Hoppy Easter

Our Easter weekend started on Thursday.  Steve took a day off --yay, he has been working so hard.  He put together the trampoline we bought for the kids.  After school when their homework was done we convinced them to go outside to do bubbles with Andrew and when they saw the trampoline there was audible gasps. Lila said, "where did that come from?"  We explained we bought it as a spring surprise.  Ellie, "I thought this day would never come." Now they are jumping maniacs.  I even saw Andrew and Lila's heads bouncing Friday morning before school as I was driving back from the grocery store (I went to pick up a few items after dropping Ellie off at ballroom).

Friday night we decorated Easter eggs.  It was great fun after we stopped Andrew from eating the dye tablets and trying to crack the eggs. ;)

The Easter bunny comes to our house on Saturday.  Andrew and Lila were in a hurry to see what he brought.  Ellie wanted to finish reading a chapter in her book.  As soon as Andrew came around the corner he grabbed the Reester bunny that was for Steve and said, "mine." After we said no he moved on to the chocolate bunny by my clothes and repeated, "mine."  Finally he found the little bunny in his basket opened it immediately and started eating (this kid has more of sweet tooth than his older sisters).

After breakfast, Steve gave directions for the Easter egg hunt.  This year the bunny sectioned off the yard so he could make it harder for the older ones and not have them pointing out to the little ones where there are eggs.  It worked out good and they all got done about the same time.

Then the fun sorting, where once again Andrew was shoving in as much candy as he could.

Marcus and I made it to church today for the first time.  It was kind of fun to get us all ready and nurse in time for 9am church--ok we were 5 minutes late.  We'll get better at it.  Tonight we are having a little family dinner of lamb, roasted potatoes, rolls, salad, and carrot cake.

I really enjoyed the post hymn we sang in church today, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives."  It testified that, "He Lives!" and that is what we are celebrating this weekend.

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

The Rock

We had family home evening today before lunch.  We were talking about the Holy Week and the events that lead up to Easter.  Andrew was really tired because we had been at Mimi & Grandpa's in Mt Green the night before and he didn't get to bed until 10pm.  I was doing my best to engage him in our lesson while also teaching the girls (which can be quite the task when he isn't tired). All of the sudden something bounced off of the forehead of Marcus. I knew that Andrew had thrown something, he throws everything--you ask him to hand you the binkie, your phone, the remote whatever it is it gets thrown to you. Then I realized it was his precious rock he had brought in after playing outside yesterday.  Marcus took a second, but there was a delayed squelch of shock and ouch!  I picked up Andrew who immediately knew it was bad (he didn't mean to hit Marcus, he was just tossing his rock).  I held him and explained this is why Mommy says not to throw things because you can hurt someone or break something.  He hung his head and shed a few tears.  The adults in the room kind of chuckled after everything settled down.  Good times.

Lucky

Girls shirts say, "I'm a lucky girl."  Andrew's says, "Sham Rocker" with a clover shaped like a guitar.  Marcus's says, "I'm your lucky charm."

The girls made another trap this year.  Andrew got into it running around gathering supplies, cutting paper (they didn't use--it was busy work from his sisters), laughing with them. It was fun to watch. This year they even left a note.  

 












Ellie's note says, "you are so smart and kind. I hope you keep coming."  Lila's says, "we want to catch you. please stay. we will take a picture then we will let you go."

I guess their traps are getting better because they had to use magic to escape and left green 'pop-rock' like dust behind.


I made Welsh Breakfast Cakes and somehow they were green and shaped like shamrocks.

Now for some luck with sleeping. ;)

Sweetnees

Lila is always running to see Marcus.  She loves to hold him and last night he snuggled in and they sat like this for almost an hour.  I was getting dinner ready and when I was done I asked Lila if she wanted me to come get Marcus so she could eat.  She said, "Have you eaten mom? Go ahead and eat first."  So thoughtful of her.  This morning we had leftover breakfast and I asked her what she wanted and she said, "Well what do you want so I don't eat it."  She is the sweetest little girl and I love that about her and I'm trying to be patient with her living in the moment personality which on several mornings has her ready to walk out the door with coat, backpack etc, but no socks and shoes . . . I'm not joking here. ;)

Andrew came out with his dress-up police hat on and said, "Halloween."  He gets that you dress-up for Halloween.  The girls explained that it was a police hat and that he should lock up bad guys. Andrew said, "Oh, Wreck-it-Ralph."  I'm glad that is the extent of his bad guys right now. :)

I Smell Chicken

Andrew has a keen sense of smell.  One day I made french bread while he napped and when he woke-up he sniffed and said, "I want a roll. I want a roll."  One evening while I was getting him ready for bed he said, "I want a cookie." it took me a minute but I realized he must have smelled the oreo I stole on my breath.  Tonight as dinner was cooking, once again he sniffed and said, "I smell chicken."  I explained it was really ham and cheese baked sandwiches.  After tasting one he said, "Mom, I like this chicken. Wait, bacon?"  He definitely keeps me on my toes which is hard when I spend about 8 hours a day sitting and nursing Marcus, but fortunately he does not like time-outs and the threat of a time-out with a count to 3 usually reverses any undesired behavior.  It's the times I don't notice what is happening that make me nervous. . .

Marcus is now a month old and we are settling in a bit more.  The girls are very helpful with their chores, making lunches/dinner, holding Marcus, and chasing Andrew.  Time is flying by even though the nights seem so long or short . . . which is it when you're awakened every couple hours by a screaming baby (poor kid must have had an upset stomach last night).

Marcus sporting his mohawk and the rascal somehow managed to get his arm out of his shirt and blanket in the middle of the night.

 

Two Weeks

We've managed to survive 2 weeks . . . ok that sounds bad, it really hasn't been that bad, but there have been some moments.  This week was more back to routine with my Mimi gone and Steve went back to work last Friday, Feb 12th.  We have great carpool friends who have been driving both ways to and from school which has been so nice.  Here's how the week went . . . Let's see Monday was a holiday so the kids didn't have school, Steve still worked. I think Tuesday went ok as I tried to get the girls' homework done, dinner, and kids to bed by myself--Steve worked until 10:30pm that night (things have piled up and his customers are getting antsy since he spent a week sick right before our baby decided to come early).  Wednesday evening I sent Steve the following text:

Me: please tell me you're coming home soon. baby & Andrew screaming-haven't finished Lila's homework yet 5:00 PM

Stephen Moore: I'll leave Ogden in 10 mins. 5:07 PM

Me: I didn't realize you were in Ogden. . . thought you were at the office. We'll survive. I'm sure the storm will pass - finish what you need 5:09 PM

Me: We're good. Marcus cried himself to sleep and Andrew is eating dinner. Good luck. We made it over the hump tonight. 5:21 PM

Thurs evening I was really cold all day.  I called the nurses line and they said it was just hormonal, but by 6pm I was running a 102 fever.  Fortunately my Mom had come down a day early and I texted her to come help me put the kids to bed.  I may have forgotten to tell Steve how high my fever had spiked and when he got home from Draper I was shaking and really flushed.  We called the doctor and explained the situation--I had no signs of a breast infection (I've had those before and I was in no pain, there was no swelling or redness) so the doctor told me to go to the ER to make sure I didn't have a uterus infection or something.  So Mom stayed with the kids while Steve took me to the ER.  Not the way I wanted to spend my Thursday evening.  By the time they got us back to a room my fever had spiked to 103.4.  As I was changing into the hospital gown I noticed my left breast was red and knew I had mastitis and was frustrated because if that had been there when I called the doctor he would have called me in an antibiotic and we could have avoided a trip to the ER, but it wasn't . . . as a matter of fact I had just nursed Marcus off of that side before we left. . . oh well.  I started feeling much better on Friday. My Mom took Ellie down to her ballroom competition in Provo and we spent the weekend recuperating.  Marcus has had a couple of nights (not in a row of course) where he'll eat then go back to sleep at night which has been nice to get a few extra zzzzz's (you know every 30 minutes counts in this sleep deprived state).

Ellie and her partner Owen. They did the Tango and Cha cha cha.  They both had quite the hip movements during the Cha cha cha.

  

Andrew and I have been adjusting to having Marcus in our lives.  I've never had kids only 2 years apart and it is a little bit more difficult especially with a rambunctious boy 2 year-old.  We watch movies, do flash cards, and Andrew has reverted back to drinking a lot of milk from his sippy cup.  Occasionally he'll tell me to put Marcus down, but most of the time he is patient and kind.  Funny thing I think I forgot to note before this is that whenever Andrew would have a tummy ache he would say, "Baby kicking me."  ;) He's my little side-kick and we'll have to find ways to have fun the 3 of us now while the girls are at school.

First bath. All the kids cry during every baby's first bath because the baby is screaming. Good times. Steve manned the drying station. Marcus's hair went really puffy--Steve said it has lot's of volume. ;)

Marcus is a planker.  It cracks me up.  He'll stick his legs straight out like that suspended in the air while he's nursing.  He is also quite a rolly polly already, rolling from side to side--even the doctor noticed and mentioned it today.  What a funny kid. ;)

You Stole My Heart

What a great week we've had snuggling and relaxing with Marcus.  Mimi took the girls to the Chinese New Year celebration Thursday night at the school and then all of the kids stayed the night with Mimi and Grandpa Friday.  They made valentine cookies and played with their cousins.  

Saturday the girls went to a gymnastics meet with Grandpa and Mimi and had a wonderful time.  Steve sent me to get a pedicure while Andrew napped and he took care of Marcus.  It was kind of weird to come home to 3 boys and no girls and I realized that at some point that will be my life--all boys all the time.

Marcus getting his first bottle while I was getting a pedicure.  Fortunately all of my babies have nursed and taken a bottle.

 
We truly are enjoying our time with the little boy who has recently stole our heart not to say there hasn't been some adjustments or sleepless nights, but we are trying to savor the moments knowing this is our last.  

Andrew finally decided he could hold and kiss Marcus until then he had been keeping his distance.


This morning the kids woke-up and I showed them the valentine's presents Steve and I had wrapped and laid out for them.  Andrew was so excited to open a present.  Lila had insisted on a grocery store trip last week that we get Marcus a valentine present and picked a little stuffed hippo--good thing she did because I had not bought him anything thinking he wouldn't be here yet.

Traditional heart pancakes for breakfast. Then we went to Mt Green where we had some family and newborn pictures taken and shared our traditional fondue dinner with Mimi & Grandpa for the second year in a row.  This year we even had fondue dessert which was a hit--who doesn't love dipping fruit and treats in chocolate.

Birth Announcement with pictures taken on Valentine's:
Our monkey has arrived.  He decided to make his grand entrance 15 days early on the Chinese New Year which the girls thought was cool. They actually told me on Sunday after church to keep the baby in for 11 more hours so he could be born in the year of the monkey--I didn't think too much of it until the contractions began at 2am and I noticed the monkeys on google as I did a time check between contractions.  I guess we officially have a monkey. :)

Marcus Delbert Moore

arrived Monday, February 8th at 7:32pm weighing 7lbs 5oz and 21.5 inches long.

It was a long day of laboring (started at 2am), but we are so grateful he is here and healthy, truly a miracle. 

We sent Mimi some pictures so she could show the kids as they were getting into bed.  When Mimi showed Andrew the picture of us and the baby he said, "No just Mommy and Daddy."


Because he arrived so late in the evening we didn't have any visitors until the next day. Andrew and Mimi came up after getting the girls off to school.

Then Grandpa and Mimi brought the whole crew up after school.

Andrew still not getting too close to the baby. ;)

We left the hospital at 9pm Tuesday night.  I always sleep better at home so I we try to get out at the 24 hour mark.

Kids were in bed when we got home so in the morning they crowded around as we tried to get them ready and off to school. Andrew also said the first time he heard the baby cry, "Mommy baby need milk."  I guess it is pretty intuitive. ;)

Marcus is so small, snuggly and even makes the most gentle cries and noises such a difference from our screaming rambucous Andrew.  Not saying Marcus won't eventually be that kind of boy, but Andrew came out that crazy way.  For now we are adjusting to life as 6 and enjoying every moment with our precious newborn.