No Fun

I am getting all caught up, so be sure to scroll down for several new postings.

So, here's the latest: The past 3 days have been not-so-fun in our house. Monday night, after a great day out (see below), Ezekiel came down with a fever. I am learning so much as a mom about illness and what is acceptable. Never before would I have thought that a 106 degree fever could be "normal." How did I learn this, you ask? After spending all night in the emergency room with my burning hot child only to find out that it wasn't an "emergency" after all. I'm sure smarter moms who have traveled this road before me already know this little tidbit of information. But, for us, it was terrifying and we could not figure out why we were not being ushered into an examining room to have our little guy evaluated immediately. Turns out that, since he is behaving "normally" (for a sick kid, that is), that the fever is not that much of a concern. Wow. It has been so hard watching him be so sick and not beinlg able to do much about it except offer Tylenol and lots of snuggle time. Kevan and I keep saying "we want our son back!". He is so whiny and clingy and over-reacting to everything - and that is SO unlike him. After 3 days of snuggling on the couch and very little sleep, I am REALLY hoping that tomorrow is a better day. I am almost afraid to go to bed, because I know I will be up soon anyway tending to my sick little guy. GO AWAY, YOU NASTY FEVER!

Ok, goodnight.

PS: Totally open to any mom advice on this one! Has anyone else experienced such a high fever, and what did your doctor tell you?

Daddy's Surprise

On Monday, Kevan had the day off and told me that he would plan something fun for the family. So, we all piled in the car Monday afternoon and waited to see where daddy would take us. When we pulled into the train station my first thought was that we were going to watch the trains come and go, which I knew Ezekiel would love. But, even better, we got to take a train ride! Believe it or not, I'd never been on a train so it was a first for me and my kids. We rode the train down to Irvine, and then walked to the Spectrum where we rode the merry-g0-round, sipped coffee, and hung out in Barnes and Noble. SUCH a great day, and the train ride was a hit. Ezekiel and I both loved it! We rode home tired and happy after a great day of new adventures, fresh air, and fun.

To expand a little on the "walked to the Spectrum" part of the day: This was a little bit hilarious. It really is a pretty short walk (maybe a mile, tops) from the train station, but somehow we took a wrong turn on the way there and ended up walking just a bit further than that. When Kevan told me to wear "comfortable shoes" he completely misread his target audience. To me, comfortable shoes means opting for flats instead of some great pointy heals. To get a person like me into tennies he really needed to say "dust off your running shoes, babe, we are going to be doing some trekking." I'm sure many a car full of people laughed at us as we "trekked" though Irvine with our double stroller and diaper bag trying to make our way to the Spectrum! Shoot, even we were laughing at us.

Happy Girl

First smile for the camera at 5 weeks old

Every day I am amazed at how happy our little Rebekah Jane is. She is full of smiles and just watches the world around her with such contentment. I'd love to take credit for this, but Kevan thinks we owe it all to his genetics. After all, he has a great disposition. Just ask him. Seriously, we are both just thanking God for the joy that she brings us (and sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop - nobody can be this happy, right?!).

My Valentine

Rebekah Jane on her first Valentine's Day



I know I am behind, but it's been quite a week. Before I post the latest news, Valentine's Day was just too good to skip. I have to admit that, in spite of its commercialism, I love Valentine's Day. I love the cards, the candy, and the tradition. We've never made a super big deal out of it, but it has always been the little things that make it a special day for me. When I was a kid, my mom put a carnation in my bathroom to greet me on Valentine's morning. Sometimes there would be a little gift attached to it. I loved waking up to that surprise! Then, when Kevan I were dating, we started the tradition of making dinner for each other on Valentine's Day. We'd go to the store together, pick out our seperate ingredients, and hit the kitchen together whipping up scrumptious dishes and trying to outdo each other. Well, this year, Kevan surprised me and did the cooking for both of us. I walked in to the house to find the table set, candles lit, and a delicious dinner on the table. I gotta say, the guy can cook. And, the best part? He did the dishes. (In a house with no dishwasher, this is a GREAT gift to me!).




Kate asking Ezekiel to be her Valentine...

What a week!

This week was super busy...and super great. Full of blessings and wonderful memories. Here is a quick recap:

Tuesday... I had the privilege of assisting my friend, Candice, with the delivery of her 3rd baby. Candice had asked me to be available to help her with breathing and pain management - I was just excited to have a front row seat to such an amazing event! Jaclynn Grace was born that afternoon and it was such a joy to be part of her birth. Congratulations, Steven and Candice, on your beautiful baby girl!

Wednesday...Heidi and Kate came over for a play date in our backyard. We picked oranges and had an orange-only picnic on a blanket. The kids loved it and Heidi and I soaked up the sunshine and great conversation. Ahhh... I love being a stay-at-home mom!

Thursday... I was so spoiled on Thursday I am almost embarrassed to talk about it. But it was a wonderful day made possible by some wonderful people in my life. Our good friend Robert got us a gift certificate to Ruth's Chris for Christmas (soooo generous of him!) and Kevan and I decided to make a night of it on Thursday. Kevan also happened to get me a gift card to buy new make up for Christmas, so Thursday afternoon he took me to the mall and I had my make-up done (so relaxing and fun for me!). Not only did my sweet husband pamper me with new make-up, he took the kids and walked around the mall with them, brought me a coffee, and picked out a dress for me to wear that night. I know, I told you it was a great day. Then, we dropped off the kids at my parents (thank you mom and dad!) and enjoyed an amazing and romantic dinner together. YUM... it was such a treat! THANK YOU ROBERT!

Friday... Since Kevan was off on Friday, we took off in the early afternoon to head to my brother's house to spend the day with him, Annette, and their 3 adorable kids. We had such a great time playing in the yard, eating pizza, and enjoying Annette's DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookies. Kevan and I loved hanging out with the kids and having grown-up conversation with Aaron and Annette while the kids entertained each other.

Maddie picking flowers for me... so cute!

Zach was collecting stones

Cami and Ezekiel playing house

My brother told me a few days before Rebekah was born that I was going to have to settle for the 3rd cutest girl in the world because his 2 girls held the #1 spot. I have to admit, they are pretty darn cute! Look at Cami's charming little grin.

Saturday... a few fun pictures of Ezekiel getting ready to go to bed in his new pajamers Saturday night....

These pictures are especially for you, Aunt Rebekah, because I know how much you love to get Ezekiel ready for bed. Doesn't he look so sweet?

And, finally, Sunday... Today we headed to church and then to a get-together for our young married's class.

Rebekah Jane all ready for church...

Ezekiel loves to play with his cousins after church. Today, they had fun hanging out on the lawn...

The 4 new additions to our young marrieds class. From left to right: Matthew, Isaiah, Jaclynn, and Rebekah Jane.

In love...

I am not only in love with our new baby girl, but I am also in love with these amazing pictures! Here are some of my favorites from her 12-days-old photo shoot (get comfortable, I really had a hard time picking!):

And a silly one of Ezekiel showing his muscles...