Heck of a week

This week couldn't have come to an end any sooner! I swear, this was just one of those weeks that nothing goes the way you hoped and everyone is tired and whiny including me. And, of course, band camp began this week so Gene's been gone at night all week. Nice.

It all started Sunday when Gracie got up at 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. She was inconsolable. I fed her and laid her back down. At the 4:30 a.m. feeding, I decided that I didn't have anything going on at work first thing so we would take our time getting in, maybe sleep until 7:00. Oh, no. She got up at 5:30 a.m. which is very early for her. She went to sleep for a hour in the swing then was ready for the day. Seriously? Hasn't this girl heard of beauty sleep (for her and her Mommy)? Guess not.

On Monday night, Gracie had a fever. I gave her some Tylenol and laid her down. She slept soundly but Tuesday morning she had a raging fever. I knew it was something more than teething so I took her to the doctor. Yep, first ear infection. If she's anything like her brothers, you can go ahead and put us down for tubes, Dr. Hamm. We did have Gracie weighed though and she is a whopping 16 pounds, a pound more than at her 4 month check up. No doubt about it...this girl likes to eat!

Meanwhile, Andrew has decided that he wants to get up at all hours of the night to potty and change into underwear. Now, I appreciate his move from a pull-up to underwear. But this boy is not a quiet kid. He's very much a bull in a china shop and flings open the door before the crack of dawn to tell us his pants are twisted, he hears a noise, etc.

We had "meet the teacher" yesterday for Austin. It went well mostly because we are looping to 2nd grade with Austin's 1st grade teacher who we adore. She did so well with Austin all year with few incidents. Austin's grown a lot since kindergarten and he's now on the 2nd grade hall upstairs at the elementary school.

AND to end the week on a very happy, less sleepy note...Gracie is officially 5 months old and cut her first tooth today! She's been pretty ill all week but tonight she was back to her happy, laid back self.

So, here's to the end of a hell of a week. This mama's pooped!

Playing photographer

Last week, I was home with all the kids because Andrew had a stomach bug. While we were home and the boys were playing, I took some pictures of Gracie. Here are a few of the good pictures we took. She's so photogenic!

Gracie's 4 month check up

Grace had her 4 month check up today. She got 2 shots and one oral vaccine. She weighed 15 pounds (70th percentile) and was 25 1/4 inches tall (90th percentile).

We got the official OK to start solids. The pediatrician said with 2nd and 3rd babies when he says "it's OK to start solids" that really means keep doing what you've been doing with solids. We started cereal when Grace was about 8 weeks old and have tried bananas (those give her gas so we've stopped them), apples, and tonight we tried carrots. At first she wasn't sure about them, but she gobbled them up!

Newborn photos

Right after Gracie arrived, we got a photographer, Julia Cantley, to come to our house to do a newborn photo shoot. We did not do this with either of the boys and I really did regret capturing those tiny baby moments. Julia did a wonderful job!

Gracie is 4 months old!

I can't believe that Gracie is 4 months old already! She's such a sweet baby. She only cries when she truly needs/wants something. She's very laid back and easy going. Gracie loves her brothers already. She smiles and talks to them all the time!

She's rolled over from tummy to back and back to tummy and she's just discovered that she has feet. She's constantly grabbing at them. And I think she's teething. She's drooling everywhere and can't keep her hands out of her mouth.

What a blessing she is!

Happy Belated 4th of July

We had terrible weather on the 4th of July so we didn't get to do any fireworks. Plus, Gene had to go downtown for the summer band concert that wasn't. So, we decided to get some fireworks and shoot them off today. I'm sure it's illegal, but the boys had a wonderful time!

And, yes, Andrew is wearing long sleeve, long pant pajamas in the middle of July with temperatures in the upper 90s!

Beach Trip

Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to the beach. It was a quick trip but so worth it. We have finally found our "place" at the beach! Nonna, Papa, and Ella went with us. It was so nice so spend time with all of them.

The weather was nice and the boys had a great time in the pool. Andrew discovered that he loves to "swim" and is very, very brave when it comes to the water. I guess it's time for swimming lessons for him! Gracie had a good time too napping by the pool. She loved the ocean breeze. Don't we all!

Gracie rolls over!

Gracie rolled over today from her back to her tummy. I put her on the bed (on her back), turned around for a second, and when I turned back around she was on her tummy.

3 year and 2 month check up

When I scheduled Grace's 2 month check up, I knew the date sounded familiar. That's because I'd also scheduled Andrew's 3 year check up for the same day. Rather than making 2 trips to the pediatrician, we decided to keep the appointments at the same time on the same day. Overall, it wasn't a bad trip.

This was the first doctor's visit where Andrew got to pee in a cup and have his blood pressure taken. When he finished in the bathroom, he just had to bring the cup to show me. He was just so proud of himself. Andrew weighed 31.06 pounds (50th percentile) and was 39 1/2 inches tall (90th percentile).

Grace did well too. She had many shots but she only cried for a minute. Grace weighed 11 pounds, 12 ounces (50th percentile) and was 24 1/4 inches tall (95th percentile).

Andrew's 3 years old!

Andrew turned 3 years old today! We had his school party yesterday so we could keep him home from school and spend the day together on his birthday. We went to the McWane Center and played and had lunch. When we came home, he drove around some in his new police car, a birthday present from us. We had a wonderful day!

Gracie is 2 months old!

I can't believe Grace is already 2 months old. It seems like she was born yesterday. She's discovered her hands and loves sucking her thumb (she prefers her left over her right). Her baby hair has fallen out and has started coming back in. Maybe she'll have my thick hair (Lord help her and her stylist). She has the cutest cubby cheeks and looks so much like Andrew when he was her age. The boys are totally smitten and want to hold her all the time. It's hard to imagine what our life was like just a few months ago before she was born. She's such a blessing!

Grace's Baptism

Grace was officially welcomed into the Catholic church today. What a special day for all us!

Easter 2011

After last year's Easter fiasco whereby we all got dressed up, went to church, and the boys acted like fools, we decided to not attend church on Easter. Plus, with Gracie being a newborn and me having very little sleep, it was best for everyone to not go. We did go out to Nonna and Papa's house to open Easter baskets, eat, and hunt for eggs!

Easter morning

The Easter bunny came! Andrew was completely thrilled and so excited about the bunny. Austin is questioning the feasibility of a bunny coming in the house with baskets. It is a little hard to believe to be honest. I mean, how does a bunny carry baskets? That didn't mean Austin didn't love opening his to see what was inside!

Grace is 1 month old!

Andrew loves having his picture taken with Gracie!

ADHD guest post

Ever since Austin was diagnosed with ADHD I've looked on the web searching for any tips from other parents on things that have worked (or haven't) for their child particularly as it relates to behavior issues. While Austin does have some inattention problems, his is mostly the impulsive behavior side of ADHD. I found a mom's view of ADHD a year or so ago and submitted a guest post a few months ago about behavior plans and it was posted today!

First few weeks

Grace was born 3 1/2 weeks ago. So far, things have been quite hectic. While we were in the hospital, we insisted Grace's bilirubin level be checked the day before we left the hospital. She was already getting yellow and both Austin and Andrew were jaundiced before leaving the hospital. We wanted to be prepared to stay an extra day if needed and didn't want to find out last minute if we needed to stay. The level on that day was 10 something and they rechecked it the next day before we left. At that time it was 12 something. It had to be closer to 13 before we stayed over or before they recommended home therapy.

We followed up with the pediatrician the day after we got home from the hospital. At that time, her level spiked to close to 18 and home health came out with a bili bed. Grace spent 2 days on the bed (just as Austin had done 7 years ago when he was born) and her level dropped to 12. We had to follow up with the pediatrician the next day and it spiked again. Thus began our saga of doctor's visits, heel sticks, and copays for the first few weeks after Grace was born. Luckily, Grace turned the corner today and her level was back down around 12. No more doctor's visits for us any time soon! Here are a few pics from her time on the bed.

Austin's birthday weekend

Austin turned 7 on Friday, April 1st. Gene went to school to have lunch with him and I signed up to be the mystery reader for the day. (Austin's class has a mystery reader every Friday after lunch.) We also let Austin pick where we would go for dinner that night, our first dining out experience as a family of 5. Of course, he picked Chinese, his favorite.

Yesterday, we had a bowling party for Austin and a few of his friends. This was the best money I've ever spent on a birthday party. All we had to do was show up with cupcakes and they handled the rest! The kids had a great time bowling and eating hot dogs and cupcakes.

Today, we had family over for lunch and cupcakes and to open gifts. Overall, Austin had a wonderful birthday weekend!

Welcome Grace Anne!

Tonal Type Pink Baby Announcements

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Hospital pictures

After Grace's arrival, we spent a few days in the hospital. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our time in the hospital including one of us going home!

Grace Anne Fambrough

Grace Anne Fambrough was born on March 11, 2011 at 6:39 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 21 inches long.

Proud big brother Austin!

Sweet Andrew hugging his sister!