"Leaving your Birth Place" Waxing Nostalgic...

I just read a beautiful blog post on leaving the birth place.... http://www.anktangle.com/2012/04/dear-daniel-on-leaving-your-birthplace.html?showComment=1335798097098#c4948304106715130888

With our still very recent move to a new home, and then celebrating Liam's 6th Birthday yesterday this was a very touching post for me.

 I have moved from my child's birth place on several occasions before... the first time was from Ft. Irwin, Calif.  Our beautiful Sariah was our first baby born at home.  There, we were supported by a couple of friends and we had her birth in our large laundry room on a double bed we borrowed from another dear friend Tandy (who missed our birth as she had gone 'home' to TX to be able to have her baby due the same day but born two weeks apart, with a MW at a Beautiful Birthing Center in Dallas http://birthcenter.net/).

Our sweet Hannah was born at our home at White Sands Missile Range, NM.  My dear friend Tandy was able to come (from Maryland this time) and be with us for this birth.  She was a wonderful help, along with the other friend and Midwives that we had to assist us during this birth on a bright Saturday morning as well.

I remember it being a bittersweet moment knowing that we have 'lived' with those memories of where our baby(s) was born, in the house with us that we'd reflect on as we went throughout our days.

Yesterday morning dad was talking to Liam.  He asked him if he knew where he was born... he had to 'think' about his answer for just a moment and then said, "in the Kitchen!"  and he sort of pointed his finger. Yes we agreed, but not 'this' kitchen, the kitchen in our old house... then dad asked him further, and he said in a tub!  Yes, son, you were born in a pool of warm water, to the welcoming arms of your parents and your sisters who were so excited to see you and to know 'who' you were!

I watched your birth slide show again last night and tears ran down my face at the memories of that beautiful Spring Saturday morning, surrounded by family and friends.  Their love and support for me in that moment were wonderful.

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1989/46946/liam_birth.zip 
(this is a large file, and it takes a bit to download.  The slide show with accompanying music were put together by Kristin at http://www.whispersphotography.com/ it is about 8 minutes long. For the more squeemish, it isn't very graphic at all.  What little you see, is under water, so very distorted, and a baby's head is covering most anything anyway in the pic's).

It's a bit hard, and like I said, bittersweet to move and leave the place that was so special to us. I somehow want to take just a bit of that place with us as a memory... of course, the beautiful pictures and of course YOU are wonderful reminders of that very special day! It's fun to remember, even if it brings tears to my eyes... they are mostly tears of joy at the memories. I LOVE you son and can not imagine what my life would be like without YOU in it!

In Case You Missed It...

The video below is of Hannah and Marissa singing "Somewhere There's a Mountain" at our ward talent show. It was written by Jason Deere and performed by his daughters on Trek: A Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers (http://www.nashvilletribute.com/trek.html). The girls did a phenomenal job and we are so proud and couldn't help but share!

Hannah's 'Special' Bump!

When Hannah was born, the Midwife found a little bump on her right clavicle/collar bone during the newborn exam. We took her to see the pediatrician at the Army hosp. They took x-rays, all the pediatric staff came to 'see' and it, and yet no-one knew what it was. They sent us to a pediatric orthopedic Dr. he couldn't' figure anything out, so we have just 'watched' it over the years.

We had x-rays again a little bit before she turned two, and they thought it showed that there had been a 'break' in her clavicle, and they asked me all kinds of questions... "had it been a difficult delivery?" "was she a large baby?", etc. My response was no it was a very gentle nice home birth delivery. She was only 6 lbs 12 oz. at birth. The bump had ALREADY been present at birth, how could there have been a break - that had already caused calcification to be formed/grow on the bone AT birth.

We had hoped that it would stay the same, and as she grew it would become less and less noticeable. (you had to really look for it to 'see' it as a baby). As Hannah grew, so did her bump...

We had x-rays taken every couple of years to check it see if it looked like a problem. If we wanted to have it removed it would have been purely cosmetic surgery, and as such, not covered.

In the past year or so, it had become a problem for Hannah. It was now protruding enough that it was causing her difficulty. It would get bumped and it was tender. She couldn't carry her backpack on that shoulder as it would rub and put pressure on it. So, we got another referral to see the orthopedic Dr. here. He agreed that with it causing Hannah discomfort, we could remove it.

So, Yesterday, Hannah had her little surgical procedure to remove her bump. I will admit I was a bit nervous as she had to go under general anesthesia. Dad gave her a fathers blessing that all would go well. We dropped Liam off at K's and he even got to go on a field trip with the K sisters. He said he had lots of fun! (earlier in the week Liam had said the K was his Best Friend!). He cries whenever we drop him off anywhere, but he calms down pretty quickly, or so I'm told, and has a good time.

We spent more time sitting around 'waiting' for the surgery to get started than it took to do the actual procedure. That part went really quickly. While we waited dad read a book to Hannah . The Tales of Beadle the Bard. They took us back to her in recovery, and she was still 'out'. Then all of the sudden she came around. looked at us, but was most definitely unamused! Dad was trying to crack jokes and she did not find them funny. ;-) OR was just too out of it to bother to respond still.

When we finally left, it was abt. 1:00 pm. She was starving, as she had not been allowed to eat anything since the night before... I asked if they had anything that she could eat, like crackers or anything, they'd already given her apple juice. She was still hungry after that and she wanted waffles from IHOP. She was released around 1 pm, and off we went to IHOP after stopping off to get her prescription for pain reliever filled. Rebekah got out of class early, so we had her go pick up Liam, and be home for Marissa when she got off the bus, in case we weren't home yet.

We had also promised her she could get a stuffed animal/web-kins, so after eating we stopped at Hallmark. She picked a cute little Ground Hog. I thought that was good so that she would remember him from her surgery day and that it was near (2 days after) Ground Hogs Day. I thought she should call it Sergio, and call it Surg(e), for Surgery... No one liked my idea. ;-) After they took her I.V. out of her arm they wrapped it with this sticky wrap thing. They let her pick her color. Liam thought it was really cool, because it was Green (his favorite color), and it had a long neck (he's into his dinosaurs lately). The nurse told her that after she got home if she wanted to keep the wrap part for a while she could put it on a special doll or stuffed animal or something. So today Groundy the groundhog has a belt. ;-)

We stopped at target to buy some chocolate pudding to try to disguise the taste of the medicine, which she had already taken her first dose of at IHOP, after getting something in her stomach, and she had gagged and thought was horrible. Of course while we were at target, and while she was 'hurting' having just undergone surgery... we were suckered into buying all sorts of things. She got some new sweat pants for while she is laying around trying to be comfortable, and several snacks that were not-needed. Bill noticed that the swimsuits just came out and so instead of waiting till they had all been picked over and the season was upon us... (like we usually do), we went ahead and let her pick out a bathing suit for summer as well.

The Dr. didn't think that she would WANT a sling, as he said, most kids don't, but she felt like it gave her more stability to not move her arm around and cause herself pain, so we asked for a sling. The Surgery Center didn't know if they even had a small/child sized sling, but the nurse finally came up with one. She is under orders to do no throwing, pushing, pulling, running, jumping, for the next three weeks.

As for other events of the day, a mom that I'm working with had called to say she was at 6 cm when she went to her Dr's apt. earlier in the day. her dr. offered to induce her, for excessive dilation. She declined as she went through an induction with her first baby and it was a horrible experience for her. She wanted to go into labor on her own.

I was expecting to get a call soon (over the weekend at the latest), and so when I got home from picking up Marissa from Activity days, I was told she had called. I called her back and this was it. I got to her house just after 8 pm. we went to the hosp. shortly afterward, and she had a beautiful little baby girl at 10:30 p.m. I didn't get home till 2 am, though so I am kind of wiped out today...

I GUESS I can just plan that if we ever have a surgical procedure planned, someone is going to go into labor... it was a big day to be sure.

10 years and 1 week ago... Hannah

I woke up on Sat. morning, Dec. 5th, and tried a little natural induction... Then I started to feel what I thought were more of those annoying braxton hicks contractions! (8:30 a.m.) Bill joked and said, "Don't even try to tell me you are in labor! It's day time, you only do this in the middle of the night and wake me up."

My friend Tandy had come from Maryland the day after Thanksgiving, and we were tired of just hanging around at the house, waiting for a baby to come. I decided I'd had enough! I told Bill Tandy and I were going to town (30 miles or so away), and we were going shopping!!! So I got in the shower to get ready for the day.

I had several more contractions, and Bill asked me if he should call for the midwife. I just wasn't sure, and didn't want them coming clear out to my house (about a 40-50 minute drive), for nothing. He went ahead and made the call to the answering service just to let them know, and as it turned out, it was a good thing he did. They couldn't contact my midwife Katia, at first. Finally after he called back they were able to get a hold of the aprentice MW, Heather, and she got on her way.

As I put on my make up and did my hair, I was having more and more contractions (ctx's), and it was more and more difficult to ignore them. I had started labor with my water breaking with each of my first three babies, so this was new and different for me. I wasn't entirely sure it was the real thing, and yet the ctx's were comming pretty fast and strong.

We started to get things ready, changing the bedding - putting a plastic sheet on the bed... Of course my little one (2 1/2 yrs old at the time) didn't want to be all that helpful, and decided to plop herself down and sit right in the middle of my bed - while we were trying to get the bed made up!!! Other than that, she only wanted daddy, and I decided that I was going to need his help, and that wasn't really going to work. The midwives, had asked that if the kids were going to be at the birth, that we would have an adult come help with them.

I had a whole list of friends I could call on to help out. It was sat. morning the first week of December, and people were busy... one friend, (Diane S.) couldn't come over because her husband had gone to the on post Army/Navy football game (we lived on a small Army post that had more Navy personel that lived on it than Army, so we had lots of friends from both services). There was quite a rivalry... Anyway, she couldn't COME to my house to help, since she had two or three of her own kids home at the time. Another friend had a horse, and it was about to have a baby as well, and so she was up early and out at the stables checking on her horse. Another friend (Marci F.)who had a kindergartener friend of Amanda - had just adopted two children (a 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 yr old brother and sister), in October, she had her mother out to visit them (the first time she got to meet her new gand children), and so she and her husband were going Christmas shopping while they had a chance, with free babysitting... :-) I couldn't blame her for that!

Yes, I had Tandy at my house, but I didn't want her to have to deal with the kids, if someone needed something - for example - if one of them got scared, or something and needed to go out of the room. I had Tandy come clear to NM to be with *me*!!! Not leave me to deal with the kids...

Finally, after dealing with my little sweetheart, I had an idea! I called my friend Diane back, and said, you can't come here to help with my kids, but... could you come GET my little one, and take her home to your house (around the corner) to play with your little one??? Brilliant solution! She came right over and got her and I could then get on with the business at hand, of having a baby!

Heather the aprentice MW showed up. She checked me and all was going well. I moved around a lot during the contractions, it was definitely an active birth. In between ctx's I would move and try different positions. I tried sitting on the birth ball, hands and knees on the bed, etc. What felt best for this birth was to lean forward. I would lean over and put my hands on my knees (thighs) in a kind of semi squat position during the contractions. I had a lot of cramping in my lower back and so a friend would apply counter preassure on my lower back during the ctx's. Even my sweet girls (Rebekah was 7 and Amanda was 5 at the time) would help rub mommy's back and put counter pressure during part of the labor.

At some point, my friend Marci showed up. She said, she jsut thought, I can go shopping any time... but how often am I going to get to be at a birth!?!, so she came on over.

As I continued on, my arms would get tired and my writsts sore, from holding myself up, so Tandy helped to hold my weight up so I could continue on with the ctx. My other friend Marci (who had thought about going to massage therapy school), would massage my arms, legs and feet in between the ctx's. That was WONDERFUL! It really helped to relieve the stress and tension in my body as I labored. My water broke and I continued on. The ctx's were very intense and fast!

My midwife Katia, arrived and was SOOOOO glad to have made it in time, from over an hour away! Katia jokingly thanked me for 'waiting for her'... like I had a choice, one way or the other! LOL! Something else sort of funny was that Katia and Heather had only ever been to my house one time before. It was not a very large post, ad not that much housing, but if you don't know where you are going really, it can be a bit harder to find your way around... Well, because it was the Army/Navy football game weekend, the Army had pulled some pranks on some of the Navy things like the huge anchor, in front of the main Navy Building on post. Well, the Navy guys had done their own pranks for the day. All of the street names, at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, are named after various Army Depot's or Army Missile Systems. However on this day, (I wish we'd thought to have someone go out and take pictures!!!), all the street sign posts had been covered over with signs that had Navy names, like names of Battleships, USS Nimitz, etc... That made the directions a little bit harder to navigate, with, and a bit harder to find their way, when Heather and Katia came to our birth.

We continued to labor, and as I felt the urge to push, I began to push along with the ctx's. My Midwives were mostly in the background, (Katia was actually a bit surprised that I didn't just want them to stay in the other room completely, since we had done an unassisted home birth with Sariah) while my friends, family and I managed the labor in whatever ways were the most helpful to me. As we got closer, Katia instructed my dear Husband, Bill, how and what to do exactly. Finally I decided to get back up on the bed, and I leaned back on Tandy while I pushed. When the head was delivered, Bill, 'caught' her, and Rebekah (almost 8), got to help catch the rest of the baby. Amanda (almost 6) got to announce what our new baby was (I had not had an ultrasound). Another Girl! Hannah Maree!

It was a very exciting and wonderful experience. We called my friend/neighbor, and had her bring Sariah back home to meet her new baby sister, very soon after the birth. (as a matter of fact - she didn't really realize till just a few years ago, she hadn't actually been there!)

After the birth, Hannah was placed on my belly, and then I got to hold her. Rebekah got to cut the cord. (Dad did the final cut later to shorten the cord). The midwives tended to me and made sure all was well, then they left us alone (and went out into the other room), to let us bond as a family for a little while. It was really nice. They came in later and actually asked when they could do her newborn exam. I told them now was just fine, and they did the exam right there on the bed with her laying next to me.

We had some snacks, and drank a toast (non-alcoholic bubbly stuff) to celebrate the occasion.

Hannah Maree Robertson was born at 11:39 a.m. on 5 December 1998. She weighed 6 lbs 12 oz. and was 18 3/4 in long.

That evening we had a 'Birth' Day cake and the girls sang Happy Birthday to Hannah. It was cute. (In the Birth Story I wrote at the time of Hannah's birth, I wrote "Sariah, still sings Happy Birthday to 'Pannah' daily. It's her favorite song to sing to her new little sister." I thought that was interesting, that Hannah has become Nannah and Amanda is 'Pannah' now... too funny!)

I wrote all of this to say... Hannah, I LOVE you!!! and I hope you did in fact have a very good and Happy 10th Birthday!!!!! (and even if it is belated... birthday wishes from me, your mom! I love you).

December Birthdays...

I'm way over due with Hannah's birthday post, because of a Birth, and getting ready for Christmas Festival, etc...

To start with, I have a December birthday, My husband has a December birthday, and my Mother-in-law has a December birthday. There are things about a December birthday that are not so much fun. Like getting combined birthday/Christmas presents; or being told that you can't have a birthday party because "no one wants to buy a present for the kid down the street when it's Christmas time".
Birthstones are another issue...
Some months have things like Emerald's, Ruby's and Diamond's... December? Turquoise! (I used to HATE Turquoise! A BIG Gaudy rock!!! Blech!!!). When we decided it was time for Hannah to come into our lives, I was going to try to avoid any chance of having a December baby! (we were going to stop trying for several months). When I found out I was pregnant with Hannah, we were happy of course, but then I realized WHEN I was due to have my baby... I wasn't as excited about that part, but I figured that both Amanda and Sariah were born a full week or more before their expected due date, so I'd most likely have the baby in November. All I was asking for was a week - 6 days!
After she waited for her Due date to actually be born, and I figured I had a December Baby (girl) while we lived in New Mexico... I had better learn to like Turquoise. I did buy Hannah a little silver and turquoise baby braclet. it was quite cute on her little arm. Of course she has LONG since grown out of it. I bought a small pin with a nice piece in it for me.

In the past 10 years I will say I still am not into the really large turquoise pieces of jewelry, but I have seen a few items that I really have liked! (there was a wrist watch at the gift shop at Mt. Rushmore, I saw years ago, and it was gorgeous!!! I wanted it, but it cost quite a bit and didn't get it. It is one thing I have thought back on over the years and really sort of wished I had gotten it.
I have in the past couple of years found out that the Blue Topaz is another stone. It is quite lovely, and certainly more sparkly than turquoise, more like the diamonds, emeralds, etc... recently Bill got a new stone put into his class ring (he had lost the original stone (long story, but it was an opal, that shattered a LONG LONG time ago :-( !)). We found that the Lapis Lazuli is another stone that is a December birth stone. It is nice as well.







I found this info on another BLOG - http://unique-handmade-jewelry.blogspot.com/2006/12/lucky-december-birthstones_06.html
Lucky December Birthstones



Why are there so many December birthstones? They must have gotten to the 12th month of the year and had so many gemstones left over that they gave them all to December. Who knows why or when they were distributed to December, but whoever was born during this festive month has plenty of gemstones to choose from. First we'll start with the traditional birthstones, Lapis Lazuli and Zircon.

I sure wish someone had shared all this information with me many years ago, so I wouldn't have hated my birthstone(s) all my young life.

Also I have a sweet story that someone posted on a Dec. baby birth month bulletin board after Hannah was born. I think this is a sweet story... and it made me think back to the story of my own birth and homecoming.

And of course now as an adult, I love to reflect on the birth the Christ Child, our Lord and Saviour. I have began collecting nativities, as a way to focus and reflect on this miraculous event, and hope it helps to bring me closer to Christ, and to my Father in Heaven.
I love that the Stake puts on this fabulous Christmas Festival, and that we get to take so many Nativities and set them out and show them off. I love to see all of the craftsmanship, and effort people put into making them. I love to see how different countries portray the Nativity. It all makes me so happy (well, it does get a little crazy when we are in the middle of setting them all out, and putting things together for the festival.) I love any extra reason to think of the baby Jesus, born to his young mother, under not the best of circumstances, and yet that is what halps make the whole thing, so truly amazing!

It has been quite a week...

We went to physical therapy to start things out on Monday. I also had to take Marissa to Karate (usually dad tries to take her). I have been Bill's chauffer all week long, since he has been on serious pain medication, and not allowed to drive. I have enjoyed spending time with him, even if it was just running him around to Dr. appointments, or hanging out at the house with him half drugged.
Tuesday I took him to the urologist, and the Dr. took more x-rays, and the Kidney stone hadn't really moved at all. So, they scheduled Bill for Surgery to remove the stone on Thursday. Bill was drinking tons of fluids; water, cranberry juice, and nettle tea (good for kidney health), and despite that the stone hadn't moved. After we got home that night I had a prenatal appointment with a couple in Harvest/Limestone.
I drove Bill to the Eye Dr. on Tuesday, for an appointment he had.
Bill continued to drink massive amounts of fluids through the week, and late Wed. night a friend J brought over some lemon juice - he called and found out Bill had the kidney stone and after having gone through hat himself, had the 'miracle' cure! Lemon juice (you know from the 'real lemon' juice in the little lemon shaped plastic bottle), and olive oil (2 -3 oz. of Real Lemon, and 2 oz of EVOO). 4 times a day. Bill did one dose, but then had to stop, as he wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight, in preparation for the surgery the next day... I wonder if we'd have it longer if it would have worked or not, but we just didnt' have time. Thanks J for trying to help us out.
We got up Thursday morning, and while I was in the shower getting ready for the day, I got a phone call from one of my mom's... she had thought she was in preterm labor (33 wks) during the night and had taken a trip to the hospital at midnight. They came home around 4 am, but were supposed to go in to their Dr's office around noon.
On the way to Crestwood hosp. for Bill's surgery, I got a phone call from another client. She had been checked in to Crestwood hosp (luckily it was not HH where the other mom had been in the night), for an induction. I told them I'd be there soon and would come up and see them. Luckily I had thrown my birth bag in the vehicle with us, (in case the other mom needed me). We got there and Bill signed in, I ran up to see mom. She was doing alright, they were about to begin the Pit. I went back down with Bill and then they called him (on the beeper/buzzer, like you get at restraunts) for pre-op. They told me I had to stay out in the front and wait, until they got him ready, then they'd call me back. I found this somewhat odd. When Rebekah had her surgery to remove her tonsils a few years ago, I went with her for all of the pre-op procedures. When they did call me back I asked Bill what was so 'secretive' about the Pre-op stuff. They had, had him change into a gown, they had put in the I.V. and that was pretty much it... I watch as women have lood drawn and get I.V.s all the time. Why this was a big deal and the family member couldn't go with, I have NO idea!
When the couple called and said they were being induced, Bill called a friend of ours (Mr. Scott), and asked if he could help us out that day. He was more than happy to help - he's a great friend. He brought me lunch at the hospital, and waited for Bill to be finished with surgery and was giong to drive Bill home, since I would still be at the hospital for the birth.
As we awaited for them to take him into surgery Bill began to get a little anxious about things. We had a time crunch... and now I was going to be at a birth on top of that. His surgery was supposed to start at 1 pm. The anesthesiologist came in at about 1:45 to talk to him. He asked im what he liked to be called, so he knew what to say to him as he went under and when he woke up out of the general anethesia. He said, "Bill", and that when he woke up to tell him to "wake up, he had a birthday party to go to". They all laughed, but it was the truth, and it actually helped. Bill said as he was coming out of the anesthesia, he heard them say somethign about a birthday and e was suddenly absolutely awake, and aware, and wanted to get going! ;-) They called me after the procedure and said he did well. I went on upstairs at that time, since I couldn't go see him until he did wake up.
While I'd been gone from mom this time, they'd broken her water and resigned her to be stuck in the bed for her labor, on Pitocin.
When Bill did wake up I went back down to see him. He said all that he had to do was to go to the bathroom, and then 15 minutes later... he'd be released. He wanted to leave, so he did what they wanted and they told him to get dressed and he was free to leave after they discharged him.
So... after 2 weeks of pain and hassle adn a not so fun surgical procedure, where the stone was pretty stuck, and ther Dr. had to tug at it to remove it...
We are the not so proud parents (well Bill anyway) of a not so bouncing Kidney Stone!
Meanwhile, Rebekah (and her friend R) drove all the kids to Chuck E. Cheese where Bill and Scott met them for Hannah's Birthday Party.
***Hannah will get her own post about her birth-day, but... it's been a crazy week, and at least wanted to post something.***

Appearantly Chuck E. Cheese was a hit! Hannah's friends all seemed to enjoy themselves, and Hannah had a GREAT time! She said it was the best birthday she'd ever had!!! The lucky part for us was that since we'd already scheduled it there adn for that day, other than the stress fo Bill being out of surgery in time, and me being at a birth instead of at her party (which she was o.k. with), It worked out really well, since They handled everything, and she had even said she wanted their birthday cake this year - not mine... (should that hurt?), but it made it nice. All Bill had to do was sit there. :-)

For information sake - Mom delivered a darling baby boy- 7 lbs 10 oz, 20 in, at 2:04 am on 5 December. So now Hannah has a birthday buddy. (I hope to write out her birth story on my birth stories blog).

I Will Sew No More Forever!!!!!

Just kidding... but I've had about all the sewing I can stand/handle for a little while! I still haven't figured out all the fun parts of my new sewing machine... but me and sewing machine tension are not the best of friends. I don't know why, but I can be sewing along just fine.. I change stitch which is all supposed to be pre-set in the machine... and the tension is all messed up and I have to unpick more than what I don't. It is very frustrating, and I never made it to bed last night and I really didn't have very much to do... but it literally took ALL NIGHT long!!! o.k., so Liam got up twice, and seeing lights on downstairs... thought he had to fully wake up and come down to investigate! Amanda gave up around 1 a.m. and went to bed. Rebekah left us around 11 p.m. but she had to get up early today and go to work.

Anyway, Bill and the girls are leaving this afternoon, so I HAD to get the clothing finished!!! Amanda and I finally finished all of it around 10 a.m. Now if I can get the girls to model the clothes for me to take a picture or two!!!

We have also been doing a little dresser switch-a-roo at our house. We bought a couple of dressers from someone who moved from our ward, and so I've been trying to get the kids dressers cleaned out (clothes that don't fit, or winter clothes) and then switch dressers from one room to another...

I also had a fantastic FIND this week. Driving kids too and fro in the neighborhood this past week, I noticed someone putting out a little tykes playground set. eventually after driving past it on sat a couple of times (but only parts of it were out), then noticing it still sitting out on Sunday as we drove past the street... On Monday we drove past it and it had a for sale sign on it. I made Amanda (my resident chauffer) stop the van and go up to the door and ask how much. She came back to the car and I could hardly believe it! The family really only wanted it to go away, but didn't want to throw it away in the trash... the mom had told her son if he'd haul it out front, she'd give him the money for it. They sold it to me for $20.00!!!!! Sure it is sun faded, but my goodness, it is a $200-$300.00 PLAYGOUND!!!! Liam and the other kids (mine as well as neighborhood kids) are LOVING it!

The other happenings this week have been that Hannah has been going to softball camp, and really enjoying it. Today they were working on learning to 'slide' into base. They got to do a slip and slide with dish soap to help make it even more slippery... they had fun but Hannah was Freezing and she took a long hot shower when she got home. (the water must have been cold, because it is blazing hot outside here in AL!)
Liam was sitting on the potty yesterday, and by chance went pee-pee on the potty! yippeee, perhaps he'll figure out what it is really for now! He LOVES to sit on the potty, but has never actually gone on the potty before. This morning he was wearing training underwear, and I noticed him straining a little, and ran him to the bathroom and he got something in the potty, then he flushed it happily. Of course just after that he pee-pee'd in his pants and on the floor in the front hallway! Oh well... one step forward two steps back.