Bunch of Barrons

Long Time No See

2016-06-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Y'all...you have no idea how many times "blog" was on my to-do list. (Also...I wrote that sentence 20 minutes ago and keep getting interrupted. My life is kind of a circus at the moment, but you know that whole story.) I had visions of doing a catch up blog where I bring you up to speed on said circus, but honestly it's a lot of the same old stuff, just at seemingly hyper-speed. Billy continues to work 85+ hours per week at this point, and I'm a single mom of sorts for the time being. It's a busy season, and I hate that this has fallen to the wayside because it's always been my way of documenting my kids childhoods and our lives, but I'm not going to let myself feel guilty about that at the moment. Stay back, mom guilt. Literally, ain't nobody got time for that.

We are finished up with school (thankfully we have been for about a month or so...which has been a huge relief for me) right now. Currently in the middle of baseball season for Merrick. We are LOVING the fact that summer is here and the splash parks are open! Billy had an important "interview/review/something-or-another" about a week ago, which will hopefully lead to the promotion that means he can get back to working just one job. Tirzah lost another tooth. Amaryllis is going to be 2 in about a month. I have piles of laundry to do no matter how much laundry I do. The kids have their pool set up on the back deck so my entire life and house are wet most of the time. I think that about covers it? Maybe?

Pretty much the only thing I've been good at staying on top of recently is snapchat. (I know, really important stuff, right?) But hey, it entertains my kids and some of the filters cover up the dark circles under my eyes...so I call that a win-win. So for now, as my lame excuse for playing catch-up, I will leave you with many many and too many snaps from the last couple of weeks. They do kind of tell their own story. Plus you can just assume shenanigans in reference to what's been up in my life...and you'll most likely be right on that anyway. ;)

The Visitors

2016-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you probably know from various other social media accounts of mine, my grandma has been in a rehab facility nearby, working through a hip fracture. She is one tough cookie...and up to this point she has managed to continue to live by herself at 90 years old, even though she is completely blind. Can I be that awesome when I grow up? Seriously though, this lady is amazing, and I'm so thankful for the influence she has had on our family and so many other people her life has touched.

Growing up, we spent countless weeks at her house. Being spoiled and having the best of times with our cousins. So many of my growing up memories were of great times spent at her house, staying up too late watching 'I Love Lucy', eating junk food, fighting over who go to sleep curled up right next to her in the bed full of grandkids who probably didn't let her get much sleep, and of not wanting to go home. Gram's house was always one of our favorite places to be, and I'm so thankful to have those memories.

Now that I have kids of my own, I realize just how much Grandma did for us growing up. It's not easy to take on that big bunch of kids when you're no spring chicken yourself. And to do it so willingly for such long periods of time is amazing. She was, and is, a saint. Even now, she loves when I bring my 4 wild animals to see her. They are NOT quiet, at all, but she always says without hesitation how much she loves the noise and would prefer their shenanigans to peace and quiet. That's good news, since they seem to love visiting her as well.

I'm grateful for all the time we've been able to spend with her recently, since she's so nearby at the rehab facility. I know it's not fun for her...being there...but I'm loving the excuse to sit and chat with her, and have my kids be able to sit and talk with her/get to know her better as well. (Well, as much as my kids sit and talk, that is. Mostly they eat the candy stash she always seems to have, and do things like wave/blow kisses at her even though she can't see. She always thinks that's hilarious, FYI. Which is awesome.) I do hope for her sake she is able to go home soon, but I'm not going to complain about being able to spend so much time visiting our Gram.

Colorful Black and White

2016-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

The hooligans are so full of personality. Each of them are so different, and so colorful in their own ways. Ironically...I feel like these black and white shots of them I took yesterday afternoon flaunt those colorful personalities so well. I am a fan of color, and rarely choose the black and white version of any of my pictures. But these just seemed right.

Each of these kiddos are my heart. I love each of them more than I have words to express. They also push my buttons beyond belief...but I feel like all the best people do that. If someone doesn't irritate you, you probably aren't close enough to them to know them well enough to notice the little things about them. Merrick is the epitome of sweetness and genuineness, Tirzah is full of smarts and sass and a natural born leader, Jericho is a shy chatterbox who pretends to be grumpy just to cover up the fact that he really is a softie at heart, and Amaryllis is a bundle of goofy tenacity that refuses to be ignored.

I know every mom says this...but they are THE BEST. I go back and forth between losing my mind trying to raise them right, and wondering how I got so lucky to be the one who gets to be their mama. These four people...they are something else. I am full of humble pride (is that such a thing? maybe not but I know what I mean) knowing that they are mine, but also knowing that their personalities and souls are too big for me to take credit for.

Just so thankful that I get to spend my life watching these people live, and that they actually seem to need me.

Some Spring Sessions

2016-04-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been kind of off the grid recently when it comes to blogging...but ya know, I make up for it in oversharing on Facebook I'm sure. Some of that off the grid has been due to having kind of a flurry of photo sessions recently. I haven't done much client work lately because of so many other shenanigans going on. But I was glad to be able to do these (along with some help from various sisters) for some pretty awesome people in my life.

First was a maternity session for a long time family friend. This was a really fun session, since we knew we would also be doing a newborn session when baby April arrived. Baby ended up arriving about 3 days after said maternity session. We got that done just in time! And so glad we did...this beautiful mama and her husband were so much fun to work with, and I love when you can just see how much a family loves each other when you are looking back over the session.

...and then there were three! Newborn sessions are so much fun, and this one was amazing. Baby April was literally perfect. I've never had such an easy newborn session. On top of the fact that she is absolutely adorable! So glad to be able to capture this fresh, new, exciting time in this family's life.

And while we are on the subject of babies...SO excited to be able to do a maternity session for some of the coolest people I know. They are looking forward to welcoming their little baby boy in the next 10 weeks or so, and we all cannot wait to meet him! This session was a lot of fun...lots of laughs and more like hanging out and chatting than actually "working". Just love these guys, and have had a blast getting to know them these last few months!

I know I don't have as much time recently for client photography, but I'm really grateful as always for the people who trust me with their memories. I love getting to be a part of these special moments!

The Week Fancy Pants Had a Cold

2016-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

This past week was pretty much kind of a nightmare in terms of dealing with one fancy baby. She has been fancy since the beginning. Pretty much 3 days after she was born she started with her acid reflux shenanigans, (I realize I say "shenanigans" a lot, but that's because there are a lot of them around here. Try to understand.) and she has continued to be one high maintenance little ferocious beast ever since. I say ferocious beast in the most loving of ways...as only a mother can love a ferocious beast.

She really does make us laugh, and we wouldn't trade her for the world, but she was off the charts this past week. I typically just roll with the punches when it comes to my kids. They fight, they whine, they tattle, they fall off of everything, they let Amaryllis out of her stroller during my soccer games (when I can only yell at them from across the field and hope she doesn't wander off), they climb things they shouldn't during my football games AND my soccer games (noticed Tirzah climbing the side of a building during soccer and ALL of them climbing a giant soccer goal during football) they try to eat cheez-its for every meal, etc. But she cried pretty much from Tuesday night through Sunday morning. She cried when she should be napping. She cried at 4 am. She's actually crying right now and I'm just hoping my ears will stop working momentarily.

Don't get me wrong, I feel really bad the she has a cold. But for the love...it's a cold. Can we please move on, dearest fancy child? I will give you tylenol or cough syrup or ice cream or rub essential oils on your chubby little baby feet or whatever you want, but please can we stop crying? Thankfully she seems to be on the mend and getting better, but as far as colds go that one was a few notches above the infamous "man cold" we've all heard of. This fancy baby does everything she can to make sure there is no losing her in the shuffle or the rolling with the punches she throws. I am Amaryllis, hear me roar. Or growl. Or whatever is the word of the day.

As we start this new week, I'm hoping I can label it something like "the week Amaryllis decided to get some chill", or "the week no one spilled all their food everyday", or there's also "the week my kids decided whining was so 2015". A girl can hope.

Time Flies When You...Have Kids.

2016-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

It seems like just yesterday I took the obligatory "Easter outfit" shots of my kids last year. I can't believe it's been a whole year, and how much they've all grown and changed since then. They say time flies when you're having fun, and I feel like it flies by a little bit faster for each kid you add to the mix. So me living life probably kind of looks like someone who accidentally turned the speed on the treadmill up too far, and is trying to hold and and not fly off the back. ;)

Time definitely does seem to go even faster as you get older and busier. I remember thinking how sad I was that it was Winter again, and wondering how I was going to make it in one piece through another school year. Here we are again and it's already Spring, and we are about 6 weeks away from finishing school for the year. I can't believe it, honestly. (That we are making it through another school year, mostly. I always figured spring would happen again eventually.)

These goofballs really are everything to me. They wear me slap out, and are most of the reason for any and all insanity that I don't remember having before they showed up, but I don't know what I would do without them. I'd rather have this life, flying by holding on for dear life wishing someone would turn down the treadmill, than do anything slower paced without them. Sure, they make things normal people do way more complicated...forget just "hanging out" or a quick get together with friends. Need a few things from the store? Prepare for certain shenanigans that will make you not want to shop again. There is laundry in every crack of this house. Right beside the cheez-it crumbs. But their souls are a part of my heart, and I will take on all the extra work and lose all the extra sleep just to soak up life with them, flying by way faster than I'd like.

Third Shift

2016-03-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you already know, Billy has recently started working 3rd shift at WaWa. He is in the process of training for a management position, and the best method to learn the ropes is apparently in the middle of the night when all the crazy people need coffee, snacks, and gas. This wouldn't be a huge deal except he is also still currently working during the day doing construction. To say he isn't sleeping is really just unnecessary...you get the picture.

Since he isn't sleeping and is working 80 hours/week, (not to feel sorry for myself at all because I would much rather be doing what I'm doing than not sleeping), a lot of the "extras" are now my job. Ya know...baseball practice, Amaryllis being awake all night, bedtime routines, and all those shenanigans than we usually share. We are both hopeful that this training process will be short so that he can move into a manager position and "quit his day job". I'd definitely like to quit my day job right now as well. ;) But we will power through,and hopefully come out of this in a much better place.

The kids really haven't noticed much of a difference, except for the fact that they KNOW mommy is sleeping in that "big" bed all by herself. So they've taken to keeping me company and sleeping in there the nights Billy is working. They are so thoughtful. ;) Jericho especially...who is the one who sleeps with me the most. He smacks me in the face frequently in his sleep and has a flair for sleeping completely sideways across the bed. But he sure is adorable passed out with those long eyelashes of his. (SN: why do boys always get the great lashes?)

We know this process is just starting, and will definitely be tough. But we can handle it if we work together. Me and the hooligans are definitely prepared to make some adjustments, and see a lot more of each other. But ya know, I can think of worse people to spend a lot of time with. :)

The Middles

2016-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

There really isn't an official "middle child" with 4 kids. I'm sure someone will have the middle child personality more so than another one, but I don't feel like my kids follow birth order stereotypes anyway, so who knows who that would even be. For example, I feel like Merrick and Tirzah are switched according to what you'd think for a typical first and second born. Tirzah is definitely a leader, she's bossy and mothers everyone around her, she is a perfectionist and hates to get things wrong. I feel like Merrick definitely is more like a second born with his flexibility, and more of a laid back nature.

Jericho and Tirzah are technically in the middle of this crazy Barron baby sandwich. They don't really occupy that space quietly, though. Out of all of my kids, they drive each other the most crazy. They fight quite a bit, unless it's just the two of them and they are forced to depend on each other for entertainment. Then miraculously they get along. (I really wish they would do this getting along more often, since I know it can be done.)

They are 2.5 years apart in age, but I frequently am asked if the two of them are twins. (Merrick and Tirzah are closer together in age, at 20 months apart.) I don't think they look a thing alike, but their size is so similar that people think twins when they see us all out together. The other day I took a picture of them standing beside each other, and Jericho is almost taller than Tirzah is now. (He was up on his toes a bit in the picture, but it's really close and I think he will be taller than her soon.) He wears bigger shoes and clothes than she does already.

It's almost like Tirzah has two big brothers, but she definitely treats them like she's the boss. We don't call her "mama Tiz" for nothing. Somebody has got to keep this circus running right.

The Cuzzies Visit

2016-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's not often we get to see the "cuzzies", or my sister's three little kiddos. She recently had the youngest member of the family, Emory Ruth, and we were just finally able to meet her two months later. (Even though, at two months of age, she's just about as big as Jericho was when he was born.) She is completely adorable, and we are so glad we were finally able to snuggle this little bundle.

Merrick absolutely loves babies. He is usually really good with them as well. He is my sidekick when it comes to corralling younger siblings, and is often the one who helps me deal with Amaryllis's shenanigans. He was so happy to be able to see this little cuzzie, even though she didnt seem quite so excited to see us. ;)

We have really been enjoying spending time with these three little ladies. I so wish they lived closer to us. One of my favorite things growing up was playing with my cousins, so I love when these guys get to play together. I hope that they have lots of great memories to look back on just like I do.

As you can see from the picture below, Merrick comes by his love of little babies naturally. Billy is definitely a baby person...which is probably one of the reasons we ended up with 4. ;) He always is the first to ask to hold the little ones, and was always great at taking care of ours when they were up at all hours of the night. I have to admit, though, as adorable as this little cuzzie is, I'm happy to report there is zero baby fever happening around here. Billy and I realize that having a baby like Amaryllis, who takes no prisoners, after you have already had 3 kids, is effectively the baby fever vaccine. So for now, we will just snuggle this one for the next month or so while they visit, and be grateful for all the time we get to spend with family.

Exercising and Rights, and eating Donuts

2016-03-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

I always take my kids with me when I vote. As a homeschooler I kind of feel like it's a good opportunity to teach hands on civics, as well as show them an example of voting - even when it's terribly chaotic and inconvenient when you have to do it alone with 4 kids. You just do it because it's important, and because it matters. I want them to see their parents doing things that aren't necessarily easy, because they care about the world around them. (Hopefully they will forget the parts where I am pulling my hair out trying to keep them from knocking over voting booths.)

We all went yesterday to vote in the primary. (Me and the hooligans, that is. Billy went in the morning before work.) It was the typical sideshow. All the sweet little older ladies working at the polls always say the nicest things to me when I come in there dragging 4 little politically vocal ducklings behind me. It makes up for some of the shenanigans of their vocal politics. I can't really blame them though...Billy and I spend a lot of time yelling at the TV and our iPhones when it comes to the government. They get it honest.

Yesterday the main excitement, and the need for said donuts, came from a certain 4 year old who really dislikes Donald Trump. I can't say I blame him there, either. But I'm just not sure how I feel about him screaming about who he is voting for in the middle of his mommy voting. I did get a good laugh out of it later though, after I was in the safety of my van where he can spew his politics for all to hear without me getting any dirty looks. (In case you don't follow me on Facebook...Jericho enthusiastically yelled "Donald Trump stinks! Haaaaa!" at the polls yesterday. At least I can't fault him with caring what people think?)

I do love how passionate these little goofballs are, no matter what they are doing: voting, eating donuts, or playing on the playground to get out some of the energy from all those donuts they earned by voting. I hope and pray that I am raising them to care about the world around them, and to take responsibility. Not just for themselves, but for the people around them. I see glimpses of that when they take care of each other...but they always put me back in my place before I get too prideful by having a loud fight in the backyard for all the neighbors within a half mile to hear. ;)

How?

2016-02-25T15:12:00.002-05:00

Many of you who know me on social media, or follow this blog, probably know that one of my dearest friends in the world, one of the tight knit group that we all call the "6 best pals", lost her almost 5 year old son, Jackson, this past Friday night. (His 5th birthday would have been this past Tuesday, the day of his funeral.) It completely crushed us all. Our little group of friends have walked through countless hard times together over the years...miscarriages, infertility, jobs lost, moves, struggling marriages, children with special needs, pain, family problems, debt and financial stress...you name it we carry each other through it. But this. This took our breath away and left us feeling broken in a way we can't begin to describe.

We all spent Friday night laying awake in our own homes, but weeping together trying to figure out how...how something like this can happen. And wondering how we would be able to get through it. Hoping we could be what we needed to be for our best friend who had just lost something you hope to never lose...your own child. We were all left breathless, broken at the thought of never seeing this precious baby grow up, shattered knowing the path that his family would have to walk through learning to live without him. But at the same time we all knew we had to get to her...our Rachel, and her family. We needed to be together and support each other as best we could. The other 5 of us all flew or drove (some of us from as far as California) to the town where they live, and spend the last four days together. We were side by side as we helped our friend grieve her oldest child, still such a precious baby.

I say that we helped her, and I'm grateful we were able to do that, but at the same time being with her and her husband Chris, and seeing their fierce faith, helped the rest of us. We were able to be there with her and see for ourselves the peace inside the eye of this storm that God gave to them. They have comfort in knowing that Jackson is free from the medical issues that he struggled with from infancy, that he can run and play freely without being tired, that he knows nothing now but perfect love and joy. And that they know they will see him again one day. This is a heart-wrenching goodbye like no one can describe, but we all were blessed by the way they held onto these truths and didn't let those around them forget them, even though the sadness is too heavy to carry.

As best friends, you always say you will do anything for your girls. I'm honored to be a part of this group of ladies who will, literally, do anything for each other. It's not just something we say, it's who we are. I don't know how I'd get through without them, and know they feel the same way. We made so many memories this week...many we never wanted to make, but many that helped us laugh through the heartbreak. We kept talking about how we were so glad to be together, but wish so much it could have been for any other reason.

We are all so glad to have known Jackson, and been able to be a part of his life. He was an amazing boy, compassionate and kind, full of love and constantly talking about Jesus. Anyone who spent anytime with him only had the most precious memories of a boy who had a sweet spirit. We will miss him as long as we live, and can't wait to see him again. We are also glad to know his mama, and know that the road we all have to walk from here forward won't be easy, especially for her. How will we get through this? We will get through this because of the assurance and faith we have, and because of the knowledge that Jackson is in the arms of Jesus - the Savior that brings us all together, and because of the fact that we never let each other walk through life alone.

We love you, sweet Jackson. And we can't wait to see you again someday!

Peer Pressure

2016-02-16T15:28:00.001-05:00

Amaryllis doesn't miss much. She watches us, and her older siblings, and definitely uses this information to her advantage. She is a smarty (fancy) pants, and the fact that she doesn't talk much -even though I know she can- just further convinces me that she is the boss of this house.

She is very strong-willed, and her own person, but that doesn't mean she doesn't occasionally cave to the pressure to do what all three of her older siblings are doing. The other night, the older three had gotten in huge trouble at dinner, and after being disciplined they were all crying at the table. Amaryllis noticed everyone else crying, and decided she didn't want to be left out. So cue the fake tears. She does love to put on a show.

There are enough real tears in this house. I could do without the fake ones. But she was so invested in the performance that we decided there may be an Oscar in her future. #retirementplan

One of Those

2016-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

So far this has been a pretty busy week. I always recognize that the blog is the first thing to go when I get really tired or busy. I figured making sure everyone is still alive, and ate at least breakfast, is a smidge more important than updating this ol' thing. But what do I know.

I don't have a lot of time to update on what everyone has been doing. But here are the basics: no major milestones have happened this week. No new teeth lost. No one broke any new bones. Math only made people cry 2 out of the 2 days of school so far. Jericho somehow got poop all over his HANDS instead of in the toilet. (Yes...that happened.) We have gotten to meet up with friends two days in a row. It's freezing outside. No one ever sleeps through the night around here. I caught Amaryllis eating food out of the trash AGAIN today. (She's definitely gotten sneakier with the cast...I didnt even hear her go in the kitchen. So much for that.) Yeah, I think that about covers it.

I'm just going to leave this picture riiiiight here. It kinds of sums up how I feel about not having any time to blog these last couple of weeks. And it sums up how Amaryllis feels whenever we don't give her EVERYTHING she wants. That happens a lot. She has a really rough life for a spoiled little baby. ;)

Bookie

2016-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Amaryllis has recently been following in her older sisters footsteps. She cannot get enough books. (It runs in the family, as her mama has always loved to read as well.) If she's ever quiet she's either 1) eating something out of the trash that she isn't supposed to have, or 2) sitting in her room in front of the bookshelf pulling out ALL the books and "reading" them.

She loves to sit and let people read to her as well. But she's very impatient, and typically won't let you actually finish reading the whole page before she turns it to the next one. And she will screech at you if you don't let her turn the page. I've read half of so many books recently. I feel like I'm really missing something...so much unfinished business.

Her older siblings have also started reading to her as well. Some of them like to read more than others, so often if I've read a particular kiddo book until I think I'm gonna lose my mind, I'll pass the torch on to one of the kids. Tirzah loves to read, and will sit and read to her for as long as Amaryllis will sit there. Amaryllis gets along better with Merrick, however, so the length of time Amaryllis will sit with Tirzah is relatively shorter. ;) Girl drama already, ladies? Ain't no body got time for that.

I love watching her get so enthralled by books, and love how she calls them "bookies". Reading has always been something that I loved, and I know it's something that, should she continue to love it, will be a great hobby and teach her so much. Now if we could just get her that excited about playing nicely with other children...

Just Kidding. Here's Your Cast.

2016-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

So a few days ago I had blogged about how Amaryllis had her little incident, and that the splint she was wearing was due to come off in a couple days. We went to her orthopedist appointment, and they took off the splint. (She was super mad at the doctor at this point and already throwing a fit.) As the doctor was examining her foot and leg, she noticed that she was freaking out when she's press on a certain spot in her foot. She decided it was worth a second x-ray.

We went back to the x-ray room, where she proceeded to freak out some more. (I mean laying on a table is definitely something worth freaking out about. This much be she doesn't want to take naps or sleep at night either.) I was very glad to get out of there, as I'm sure the x-ray tech was glad to see us go. We waited a few more minutes, and sure enough, the doctor confirmed that there were three broken bones in her left foot. I didn't know this until today, but apparently breaks are easier to see after some healing has begun, especially in babies.

So we let Amaryllis pick out the color for her cast. (She of course picked the brightest loudest color they had...neon yellow.) It was really quick putting it on, but she screamed the whole time. Not because it hurt, but mostly because she didnt want those people messing with her or to have to sit still for a few minutes. She is a tough cookie...but she will let you know when she has no intentions of putting up with something. This was one of those times.

Thankfully she only has to be in the cast for 3 weeks, but we can't get it wet. (That fancy schmancy cast you can get wet isn't covered by insurance...but believe me I considered it. But it's not summer so I think we can handle the not getting the cast wet part.) She isn't letting it slow her down even a little bit. She is all over the house, and has already managed to figure out how to kick her siblings with her cast to make her point. (It took her like 2 hours to figure that out. Diabolical.) She is loud as mess, too. Which means she will have a lot more trouble sneaking snacks out of the trash. ;) I'm not too worried about the next few weeks. I'm just thankful it wasn't something more serious, and that fancy pants is a strong-willed, tough little baby.

Stairs Sometimes Bite

2016-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a very snowy experience for this area of the country. We got about a foot of snow...which is way more than we ever typically get. (Way more than a foot in some areas...maybe a little less in others.) We spent the weekend sledding (and just staying inside drinking coffee and watching football when it was too blizzard-y to play outside) with some of our awesome church friends, building a crazy igloo, and eating way too many snow day snack.

Towards the end of the day Sunday Billy had gone upstairs in our friend's house to put Amaryllis down for a potential nap. In classic Billy fashion, he and Amaryllis -who he was carrying- fell down the stairs. (He has a flair for falling down stairs, unfortunately for him. Usually it's in his sleep because he sleepwalks a lot, so I'll give him that.) He tried really hard not to land on her at all, but ended up landing partly on her foot/leg. We really aren't sure which it was at this point...but we think her foot since it was a little swollen late that night. She seemed ok at the time after we calmed her down...and we went ahead and put her down for a nap since nothing was visibly wrong with her foot or leg at that point.

(Amaryllis took this herself, during a break from her

favorite activity of looking at puppies on instagram.)

A couple hours later when she got up from her nap, I noticed she was refusing to put that foot down on the ground and wouldn't walk around on it. She spent most of the time sitting on my lap, or crying when she tried to get down and walk because she was obviously hurting. We hung out for a little bit longer, fed her some pizza, and made the trip home. We kept thinking, because she didn't seem upset unless she was trying to walk, that we would wait and let her sleep that night, and take her to a doctor in the morning if it was not any better.

We got home and I ended up deciding to go ahead and take her into the ER that night. Billy was most likely going to be working in the morning, and I figured I would just go ahead and get it checked out while I didnt have three other kids to worry about along with it. She and I went to the local pediatric ER, and since it was pretty deserted we were in and out fairly quickly. They did x-rays and said all looked fine, but because they are always concerned about damage to growth plates (I still need to do more research on that, because I really have no idea what they are and I probably should) and because it could possibly be sprained, they wanted to be cautious and have her wear a splint for a few days. They put her splint on and we went on home so we could finally get to bed.

Yesterday and so far today she has seemed mostly like herself. She's a little clingy and cranky...but that's mostly because I'm trying to keep her from walking around -which she is insisting to do...this goofy crooked walk because of her splint- and she is annoyed with me and the splint. She doesn't seem to be in any pain right now, which I'm very glad for! I think it was probably just sore/tender from the fall, and am very grateful that we aren't dealing with a break in one of those adorable , chunky baby legs. I'm also very grateful that, even though I have four wild, rabid animals for children, this was only the second time we've had to make an ER trip. Hoping we keep it that way for awhile, and that this little munchkin is soon relieved of the splint that is holding her back from her typical shenanigans.

Troublemaker

2016-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Amaryllis is a typical "fourth child". You know how you get more and more chill with each baby...the oldest gets the best of everything, including things you don't really need, and their successors get handmedowns and you stop even bothering to clean the pacifier when it falls on the floor. It's not that you love them any less, you just get busy and realize that cleaning the pacifier that fell on the floor really isn't going to keep them from ingesting every germ in sight. So you just focus on the important stuff like "did you eat actual food today"?

Another thing about being the fourth child, is that she has many older siblings to learn shenanigans from. She also has many other people to distract me, giving her the opportunity to get into said shenanigans. First thing this morning she watched me throw a leftover piece of a snickers bar in the trash. She waited until I was out of the room dealing with another sibling, and then she got it out of the trash, made herself comfy on MY pillow, and ate it right out of the wrapper. When I found her she casually handed me the wrapper as if to say, "oh, was I not supposed to have this?"

Later in the afternoon we were working on school. Or trying to at least. She spent most of the time getting up on the coffee table where the kids were working and waiting until they were distracted, and then throwing their papers off the table, stealing their pencils, or just dancing on the table to provide a little entertainment. She thinks she's really funny, as stereotypically babies of the family do, and that's probably because we DO think she's really funny. (I try to hide it, but she gets away with a lot of things simply because I can't stop laughing at her.) She definitely reminded me of why I try to do school while she is napping.

She is a little troublemaker, for sure. But I feel like there is a lot of other people who contribute to her delinquency. One of the perks of being fourth baby, I guess, you get to blame your older siblings for teaching you all your tricks, and your mom for laughing at you.

Bloom

2016-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently my mom gave us a box with a plant in it. Well, what could potentially be a plant. It was an Amaryllis flower. All I had to do what put in into the pot and water it. (You guys have no idea how terrifying this is for someone who has never been able to get plants to stay alive. Of all the plants in the world please let me be able to grow this one.) I heard rumors that these things are really sturdy, and grow in any condition, so potentially this was the plant for me. And obviously I've correctly named my youngest daughter, who is as stubborn and sturdy as her flowery namesake.

I watered it, made sure it was getting sun, all that stuff you're supposed to do for plants. It started growing, and a couple weeks later (today) the blooms finally started to open. I was SO excited. It's great to see this little bit of color in the middle of winter. I even made Amaryllis pose for a few pictures beside it. She was mostly interested in trying to poke it.

The first time I heard of an "amaryllis", was in a song by Shinedown, Billy and I's favorite band. We joked that if we ever had another baby, and it was a girl, we would definitely name her Amaryllis. I didnt realize until a little later that an Amaryllis is a flower. We also didn't think we would really end up having another baby at the time...but you know the rest of that story. I'm so glad that we were able to use that name, and grateful for the wild, stubborn goofball baby who goes by it.

One of the lines of the song goes like this: "Cuz I wanna know you, Amaryllis. Bloom." I love that song, and I love how fitting it is for the youngest member of this family. She is bright and bold and sturdy and stubborn...much like this flower. She is an unexpected bright spot in our lives, one we didn't know if we would ever see when we lost her twin sister. I'm so grateful for the chance to watch Amaryllis bloom.

Caught Up

2016-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've typically been right on schedule with the kiddos well check-ups. I know that they aren't really always necessary...but I kinda like having someone else look at them besides me and say, "hey...they look alright to me...carry on." So we go to our regularly scheduled check-ups and get a shot or two and give a nurse or two a headache. I had recently gotten behind on check-ups, however. I went to schedule them for the three kiddos who needed them, and the office had implemented a new policy where you can only schedule two kids for checkups consecutively. It's like they knew I was coming.

Billy used his skills of persuasion (read: he is WAY nicer than me to people on the telephone and somehow always manages to talk them into stuff that I can't) on them, though, and they let us bring them all in at the same time one last time. One final attempt to see if their doctor ever manages to get rattled by screaming children. He does not...he is the most patient man I have ever met and somehow still manages to crack jokes while an 18 month old is smacking him in the face. I probably would have switched offices by now for various reasons if this guy wasn't just that awesome.

We managed to survive the hour and a half trip with no casualties...just lots of bandaids. The kids are all healthy and growing and successfully wiped out the office stash of lollipops. And I'm just really grateful we don't have any more well checkups until July.

My Biggest Baby Turns 4

2016-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

This big ol' baby just had his 4th birthday. It's always hard to believe how fast your kids grow...and this birthday for some reason was even crazier to me. They always say the days are long and the years are short, and the last four years have definitely been particularly short. (But oh the days...definitely some long days in there.)

This guy, as many people know, has always been a "big guy". People are continually surprised when I tell them he's only 4 years old. He may be a big guy, but he's still a baby in so many ways. He hates to sleep without a night light, he has to have his bedtime snuggles, he still calls me "lovie" instead of mom, he still needs a nap every single day or he will just fall asleep wherever he happens to be.

He is also notorious for being a "grumpy cat". He has had those grumpy eyebrows since he was in the hospital as a newborn, and he knows how to use them. But despite those grumpy eyebrows, he has such a big heart. He's the first to tell me, out of the blue, "I love you, lovie." He loves to snuggle. He loves to play with his little sister, and the two of them can often be found in her room, with him showing her how all of her little toys work.

I am so proud of this big little guy. I love watching him grow. I love everything from his big brown eyes to his adorable dimple. He stole my heart, all 9.2 pounds that he was, when I first heard the nurses say, before I even saw him, "he's a big baby!" I'm so proud to be his mama, and as much as I wish time would slow down, I love watching him grow. Happy 4th birthday, J Baby!

Outside the Box

2015-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Amaryllis had a great time this Christmas. She didn't actually unwrap a single thing, but she has had a blast playing with all the toys people gave her (and unwrapped for her since she wasn't interested). She got several babies that she loves...including a care bear "baby". (We've realized anything she can carry around and snuggle is a baby.) She also got a barn with animals...they are all dogs of course cuz that's the only animal she will say. We need to work on this obviously.

She had a great time playing with the boxes and wrapping paper people threw away as well. This one particular shoe box made for a great seat for watching siblings unwrap things. That is, until she fell out of it. Then it got real. We all experienced the Christmas cheer that is Amaryllis. She knows how to throw a fit...this one was especially festive.

She definitely adds spice to our lives. Next year I'll make sure to get a box with a seatbelt.

Keep This Moment

2015-12-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

I'm not usually one for lots of sappy emotions. But there is a particular song l, called Wintersong, I like to listen to around Christmas (ok ok, I'm dating myself when I say it's by Sarah McLachlan) that gets me right in my (very resistant) feels. It goes something like this: "And this is how I see you, In the snow on Christmas morning, Love and happiness surround you, As you throw your arms up to the sky,
I keep this moment by and by." It always reminds me of how fast my babies are growing. And how soon it'll be when they have babies of their own and it's all different for them, but somehow still the same for me. (Meaning you really never stop seeing your babies as just that...your babies.) It reminds me to hold on, tightly but yet still loosely, to this sweet time with these precious souls.

I have taken pictures of them like this since there were only two of them. And the fact that they change, so much, from year to year just does this weird ripping your heart out but also making it explode with love thing. Parenthood...it does just that to a person. I'm grateful for so much about this season of Christmas, but one of the things I'm most grateful for is these four amazing people, how they make me feel so much more love than I ever thought possible, and how they love me back.

(So you can enjoy that same sappy emotion here is the comparison collage) Happy Holidays, everyone! Don't forget to keep these moments.

It's Been Too Long...

2015-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

...since I managed to take pictures of all four of the kids. It always seems like Amaryllis was napping when I thought about it. Amaryllis napping is a good thing, so you don't want to stop it for sure.

The other day I finally decided I was going to postpone the nap so I could get a picture of all four of the kids. (I really think it has been months since I did this other than with an iPhone.) I managed to get a few good pictures before all you-know-what broke loose. My first mistake was putting a bow on Amaryllis's head. She hates those. She ripped it off several times before we even sat down. I am so glad that I'll have these pictures of the four of them when they are older...I can't get over how fast they have grown even over this last year.

After the first few shots (which thankfully I got a few good ones) Amaryllis was DONE.

You can see her cocking that elbow back...Fancy Pants has had enough of being restrained and is ready to be set free of the cage of photography and bows that she really doesn't want on her head to begin with. Her siblings (Jericho especially) know what's coming.

Merrick, always the kind and sweet big brother, is trying to talk her out of what he knows is coming. Tirzah is just holding on for dear life. Jericho is just making sure to maintain eye-contact with the camera. He knows he has one job and he's sticking to it.

Merrick, for all of his efforts, was the rewarded with one fancy backhand from the littlest sister. (She takes no prisoners.) Jericho, kinda losing the eye contact, but his eyebrow game is on point. This last shot is one of my favorite pictures of my kids...ever. It's not a picture perfect shot for sure, but it's just so typical of life with 4 hood rats. AND...it makes me laugh. So it wins.

I love these kiddos, and I love watching their personalities grow and fill up this house. There are some BIG personalities around here, and I'm grateful that I get to take a few moments now and then to capture them on camera.

Interpretive Tantrums

2015-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Amaryllis is known to be fancy. She has been fancy ever since she was born, as you guys all know. She also likes to do things with flair. She puts all of her effort into whatever it is she's doing, and doesn't prefer to be ignored. All of these traits put together make her one heck of an expert at throwing a fit.

She doesn't just "throw" a fit. She plans out how she's going to make it happen. First, she will look around her for a good spot. She likes to make sure she isn't going to injure herself...an expert fit thrower doesn't just flop down anywhere. Then she commences screaming. (Y'all think I'm making this up. I only wish.) Next, she very carefully lays down/falls into the floor, being sure not to hit her head on the way down. Then she lays there and screams some more. Sometimes, if she's feeling extra angry, she will do this crazy yoga-looking move where she rolls over and into a plank (again, I wish I was kidding), and lifts one leg up in the air. (So she's holding a plank, balancing on her hands and one foot...she should consider starting her own circus act.)

Sometimes, as pictured, she may decide once she's done throwing the fit that we REALLY didn't quite get the point. So she will then go back for round two. (I'll spare you the rundown of that...it usually looks much like round one with the occasional variation like laying on her side and trying to grab anyone who goes too close, or laying spread eagle in the floor in silence for dramatic effect once she's tired of screaming. The silence would be my favorite variation.) She definitely knows how to get her point across, as even her tantrums are fancy. I feel like one day she may have a career in soap operas.

Cuzzies x 6.75

2015-12-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

This past week my sister, the only one who lives out of town, was here visiting! She is mucho pregnant with her third baby girl...and due right after Christmas, so traveling will most likely be out of the question. So she was able to come early for a little time to visit since we won't get to over the holidays.

It was really great to see her and her two baby girls...it's been too long. I can't believe how fast they are growing up. And it's really so great to see all the kiddos getting to play together. Some of my best memories as a kid were playing with my cousins, (our kids call each other "the cuzzies") and I love seeing my kiddos get to make those memories too. I just wish we were closer together so that they could play more often. 10 hours is way too far away!

We really miss having this sister (and let's be real, her husband is a pretty cool dude so we miss him too) and these nieces nearby...but are so excited for the time we are able to spend together. I got a feeling we will be seeing each other in the very near future to visit the newest addition to this adorable group of "cuzzies".