Go For The Ice Cream

they've always been best friends- so cute- if only they'd include tekoa every now and then.


i peeked in on the kids late last night and saw this. i had to smile.

i asked her this morning, "shaeya, do you ever have to tie black beauty up at night?"
and she said, "oooh, yea. i don't want her running through the house while we're sleeping- she might break something."
good idea.


and the next picture....
i really needed a shower before music yesterday, so i got out a new toy (i like to put about half of their christmas gifts away, and then pull them out as needed:) and put it on the rug in the living room for wren and tekoa to play with. i figured that would buy me enough time for a quick shower.
but when i came out, wren was at the bookcase with about 10 books surrounding her, and tekoa was sitting on the chair in the living room with the tub of sour cream and a spoon....

like i always say- i just don't understand the inner workings of that girl's mind. she's smart, she's almost 3 (in a week and a half), and she does things like this. i mean at least go for the ice cream if your gonna go to all that trouble.


and here's wren showing off her skills-
with tekoa's new favorite song playing (it's always playing) in the background.

My World Has Changed

my whole world has changed....
wren learned how to crawl over the weekend. crawl and pull herself up on things.
so i'll walk by and find her with a drink in her hands that she has grabbed off the coffee table. or i'll find her at my bookshelf pulling books off. she crawls to the fireplace and the stairs, so i now have to put up gates. and i have to put the gate on her crib up while she's sleeping.
sleeping.....did i say sleeping?? she is NOT sleeping- we've had 3 sleepless nights in a row, BUT she's been in her crib for those 3 nights. i think i could even put the bedside cradle away now.
......very bittersweet.

i'm so thankful for my wonderful sister-in-law katie who watched tekoa and wren last week so i could teach music at school and only be a teacher for that half hour. she's coming again today- did i mention that she's wonderful?

drake was officially initiated into the family last night by attending his first "tuesday night family night" with my family. we have dinner and a bible study together every other tuesday night. it is a fun, loud, and chaotic evening full of laughing and crying (we have 8 little girls and 3 boys- so there's someone crying pretty much at all times). but it's good. we learn from each other and grow together and work hard at just loving each other. we've supported each other through a lot of hard times and good times.
and for me, the night is made especially good by the fact that i can dvr american idol and watch it peacefully when i get home and after my kids are in bed, and that we now have 3 babies in the family so i can be holding one at any given time......

a few more items of note:

if you set a cake on top of your van while you're loading up all your kids, then forget about the cake and drive home, it is possible for that cake to remain on the top of the van during the whole drive home. it makes for a pleasant surprise when you get out and find the cake right there where you left it.

don't answer your cell phone if the caller id just says "incoming call." you might think it's your brother returning your call. and he could even play along, answering your questions and pretending to be your brother, until you realize that he in fact is not your brother, sounds nothing like your brother, and wants to know where you are and if you want to hook up later.....
creepy (but kinda funny) how did he get my cell #???
....and i said "no" in case any of you were wondering.

my kids had a snow day on monday, and i was supposed to sing at the nursing home. so i brought tyden and shaeya with me, and left tekoa and wren with my cousin. we ended up having a lot of fun, and so did the residents. they LOVED the kids. ty and shaeya both sang really well and i was proud of them. we're ready to hit the road i think.....
anyway, the home called yesterday to say thanks and to ask us back. "how about sometime in march?" sure. "how about on a day when you can bring the kids again?" sure. "how about friday, march 5th??" sure. we hang up and then i realize that's in a week and a half. so funny. they must have really liked the kids.

well, i think that's it for now. i have a million other things i should be doing so i better get moving....

5 Reasons To Smile

1. i share my little "front porch sunning in my tank top" area with a snowman which i think is funny.

2. i have a girls night out tonight and am really looking forward to a little break. and i'm bringing wren and can't wait to sit and just hold her all night.

3. i think i lost 2 more pounds of that stubborn baby weight.

4. tekoa and i downloaded the peanut butter, jellytime song and i love watching her dance to it- it makes me laugh. and if i put it on repeat she will just keep on dancing and when she's dancing she isn't getting into trouble.

5. drake is going home today!!!!
http://thediaryofalakenerd.blogspot.com/2010/02/starting-new-chapter.html

here is my last attempt at posting this video. for some reason i haven't been able to post it or get it to work right- but not for lack of trying. i'm sure you've all seen it on facebook, but i want it here so it'll be here forever. and it just may be worth watching twice....

Long Week

tru dat.




look closely at the shirt- she put it on today and she will never take it off...






tonight i'm feeling really tired and worn out. it's been a really rough week with a lot of ups and downs. my heart is all wrapped up in my brother and his family, and it's been hard to keep things running smoothly around here.

dave was (and still is) gone tonight and all the kids were fighting for my attention. they're in bed now- except for wren....it is possible to nurse and type at the same time in case anyone wondered.

tyden was crying all through dinner cause i wanted him to take a bite of applesauce. applesauce. it's apples and sugar. he will not touch fruit of any kind- so frustrating. he never did taste it.....

tekoa got off the toilet after she pooped and somehow got poop all over her legs, the toilet, her pajamas, the floor, and the door. do not ask me how it got on the door. let's just say i was NOT thrilled.

wren is teething and has been wanting to be held constantly. i can't physically do that and take care of the others and keep the house from looking like a tornado came through it. i want to hold her, i feel bad that she's in pain- but i just can't. not to mention that she's big and she gets really heavy.

and shaeya is bored. all the time. it's is driving me crazy. i've done a lot with them the last 2 nights but it's never enough. the second i start to do something for me (not actually me...i'm referring to things like cleaning, cooking, showering) she starts up with the "i'm bored- there's just nothing to do." a person can only take so much of this....

anyway- enough of my whining- i feel better just getting it out. and i'm sure dave will be thankful i got it out before he walks in the door.

in case you are wondering about drake's test results, we did get some news yesterday- i'm just not sure if it was good or bad.
there were no obvious signs of damage in his brain, but they said it is a bit underdeveloped. the size of a baby at 35 wks gestation. we don't know what that means at this point.
he passed his vision test, but failed his hearing test in one ear. from what my dad told me tonight he will not ever hear from that ear. and has a 50% of losing the other in the next 3 yrs.
so nate and brook have to decide by tomorrow if they are going to start a 6 wk treatment to help delay hearing loss in the good ear and help his brain develop a little more quickly.
it's a new treatment- not a lot of studies done- and it's very intense.

please pray for them tonight and tomorrow for wisdom. i don't know how to make a decision like that, so pray for God to give them a clear answer.

please God, give them a clear answer. give them wisdom and hope and peace.

"It is through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

Waiting.....

waiting today for those test results, but drake's doctor is feeling pretty positive about the outcome.
he thinks because drake's liver and spleen haven't suffered any damage that his brain may be all right also.

we are waiting to see..... please God, give us a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!
these pictures are from last night-








doesn't he look great??

and as for the goings on around here.....
the kids think i've lost it, i'm sure. crying about anything and everything, on the phone and computer quite a bit, and NO PATIENCE for the constant fighting, whining, and boredom.

they are BORED out of their minds and i keep telling them that if they have all these toys and each other, and still can't find anything to do, then the problem is with them.
they need to get outside already!!!!

okay we did get out on sunday cause the sun was shining and it actually wasn't like below zero or anything- and we created this masterpiece.





but it's just not enough. and dave is working tonight, and has a late meeting tomorrow night so it will be a long week for me.

but anyway, moving on- this is what my kitchen table looked like on friday night- just thought i'd show you.



oh wait, 2 more....



so fun. we had a few friends over for a game night and with a few friends comes like a million kids. LOVE IT!!

all right i've gotta get to school now for music- hopefully we have some good news soon.....

Some Hard News

my tears are flowing as i prepare to write this post. i have been so positive and so full of faith and so sure that little drake was going to be just fine.
i think because dave and i faced the possibility and almost the surety of brain damage/learning disability/vision impairment with tyden and we got a miracle. God gave us a miracle, why wouldn't he give one to drake?

and now drake has a new diagnosis and my confidence is wavering a bit. we found out yesterday that he has CMV or cytomeglovirus. it's a common virus that most adults carry, but is very dangerous for a developing baby if the mother contracts it during pregnancy. it's like chicken pox in that most of us contract it before adulthood and then carry it without symptoms.

well, little drake tested positive for CMV and the list of symptoms and long term effects for affected newborns has my whole family a little shell shocked.
80-90% of these babies experience levels of mental retardation, vision impairment, and hearing loss. hearing loss being the most common.

i think we are all really struggling today and just waiting for the results of an MRI scan that was supposed to be done last night- but drake decided to kick off his IV right beforehand, so it will be done sometime today with results tomorrow.

we are still praying for a miracle. i do still believe that God is in control. i do believe he can heal.
please continue to pray.

dave and i spent part of our valentine's day date at the hospital holding drake and hanging out
with him and he just looks so good. he is so cute and tiny and perfect.

if any of you want more info or pictures i'm going to direct you again to my brother's blog-
he's got it all there.
once again, grab some kleenex.....

http://thediaryofalakenerd.blogspot.com/2010/02/drakes-new-diagnosis.html

Drake's Brain Scan

for drake's test results follow this link and you can read it all straight from my brother-
be ready to grab a kleenex or 2.

http://thediaryofalakenerd.blogspot.com/2010/02/drakes-miracle.html

Update On Drake

little drake is hanging in there. he's had 2 platelet transfusions which have been very successful. his platelet count is rising and he is getting stronger.

he is eating and breathing on his own, and he looks really good.

we are waiting today to hear the results from a brain scan he had last night. this will let us know if the bleeding has stopped, and will give us an idea of any damage that may have been done.

we are trusting 100% in our miraculous God for healing.

thanks for praying- keep it up.

Baby Drake

i have a new nephew. his name is drake. he was born yesterday morning, and he is just as cute as can be. grandkid #11, boy #3 for our family.

but he needs your prayers- he has a blood disorder that caused his body to attack his platelets, which has caused some bleeding in his brain. he's in the NICU for now and he's receiving platelets, which will help correct the problem if all goes well.

please pray for healing in his brain, for no further bleeding, for continued acceptance of the donor platelets, and for my brother and his wife.

we have a God who gives us miracles. dave and i experienced this with our son, and we are confident that God has a plan for Drake that will be good and for His glory.
please pray, and i will post updates as they are available.































"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for."

1 John 5:4, 5, 14&15

Random Happenings....

sometimes you just gotta get out. this is what prompted amy, katelyn, and i to take our girls on a little trip to the mall.

i don't understand WHY we kept getting funny (or maybe annoyed) looks from everyone there. 3 moms and 8 little girls......













wren is getting really close to crawling-
you know that feeling you get when a new stage is coming and you are excited for your kid, but so sad to see them growing so quickly? yea, that's me. pretty much everyday with wren.

my brother asked me the other day why it makes me so sad to see her grow- i pointed to tekoa and said, "cause i know what's coming..." but really, it's more about having a baby in my arms. i always want to have a baby in my arms- they will ache for it when the kids are all grown. but you have to quit having them at some point, right? i mean you have to. and i think 4 kids is good for us for now. i mean i think it is.....



it's so funny to find her in a different spot than where i put her down.
.....good thing my kitchen floor is so clean. it's a great place for her to hang out- and i definitely did not use my photoshopping skills to edit out all the crumbs and food on the floor by her....



if only this was a little more effective maybe i wouldn't have that problem :)



dave and i spent saturday night babysitting for 2 different families at the same time.
what's a few more, right? it was fun. we fed them a very nutritious dinner (in case their parents read this...), bathed them, and attempted to put them all to bed- which was more for our benefit than theirs, cause not many of them fell asleep until right before they got picked up to go home.





so cute- you've gotta click on this one to check out this girl's eyelashes.....ridiculous :)



so we've had this "piddle pad" (that is it's real name) in wren's car seat for about 2 months. it's for those diaper explosions she's so good at. it goes in the seat and it absorbs on one side and is waterproof on the other.
2 months. and she's never needed it. this girl was always peeing/pooping in that car seat, and as soon as we put the piddle pad in it she stops.
and then the other night, she leaked through just a little. and i was actually glad she did- just, you know, to make the piddle pad worth it.
and so i could finally say to dave, "aren't you so glad we bought that?"

so, being the good little mommy that i am, i promptly removed the piddle pad and threw it in the hamper so i could wash that little spot of pee off it.
and the very next time we used the car seat (which was this morning-piddle pad still in the hamper) wouldn't you know- she peed through her diaper- i mean peed. like a gallon. through the diaper, her clothes, her bundle me blanket, and the car seat. and even a little through the base and onto the seat of the van.
......you just gotta laugh, right?



koa (i mean chakaweeka -she now calls herself chakaweeka?) being her crazy self :)





wren's first bath without the bumbo. she loved it.
speaking of the bumbo......it doesn't get much use anymore, but i just can't bring myself to put it away.









that's it for now. tonight is our "upstairs performance" at church, where all the kids and i perform our songs for the whole church. i'm a little nervous about how it's all going to go.....

Wise Words From A 5 Year Old

first of all, let me start by saying that i feel so amazing today. wren is better and i got 5 SOLID hours of sleep last night. i haven't slept for 5 hours without waking up since....well probably since before i got pregnant with wren.
i feel like i could conquer the world today- and i did the next closest thing. play date at my house :)
just me, 5 good friends and 14 little kids. and i should mention that 13 of the 14 were GIRLS. but it was great. so nice to catch up with everyone and discuss very important topics such as......what DID we talk about?? all i know is that there was never a quiet moment. :)

anyway, after the last of them left, shaeya helped me clean things up a bit. then i told her it was time to hop in bed for her nap (yes, some 5 yr olds still sleep 2 hours every afternoon).
she asked what i would be doing while she slept and i said, "well, i'll probably be on the computer for awhile, and then i'll workout."
to which she said, "mom, you should do the thing that you DON'T want to do FIRST, so then you can have more FUN when you do the thing that you WANT to do."

oh, shaeya. when did you grow up?

i LOVE that kid. she has been so funny and sweet and GOOD. some of you might not know, but she started out SO hard. she cried through her whole babyhood. she never let anyone hold her but dave or i. she closed her eyes when anyone tried to talk to her. she made tyden cry from VERY little on. she used to call him a "bad sister" or a "momma's boy" when she was 2. she was defiant, stubborn, demanding, and very opinionated. and boy could she scream- nothing was ever right for her.

but somewhere in the midst of the other pregnancies and babies and sleepless nights and tekoa demanding my attention.....she became this beautiful, helpful, sweet little girl whom i can't get enough of.
i wish i could spend a day with only her- i would love every minute of her constant dialogue of horses, hunting, and the kids at school.

the other night she was helping me cook dinner and she was feeling very important. she kept saying, "mom, did you just always wish you had a kid like me?? did you always want to have a kid that could help you make supper like i am??"
so cute.

well, i took her advice today and worked out first- and i'm glad i did. i'm having so much more fun doing the thing that i really wanted to do. :)



shaeya 6 mos.

......praying for you robbyn and holli