The Year That Was: April 2014

April was a month of incredible changes. Baby goats were born, Misty left and Pippin joined the family, the burned hillside burst in bloom, and, and, and ... Did I mention that seven baby goats were born? Because anyone with eight children needs seven baby goats to keep them company.

Misty, the lovebird, was Olivia's first birdy love. She was so pretty and sang such lovely songs, but she had a really nasty habit of trying to devour anyone who came near. So, Misty found a new home and Pippin, the green cheeked conure, arrived! He has a much nicer disposition and can often be found snuggling under Olivia's hair while she does her school work.

Lent, Holy Week, and Easter were celebrated with joy. 

And, I managed to blog about it: Lent & Easter

 On Holy Saturday, the first set of triplets were born. I cannot even begin to describe the elation and the fear that accompanied their births. However I do have pictures, lots and lots of pictures, which I will save for their very own post.

 

Gracie started writing her first novel at the age of eight.

This was our burnt mountainside one year after the big fire caused all the mayhem. I don't think I blogged about the fire, the evacuation with animals in tow, or the crazy trip down a fire road because it really wasn't such a lovely memory. However, it makes for great stories with the children along with their fond remembrance of the hike up the tippy top of the hill a year later. I stayed in the car with wee little Kolbe and took pictures while Daddy and company trooped to the peak. They were all so proud of themselves. Hurrah!

 Kolbe turned six months old in April. Baby Love!

The Year That Was: March 2014

I'm really liking this quick approach to blogging! It's a bit like ripping the band-aid off the guilt.
Let's roll right on to March...

 Kolbe found his toes at 5 months.

 Quinton turned 14 and played lots and lots Risk!

Dominic and Xavier learned to cock their own bb guns and even hit the target once in awhile.

The Year That Was: February 2014

Lego play reached a feverish pitch in the house.

Stephen mastered the art of grading papers while blowing raspberries at Kolbe.

 Collette turned 11 and actually got a blog post all of her own: Happy Birthday Collette

 I tried to tame the cup monster. It was cute, but didn't last long.

 Goats and roosters and hens, oh my!

Kolbe turned 4 months old and also got his own blog post: Catching up with Kolbe

The Year That Was: January 2014

Okay, I have finally come to a point of peaceful coexistence between my desire to put everything in order and the pressing knowledge that life keeps moving along at a blistering pace, refusing to pause so I can catch up - in order. Here is the new plan: I will blog about life as we live it and I will blog about that lost year as I can. Happy, happy, happy.

Without further ado: January

Three pregnant goats joined the menagerie. Everyone loved those sweet girls!

Marie Claire (2.5 yrs) and some wild hair

Xavier (4.5yrs) continued his love of all things dress up

Kolbe turned 3 months old and slept just about any where. I loved that!

Catching Up with Kolbe

Kolbe has been growing and growing. Here's a quick review to check on his beautiful progress.

Sleeping at Two Days

Loving at Three Weeks

Waking Up at One Month

Sleeping Lima Bean at Two Months

Smiling at Three Months

Almost Sitting at Four Months

Kolbe Right Now

1. He's getting closer to sleeping through the night. Generally, I only get him up for a snack once a night, maybe twice. Really, who am I kidding, I can't remember as I am so tired.

2. He can aim in the general direction of a toy, swat at it a few times, finally grasp it, and cram it into his mouth until it chokes him.

3. He smiles and laughs. Oh, I love that! Nothing like a baby laughing to reset my day.

4. He's nice and chubby. Scrumptious!

5. He still has his ear tag. Stephen says that he has so much awesomeness that it had burst out.

6. Dominic is finally content that we will keep Kolbe. 

7. While he can roll from tummy to back, he doesn't. Lackadaisical or content? I'm not sure.

8. Oh and he'll chat and coo with you all day. Love that!

9. His two bottom teeth are just poking out.

Of a New Baby and Headaches

As Kolbe is just over a month old now, my mom suggested that I do away with any pretense of writing and just state that he is...

The Eighth Child.

That should pretty much sum up everything for everyone.

Maybe, I'll just tell a little about the birth day so that he won't look back and wonder why no one  ever took pictures or wrote memories about him. It will save on the therapy bills later, hopefully.

After a quick induction, Kolbe was born on Friday morning. Dr Thein gave a little prayer of thanksgiving that he was fine as the umbilical cord was unwrapped four times from around his small neck. It also had a true knot in it, so everyone was relieved that we had not pushed off the delivery any longer. Although he was quite blue, he pinked up and started crying. All was wonderful.

We noted that he had a small extra growth on one ear, one kidney that was slightly enlarged, and a very  low heart rate. Fortunately,  after a few tests and visits from different doctors, everyone pronounced him healthy and ready to go home. Thanks be to God!

While Kolbe was doing great and adjusting to the flood of love the poured down upon him from all of his siblings, I was stuck lying flat in bed from a wicked spinal headache. My epidural had gone awry and I ended up numb and tingly from my eyebrows to my toes. While frustrating in the moment, the longer outcome was the eternal migraine that prevented me from even looking down at my sweet baby while he nursed. I was so blessed by my husband, family, friends, and nurses who took over all of his care while we were at the hospital.

After a blood patch, I was finally able to get up and about without shaking like a leaf from the painful effort. Oh, I was so relieved! I finally took some pictures and readied to leave with all of my beautiful babies.

After an entertaining parade down the hallway and out of the hospital, we headed home,

blessed abundantly!

But, Kolbe's babymoon was not to be quite as I had planned. Do you see that picture of me above with my hand pressed to my forehead? Yes, the headache came back with a vengeance. The next two weeks were spent in bed, flat on my back. Stephen was downright saintly as he took care of the entire household. Week three had him back at work, so I drank a lot of caffeine, medicated as needed, and napped a lot, but we made it! My big kids were awesome.

Kolbe failed to regain weight which was probably due to all the medication I was taking. He was content to just sleep and nurse lazily. After three weeks, we gave him a bottle and promptly found out that he has a dairy allergy. (Of course, I just had to laugh at that because I already have one that is gf and another with a peanut allergy.) By week four he was thriving on breastfeeding with an occasional bottle of goat's milk.

So, here we are five weeks after his birth posting his pictures. I have healed, Kolbe is gaining weight, the younger children kiss him constantly while crying at me, the house is a mess, and homeschooling is a little spotty. All is as it should be. Life is good. We are blessed.

Please Welcome...

Born Friday, October 18th

Seven Pounds & Fourteen Ounces

Twenty Inches

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Deo Gratias