company car but probably not for peeing in it:)) As the process continued for preparing to have a baby from an administrative standpoint, my pains were becoming increasingly worse. Brent was pacing, concerned I wouldn't get my epidural. The nice nurse doing my IVs seemed concerned about that as well because he got my bed rolling down the hall, and I am certain that this wasn't his job. I got to the delivery room and waited for the man only 2 to the Lord himself, the anesthesiologist:) (Unfortunately, to get an epidural, you have to wait for blood work to come back, so I waited for what seemed like forever.) After that sweet man gave me my epidural, the nurse came right behind him to check me. Oops! Seems in that short amount of time moving from triage to the delivery room, I had progressed to 9 cm. Now I am a big fan of epidurals and anything to take away the pain but had I known that I was only a cm away from having this baby, I might have gone for it. When that sweet doctor was administering those lovely drugs, I thought I was at a 6 and I couldn't figure out how or why someone would be able to handle another 4 cm of this. I guess even though I went through most of the labor with the pain, my after the baby was pretty relaxing:)
Anyway, Dr. Partridge quickly came in prepared to deliver our baby Mac. I pushed once, and then she asked me to push half that hard. Out you came Mac! I was moved into that room, hooked up to machines, had all my stats taken, given an epidural, and pushed 1 & 1/2 times all in less than about 45 minutes. I guess you showed them Mac! You didn't care about dates or time between contractions. You were ready to come and so you did.
You weighed in at 7 lb 13 oz (same as Will & Sam). You were 20 1/2 in long (same as Sam) with lots of black hair. You were perfect. Daddy was there waiting for your arrival along with Nana. This was the first of her grandchildren that Nana was in the delivery room for the birth. (I hadn't asked her before. I actually didn't think anyone outside of the medical profession, and the daddy would want to be in there. There is alot of crazy stuff going on in that room.) Mama Fran was also going to be in there for your arrival but you came SO fast that she and Papa got there about 10 minutes after you entered the world. Pawpaw was driving from Florida so he got there the very next day to see you.
Since that Tuesday in May, we have felt overwhelmed, tired, loved... really a mix of so many emotions but mostly we have felt blessed. You are a perfect, sweet baby who loves to be held. Your brothers find you fascinating and love to touch and talk to you. Ike has a few mixed feelings. He has lost his place as the baby but we spend each day trying to convince him that this is all that he lost:) So, he loves you but he hasn't quite figured out the benefit of being an older brother. He will though, in just a short time:)
Our family is complete. Your daddy and I had always talked about having four but we took that one baby at a time. Thankfully God had that in His plans too. I look at you and see each of your brothers. No, you don't necessarily look like any or all of them but I see the promise in you that I saw in each of them. I love having you in my house under my care but I cannot wait to see what God has in store for you. You are a child of God. He loved you from the beginning and will until the end just like your daddy and me.
Happy Birthday MacArthur. You are a delight!

Will's Leg Length Discrepency

Ok, so I am totally cheating here but Brent wrote an email awhile back updating some of our friends on Will's appointment at Shriner's Hospital on February 19, 2010. He copied me on the email, and it really touched me. So often as parents, we present ourselves to our children in a way that looks like we have all the answers. Even when we don't have the answer, we use the old standby, "because Mommy and Daddy said so".
When I read Brent's email, I got teary because I feel as he does. I question my God and lack the faith we both desire. I am copying Brent's email onto this post because I want the boys to one day read this and know that we both struggle daily in our walk. We don't doubt the fact that there is a God or that He works in every part of our lives. But we try so hard to have control of it. We try to make sense of it. We don't intend to but sometimes we put our God in a box. I guess I want the boys to know that walking with God doesn't always mean the person is upright with shoulders back, head held high. Sometimes the walk is more of a crawl. And God already knows this about us, and I believe that He rejoices in the fact that we are simply still moving with Him. I want my boys to always be moving with Him no matter the posture. Anyway, here is Brent's email:
"Dear Friends -
Update on Will's leg length discrepancy. As you may recall, we discovered Will's uneven leg length a few years ago. Two years ago, we went to Shriner's Hospital in St. Louis, and they told us that the difference was 3/4 of an inch. Projected out to a full grown man, they estimated that this would result in a 3 inch difference in leg lengths. This would require a major surgery called Illizeroff, which involves breaking of the leg and lengthening it for a period of 9 months.
We were disheartened, but knew Will could handle adversity and we started to pray for healing.
I'll admit, I'm not really certain that I believe that God miraculously heals people today. I tend to think that ceased with the apostles, but I also believe that our God can do anything, so I figured why not pray for healing.
This weekend we went back for a visit to Shriner's 2 years later. More x-rays and tests were done. The doctor came in and said, "Well I'm not sure what happened, but the discrepancy is no worse. In fact, it may actually be slightly better". We asked what may have caused this medically, and he had no answer. We asked if this happened often and she said, "No - not often at all. We don't have a medical reason for this".
I don't know if Will's leg will go back to even lengths totally or not. I don't know for sure that God kept the legs from getting worse. I am weak in faith, and tend to lean on my own understanding, so I don't have a good explanation for this. I worry that it may start growing at differing rates again.
I don't know what will happen, but I know we prayed and things are better and the doctors don't know why. That makes me happy. And I hope that God did this. And I believe he can on most days. And on the other days, I imagine He does His work regardless of my weak faith.
Praise God"
)--Here are pictures we took on our visit to St. Louis/ Shriners. We spent the night in a hotel and took the boys to the Arch, The City Museum, & The Crown Candy Kitchen. Granny and Papa went with us to help with Sam and Ike while Brent and I saw the doctor with Will. They were a great help and fun to have with us. Thank you Granny and Papa!

The Holidays

Wow! I guess it was before Thanksgiving since I last had the time or mental capacity to sit and write about life. Don't get me wrong, it happened. I just haven't had the energy and sometimes the nerve to talk about it;) But in a nutshell, the holidays were busy for us as are for everyone else, and I say this with an attitude of gratitude. We were busy because we have been blessed in wealth of food, health, family, and spirit. Throughout the past month and a half, we were surrounded by loved ones and each of us had reason to celebrate life, the season, and the birth of Jesus. Now, I am not sure our faces or attitudes displayed all that joy all the time. Frankly, life with all its blessings can be crazy and frustrating. And life with over stimulation and a full week of unexpected snow days and sickness has its moments of difficulty. But in the end, we sure had fun and are so very thankful that we were blessed to spend time with so many of our loved ones. It only took a month and a half to fit them all in and to finish celebrating but we did it, and we have special memories to prove it:) Enjoy!
P.S. - I will be in severe trouble if I don't explain my mother in a cowboy hat and scarf. We were celebrating the new year and drank a little too much virgin lemonade:) We got wild and made her a cowgirl!