pics

after mikes graduation we went to galveston for a mini-vacay. the boys got to do some fishing and we hit up moody gardens. it was a good time, except for mike getting sick and us coming home early...

here are my monkeys after getting their summer buzz cuts. it has been so nice to not brush hair the last 3 months (not that i did that a whole lot any way...)

cousin mariam

my sister becky and my gloriously-wonderful-ab-fab niece came for a visit this summer. it was so awesome getting to see both of them. oh bertie...how much i love you and how grateful i am that you are my sistah and friend (move back here already). her daughter is super sweet....laid back and smart. she really went with the flow and had fun with her crazy-wild boy cousins. we went to the zoo, did some naked-booty swimming (the children that is) and just hund out.

i do realize that i don't have any pictures with mason here.....

summertime....

i have a love/hate relationship with summer. things i love: lazy mornings and staying in pj's until 10:00, having the boys with me all day, no schedule, the spray park, the pool. things i don't love so much: the heat, no school, me straining to entertain my children on a daily basis (the day pretty much starts out with "what are we doing today mommy?"), the boys fighting...a lot!

as summer comes to an end i feel.....sad. mason starts kindergarden monday. and although he was in daycare his first 3 years and then in preschool for the last 2, i am nervous about this. he is like me, he doesn't like change. he is sensitive and actually pretty shy. i know he will be ok, but i am already worrying about what it's going to be like. what if kids are mean to him? what if he's mean to other kids? what if his teacher is a nasty old hag? what if he has trouble? i just can't believe we are already here. so this is where it starts, the letting go (i know he's 5....maybe i'm being a tad dramatic?) and trusting that my babies will be taken care of even when i'm not around.

stephen is a complete ham-hock. he is definitley 2 years old....but so much different than what mason was like. he gets mad and has "tantrums" but nothing like it was with mason. i wonder often how much of that is their nature and how much is my perspective and attitude. he just doesn't take things as seriously. he is doing good in his big boy undies and has finally started trying to go number two in the potty! woo-hoo!

nicholas....nicky...nick-nick....is AwEsOmE! what a cool little man. he is super layed back and fun. he loves to watch his brothers run around and is definitely ready to get in on the action. he will be 7 months old tomorrow. he has started crawling, working on sitting up by himself, and has started eating pureed food. he is also experimenting with consanants, so far m's and b's. he is super sweet and snuggly. how has my baby gotten so big already?

oh the places you'll go

it has been a really busy few weeks around here. many exciting things have happened and are happening.
one being TADA.... mike graduated from college last weekend with his BSW! i am so proud, he has worked so hard and it is quite an achievement. the balance of school, work, and family is no small feat...but he has pulled it off and is finished....(at least until he applies for, and starts, the MSW program at Baylor next summer!)
another fantastically exciting/stressful thing is that we are opening our second sober living house on the 1st of June. freedom house for women...you can see our website if you are interested in what both houses are like: www.houstonfreedomhouse.com.
since it is a womans house i will be running it, which i am a little nervous about because, well thats just how i am, but also i'm anxious about finding my balance. i am taking 2 summer classes online, 2 in the fall and then should be able to transfer to UH in the spring. (not to mention my three little moneys!)
i am so grateful for all of the wonderful things that god has planned for us....and i think we're just getting started!

some april pics

nic coo-ing

this was taken yesterday. nicholas is almost 7 weeks old.

nic pics

welcome nicholas buchanan!

four weeks ago today i was going into labor. i will eventually make myself type out his birth story but for now just want to post some pics of our newest addition.

he was born on january 17th at 3:14 a.m. (although his birth certificate says 2:55 a.m - more will be revealed on that when i tell his story) he was 7 pounds 12 oz and 20 1/2 inches long.

we are doing well. the boys are awesome with him. so loving and gentle and all around excited to have another brother. it seems the change has manifested itself with them fighting amongst themselves more, oh and with us too! stephen all of a sudden seems VERY two years old. but alas, he is just that! the lack of sleep is starting to catch up to me (us) almost a month later so i feel tired. but overall pretty good. the first few days postpardum were awful. awful. i felt physically ill with what i can only describe as the feeling of being homesick. but the hormonal insanity passed after about a week and has not really returned. we are trying to learn how to balance life with three children which can be pretty frustrating and overwhelming. i'm just trying to let myself make it today. i know that sooner than later this will all be old hat.

forty weeks and one day prenant

thats what the ticker says at the top of my blog. i would love to say that the last week has been one of great excitement and peace, me just enjoying being pregnant for the last time getting ready to become a family of five. but in truth it has been very difficult. i have never had such raging hormones, i have felt like a complete nut job and been acting like it. i have been filled with alot of doubt, i am tired, my body hurts and all three of the boys came down with the flu. i had this expectation i think that a) the baby would come a week before i was due, not AFTER and b) that since mike is home these days that i would be able to selfishly take care of myself, not worry about the kids, cooking, etc. it has not worked out that way, and although i have the perspective that this will be over soon, at least i am not sick, etc...etc... my FEELINGS have been out of control. i have been feeling very alone, which is in no way based in reality. i have gotten so many calls/emails/messages asking how i am and offering help. the problem is i am really bad at accepting/asking for it when i do need it. and instead of focusing on all of the love surrounding me, i see the negative. which really is just such a part of my personality, but with awareness comes the capacity for change so there is hope for me yet. i have been having these frequent angel/devil conversations with myself over the last several days and quite frankly am very sick of, well...me!
so my due date was yesterday which means that nicholas will indeed be here very soon. the boys have been without fever since yesterday afternoon so when i do go into labor i don't have to worry about my children possibly infecting the children of those that i love. there's is not much more physical planning i can do (other than rest, ha!) i'm keeping laundry clean, food in the pantry, bag is packed, carseats are in. its just the waiting game. today has been a better day i think because an end is in sight in regards to the sickness of my family.
i cannot wait to meet this little guy. i wonder what he will look like? what will it be like to feel the birth of my son as i never have before? to be a mom three times over? three times, what a blessing. i wonder how i got here, how i have the priveledge of being the mommy to three little boys? i cannot wait to see how stephen is as a big brother, what he will think of this baby. to see mason with his new little brother, he is going to be amazing. pretty much every day he says maybe the baby will come tomorrow morning mom. and he says hello to baby nicholas in my belly alot.
so..... he is not here yet, but hopefully soon! birth announcement to follow!!!