Updates

A lot can happen in a month! Since last I posted, here are the highlights:

- Thanksgiving (Dan's sister and her three girls came. I hardly saw my kids all week! They did hair, played with the baby, and made gingerbread houses)

- Caroline got her tonsils out the day before Thanksgiving. Don't feel too sorry for her, it's not like she would have eaten the food anyway. Plus she ate all the Popsicles and ice cream her little heart desired. Her sisters all said, "Boo hoo! We want out tonsils out, too!"

- My grampy died. Sophia and I flew to Boston while Dan held down the fort. I met two cousins for the first time and had as much fun as could be - for a funeral. My grandfather was a Marine who served in WWII (so was my grandmother) so they are buried side by side in the veterans section of the cemetery. It was a military funeral with the flag, the bagpipes, and taps on the bugle. Beautiful.

These are all the Gutherie grandchildren. It is the first time we have all been together, but not the last.

Sophia with her cousin Carter. He was so sweet to her. She had RSV (which I did not know before we left for Boston) and so she felt terrible the whole time we were there. I felt terrible for dragging her around all weekend and making her be social when both of us were going on so little sleep. Thank you Carter for rocking her in her car seat and keeping her pacifier ready for her.

- On the way home from church last Sunday Dan crashed his car. Scary. But he and Kassie walked away without a scratch. We were all very blessed. The insurance company totaled it so we are down to one car.

It's been a crazy month. Keep looking down for more pictures. Next time I will post funny stories about the kids. Just as a teaser, I'll tell you that in church on Sunday Caroline was being naughty. Dan had already taken her out to the hall once. The second time he was taking her out to the car to spank her (he says I have to tell you that I was making him, that the people who read this blog don't spank their kids. I think you might just be closet spankers. Comments?) She flipped him off all the way out to the car - which he said made it hard to spank her because inside he was laughing so hard. Anyway, just a taste of what's to come.

More Baby Pictures

I know, when it rains it pours. I can't blog for a month and then I set myself a deadline and things get crazy. Of course there are other children in our house, however, none of the things they do lately are "blog-able". (Kassie - smart mouth, Sydney - crying fits, Caroline - flipping everyone off -- do you think they have issues I'm not addressing?) Anyway, Sophia is always cute and so here are some fun pictures of her. I'll get to the other kids in a minute.

It's hard to decide whose toothbrush she likes the best.

I love those little legs! Just the right amount of chub.


Just chillin'.

Sitting Pretty

Sophia likes to sit on Dan's feet and watch the world go round, well really she likes to watch TV that way. But these pictures were taken after Thanksgiving dinner when we were all just hanging out. She sits there and plays while Dan bounces her and after a while..... VOILA! Sleeping baby:) And she can stay there comfortably for quite some time. Well, comfortably for her, not for Dan.

Random Thoughts

You never know what you're going to find on your camera when you upload your pictures. These are from Sydney, I know she's not as good as Lucas but I'm not as good as Patti. I'm not sure what visual appeal these had to her but everything was carefully arranged.

Couldn't Resist

This little outfit was the one I bought for Sophia to come home from the hospital in. She did wear it home from the hospital but unfortunately I didn't get her picture! So now at 5 months old, I finally got it together enough to take her picture in the coming-home-from-the-hospital-outfit.

Great Inventions

For those of you past the infant stages of parenting, there is so much more cool stuff out there. This handy little invention is called a Bumbo, it supports the baby who can't quite sit up by themselves yet. Sophia loves hers. She sits on Dan's desk and watches him work, she sits on the kitchen cabinet and watches me cook, she sits in the playroom and the kids put shows on for her or dress her up. The thing is great! She thinks she is just like the big kids.

Fun Times

Dan had to work in Houston for a few days so we took the kids out of school and made a family vacation. We had a great time and it was like one gigantic fieldtrip for the kids. First we went to the aquarium where we saw white tigers and touched sting rays. The aquarium also has a few rides like a ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, and a train. The next day it was the Space Center. So cool! We saw mission control, the training room, touched an actual moon rock, and saw how the astronauts sleep, eat, and tinckle. Funny thing was after all that, the kids just wanted to eat at the McDonald's that had a giant astronaut holding french fries on top of it. Next day it was Galveston. When you looked at the skyline, you thought you were seeing cranes rebuilding things. But really it was the masts of boats that had been been left in strange places. We went on an old fashioned paddlewheel boat and the best part about it was the dance floor. The kids loved that. While we were waiting for the boat, we played at a park. They found these great sticks that looked like wands and Kassie taught everyone spells. Last was the Natural History Museum. It was neat but we were kind of tired by then so we just hurried through.

It was a little difficult with all of us in a little hotel room but so worth it. It's hard to pick my favorite part, but I think it was being on vacation with just my family. Or maybe the Space Center:)

Halloween Pictures

If you see this blog before I add the commentary, check back. All I've eaten tonight is Halloween candy and Dan just brought home Chili's! Check back tomorrow!
This is a little more than tomorrow but there is some funny stuff to tell...

My mom made this costume for Kassie. It's origin is a Build a Bear ice skating outfit that Kassie handed to my mom and said I want this. When my mom sent the costume, Kassie called her and told her it wasn't exactly the same as the Build a Bear but she was sure my mom worked hard on it and it was beautiful so thank you:) Also, she wore roller blades with it because they are the closest so simulating ice skates. Oh, and she refused to carry an orange pumpkin because it didn't go with the outfit, I had to whip up a little bag from the left over fabric.
Caroline did a trial run of her costume for preschool. I put her hair in a regular bun and she was in a tizzy because Tinker Bell's bun was much bigger and she didn't have the right slippers. So I got very tricky. I made some slippers out of felt and glued pom-poms on them and for the hair (this one really impresses me) I put her pony tail through a little plastic cylinder and pinned it back down. If you look really close, you can see it. Success.

Then there is Dorothy who insisted on bringing the dog in the basket and then lost it halfway through. Luckily, a neighbor found it and asked every Dorothy that came to his door if the dog was hers. We actually borrowed this costume from our friends the Flynn's whose grandma made this. Thanks Grandma Artie! I hope I can be a Grandma like you and my mom one day.

Sophia actually went trick or treating in pumpkin jammies. She only held out for so long and then Dan took her home to pass out candy. This is a picture of her at the pumpkin patch.

We are still eating Halloween candy almost two weeks later and don't you know the Christmas candy is already for sale!

Fear Has Made Up My Mind . . .McCain it is. (warning! soapbox)

It's not that I think John McCain is The Best. It's that I am afraid of the good old U.S. of A. becoming socialist (Obama). TurboTax says the average charitable contribution is 10% yearly. So if those of us who do pay taxes are already giving that much (and that is only what is quantifiable and verifiable) then why do those who don't pay taxes need so much more? America was built on the backs of hard workers. If we put more socialist programs in place now, imagine how much worse the discrepancy will be for our children between the workers and the losers. Go capitalism and laissez faire!!!

Baby Baby Baby Fallin' in Love

Maybe some of you will be amused that I am documenting my poor parenting for the world to see (i.e. she watches TV, sleeps in a swing, her crib has stuff in it, etc.) but I say whatever works. Her acid reflux seems to be gone though she still doesn't sleep well at night. I think that's my fault, if I would just take a few nights and teach her, it might help. But I'm too tired. I just want her to be quiet so I do whatever that takes.

She learned how to roll from her tummy to back at an inopportune time: unattended on her changing table. No worries, she's fine. Her other tricks include rasberries and rolling her tongue. I have never seen a baby do that. It's such a cute tiny tongue it makes you laugh every time but I have yet to be able to catch that on camera.

Enjoy the pictures, I will post a few of the other children in my life in a few days. But we are all fine and healthy and looking forward to a visit from my mom!

It's Been A While...

Facebook is my new favorite place. I have shamelessly engaged in HOURS of looking for friends and chatting online. So much so that I have neglected my blog, and have been called on it. I will try to redeem myself, here are some updates.

Shout Out to Grampy

Grampy just celebrated his 85th birthday and knows how to use a laptop! He just added our blog to his list of favorite places to go, so here are a few new pictures for you Grampy! We love you!

Addiction

Serious post title for a serious problem. I am addicted to facebook. A friend sent me an invite and I put off joining, thinking I didn't have time. I was right. But then someone else said you can search facebook for all your friends from forever! So I'm there! I'm finding friends from high school, my cousins, tons of friends from around here. Another friends said the frenzy calms down after about three months. I hope so because I don't have time to do this but I can't stop! I love hearing from everyone (I'm sure it's because I'm naturally nosey). So hello to all my facebook friends and to those of you who already don't have time--DON'T JOIN!!!!

Sophia's Blessing

This is the quickest I have ever put a post up after the event.




Today we blessed Sophia. It was bittersweet. With each of our other girls, we have been surrounded by family to help us celebrate this special occasion. This time our actual families weren't able to be here (hence the reason for the quick post) but our adopted families were. We are truly blessed to have such a group of friends that we can count on like they are family.



Sophia did not cry during the blessing. I've heard it said that when babies cry during their blessing, they don't like their name. I guess Sophia was a good choice--or maybe it's the Anne part that she likes:) Either way, I cried. It's just amazing to be reminded of where Sophia's sweet little spirit has been and what an honor it is to be her parents. She makes me want to be a better person, to become as innocent and sweet as a child. It is a good opportunity to reflect on your life.

Both the blanket and dress Sophia has are so special. The blanket came from Bethlehem when I went there on a study abroad program. It is made from wool from the sheep around Bethlehem. The dress Dan's great Grandma Kate made it by hand for his mom, Claudia. Claudia wore it and then her girls wore it and now all my girls have worn it. I wish you could see all the tiny hand stitched tucks, I imagine Grandma Kate putting all her love into each stitch and that is what makes it so special. Generally I am not a very sentimental person, but this is the kind of stuff I really love. The phrase "work is love made visible" comes to mind. That's the kind of stuff I like to be sentimental about.

Thank You Prevacid!

Just a shout out to all you moms who told me to ask for Prevacid for Sophia's acid relux. We were on Axid which did make a difference but Prevacid is the answer to a happy baby. Thanks for the advice!

Finally Time for Projects

So Caroline started school this week and I have been busy! First a cute picture of her on her first day:

Isn't she cute? I actually almost forgot to take her picture until her ride was knocking on the door! But we did it quick so when she's 20 she won't ask why Kassie and Sydney have their first day of school pictures and she doesn't:) It's all about fair.

Last Friday I took Caroline for a check up on her eyes. Last time I took her, she was barely 3. I was supposed to take her back later that year but later that year Courtney got cancer and I got pregnant. The point is, it's been a while since her last exam. Well, this time was heart breaking. I didn't think it was such a big deal that she wasn't wearing her glasses as much this summer because she seemed like she could see FINE! But when they covered up her right eye, her left eye couldn't see anything. I wanted to cry right there in the doctors office. Partly out of guilt (though wearing her glasses more wouldn't have changed a lot, it was just that she was able to communicate better at this exam so we could get a true picture of the situation) but partly out of sadness for my sweet little girl who was just compensating and not complaining. So now we have to put a patch on her good eye for 4 hours everyday so that her weak eye will have to work harder. She is being such a good sport. I truly hope this works.

It seems like a long time since I've been in project mode but now I am. I was going to start Tuesday but Sophia was running a fever so we took her to the doctor - who said it's just a virus. She is fine now so I'm in project mode today. I took a huge load of junk to Goodwill, cleaned out the car (tons of beach sand and lots of nasty melted things from our trip), did the laundry, the dishes, made dinner, and now I'm blogging!! Oh, and I took pictures of a bunch of stuff I'm listing on Craig's List. That is tomorrow's project along with cleaning the office and doing all the office jobs. In my mind, I'm going to redo the baby's room. Plus I'm making a list of all the repairs that need to be done to the house that I haven't got to. So if you don't see me or hear from me, just know I'm in a happy place that I haven't been to for a while:) I love school!!!

Are You Kidding Me?!?

Just moments after I read about John McCain's nomination for VP (you go girl!) I got an email from a friend with some crazy news! Check out this link to see for yourself.

http://www.inews3.com/play.php?first=Daniel&last=Perkins

Alabama Vacation - I Highly Recommend It

It's hard to come back from vacation, especially one like this. We stayed in the purple house with Dan's sister and her family. Next door in the pink house were three families that used to live in our neighborhood. The beach was amazing, calm waters and white sand. We only had rain for about 10 minutes one night. Some of the activities were crab hunting (when it's dark all these tiny white crabs come up on the beach and you hunt them with a flashlight and a net), Fort Morgan (a civil war fort built on the tip of the peninsula to protect Mobile Bay), Alligator Ally (a refuge for alligators that are either too big or too much trouble, meaning they have eaten someone's dog or other pet), and a dolphin cruise (the dolphins would come jump in the boat's wake), and of course the beach. We had so much fun that by the end of the vacation, Dan was looking up homes for sale! But like they say, you never know how many friends you have until you have a beach house. Enjoy the pictures!

First Day of School

Before Kassie started kindergarten, I seriously considered home schooling. I mean how could I send my precious little girl - who was definitely smarter than everyone else's child - to school? She might be teased or someone might be mean to her. Or heaven forbid she is held back by all the "normal" kids! My mom said you're crazy! Kassie is smart but school will be good for both of you. And there's plenty of time in a year to have her go to school and teach her anything else she needed to know. The teasing part, she said, is just part of life. Kassie would have to be socialized at some point, better early on.

I'm so glad I listened to her. Summer time is fun but there is nothing like the peace and quiet of the house on the first day of school. Mom was right - as moms usually are - there is plenty of time to do everything in the year, especially if the kids are in school:) So here's to the first of many more quiet days and hopefully to the continued socialization of my kids - good and bad.

PS - At first Kassie was very disappointed with who her teacher was. She wanted the one she'd had in first grade. But Ms. Barrows knew Kassie as soon as she walked in the room and that made all the difference.

Also, lest you think I forgot that Sydney is in 1st grade this year, she has had no problems or issues with school - save for missing her kindergarten teacher so badly that no one was allowed to say his name over the summer, only spell it. Otherwise Sydney would go hide on her bed and cry. And to think, I tried to have her changed out of his class.

PPS - When the bus dropped the kids off yesterday, Kassie was sitting right behind the driver. I asked her why she chose that seat. Now imagine a know-it-all fourth grader saying, "Mom, he didn't even have our street on the map! I had to tell him where to go!" Poor guy.

Baby Update by the Numbers

Sophia is 8 weeks old today! She went for her check up a few days ago. She weighed in at 9 lbs 12 oz. Thanks to modern medicine, she only had to have 3 shots (it used to be five but some have been combined). We have had 2 nights where there wasn't any sleeping going on (lots of nights where there was only some). And sadly there have only been about 6 smiles. Baby Sophia has acid reflux. The acid has burned her throat so much that she is hoarse. It is so sad. She is only supposed to be eating about 5 or 6 times a day but her body tells her it will make her throat feel better if she eats. So it's more like 7 or 8 times a day. And those feedings are so unpleasant. As she gets full, the acid starts up her esophagus like heart burn and she starts screaming in pain. But we put her on some medication that will hopefully make a difference. Then maybe we can have more smiles. Enjoy the pictures!

Random Thoughts and Pictures

Usually when your six year old says they have a joke, you prepare yourself to laugh - regardless of how dumb the joke might actually be. So imagine my surprise when Sydney says, "Why did the bunny go to the grocery store?" We dutifully say, "Why?" She says, "To go grocery hopping!" What? That was actually funny! And she says she made it up herself. Smarty pants.

Then there is the dog, which Kassie has taken to carrying over her shoulder - just like the baby. He doesn't know what to think about all the noise the baby makes. He sniffs at her feet if I let him but otherwise, he just stays in the kitchen.

The girls are usually such good helpers, to me at least. I'm not sure Sophia would agree. One day I laid her on her blanket in the toy room and the girls put on a Pretty Pony show for her. She really liked it. Apparently she just didn't like them trying to shove her binky in her face.

This week Sydney and Kassie took tennis lessons everyday from 8:30 to 11:30. It was so hot! Luckily there is a splash park next to the tennis courts so the instructors let them take a break half way through and play in the water. They had fun and hopefully the whole family will be able to play together.

Then there is Caroline. She has enjoyed having her parents to herself in the mornings while the girls are at tennis. Just like old times. But if you leave her to her own devices long enough, she will find trouble. Usually it's getting into treats for breakfast but the other day it was trying out the baby's swing. We wouldn't have know except she yelled for help because she was stuck. Funny kid.

Pictures I Couldn't Resist Posting

4th of July

Thank you Aunt Tricia! (She made the tiny pink shoes!)

Thank you Aunt Debbie!

Caroline is the best and holding me and singing to me to get me to go to sleep.

The Cuteset Thing Ever...Baby Feet

You see the tiny shoes and you think there is no way they are going to fit. They will definitely be too big. Then they are too small! It makes you stop and think about the miraculous little body that God has made and that something so small could be so perfect. I am humbled to be taking care of something so precious and it inspires me to savor every minute I have with my babies - big and small. We truly are blessed.

What's Even Cuter Than That?

Translation:

Dear Daddy,

Why do you have to work every day? When will you come out to play with me? I love you, Dad.

Love, Sydney

Dan works at home and it has been really hard for the kids to ignore him. This week is especially bad as the end of the month reports are due. Yesterday Sydney spent a long time trying to convince Dan to come out and play (the other of us girls in the house weren't fun enough). Poor Sydney.

My favorite part is the droopy, sad flowers.

What's Cuter Than This?

A friend of ours invited us to do a little dance class for the girls Caroline's age. This is a picture of Caroline the night of the performance. If I had a digital camcorder, I would put video up, too (if anyone reading this blog has footage posted somewhere, please let me know). There were 10 little girls and they all had matching shirts and hair bows. They were supposed to go barefoot but Caroline could not abide going barefoot when she had these wonderful ballet slippers. So she wore them. She really had a good time and did a wonderful job. It was good for her to be the center of attention and do something the other girls have never done. She loved that.

Sophia Anne (with an "e")

We've been looking at her for a few days now and what we see is Sophia Anne. The most important requirement was that it fit her, and with those exquisite features and soft head of hair, it does. But secondly, it's French but can be pronounced properly by Texans. And the kids like it. Then of course, to my kindred spirits, Anne. I've been trying to get that one in for three kids now. Mission accomplished.

So we didn't get to come home from the hospital until Father's Day. The pediatrician said she had to stay for 48 hours because I didn't get the antibiotic in for four hours before she was delivered. But we are all healthy and happy to be home. I was a little surprised at how much my big kids missed me (Sydney especially had a hard time and cried when they had to leave me at the hospital on Saturday). They helped me give her a little wash down today and even Caroline was rather helpful (and read her a story after she was done).

It has been nice to have the quiet time with the baby to remind you of why you became a parent in the first place and to maybe even make resolutions about how you're going to be a better parent. Last night the girls were trying to get away with something and I reminded them, in a fairly stern voice, what the rules of the house were and that they would get in trouble if they did not immediately cease and desist. Then I looked down at Baby Sophia and said, "And that goes for you, too, Missy." Then of course I sat there and gave myself a guilt trip about why did I even have a new baby if I couldn't be a better mom to the ones I already had. In the end, I decided I wasn't a terrible mother, just one with room for improvement and also with a new little reminder of why I wanted to be a better one.

We have been very blessed to have this new baby. She has certainly done things on her time table. We didn't know whether another baby would ever come to our house, and we were okay with that. Then in the midst of Courtney having cancer, surprise! Of course I spent almost the entire pregnancy trying to be rational and reasonable about whether the baby would make it and be healthy. Even right up to the end I was paranoid hearing terrible stories that keep you awake at night. We only had to make it till the 13th and then our wait would be over. But it seems like Sophia said well, if you're going to make me come out, I'll do it on my own terms. So before we could force her out, she came on her own.

We are so happy she is here. Sometimes it seems surreal but I'm sure in a few days it will be all too real. Thank goodness for good friends and family who have helped us so much. Thank you.

She's Here!!!

She's here! Whoever she is. Yes, it's true, Melissa still has not come to her senses and chosen one of my super terrific names such as Matea ( my favorite), Isabella, Ciel, Sophia, or Audrey (another favorite). The nurses are all calling her Miss Perkins, (wierd!). So for all of the women reading I'll give the details (the ones men only pretend to be interested in).

Melissa's water broke at 5:30 am. Only an hour and a half before we were scheduled to go in. Melissa said she wished she had filmed my reaction. I've never woken up so quickly. We were at the hospital minutes later. A few contractions, a few pushes - literally and the baby was born at 8:12 am weighing 6 lbs. 15 oz. and 19.5 in. long. She cried right away and both Melissa and baby are doing well. (I'm fine too, just incase you wanted to know :) More to come. . .

P.S.

In theory, the doctor will induce me on the 13th so we will keep you posted. No. We still don't have a name picked out.

It's the End of the Year as We Know It...And I feel Fine

Just kidding. I feel ready to have a baby. But I am glad that baby hasn't come yet and that we made it all the way through the end of school. Here are the pictures of what has been keeping us so busy.

We had to go to the awards assembly for the 3rd grade. Kassie's teacher, Mrs. Breitling, had a baby about six weeks ago but came back to tell the kids congratulations. We will miss her next year.

And then of course there was Kindergarten Graduation. Seriously, it might look like I am one of those parents who over does things by the way Sydney is dressed. But all I did was her hair. She got herself dressed that morning. But really and truly, what have they accomplished at the end of kindergarten? Enough that everyone should get their camcorders out and take off work to be there to see them receive a fake "diploma"? This post could go right along with one I did a while back on soccer moms but I will leave off with the fact that Sydney wiped up the cafeteria floor (which was covered in cake and frosting because 100 little kids were expected to eat cake and drink red punch with NO table to sit at) with that pink dress. Because really, that's another post for another day.

We didn't get a picture of Caroline and her teacher, Ms. Lisa but Caroline also had a cute little preschool program at the end of the year. I'm telling you if the parents kept up the same level of caring and support from preschool to high school, the world would be a better place. There is nothing worthy of "celebration" in preschool or kindergarten or even 5th grade. Make it through high school and that's great but still as it should be. Make it through college and that's a celebration. Even further and you can live on that accomplishment for the rest of your life.

Sorry, a simple happy end of the school year turned into my soapbox. But we are glad it's the end and tomorrow is the last day so we will keep the tradition my mom started of having banana splits for breakfast. (I think with the bananas and cherries and nuts they were supposed to be sort of healthy but with kids who choose just the ice cream and chocolate syrup, not so much.)