Poor Kohen and other news

This week has been a crazy busy week. Yesterday we had Kohen's 2 month well check. She is doing fabulous!! Our long little princess is 23.5 inches long. She has grown 3.5 inches since birth!! She's in the 75% for height. She now weighs 11.2.5 ounces and that puts her in the 50% for weight. Kohen is becoming more and more interactive and alert. She will coo and babble when you talk to her, she is gaining more head control and overall she is just a happy baby. I could not have asked for a more relaxed and perfect baby girl. So, that was the good part of the appt. Now here comes the nasty part. She got her 1st round of vaccines yesterday and it broke my heart. I've always remained pretty strong in this department, but she had me in tears yesterday. She cried so hard that the little veins under her eyes were just poking out and her face was so red. She just looked so helpless and I felt like crap for putting her thought this. As soon as the shots were over I nursed her and that helped. Kohen is the type of baby that really only cries when she is hungry, needs a diaper change, of just wants to be held, but last night she cried a bunch. She was in pain and it sucked. I hated seeing her so uncomfortable and I am dreading her next appt now. Every time she moved or I had to change her diaper she just screamed in pain. I felt awful!! I hope she feels better today. She is still asleep as I type.

Other news is that today we have our inspection. Wish us luck!! I hope all goes well with that and etc. There are no issues that we are aware of and our house is only 7 yrs old so Ken and I along with our Realtor feel that the inspection will go smooth. Today I'm also going out with our Realtor to look at properties. Wish me luck there too. I'm just hoping that we find the right house that is in our price range and etc. Everyone always says when you find the perfect house you just know it so I hope that is the case. Will update more this evening!!

SOLD!!

We were just about to take our house off the market. Actually, our contract was due to expired on Sunday. Well, as Murphy's law would have it....we got an offer and sold our house on Saturday!! The final offer was accepted by both parties at midnight on Saturday. Its official now!!! I guess we will be moving soon pending no unforeseen issues. The buyer has to close on the 27th of Aug. Holy crap, we have to find another house, pack, hire movers, move, and etc!!! I'm excited, but a little stressed. I'm looking forward to seriously house hunting!!! Now I just hope and pray that we find the right house. Wish us luck!!!

Local Fun

Yesterday, we met up with the Davis gang while they were vacationing in Austin. The former Austinites wanted to soak up some Austin fun on their way back from their mini vacation to San Antonio. After they got through swimming in Barton Springs, we met up with them at what used to be our favorite snow cone stand. The snow cones have not changed a bit since we were all 21. They are still as yummy as we all remembered. It was fun telling our kiddos that we used to live near Barton Springs during our college days and that we would frequent this same stand. However, the stand is in a different location now. The kids had too much fun running around and eating their snow cones and could care less about us taking trips down memory lane. After we finished up our snow cones or shall I say after the bees chased us away, we all headed to another one of our favorite restaurants that we all used to eat at. We headed to County Line for some finger licking bar-b-que. Just like old times we ordered the Big Daddy Rib Plate and all went to town. The kids turned their noses up at their kid meals and instead went for our big beef ribs. Sorry if you are a vegetarian. I know the pictures will gross you out, but the ribs were so good. Leslie and Kaden had so much meat stuck in their teeth that it was hilarious!! Time sure does fly when you are having fun. It was almost 8 pm when we said our good-byes at County Line. We sure did have a lot of fun and we sure do miss you guys. Maybe one day you guys will miss Austin enough to move back.....however, I'm not holding my breath!! Thanks for a fun evening!!

Happy Birthday Cesar!!!

Hey Cesar,
I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!!

Look Mom, no training wheels!!!

Today I went to my parents to meet up with them and the kids so that we could head to the lake and guess what??? Kaden showed me his new trick. He can ride his bike with no training wheels. He took off on his bicycle like a mad man. It was so cute. He was so proud to show me his new accomplishment. It was so cool!! I acutally got tears in my eyes. Our little boy is growing up!! This is a huge milestone for Kaden and Ken and I are so very proud of him. My Mom and Dad had been working with Kaden for quite sometime and it just clicked last night while he was staying with them. I will have to post some clips and pics as soon as I get a chance to upload my Dad's camera. WTG Kaden!!! We are so proud of your new accomplishment. Now, I just told my Mom and Dad if they could potty train Kensley we would be all set, lol!!

Awards!!

I've been given 2 blog awards and I have yet to pass them on and give proper thanks. So, here goes!!!
My first one was given to me by Julie. Sorry Julie it has taken me so long to acknowledge it. Thanks for taking the time to ready my blog and awarding me this awesome award. Upon accepting the award, I am to passing it on to 7 other bloggers. So, here goes:
Ronna
Stacie
Brandi
Brandy Amy
Karen
Heidi

Jana, the same goes to you. Thanks for sharing the love and reading my blog:-) I'm sharing the love and passing it on to other bloggers as well. Here are the rules: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same** Visit (Memoirs of a Mommy)for the awesome story behind this award.
Diana
DeAnna
Courtney
Lori
Rachel

Perfect Timing

Today when I was making lunch I was holding Kohen in one arm and making sandwiches with the other hand. I had just finished feeding Kohen and she had a super full tummy. I guess the position I was holding her in was putting too much pressure on her tummy and it caused her to puke. Did I learn my lesson and change positions??? No, after I finished making the sandwiches and cleaning up the puke, I put her back in the same position so I could put some stuff back in the fridge. As soon as I was walking over to the fridge to put the mustard up, Kensley ran under my arm just in time for Kohen puke again. It landed all in Kensley's hair and Kaden was laughing hysterically, which only made the situation worse. Talk about perfect timing!! I quickly cleaned up Kensley and changed holding positions. Note to self.....you can only multi-task so much before things become a mess:-)

Crazy Cousins

This weekend Gigi,Papa Chris,Auntie Jen, Uncle Paul, Haleigh,and Reece came to visit. Kaden and Kensley were going nuts waiting on everyone to arrive on Saturday. As soon as Haleigh and Reece got here the party started. The kids were so excited to see each other and just had a blast playing. Gigi put Papa Chris to work taking pictures and Gigi got her Baby Kohen holding fix in as well as Auntie JJ and Uncle Paul. So, it was a nice break for Mommy and Daddy!! I actually had free hands and worked on putting pages in my scrapbooks. The kids were totally taken care of. I swear I did not see the kids until we went to dinner. Upon Auntie JJ's request we headed to her local favorite, Hula Hut. The kids ran around on the deck, watched boats, and munched on chips and salsa while we waited to be seated. The time went by super fast and before we knew it our buzzer was going off and we were all enjoying their famous Shiner Bock Fajitas. Diner was awesome!! Thanks Gigi and Papa Chris for treating us to such a yummy dinner and double thanks for buying the kids Hula Hut t-shirts. I barely got Kaden's off of him for bath time tonight. He has declared this is his new favorite t-shirt. Even though the trip was a short trip we all had a great time. Paul, Jen, and the kiddos had to head out early so after we said our goodbyes to them we loaded up and took Gigi and Papa Chris to P-Terry's for a late lunch. I think the burger were a hit with them. After our healthy lunch we chilled out with some super cool snow cones. After our cool treat, Gigi and Papa Chris hit the road and we hit the road with our snow coned stained children. We had a great weekend and we are looking forward to visiting again!! Love you guys!! Here are some pics from our visit:

1st pic of all 5 grandchildren together
Hula Hut Pics

STINKY!!!

and I mean big time stinky!! Kensley was a total hellion today!! For some reason, I had the brilliant idea that I would take the kids to Steak-n-Shake for lunch today. I've been on a row taking the kids out solo this week, so I figured what the heck. Well, you know that little voice in your head that often talks to you? Well, mine told me to go through the drive through, but instead I went against my better judgment and I listened to Kaden and decided to take the kids inside to dine. WTH, was I thinking??? It took them forever to take our order, Kensley was screaming at the top of her lungs, headed butted Kohen, I was then screaming at Kensley, both of the girls were crying, Kensley would not get out from under the table, and I was about to pull her arm off. Meanwhile, I'm threatening to just go, take a bathroom trip for a spanking, and etc. I'm sure I looked like a nut!! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, that I was nursing Kohen during all of this mess. I'm sure some diners got a good flashing because I was trying to keep covered up and wrangle Kensley at the same time. Then Kaden started in that he was hungry and would not zip it. The manager then came to our table to apologize for the wait and taking so long to take our order. He promised the meal would be out ASAP. He brought out grapes and apples to hold the kids over until our meal arrived. Well, that started a fight because we only had one plate and I just wanted to scream!! After the kids got some food in their system they turned back into little angels. It's amazing how low blood sugar can send you right over the edge. Thank goodness Steak-n-Shake is close to the house and we only had about a 5 minute commute in the car until we were home. I was so ready for nap time, however, Kensley was not having it. She has fought me tooth and nail the past couple of days on going down for a nap. I hate this battle!! It took me almost 45 minutes to get her down today and she only napped for about an hr. I hope she is not trying to give up napping or I will go insane!! Well, thank goodness the day has come to an end and tomorrow is a new day and CPS did not arrive at my door,lol!!! I think I need a drink!!!

Always Wonder....

Do you ever wonder what you kids are up to when they are extremely quite?? Well, I was brushing my teeth this morning and this is what I walked back in on. I was laughing so hard and of course I had to run and get the camera. The kids asked me if I liked their new hats. Who knew that breast pads could also make great dress up hats. Kohen even got to participate with the help of her brother and sister. Gotta love kids imaginations.

Kung Fu Was A Hit

Tonight we had Kaden's introductory Kung Fu class and it appears that Kung Fu is going to be a hit with Kaden. When he put his uniform on he was so proud and was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were huge as he waited to meet his instructor and watched all the older kids and adults. As soon as he met his Master they were off to the mat. I know this was only his 1st lesson, but Ken and I were very impressed and ver proud at how attentive Kaden was being. Kaden usually has the attention span of a flea, lol His eyes and ears were open and he was doing a great job of listening and following the instructions he was given. As soon as the class was over Kaden first wanted to know when he was coming back and secondly, he wanted to know when he was going to get his black belt, lol. We go back again tomorrow night and Kaden can't wait. Next week he should get his white belt. I'm not sure who is more excited, Mommy and Daddy or Kaden. Our only small problem is Kensley. She so wanted to join her big brother. She even asked where her uniform was and etc. So, I told her I would sign her up for dance and she said NO MOMMY!! I WANT TO DO KARATE. I have a problem indeed because she can't do Kung Fu until she is 4. Yikes.....I better come up with something for her to do.

Growth Spurt or Pei Wei???

Kohen made me totally work for sleep last night. She was basically up every 1.5 to 2 hrs around the clock and she was wanting to eat!! She was pretty fussy before we went to bed so, I'm not sure if my dinner(lettuce wraps from Pei Wei)bothered her and she was comfort nursing around the clock or if she is actually going through a growth spurt. I guess we will see what today and tonight brings.

Today Kaden starts Kung Fu. I'm so excited for him. I hope he likes it. Ken is going to met us for his 1st lesson this evening. So, there will be pictures and updates from his first lesson later this evening or tomorrow.

Well, today is another day full of running errands. So, I'm off to shower, pick up the kids, and get all my weekly errands cramed into today since I will have my Mom's help.

We did have some fun this weekend

Other than having the offer cloud hanging over our heads this weekend, we did manage to have some fun. On Saturday we joined Bianca for an early birthday/going away party. Our friends, Twyla and Ryan just got an opportunity that they could not pass up and they are moving to DC and then who knows where. Most likely due to Ryan's new position it will be out of the county. We had a super time at the party and we will miss them very much. We wish them only the best and I just "think" I have convinced Twyla to start a blog so we can keep up with their new adventures and her new role as a SAHM!! Here are a few pics of the kiddos from the party. K&K could jump and slide all day!!! Kohen just took it all in.




After the party we frantically house hunted. Later that evening, Courtney and Brad called and invited us over for dinner. Grilling with friends sounded more fun than grilling alone so we headed over to the Hubbards. The food was excellent and the kids had a blast playing together. This was a great way to spend our Saturday night.

Yesterday we spent most of the day house hunting and then hit the lake. The water was prime for boating!! We skied, skied, and skied. The water was just like glass and that made skiing super fun. Of course, the kids got some tubing in as well. Kaden is a tube addict and he starts bugging to get the tube out as soon as we get to the lake now. All in all we had a great weekend. The icing on the cake would have been if our offer got accepted, but I guess you can't always get what you want....

Close,but no cigar

Well, what a bum deal. On Friday we got an official offer on our house. Our house has been on the market almost 6 months. We have had a tons of showings, but no bites. So, we thought this one might be the one. As soon as the offer came in, Ken and I reviewed and we countered. We were on pins and needles throughout the weekend to see if the potential buyer was going to accept. We actually got serious about looking at houses again, because if the buyer accepted we had to close in 30 days. Well, of course our hopes were high and we had mentally and emotionally adjusted to the idea of moving and over this weekend we found some houses we wanted to see. So, that was exciting. However, late this afternoon, we heard back from our realtor and the buyer rejected our counter. There was no point in us accepting the orginal offer because we would be losing money if we sold our house. So, after we found out our offer was rejected we discussed and we are not planning to come back with another offer. Having our house on the market for 6 months has been a physically and emotionally challenging prcess and I'm ready for a break. I'm ready to feel like we live in our house again, I'm ready to see our picutures back on the wall, and I'm ready to unpack all of our stuff that I had to pack up for showing. I'm ready to have our house back. Oh well, as much as we would like to sell, I guess we will just have to hang tight for the time being. We've come to terms with it and we are taking it off the market. We gave it our best and we hung in there with hopes of a sell for 6 months and I guess right now its just not meant to be and that's okay. Hopefully, we can relist in the Spring and have better luck.

Happy Brithday Papa Chris!!!

Happy 60th birthday Papa Chris!!! Hope you have a great day!! We love you. Here's a little Dilbert humor for "OUR Birthday Computer Guy."

A hug for Leslie

Leslie,
You made one little girl very happy tonight. Kensley is sending a big hug to you via my blog. Kensley loves the mermaid gown you gave to her. She was so excited to put it on after bath this evening. As soon as she put it on she said, "Mommy, I love my princess gown, I give Leslie a hug." Here's a big hug and a big thank you from Kensley!!

Baby Kowie at 6 weeks

And just for fun, here's Kaden at 6 weeks.

And Kensley at 6 weeks

Random thoughts with Cheri

This morning my mind has been running 90 to nothing since I woke up. Not sure why. Maybe it is because Kohen did not sleep so well last night and I was expecting a nice peaceful sleep since she has done great the past 2 nights. Oh well, she made up for not sleeping well through the night by letting us sleep in this morning.

Since it was only the 3 of us last night, Ken,Kohen and I went out to dinner for some Mexican food and I had I think a little too much of the spicy salsa and that is probably why Kohen did not sleep well last night. She does not tolerate spicy food too well. Sorry baby Kowie!!! Oh yeah, Kowie is the nickname Kaden has given to Kohen and it has stuck. We all call her Kowie on a daily basis. I think its cute.

K&K are still at my Mom&Dad's. They went home with them Sunday evening. I am so excited for them to come back home tomorrow. I've enjoyed the 1:1 time with Kohen,but I have to admit that I've been quite board without them here! Ken and I have missed them, but I know they have probably not missed us as much as we have missed them. I was going to pick them up after my dr appt yesterday, but they wanted to stay one more night and they've already called AGAIN this morning wanting to stay yet another night!!. So, I said fine, go ahead and stay another night. I keep eventually thinking if I just let them get it out of their system that they will be excited to come home!!! Yeah right, what's better than Grandma and Grandpa's house?? Once next week rolls around Kaden will be going to Karate twice a week and pretty soon school will start back up and he will not get to go on these extended stays to Nanu and Papu's. So, right now I'm letting them live it up.

My 6 week post partpartmun check up went really well yesterday. All is good and I'm completely recovered, but I already figured that much. I'm still 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and I was a little bummed yesterday because with my other pregnancies by 6 weeks I was always back down to my pre pregnancy weight. Oh well, I know I will eventually get those last 10 pounds off. If anyone has any tips on how to shrink my hips let me know, lol. Not quite sure that my hips will ever be the same. Oh well, small price to pay for having 3 beautiful children. Yesterday, I was sad in a way going to my 6 week appt. That was my marker that indicated that my pregnancy had officially come to an end. I guess I'm still on a baby high, but I'm so not ready for this chapter in my life to come to an end. Call me crazy, but I really thought after I had Kohen I would have that complete feeling and I could know for 100% that we were done having kids, but I don't really have that feeling yet. Maybe I will when I have a 6, 4, and 2 year old running around!! Just the thought of never being pregnant again is a little sad for me. I've had wonderful pregnancies and wonderful births and part of me yearns to do it again. I would love to bring another little boy(Kai or Kash) into the world, but there are not guarantees on the gender and holy man would Ken and I be up the creek if we ended up with another girl!! Yikes, 3 weddings!! In realty the gender would not really matter because all babies are a blessing and we would be just as happy with a 3rd girl. I just think the transition was so easy going from 2-3 kids and I guess I'm assuming going from 3-4 would be just as easy. Plus 4 is an even number. Gosh, I'm rambling now!!! On the other hand....4 kids in college, 4 teenagers in the house,4 kids with cars, car insurance, and the list goes on!! Okay, now I'm talking myself out of it, lol!! Gosh, who knows what the future holds for us. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do not want to permanently (aka vasectomy) close this chapter yet.

I really did not intend for this post to be so long. I guess that is what happens when you have random thoughts...they keep going on and on and on!! I'm am happy to report that I've been getting to do something that I love and that I have not done in such a long time!! I've been taking advantage of the kids being with my parents and I'm scrapbooking again!! I've done several layouts and I forgot how much I love scrapbooking!! I'm so far behind, but I am going to get caught up!! Maybe I will take some pics of the layouts I've created and post them later. I'm about 1.5 yrs behind!!! My goal is to get caught up by the Sept rolls around!!

Well, I better jet. I need to shower and get ready for a baby shower!!!

Sleep, what a beautiful thing

Last night Kohen went down around 8:30/9 and she slept straight until 3:25 this morning!! Gosh, it was wonderful. When she got up she ate like a piggie and went back to sleep. We were up again at 5 and then around 8 and we fell back asleep and we did not wake up again until 9:20 this morning!!! Wow, I could so get used to this sleep schedule. However, I know the sleeping in thing is short lived. Kaden and Kensley went to my parents last night and they will be back tomorrow. I know tomorrow there will be no sleeping in since I have my 6 week PP check up in the morning. That is why the older kids are at my parents in the 1st place. It might be a little crazy to take all 3 kids to that appt so my Mom&Dad offered to watch them for us. However, maybe I will get lucky enough to have another 6.5 hr sleep stretch with Kohen tonight!!! Well, laundry is calling and my goal is to get Kohen's newborn announcement mailed out today!!

We're Back In The Water Again

The boat has been repaired, tested, and deemed safe to be back on the water again. Today we hit the lake while my Mom stayed back with Kohen. It was so nice to be back on the water and I'm sure I will be paying for it tomorrow. I solomon skied until my legs were jello. I literally did not think I could get back in the boat. It has been since last summer that I stepped on a solomon ski!! I know I will be hurting in the morning. Ken got to wake board and the kids got to tube with Daddy. My Dad even got his skiing fix in today. He will be 54 next month and he can still solomon ski like a mad man. I'm sure he too will be paying for skiing tomorrow as well!! Anyhoo, here are some pics from today.

The kids were all smiles to be back on the boat

Ken catching some air
This was me right before my big bust

Papu cutting outside the wake
Ken having some fun on the solomon
Ken and Kaden after a tube ride

Happy Birthday Em!!!

Hey Emily,
I hope you have an awesome birthday today!!!

Happy Birthday Papa!!!

Papa this one is for you!!! Happy birthday!!! We love you!!

Pooped Kids and Pooped Parents

Boy do we have some pooped out kids!!! Today we had 3 unexpected showings on our house and unfortunately that meant Kensley did not get a nap. We had to clean and get out!!! We left the house just before 2 today and did not return until I think 7 this evening. Fortunately for us we had a birthday party to attend that kept the kids well entertained. We joined Marcos, a co-worker of Ken's and helped his son, Santos celebrate his 1st birthday. The kids swam, played with water balloons, had some food and yummy birthday cake, and drank enough red fruit punch that they should be peeing red for weeks!! Seriously, they did not only have red mustaches, but red beards by the time we left the party!!! Their red-stained faces were hilarious!!! I think this one picture of Kensley says it all!! I wish I could have gotten pics of their red beards, but my camera battery went dead:-(

Happy 1st Birthday Santos!! Thanks Marcos and Mari for inviting us. We had a great time!!!

NO MOM, I'M NOT TIRED!!!

Happy 4th of July!!

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July!!! We shared a wonderful day with my parents. Our morning started out at Rudy's for breakfast tacos. After we got our morning fuel we headed downtown for the Independence Day Parade. This has become a yearly tradition for us. The kids enjoyed seeing all the floats and of course their favorite part was all of the candy they got to collect from the parade participants. As I sat there and watched the kids play in the street and scream with excitement, it took me back to my childhood and to simpler times. It's things like this in life that I'm so happy are still around and that my children get to experience. The parade was a lot of fun and there was one moment in the parade that just gave me chills and made me swell with pride. It was the marching of a local ROTC group and some members of our Armed Forces. As this group walked down the street they got a standing ovation from everyone, with salutes, cheers, and claps. My Dad showed Kaden how to salute and seeing that image was priceless. Seeing all the support from total strangers was awesome and at that moment I had tons of emotions going through my mind. I was thinking how proud that I am to be an American and how lucky I am to live in this county. At the same time my Mommy emotions kicked in and my heart ached for all the Mom&Dad's who have lost their children, while defending this great country. Its because of our troops that we get to enjoy spending days like this with our loved ones and I'm so thankful for the men and women who have served and those who are still serving to protect us and our freedom. Without them, we could not enjoy these simple pleasures in life. So, here's a huge thank you to our Troops for putting their lives on the line for us on a daily basis!!!

After the parade, lunch, and naps, we headed back out again for some shopping and dinner. Our evening ended in Old Settler Park for a skydiving and firework display. Kaden's favorite part was the sky divers, Kensley was the fireworks, and mine was being in the company of my family. Kohen really didn't have a preference. She slept the entire time. Here's a slide show from our fabulous 4th!!

Swing Baby Swing

Last Monday I ran errands basically from 11 until Ken and I met up for dinner at 7pm. It was a super busy day, but I managed to get a lot of things done. One of the things on my to do list was to find Kohen a swing. Well, as you can see from the pics I was successful. Kohen really enjoying swinging and she looks so cozy and comfy in there too. However, she is not too fond of Big Bother and Big Sister giving her a couple of extra pushes. I have to keep an eye on those two or that will have her swinging 360's, lol!! Here's our little "swinger" fast asleep in her new swing.

Long Time No Post

So, I've been quite the slacker this past week. It has been officially one week since I posted and I think that's a new record for me. Normally, I post daily so sorry about the long stretch. I plan to make up for it this morning with some new updates and pics.

So, here goes 1st!! Kohen is continuing on a daily basis to get more and more alert. She is staying up for longer stretches, giving us more and more smiles, making all kinds of noises that are super cute, holding her head up for short periods, and she has discovered that she can kick and fling her arms and legs in the bath and the kids love watching her do that. Overall, she is a super good baby and we are all very much in love with. I love seeing Kaden and Kensly love on her. It is super sweet and just warms my heart. On a daily basis I thank God for my beautiful, healthy, and happy children. Ken and I have truly been blessed!! Here's one of those super smiles that I caught on camera last week.