Medjugorie

You will notice that I changed the video reel. I did not look at the others, but the one of the visionaries speaks and the priest you see at the end of the video is Fr. Rodger Fleming who is from our parish. He told us his whole conversion story and how he decided he was called to become a priest. He is very special to our family now. He has a gift for sure. When he prays with us I feel the Holy Spirit. He is a very good man and will do great things to help people come to know and love Christ.

I just happened to come across it when looking through the UTUBE videos on Medjugorie. Ted and I plan to go there someday in the near future.

We have TV!

Well, Ted and I bit the bullet and got satellite. We don't have time to watch much TV, but it sure is nice when I am nursing and the kids are not so patient with me. At least, with #4 they are old enough to help Lib do most things and they can help me. It was difficult when Abby and Ally were so little and needing things right when I had to nurse Lib. I can handle anything now!

We were without any kind of cable, satellite, etc since the end of April. We decided to cut it for the summer and see how it went. I just had it and decided to take the Direct TV new deal that was out there. I wanted to at least get basic, but we ended up with a little more for now. The kids are now not used to watching much so it is a treat. Also, we realized how much crud we were absorbing into our minds and thoughts on TV. You are what you watch. There is so much out there that is just horrific. I hate reality TV and the fact that our society is all consumed by it. I know that most people love it, but that is my opinion.

Anyway, glad to get my HGTV back for boring nursing times. The kids sometimes watch Noggin which seems to be the only channel I can keep on without worrying about content. Sadly enough, I cannot do that with Disney and other channels they say are for kids. My kid is the only 6 year old that is not in love with Hannah Montana...oh well, she has better things to do! We don't watch Sponge Bob either because he is just rude and teaches bad manners. I know they will get it from a kid so I don't need it ingrained in their heads right now.

Max the Turtle

Max was our turtle for about two days. Grandpa decided that after the begging for a dog and me not relenting that a turtle was the next best thing. John usually finds these huge turtles on the golf course so one afternoon he brought one home for us. The turtle was kept in a cardboard box overnight and it escaped and pooped all over the laundry room! I gave in because there was a terrible storm outside and the girls were worried he would get hurt. So, the turtle then was an outside pet after the laundry room incident. Then we had some fun times with Max the next day. The girls let him out for exercise and water/food breaks. We went to the neighbors for some swimming and Max came. He had a bad fall from the top of the swing set so when the girls were not paying attention...Max left for good. Thank God you are free, Dear Max.

Teddy

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Nana and Poppie's

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Want to go swimming with me?

Boo!

Resilient

"Another, picture, Mom?" says Allison. When is it enough? Never!

Mostly, I like to think of my role as a Mother as channeling positive energy and filtering the negative into the garbage. However, the role of these children have been to teach me to be resilent!

Abby has poison ivy and has had it for over two weeks...bouts with steriods have not helped too much. She has a topical med now that you cannot get near your eyes. You should read the horrifying side effects and I am putting this on my 6 year old's face. Sometimes I wish I could not read and just live in oblivion. At least, besides the itching she is fairly well-tempered. Kids are more resilent than us adults at times! At Vacation Bible School... she was worried that they were going to identify her as the "leper" as they were recounting the story of Jesus healing the leper.

On the way to the doc again for the poison ivy...Libby got overheated in the car and threw up Cheetos puke everywhere. That was one way to keep me from eating Cheetos for a very, very long time. After a roadside change, odd looks from passerbyers, and such...we were on our way back home to try for the appt. at a later TBD time. Libby was finishing her Happy Meal on the way home...resilent.

Teddy has been dealing with life outside the womb. I have one word for that: resilent. Can you imagine three doting sisters? The women in the nursery realized nothing can get passed this Y Mom. The Y workers said that Abby was documenting their every move with him while I was working out today. Allison was sneaking around and making sure that they were nice to him. Lib kept telling everyone that is,"My Teddy and calling him "sweet boy". He is very loved.

Allison continues to amaze me with her ability to stay patient and learn things be oral instruction. At four, she repairs toys and adds new batteries using a screwdriver, cleans DVDs and handles most technical difficulties, signs on to her web-kin web sire by herself, and finds inventive ways of getting the job done. She is a lot of fun to watch her mind work: independent and resourceful. She is resilent.

OK, We finally got the painting done and then I had to add a little Uppercase Living to the kitchen and hallway. I am not sure about the "brown", but we did it in the living room as well. We replaced all the light fixtures pretty much in the house. We also got new doors in front and back. Lots of stuff going on here with the house!

I just have the bathroom downstairs to paint for the third time since removing the wallpaper three years ago. I am also working on curtains-making them with the help of my Mom...OK, she is making them! I am trying, but I stink!

Luckily, I have a friend, Steph, that helps me make better paint choices and the bathroom might be painted for the last time! Then more painting upstairs bathroom, girls bedrooms once again, and our room and bathroom.

Why is always the last room to be finished is our own room...our retreat? Some things are going to change now that I realize the good things in life are not a new bedroom set, but a fresh coat of paint and making it feel like ours. We will make a house a home with color and a place of love, comfort, and relaxation. I am working on it...nesting is always happening here.

The Girls

The girls have been busy this summer already with wanting "PLAYDATES". Abby is already missing her friends in one week of being out of school. She is adjusting to being at home. I have provided some fun things to do, but man....I just want to rest sometimes and chill out. She is so scheduled at school that as she is relaxing she seems even more tired than when she was moving at 100%!

Allison did beautifully in the wedding of Ted's cousin, Jim. They were married this past weekend. She walked down the aisle with another little flower girl and was not scared at all. This was a huge step for Ally. She is a bit shy at times and doing things to help her bust out is already in the works. However, she does not like soccer right now. Ted has coached her team for the last several weeks and she is yet to get out on the field. A flat out NO!

Ms. Lib...all I can say is there has to be a place in heaven for me with this child. It is all I do not to but heads with my Leo. She is high spirited and quite the party girl. At our last get together, she went in to try to potty and came out naked. She stood at the glass door and said, "Naked, Naked, Naked" then she shook her bottom. This one likes shock value and also she enjoys being the center on the universe. She still has not decided whether or not she is going to go on the potty 100% of the time. I never thought I would have had to wait until almost 3 to potty train her. She has to decide it is what she wants to do. She is a lot of fun!

Teddy...just precious, well-tempered, and loves us all so much. He was 11 pounds 13 oz. at his 4 week visit and not that I give much heed to the "charts". He is in the 95 percentile right now, but my kids seem to start large and then taper off. He is very aware with his smiling and cooing to all of us. He has the saddest hurt cry ever. I hate hearing that one. I have enjoyed dressing a little boy and him being different, too. He is sweet and we adore him.

Teddy is very special to us! It is almost as if I have always known him. God has prepared me to care for this little one. I am much more aware of the awesome job I have of cultivating his life experiences. I think he will bring about the balance that we need in the Stann home and not just because he is a boy, but because he completes us.

An Essay My Friend Jen Found

Very interesting for all moms of three or more kids! I am not sure that I have started swearing at them, but I think that I felt like it for sure! How easily we forget what it is like to care for a newborn and three kids...now FOUR for me coming soon.

JEN WROTE:

I found this woman's website/blog about being a mom to three kids, and due to my current situation, found her essay to be hilarious. I especially like #5 = that the LaLeche League book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" doesn't properly prepare you for nursing in combat situations...

http://www.havingthreekids.com/havingthreekids.html

Copy link above.

Sleet, Snot, and Swimsuits

February Missouri days consist of sleet and no school, lots of snot flowing from Lib's nose, and the need for my tiny 2 year old to wear summer clothing or a swimsuit daily. She also has an imaginary friend named Minnie who is a mouse. Each day her friendly mouse's name changes so she gets frustrated with all of us and calls us "stinky gopher bottoms". Thank you Ted for teaching them this funny and not so useful phrase.

I love Lib. That is all I have to say, but as for the sleet, snot, and swim suits.... I wish them all away until I am about a year post-partum.

Check out my Slide Show!

Birthday Pictures

Ted and the Crew

No, this is not our baby boy...that is a girl and our newest Stann member, Kailyn Rose. She does not resemble her cousins. She is a tiny little one. We just love her and her wonderful, many faces. Uncle Andy has captured dozens of pictures of Rosie. Grandpa is calling her Rosie. I am not sure if Andy and Jenny are cool with that!

This picture was taken on Abby's 6th birthday party with our family. After Mass, we made brunch here at out house. Everyone was a bit late, but the brunch still was good reheated! It is hard to have brunch ready and hot for everyone at a party. I am not sure that I will do that again. It was a good idea at the time.

Abby guests included: Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Becky, Uncle Andy and Aunt Jenny, Baby Kailyn, Mrs. Craft, Helen, Uncle Mike and of course her sisters Lib and Allison.

It is getting closer and closer until we welcome Baby Boy Stann. We are calling him Teddy right now as we cannot come up with any names that we agree. Ted told me he gets to name the middle name if we call him Theodore, "Ted", "Teddy" As long as he is not Thaddeus and "Thad", then I am OK if he has ten middle names that I despise. These boy names are hard. He was supposed to be Cecily Jane with one "L". We really loved our friend, Monnica's sister's name. I am not sure why we did not think of it three girls ago. We'll save it for the next one...just kidding Mom, Dad, and whoever is reading this in our family.

29 weeks on Monday, Feb. 4th!

Christmas Morning

The girls really had a fabulous morning and were so grateful for the many gifts they have been given by Santa, Mom and Dad, and family. Everyone was very generous! We had a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas night and we sang, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" It was good to keep in mind the reason we celebrate since that is what makes Christmas so special to us.

A Day at the Park

A day at the park right when the weather was turning colder. I love this shot of Libby. I thought that it was really natural and how my Lib looks to me. I am so thankful for her energy and spunk. I am tired most days with being pregnant and she keeps me going.

Abby, Ally, and Lib Welcome a....

BROTHER this April 2008!

We were truly excited and shocked that the ultrasound does not lie when there are boy parts.

Halloween at New Town