Welcome baby Thomas

It is sad for me to think that many months ago I couldn't understand God's timing.  Life was hectic.  Lucy didn't sleep.  I homeschool.  I couldn't handle another baby.  And so I cried.  But good friends and wonderful husbands stepped in to tell me I could, and I would.  They developed plans and had good ideas, and still I doubted.  And then Thomas arrived.  I was sure he would be late and big.  He was early and small.   I have 10 pound babies in less than 3 hours, but Thomas was tiny and it took 10.  And that describes Thomas....a surprise.....a gift that only God knew we needed.  And apparently we needed him so, because it feels like he was always supposed to be with us.  His quiet open eyes take us and the world all in.  And he fills our hearts.  I am so very thankful that God knew better than me.

Thomas had a birthday party in the hospital complete with cupcakes and presents for all his siblings.  (pretty thoughtful baby huh?)  The biggest treat was his Grandma and Grandpa Army got to be in town for his birth. They were in town for a few days on their way back from vacation so they got to spend a bit of time with him before heading home.  And we were very thankful for the extra help!


Details:
Name:  Thomas More
born:  8/19/12
7 pounds 7 ounces   22 inches

August birthday boys

Aside from Patrick's special day, we have several more birthdays for the men in our family.  I cannot believe that Luke turned 12 this year, and Max turned 4.  Perhaps I can blame it on post-partum hormones, but I had one of those "I nearly need to stop the car and cry for a bit" moments while driving the kids around the other day.  It started with a Mexican restaurant turning into a Dunkin' Donuts and after my mind played with it for a minute it involved memories.....a Luke that is now 12.....he'll only be in the house for 6 more years....Max is 4.....that is really close to 6.......time is going by too fast......the baby is already 4 days old and changing......  Oh hormones.  It is such a gift to raise these boys.  Luke is turning into quite a young man.  He has really stepped up to the plate in the helpfulness department and is truly helping me with the little ones lately.  A big treat for him is the newly finished basement.  It now holds an air hockey table and ping-pong table.  This has resulted in some guy time in the basement.  After all the little ones are in bed, Luke and Patrick head to the basement for ping-pong.  They really enjoy the time together, and Luke usually returns covered in sweat.  Who knew ping-pong was so....aerobic?  I'm thinking Patrick's days are numbered as the reigning ping-pong house champion.

Max got to celebrate his birthday at school with his friends, where they sang him "Happy Birthday" and "The Earth Goes Around the Sun".  This is how the teacher helps them learn months of the year and time.  Max requested a white cake, with white frosting and red writing.  He wanted strawberries, and no real decoration.  It is quite possibly the ugliest cake I ever made.  No one else in the house likes cake, and they were disappointed Max didn't pick one of Patrick's ice cream cake creations.  But Max loved his cake.  He loved the slippery strawberries sliding around in their juice leaking all over the cake.  I cringed.....he ate.

All Aboard the Crazy Train

I am blessed to have several friends from large families.  All are wonderful people, and they help to keep me focused on the positives and more importantly to keep things in perspective.  Sometimes little things can seem like such a big deal and they reassure me that they really are not so important.  When talking a few months ago with a friend who is one of five, she told me, "Girl for the next 15 years you are on the crazy train....just enjoy the ride."  I really like that motto and am contemplating having a t-shirt made for myself and some other friends.  But here are the latest antics that help to remind me....."of the train".

1.  "Are we really out of milk again?  That is it...we buy 6 gallons to start the week from now on and see how long we can last...4 is a joke."

2.  Max:  "Mom remember when be got these bracelets at the Monkey Theater?"  (Mom thinking....what on earth is a Monkey Theater?  Mom looks at the object in question.  Oh yeah!)  Mom:  "Max we call that place a zoo, not a Monkey Theater."

3.   I will preface this story with the fact that neither my brain nor my hands are working well these days.  Maybe pregnancy is to blame, but I keep dropping things.  Especially sweet drinks inside the garage that then need cleaned up (including glass).  Usually after 3 days of such episodes, tears ensue.  I also seem to be  calling all my boys by the wrong names.  Yesterday, Sean walked into the kitchen with a post-it note attached to his chin.  On it was printed his name.  He calmly told me it was to help me to remember to call him by the right name.  Instead, I began to freak out that my children will forever remember me being so scatterbrained that I couldn't even remember their names.

All on board the crazy train......

A memory of two

The big kids are all off at science camp again this week, and I have made a promise to do some fun things with just the little two. (instead of tackling my growing to-do list).  I remember when it was just Sarah and Luke and we would spend many mornings at a playland at the mall in Charleston.  Well, as it turns out we have a mall with a playland here too!  And my little ones have never been there (mom guilt enters here...)  So after dropping off the big kids and a near terrible mouth injury for Lucy (tongues sure bleed a lot!), we headed to the mall for some play time.  Max jumped right into the mix with the boys there, playing superheros.  Lucy wasn't so sure what to do with herself.  Max tried to take her to various parts of the playland.  When any big kids would get close to her he would say something like, "This is my baby.  Isn't she cute?  You have to play gentle around her."  He never ceases to amaze me with his caring attitude and genuine love for his siblings.  He really enjoys being a big brother to Lucy, and she is lucky to have him.  Anyhow, she left the playland area to concentrate on all the shoes laying around.  She was like Cinderella and tried on many different shoes belonging to many different people.  Gross, I know!  But it is her favorite game to play at home.  She puts on any shoes she can find and walks all around saying, "shoe....shoe....shoe...".  It was a fun morning of memories of how life was when it was only two little ones.  Not better or even less stressful (after all, there were less helpful hands than usual), but it was nice to dote on the little guys for once.

One last hurrah.....

Before the baby arrives.  We decided to take a trip at the last moment to celebrate Patrick's birthday, Luke's birthday, and the impending arrival of our newest little one.  It was the last weekend in which I could travel.  So we headed to Charleston and the beach for an action packed weekend.  The kids loved staying in a hotel.  The liked the breakfast buffet and all its goodies.  The liked watching the Olympics on TV.  They loved the beach.  They loved visiting a few of their old friends.  They liked eating out and the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry.   Even Sean.  (Mr.  all museums are boring and I am NOT going to have a good time no matter what you tell me).  About 2 minutes into the museum and he loved it.  A special treat was ice cream cones for dinner on the way home.  Every time we make this trip we say we should do it more often.  Maybe we will.