My 3 Sons.......Owen, Judd, and Wyatt

The Seven Best Years of My Life

2009-04-09T09:10:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that Brad and I have been married for seven years? Shew! We've been so busy that they have flown by. When I tell you that the last seven years have been the best of my life, I'm not exaggeratting. I could not have married a better man or father for my boys. I love you, Brad!

My Nephew

2009-04-09T09:06:00.003-04:00

I haven't introduced you all to my nephew. His name is Will Rich and his parents are Chrissy and Kevin. He is so adorable. I am very sad to say that I haven't gotten to hold or even see him yet. Can you believe that my parents have ALL grandsons after having ALL daughters?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2009-02-23T17:28:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry to those of you who have already heard this story. Brad's dad travels often with his job and earns hotel reward points. He is very generous and let's us use them often. Brad's dad offered us two hotel nights and each of our parents agreed to watch the boys for a night for Valentine's weekend. Brad and I were so excited. I needed some SLEEP. Wyatt is still NOT a good sleeper.

On Tuesday morning (the week of Valentine's) Judd woke us up to let us know that Owen was vomiting. He vomited two more times but was done by 9:30 am. I wondered who else would get it and if the weekend would really happen. I was hopeful since it seemed to be over fast. He laid around on Tuesday but didn't throw up anymore. On Wednesday evening I decided that I would take Owen and Wyatt to the doctor on Thursday morning. Owen wasn't eating anything but he was playing and wasn't acting terribly sick. Wyatt had cried and fussed all week. I just thought it was teething. On Thursday morning Owen woke up at 5 am and couldn't breathe well and sounded like he had the croup. I calmed him down and told him we were going to the doctor.

I got everyone dressed (matching of course) and ready early for our 9:30 am appointment in Lexington. I needed a Sonic coke. While we were in the drive-through line, Wyatt started vomiting. I headed back home. I changed his clothes and a dirty diaper and headed to Lexington. I got into Fayette County and Wyatt started vomiting again. When we reached New Circle, Judd said, "I promise, I'm not crying wolf. My belly hurts." Judd also started vomiting. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when we got to the doctor's office but I was just going to make do.

I was able to take Wyatt's fleece off and wipe his pants off with a wipe. I had a spare pair of pants in the car for Judd. I changed his pants and took his t-shirt off. I put his fleece on him with nothing underneath and told him to keep it zipped up so they wouldn't think I was crazy! We managed to make it to our appointment on time and they got us back quickly.

In the room, Wyatt vomited again. Thankfully, the doctor was in quickly. She suspected strep throat was the cause NOT the stomach virus. I was so glad that I took them to the doctor. The test came back positive and we headed home. The doctor gave the boys Zofran to take before the antibiotic so that they could keep it down. It worked wonders and they were feeling well enough for us to go. Yippee! Brad took off work on Friday and we left town in the afternoon. The boys were excited about their weekend with their grandparents and their Valentine's gifts from us.

We got to Cincinnati in time for an early dinner at Dewey's Pizza and then a trip to IKEA. We were both looking forward to the next day and had planned shopping, dinner and a movie. How quickly plans can change. At midnight Brad started vomiting and did so about every two hours until we left at 5:30 am. We got home at 7:30 and we were at the Urgent Center Treatment at 9 when it opened. They confirmed that Brad also had strep. He spent Saturday and Sunday in the bed. On Sunday my mom came down with it. On Monday my dad and I got sick and on Tuesday Brad's mom got sick.

It was a crazy time. I'm glad that everyone is feeling much better and I hope it stays that way. We are going to try it again this weekend for Brad's birthday.

2009-01-17T15:03:00.007-05:00

If you don’t live in central Kentucky (or north of KY, for sure) and haven’t been watching the news, you might not know that it has been terribly cold here over the last 2-3 days. Temperatures dropped to single digits on Wednesday night, to -2 degrees F (!!!!) on Thursday night, and to single digits again last night. The forecast is calling for snow tonight and tomorrow (probably not much accumulation though).

To enjoy the freeze-your-bottom-off weather, I (Brad writing this time) took Owen and Judd and their good buddies to look at waterfalls this morning. It was a blustery 17 degrees F. We hoped to see a bunch of ice but did not. Two of the “waterfalls” were dam spillways on North Elkhorn Creek and the water must have been flowing too swiftly for ice to form easily. In the slower moving water though, approximately a quarter inch of ice was present on the stream surface. The real waterfall, Hurst Falls at Cove Springs Park in Frankfort, is spring-fed...so the warmer water was not conducive to much ice formation either. At least that’s my stab at the lack of ice. We had a good time regardless. After romping around outside, we returned to the house where Dannette had hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup ready for the hungry boys. Check out the fun photos below.

Owen, Judd, Will, and Jake at Hurst Falls.

Larger view of Hurst Falls (boys at bottom left).

Boys at overflow structure at Cove Springs Park (the area used to be a lake decades ago).

Boys on the trail.

Wyatt likes to Wiggle

2009-01-02T13:42:00.003-05:00

He doesn't wiggle in the video as much as he normally does but I thought it was still cute!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:56:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! I’ve not written for a few weeks. Several things have kept us busy. Wyatt got ear tubes after suffering through many ear infections in 2008 (he’s doing great). The stomach virus got us for a couple of weeks, too. At the same time, we experienced computer problems (for much of November and December). First, internet explorer quit working and it took a while to get internet access again. Then, a loud buzzing noise started soon after that. The buzzing lead to the computer shutting itself down – no warning, no kiss goodbye. The computer down-time meant that I had to use my mom’s computer to do my accounting work. Finally, because the sick computer was a little over 5 years old, we decided to replace it. We still are hoping to be able to retrieve our photographs off the old hard drive.

I turned 36 at the end of November. Time flies when you are having fun!

Christmas was nice as we had more people in town this time. Last Christmas, my sisters went to visit the in-laws. This time, Laura (Nashville) and Eric were in town. Eric’s parents recently moved from North Carolina to Columbus, Ohio. We are hoping to see them most holidays now since Georgetown is between Nashville and Columbus. Chrissy (Phoenix) could not travel as she is 38 weeks pregnant. Her c-section is scheduled for next week (January 7). I’ll have a new nephew and we are excited for his arrival. She, Kevin, and Baby Rich hope to move closer to KY sometime in 2009.

Owen and Judd had a Christmas filled with Star Wars (no surprise) and superhero toys. They’ve been flying around fighting bad guys for days. They’ve also continued to try to figure out why the bad guys decided to be bad guys. Why wouldn’t they want to be good guys after all? Wyatt got a Dora’s Farm Adventure musical toy. He wiggled like crazy when the music started. It was cute. He has a fairly cushioned posterior and it allows him to do some groovy dance moves. We’ve sang the same song dozens of times. “Let’s all go to the farm to see our animal friends.” I'll try to capture it on video and post it.

Brad has been having some “food processing” problems for a few weeks. He is scheduled for a colonoscopy on Monday morning, January 5. We hope to determine what the problem is.

January will prove to be an interesting month, I’m sure. I’m going to try to wean Wyatt. His mouth full of teeth is too much and he needs to chew elsewhere. I thought everything about the third baby would be easier. I was wrong.

Brad spent New Year’s Eve celebrating Brett’s 40th birthday at Boi Na Braza in Cincinnati. It’s a Brazilian steakhouse. He had a good time with the guys. The boys and I spent the evening with Ashley and her kids. Ashley and I enjoyed talking and the boys and Claire had a good time playing.

Brad and I are going to watch UK in their bowl game tomorrow. We think his mom is going to watch the boys. GO CATS!!!

Judd's Making Me Crazy!

2008-11-07T21:16:00.001-05:00

BIG BOY

2008-11-07T20:20:00.002-05:00

Sometimes he is so serious........

and sometimes he isn't.........

Wyatt weighed 26lbs 2 oz at his one year check-up and he was 31 inches long.

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-03T13:45:00.002-05:00

Our Baby Wyatt is ONE!

2008-11-02T16:50:00.003-05:00

We've had family in town for the past week so I haven't had a chance to post about Wyatt's big day! He turned one on October 25th. We feel so blessed by each of our children. He is starting to walk (5 or 6 steps at a time) and I feel the same joy that I felt with the first two over his milestones. For those of you who have spent time with him you know that he is a funny baby and we enjoy him so much!

We've Been Busy!

2008-10-14T16:01:00.002-04:00

Shew! I'm sorry that it's been so long since I blogged. I stay so busy. I have an extremely high maintenance baby boy. We really love him and enjoy him but he is a stinker.

Owen is five years old. I can't believe it. His birthday was September 26th and he got to camp at the Kentucky Horse Park. Brad and my dad camped with Owen and Judd. The boys loved it. Owen is doing so well in preschool and has learned so much. We are amazed by him constantly. He has a great memory and thought process.

Wyatt is close to walking but not there yet. He is way ahead of Owen who didn't walk until 16 months and Judd who didn't walk until 15 months. I think he will be walking by his 1st birthday in a few weeks. He is always working his way in to what his brothers are doing. Sometimes they trick him and get him to leave the room and then they shut the door real fast. It breaks Wyatt's heart. Of course, I get on them and make them include him. It's hard though because they have lots of little pieces and they love puzzles. They have to do their puzzles on the kitchen table because he tears everything apart. Wyatt says DUDD (Judd) all the time. He has a very loud, deep voice. I think he calls both Owen and Judd this. He babbles all the time and is very loud. Much louder than the other two. I wonder why? Probably so he can be heard around here!

Judd is as cute and funny as ever. He can tell you anything you want to know (or don't want to know) about Star Wars. He knows all the characters and the story line. It's amazing. He has become attached to a little stuffed penguin. He calls it his baby. He says he is potty trained but he really isn't. He knows what to do and will do it when he has to but otherwise he won't. I'm not sure what to do. Any suggestions? I've tried lots of things.

Here are some funny things the boys have said lately:

1. Georgetown College recently named their new fitness center after George H. W. Bush. He came to speak so the preschool walked the kids down to see him. When my dad picked him up he asked him who he got to see. Owen shrugged his shoulders and said, "Some man named Bush."

2. Owen has show-and-tell on Fridays and he is always trying to find something to take and share. Judd likes to pretend he is in school but he calls it ho-and-tell. This got a chuckle from Brad and me.

3. I was pushing the boys on the swings yesterday when the following conversation occured.
Owen: Mom when Judd burned his finger at Gram's house did you put ice on it when he was napping and did the ice melt in our bed?
Me: Yes, that is what happened.
Owen: Well, that's what my daddy told me but I wanted to make sure he was telling me the truth.
Me: Owen if daddy tells you something then it's the truth.
Judd: But mommy my daddy is crazy. I love him though.

4. After I had been pushing Judd in the swing for about 30 minutes in the heat he said, "Mommy, you are the best in the whole wide world."

These boys are a hoot!

UK Fan Day

2008-09-01T09:24:00.005-04:00

It takes a while sometimes for us to find time to post a story or photographs but because of the holiday weekend, both parents are home and we seem to have a bit more time today. On Saturday, August 9, Keith and Karen (Dannette cousin and wife) came down from northern Kentucky and we went to the UK Football Fan Day at Commonwealth Stadium. We also met up with our good friends, Amy, Marvin, Ben, and Matthew. The boys loved the football field. They spent most of the time running in circles and rolling in the grass with some of their friends. We, too, had a nice time and intend to go again next year. There are five photos below of our fun-filled day in Lexington. (BTW, did any of you watch UK smash the University of Louisville yesterday?)

Photo 1. Future UK linebacker ready to go.

Photo 2. Wyatt with Matthew, a good buddy.

Photo 3. Touchdown celebration in the west end zone.

Photo 4. Judson after the game, "We left it all on the field."

Photo 5. Owen after the game, "We blew the doors off the place!"

HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, AUNT LAURA!

2008-08-29T13:49:00.009-04:00

We love you and we hope you have a wonderful birthday!
I love Aunt Laura because:

Judd
*She bought me a present.
*She and Eric took me bowling.
*I like her dog, Diva.

Owen
*I like it when she visits.
*I like it when she takes us to the park.
*I like the Yoda shirt she bought me.

Wyatt
*She and I are both the babies of our family.
*ma ma ma da da da

Family Portrait

2008-08-12T16:12:00.003-04:00

Owen drew this picture of our family. I think he did a good job. He was drawing with a black marker so everything is in black. He said that he put red lipstick on me. He said that he made him and Brad larger because they are bigger than us. He gets his creativity from Brad. I love seeing how he is changing. He loves learning and asks lots of questions about numbers and letters. Yesterday was his first day back to school and he had a good day. He said, "My belly was a little nervous when you all leaved me but then it got okay." He is such a sweet, sweet boy. He was happy that his friend Cooper was back. It's almost the exact same kids as last year.

Piano

2008-08-05T16:41:00.003-04:00

Little Motzart loves the toy piano. He is very active and into EVERYTHING! I have put my plants out of reach and several other things. He is happiest when he is near his brothers. They try and block him sometimes but he is so big that he just rolls over them.

Updates

2008-07-23T14:45:00.004-04:00

Wyatt will be 9 months on Friday. He went for his check-up today and he weighs 23 pounds and 2 ounces (75-90 percentile) and he is over 29 inches long (75 percentile). Like his brothers, his head size is greater than 90th percentile. His weight tends to match up with were Owen was at this age but Owen was longer. Wyatt is crawling and pulls up to everything and is cruising around. My favorite is when he pulls up to the little piano and plays it. I hope to get a video of it soon but the camera distracts him and he loses his balance.

We get together with the Fraziers often. We are glad to have friends close by. I thought it was funny to see Brad and Jimmy both sitting on the couch holding the babies. They are both such good dads.

Owen and Judd have been happy to spend time with their Highley grandparents this summer. They set up a pool for them and they both love it! I'm glad that they have two sets of grandparents pretty close. They will have such good memories when they get older.

Brad is the best husband and dad ever! He took a week off of work to build the boys a "set." That's what Owen and Judd call it. I'll take a better picture and post it later. I did good to get this one. It's hard to get them all to be still. It has a large deck, slide, and three swings. He built it from scratch and it's awesome. It also has a sand box which the boys have loved. These boys are lucky to have such a great dad!

BOOK

2008-07-15T10:13:00.003-04:00

I have been reading a great book for mothers of boys. It's called Preparing Him for the Other Woman. It's a mother's guide to raising her son to love a wife and lead a family. This book was suggested to me by another mother at SCC whose children are almost all out of the house. She has great kids and I hope mine turn out as good as her children. If you have a son you must get this book. It is great! It gives you suggestions of things to do starting at 3 years old. I plan to go back and read it periodically. I've also been encouraged by it. Since I came from a family of three girls, I feel lost in boy world sometimes. I worry about how active they are but she explains how important it is to encourage them to be warriors. We want them to fight for their family someday. She also lists prayers after each chapter. I plan to copy them to index cards and pray them over my boys.

Owen and Judd went to Bible School at my parents church. Me being their mother, I knew that they would NOT preform at the program. My mom just knew that they would because they participated and were so cute during the week. On Sunday, everyone was going up on stage and Judd and Owen just sat in the pew. The teachers directed them on stage to which they just looked at the other kids and had their backs to the crowd for at least 1/2 of the time. I was laughing so hard. It was really funny. I wish I had it on video. They didn't sing one word or do one motion. Sometimes Owen even had his tongue hanging out. I couldn't stop laughing. Brad's parents drove all the way from Richmond to see it. Brad's mom said that he would have done the same thing. I never liked these performances and only did them because I was made to do them. At least we know that our kids didn't get mixed up in the hospital nursery. These are our children! I won't make them do it again.

The other morning Judd got in bed with me and was laying on my chest and I was rubbing his back. It was a sweet moment. I did a big yawn and Judd said, "Mommy don't do that stinky air again." I couldn't stop laughing.

Chrissy (my sister in Phoenix) is still very sick with her pregnancy. She is more sick than anyone else I've known. She has to get IVs and has a pump of nausea medicine. She is 14 weeks. Please pray for her. She found out it's a boy. My parents had all girls. I wonder if they will have all grandsons?

Happy Birthday, Aunt Chrissy!!

2008-07-06T15:04:00.002-04:00

Aunt Chrissy is 33 today. We wish we were in Phoenix to celebrate with her. The baby in her belly has made her really sick so we bet she's glad we aren't there. We think it must be a girl!

Why we love Aunt Chrissy:

Owen
*She's sweet to me.
*She likes us.
*She takes me to Chuck E. Cheese's.
*She sends me stuff in the mail.

Judd
*She's special.
*She's pretty.
*She sends me Star Wars men.

Wyatt
*She came to see me the week I was born.

We love you Aunt Chrissy. Come home soon.

Movie

2008-06-09T21:00:00.002-04:00

Brad took the boys to see Prince Caspian. They loved the first movie. After the big battle scene, Owen leaned over to Brad and said, "Daddy, those guys are going to have to go home and take a shower. Aren't they?"

Sleeping Beauties

2008-06-09T20:55:00.004-04:00

Brad found the boys snuggled together like this one morning. Too cute!
Sweet baby Wyatt!

Kids Say the Funniest Things

2008-06-02T11:02:00.002-04:00

Here are some funny things that the boys have said:

-Judd put a white wash cloth on his head and asked Brad if that was what I wore when we got married. Brad said, "A washcloth?" Owen said, "What he means is, did mommy wear a princess outfit?"

-There are many ways we could get to our house leaving my parents house. Recently Brad turned down a street that he doesn't usually take. Owen said, "Are you mixing it up, Dad?" Brad was confused. Owen said, "You know. Are you taking a different way? I like it when you mix it up."

-Our kitchen table has four chairs. We all have a chair and Wyatt sits in the high chair. When the boys and I were having lunch the other day Owen said, "Mom, when we get our sister we are going to have to get a new table." We have plenty of time to worry about that!!!!

JUDD

2008-05-31T14:18:00.004-04:00

It's Judd's turn (and Kristina requested). I blogged about Owen and I did a video of Wyatt. I don't want to slight the middle child! ;)

Judd is a wonderful little boy. He keeps us laughing a lot. Owen and Judd are so different. I love how God makes each of us unique and so very special.

Judd loves me more than anyone and I love it. He likes to hug and kiss me and tell me how much he loves me. What more could a mother want? I love his big, brown eyes and his long eyelashes.

Judd is the most attached to me but it's in a different way than Owen. Owen doesn't like the unknown but he loves his grandmas and will stay with them at the drop of a hat. Judd goes but not as readily and he is good away for one night. He is always ready to come home. Judd doesn't seem to mind the unknown. I'll be surprised if he cries when he goes to pre-school.

Judd had to get fillings at the dentist in his two front teeth this week. He fell on our porcelain tile and I think it caused some trauma to his teeth (and he really likes sugar). He was AWESOME! The dentist used gas and I could hear him walking him through every step. Judd never fussed once. The dentist was amazed and said it was very unusual. He is a very brave little boy.

Judd says the funniest things (his voice alone will make you laugh). He says his words like a hillbilly. He should be potty trained but he chooses to still use pull-ups. I'm not going to press the issue and he uses the potty much of the time. He'll come and tell me that he used the "big pot." I'm not sure where he got that but it sounds so funny.

He can take care of himself. Brad and I call him the AVENGER. Wyatt dropped a little truck on Owen's head (a 7 month old drops everything) and Owen cried. I'm sure it hurt. Judd thought he should pick up the truck and knock Wyatt in the head. Thank goodness Brad was there to stop it!

I hope you can tell how much I love my three little guys by reading this blog. It's a lot of work but it's so worth it. I'm so thankful that I have Brad to help me. I couldn't imagine a better dad for three wild boys.

A Special Wyatt Video

2008-05-18T16:40:00.002-04:00

OWEN

2008-05-17T16:21:00.003-04:00

Owen has fallen asleep like this two times now. He doesn't take a nap every day anymore and sometimes he should. He just loves to play so much. Notice that he put one puzzle together but then fell asleep before he finished the other. I'm not sure why he likes to play at our front door. I guess it's because there is a nice open space there.

Owen finishes his first year of pre-school this week. It has been a daily struggle. He truly likes it after he gets there but he has some anxiety about going. I think he is afraid he will miss out on something that we are doing (which is usually nothing). I see so many similarities in Owen and me. Maybe it's being first born and maybe it's genetics.

Owen is a very sensitive child. He has a tender, tender heart. I love this about him. He is also very insightful and has a great thought process. We heard the boys talking in bed this morning so Brad got up and went to get in their bed. They all got under the covers and shot basketball from the bed. We have bucket of balls. Brad reminded the boys that they were going to Pop and Granny's to spend the night. Owen said, "Are you and mommy glad that we are going to be gone?" Brad told him that yes we were glad. Owen said, "Is it so you all can clean the house." Brad said that was one of the reasons. Owen said, "And so you all can rest." Is he a smart cookie or what?!?

Pictures

2008-05-16T21:30:00.005-04:00

My sister took all of these pictures of the boys. She was visiting from Nasheville and spent the day with them and let me go shopping. The boys enjoyed Auntie Laura. Owen and Judd have on soccer uniforms that she brought them back from England.

Sweet, Sweet Baby!
I think all little boys love boots. Judd wears these a lot. Owen has some Spider Man snow boots. Somehow I have convinced them that you only wear boots at home!!

The boys got a Gator for Christmas (thanks to Granny Marcy and Pop). They are enjoying getting to use it now that it's warmer.

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-12T12:20:00.004-04:00

I feel so blessed to be the mother of three little boys. God has given me a huge task but I know he will be there to guide me through this journey. Last night Judd hugged my neck while I was sitting on the floor and said, "Mommy, you have all boys."

The following was written in my card.

Somthing nice about Mommy:

Owen: I love Mommy because she is a great, great, good mommy.
I like Mommy because she gives me kisses all the time.
I like Mommy because she loves me and I really love her, too.
I like that she gives me presents sometimes.

Judd: I like Dannette mommy. I like that she put on the "Monster Inc." I like that she puts on
the ghosts that come out of the mud (Scooby Doo DVD). I like her because she is Dannette, she is a girl.

Wyatt: Momomomomomom.

Such sweet, sweet boys!

Judd is 3 and Wyatt is 6 months

2008-04-30T08:55:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that Judd is 3. Time goes by so fast! I try to remind myself this whenever I am in the middle of chaos around here. Judd is 36 1/2 inches tall (25-50 pecentile) and 30 pounds (50 percentile). He is a funny little boy. He is still really attached to me but does great going to church. We are making progress potty training but he has a mind of his own. He goes when he wants but refuses other times. This is one battle I don't care to fight. Owen was so much easier but all kids are different! The thing that has helped us the most......I keep telling him he gets to go to Owen's room downstairs at church once he uses the potty all the time. This seems to be helping. He is so smart and makes me laugh a lot. This morning he came into my room and I was asleep on the bed facing away from the door. He woke me up by shooting me in the rear with his nerf gun. I didn't think it was funny at the time but it makes me smile thinking about it now. He thought it was hilarious. Owen just asked me a question as I was typing this and Judd told him not to talk to the white witch. He is obscessed with the white witch in Narnia. He doesn't like her. Owen said, "I won't talk to her." He smiled a big smile at me and said, "Judd is pretending you are the white witch." Judd then aimed the nerf gun at me and said, "I'll get that witch." Owen said, "Don't shoot her in the head because it's really our mom." They are so funny and very creative!

Wyatt is still a very BIG boy. He is 27 3/8 inches tall (75 percentile) and weighs 21 pounds 4 onces (off the charts)!!! His head size is also off the charts just like the other two. I hope they have some brains in those big heads! He was pitiful when he got his shots. Brad has to go with me for these appointments because I still have a really hard time. It breaks my heart to hear his sad, hurt cry. Wyatt is so much like Owen in personality. He can cry and cry and cry. He can throw an awesome fit. He is usually happy and sweet though. He tends to be happier when is brothers and around. I think they are all going to be close.

We are excited about getting the stimulus package around here. We are getting ready to start looking for a used van (Toyota). Our van has been great but it doesn't have air any more and it has close to 200,000 miles. It will be nice to have a car in the 2000's. It will be the low 2000's but we aren't complaining.

Sweet Brothers

2008-04-30T08:49:00.002-04:00

Many of you ask me about Owen and Judd sleeping in the same bed. It's worked out really well for us. They are so close and I love their sweet relationship. Don't get me wrong, they still fuss at times but for the most part they love each other. Brad goes to work very early and he couldn't pass up taking this picture. We find them snuggled together in their sleep often.

Questions?

2008-04-17T09:24:00.003-04:00

I get many questions from the boys. I'm sure I'll get even more when Wyatt starts talking. One of the recent questions was...What does "meddling kids" mean? How do you explain meddling to a 4 and 3 year old? They heard the phrase on Scooby. I tried giving several explanations but I wasn't convinced myself so I told them to ask Brad when he gets home. That's wrong of me, I know. Sheesh! What's a girl to do with so many boys?!? I bet I tell them to ask Brad many things. The benefit of having all boys!

We were driving to Frankfort last week so that I could get my hair cut. It was raining in G-town (slightly) but on the interstate it stopped and the sun was out. Owen asked why the rain stopped but before I answered he decided he knew. He said, "I know why mom. God worked his magic and made it stop raining." I love the minds of children.

The boys have been enjoying cans of FLARP! It was given to them by my brother-in-law (with my permission). A little girl brought it to Owen's school for Show and Tell. I figured it was okay if she had it. She's one of the most adorable little girls I've seen! FLARP is hilarious! One of my friends calls it Prozac in a can. You can't help but laugh when you stick your finger in it. It's called noise putty. I bet you can figure out the noise by the name. This is just another something you learn to get used to when you have so many boys. :O)

I have a really cute picture to post of Owen and Judd but I can't find the camera and Judd is calling for me to put Narnia on for him to watch.

Coming soon....Judd's 3rd Birthday (April 21st)

I'm so far behind.....

2008-03-26T16:12:00.000-04:00

Below are pictures of the snow storm we had the weekend of March 7th - 9th. The boys were so excited to play in the snow. Our neighbors (diagonally behind us) let their dog (a beagle) come play with them.

Wyatt sat at the back door and watched his brothers play. Poor baby! He can play next year.

Brad went to Atlanta for a work conference on Sunday morning March 15th and didn't return until Wednesday night March 19th. I survived but I sure did miss him. The boys missed him too. I went out with my Life Group girls on the Thursday after he returned. Brad also watched Caroline so Jessica could go (Brett had a meeting). Caroline, Owen, and Judd worked on our fence while we were gone.

Finally, Easter pictures. The first picture isn't very good because of the photographer (me). The boys looked so cute. I didn't get a picture of Wyatt. I'll put his outfit back on him and take a picture soon. He was so cute.

I love these moments.....

Happy 40th Birthday!!

2008-03-02T16:45:00.000-05:00

Brad turned 40 on February 27th. I think he had a nice birthday. Our parents (orchestrated by me) went in together and bought him an IPOD. It's his first piece of technology in a long time!!! He also went to a Brazilian Steakhouse in Cincinnati with some guys and I know it's one of his favorite places to eat. I don't think he looks 40 and if 50 is the new 30 then he's really only 20. :)

Wyatt is four months old now. He is a sweet baby and has a precious smile. I must say that he is not like I imagined he would be. I always thought that the 3rd baby would be really laid back and easy. He may be the most difficult. He's at least a close second to Owen. My mother-in-law watched all three boys for a few hours yesterday so that Brad and I could see a movie. She said she didn't see how I got anything done. That made me feel good because some days I don't get anything done. It's all worth it though. I'm not complaining.

Wyatt had his 4 month shots on Friday and his appointment with the Pediatric Urologist. Everything was good with both doctors. He was 25 1/2 inches long (75 percentile), 19 lbs. 8 oz. (greater than 95 percentile), and his head was in the 95th percentile. I can feel his two bottom, front teeth coming in as well.

Owen officially likes school. As long as he gets enough sleep then there is no complaining. We can tell that he really enjoys himself now and he likes doing "papers." He tells me that the girls are mostly good but the boys get in trouble. While he doesn't always have good behavior at home, he has very good behavior at school.

Judd really enjoys going to church. We told him last night that church was this morning and he said, "That sounds like fun." I mentioned earlier that Judd was the easiest baby. He hasn't been the easiest toddler though. If he doesn't like something he expresses himself by telling you that he is going to get a monster to come get you. It's a good thing that he is so stinkin' cute.

Many of you know that our church puts food in backpacks for students of several schools we have adopted. They send the backpacks home with students over the weekend. We bought some instant mac n cheese to donate. The boys keep asking why I bought it and who it's for. We plan to start helping sort the food as a family. It's important to us that they learn to serve.

I will try and take pictures soon and post them.

Pictures and More

2008-02-17T23:18:00.000-05:00

These pictures were taken on 12/10/07. Wyatt is a lot bigger now. Wyatt loves taking a bath with his big brothers. They each take a turn holding him while I wash him.

Below are bath pictures from tonight. Don't you just love Wyatt's rolls!?!

Wyatt and Brad are sacked out in these pictures. I thought they looked too cute not to take a picture.

Kid's Say the Cutest Things

2008-02-12T14:06:00.000-05:00

Owen and Judd are so amazing and I love the things they say (most of the time). Saturday was my dad's birthday so we were at my parents house. For those of you that don't know, my grandmother (maternal) lives with my parents. Wyatt fell asleep so Granny was rocking him in her room. I told the other two boys that we were ready to go so Judd walked back to Granny's room and said, "We need our baby so we can take him home." She asked him if the baby could stay but he wouldn't have it. Too cute. I love the relationship I see between all three boys. Owen also walked back to Granny's room to tell her bye. She asked the boys if they knew that she loved them. Owen said, "I love you too Granny and I will never stop loving you or praying for you." He is so sweet.

Wyatt is amazing. He is so strong and loves to be in the middle of everything. I think he will torment his older brothers when he is able. He doesn't seem to be bothered to have them in his face or poking him. He doesn't want for stimulation.

I don't have time at the moment but I'll post pictures soon.

Busy, Busy

2008-01-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

Sorry that it's been so long since I posted. I stay so busy it seems but I am truly enjoying the boys so much. I've finally got them all taking an afternoon nap at the same time so I have a few minutes to post and relax.

Owen is doing so much better in preschool. He still says that he doesn't want to go but he doesn't cry when we get there. He seems to really enjoy himself but he still has some anxiety. From day one, a little girl named Riley has comforted Owen. She is adorable. I'll try and get a picture of her before the school year ends. She is so nurturing and loves Owen. Her mom tells the teachers that she speaks of Owen often. On Tuesday the teachers told me that Riley and Owen held hands and danced. This was huge because Owen has never danced at school before and they've been dancing all year long. Also, they were throwing noodles up and play time and giggling. Ms. Ginger said that their laugh was infectious and she couldn't help but laugh with them. If we ask Owen a question about Riley he acts as if he doesn't know who we are talking about. He is such a little boy.

Judd is amazing. He has an incredible vocabulary and says so many funny things. I can never think of them when I'm posting though. I need to keep a list to jot down and have Brad keep a list. One thing he says funny is your. He says oars instead. He will bring me something like my phone and say "Here is oars phone."

I probably shouldn't pass along what they told my dad because it may say something about my lack of parenting skills but I need to document it for when they get bigger. My dad took the two big boys to see the lights at the Horse Park over Christmas and they told him that they don't always do what their mommy tells them to do. My dad told them that I should spank them when they don't mind. They told him that I did spank but it didn't hurt. I've been doing time outs!!!

Wyatt is growing so fast and he's so sweet. He has discovered his hands and he will sit in his swing, rub his hands together, and look at them. He also likes watching Barney with the boys and he looks too cute sitting in the Bumbo seat.

UK vs. FSU in Nashville

2007-12-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

In a few minutes, UK and Florida State will play in the Music City Bowl. Brad is a bit torn about his two favorite schools playing each other. As you may know, Brad went to FSU from 1991-1995 and he loves Seminole football. But he is a Kentucky boy and loves the hometown team just as much! He's pulling for UK today. Owen, Judd, and Wyatt, on the other hand, have no problems choosing a team to cheer on to victory. Go UK!

Family Photo - Christmas 2007

2007-12-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

We had a different family Christmas photograph made recently. My parents are hosting a female exchange student from Hong Kong this year. The American name that she chose is "Stella." She is the fifth girl for my Mom and Dad (years ago they hosted another exchange student, Kayo; she was from Japan). Stella wants to go to college in the U.S. and get an art-related degree.

As you can see from the picture, she is pretty creative. Owen and Judd always bring an extra light saber for her when they visit. Because of their affinity for the Star Wars movies, Stella made sure that Christmas 2007 was remembered the right way.

Most Played with Christmas Present

2007-12-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

I bet you can't guess what the boys (Owen and Judd) have played with the most. The BOX that their John Deere Gator came in. It's a bat cave with windows and doors. They have loved playing with it but if you know me very well then you know I'm ready to throw it away. I can only handle clutter for so long. I believe everything has a place and it should be in it's place.

This has been a fun and busy Christmas (with the exception of Christmas day). We had Christmas with the Glass Family on Saturday (22nd) but we had to go in shifts because Judd was contagious with strep-throat. This was the first time that Brad's parents have had to bring the kids home in the middle of the night (2am). Judd had a fever and wanted me. My little mama's boy! This is also the first time that any of my kids have gotten strep. I can't figure out where or who he caught it from. Did you know that babies don't get strep-throat the fist year of life because their tonsils aren't developed? I was glad to know that the baby wasn't at risk and luckily Owen didn't catch it.

We spent Christmas eve at my parents house with my parents and Brad's parents. My mom cooked a delicious traditional meal and the boys enjoyed opening gifts from Grams and Paps. On Christmas morning Brad's parents came but couldn't stay long because his mom had caught the strep-throat. My parents came for lunch but didn't stay long either. We are hoping the boys have some cousins soon because it was a long Christmas day with out family here to spend it with. We had dinner with the Goble family the day after Christmas. We have 11 great-grandchildren now so we rented a building and it was so nice.

I have so many cute stories of things the boys do and say. I will sit down and post them soon. I'm constantly amazed at them. Wyatt is growing fast (he's huge) and I think he will be able to hold his own with his brothers.

One quick Owen story....he told Brad that God is magic because they put him on that cross and he came back to life. Brad agreed. It's so nice when you realize some things you teach eventually sink in. Blessings everyone....more another day.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

We hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas. I wanted to post some pictures of the boys for my sisters. Chrissy and Laura are spending Christmas this year with their in-laws and we miss them so much! This is the first Christmas that both of them have been gone and it's been sad for me.

Poor Wyatt. He looks a little scared in the picture above. I can't say that I blame him.

Above are pictures of Owen and Judd playing with their new Star Wars men. They especially like the General Grevous with four light sabers.

Wyatt

2007-12-15T16:26:00.001-05:00

Wyatt got his first shots on Tuesday the 13th. He was two days away from turning 7 weeks old. He weighed in at a whopping 14 pounds 3 oz. He is 95 percentile in weight, 50 percentile in height, and 70-90 percentile in head size. We have really enjoyed him and I am trying to savor every moment of my last baby. I hold him all the time and others think he's a bit spoiled.

Judd had to get his flu shot on the same day Wyatt got his shots. This was very traumatic for my 2 1/2 year old. Throughout the day he would fuss and tell us that his leg was still bleeding. He was funny. Brad went and got the boys a Star Wars figurine that morning to ease the pain. They have him wrapped!

Did you see that Merck pulled a batch of their HIB vaccine off the shelves? Yep, Wyatt got that vaccine. My doctor's office called but they assured me that it wasn't a big deal. There is always something to worry about with these little guys.

Beware of Portrait Innovations

2007-12-15T16:19:00.001-05:00

What we will do to get pictures of our children! I made an appointment two weeks in advance to have portraits done at Portrait Innovations. On the day of pictures, I got up very early to get everyone bathed, the fed, and fed again. I talked my sweet aunt into going with me to help out. This was a first with three kids so I wasn't confident that I could handle it on my own. We arrived a few minutes early, loaded out of the van and went inside to be informed that we didn't have an appointment. The girl didn't even look to see if I had written down the wrong day (which I know that I did NOT). She just told me that they could get me in sometime after Christmas. I was not happy. They didn't care one bit. Others have told me that this has also happened to them. You get what you pay for. I will never use Portrait Innovations again. We were able to get in that afternoon (nap time) to The Picture People. I was happy with my pictures and Portrait Innovations missed out on a large sale!

Chubby Buddy

2007-12-09T19:26:00.001-05:00

The Music City Bowl (UK vs. FSU)

2007-12-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering....we will be cheering on the Cats! Yes, even Brad.

Thirty-Five

2007-11-28T15:45:00.001-05:00

As of Monday, I am thirty-five. I can't believe it! I was 15 when my mom turned 35. I had a nice birthday. Brad and I were able to eat at Outback kid free. I even left the baby for a few hours with mom. It was a nice break. Brad and I enjoyed getting to talk without being interrupted and we didn't have to scarf down our food. Brad and the boys got me a parallel bible (NIV/Message) and a CD player.

Owen has decided that preschool is fun so I don't have to drag him into his classroom any more. I think he is making friends and feeling more comfortable with the kids. I hated leaving him unhappy. I know it was paybacks for me because I cried in preschool and kindergarden.

Well, Owen is up from his nap and demanding my attention. More another day.....

Happy Thanksgiving and Four Weeks Old

2007-11-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

This is Wyatt on his first Thanksgiving and his four week birthday. He is such a sweet and content baby. We have noticed that he is much more alert lately and will follow objects with his eyes. He knows my voice and will sometimes cry if he is in the swing if he hears me talking. I hold him ALOT! He and I both like it.

We have so many things to be thankful for. We celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents home with my dad's family (his brother, sisters, cousins, etc.). We had about 50 people there and the food was yummy. This was the first time many of them had seen Wyatt.

I hope that each of you had a great Thanksgiving!

Wyatt's Two Week Check-Up

2007-11-13T08:18:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby boy was 11 lbs. and 4 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long at his two week check-up (he was about 2 1/2 weeks actually). The doctor was happy (and a little amazed) at his weight gain. We were at the doctor's office about 13 days prior and he was 10 lbs. He lost down to 9 lbs. 15 oz. when we left the hospital.

I am enjoying every moment. I know that this is my last baby (permanently taken care of) and at times I feel some sadness. I love the cuddly baby stage. I know that I can NOT go through another pregnancy. Could you imagine?!? What if my next one was 12 lbs.? Also, I'll be 35 in a week or so. We are still open to adoption if the Lord lays it on our hearts, paves the way, and provides the resources. Time will tell.

Are these kids cute or what?!? Our Life Group had a Halloween Party on the Monday I came home from the hosptial. I wasn't able to attend but Brad and Owen went. They also celebrated Owen's birthday. It was such a blessing to me because we hadn't been able to celebrate with them because of my pre-term labor and the craziness at the end of the pregnancy. We have three kids missing from the picture (Judd, Emily, and Wyatt). We also have two on the way. That will make 10 kids and 10 adults. It's fun but crazy!!!

I will try my best to blog more often. We still haven't settled in to a routine. I have a feeling things will be this way until after the holidays.

Wyatt Daniel Patrick Highley

2007-11-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

Wyatt was born on October 25th at 7:59 am. He was 10 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. He is so precious! We had awesome nurses and they fell in love with him. It was great for me because I felt like we got extra-special treatment. I had a nurse named Susan two nights in a row and she told me that she had bonded with him. She called herself grandma to him and she took him with her to her little area where she did her notes so that I could sleep. She didn't even take him to the nursery. He just visited at the nurses station. What a blessing!

I've had lots of help since we came home on Sunday. My sisters have been here and my mom. It's so nice to have family. The boys have enjoyed getting to spend time with their aunts. Auntie Laura had to go home on Tuesday and Aunt Chrissy will go home on Saturday. The boys are going to be so sad (especially Owen).

Judd has done better than expected. He kept telling me over and over how much he loved me in the hospital. I hope that I'm confirming to him that he hasn't lost his place in my heart. I have room for three. He has been sick so he has been grouchy but I don't think it's related to the baby. He seems to be doing better today.

Owen has been the best big brother. He has listened so well and just enjoyed having family here with us. He loves running around with Aunt Chrissy. She has spoiled him a bit since she has been here. We have been so proud of his behavior.

Brad has been working some and helping at home. He's always so good with the boys. Even at the hospital he could take Wyatt and walk him and soothe him. The boys have enjoyed having him home more than normal. We both feel a little overwhelmed (and very tired) at times but we mostly feel so blessed. We are both so thankful for theses sweet little boys and for all of our family and friends that have supported and prayed for us. Keep up the prayers! We have our work cut out for us.

Final Doctor's Appointment

2007-10-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

I went for my final doctor's appointment today. It's pretty bad when the nurses know your name without looking at your chart (I go to a very large office). The doctor had the nerve to say that he couldn't believe that I had made it this long. He really thought that I would have already gone into labor on my own. He also said that he really looked hard for a reason to do the c-section last week but just couldn't find a medical reason. I have lots of reasons to be thankful and I believe that it's all God's plan. I'm just at that miserable stage! For those of you that have seen me.....you know exactly why. I'm a sight.

Mom and I also had to take Owen to the doctor today. He is sick with the croup and he is soooooo grouchy. There is really nothing you can do except keep him comfortable with a humidifier and Tylenol. Hopefully, he will rest tomorrow and feel much better on Thursday when his brother is born. The pediatrician said to make sure and just have him wash his hands a lot. It's just that time of year.

The next time I post, will be after the baby. I'll be sure and post pictures.

The Countdown Begins

2007-10-21T16:53:00.000-04:00

My doctor hasn't budged on the date (original date from 6 months ago). Wyatt is scheduled to be born on Thursday, October 25th. I am so ready! My sisters will be here to help (on Saturday) and the boys are so excited to see them. I welcome the help. Owen is really excited to meet Wyatt but I'm not so sure about Judd. He is having some issues. We aren't sure how to handle him much of the time. We are tired. It will probably get worse before it gets better. He senses change is coming. We are going to just try and be patient and understanding with him. I'm not sure what is going on in his 2 1/2 year old brain. Today is his official 2 1/2 year birthday. Kids are so different.

We are down to one car. UGH! We have feared this day. The van hasn't had air for several months. We didn't get it fixed because it has so many miles and we were wondering if it would even work next summer. Now it's the only thing running. Lucky for us, it's starting to get cooler. We are glad it was the car that quit because we all can't fit in it. We need the van. We aren't sure what we are going to do. We figure we will be home for several weeks and then we will have to make some decisions. We may have to be a one car family for a while. We will do what we have to do.

I will update with pictures soon.

Jedi Knights

2007-10-15T08:51:00.000-04:00

Everything is Star Wars in our house. Owen and Judd can spend hours playing with their Galatic Heros and dressing up as Jedi Knights and Darth Vader. It's really quite funny. In the pictures above my mom had gotten them brown sweat jacket hoodies from Gap. To Owen and Judd the are Jedi Jackets. They dressed themseleves. Notice Owen's PJ's under his clothes and his Spider Man Boots. The boots were hand-me-downs from my cousin's son Parker. They are only for playing in the snow. I'm afraid he will want to wear them every day. He and I battle over clothes. He likes to match with Judd. If not, he is sooooo picky. He wants shirts with collars and no stylish jeans with holes (just like Brad). It's taken me forever to get Brad to buy stylish jeans!

I'm ready to have this baby. I'm praying Dr. Owen will do my c-section on Thursday. The baby must be huge and I am extremely uncomfortable! I try not to complain.....I'm so thankful for these precious boys that God has loaned me.

2007-09-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

We are all ready for this baby to come (ok, maybe not Judd)! I was fussing at Owen today and he immediately started praying for me. How convicting! He asked God to please have baby Wyatt come soon so that mommy will feel better. We want him to come as soon as he is ready. We hope it's before his scheduled date on October 25th. I am currently 34 weeks pregnant.

Judd knows all of his colors and wellow (yellow) is his favorite. It's so funny when they tell you something out of the blue and you wonder how they even know what it means. I got ready before he got out of bed one morning this week and when he got up he crawled in my lap. He asked me why I had my make-up on. He is so perceptive. He and Owen both continue to amaze me.

This was our second week of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). It makes me feel so good that my boys love going! Owen went last year and loved every minute. He has learned so much from BSF and the teachers are so loving. This week I attached Judd's name tag and he looked at me and said, "Bye, mommy." It warms my heart that they want to learn about Jesus.

I've been inspired to blog....

2007-09-14T12:01:00.000-04:00

After reading some blogs of friends, I decided that I would give this a try. The boys do so many funny, frustrating, and amazing things that I need to start documenting their antics. I'll try not to bore my readers too much. Like most moms, I can talk about my boys for hours without tiring.

Here is just the short version of what's going on in the Highley family. Brad is still working for the state (Environmental Protection). The boys can't wait for him to return home in the afternoons. They are obsessed with Star Wars and they love to light saber fight with him and ask him a million questions. Owen asked him what Darth Vader's middle name was? I'm glad we have boys and he gets the questions. Owen started pre-school this year. It's been hard on him and me. He fusses not to go (clings to me) and says the other kids are bad. I think he secretly likes it. He has a good time once he gets there and he is proud of all of his work. Judd is enjoying spending Tuesday mornings with my parents. He enjoys the one on one time while I do a little accounting work. He is a delightful little boy and we spend a lot of time laughing at him. He can name every Star Wars character. He is also 2 1/2 and can lose it at any given moment. This has been exhausting. I'll be glad to get to a new stage. I fear it will get worse when the baby arrives. I am 33 weeks pregnant and counting. I look like I could deliver at any moment and I get lots of comments when I am out in public. People are brave (especially men)! Wyatt is scheduled to arrive on October 25th and I can't wait. Brad and I are looking forward to having another sweet baby in the house.

As I figure this blog thing out, I will post pictures.