It's been a while...

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

I have been so bad about updating this blog! I didn't realize that the last time I did was right before I was going back to work...my how time flies when your having fun right?!

Well, it has been an extremely busy, tense and stressful time these last few months. So much has happened within our little family.

We have had to make some difficult changes in the last few months. The little ones are now home with Mike all day. This was hard but easy no brainer decision to make. We took them out of daycare/private pre-k. It was hard because the school is really good and one of the best in our area but it was an easy decision because let's face it, when funds run out they will eventually ask you to leave :)

So, now the kids are home all day with Mike and God bless him he is still sane (I think?) But I have noticed him humming the theme song to Wizards of Waverly Place a lot more now.

Joshua has changed so much! He is now sitting on his own, rolling around and hopefully any day now those two little teeth just beneath the skin will finally break through so the can stop chewing on everything the puts in his mouth. He has also celebrated his first Halloween, Thanksgiving and now we are one week away from Christmas and we are looking forward to spending time with family.

We made gingerbread houses a few weeks ago and that was so much fun. Jeremy & Brianna's houses look like Hurricane Ike made a second go at them but it was fun watching them try to build them on their own. Last week after dinner and while we were all still sitting at the table they decided to start eating the candy off my house! Now all our houses look like Ike hit them.

Jeremy has quit working at the movie theater. I can't say that I am sorry that he isn't working there any longer. The hours were horrible for a teenager still in school. Someone should really refresh the manger's & HR's memory about the child labor laws in this country! I have half a mind to write their corporate office about the horrible and hostle way they treat their employees (teens). Now when I have to go up the movies at 10 p.m. just to purchase (4) Stubs Cards (AMC's version of rewards cards) just so that Jeremy can make his quota for the night and not get fired because of it..something is seriously wrong! Okay.. enough venting on that subject..

Brianna is still involved with the Drama department at school. She was in the revamped version of Romeo and Juliet. It was intersting to say the least. Now she is working with the costume designer and make-up designer for the next play. She is also still very involved in Girl Scouts so that's a good thing.

Bella will be starting a new school in January. It is a 1/2 day Pre-K program and her session will be in the afternoon. This is a good thing because Bella is so not a morning person (like me). She will be able to sleep a bit, eat breakfast and they get ready for school. It will definately be interesting to see how she adjusts to her new surroundings. She doesn't like change very much so I can foresee many calls with her teacher in the beginning.

This year we have an offical "Elf" of our own. His name is Ferb and he is a pain in the rear end to remember to move very night! Don't get me wrong, it is so cute to see Bella get up and look for him and laugh at the funny things he has done (mark on pictures, eat a chocolate bar & eat a cookie) Ok, I am not that creative but it makes her laugh. But jeeze, we are running out of places to put that little guy. I woke up this morning and he was in a "repeat spot", which apparently is a no no in Elf world. So I had to make a quick move before Bella woke up.

I should probably get going and make breakfast or brunch since it is about 10:15 a.m. and I am not planning on doing anything else for the next 4-5 hours except plant my rear end on the sofa to watch my HOUSTON TEXANS kick some Caroline Panther tail!! I had to say that.. GO TEXANS!!!

3 months old & going back to work

Has it really been 3-1/2 months already? Time passes by with the blink of an eye and you don't even realize it. Today, I keep hearing the Kenny Chesney song, "Don't Blink" in my head.

Joshua, 3 months old

It seems like only yesterday that I was calling Mike home from work because I wasn't sure if I was going into labor with little man and now I am on my last official day of leave and getting ready to rejoin the working world.

The time I have spent home with the kids this summer has fast and interesting. Since Joshua is our LAST baby, I have really been able to appreciate him much more! He is getting so big so fast. I look at him & then look at Jeremy, Brianna and Bella and how big they are and just want to tell him, "slow down, your getting too big!"

He's at that fun age right now where you talk to him and he smiles back at the sound of your voice and he tries so hard to talk back to you but all you get are the coos. I mentioned to my mother-in-law last week that I should have taken pictures of Joshua's legs from the time he was born til now. He was so tiny when he was born and now his legs are so chunky. It would have been a funny progression of pictures to see.

Last week I went by the daycare where Josh will soon be joining Bella to let her visit with her friends and to take Josh by the nursery so that they can see him.

I had hoped that he would be able to spend a few hours there this Thursday & Friday to start the process of separation but that was a no go. I called this week and was told they didn't have enough staff on hand for his drop in visits. So, it looks like we will be going to daycare on Monday and dropping him off cold turkey.  I am praying for a smooth transistion from being with mommy all day to being in daycare and being given a bottle. (tearing up at this thought)

Enjoying tummy time w/ daddy!

This last week at home has been filled with all the projects that I have been wanting to do all summer but just put off until another day. I have gone to war with our dining room/playroom and won. I have battled our room/kids room and won that war too!

Today, however, will be spent, in bed with my two little ones. Bella watching her "commercials" (she calls her cartoons commercials we don't know why) and with Joshua curled up in my arms. I don't intend to do anything constructive today. I just want enjoy my last official day at home with them. I don't plan on leaving that house at all, that is, until Jeremy needs to be at work. :)

Joshua's 1st's

We know that there will be lot's of firsts for Joshua but this weekend was full of big firsts for US.

Joshua went on his first outings to the movies. I tested the waters earlier in the week with a trip to the movies to see Zoo Keeper, which by the was was funny! Then, Mike and I were extremely brave to take him to see one of our favorites, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. 

Josh at the zoo in comfort

Joshua did really well. I got to see the movie almost all the way through. I did my best mommy magic (no pun intended) to help this movie experience to well. I bathed him before we left and got him all comfortable and well fed. And it worked! He woke up towards the end of the movie but not screaming and crying. He was just up and wanted to be held. To be courteous of my fellow movie goers, I did take him out of his carseat and walked down to the little tunnel area to watch the rest of the movie. Mike said you could still hear him but it wasn't that bad.

I did feel bad because on my way to usher Johua out of the movies, I spilled our bag of popcorn and knew that when the movie was over, Jeremy (who works at that same theater) would have to clean my mess for a change. Okay, maybe I didn't feel too bad about it :)

Yesterday was Joshua's first visit to the Houston Zoo. He did well considering it was  extremely HOT. I purchased an attachable fan a few weeks ago with the intent to use it on just such an occasion and it worked wonders. Joshua's first visit to the zoo in the Houston heat went well.  He slept most of the time and didn't get to see any animals, but he was there and it was fun.

Daddy & Josh taking in the a/c at the zoo

I can't wait til he is Bella's age and can tell us exactly what animals he wants to see and he knows his way around the zoo, just like Bella does now.

To cap off the day, we took Bella to the splash area in Hermann Park near the reflecting pond. She and Mike enjoyed themselves as they splashed in the water. I sat that one out in exchange for the heat and keeping an eye on Joshua and Brianna. Though, I could I have used some cooling off, Houston in July is just HOT and reminds me of my other favorite U.S. town during the summer.

Gotta love the wet hair and smile from ear to ear!

The only way to beat the heat!

Bella trying not to get wet..didn't work

Memories of Joshua's firsts were made this weekend and we can't wait for the many more firsts to come.

Quinceneara

In the courtyard of the church..before it started raining again

She wore boots instead of heals...a true Texas girl!

Getting ready to kick up her heals

Her cake was so good!

Lollipops custom made for her special day

Cotten Candy for the Candy Bar

The Candy Buffet

Our Diva for the day

Brianna's Sweet Shoppe

Brianna's Quinceneara was July 16th and it rained that day, of all days! We haven't had much rain in Houston since January and of course it would rain on her day!  We had a heck of a time getting all the decorations into the clubhouse to decorate prior to the big party, but with help from our family, all was done in no time.

Brianna looked absolutely beautiful! Her cousin did her makeup and I did her hair. She was definately a vision to behold. It was all about her that day and that is just how she liked it.

The church ceramony was wonderful. Deacon Al, the Deacon that married Mike and I was the one to officiate at the Quinceneara. This made the day even more special. After the church portion of the day it was time to eat, drink and be merry!  Mike and I had to rush back to the clubhouse after church to finish decorating. We were going non stop that day. I don't think either of us really sat down, reflected and took a moment to enjoy the day. However, I did take time out to do a little bit of dancing.

The real fun came at the end of the evening when we had to clean up and clear out of the clubhouse. Even with all of the help we had I still needed to do touch up cleaning the next morning in order to receive a full refund of our security deposit.

Oh, well, I am just glad that Brianna had a beautiful day. I mentioned to Mike that we can now start planning Bella's Quniceneara, he gave me that, "Oh heck NO" look and said when it comes her time, we will do what we originally wanted to do for Brianna....We are going to Disney World instead!  Sounds good to me, but then again, a trip to Disney World always sounds good.

Chores & Take Out Thursdays

I have to laugh when Thursdays come around each week. The reason being is because of my wonderful husband, Mike.

Let me explain why Thursdays are now considered funny in our home. When I got further along in my pregnancy with Joshua, it became harder for me to do some of my "chores" here at the house (mopping, sweeping, laundry) so Mike re-worked the Chore List here at the house, giving the kids, mainly Jeremy and Brianna, more responsibilties.

Well, while he reworked the chore list he assigned himself to be the designated dishwasher on Thursdays. Since he did this, we NEVER noticed that on Thursdays, he would always call me and ask if I wanted something to eat and he would stop and pick something up on the way home. I thought he was being sweet and he really was. However, he had alterior motives..NOT WASHING DISHES! Ha ha ha!

I think that over time I would have eventually noticed this but Mike outed himself a few weeks ago and we had a good laugh about it. Well, we let the kids in on this little secret and they laughed and couldn't believe that dad was being sneaky like that.

Last week I got a text message from Mike before he left work about dinner and Brianna said, No make him was dishes, but I was not about to cook so we had take out.

Today was the first Thursday in a long time that I actually cooked..hot dogs on the menu for us Byrons today. The only items to be washed are two pots, one the hot dogs were cooked in and one that the chili was cooked in. We ate dinner on paper plates :)

Now on Thursdays, I expect to get a call or a text from Mike before he leaves work about dinner & I think I will continue to have take out on Thursdays. If I don't have to cook & Mike doesn't have to wash dishes, that means we will have just that much more time to spend together in the evenings with the kids. 

{Immunizations, Pink Cowboy Boots & Freedom}

My how time flies when all you want is for it slow down or stop altogether. It seems like just yesterday that we were walking through the front door with our little man. Now, he is two months old and has gotten his first set of shots. He is now weighing in at exactly 10 lbs. and has grown to 20-3/4 inches long. He has almost doubled his birth weight and is well on his way to bulking up!

For the last eight weeks I have been relegated to the confines of my 1980 sq. ft. house. Yes, we have taken the occasional trek out of the house (HEB, Dr.’s office, quick lunch with my mom) but I have always kept Josh under wraps, safe from the wondering germ that might attach itself to my precious little man and make him sick.

Now, we have the freedom to go out and about. If I want to take Bella to the library for story time, we can do that. If we want to take him to our favorite family hotspot (Houston Zoo) we can. If we want to go and visit family, we can do that! I know that germs can still attached and take hold of him, but he now has some form of protection and that gives me some peace of mind.

Bella, however, was none too happy about her baby brother having to receive the shots. She hates them. What little kid likes getting jabbed in the leg with what looks like a mile long needle? She actually cried more than Joshua did. She also told the Dr. under no uncertain terms was she to give Josh anymore shot…EVER! The Dr. thought it was so sweet that she has taken on the role of “protector”. She said that it is the tale-tell sign of a great big sister in the works. I wholeheartedly agree with her. Bella has been great with the baby. So have Brianna and Jeremy. They being the bigger brother and sister have helped out a lot.

Bella was also complimented on her Pink Cowboy boots while at the Dr.’s office. For those of you who know Bella know that we call her our own little “Imelda Marcos”. She has more shoes than Mike, I, Jeremy & Brianna combined! But for all the shoes she has had, there are only two pair that she has worn to the hilt, her white French fries shoes (named as such because they were white dress shoes that were made my McDonald’s Kids Clothing with the Golden Arches on the insole of the shoe) and her PINK BOOTS! She absolutely loves her pink boots. She got them this year for Go Texan Day at her school and has worn them with everything from jeans, shorts, skirts and her pajamas. Today she wore them with a blue skirt and polka dot shirt. Those are her go to shoes and if they make her happy, then who am I to tell her she is not matching.

Jeremy has earned a bit of financial freedom himself. He has now joined the working class. He is working part time at a local movie theater and has had the first taste of job perks (a preview of Transformers before it was released to the public) and the all so dreaded TAXES. He is not happy with paying taxes and Mike and I told him, join the club.

Brianna’s Quinceanera is just around the corner and we are in countdown mode now. Her dress will be lovely and she looks absolutely beautiful in it.
Mike is still working in Galveston. As much as he says the drive is long, I know that deep down, if he had his way, he would move our little family to the island. I wouldn’t mind, but only if we could live in a totally renovated old Victorian house.(I have been watching WAY too much HGTV)

As for me, I have suddenly realized that my time with Joshua and Bella will be coming to an end in six weeks. Wow, time does fly when you’re having fun. My heart breaks just a little bit when I think of having to leave them but I know that I will be leaving them in good hands and I will actually be happy to return to the land of the working.

So for now, I will be happy for the time I have been able to spend with all of the kids so far this summer.

Gotta love summer time and all that comes with it: the sun, the sand, the smell of Hawaiian Tropic sun screen and of course Pink Cowboy boots!

One Month

One month ago today, Joshua made his early grand entrance into our crazy hectic family.

Now, what Mike forgot to mention in the first post was that Joshua was a very BIG surprise for us. When Mike and I first met I already had three children so he was stepping into a ready made family.  After we got married we tried to get pregnant but it wasn't really working out for us.

After we decided that maybe it just wasn't in the cards for us, low and behold, Isabella came along. So, okay, our family now consisted of two boys and two girls. Just the right number of riders for our trips to Disney (sorry but I had to get a Disney shout out in).  Our family was complete or so we thought. Then, last October, we were shocked when I found out I was pregnant with Josh. 

Joshua, 2 days old

Joshua, one month old

He is a month old and now I can say that our "little" family is truly complete.  Mike told me the other day that I looked so good holding Josh in my arms. It amazes me how true this comment is. It's like my arms ached for him before I even knew him. Now, I can't seem to put him down or if you ask Brianna, share him with anyone else :) 

Summer is fast approaching

Well, this is our first post...We'll see how it goes.

May brought us a new bundle of joy, Joshua.  He arrived a little earlier than expected but still very welcomed.  He has filled out his little wrinkles and continues to bring us joy everyday.  Lisa and Bella are home for the summer.  Bella is a good big sister, she helps Lisa with the diaper changes and baths.  Jeremy and Brianna are taking their finals this week...we should have a Junior and Sophomore in high school next year.  They are very excited about summer vacation.  Chris is in Tulsa, OK going to Tulsa welding school.  He and Chelsea are expecting their baby girl in late July or early August.  Lisa, along with just having a baby, finished her spring semester at San Jac.  Mike is commuting to Galveston for work. 

Until next time stay safe and have fun!