Kick Off

Baby Graesynn Lyric was born December 1st, 2010

She was 6 pounds 6 ounces

just under 20 inches long

My doctor chose to induce me after a doctor appt due to a few different circumstances and after a very unpleasant few hours at the hospital with the doctor on call for Kaiser I was finally induced. Less than two hours later, and only one push, Baby Grae was born.

I was so excited for the other kids, for them to have a little sister. Yes, a little brother would have been a joy too, but we didn't think we'd ever have a chance to tell them they had a little sister.

She has long fingers and long toes, just like her brothers and sister. Her hair is the darkest out of all of them, and she has the same nose that Shortie and Zekie had. I think she looks more like Zekie than the other kids. She's amazing, and completes our family.

This was my first week home with all five kids by myself... I'm pooped, but not because of the kids, but because my darn ligaments in my hips and belly just haven't given me any relief. I'm hoping to have a chance to really start this blog and keep up on it - with all the stories of my adventure raising five. The honest look at what my days are like - my personal little record of our life.

Our Kiddos

Our four beautiful (handsome) kiddos playing at home. They are growing so fast!!! It is hard to believe Shortie is 5 and that baby Conrad is already 7 months!

Ezekiels Funny Faces

These are from April - he was just being a ham!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

but also remembering those that struggle today - with the loss of a child, the loss of a mother, or those that are struggling to enter into motherhood... my prayers go out to you!

In less than a week we will have been to California (we are there less than 36 hours) for our friends Nate and Garyn's wedding. Then off to Virginia Beach for our dear friends Jason and Shanna's wedding! So exciting!

Playing Around

The week before we left Gaw and Papa's house we were just playing around and then we had Shortie try on some of my old prom dresses.

This is her in my favorite prom dress... she loved wearing it!

Ezekiel thought it was pretty funny to watch Shortie walk around all dressed up!

Cousin Time

We went up to Denton for the day to hangout with my cousins family. The kids love being together!

All the Phelps family great grandchildren...for now...  Shortie and Dallas are only 6 weeks apart, and so are Conrad and Isabelle!

Sammy, Dallas, Isabelle, Shortie, Conrad, Bubba, Ez

These are some of my favorite -- I think they will get a kick out of it when they are older!

Doggy Days (Feb-March 2010)

Playing with Lucy while at Gaw and Papa's house. When we first got there Ez wasn't sure how he felt about Lucy, by the time we left we would have been happy to hold Lucy in his lap for the whole ride home so she could be his!

Turris Fortis Mihi Deus

My new tattoo!

Both Jon and I have a thing for tattoos - although everytime he starts to save for his tattoo the money goes to music supplies (he wants a huge [huge!] tattoo on his back. it would be a cross that was a little like a sword with the middle being the head of a lion and with a verse wrapped around).

Turris Fortis Mihi Deus is from my Kelley Family Crest and translates best to "God is My Tower of Strength"

It is on my right leg on the outside where I can read it when I look down - my right leg is the one that has caused the most hardship in recent years (my left has required the most surgeries, but my right seems to be the one causing the most confusion to doctors on how to 'fix' it) I wanted it up on the outside of my knee where it dislocates, but with a surgery in the future I didn't want the tattoo to get distorted.

Ears Pierced (Feb 2010)

Shortie about to get her ears pierced for her birthday while we were in Texas! I was more nervous than she was! She had been asking to get them pierced so Jon and I talked about it and decided to tell her that when she turned five she could. We thought maybe she would forget or change or her mind - nope! She was so excited that turning five means being allowed to chew gum and getting your ears pierced! We waited until we went to Texas to do it - just to add a little something special to it. She picked out little flowers with all different colors. They look beautiful on her!

More Snow (Feb 2010)

We had a HUGE blizzard - 30 inches of snow (on top of the snow we already had... for DC metro they've only had snow fall of 12 inches or more in one storm 13 times - 2 of which were this winter!) It took forever to dig out the van. About a week later I dug out Jons car  - there was no point to dig it out sooner because most streets weren't plowed very well if at all and his car sits too low to drive over more than a few inches. A couple of weeks after the storm is when we head to Texas. It was 80 plus degrees on Sunday when Jon flew home to DC, and then on Tuesday morning it snowed! Big flakes too - and it was one of the biggest snow falls for them too- although the  kids were not too impressed after being in our storms.

My Van after digging for a few hours

My van is free! yippy! (also thanks neighbors for the shovels) Poor Jons car is trapped

 

This is the street on the way into our neighborhood a few days after the storm

This is at my parents house in Leander TX! crazy snow!

Snow Storm (Feb 2010)

Back in Feb we had another snow storm - so we tried to have lots of fun inside. Shortie played dress up, Ez ran in circles around the house until he got pooped out and then he cuddled with Conrad. Bubba decided to pretend to fish in the living room. Always fun times at the the Schroeder home

Party Party! (Jan 30, 2010)

Shortie had a great Birthday Party! There was a big snow storm that day and we weren't sure how many would make the drive - but it was a great turn out! Her party was Princess and The Frog theme, with tons of New Orleans style food. I had a blast making jambalaya, Cajun chicken, spinach stuffing balls, red beans and rice, ...and so on... There were about 25 adults, and even more kiddos! Very fun! Its still hard to believe that our little girl is FIVE!!!

Skype Party (Jan 27, 2010)

For Shortie's Birthday we had a skype party with Gaw, Papa, Auntie RahRah, and Great Grandma. It was a very special and unique birthday party!

Shortie's Birthday (Jan 27, 2010)

For Shortie's Birthday she asked for "lobster, crab, and sushi" for dinner! She is her Daddy's Girl! So Jon took her and Bubba out to dinner on her birthday (something special for her while I stayed home with the little men) They loved their dinner!

Earlier in the day Conrad was making great faces while out and about. Little Ezekiel stole my coffee! I thought I brought it in from the car but couldn't find it anywhere -- surprise he was under the table sipping what little was left!

On her birthday she got to open her presents from all of us. Bubba was a great helper! It was her first birthday that she actually grasped what was going on... it was a joy to watch!

Pneumonia

Its been a hard two weeks with illness. Bubba and Shortie had been sick with a terrible cough but turned into nothing more. Then last weekend EZ started getting sick. Sunday after the super bowl something just didn't sit right with Jon and I - in the morning we took EZ to urgent care and found out he was in the early stages of bacterial pneumonia. Because he had never been on antibiotics, and because he eats an organic diet (no biotics in those foods) they felt the medicines would work without hospitalizing. The this morning Conrad was sick... by the time Jon got home Conrad was showing signs of breathing difficulites, then quickly showed more difficulities.Jon  took him to the ER - after lots of testing they found viral pneumonia. They are letting him come home but with lots of prescriptions and a breathing thingee.

Boys Bath

Our Big Boys taking a bath. They are fish (Shortie too) they will stay in that bath long past the water going cold, and all night if I let them. I cant believe how big they are getting!

Big Sister

Shortie is such a great big sister. She loves all her brothers so much! Conrad was laughing while she held him. I loved it!

Painting

Finally got the art studio set up enough that the kids can paint and do some arts.n.crafts. Its really fun to watch them paint, and equally fun to hear the stories behind the paintings.

This is a painting that Shortie did yesterday. Its "her family, with Daddy holding Conrad. A happy sun and lots of colorful clouds with polka dots"

Shortie was painting flowers (the colors upclose were really pretty!) and then she didn't want to stop so she painted a "T" and then... I'm not exactly sure what all she painted but it ended up with I think she said four flowers and a lot of other stuff (and that mark on the middle of her forehead is a temp. tattoo... not sure why she put it there, but who am I to judge ;o)

 

Bubba painting his (he went to get more paint on his brush when he realized I was going to take a picture so he jumped up real fast and started painting from the side) He was so proud to be painting. He at one point said he was painting a waterfall.