My Cup Runneth Over

Christmas with Toddlers Part 2

2009-12-13T00:03:00.000-06:00

Many of you read my note "Christmas with Toddlers."

We have a couple of big updates:

The other day I posted a note about the boys being completely TERRIBLE!! I mean, the entire day was AWFUL, and quite possibly one of the hardest yet since being a Mommy. I mentioned something about "Santa watching" again since that seemed to help for Jacob several days earlier. Caleb announces to me, "Santa not watching, Mommy." I tell him, "Uh, yeah, Caleb, HE IS watching and he knows that you are not minding your Mommy right now!" Caleb gave me a very seriously look, which, as he often does, shows his little "gears turning" so to speak. He ran to his bedroom window were the previously mentioned inflatable Santa "rests" during the day. He reports to me, "No, Mommy; Santa no watching; Santa night-night right now!!" So come to find out, he realized that he could be naughty all day because Santa was not inflated, therefore "Santa night-night!" UGH - what a stinker!!

That night, Daddy came home from work and I told him all about what had happened during the day. Jon called Santa to request that the twins be temporarily added to the "naughty" list, possibly being changed at a later time pending their behavior. Jacob got very serious after Jon's "phone call," requesting that Jon then "call Jesus!"

Hmmm... was he trying to go above Santa's head? Wanting to ask for forgiveness?! We aren't too sure. It was one of those moments that I was doing everything I could to keep my calm, serious face. His blue eyes were again HUGE, and I didn't want to bust out laughing during his obvious moment of distress.

Christmas with Toddlers

2009-12-09T22:19:00.002-06:00

The twins are really getting into Christmas this year! They actually seem to understand a lot of what's going on. Many of their comments are cracking us up, so I through I would share the laughs.

Last night at dinner, Jacob was really being a "toot," whining about everything and not wanting to eat. Finally Jon said "Jacob, that is enough - if you scream one more time you are going to time out!!" He still proceeded to scream, so Jon stood up - still no reaction from Jacob. Caleb's mouth dropped open and he said "Jacob, Santa is watching you!!!" Jacob immediately stopped crying. His big blue eyes became huge, and he instantly turned back into a good boy. He ate all of the rest of his dinner quietly, and then asked very nicely for yogurt. It was a complete 180.

Since that moment, I cannot tell you have many times I have heard them remind each other, "Santa's watchin', Bubba!"

This morning the utility room door was open, and Caleb saw the vacuum cleaner. He asked to have it, and I told him no, that it was Mommy's. He looked at me very seriously, as if he was soaking in what I had said. He then said, "I be back," as he ran off to his bedroom. I tip toed behind him to see what in the world he was doing. There little Caleb stood, looking out his window with the sweetest smile. (Note: We have an inflatable Santa just outside the twins' bedroom window.) "Santa, I want a vacuuume pweesee?!" He turned to retreat back to the living room, but then turned back towards the window and shouted "thank you, Santa!"

Tonight in the play room we had another great instance. Jacob got really wound up - which he does often. He wanted to wrestle and tackle Caleb, but Caleb kept telling him no. After some time, Caleb got on one of the toy phones and spoke into it: "Hi, Santa. I be good. But Jay-Jay be BAD!" He finished his sentence with a huge "Caleb giggle!"

The inflatable Santa mentioned above has been quite a source of entertainment for our guys. They have spent much time admiring him, as well as our two deer, other lights, and candy canes lining the drive. We have our Christmas lights sat on a timer so that they come on at dark, and remain on for 6 hours. Without power, Santa of course collapses. Because of this, they are now convinced that Santa is nocturnal. :-) The second day we had the lights in our yard, the boys opened their blinds and were horrified to see Santa collapsed! The twins kept asking "Mommy, Santa ok? He ok, Momma?!?!" I told him that Santa was just resting. So, they now report that "Santa asleep all day, but he get up after dark!" They periodically check on him and each time tell him, "Night-night, Santa."

The coolest thing, however, is that when we ask them "what is Christmas," they both reply "it Jesusess burfhday!" :-)

A little unrelated, but still very funny - Gabe sneezed the other day. (The twins have both gotten really good at saying "Bless You" when someone sneezes, as well as "Scuse me" when they burp - but that's another story!) Nobody said anything to Gabe, so I asked, "Boys, what do you say when someone sneezes?" I got completely blank looks. You could have heard crickets chirping. So, I ask again. At this point I think Caleb is on to what I want him to say, but instead gave me his infamous sly, impish little Caleb grin (this should have been my first clue that he was planning to say something funny). I ask, "Caleb, what do Mommy and Daddy say to you when you sneeze?" *big smarty pants grin* “Mommy say - cover your mouth, Cay-Cay!”

It's never a dull moment around here!

Halloween Meal!

2009-10-30T15:05:00.005-05:00

Since tomorrow will be a busy day for us, the boys had their fun food today! (Y'all know I have to go all crazy on holidays!) As always, everything was holiday related and semi healthy. I am passing this on now in case any one wants to copy it for tomorrow.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Patch Oatmeal

I made a pot of oatmeal (3 servings), and added three tablespoons of pureed pumpkin, about a tablespoon (or a little less) of smart balance margarine, some cinnamon, and a little brown sugar. In their bowls, I put sliced bananas around the edge and one "candy corn" pumpkin in the middle. (I mean, it IS Halloween - we can get away with just a touch of candy for breakfast, right?!)

Results: Jacob and Caleb ate all of theirs, and Caleb (my big breakfast eater) even had seconds. They all asked for seconds on the pumpkin too - nice try, boys, but not so much. ;-)

Lunch:

Pumpkin Pizzas

I halved 2 Oroweat Whole Grain and Flax Omega-3 English Muffins, spread a little pizza sauce over the top of each, added some cheese, covered the top with sliced up pepperonis and a little more cheese (to hold them in place), and placed a small triangle of green bell pepper to the top. I then baked at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. While they were baking, I cut a cheese slice into 12 little triangles, and 4 smiles. After 5 minutes, I turned off the oven, put the cheese "smiles" on the pizzas, and baked for about 2 more minutes. (See picture below)

We also had...

Pumpkin Mac N Cheese - Kraft has a "Halloween shapes" boxed mac and cheese. I made this as per the directions, but substituted 1/2 pureed pumpkin in place of the butter.

And...

Pumpkin Hummus!

Ingredients:

1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

PLACE chickpeas, pumpkin, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt and pepper into food processor; cover. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Additional water, a teaspoon at a time, can be added if a smoother consistency is desired

Results: Jacob went nuts! He ate every bite of everything, giggling the whole time, and requested more hummus. Gabe ate almost a whole pizza himself, had about a tablespoon of hummus, and had THIRDS on the pumpkin mac and cheese! Caleb... well, little Caleb saw everything and got too wound up to eat. He was belly laughing like crazy, and started acting out a little. He quickly calmed down, got sweet, and ate everything when he saw Jacob and Gabe getting dessert though...

Dessert was pumpkin muffins!

We love pumpkin muffins!! I make these all year, and always have them in our freezer.

Combine well 1 box of spice cake mix, 1 can of pumpkin, and 3/4 cup natural apple sauce and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes for regular sized muffins or about 20 minutes for mini muffins. Super easy. But, of course, today I added cream cheese frosting and a candy corn on top of each mini muffin! :-)

(These muffins freeze well. Just take out of the freezer and microwave for 1 minute. The boys love mornings when I am running behind, as we have a pumpkin muffins, bananas, and milk for breakfast!)

We ended up not eating the mummy cookies today, as their were already too wound up. I cannot take credit for them, as they were made by a mom of one of the twins' classmates. Aren't they cute though? (milano cookie, drizzled with white frosting, and mini M&M's for eyes)

I hope someone takes this idea for tomorrow! It was all really good, and the boys loved it!

My only concern...

Do you think it is possible to consume TOO MUCH Vitamin A in one day?! Sheesh! haha

I AM THE 12th MAN!!

2009-09-05T23:49:00.004-05:00

Most of you who frequent our blog know the tradition of the 12th Man. For those of you who do not, here is a great link that discusses the significance. We have taken 12th Man photos on the boys for three years now. Here are all of the so that you can compare throughout the years...

JACOB ALAN

2007

2008

2009

CALEB LUKE

2007

2008

2009

GABRIEL "GABE" ELISHA

2008

2009

Also be sure to check out the last post for some of the outtakes and other fun shots of the first day of college football at the Seastrunk Casa!

College Football Has Begun!

2009-09-05T23:27:00.006-05:00

Today was a lot like Christmas morning around the Seastrunk House... college football has begun! It was an exciting day, and the boys were all pretty good while we watched bits and pieces of several games. We took our yearly 12th Man photos, and Jon is currently editing them now. But until then, I thought I would include some of the "outtake" photos. Enjoy! More to come soon...

Jacob put his boots on by himself - that was NOT our idea.

Doesn't Caleb always look like he is up to something?!

Jon had to get in on the fun too!

"Face mask, #12, Gabriel Seastrunk, 15 yard penalty..."

What a GREAT shot of all of the boys!!

Head to head with Momma...

... and Momma got SACKED!

Gabe actually does have a good arm!

Gabe is ONE!

2009-08-30T13:53:00.005-05:00

On August 18th, Gabriel turned one year old!

We had a small "party" for him at our house with our family, my parents, and Jon's Dad and Gran.

We had a great dinner of Spaghetti Casserole (one of Gabe's favorites) and Sesame Street cake (which was a big hit by all of the boys).

He was also a pro at opening his gifts!

At this age, even a small party is enough to wear a little guy out...

... and perhaps a big guy too!

Continuing his trend of being a real trooper, Gabe is completely off of a bottle and “pas-pas” (pacifier). He loves giving HIMSELF whole milk from his sippy cup – just like his big brothers. He also will not allow us to feed him, but would rather do it himself.

His vocabulary is much more advanced than the twins were at his age, however with think a lot of that has to do with him being exposed to me working with the twins are their speech due to their mild delay (which is much improved, by the way). He is quite a social butterfly, waving and saying "bye-bye" to everyone we pass. He also shocks us by repeating a lot of words we say - ALREADY!

Gabe had his one year check up appointment on August 19th, and is wonderfully healthy! He is still on the smaller end of the growth chart, but is consistent with his previous trends (so we are not at all worried).

He was 29 1/4 inches, which puts him around the 30th percent for height; and 20 pounds, 11 ounces, which puts him around the 20th percent for weight.

He eats like crazy, especially Italian food and Hummus! When he really likes something, he will get a big grin and say "mmmmm..."

This last picture of Gabe is of him in his Daddy's first rocking chair.

If you can't say anything nice...

2009-08-27T00:04:00.002-05:00

This blog has been pretty quiet lately. Since about March until July, not a lot had gone our way. I guess I have just not wanted to be a downer. Don't get me wrong, things could definitely be a lot worse, but let's not even THINK about that!!! Jon and I have agreed that March of this year until the last several weeks or so had been the most rotten time of either of our lives. No kidding. We are all still alive and mostly well, but one little thing after the other was going wrong.

Jon has said that it is like the "Perfect Storm" around our house. In addition to nothing really going right, we also have three toddlers in our house - two who are in the midst of the terrible twos, AND Jon has been working crazy long hours. That combination is not good!

So, just to name a few crazy things:

We had almost baseball sized (2 1/4 in) hail, which did a number on our roof and vehicles (mostly Jon's truck)

Our next door neighbor's house caught fire, scarily close to our house (this happened in May, and they are still out almost every day restoring the house)

Our microwave broke

Our bathroom toilet broke

Another hail storm came through, doing a little more damage

Both bathroom sinks broke (Jon and his dad had to replace two of the sinks)

I fell and badly hurt my left knee (this was in June - it is still is visibly bruised and very tender to the touch. I am *thinking about* going to the doctor for it since it WAS two months ago now!)

Our 20 year old Bradford Pear tree died, and we had to pay someone to come out and remove it and plant a new tree

I broke my right "baby" toe!

Jon's grandmother had to have a hospital stay

I was rear-ended, and therefore had to deal with insurance companies, auto repair companies, set up a rental car (by the way, it is NOT an easy task to track down a van/mini-van during the summer while lots of family are taking road trips), and see the chiropractor three times a week

We also completely potty trained two boys - including night time - during all of this.

This is not mentioning the day-to-day drama of having three BOYS (and they are ALL BOY!) under the age of three!

So, yeah, I have just mostly kept quiet. In addition, I just haven’t had much down time to blog. We are all doing much better now - thank you God. Jacob and Caleb are getting a little easier *some days*, and Gabe has made it to ONE year. The twins have started going to a preschool program Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 – 2:00. This gives me time with one baby - which I am finding is a piece of cake in comparison! Perhaps with things somewhat slowing down, I can update more often. I have said that in the past, however, so I am not making any promises!

More to come on our day to day adventures…

Losing our Bradford Pear

2009-07-07T08:57:00.005-05:00

I moved to Keller in May 2003. I loved the house I bought (and we are still in), and a big part of the reason was the huge Bradford Pear Tree (Pyrus calleryana) in the back! I would not have chosen to plant the Bradford Pear (not a Texas native), but I am glad the people before us did. It is tolerant of dry and hot conditions, good in full sun, and provides excellent shade. A couple of years ago, someone had mentioned to Jon that Bradford Pear Trees only live 15 - 20 years. Since our house was built in 1989 and we assume the tree was planted then, we knew that we didn't have much longer with our beloved tree. This Spring, the blooms were not as full, and it eventually died early this Summer. We are finally convinced that it is not coming back, and have someone out today to remove it. Looking back at pictures, I am really sad that we do not have many good ones of our tree (especially in full bloom in the Spring, when it was SO, so pretty). But here are a few:

The backyard before I bought the house in April 2003. (It looked way better after we gave it lots of TLC.)

One of my favorite pics of the twins, swinging in the tree October 2007.

Our tree during the "big snow," March 6, 2008.

Little Gabriel with a big tree, April 22, 2009 (Earth Day).

Yesterday, showing the size, yet dead branches.

Last night Jon took one last picture of me loving our tree (yeah, I am in my nightgown - so! hehehe).

We have a 15 foot Live Oak that will take it's place - but it really won't replace it. :-( More pics to come.

Welcoming Summer...

2009-06-22T15:46:00.004-05:00

... with watermelon,

water guns,

icy pops,

and daiquiris!

Gabe is 9 months!

2009-06-01T16:55:00.004-05:00

Since I just posted a Potty Training Update on the Twins, I thought I should go ahead and post Gabe's latest info as well!

On May 20th, he had his 9 Month Well Child Check Up. Can you believe he has been outside of my body as long as he was inside growing?

He is doing AWESOME, but is still very little. He was 17 pounds, 12 ounces (which puts him in the 10th percentile) and 27 1/2 inches long (which puts him in the 25th percentile for length).

Gabriel is extremely active, and he actually sleeps less than the twins!! He is a sweet, sweet boy, but sure keeps us hopping!

We did it!!

2009-06-01T16:37:00.002-05:00

We started the potty-training-in-3-days thing on April 17th. Supposedly you go through the program, and the child(ren) are then 100% potty training with no accidents including night time and nap time. It is straight up "cold turkey" plain cotton undies from the get go. We went into it knowing it would be a rough few days, but thought that this method would be the best for our family and circumstances in the long run. With Jon being gone so many hours out of the day, trying to train TWO boys at once, still tending to Gabe (who is nursing - therefore I can't drop everything and get two little guys to the potty in a moments notice), we need to get the most bang for our buck, per se. I HAD to do the hardest 3 days with Jon here. otherwise I KNEW that I would either give up or completely lose my mind.

Even with Jon here, poor Gabe got "neglected" a lot. Not really - but he's just didn't get near as much attention/cuddle time as he is accustomed and therefore has had to hang out in the swing a lot. But he made up for it by getting up about 5 or so times throughout the night during those three days! He's so rotten!

Anyway, Jon was able to stay home from work on Friday, April 17th, and we went for it. We had some good moments... and some not so good (messy) moments. (Think: the boys running to the bathroom after they have already started going on hard wood floors, and then slipping in the pee-pee! LOL!)

The morning of Day 2, Jon made the comment, "I feel like we are getting ready for Two-A-Days!" It is so true - it was not only mentally, but also physically challenging, as we would have to often pick up their almost 35 pound bodies and run them to the potty!

I had to call on (phone, message, email) a few friends for support/encouragement (thank you, ladies!). We then tweaked the program to include giving the boys suckers while they sat on the potty (to keep their little hinies planted on the potty seats). We did this because Caleb would tell us that he had to "pee-pee," go to the potty, sit down, then immediately jump up, clapping, telling us "all done-done!" (No, he had not yet gone!)

After Day 3, Jacob HAD IT down 100%! Caleb, as always, had to give me some problems. Caleb is so stubborn and strong willed, and always has been. I know that personality type has a lot of great qualities, but it sure is tough on the parents! At one point, I took Caleb off by himself and showed him a diaper, a Pull-Up, and cotton undies. I asked him to decided what he wanted, and told him that I would not be disappointed in him no matter what he chose. Thankfully, that worked and he got mad, saying "No diaper, UNDIES!" So, we continued on with undies. By Day 4, he too had it down.

The boys are actually wearing cotton undies for nap and bedtime too. So, YES, after 3 days, we got them 100% potty trained! We have used Pull-Ups on two occasions. The first week the boys had a dentist appointment, and I put them in those to prevent having to jump up from the dentist chair and run to the restroom. I didn't want to waste our dentist's valuable time for a false alarm... but in case it wasn't a false alarm, I didn't want to soak his chair! hahaha But, they did not pee-pee in the Pull-Ups even. (The other time I had to drive all three boys to Irving in the the rain in rush hour traffic. I thought it would be better to have that barrier rather than me trying to whip over to the side if the road in those conditions, risking an accident at the first shout of "pee-pee, Mommy!!")

On a funny side note, the Pull-Ups had Lightening McQueen on them, and Jacob LOVED it! He refused to take off his Pull-Up after we got home from the dentist, as he wanted to keep wearing the "Cars Undies." I called Jon at work, and he so graciously went to Wal-Mart on his way home to pick up some REAL Cars Undies. Jacob finally changed from the Pull-Up. He gets really upset when we go to the underwear drawer to find that the Cars Undies are dirty.

We very rarely have accidents now, and when we do it is almost always at night. (They each wet the bed about once a week or less at this point.) The only other problem is that they don't like to potty in public! I mean, who does though, right?! As of now, we have to take their potty seat in the van and walk outside our location to go in the parking lot. Jacob has gone in a public restroom a couple of times, but Caleb would rather hold it until he is crying before peeing in a public potty! That has caused a little challenge, but I guess it is better than them having accidents!

Anyway, so that is pretty much our potty training experience! Now we just have to work on little Gabriel... ;-)

Feeding Time at the Seastrunk Zoo!

2009-05-18T15:26:00.003-05:00

I know that it has been over a month since my last blog! I suppose I left any readers out there hanging about how the potty training went. Just so you know, the boys have rocked potty traning, in my opinion! (Not counting Gabe, of course, we have used ZERO diapers and only about 4 pull-ups since April 17th - this DOES include nap time and bed time!) I'll post more about potty training later - I promise - but for now, I just want to rant while I have a free second or two... because it's my blog and I can, dang it! :-)

LIFE HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY TOUGH LATELY!!!

I knew having three kids within 18 months would not be easy, but this has been ridiculous lately. Many days I just try to stay afloat until 7:00, when Jon finally gets home and provides back up.

People often make a statement which REALLY cracks me up: "Wow - I guess having ONE BABY is easy after having TWINS, right?" (Note: if you are one who has made this comment, no worries, as I see where you were coming from when making the comment. And don't feel silly, as MANY people have made it.)

YES, YES, YES, having one baby IS indeed easier than two babies, sure. BUT, the twins haven't gone anywhere! If the twins had just packed their stuff and moved out when little Gabe came along, YES, one baby would be much easier than raising twin babies. BUT, life is MUCH, MUCH more difficult with twin toddlers AND ONE BABY!!!

The highlight of most days is lunch. ("WUNCH," as the twinados would say) It's not my fun time of day here lately, and today was definitely no exception. Just a little bit about what occurs during my lunch hour...

I sneak out of the room to get the plates ready before the boys go to the table, in attempt to prevent a melt down. Usually one sees me and requests "wunch," nicely at first. I tell them that I am going to fix "wunch," and will let them know when it is ready. Some days this works. Other days, like today, they run to the kitchen, throw themselves dramatically at the kitchen gate, and scream "Mommmm-maaaaaa, WWWWUUUNNCHHH, PWWWEEEEESE...." As if they didn't just have a huge breakfast and snack earlier in the day. So I proceed to make their plates, carry on a conversation in attempt to distract, and try my best to ignore the screams. During this process, at least one of them ends up going to time out for throwing something my way, hitting/biting their brother, or some other offense.

As I am carrying them, kicking and screaming to time out, I do try to rationalize (haha), "you, know, the more you distract Momma from making your lunch, the longer it is going to take to get to your tummy."

So, 30 minutes (on average) later, I have completed a task which should only take 10 minutes or less, and all four of our plates are ready to go. (Yes, Gabe is eating with us now - with my help.)

We then walk to the table, touching the stove, pantry, refrigerator, and every other interesting thing along the way. THEY want to be the ones to climb up and buckle their own booster seats - and SHREAK if I dare try to help, in attempt to speed up the process.

We say our prayer - "Food, faith, and forgiveness, AMEN!" (a shortened, toddler, easier to say version of the Lord's Prayer) - and get the plates. If all goes well, they say "Thank you, Momma," and eat. Yes, this does happen some days... and then there are days like today.

"Noooo....," Jacob screams, as he throws a spoonful of Mac and Cheese.
"Jacob, stop that, you love Mac and Cheese - do you need an Uh-Oh time (time out)?"
"NO! PUFFS!!!"
(He wants some of Gabe's puffs rather than his own lunch.)
"Jacob, those are for the BABY, not the big boys. But you can have a couple AFTER you finish your lunch if you'd like."
(Caleb parrots everything now and says "Aff - wunch.")

A minute or so of this passes, and Jacob is sent off to his room. I come back to Gabe getting ansy, and Caleb crying "pee-pee, pee-pee" while grabbing "himself."

"Caleb, do you REALLY have to go pee-pee? Seriously?!"

He stops, starts eating his food, so I take a bite of my food while giving Gabe a bite of his. Jacob has been quiet, so I go "save him" from time out. As I sit back down, take one bite, and then give Gabe one more bite, Caleb begins rocking in his seat, eyes wide, "pee-pee, Momma, PEE-PEE!!"

CRAP - he is SERIOUS!! So, Caleb goes "pee-pee."
"Yippee, Caleb - high-five - now let's go back to lunch."

By this time, Jacob has devoured his plate. "Moore?"
"OK, sit down, Caleb; what do you want more of, Jacob?"

OK, Jacob had more - let's try this again.

My food is cold, but I am hungry, so I get a few more bites and give poor little Gabe a few more bites

Now Jacob is grabbing himself and rocking.

Back to the potty.

Yea, Jacob! But as we come back, Caleb is asking for "moore."

Gabe is getting more and more ansy to finish HIS lunch!

OK, Caleb, more...

I get up, and Gabe finally looses it and is TICKED!! *melt down alert!*

Jacob is finished with lunch, and ready to get down.

This pace goes on, but the dramatic conclusion is that Jacob sits at the table against his will, munching on puffs (remember - I did bargain that he could have a few if he just ATE!) as we waits on us, Caleb plays with his broccoli, every so often taking a bite when he catches me looking, and end up holding Gabe as I feed him, since he is too ticked off to sit in his highchair any longer. Oh, and I do get to consume a couple of dino-shaped nuggets and a couple of spoonfuls of mac and cheese.

Several phrases that are often heard during lunch (and were probably tossed in throughout the dialogue above) include:

"Where's your spoon?" (My nice way of implying: "Oh, good gracious, USE YOUR SPOON and not your flippin' HANDS while eating yogurt!")

"Take one bite and then sit it down, please." (My nice way of implying: DO NOT stuff the whole freakin' piece of bread in your mouth - you are NOT starving to death and you're going to CHOKE doing that!)

"Do NOT throw food at Momma!!" (No being nice about this one.)

"Do NOT throw your plate on the floor!" (Again, no more Mrs. Nice Momma here.)

A phrase that is often heard a breakfast, but should also be included here is, "Put your bowl down - Do NOT put the bowl of oatmeal on your HEAD!" (Oh, and you better believe that if one boy puts the bowl of oatmeal on their head, the other will think it is hysterical and do the same.)

Getting the savage beasts, I mean, MY SWEET CHILDREN fed definitely drains my energy.

Just had to vent a little...

People always ask me how I "do it" with three kiddos under three years of age. I am not sure how to answer that rather than, "well, I just DO!"

We finally all got fed, cleaned up, pottied again, read three stories, and down for nap. Well, the BOYS all got a nap anyway. I guess I could have rather than venting, but I just had to let all of my blogger buddies in on what we have been up to.

Next time I will be back to my nice, pleasant self. I promise! :-)

I was working on a potty update blog about a month ago now, and got side tracked. I'll finish it up SOON!

The laundry is dry... so BACK TO WORK for me!

Pray for us...

2009-04-13T18:09:00.003-05:00

The boys seem ready, but I sure am not! Jon and I have a huge challenge ahead of us starting Friday. I'll let the pictures explain...

We have one Fisher-Price Royal Stepstool Potty...

... and another...

...a toddler-sized urinal... (this REALLY cracks me up!!)

... a potty training Elmo...

... and 30 pairs of little underwear!

I guess we have everything we need to get going. Wish us luck!

They were EMPTY!

2009-04-13T00:02:00.003-05:00

What do you think happened with our resurrection biscuits from the previous post?!

I baked them this morning before the boys got up so that we could enjoy them for breakfast. When we each bit into our biscuits, we surprised to find the center empty!

The marshmallow – Jesus – is GONE! Our little tombs are empty, but still very good and sweet. He is not here, but has risen indeed (Luke 24:5)!

Right now the boys think it is just good food and maybe a little Momma Magic involved, but in a few years I’ll get to explain the science behind. We do plan on making this a tradition.

Happy Easter from The Seastrunk Family! We had a GREAT day this way, and I hope to get some more pictures posted soon.

By the way... the biscuits were not only a fun little project, but also very tasty!

Resurrection Biscuits

2009-04-11T22:40:00.004-05:00

We did a really good project with the boys tonight. I love it in that it teaches not only a important Bible lesson, but also cooking and science! (You all know I am quite the multi-tasker!)

We took Grands canned biscuits, and flattened them out until they were about 5 inches across.

We then poured melted butter across each biscuit. This was like the tears pouring down from the eyes of the people who believed that Jesus really was the Son of God.

Then we sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on it. These represent the spices used to anoint Jesus' body before His burial.

Then we all got one large marshmallow to represent Jesus.

It is white because it stands for His purity and His sinless life.

We placed the marshmallow in the center of each biscuit, then folded the sides around it forming a "tomb".

We then placed them crease side down on a baking sheet, so they will not open while cooking.

I then added more cinnamon and sugar to the outside of the biscuits. This is because sweetest part of the story, is that Jesus died because He loves us, wants us to know Him, and live with Him forever one day.

But at this point, Caleb became VERY upset that I took his biscuit away! I placed them in the oven as another symbol of Christ in the tomb. (They are just sitting their tonight. I'll cook them at 350 for 15 minutes or so before the boys get up tomorrow.) We told him that it was fine to be sad... Jesus' followers were also very sad when the tomb was sealed.

That didn't really help matters with our strong willed little Cay-Cay who also happens to LOVE sweets!

We distracted him with bath time, which he also really loves. All was well again by bed time. I think he will be excited to see his "tomb" again in the morning.

What do YOU think happens in the rest of the story?! We will find out the good news tomorrow!!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T22:36:00.003-05:00

This is VERY cool however I cannot take credit. It came from another blog I frequent, Weelicious.

I love all food-related things associated with holidays, but dyeing easter eggs is an especially favorite activity for me. This isn’t exactly a cooking activity for younger kids, but I think it’s close enough to qualify. Like most kids, I grew up using Paas Easter egg dyes. I realize it’s a lot easier using dye kits, but I think doing it the natural way is so much more fun, healthy and natural and it’s a great way to use some of the spices that have been in the cabinet for a while.

You should have seen our kitchen stove, covered with pots brimming over with all kinds of cool color concoctions. We tried everything from juices, to spices, to frozen berries, to fresh vegetables and more with, what I have to admit, very mixed results! I dreamed of using fresh spinach to turn organic white eggs an emerald green, but instead I got a pale green that was basically undetectable. The turmeric on the other hand was an amazing bright yellow, as golden as the sun.

Once we dyed the eggs, I let Kenya decorate them with stickers and markers. His favorite part, though, was dropping and rolling them on the counter, peeling off the shells and eating them up. So I guess this is a food activity after all!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

White Eggs, preferably organic if you’re going to eat them

Turmeric (yellow eggs)
Frozen Blueberries (lavender eggs)
Beets (pink eggs)
Chili Powder (rust/brown eggs)
Pomegranate or Grape Juice (grey, blueish, red eggs)

White Vinegar

1. Place eggs in a pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Stir in 2 tbsp of white vinegar and the food ingredient for desired color.
2. Bring water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, reduce, simmer and cook for 15-30 minutes (the longer you cook the eggs, the tougher they will be).
3. Check the eggs to see if the desired color is achieved.
4. Let the easter egg hunt begin!

*If you want the eggs a deeper color you can remove them from the pot, let the color mixture cool and pour it back over the eggs and refrigerate overnight or longer. The longer the eggs are covered with the color, the deeper the shade will be. We also found that the color of the eggs deepened after they dried.

*If you want to eat the eggs make sure to refrigerate them.

What Tha' Hail?!

2009-04-07T15:43:00.003-05:00

I have a few posts in the works, but since this occurred last week, I thought I would post a picture from our most recent hail storm for those of you not in the area.

Yup, we had 2 1/4 inch hail! What's crazy is that we had NO warning. We knew that thunderstorms were expected, but we didn't know anything about hail coming in along with it.

It was about 10:30 pm, the twins were down, I had just finished nursing and changing Gabe's diaper, and was about to put him into his bed when it literally sounded like gun fire had hit our house! Jon turned to me and said "WHAT WAS THAT?!" And then it hit again. About the same time we both realized what was going on. I put Gabe on our bedroom floor, and took off for the garage, as both vehicles were outside! Jon grabbed the keys, and ran out to get the Odyssey. About the same time we also realized just how big the hail was, and that it might not have been too smart of a move for him to run out in it!

Surprisingly enough, however, we didn't get a lot of damage. We will need a new roof (surprise, surprise), Jon's truck has several large dings, and the Odyssey has a couple small ones. Overall, not too bad. As the boys and I went for a walk the next day, we saw several broken windows, including a broken back window of a BMW. Yikes - hope the interior didn't also suffer from the damage!

A couple of days later, the ground dried out and so I finally let the boys back in the yard to play. We then noticed some more damage. Jacob walked to his little wagon and fell to the ground saying "No, uh-oh, no..." (So dramatic!) I wish I would have taken a picture, but I was too busy trying to console Jacob while muffling/hiding my giggles. His little plastic wagon which he uses to pull around his juice, "la-la," and whatever toy he attached to that day around the yard had a baseball sized hole in the bottom. Supermomma was able to piece it back together with duct tape and mailing tape - "all better!"

We have had a lot more exciting times - including our church's Eggstravaganza and Opening Day at the Ballpark - so more posts will soon follow.

Happy Spring!

2009-03-21T18:30:00.004-05:00

We had a great day playing outside today and got a few good pictures too! Below are a couple of the really good ones.

The Boys

Jacob pushing Mommy

Caleb and Daddy swinging

The Boys climbing

More words

2009-03-16T20:19:00.003-05:00

I forgot to add a few classic new words to the Yackety Yack blog.

Mess - Both boys use it often, but Caleb scares us a little. He cannot STAND messes, yet, unfortunately, doesn't much care for picking them up either. If he drops a bite off of his spoon, he gets very anxious and repeats "mess, mess, mess..." over and over until we either clean it or are able to convince him it is not a big deal and we will get it later. Jacob and Caleb both like to inform us that their playroom is a mess, but refuse to keep it tidy... hmmm... not sure how it help them there!

Clean - Along the same lines, they like to clean. Before you get too jealous about that, you should know that they really don't like to keep the area clean for long. For example, they will pick up every last MegaBlok and Hot Wheels car in playroom, put it in its proper storage container, and then turn it over, dumping it all back onto the floor immediately after. They cannot STAND for the toys to be cleaned, yet they love the process of cleaning. Crazy boys! Oh, they also like to help me clean up after breakfast by using a napkin to rub oatmeal into (errr, I mean off?) of the table. Such the helper boys, right?!

Switch - This one cracks me up, as it sounds more like "swish." It started when Jacob wanted a book that Caleb had. Jacob really, really wanted the book, but Caleb wasn't parting with it (yet he wasn't even reading it - he just didn't want Jacob to have it). I suggested that Jacob go get one of Caleb's favorite books (the Grandpa book), and ask his brother if he wanted to switch. Well, sure enough, Jacob got the book, went up to Caleb, and asked "swish?" Caleb handed over the book - no questions asked!! I got so excited and praised them both. Evidently it stuck with them, as they still ask to "swish" things multiple times a day. Sure, it sounds really cute, but it is not so cute when they want to "swish" cups, toothbrushes, and plates and seats at the dinner table - in the middle of the meal!

A Few Recent Pictures

2009-03-11T09:00:00.005-05:00

Aren't my boys all getting BIG?!

Our Family on Jacob and Caleb's 2nd birthday!
(We are all in the picture - including Abby - and all HAPPY! If only Jacob would have been looking and they would have put the Thomas the Train gift bags down... but overall, a GREAT picture!)

My little Ladies Men and Major Cutie on Valentine's Day.

Group hug! Notice Jacob is kissing Gabe's forehead... awww!

The Valentine's card that we made to send out to the boys' Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great Grandma!

The 4 Seastrunk Boys Opening Weekend of Aggie Baseball Season 2009!
(Don't you LOVE the boys' matching "old school" baseball uniforms?!)

Yackety yack!

2009-03-09T15:14:00.003-05:00

Jacob and Caleb are saying A LOT now, but here are a few noteworthy words that we hear often:

"NO" - I hear this no less that 200 times a day around here! Oftentimes this great word is heard in unison: "NO," but sometimes they add a twist for me. My personal favorite is "no-no-no" said in a high pitch tone. After several days of them doing this, I realized that they were mocking me ("Boys, no-no-no, let's come read books quietly for a minute rather than beating cars on the table.")

"Play" - Anytime we are doing an evil necessity - like washing hands, changing diapers, waiting on me to fix lunch, waiting on me to clean up the kitchen after lunch, etc - they inform me that they would rather "play" than participate in the task at hand.

"Bubba" - This is what they still call one another. They can also say "Cay-cay," "Jay-Jay," "Gabe" (sounds more like (Gee-be), "Gabriel" (which is hilarious to hear), and others, but the twins still choose to refer to one another and Gabe as "bubba."

"Grandpa Al" - This is greatness. My dad is Alan, but most people just call him Al, so we began telling the boys that he is their "Grandpa Al." When they first began repeating it, it came out more like "Growl-growl." Later it had three syllables, but was still "Gr-Gra-Growl." They have gotten close to mastering it now.

"Hers" - There is a great story behind this one! They boys really like to annoy Abby, our 10 year old rat terrier. They won't pet or play sweet with her for long, but insist on hitting, pulling her tail or legs, etc. So far she has been good with them, but I fear that she will retaliate any time. She has several toys of her own that they boys like to go steal (heaven forbid if SHE were to take one of there's!). Caleb came up to her one day as she was chewing a tennis ball and tried to snatch it. Afraid that Abby was about to bite, I yelled at him "Caleb, seriously, leave it alone - THAT IS HERS!" His eyes got all wide, "HERS?!" Me: "Yes, Cay, it IS hers." Well, he now calls a tennis balls - whether Abby's or not - "hers." I am working on trying to explain it to him, but no such luck. I think he might be playing tennis one day in high school with a racket and "hers!" :-)

"Abby" - Along the lines of Abby, they also love to scold her when SHE does something wrong - like try to come in the kitchen/dinning room while we are eating. Of course, "Abby" sounds like "B.B." for some reason, but we - including Abby - know what it means!!

"More" (mooore) - This is said about two or three times every meal. Within a couple of minutes of the start of a meal, something is gone from one part of their plate, and the request is on - "MORE!" Me: "Thank you for asking so sweet (*implied: rather than screaming*), but eat a few bites of something else, and then I'll get you MORE oranges (or whatever the requested item is)!"

They say almost all of the other basics - like juice, milk, ball, book, car - as well as some other random words, but I thought the above ranked as some of the funnier ones that we would want to remember years from now.

On that note, I'll close the blog with another favorite - "A-MEN!" This is said in the appropriate times (like when we finish their Baby Devotional before bedtime), as well as when they are getting impatient for their meal. If I am fixing their plates and they are really hungry, they will sit in their chairs saying "A-MEN, A-MEN..." over and over (and louder and louder). I guess they are letting me know that we have prayed, so there is no reason to delay food any longer!

(The sweet boys can also say "church," "Jesus," and "Bible" too. They LOVE Sunday School!!)

Be sure to see my previous blog too. Hopefully I'll get some pictures posted tomorrow!

So far behind...

2009-03-08T23:52:00.002-05:00

Well, I realize that I have not been great at blogging lately. Life has still been pretty crazy around here. Nothing earth shattering, really, just day-to-day life kind of stuff. I have been wanting to blog for a while now, but, being so far behind, knew that it would take me a long time to get caught back up, and I just don't have that kind of time right now. I came to the conclusion today, however, that I don't have to get caught up, rather just pick up where we are now. I mean, the twins are doing so many cute things, and I want to document it all here. Sure, I like to share it with all of our readers, but it also helps Jon and I to have record to remember in the future too.

So, anyway, a quick post for tonight:

Jacob and Caleb turned 2 on February 4th!! At their two year check up, Jacob was 34 1/2 inches and 33 pounds, while Caleb was 34 inches and 32.4 pounds. They are running everywhere and into everything. Their speech has really improved a lot too. Caleb talks constantly and is like a parrot, repeating the last word of EVERYTHING he hears! When Jacob does talk, it is more plain, but he just doesn't have a lot to say. When he does say something, it is important so listen up (sounds like his Daddy)!

Gabriel turned 6 months on February 18th, and was 15 pounds 12 ounces and 25 3/4 inches at his check up. He is still little, but otherwise doing awesome. He is the most calm mannered baby I have ever seen (thank God) and has the sweetest spirit. He laughs a lot and loves to play with his big brothers and in his exersaucer. He rolls all over the place and can sit up on his own too - I think we'll have a crawler on our hands before long. :-)

Jon and I are also doing well. We have gotten to go out a couple of times by ourselves, thanks to my parents watching the boys. We always miss the boys when we leave, but it is so nice to eat dinner without having to tend to a major meltdown, dodge food, wipe faces, get them seconds-and thirds-and a cookie before we even finish our main meal, etc.

I just wanted to briefly let you all know that we are doing well. It is after midnight now, and Gabe is still waking me every three hours or so (yes, through the night too), so I need to get some rest! I will TRY to be more diligent about picking up with now and making at least a brief blog more often. We'll see... :-)

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-26T15:40:00.001-06:00

1. I cannot tolerate artificial sweeteners. The commercials that compare Diet Dr Pepper to donuts, cookies, cake, or some other dessert just tick me off. Diet drinks just taste like nasty chemicals to me. Yup - I can taste Splenda too. YUCK!

2. On that note, I have a difficult time drinking a full can of "coke" (any type of soda) in one setting. 99 times out of 100, I'd much rather just have water.

3. The exception is Dublin Dr Pepper! I can slam back one of those no problem. YUM!

4. I love music - any type of music. However the two I listen the most on the radio are ol' school R&B (think 80s/90s - 107.5 FM) and Christian. Try combining Chris Tomlin with some LL Cool J... "you placed the stars in the sky, and I'm gonna knock you out - HUH..." (OK, that's just wrong!)

5. I am blood type O negative - the "universal donor" - therefore get calls from Carter Blood Care often.

6. In addition, I am CMV (cytomegalovirus) negative, so my blood is the only type that can be given to preemies in the NICU. (We have no idea how I am CMV negative, as I went to public schools, was a pediatric nurse for almost 5 years, and a public health nurse for 2 years before having kids of my own!)

7. I carried my twin boys (in utero) up the Notre Dame Cathedral Bell Tower and then hiked over to Sacre-Coeur. (Whew!)

8. I have lots and lots of Titanium in jaw/mouth from a HUGE craniofacial surgery in December 2001.

9. I love Colorado and the mountains, but hate being cold!

10. A doctor once separated my mom and I for questioning, thinking that my parents were abusive since I showed up one week with bad whiplash and the next week with a concussion and extreme bruising from my face down to my hips. I mean, why's it hard to believe that a young lady tried to ride a steer and then fell off of a horse running full speed the next weekend?! It's all really funny now...

11. I've gotten into leeches while hiking in the Himalayas (India)!

12. I have an irrational fear of snakes. Nope, being in India in 2002 when it wasn't the safest time to be there wasn't scary at all... but don't even get me anywhere the snake house at the zoo!

13. One of my few regrets is not trying out for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders when I had the chance.

14. Another regret is not becoming a Thespian.

15. Part of the reason (for both) is that I was PAINFULLY shy and insecure about myself up until recently.

16. I have an weird gift of remembering lyrics - especially obnoxious jingles/commercials. Anyone remember the McDonald's menu song from 1989 (the little records - yes RECORDS - that you received in the mail)? I do - every word of it.

17. I have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show (the live, participation ones - not just the movie) multiple times. I still remember most of the audience participation part, since I have that kind of crazy memory.

18. About the only thing I am "intolerant" of is "intolerant people."

19. I make up ridiculous nicknames for my kids. Crazy names such as "Jakey Juice" for Jacob, "Queso" (or "Cay-so") for Caleb, and "Gabril Goo" (spelling intentional - said "Gay-bril") for Gabe. They all have stories behind them, most of which were created in a sleep deprived state.

20. I took Ballroom dance lessons before Dancing with the Stars made it cool. I got pretty good too! I'd LOVE to pursue it again now, but my "partner" (Jon) isn't on board! :-)

21. I am certified through the Radiant Child Yoga program to teach kids yoga, but have never taught a formal class.

22. I find dry, stupid humor, like Napoleon Dynamite and "Your Mama" jokes very funny!

23. I am glad that I get to stay home with my kids, but I REALLLY miss being a nurse.

24. If I wasn't married with kids, I'd probably be in the Peace Corp or a nurse in a third world country (most likely India).

25. I am addicted to Sprout's Farmers Market. I love that place!

"That fat dude who wants to eat my cookies?!"

2009-01-11T15:38:00.001-06:00

In December, we found that Jacob is cool with Santa, but Caleb is definitely not. If Jon held Caleb - not me, but JON - then all was fine, but no body better DARE try to put him on Santa's lap! We took the boys to Bass Pro Shop on Black Friday to get out a little and see Santa, and we found this out LOUD and clear. Caleb was fine and happy in line and walking up, but when he turned to actually SEE Santa, he bolted. Jacob shook Santa's hand, waved "hi," and even blew kisses. In attempt to actually get a picture with all of the boys and Santa together, Santa held Gabe, Jon held Caleb BEHIND Santa, and I knelt next to Santa with Jacob. By the time we figured out the logistics of that, Gabe decided that he was tired and had enough. Here was our result:

Wow - is Gabriel ever ticked off?! Notice his tight hold on Santa beard (which was his real beard, by the way) - OUCH! So we didn't get a prefect picture with Santa, but won't this be fun to show the boys in several years?!

Itty Bitty Stinker!

2009-01-11T15:00:00.006-06:00

I really suspected that Gabe was/is smaller than the boys were at his age, but it was confirmed on December 18th at his 4 month appointment.

At 4 months, Jacob was:
18 lbs. 7 oz. (97th + percentile) & 27.25" (97th + percentile)

Caleb was:
17 lbs. 15 oz. (97th percentile) & 26" (90th percentile)

Jacob and Caleb at 4 months

And Gabe was (drum roll, please):
13 lbs. 14 oz. (30th percentile) & 25" (50th percentile)

Gabriel at 4 months

I still cannot figure out HOW Gabe is so much tinier than his TWIN brothers! Not only did he not have to share womb space and had more time to grow in utereo, but he also did not have to share "Mommy milk" with a brother. I guess he just got smaller genes.

But what he "lacks" in size, he definitely makes up in strength and energy!

He can sit up with very little support,

can bounce like crazy in his Jumperoo,

can hold his head up high for long periods,

can stand well with little support,

as well as roll from his back to tummy and tummy to back.

He loves to imitate his big brother (God help me!) by squealing and "talking" back to them, smile, and laugh. Gabriel is such a good, sweet little guy.

December 2008

2009-01-11T14:54:00.003-06:00

NOTE: I am way behind on blogging between Christmas Parties, MOPS, McMoms, church, seeing family and friends, and all of us being sick YET AGAIN (vomiting/diarrhea, then sinus infections for Caleb and I, an ear infection for Jacob, Jacob getting a BAD rash from Penicillin on Christmas night, Jacob still having an ear infection, and then vomiting/diarrhea AGAIN). So I thought I would go back and hit a couple high points rather than recapping all of December like I have done in the past.

If you want to check out all of our pictures for the month, however, see:

http://picasaweb.google.com/aggiefrog/December2008#

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and great start to 2009!

Merry Christmas from the Seastrunks!

2008-12-17T22:44:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

November - A Quick Recap

2008-12-15T14:54:00.013-06:00

Blogging has taken a backseat to, well, LIFE here lately. Our world hasn't really slowed down yet, and I am beginning to think that it might not until the boys start school. Or, maybe even 18 years when they go off to college...

Since we are half way through December, however, I thought I would backtrack for a moment and recap November.

We started the month (November 1st) with a playgroup, since "Da-da" was gone hunting for the opening weekend of deer season with his dad, brother, and nephew, Tyler.

November 4th, Election Day, was a beautiful day (on many levels - but I am meaning weather wise), so the boys and I took "Nan" (my mom) to the Southlake Town Square for her first time, including a visit to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I sported my Obama '08 shirt, the boys wore their matching "USA" rompers, and I shockingly got several POSITIVE complements in ultra-conservative Texas.

November 8th Jon and I went to the Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma game. We had a blast getting away together for a few hours, but YIKES - not a fun game! ;-) We had lunch at Wings N More (my favorite) before the game, and met Jackie Sherrill afterward.

The weekend of November 15th, Jon went hunting again, and this time was able to replenish our freezer. Since he was alone, he had to hold the camera out to get a picture. ;-)

November 16th, Jon and I had another night out together to see the "Beale Street Blues Boy" himself at the Morton Meyerson - yes, B.B. King! It was AWESOME. I swear, if I live to be 83 years old, I will STILL never be as cool as that man!

Right after that night out, we got the "tummy bug." Haha - "tummy bug" is such a nice, polite way to put what we went through. I mean, I thought we were dying. HOWEVER, it somehow escaped Gabe, THANK YOU GOD! It lasted well over a week, and was a nightmare.

I have no pictures from that time and, trust me, you should be GLAD for that.

On November 22nd, Jon went solo to the TCU vs Air Force game, while I watched the recovering boys.

On November 26th, we were all finally well, so Jon took the day off to take us to the Zoo! It was our first time to go with all three of the boys. We did get a few looks with our mega-stroller in tow, but we just pretended that we didn't see them, and pushed on.

The boys had a great Thanksgiving with their families and managed to make it through the day with relatively no nap. But, they were good. Probably because they knew that if they smiled sweet, they could bribe a grandma into giving them something good to eat!

We did venture out for just a bit on Black Friday, going to Bass Pro Shop to see Santa (I need to scan that picture still) and walk around a bit. I love this picture of "Da-da" and his boys checking out a "Man's Wonderland" of hunting and fishing equipment.

We went to Chick-fil-a after Bass Pro to grab a bite to eat and play.

That Sunday, we went to Jon's Gran's house for a nice visit and great lunch.

On November 29th, we kicked off the Advent Season with our "Lighting the Flame" event at IBC.

And checked out the awesome lights at the Southlake Town Square immediately after.

Which brings us to December...

Somewhere in the midst of all of that, the boys got to try a Krystal's hamburger for the first time.

We had a few friends come and visit, one (Kelley) with a daughter born August 20th (two days after Gabe), who helped us fill our stroller for a walk to Bear Creek Bakery!

Gabe got really good at sitting up in his Bumbo seat...

... and attacking his animals...

... and, well, just getting even cuter (if that is possible)!

We are also keeping up with our MOPS group at Irving Bible Church. PLUS I finished Christmas shopping before December 1st, so all of the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. (Other than the few that I helped Santa get, which are in the garage.) We (I suppose I should say it like it really is - I am...) are making our annual Seastrunk Family Book through Blurb, which is taking LOTS of time (especially since I ran into a big problem midway into the project), but it is a huge hit with the family, so I am pushing through.

I think that is all... but there are A LOT more pictures here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/aggiefrog/November200802#

Perhaps life will slow down so that I can give a better update in the future. (At least I can keep hoping!)

Keep looking out for more updates from us when I get a free moment...

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-07T22:34:00.002-06:00

I read a few interesting things today:

The average American family spends $800 on Christmas gifts for every year, but only 9 minutes playing together on Christmas morning. * Yikes! *

Also, research shows that over indulged children are less able to cope with stress, often lack self-control, and are at risk for becoming self-centered and depressed. From a spiritual stand point, materialism shifts our priorities from heavenly things to earthly things.

The solution?

I ran across a website - and movement - about a month ago now called the Advent Conspiracy. I meant to post it a while back, but, well, you can see how much I've had time to blog here lately!

It is a very simple, yet difficult concept:

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

A cool thought that I've had - in addition to my FAVORITE of helping provide clean water to third world countries mentioned in the video - is to host a baby shower for Jesus! How cool would it be to have a baby shower, as all women LOVE ohhhing and ahhhhing over baby stuff, and donate all the items to a local pregnancy resource center?! Just a little spin on a traditional Christmas party.

I think Jon and I are pretty good about overspending, not just at Christmas but all year. We really try not to spoil our children with material things - not because we feel that we can't, but because we fell that we shouldn't. (On the other hand, I have somehow managed to spoil rotten not just one or two, but THREE kids with being held! No kidding, one of Caleb's first phrases was "up, please" - meaning he wants to be held.) We really encourage family to "take it easy" as well. I know how much the family loves to spoil them rotten, but the boys already have more toys than any child should have, so more toys would be a waste. I mean "waste" on so many levels:

* Financially - We feel it is a better move for us to add to their college fund than buy them lots of cool new stuff. I guarantee that in the long run they would rather be put through collage debt free than have another Little People set!

* Space - We feel that we are blessed with a great house, but it's definitely no mansion. My goodness, with three kiddos, there is only so much room for unnecessary STUFF!

* Resources - Here's where my tree huggin' nature comes into play... what in the world happens to all of these toys - especially the hard plastic ones - when your kiddos stop playing with them? They will most likely sit in a landfill for years... and years... and years... This is another reason I highly encourage Craigslist and buying/receiving hand-me-down toys from family and friends. Trust me, I LOVE the plastic Step 2 products - they are fun and durable - but that stuff will be around forever! That is also a benefit in that they can be wiped down well (God bless the Kirkland brand sanitizing wipes!), so you can easily buy them from a stranger!

I could go on and on... but Gabriel is about to need me soon...

But quickly, another pet peeve, while I am on it, is people buying something impractical just because they "have to" buy something for a particular person. If you feel that you HAVE to get something, why not get something from the heart, something meaningful, even if it doesn't cost a lot?

Just a few thoughts to ponder.

I need to post a blog soon recapping our crazy November... but I want to post about some cool things going on to provide clean water to our world soon!

"Lighting the Flame" this Saturday night

2008-11-24T16:58:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let y'all know about a way cool family event going on at my church this weekend. It is called "Lighting the Flame," and it will kick off the Advent Season and start of the Christian calendar.

It will be held Saturday, November 29th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Irving Bible Church. The event is designed to prepare us for the celebration of the birth of Christ, using hands-on activities, crafts, music, etc.

Last year the boys were only 9 months, but had a great time "singing," helping Mommy and Daddy make an Advent wreath, having some yummy cranberry bread and sips of apple cider, and petting the animals at the live Nativity scene. I imagine, with them being older and the addition of Gabriel, it will be even more fun!!

If anyone has questions, needs directions, or wants to join my family and I, please let me know! With all the hustle and bustle going on during the Holidays, it's great to stop for an evening, spend time with family, AND reflect on what Christmas is truly about. We are making this a yearly tradition so that our children will grow up knowing that there is so much more behind Christmas than cool toys, cookies, and a fat dude dressed in red. ;-)

ALSO - be sure to check out my other two latest posts:

MercyMe Rickrolls it and Yoga - a "4 letter word?"'

I haven't blogged much lately, so I just wanted to draw your attention to the other two in case you missed them.

Again, we'd love to have you join us - let me know if we should expect you!

MercyMe Rickrolls it!

2008-11-23T23:19:00.007-06:00

I saw a video my friend, Michael, posted on facebook that cracked me up! It was MercyMe doing a little improve type ditty of "Take On Me." So... I wandered over to youtube, where I found LOTS of "Cover Tune Grab Bags" that had me rolling!

Jon and I stayed up waaay too late after the boys went down last night watching them all. Some of the bests include:

My favorite - I think (they are ALL so funny so I guess I don't have a favorite) - is when they Rickrolled it to "Never Gonna Give You Up"

And "Hold Me Now" was great! How could they not bust out laughing?!

Also "Ice, Ice, Baby" and "Don't Stop Believin'" were awesome. Oh, and don't miss the dancing in "Jesus Is Still Alright With Me" and the sweet tiger in "Eye of the Tiger!" "It's The End Of The World" was very impressive! I could sit here and list them ALL, but I'll just let you check them out for yourself.

I was way behind on my blogs, but today I saw that my friend Jade (Michael's wife) had posted a blog about it. OH - interestingly enough, it is ALSO on the PowerFM blog (*wink,wink*)

From Jade's blog:
Make sure you check out Bart's dancing in the "Jesus Is Just Alright" video! These are the guys who brought you the gut-wrenching, makes-me-cry-every-time-I-hear-it "I Can Only Imagine"...and then here they are in all their glory... Oh dear.

This will truly go down as "CLASSIC" in my book! See many of them on MercyMe's blog Cover Tune Grab Bag feature or just go to youtube and do a search for MercyMe Cover Tune Grab Bag. Lots will come up!

Hope you get as good of a laugh as me! Which one is your favorite?

Yoga - a "4 letter word?"

2008-11-23T16:40:00.008-06:00

Recently there was a blog on "Stuff Christians Like," a hilarious yet sometimes thought provoking (in a silly sort of way) blogspot site, called "Not knowing what to do with yoga."

Also this weekend, there was a news story released forbidding Muslims from doing Yoga. "Yoga is forbidden for Muslims. The practice will erode their faith in the religion," Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of the government-backed National Fatwa Council, told reporters. Yoga forbidden for Muslims in Malaysia

I honestly never knew that Yoga was controversial. I mean, I have recently gotten into some controversial debates over various other topics, but Yoga?!

Many of you know that I practice Yoga. Not as much now, but I "used to" (pre-Momma times) practice with zeal! I am even certified through the Radiant Child® Yoga Program (Level 1 & 2) by the wonderful Shakta Kaur Khalsa herself! (I just never taught anyone... yet... but am starting with Jacob and Caleb!)

After the twins sent me into the "evils" of bed rest, I lost LOTS of muscle tone and flexibility, and yoga then became frustrating. (Not to mention difficult, as my feet hit the ground running with the caring for the twins!) About the time I was ready to get into it again, I was pregnant with Gabe. So, anyway, I have recently started getting back into Yoga, and now I am seeing several of these articles pop up.

What are your thoughts?

Mine?

As with most things in life, it matters more where your heart and thoughts are rather than WHAT you are actually doing.

Some people do closely incorporate yoga into their religion - Sikhs, Christians, among others - but it does not, or SHOULD not, encompass the entire religion.

Now, also keep in mind, there are SEVERAL types of yoga, including, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, etc... I practice Hatha and some Kundalini Yoga. Most Americans think of as yoga is merely being a form of exercise, but "yoga," in its true form, is MUCH, MUCH more than some silly stretching exercises - more than I have the time to go into here.

I do have some limits on what I "believe" from each form of yoga as well. I mostly focus on the asanas (postures) along with basic pranayama (special types of breathing). I really connect with the music as well, mostly using inspirational and Christian - can't beat yoga done to some Chris Tomlin praise music. How can briefly clearing ones mind from the constant, ongoing chatter of the world around us and the "gotta do this next" laundry list, while praising God for the miracle of life, WHILE strengthening and toning your body be wrong?!

To close, here are a few yogi pics of me in 2003 on Enchanted Rock:

Vrksasana, Tree Pose

Virabhadrasana I, Warrior I Pose

Bhujangasana, Cobra Pose

Utthita Trikonasana, Triangle Pose

And one of my favorites... Viparita Karani, Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose. Simple, yet actually clears the mind and may have the power to cure whatever ails you!

Craziness Abounds! (October in a Nutshell)

2008-11-15T00:35:00.015-06:00

October was truly a crazy, whirlwind month... and November is keeping up the pace. In short, here are a few things that come to mind:

My uncle was in a terrible accident on October 2nd, and we lost him on October 9th. (Keep praying for his family.)

We made our Second Annual trip to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch.

Jon and I got to sneak away for a few football games: a Cowboys game, an Aggie game, and a TCU game!

I co-hosted a baby shower for a dear childhood friend. (It's crazy to think that I have friends whom I have known for over 20 years!)

My mom had parathyroid surgery on October 16th.

Gabe turned two months old on October 18th.

(Gabe hanging with his Grandpa Ken.)

Jon turned 31 years old on October 20th!

Jacob and Caleb had their first dentist appointment on October 20th.

(Playing in the Dentist's waiting room.)

Jon and I both early voted on October 20th! (Yup - a busy day indeed)

Jon and I went to an adult Halloween party on October 25th (after the TCU game!).

I made it back to the October McMoms meeting and a play date.

Jacob, Caleb, and Gabe went trick or treating for the first time.

(Having dinner at Chick-fil-a before scoring some candy for Momma!)

Oh, and bear in mind that all of these things were in addition to caring for the twinados and Gabe, making sure that we have our daily walks.

And then there was November...

*WHEW!* It's enough to wear you out...

A Liberal Christian?

2008-11-09T17:51:00.003-06:00

I have recently gotten into some in depth political discussions with some friends on Facebook. I am shocked about how much we differ! I especially find it ironic that several of us share the same faith, which has lead someone to ask me how I can justify my vote alongside Christianity. I was even portrayed as some anti-American, cold-hearted crazy lady, which is completely not me. (Crazy - yeah, sure; anti-American or cold-hearted - actually quite the opposite!) Since I had typed so much, I thought I cut and paste in order to would share some of it here as well. These are in response to questions asked of me. If you choose to read it, it will give a you a huge glimpse of what a "Christian liberal" looks like!

The truth is that I am just a good ol' small-town, Christ-following girl who grew up hunting and farming on our land - much like many Republicans - yet my morals, conscious, and Christian values point me more to the Democratic side. I come from a family of hard-working Democrats, including my grandfather who was a very pro-union tool and die maker for General Dynamics. We never had a lot, yet always felt that we were still more well off than many others. I show love to my neighbors (whether or not they believe the same as me), and feel the call to respond to the needs of the poor, weak, and oppressed just the way the Bible says that we should. I refer back to the Word of the Lord in Matthew 25 - "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for THE LEAST OF THESE, you did for me." I also respect ALL people, whether or not I personally agree with them or their lifestyle, just as Christ has called me to do. I have dear friends who are Republican as well as who are Democrats, who are straight as well as who are gay/lesbian, who are Christian as well as of other Religious views (Muslim, Buddhist, etc - and even Atheist), who are American-Caucasian like me as well as friends from multiple other countries and of every "color".... that list can go on and on - but the sum of it is I am tolerant.

"The Constitution says government can't restrict [guns/ammo]."

Sure, the Constitution states that we have a right to bear arms, and nobody will take that away. People just differ on HOW MUCH to control guns - but EVERYONE does believe in some form of "gun control." For example, do what want your child's teacher to keep a gun in his or her desk just in case the kids get unruly? Of course not! She does not "need" that, and it would be absurd to allow it, even if she does "want" it. But some could argue "isn't that her right?!" I just personally don't feel, like I have previously stated, every yahoo out there needs to have easy access to assault riffles. Nobody really needs an M4 Carbine lying around their home - sorry. (I do agree that they can still get them if they want, but why make it any easier.)

Again, I am actually PRO GUN! Along the lines of NRA, I have no problems with the organization as a whole. They do some good things, but to have Obama's picture on the cover of the magazine implies to people that he will indeed take all of their guns away, which is not truthful. As I have stated, we own guns, have them in our home, and I grew up around them my entire life. I colored the Eddie Eagle coloring sheets and had the "Stop, Leave the area, Tell an adult" motto drilled though my head (does anyone else remember those?!), and will be teaching my boys the same.

I think Rachel Maddow must bother some to the extent Rush bothers me - I enjoy Rachel Maddow (I don't personally hear any "outright cruelty" from her; her wit and sarcasm make me smile and chuckle a little inside), yet Rush and especially Levin get my blood boiling.

When a person says "you" to mean "liberals" as described in the manner above, they are actually making a HUGE stereo-typical generalization in which I will argue and take offense. I have 100% RESPECT for ANYONE who has served our country in any capacity. Although I don't agree with the war at hand, those soldiers are just doing their job, and many don't agree with the war either. I do not know of anyone personally who has had anything less than respect for a soldier who is "just doin' what they're told," but am sadly aware that those people do exist. On the other hand, I do not think every "conservative" has blown up a Planned Parenthood site or killed a doctor who performs such procedure, even though those people sadly exist too. There are obviously extremes on both sides.

ON THAT NOTE...

I don't think I can make it clear enough that I am anti-abortion. It PERSONALLY saddens my heart and quite frankly makes me sick to my stomach - in any trimester. (As a matter of fact, we are about to celebrate one year of having Gabe in our lives, just as we did with Jacob and Caleb when they were 2 1/2 months old!) HOWEVER, just as it is not anyone's place to take away your guns, it is not our place to prohibit anyone having an abortion as long as Roe v. Wade is still in place. I value the sanctity of life (just like the lives of those serving in Iraq and the blood shed from innocent Iraqi children, women, and men) and, being a nurse and Momma, know full well that the heart begins beating in 18 days - a time before most women know that they are pregnant. I understand that, however, since abortion is indeed legal, it is not my place to tell a woman that she "cannot" choose that path. It's only my right to make her aware of other options if she allows me to do so, and then pray. If a woman does choose abortion, she is not therefore a monster, just a fellow Child of God who needs some love and support through a undoubtedly difficult time in her life.

In addition (and this is a HUGE one for me), the Republican Party has had multiple opportunities to overturn Roe v. Wade (when they had control of the House, Senate, AND Presidency for 6 years), yet has not done so. Therefore, why in the world would I vote for them on merely one issue (which is not being addressed) when there are SO MANY more issues out there (HEALTH CARE, human rights, the economy, etc)?

Abortions did occur prior to 1973, and would still occur even if RvW was overturned. They are at an all-time low now (have been in decline continuously for 20 years), mostly because entities such as Planned Parenthood are available to give women other options.

And for the record, I am a supporter of BOTH Planned Parenthood AND area Pregnancy Resource Centers. I would love to make every woman aware of all of their options before choosing an abortion, yet am an even stronger advocate of preventing "unwanted" or "unplanned" (I hate those terms) pregnancies in the first place through more effective sex-ed/birth control rather than abstinence only education. I'd be great if everyone waited until they were ready for and wanted a child to have sex, yet it's not reality, so why not make teens and adults alike aware of other options! After all, many abortions do occur in MARRIED women who just don't want a child at that time. The biggest goal of PPNT is advocating the right of every person to receive education and proper birth control to actually PREVENT abortions from occurring.

Do you consider good, old fashion birth control pills to be a form of abortion? I am not being sarcastic there! By strict definition, they do cause very early abortions, yet many pro-lifers are on them... just curious...

*WHEW* I feel better now that I've justified my stance! I am open and would love to hear other views as well. Like I mentioned, I am TOLERANT of my fellow man. This really is all very interesting to me.

Thanks to those who made it this far!

Go Vote!

2008-11-04T00:09:00.016-06:00

We took these pics in our Obama/USA gear to encourage all of you to get out and vote today!

Remember my post from back in March...

My name is Amber Seastrunk, and I approve this message...

Don't forget...

Get off of your... AND VOTE!!

Whether you're an elephant or a donkey, get out there today to cast your oh so important vote!

Paid for by, uhhh, I guess Jon Seastrunk, my husband, since he works to pay our bills, including the internet connection.

No painting pumpkins for Gabe

2008-10-30T16:23:00.003-05:00

Since Gabriel didn't get to paint pumpkins with us this year, I thought I'd throw in a few cute recent pictures of him. He is getting SO BIG, and has really starting becoming expressive and such a smiley little guy.

Taking a nice, warm bath.

A big cheesy grin!

Hanging out for a little "tummy time" in the Boppy.

Saying "hi" to big sister, Abby.

Painting Precious Petite Pumpkins

2008-10-30T15:59:00.006-05:00

Just had to thrown in a little alliteration for my fellow dorks. ;-)

Last Sunday, the weather was beautiful, so we took the boys out back to paint pumpkins. They had a great time! I think they enjoyed playing outside and IN the paint more than the actual process of putting it on pumpkins, but it was FUN for all of us nonetheless.

Wonder what Mommy and Daddy are setting up over there... maybe they'll let us get in the swings!!

Hurry, bro, they're calling for us...

... and they have PUMPKINS!!

What is this stuff?

Paint?
Caleb, as always, is VERY curious as to what is going on.

Jacob loves wiping it on Daddy's arms - not so much on the pumpkins!

Then he got curious as to if it is edible... and Mommy thanks God it is NON-TOXIC!

Jacob soon wanted to get up, enjoy the beautiful day, and run around. (It is so good to see the boys running now after not walking for so long.)

Got Mommy!!

Wow, bro, we did a good job!

Another blog soon to come to wrap up the month... like I mentioned, October has been a whirlwind of chaos! But a lot of good times did happen.

Our big date!

2008-10-28T08:29:00.004-05:00

Remember the date that I mentioned several weeks ago? Well, with the whirlwind October we had, I am just now getting around to posting some pic from our first date since having all three boys!

I had mentioned that it was out of character for us to go out while the Cowboys were playing... but this should all explain it.

Yes, Jon took me to see the Cowboys vs. Bengals!!

I got to see Texas Stadium in it's last season. :-(

We got lots of great pictures, but here are a few favorites:

Romo!!

Two of my favorite current players: #80 - Martellus Bennett (Tellus!!) and #81 - Terrell Owens (T.O.!!) Yup, I didn't like him when he first came to Dallas, but ol' T.O. is starting to grow on me. Tellus was my favorite Aggie player last season - and now he is one of my favorite Cowboys.

America's Sweethearts! Did y'all know that I seriously almost tried out to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader in 2001?! I (unknowingly at the time) took dance classes with some of the girls at the Dallas Powerhouse of Dance. After one of the classes, one of the girls made the comment "you're pretty good - are you planning on trying out?" Huh - try out for WHAT? She said that a lot of girls came to that class as a prep before try-outs for the D.C.C. (as well as for the Mavs Dance Team). I just laughed... but then I really thought about it. I met all of the qualifications (at the time): could dance and do the splits all three way, had abs of steal, could high kick, and had time on my hands in the evening/weekends. Yeah, I chickened out - afraid that I wouldn't make it. But I do regret at least not trying when I had the chance. You know, before I had three kids who destroyed my tummy that could be shown in the little uniforms! LOL!

I am "smooshing" Texas Stadium. (Yeah, I am a dork!)

We had a blast hanging out together for the afternoon - and The 'Boys won 31 - 22!

The Seastrunks of Oz

2008-10-22T09:14:00.006-05:00

First of all, we went to a Halloween Party at my parents' neighborhood... and here's a quick view of the costumes:

LIONS, AND, TIGERS, AND BEARS - - OH MY!!!

I had fun photoshopping this picture to make it just like we were in the set of The Wizard of Oz. There will be more to come, but I'll wait to tie in the ones from Halloween night too.

Our littlest punkin' is already two months!

He had his Check-up appointment on Monday and is:

12 pounds, 3 ounces and 23.5 inches long - which puts him at 75% for both height and weight.

Oh, and he just keeps getting cuter!

He loves his swing!

Smile, Gabe!

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Unfortunately, I can't get a great smile picture with him looking at the camera!

Such a sweet, silly little dude!

LOVE the outfit here! Cool shirt and even cooler "shoes" (or as Caleb always calls them, "booohes").

I am a little behind with blogging now, as we had a ROUGH few weeks - including losing my uncle on October 9th and my mom having parathyroid surgery on October 16th.

My uncle Tommy was/is a great, fun-loving man who will be missed by friends and family too numerous to mention. (The funeral was standing room only!) If you think about them, please pray for my aunt, Cindy, and cousins Cody, Tempress (Cody's wife), Tyler (who is a Freshman in College), Kelby (a Freshman in High School), and sweet little Brenley Kye (Cody and Tempress' 13 month old baby girl - Tommy's beloved granddaughter). They need peace and healing right now - and for a long time yet to come.

On a happier note, I know that the ONLY reason the 'Horns pulled out the win this past weekend was that Tommy had a talk with the Big Man to make a MIRACLE! (He was a HUGE Texas Longhorn fan, and we liked given each other a hard time!) I must admit, however, I truly had a hard time pulling against the Longhorn - JUST THIS ONCE - in honor of my Uncle Tommy. BUT, I will NOT admit that to him when we see each other again one day... hehehe

My mom's surgery went GREAT. It will most likely take a few more weeks to get back to herself, but she's overall recovering well. It ended up being a little less invasive than we had thought it could be, but she does still have an incision across her neck. *ouch!*

I think we are back to our normal level of craziness again. LOL!

More to come about Jon and I's date a few weeks back, our trip to College Station, and Halloween!

Oh, yes, I AM going there!!

2008-10-20T17:04:00.005-05:00

I have been biting my tongue for months, and am afraid I am about to need stitches. ;-)

This is something that I am thinking about often lately, so have to get it off of my chest. I have lived in Texas my entire life, so I know how people are and that Obama doesn't stand a chance IN TEXAS. Whether it be for racial reasons - which many people have sadly admitted to me IS the case for their vote, the thought that he might be "Muslin" (HAHAHA - yes, the spelling is that way for a reason), or you have "always" voted Republican... I honestly cannot understand it.

However I feel that if McCain does win, America and the economy spirals even more, and more "boys" lose their lives in the "Bush/McCain 100 Year War," I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I didn't give it at least a fighting chance.

Seriously, a MUSLIN?! Idiots!!!

After talking with many people about politics this year, I am seeing that people are voting how they think they are "suppose to," without knowing the real issues behind each candidate. Sadly to say, most women are voting the way that they are based on what their husbands or pastors have said. Please, ladies, stand up for yourself and know all of the issues rather than merely going with what someone else thinks!!!

Remember: you are not voting on the person that you'd most like to go fishing with, or having a latte with... you are voting on the person best suited to run our country.

I went and early voted today, and I couldn't get over all of the Lexus SUVs and BMWs with McCain/Palin stickers in the parking lot. Perhaps if we had enough money lying around to justify an expensive car, then we too could be "rich" enough to be for McCain! Instead of having a large house, expensive cars, and lots of "toys," we have to put money aside for three college educations, retirement, and in case something happens to either Jon or myself. I mean, the economy is so screwed up, there is zero room to blow money in the budget!

On many occasions McCain has stated that the fundamentals of our economy are... strong. *Gasp, cough, HUH?!* I am not sure which economy he is referring...

Even though we had a balanced budget 8 years ago, our economy is now in the worst state ever since the Great Depression! WOW! Bush has been so focused on the war in Iraq (A COMPLETELY unjustified war - Afghanistan, yes - Iraq, NO!) that he has clearly neglected our economy. Yet, McCain openly admits that he agreed with Bush 90% of the time. Let me spell that a different way - NINETY PERCENT!! I mean, what more damage could he do in 4 more years?!

Seriously, did you ever stop to wonder WHY the McCain/Palin campaign is really wanting to talk about Obama's "character" rather than real issues that should be of top priority this election? Perhaps it is because they don't want to go there, knowing both McCain and Palin's track record!

And Sarah Palin, bless her heart...

Palin might be a funny girl, but if something happens to McCain (and, sorry, but let's face it, he is 72 years old), would you trust HER judgment to run this country? Either she doesn't know her facts before stating them (scary) or just blatantly lies in attempt to hope that people are naive enough to take her at her word (even scarier). Sarah Palin honestly scares me - and not just because she's packin' heat. ;-) She calls herself a feminist - does she think that being a woman automatically makes her a feminist?

Abortion... I debated doing it, but I am going to go there! My friends know how I feel about abortion personally, so I won't go into great detail here (but do feel free to ask if you don't know). You all know I LOVE BABIES - I mean, I have not one, not two, but THREE of them!! HOWEVER, I do have to say that I don't think it is a big enough issue to base my decision EXCLUSIVELY. LET ME EXPLAIN BEFORE YOU GET ALL UPSET! If abortion is the ONLY reason you are voting for the Republican Party, you might want to think twice. The Republicans were in control of not only the Presidency, but also the House and Senate for several years. If they were going to overturn Roe v. Wade, wouldn't they have done it by now? Sadly to say, I feel that many of the Republicans keep using that POWERFUL heart tug on people so that they can keep the votes/support. BUT THEY AREN'T REALLY DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT! Therefore, I am not going to keep on letting our economy slide, the lower middle class suffer, and needless, unjustified wars progress even further based on ONE ISSUE (albeit, yes, a big one).

McCain made a promise in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention: "Change is coming." God, help us, I really, wholeheartedly hope so...

I really cannot understand, but would like to. I am a very open minded person, yet have been honestly grasping to find some sort of reasoning as to why anyone would vote for McCain/Palin. Could one of my many McCain/Palin supporting friends PLEASE explain it to me, as I feel that I must be missing something. As you all know, I feel that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I truly do just want to understand. No judgment... Any takers? Comments, emails, and calls are welcome - and highly encouraged!

Deep Fry It and Dip It In Ranch!

2008-10-16T14:58:00.004-05:00

A LOT has gone on in the last couple of weeks, which I will hopefully have time to blog about later, but for now enjoy the list of food items featured at the State Fair of Texas. I've always loved how us Texans have a way with taking a healthy food and deep frying it and dipping it in ranch dressing! (Yum... I think I may have to make some fried green tomatoes again soon!) The Fair runs through Sunday, October 19th, so if you feel the need to hasten atherosclerosis, act fast! hehehe

Seriously, chicken fried bacon dipped in ranch!! I mean, could you GET any more unhealthy? But I have do have to admit, I feel strangely compelled to try it. Same with all of these fried Fair foods (say that five times fast):

http://www.bigtex.com/foodlocator/

Chicken Fried Bacon – Thick and peppery Farm Pac® bacon is seasoned, double-dipped in a special batter and breading and deep-fried. Served with a creamy side of ranch or honey mustard sauce. Winner of Best Taste in the Big Tex Choice Awards competition.

Fried Banana Split – A mixture of banana and honey peanut butter is rolled in balls, battered and deep-fried and topped with assorted, delicious fixings, including powdered sugar, caramel and chocolate syrups, chopped peanuts, whipped cream and banana split flavored ice cream bites then fittingly crowned with the traditional cherry. Winner of Most Creative in the Big Tex Choice Awards competition.

Fernie’s All-American Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich – An American classic with a State Fair twist. Two slices of white bread filled with a blend of American and cheddar cheeses, dipped in an egg and milk batter and lightly coated with panko bread crumbs for extra crispness. Served with a side of shoestring potato sticks, a pickle spear and tomato soup dipping sauce. The All American Meal!

Texas Fried Jelly Belly Beans – Jelly Belly Beans are rolled in funnel cake batter and fried to a crunch. People can share the treat with friends and try to guess the flavors before biting down.

Deep Fried S’mores – Marshmallow cream and chocolate chips are sandwiched between two graham crackers, dipped in a feather-light batter and fried to a golden brown. The campfire-inspired treats are dusted in powdered sugar.

Fire & Ice – A pineapple ring is battered and deep-fried, then topped with banana-flavored whipped cream that’s been frozen in liquid nitrogen. The smoking concoction is ladled with strawberries and syrup.

Fried Chocolate Truffles – A silky-smooth, handmade, dark chocolate truffle is rolled in cocoa powder before being battered and deep-fried. The melting chocolate goodness is dusted in cinnamon, sugar and cocoa powder.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Waffle Balls – Plump fresh strawberries covered in a thick chocolate shell are dipped in a sweet, waffle batter and deep-fried. Dusted with powdered sugar and served on a stick.

Fried Pop Rocks Fundae Blast - Ignite your senses with this explosion of Tastes. Fried Ice Cream covered in Hershey’s Syrup and Pop Rocks. Your fuse is a Twizzler rolled in Pop Rocks. While you disarm it, you’ll find an Atomic Fireball inside . . .“Fire in the Bowl”!

Fried Dinner Roll – A savory dinner roll lusciously filled with cream cheese and covered with a sweet batter, placed on a stick and deep fried to perfection.

Fried Cake on a Stick – A delicious, chocolate covered white cake filled with strawberry jelly and cream, dipped in sweet batter and deep fried until golden brown and served on a stick!

Green Bean Fries - Fresh Green Beans lightly battered, deep fried, and served with a side of cucumber ranch dressing for dipping!

Texas Bar-B-Que Eggrolls - BW’s Chopped Beef in an eggroll wrap, deep fried to a delicate crispness, and served with BBQ sauce for dipping or ignite your senses further with a splash of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.

“Jalapeno” Deep Fried Gorditas - Jalapeno flavored gordita cooked on the grill and then deep fried, stuffed with beef, chicken, or bean & cheese, and finally topped with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and cheese.

Fried Apple iPie – A warm, delicious crispy fried apple pie with just a hint of cinnamon, is smothered in rich vanilla ice cream and topped with an edible iPod “like” mp3 player and whipped cream. Real working souvenir “ear-bud” earphones complete this tasty iPie experience!

Fried Snowballs – Fresh from the fryer! A lightly battered Snowball (cupcake) dusted with powdered sugar!

Fried Honey Bun – A lightly battered Honey Bun, served fresh from the fryer with a light dusting of powdered sugar!

Deep Fried Apple Bites – Fresh cut apples dipped in a homemade batter, deep fried, and then covered with a caramel sauce and cinnamon topping!

Ignited Moon Pie - The Original Moon Pie, lightly battered and deep fried, then gently sprinkled with powdered sugar!

Beefy Fried Queso Bites – Queso mixed with taco meat, breaded in a zesty batter and deep fried.

Crispy Fried Cantaloupe Pie – Diced cantaloupe seasoned with brown sugar, cinnamon and coconut milk, rolled in a flaky pie pastry, and then deep fried. Topped with powdered sugar and whip cream.

Our Little Pumpkins

2008-10-07T09:56:00.007-05:00

The Seastrunk Family at Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch, October 3, 2008.

I have several pictures below comparing our visit to the Pumpkin Patch last year to the one this year. My how the boys have matured! (I wouldn't say "grown," as they really haven't gotten much bigger!)

Enjoy these shots of our little pumpkins!

In 2007, the boys liked sitting in the hay, looking at the Backyardigans...

... and in 2008 they actually knew who they were and ran up to them!

The boys checking out the pumpkins in 2007...

... and again in 2008!

Jacob's first trip to the Pumpkin Patch in 2007.

Caleb's first trip to the Pumpkin Patch in 2007.

Gabriel's first trip to the Pumpkin Patch in 2008. (He is obviously too little to sit up, so Mommy had to hold him by the "pot" for a quick shot!)

Mommy and her boys in 2007...

and with the new addition in 2008!

Daddy and the twins in 2007...

and again in 2008. (I was "wearing" Gabe in the wrap, so he is not in this shot.)

A cool picture of Mommy and Gabe.

Here's a close up of Gabe's precious little outfit.

If anyone wants to see more, there are a lot more pictures of both 2007 and 2008 at the links below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/aggiefrog/October2008#

http://picasaweb.google.com/aggiefrog/JacobCalebOctober2007#

On another note, a friend sent me this cute little analogy (thanks, Kimberly!), and thought it was cute and appropriate to share with this set of pictures.

What is it like to be a Christian?

It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

Hopefully there will be a post about the big date tomorrow!!

I am dating again...

2008-10-05T10:18:00.003-05:00

But still Jon though!

Just a really quick post, as I have a lot to do this morning...

Jon and I are going on our first date since having all three boys today!! Yes, it is a little weird going on a date on a Sunday afternoon, but we had to go with whenever my parents could watch them all. We are very excited nonetheless. Can you believe that we would plan to do something on a Cowboys game day?! A little out of character for us, don't you think?

We also took the boys to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday, so between the date and the hundred plus pictures we took there, I'll have a lot to catch up on in the coming week. :-)

Our Week in Pictures

2008-10-02T13:46:00.006-05:00

First of all, going back to my last post, we finally got Gabe's Halloween costume...

And, like my friend Stephanie commented that she did with her triplet boys, our boys are going to be "Lions, and Tigers, and Bears..."

OH MY!!
(Mommy and Daddy are still working on theirs! Final pic to come!)

Speaking of the little guy, here are a few cute ones of Gabe this week!

Gabe loves "talking to," staring at, and sometimes batting at his cow friend!

He still loves his swing too!

All dressed and ready to go in his baseball outfit - could he be any cuter if he tried?!

On Sunday we all got decked out to watch the Cowboys lose a heartbreaking loss.

Caleb says, "Go long, Bubba!!"

Jacob likes sitting on the couch watching the game like a big boy!

Mommy and Gabe kicking back, watching both the 'Boys and the boys (Jacob, Caleb, and Daddy) play!

We also watched our Ags in yet another crappy win. (No, "crappy win" is not an oxymoron. Yes, a win is a win, but it's still crappy when it's played like THAT! But we're getting used to another "rebuilding" year.)

And, lastly, since Gabe is 6 weeks, I have been released from the doctor's care, so we have started our daily walks again!! Man, have we gotten some double takes from passer-bys in our new ride! One man today stopped to roll down his window and ask if I had my hands full. Uhhhh, I still don't really know how do I answer that. I just said, "Yes, sir, I do - and am blessed to have them full!"

Here the boys are watching the "choo-choo" across the street.

Almost October...

2008-09-27T16:48:00.003-05:00

Those who know me know that I don't have secrets - unless it was one that someone else confided in me. Those who know me also know that I love Halloween! Last year the twins were Pooh and Tiger, and adorable!

Since they are older and will have more fun with it this year, I had to think of something else equally fun.

I had several thoughts, but due to my bargain finds, we have a winner! Here is a sneak preview of our Halloween costumes. (Do you REALLY think I could have kept it a secret for another month?!)

I got the twins' costumes from my Mothers of Multiples group's Garage Sale. I saw the bears on Friday night and got two for $5 each. The next day I saw some tigers that I did not see the night before, and got an idea...

I had to call Jon at home anyway to ask him about something else, so I asked his thoughts. He loved it, so I went ahead and got two tigers for $6 each. (I only need one bear and one tiger, but since they are so cute, were so cheap, and the boys had so much fun just trying them on, we are keeping them all!)

I have found Gabe's on Craigslist, but just need to find the time to go pick it up. Mine is still in the works. Anyone care to guess what we are going to be?

I think I am going to keep the bears for next year (they are toddler size 2-4), find Gabe a bear costume as well, and get me a blonde wig (Goldie Locks and Her Three Little Bears).
Before the boys get old enough to veto my cheesy ideas, I need to also dress them as Three Little Birds and have Jon and I find some dreadlocks wigs and Rasta wear. (ARE there any other Bob Marley fans out there?!)

Can't wait to share the finally pictures!

Our "Beast" of a Stroller

2008-09-22T16:01:00.005-05:00

I've been wanting to show off one of our most recent big purchases:

The Foundations Quad - 4 Passenger/Dual Canopy Folding Stroller!

Yes, I am now the proud new owner of what many of my buddies with triplets or quads refer to as a "beast!" I now have three kiddos within 18 months of age, and NEED a way to transport them all (and keep them corralled) for more than several feet by myself!

You may be asking yourself at this point, "why does she need a quad stroller - Gabe wasn't really a twin, was he?!" Nope. And, NO, we are NOT pregnant again!! ;-)

We looked a few triple strollers, most of which are tandem - meaning front to back, however this seating arrangement minimizes the leg room for our already long-legged boys. There were a few out there with adequate leg room, however they have to be completely disassembled to store, which makes it hard to toss in the van and go. Our particular quad stroller is similar to the side by side stroller we currently have...

With this design, the two older boys can sit up front, having ample leg room, while Baby Gabe can sit in the back row - AND have an extra seat for Mommy's purse, three sippy cups, some Goldfish, etc, etc.

Jon and I had debated on if we were going to get a bigger stroller with Gabe's arrival, because of the boys getting bigger, etc. BUT, if I want to have the luxury of getting them all out solo, then I really would need it. We went back and forth, then when I ran into it on Craigslist, we jumped on it! (Plus the lady who had it also lives in Keller so we wouldn't have to drive far - was it meant to be or what?!) The seats will hold up to 40 pounds each and recline independently, so we should be able to use it for a while longer.

I have to laugh, as this "beast" has an "innovative SafeBrake System to engage when the parent releases the handle eliminating the risk of a runaway stroller."

Hehehe - runaway stroller... nice image in my head...

There are also huge storage baskets at the bottom of the stroller for when I need to take all three boys along with me to Spouts. (I seriously use our "under stow" for a shopping cart when I have the boys along!)

I like that this stroller also folds up to fit in the back of the Odyssey so I don't have to use a separate trailer (seriously, some of the "beasts" do require a special trailer!) or disassemble each seat prior to storing it.

After getting out the stroller and playing a little, I now see why some of my triplet and quad buddies lovingly refer to their strollers as "the beast." I mean, if we want to be able to have any form of freedom AND keep somewhat of a level of sanity, we gotta have 'em, but WOW. Do I have to again mention the words, "innovative SafeBrake System?!"

So on behalf of Jacob, Caleb, and Gabe: if any of our singleton friends need a ride, we have one extra seat. (Especially if you are a pretty girl between the age of 1 month and 2 years!)

Update...

2008-09-19T17:31:00.008-05:00

Gabe rocked his one month appointment on Friday! It was just Gabe and I; Jon, Jacob, and Caleb stayed at the house (no reason putting twin toddlers through a boring visit to the doctor if they don't have to be seen, right?). He did really well, but had a major meltdown when he got his Hepatitis B shot. Nurses were peeking their heads in to see if everything was ok and if I needed anything. "Nope - just a few minutes to calm this little guy down before we walk out of here and frighten every child in your waiting room!"

He was 21 1/2 inches long and 9 pounds, 12 ounces. This put him at exactly 50% for height and 50% for weight, which is perfectly average! He is not growing as fast as the twins for some reason (especially Jacob, who was 11 pounds, 2 ounces at his one month appointment), but is very healthy and has zero concerns.

More great news... ECI came out on Thursday to reevaluate Jacob and Caleb since they have really taken off - literally! At 15 months, Caleb was evaluated to be at an 11 month level for motor skills while Jacob was at 12 months. MUCH to our surprise, after this evaluation, they have Caleb at a 20 month level and Jacob at a 25 month level!! That is truly unbelievable to me! I guess they really did know what they were doing all along. *crazy boys!*

I took ALL THREE boys out by MYSELF on Wednesday. It was tough, but I sure felt like Super Momma afterward. We went to our MOPS group at church. The morning was a little crazy! First of all, we had to be out the door by 8:15ish, and the boys don't normally get up until 8:30ish! I had to nurse Gabe while Jacob and Caleb ate breakfast, and since my hands were tied up, my sweet little twin toddlers thought it would be real cute to wear their bowls like hats and wipe mushed up banana on themselves. We finally load up, and the tire pressure light comes on the Odyssey! *errr!* A couple of stops at two different QT's to check tire pressure and attempt to air up the tires later, we're back on the road. I had a sweet friend help me get all three boys into the building once we got there, which was a lifesaver. (Thank you, Michelle, if you are reading this.) I have a mega-stroller that will hold all three boys (we went on a walk in it today - pics to come soon!), however it weighs a TON and I am technically still not suppose to be lifting other than the bare necessities. So we put Jacob and Caleb in the double stroller and left Gabe in his car seat/carrier. I am so glad I survived the morning chaos of getting to MOPS, as it was great to be around other Mommies for a while.

All is still going pretty well. Some days I barely keep my head afloat, but always survive.

Gotta wrap this up, but more pictures to come SOON! Here are a few for now:

Caleb showing his "Abuelo" how well he can play baseball. Notice his facial expression - he has sound effects as he makes contact with the ball.

A few pictures from the park. I didn't plan it beforehand, but their shirts really tie up the park experience!

(Gabe catching a snack!)

Super Daddy taking all three boys for a stroll. (I went along too, so he didn't have to push them like that the whole way!)

Jacob's first chocolate chip cookie!

More to come - hopefully sooner than later...

Happy One Month, Gabe!

2008-09-18T09:42:00.004-05:00

Little Gabriel Elisha has been in our world for one month today! Here are a few recent pictures. We go for his one month doctor appointment tomorrow, and I'll then post his new stats. I have some other pictures of the boys at the park and around the house to post as well. For now, happy one month, Gabe! We hope that you have enjoyed living with us as much as we have loved having you!

Look at those big, expressive eyes!

It's really not funny, but this made me smile when I saw Gabe throwing a fit after I changed his diaper. The funny thing about it - notice his shirt! ;-)

Again, so alert and expressive while checking out the animals on his swing.

More to come soon!

3 weeks (and going solo during the day)

2008-09-08T15:11:00.014-05:00

Today marks 3 weeks that Gabriel has been part of our family - and we are ALL making a great transition to us being a party of 5. Jon went back to work today, and so far we are all still in one piece. I think Jon gave the twins a pep talk about being good to Momma last night, as they have been mostly sweet boys. (Only one major fight - over a book - and only one brief meltdown at lunch. But come on, for toddlers that's EXCELLENT.)

We came up with several ideas to keep all three boys happy and SAFE while I am so outnumbered during the day. The first is the beloved Pack N' Play. The twins LOVE "baby Bubba," but they are 19 month old BOYS, so that doesn't mean that they always remember the difference between "lovin' on" and banging over the head with a Little People toy!

Thus, the Pack N' Play complete with the top so that toys cannot go flying in. I mean, Mommy has to leave the room on occasion (no, I am NOT going to wear a diaper, although that was one suggestion), so this will assist me in keeping Gabe safe when I am not around. We tried it out this weekend with Jon still here to see if it would work:

Introducing all three boys to their parents' Pack N' Play idea.

Looks like it's a hit! Jacob and Caleb love to go over and "talk" to Gabe in a hilarious high pitched "baby talk." Imagine them lying on the floor next to the Pack N' Play saying "bub-ba-ba-ba..." in a super sweet high-pitched tone! hehehe

Another life saver: The Ultimate Baby Wrap.

Not only do Jacob and Caleb like to be carried in in, but we've also found it to be a hit with Gabe. (Yes, this summer even all pregger I was able to carry my almost 30 pound boys in it it is so comfy!)

Gabe is quite a snuggler, so this is perfect to keep him appeased yet have my hands free!

And to wrap it up (no pun intended), a couple of cute pictures and stories of the week for all three boys:

Caleb and Whataburger ketchup!

I seriously think love of ketchup is hereditary, and Caleb got it from me. We only let him try it recently, but the boy gets a huge grin on his face each time. His Mommy is actually obsessed with Whataburger ketchup... not sure WHY it is SO GOOD! Well, we gave him Whataburger this week (yes, I gave my baby child Whataburger - call the "Bad Mommy Patrol"), and he went NUTS for the ketchup and even picked up the container and began licking it all out. He thought it was hilarious and so do we.

By the way, that is avocado on his plate untouched. He normally loves avocado, but I suppose a Justaburger, fries, and ketchup would trump avocado in my book too. After all, Mommy didn't eat a veggie with HER meal either!

But Caleb soon figures out that he can DIP his avocado in the ketchup to maximize the amount of ketchup that he can use. (*Ugh*)

The boys learned a couple of new words this week. One of them was a phrase that they picked up yesterday: "Go Cowboys!" Nope, not kidding! I have to try to get it on video next Monday night. It's too cute to hear a little toddler put both hands in the air and say "Go Cowboys." So it's not too clear yet, but we know what they mean! The other is "fish." They have never eaten fish (other than Goldfish) nor do we own any pet fish, but Jacob spouted off with the word "shish" the other day! I finally figured out after looking at this picture, his favorite little picture book that we read over and over and over has a fish in it! So now we are working on the "f" sound to make it more of a FISH than a SHISH! It's improving. ;-)

Jacob looking at a "shish" and star"shish" in his book!

The twins got a present in the mail, and it sure made Jacob one happy boy! How fun for them to each gift in the mail along with some new, beautiful handmade bibs with matching burp cloths for little Gabe!

Thanks to Albert, Kris, Lillie, and Madeline if y'all are reading this!

And a few of little "G-Man." He is growing before our eyes!

Caleb's Twin?

2008-09-02T10:50:00.005-05:00

So, we all know that Caleb has a fraternal twin - Jacob. From the first day that Jacob and Caleb were born, we could tell them apart without problem. They are like night and day! People told us that we should label all of our pictures, as we would not be able to tell them apart later on - definitely not the case!

We are asking ourselves now, however, if we created Caleb an identical twin 18 months later! See for yourself:

Caleb at 2 weeks

Gabe at 2 weeks

Gabe looks a little bit chunkier around the jaw line and cheeks than Caleb at that age (makes since - Gabe is getting ALL of the Mommy Milk rather than having to share with a brother), but other than that, the picture looks to be the same kid!!

If it wasn't in the day of digital and therefore all of the pictures are in chronological order, we would have to indeed mark them so that we could tell the difference between Gabe and Caleb as babies! We'll have to remember to label any ones we print out!

One more quick comparison:

Caleb at 2 weeks

Gabe at 2 weeks

Amazing!

A long over due Baby Gabe (and Mommy) update:

2008-09-01T22:04:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday - August 28th - we took Gabe for his 1 week exam. (He was actually 10 days old, but since he had gained weight in the hospital, we were told by Dr. Arca that we could wait a few extra days to come in.)

Since most of my readers are Mommies too, you may already know that most all babies lose weight initially after birth. It's 100% normal, however the baby optimally will be back to his or her birth weight at two weeks of age. So, with Gabe being 7 pounds even at birth, we really wanted him to be getting close to 7 pounds again at this 10 day appointment. Since he was "eating" (gulping) so much, however, I wasn't at all worried, and Jon and I even had our suspicions that he might even be close to 7 1/2 pounds!

Well, much to our surprise, Gabe was 7 pounds and 10 ounces!! I am very proud to report that this has been from breast milk exclusively!! The lactation consultant in the hospital didn't think my supply for Gabe would be a problem since I only stopped nursing two babies 9 months prior. So, needless to say, Gabriel is really thriving!

Next we went to my appointment, where everything is healing along nicely AND we also got some great news! Because I had a c-section, that means I am restricted from lifting anything over 10 pounds for 6 weeks. The problem with that is I have two little guys (still in cribs) who weigh about 30 pounds each - and Jon is going back to work next week! My mom typically comes out one day a week, but what were we going to do with the boys the other 4 weekdays?! Well, Dr. White said that as long as I use good body mechanics (using arms and legs rather than abdominal muscles) and lift them only minimally, I can begin caring for Jacob and Caleb again next week!! What a relief! I seriously was stressed about what we were going to do.

On Friday, we took our first outing as a full family. Of course, it was nothing too exciting - to the hospital for Gabe's second PKU/blood screening - but still good to get out and see that it is definitely possible. All three of the boys did great! We even stopped at Chick-Fil-A on the way home. (We got it to-go rather than eating there; it was getting close to lunch and then nap time - we are brave, but not completely crazy!)

Sunday we made our second big family outing to Joe T. Garcia's for my Granny's 72nd birthday party. It's our family tradition to go there for her birthday every year. Granny was pretty surprised that we made it this year with all three boys in tow, but we were so glad that we did! Again, the boys were great. Jacob and Caleb were way over-stimulated and stuffed with good Tex-Mex and cake by the time we left (they had - literally - about 100 pictures taken of them) and were ready for a nap, but considering all of that, they were angels.

We take our family pictures at Joe T's every year, so this picture is actually there:

And the one from last year to compare:

The boys have matured so much in the past year! They are really about the same size, but look so much older. (As a matter of fact, they are wearing the same size diapers as last year - size 4 - and even mostly the same clothing size - 18 months, although they do wear a lot of size 24 month now too.)

Here's us with the "birthday girl" and Grandpa:

And, lastly, Gabe and Mommy:

I mostly want to show off my cute shirt! I actually got it at the Texas Mothers of Multiples Convention back in April. It is supposed to be triplets, however, I figured nobody outside of that convention or especially anyone without multiples would immediately look at it and think "triplets," but rather three boys. I guessed right, as everyone commented on how cute my "three boys - bling" shirt was!

I have one more post coming tomorrow... :-)

We are the 12th Men!

2008-08-29T00:02:00.004-05:00

Today was the start of College Football season, and, while I am a huge football fan myself, my husband was like a child on Christmas! Combining his love for football - especially Texas Aggie Football - and his three sons, he went a little crazy with some pictures of them in their gear. Notice the text that he added, and also Caleb's little Heisman pose. (Yes, I do know that the twins are not wearing pants. Jon took those of the boys just playing around, so they are totally unposed. I want to try to take a better one later - WITH PANTS. Also I'd like to get one with ALL THREE BOYS. hehehe - wish us luck there!)

For those who do not know the Aggie tradition of the 12th Man:

The tradition of the Twelfth Man was born on the second of January 1922, when an underdog Aggie team was playing Centre College, then the nation's top ranked team. As the hard fought game wore on, and the Aggies dug deeply into their limited reserves, Coach Dana X. Bible remembered a squad man who was not in uniform. He had been up in the press box helping reporters identify players. His name was E. King Gill, and was a former football player who was only playing basketball. Gill was called from the stands, suited up, and stood ready throughout the rest of the game, which A&M finally won 22-14. When the game ended, E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies. Gill later said, "I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me."

This gesture was more than enough for the Aggie Team. Although Gill did not play in the game, he had accepted the call to help his team. He came to be thought of as the Twelfth Man because he stood ready for duty in the event that the eleven men on the gridiron needed assistance. That spirit of readiness for service, desire to support, and enthusiasm helped kindle a flame of devotion among the entire student body; a spirit that has grown vigorously throughout the years. The entire student body at A&M is the Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire game to show their support. The 12th Man is always in the stands waiting to be called upon if they are needed.

This tradition took on a new look in the 1980's when Coach Jackie Sherrill started the 12th Man Kick-Off Team composed of regular students through open tryouts. This 12th Man team performed very well and held opponents to one of the lowest yards per return averages in the league. Later, Head Coach R.C. Slocum changed the team to allow only one representative of the 12th Man on the kick off team. The 12th Man tradition also took musical form. The 12th Man sings this song after each game in which the Aggies are outscored.

One Week!

2008-08-25T15:07:00.003-05:00

Here's our first full family picture, taken Saturday night.

Of course, I have ZERO make up on and look drowsy and it was almost the boys' bedtime, so they don't want much to do with a picture, but we're all there (minus Abby - but Jon can't keep both boys AND her off of my incision and Gabe for now)!

Baby Gabe is one week old today! Time is already starting to fly by. He is still doing very well, mostly sleeping and nursing. He rarely gets fussy, and when he does, he usually passes gas/poops soon after. (He'll really love me one day for telling the whole world that!)

Jacob and Caleb are really taking to Gabe, but we still have to be very careful around them, as they don't know their own strength. That's one thing that we are REALLY trying to work on this week - being GENTLE with "Baby Bubba."

Jon is working from home the next couple of weeks during the twins' nap time, but is still here to help by lifting them (since I had a c-section) and keeping them occupied during one of Gabe's 10-times-a-day feedings. So we have a little more time to get Jacob and Caleb adjusted to Gabe before I have to tackle it solo (*gulp*)!

Really things are going right along well! Here are a few pictures of us all HOME TOGETHER as a family:

Stepping back a little... here's a funny picture that I forgot to add to one of the previous blogs. It's Jon's "breakfast" on the way to the hospital Monday morning to have Gabe. Wasn't it WRONG of him to get a VENTI Mocha Frappuccino while his wife was not only pregnant with his third son, but also could not even have a sip (nothing to eat or drink after midnight)?! But we thought it made a for a funny picture - resting it right on Gabe! I had to carry it up to the L&D unit, as Jon was carrying all of the heavy bags, and you should have seen the looks on the nurses' faces as I come strolling in, ready for my c-section with THAT!

"New to the Game" - I love this little t-shirt! (You can tell that he's starting to pack on the pounds, uh, well, ounces too!)

On Friday night, we put Gabe in the swing on the other side of the gate (away from curious little hands), to get Jacob and Caleb used to having him somewhat hanging out in the same room for the first time.

You can see all of Gabe's hair in this picture. Plus, look at those cheeks!! We have no doubt he is getting enough milk from Mommy. (He goes back to the Pediatrician on Thursday for his first official weigh in.)

Our beautiful chaos! My mom and dad (the boys' Nan and Abuelo) came over to visit (and bring us Babe's Chicken!), so Abuelo wrestles with Caleb, Jacob takes his Tonka truck for a spin, while Mommy supervises and rests with Gabe.

"Playing" outside with his big brothers for the first time. He was bright-eyed and alert for most of the time out, but was dozing a little here. The biggest thing to notice about this picture - check out those LONG legs!!

The twins playing with their sand and water table with their Nan and Abuelo.

"NO - THROW - SAND, CALEB LUKE!" (But the picture did turn out really cool!)

The fun continues in the swings! (They were so happy to be able to get out and play hard again outside finally.)

More coming home pics

2008-08-22T14:36:00.004-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the hospital stay and coming home.

Gabe is such a sweet, sweet baby - thus far! ;-)

Alert and bright-eyed after getting his tummy all full.

A sweet picture Jon snuck in our hospital room on Thursday morning.

A "self-portrait" of half of the Seastrunk Family getting ready to go home and join the other half - Abby, Jacob, and Caleb.

Daddy has Gabe loaded up and ready to go home!

Here he comes...

To meet his eager big brothers!

Jacob immediately went to go get a bear for little Gabe. (The one that was given to him "from Gabe" in the hospital.) He proceeded to get the other to hand to Gabe as well... and then continued bringing him blankets, burp cloths, and other miscellaneous items throughout the day. What a big helper! Caleb was just in awe and would stare at Gabe, periodically pointing and saying "Bubba" with a wide-eyed expression.

Jacob brings Gabe the blanket that Mommy dropped while moving to the chair.

Gabe all settled in in our room - where he'll be sleeping for a few weeks - in the bassinet that was his Daddy's! Gabe's great-grandfather hand made that bassinet for Jon in 1977, and we are excited that four Seastrunk boys have now slept in it.

We're Home!

2008-08-21T20:16:00.006-05:00

Sorry for not posting an update as early as I thought we would. We could not get on Baylor's WiFi connection at all the whole time in the hospital!

As Jon posted last night, however, Gabe was born Monday morning at 11:19 am. He was MUCH smaller than any of us had anticipated, at 7 pounds even. (He was even smaller than both of my twins - 7 pounds 2 ounces and 7 pounds 12.5 ounces!!) He was 20.5 inches long. He's tall and skinny, but he very healthy and strong.

All went pretty uneventful with the c-section and recovery afterward. Since we were both rocking along, Gabe and I were released at right at 11:19 this morning - three days to the minute after he was born!

Gabe is a sweet, sweet boy, pretty much sleeping and nursing, only crying when hungry.

Nursing one baby has been pretty easy! My milk did come in with a vengeance, as I only stopped nursing TWO babies about 9 months ago. I am trying not to pump for now (even thought I am FULL), giving my body the "memo" that there is only one little mouth to feed this time. hahaha

Jacob and Caleb are adjusting to the new addition well thus far (of course, we've only been home about 10 hours). They are very curious about having "TWO Bubbas" now, and want to look at and touch Gabe often. We'll really be watching them closely for the time being.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers!

We have lot of pictures posted now, but will be uploading A LOT more tonight. Check out this link late Thursday night or Friday morning!

http://picasaweb.google.com/aggiefrog/GabeIsBorn

Here's a few highlights of the first day:

Nervous Momma ready to go for the c-section

Welcome to the world, Gabriel Elisha!

Jacob and Caleb meeting their "Bubba" for the first time.

Daddy showing the boys little Gabe.

The boys snuggling with Momma!

Lots more pictures to come!

The Seastrunks welcome Gabriel Elisha into the world

2008-08-20T09:08:00.004-05:00

This is Amber's husband, Jon, posting in Amber's behalf. Amber and Gabe are doing well... Gabe was delivered on Monday at 11:19 am and was 7 lbs. 0 oz. and 20 1/2". The c-section, other than a half hour delay for Dr. White, went extremely well.

Amber was able to get onto her feet Monday night and had her IV removed Tuesday morning. Gabe did not eat much the first day, but began to nurse well by Tuesday afternoon and is doing quite well.

Jacob and Caleb made a quick visit to see Momma and their new "bubba" Monday night and Caleb already seems to know that Gabe is his other bubba.

Unfortunately, we cannot seem to connect to Baylor's Wi-Fi from the room, so we have been unable to post as much as we'd like, but we do have some initial pictures up on our Picasa Web Album.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers and hopefully Amber will be able to post something once she's home sometime on Thursday.

-Jon

Ready or not... :-)

2008-08-17T21:42:00.004-05:00

Next post most likely be from Jon, live via the hospital room! Wish us well and send lots of prayers for a safe delivery of Gabe tomorrow morning at 10:00 am.

I have posted a lot the last several days, so you should have lots to look at until I return to blogging again when I feel up to doing so and have the time. (I imagine it won't be long - but the updates will most likely be shorter then!)

By the way, something that I didn't mention on the other post - NO, Jon's work did not know that our Baby Celebration theme or Gabe's Room was brown and blue with bears! Just another cool "coincidence" - just like us staying in Gabriel's Room for our Babymoon!

Anyway, all is as ready as I can make it around the Seastrunk Casa. My mom will be staying at our house with the boys while I am in the hospital. We figured that they would already be going through enough changes and excitement that we didn't want to also have them stay at my parents' house without their usual beds, toys, etc. They are the only "thing" that I am really worried about at this point. They are so young and don't fully understand what is going on - I don't want them to think that Mommy just LEFT them for a few days and then brought home a new baby to replace them. Jon will be home with us for three weeks, however, so I am sure that they will be spoiled rotten by the time he goes back! I am really looking forward to him being here and us getting to all bond as a complete family for a bit. Just remember little Jacob and Caleb in your prayers as you think about us on Monday morning.

We had an AWESOME weekend together as a family, including a trip to The Cheesecake Factory with some friends (ask Mommy and Caleb about the highly recommended 30th Anniversary cheesecake - two layers Original Cheesecake and two layers of creamy chocolate fudge cake filled with chocolate cream and finished with crunchy pearls of Valrhona chocolate - yum!); a family birthday party (Happy 5th, Kade!); church (it was promotion Sunday, and the boys got moved up to a "big boy" room!); and just hanging around together.

Barefoot and pregnant

The excited Mommy and Daddy of Jacob Alan, Caleb Luke, and Gabriel Elisha taking their famous self-portrait!

Next post I will have three little boys in this world!

It's Saturday night...

2008-08-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

... the boys are down, and Jon and I are chillin' out, enjoying a little Cowboys' Pre-Season Football!

One more post tomorrow with a few more pics!

Jacob and Caleb's 18 Month Well Child Exam and More!!

2008-08-15T14:58:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was Jon's last day at work for 3 weeks! He'll be with us exclusively for one week, and then plans on working from home a little the over the next two weeks as we help Jacob and Caleb make the transition to being BIG BROTHERS!

People are SO SWEET to us, as this was waiting on his desk when he arrived Thursday morning.

Isn't is gorgeous?! The only problem with it is that I don't want to disassemble it to use the items!

There were also 280 additional diapers! We got so many diapers and wipes this time between the Baby Celebration, the shower with Jon's other group at work (he works with two different groups a lot), and our Tiny Tots Playgroup. With three little butts to change, however, we'll definitely use them all! Again, I cannot believe how generous everyone has been. Jon and I are sincerely overwhelmed with the thoughtfulness of so many people.

Today we had the boys' 18 month well child visit. Of course, I posted a
LONG update on the actual day they turned 18 months, but now we know the big thing everyone that wants to know - what are their stats!!

Jacob Alan:

Weight = 28 pounds even, which puts him at the 80th percentile
Height = 33 1/2 inches, which puts him at the 85th percentile

Caleb Luke:

Weight = 28 pounds even, which puts him at the 80th percentile
Height = 33 inches even, which puts him at the 80th percentile

So, both boys are drastically slowing down on growth, as they had both consistently been 90 - 97 percent until now. We knew that they had to slow down at some point since Jon and I are both pretty average sized.

On another note, BOTH BOYS ARE FINALLY WALKING WELL! Caleb still looks a little like Frankenstein when he walks (hands out in front, legs a little stiff), but he's doing it SOLO at last! (WOOOHOOO CALEB!! Good job, Big Boy!)

The funny thing is, several months ago I was confident that he would AT LEAST be walking before Gabe joined our family. Well, a week ago when ECI came out again, I mentioned that I suppose Caleb WOULDN'T walk before Gabe came at this point. I think our little stinker listened to that and wanted to challenge Mommy, because he began making leaps and bounds soon after.

Now we have been going for REAL family walks outside. Jacob likes to walk alone and ahead of the group, not holding anyone's hand, while Caleb is still working on balance and likes to hold a hand. We take the wagon along and make them ride once we get to the end of the street (after almost 1/4 mile!). Caleb's little legs are usually ready for the rest, however Jacob screams when we try to make him sit down. Below are a couple of pictures we took on our venture out the other night. I also took a video that I'll try to upload later.

Another thing to mention - and I am almost ashamed to admit - I FINALLY have them watching a TV show! Both boys have refused to watch any television show at all until recently - no Baby Einsteins, no Sesame Street, NOTHING! Call me a "bad Momma," but I have been really trying to find a show that they will watch. Until now it hasn't been a huge issue, as I make dinner, wash dishes, do laundry, etc. all during their nap time. Well, Gabe might be on a different schedule than them for a few weeks, so I desperately wanted something - ANYTHING - to distract them for AT LEAST 15 minutes! EUREKA, I FOUND IT!! My boys LOVE SuperWhy! And because my boys love it and will actually watch it, Jon and I are both in love with it too!! The little ADD toddlers still won't sit down to watch it, but, as you can see, it keeps their attention.

"Calling all Super Readers... To the Book Club!!"

I am glad so that they chose to watch something educational so that I don't feel too bad leaving them in front of the TV. As "Princess P" sounds out letters, the boys will often repeat her! SWEET - they are learning letters, phonics, AND letting me get something done! What more could a Mommy want?!

Did I mention that I really love SuperWhy?! ;-)

We are going to dinner with friends tonight (The Cheesecake Factory - YUM!) as well as a family birthday party tomorrow, so good tummy shots will be taken at some point. I'll make my best effort to post those by Sunday.

39 Weeks - 4 days left to grow!

2008-08-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

Can you believe I am 39 weeks pregnant?! Today was my very last appointment pregnant - ever - unless God really has a sense of humor (I won't put anything past Him)! It does make me sad, but I'm trying to remember that The Seastrunk Family will move on to bigger and even more exciting things to come - like taking our three boys camping, hiking in Colorado, fishing at the Gulf Coast, to Disney World, etc!

Anyway, back to the NOW...

All is still going on the same. Weight has hit the 30 pounds mark ;-), blood pressure was 90/48 (WOW!), everything else is also pretty much the same.

So, we'll be going in at 10:00 am Monday morning - August 18th - to pull this "little" guy out!

Speaking of "little guy," feel free to email me or leave a comment with how big you think Gabriel will be. We have already polled all of the grandparents and some other family. It will be fun to see who gets the closest. (Maybe I really am bigger than what I feel, as I have the chosen LIGHTEST weight thus far!)

For those who want an update live via the hospital, please send me an email or comment with your email address. I have an email list going for Jon, as he will send an update ASAP from his iPhone! Since our hospital does have WiFi, the MacBook will also go along, so there will most likely be a blog and update to the family website (www.seastrunkfamily.com) later in the day.

Also if you want specific info on where we will be (for visiting purposes), let us know. We'll also have my cell phone along too, but it may be off for a while.

We are requesting NOT to have visitors at the hospital Monday morning. Since I am having a surgery (c-section), it's hospital policy too (I can only have one person back with me until I get settled into a Mother/Baby room - and that person would be my hubby and Gabe's Daddy, obviously).

Since they plan on keeping me in for 3-4 days, however, we would love to see friends and family as early as Monday afternoon and throughout Thursday! Just give me a little time to fully "wake up" from the anesthesia, make sure they have had time to do Gabe's newborn exam and get him back to us for him to nurse, let Jon and I meet our newest son, and introduce him to his big bros. If all goes as well as we anticipate (ie: not in loopy "Mag-Sulfate-Land" this time), I am sure by Tuesday I'll be up and at it, ready to bust out of that joint - or at least see some familiar faces!

Tomorrow I'll try to get up some tummy shots! Also Jacob and Caleb will have their 18 month well child exam, so I'll definitely have stats on our BIG BOYS!

Life's Better Outside!

2008-08-14T10:09:00.003-05:00

And I couldn't agree more!

Here's a really cool site that I found from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, promoting "unstructured play time in nature." I hope to use it as soon as Gabe is ready to join his big brothers outside more. Jon and I cannot wait to take them all for their first camping trip, possibly in the Spring.

http://lifesbetteroutside.tpwd.state.tx.us/

And, something I hope to have the boys logged into in a few years to learn more about animals, wildflowers, and the diverse Texas terrain - their "Outdoor Kids" site!

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kids/

I have my 39 week appointment later today, so look for another update tonight!

A - bit - sporadic update!

2008-08-13T14:06:00.010-05:00

Since my last post, we've had a lot happen in addition to the usual nesting, cleaning, cooking/freezing meals to feed us after Gabe is here, taking care of two little toddlers, etc. - oh, and trying to get some rest. ;-)

Tuesday the 5th - I loaded up Jacob, Caleb, and 40+ stuffed animals and headed to Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, where we met my dad and delivered the stuffed animals from Baby Gabe's Celebration! They were very grateful to receive the animals, and assured me that they would go to children who definitely need them.

Wednesday the 6th - We headed out to Azle to see "Dr. Jessi," our chiropractor, where the boys and I got our last adjustment before Gabe arrives - and for probably sometime after. My mom - "Nan" - met us there and we all headed over to Dairy Queen after getting loosened up. The boys loved it, as always (nothing like taking a break from Mom's healthy cooking, right bro?!)!

Gotta throw in a couple of DQ pics since the boys are always so cute there!

Jacob oblivious to the bit of mayo on his face after sneaking a bite of Nan's Dude.

Nan taught the boys how to dip their fries, chicken, or whatever in ketchup, and created a monster with Caleb in the process!

Thursday the 7th - I had my 38 week appointment for little Gabriel. All was still going GREAT! Gained about 25 - 30 pounds total, blood pressure 102/50, Gabe still head down (locked in place at this point) with his little booty up in the air (like it matters with a scheduled c-section any way), and really nothing more to report! After the appointment, I got my last HUGE Wal-Mart trip out of the way. (OK, "my last trip" sounds so dramatically permanent! How about, my last big trip for the unforeseeable future.) Pushing that incredibly heavy basket around the store flat wore me out, so I just had to stop at Sonic on the way home to get Gabe a Lemon-Berry slush. ;-)

Friday the 8th - It's 08/08/08, and Jon finally had a day off! ECI came out at 9:30 and worked with the boys (mostly Caleb at this point) until almost 11:00. Afterward, we loaded up the boys and headed to Grapevine Mills Mall - with specific intentions of heading to the Stride Rite outlet for some REAL big boy shoes since Jacob and Caleb are walking like big boys now. (We made a big deal about going to get BIG BOY SHOES - and they were SO PROUD!) We got some cool shoes, grabbed some Dickey's barbeque in the food court for lunch (we were going to go to Rainforest Cafe, but figured that, since it was already 12:45, we already pushing our luck with the boys and the wait would be too much), and then walked around the mall for a while. In the car, Jon and I tried to keep the boys awake until we got home, but we were barely out of the parking lot when Jacob crashed. We figured while we were out and in the Grapevine area, Jon stayed in the van with the sleepy boys and let me run into a scary place to send me unsupervised - The Nesting Place! I was on a mission, however, and really wanted to maximize the boys' nap time in their own beds, so just ran in and out. I only got one $5 item that I've been wanting to get before Gabe arrives - a Mother's Minder Bracelet. I figure it will be a good way to track nursing times with a singleton baby rather than my crazy "Double Time" notebook I used to keep track of what was up and down those first few months with the boys!

Here's a few pics of the proud boys trying on their new shoes after they got up from nap. Ignore the redneck attire (ie: camo onesies with no shorts and red, white, and blue socks with tennis shoes!), as we just put the boys in a little onesie for nap since it is so hot and we didn't want to get them dressed to just run around the house in their shoes!

The boys actually remembered the shoes when we pulled out the boxes after nap, and were eager to dig inside!

Caleb doesn't want to wait for Mommy or Daddy to help him - since he's a big boy, HE can get his own shoes on!

Caleb kept looking down at his feet, and then breaking into a big grin!

And Jacob just walked through the house staring at his feet!

Saturday the 9th - I finished the LAST batch of Strawberry-Banana muffins to have for the boys on hand in the freezer. We also cleaned to van and rearranged the car seats to fit one more! We now have one "big boy" in the far back, one "big boy" in the driver side middle row, and Gabe's infant carrier in the passenger middle row. After dinner we decided to load the boys up in their wagon so that they were well contained, and I could give them a good hair cut outside. Yes, it's easy to brush the cut locks away while in the wagon and outdoors, but also it works well so that we can immediately do one of the favorite things in both of their little worlds after the "torture" - go for a walk. Well, Caleb's allergies strike again!! On the walk, I noticed he was wheezing a little. We kept going, and I thought I'd just watch him.

Long story as short as possible, Jon and I were up until 2:00 am giving Caleb hot apple juice, and going between the hot steamy bathroom to the front of the freezer, trying to get rid of his nasty, wheezy, raspy, croupy cough. By the morning, he was a little better - although still not 100%. (Yes, our son does come first, so the little toot made us miss much of the Cowboys' first preseason game! hehehe From looking at "highlights" the next day, us missing the game may have been a blessing in disguise.)

Sunday the 10th - Needless to say, the boys (nor Mommy and Daddy) weren't up and at it in time for church! Which, I have to admit, was a little nice to have a day HOME.

This week things have been going right along, but I'll update more later. I think my body's finally giving out though. My hips hurt, my back hurts, my groin area hurts - and today even my right shoulder has begun to really hurt! BUT, I am still really active with the boys and going for family walks in the evening, so I can't complain too much.

Up next is my very last OB/GYN appointment (Sure, I'll be going back for my post-op and then yearly exams, but this will be my last one ever to check on a baby. Makes me a little sad...) and also Jacob and Caleb's 18 month appointment.

Hopefully I'll have the next update out tomorrow night, but, well, you know how that goes!

Gabe's Room

2008-08-09T23:52:00.006-05:00

This week was quite a busy week, which continued as I started writing this post around midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning, however I'll get to all of that another time! I'll try to make a catch up post about it tomorrow. Do know, however, that all is still going well. Today marks 38 weeks and 2 days!

But I realized that I haven't yet posted pictures or even described Gabe's new "crib" to y'all! He room is decorated in a Sports Bear Theme. I think it turned out pretty cute!

There are a few blank spots on the walls. The frame that is above the crib will have his "Birthday Keepsake," just like his big brothers' bed - of course, we need his date and time of birth and vital stats before we can place the order. At the head of his bed, next to the blue cross, we will add another frame that will have his Baby Dedication certificate once Gabe is dedicated (big brothers were dedicated at 3 months). Also there is another picture frame (not shown in the pictures) that says "We've loved you since the moment we saw you" in which I will add pictures from after Gabe is born.

On the back of the rocker is our How to Really Love a Child throw that was given to us as a gift when I was pregnant with the boys. It kept me warm and snugly several nights while nursing Caleb (who nursed for an hour at a time in the beginning days) and then Jacob right after wards (before they were big enough to tandem nurse). Oftentimes I would just catch a 30 minute power nap there in that rocker until it was time to start nursing Caleb yet again (the days of the every two hour feedings). Ahhhh, please God, SURELY it will be easier with one baby...

Anyway - back to the NOW!

I love his little sheets and blankie! How cute to combine bears with sports! (I think someone designed this pattern in an attempt to make both Mommy and Daddy super excited about the child's nursery! hehehe) Gabe also has both a prayer angel and a lovie embroidered with his name to match his older brothers' (thanks Kristen, if you are reading this).

Of course, the toy chest and rocker/ottoman don't match 100% since they came from Jacob and Caleb's room. (And we couldn't find the crib/changer combo that we like so much in the same color that we had/have for the twins.) The boys actually love that we moved all of that "baby stuff" out of their room, as they have more space to play now! Besides, all the rocker was being used for anymore was for them to rock it with their hands, beating the wall in the process. Ahhh, yes, we have TODDLERS on our hands!

That's a quick run through the nursery. I'll try to catch up on the past week - including the 38 week appointment - soon. It's been a NIGHT, and I need to try to get some sleep! (It's now 1:50am and Caleb is still awake... whew!)

Diaper Calculator

2008-08-06T22:13:00.003-05:00

No update or anything - just saw this and thought it was kind of fun. Scary, but fun! Just put in the number of babies that you have in diapers, how long they have been in diapers, how much each diaper costs, and how long it takes you on average to change a diaper. (Averages are already in by default.)

More about babys and free baby samples

That's a lot of cash shelled out for collecting pee and poop! Luckily I never buy diapers/wipes without coupons and/or a sale!

Happy 18 Months, Boys!

2008-08-04T22:51:00.007-05:00

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
~Elizabeth Stone

Jacob and Caleb are growing right along, become more and more like little toddlers and less "babyish." They are so fun now - when they're not having a tantrum, biting, or fighting over toys! Overall, they truly are good and very sweet little guys.

Jacob, our "Baby A," has really learned to share, which actually is not always a great thing. Most of the time he'll cave in and give Caleb a toy if he wants it, even if he was playing with it first. Also, all Caleb has to do now is point and "grunt" at a toy, and Jacob will go "fetch" it for him. That is very sweet of him to do, don't get me wrong, but Caleb is still not walking well, so he REALLY needs to be getting his little hiney up and practicing on his own! Jacob is one of the most tenderhearted little kids I have ever seen. He really is a sweetheart.

His giggle is contagious! He gets tickled at watching his brother do all sorts of crazy things! He also loves to dance (I need to try to get a video of him dancing to "Jakey got low, low, low, low, low, low, loooooowwwww...")

As far as mobility, by watching Jacob, you NEVER would guess that his motor skills were delayed only a couple of months ago. Last night he didn't want his nails trimmed (it's really torture to him, as he has to sit still for more than 30 seconds), so the silly boy was running from me laughing (what a fun game to be chased by Mommy)! He walks constantly, often carrying really heavy and/or bulky toys around. He also likes to "read" to us. He opens a book and babbles "words" as he turns the pages.

Here Jacob decides he is too busy too sit down and read, so he combines his two favorites - walking and reading.

Jacob is a GREAT eater! He is pretty good with a spoon/fork and will eat almost anything that we offer. He likes all veggies, but especially is a meat eater. The kid shocks me with the amount of food he can put away for his size! (A typical breakfast is a whole bowl of oatmeal, a whole piece of fruit, a 6 ounce cup of milk, and oftentimes some Cheerios or Cheetah Chomps to munch on while his brother finishes... and that's just for breakfast!)

His favorite things right now are balls/playing catch with Daddy, books, coloring, being outdoors (he is tall enough to reach the door knob, and tries to go outside several times a day), playing in sand, barbeque brisket (no, I'm not kidding), sweet corn bread muffins (what can I say - the boy LOVES good food!), and giving kisses.

Caleb, our "Baby B," is still, well, our little Caleb! I've never met another kid quite like him. He has such a fun personality and a smile (with big dimples) that can make anyone melt.

However he most definitely knows how to work that to his advantage! He still gets that look like he scheming up something often, and several times a day will actually look at me, smile really sweetly, and then throw a toy at or tackle his brother. He thinks that his cuteness will get him out of anything.

It already seems, however, that Caleb already has extreme stubbornness and perfectionist behavior. He CAN walk (we've seem him do it on multiple occasions), but just only does it when it benefits him. My thoughts? He is not wanting to walk right now - he wants to run - and he is not going to run until he knows that he can do it perfectly. Until that moment clicks with him, he's not going to attempt to walk alone too much - and the more we push him, the more ticked off he's going to get at not only us, but also himself. He is stubborn, he is a perfectionist, he is really hard on himself, and he is his Mommy all over! He'll learn soon enough that being a perfectionist is both a blessing and a curse.

Caleb is also very, very good with a spoon! The boy will diligently eat every bite with his spoon rather than use his hands (most meals). In fact, he tries to eat his finger foods (Goldfish, etc) with a spoon if he has one.

Here Caleb munches down on some Indian food - Chicken Tikka Masala, a toned down palak sadheko, and some mango with yogurt

His favorite things right now are giving hugs, tackling/rough housing with brother (which Jacob hates!), having bites of Mommy's cheesecake Blizzard when we go to Azle, making people laugh, giving "raspberries," his puppy, and going in the wagon for walks.

Caleb having a bite of yummy Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard at DQ.

As you can clearly see, we are crazy about these boys! They are twins, yet so very different. I love how both of their personalities shine.

Mommy and Daddy love you, boys! We can't wait to see you bloom even more in the coming months!

A 37 week-ish comparison

2008-08-04T07:29:00.004-05:00

Here's a picture of the growing tummy/Gabe at 37 weeks and 1 day:

However, here's a picture of me carrying the twins at 36 weeks and 6 days (I missed getting the comparison shots exactly by 2 days, but, hey, that's life!):

Wow - what a difference! I really thought in the last week or so I was getting just as big as when I was carrying Jacob and Caleb, until I saw this:

I mean, seriously, that is some major tummy! Unfortunately, that is the last good tummy picture that I got before the twins were born, as I began to feel even more uncomfortable and therefore less interested in pictures - I was just ready for them to be OUT! (However they did "come out" 5 days later.)

It is amazing to see how much better I look this time overall. It wasn't until after seeing this, I noticed that even my face and overall appearance look so much better. And interestingly enough, although I am not on bed rest, I even look more RESTED and ALERT this time around. (Also in the more recent picture, the boys and I were going to have dinner with some friends rather than me returning back to bed from yet another trip to the potty - a little more exciting!)

More to come later, but overall still feeling pretty good despite all of the 100+ degree days. (Suppose to be 107 today - hopefully Tropical Storm Edouard will not amount to much as far as destruction goes but bring in some cooler weather and much needed rain!) Jacob and Caleb are also doing well. They are being as sweet as ever (MOST of the time)!

Jesus Shaves

2008-07-31T23:03:00.003-05:00

Just had to add this really quickly, as it cracks me up!

When Jon and I were in Granbury last weekend, we saw this coffee cup at a random store on the town square.

For some reason it REALLY made me laugh. I mean, I really, uncontrollably cracked up over this thing! When you add a hot beverage to the cup, Jesus shaves! hehehe

No, I didn't buy it, but perhaps I should have for my early morning/late nights that are facing me just around the corner.

That's all for now... just had to share a quick chuckle that only people with my random sense of humor will truly appreciate.

37 Week Appointment!

2008-07-30T22:32:00.003-05:00

Today I am actually 36 weeks and 5 days, but we had the 37 week appointment. All still looks great. This pregnancy has been boringly uneventful, which we'll take! (Blood pressure still holding in there at 100/60!)

Before I give the update from Dr. White, I have to step back and give the Baby Gabe Poll results:

58% of you guys think that little Gabe will weight in between 7 and 8 pounds; 36% think that he'll weight between 8 and 9 pounds; and 6% think that our "little chunk" will be over 9 pounds!

OK...

And 47% of you guys think that little Gabe will make his big arrival into the world on August 18th; 26% think that he'll come between August 15th and 18th; and 26% he'll be arriving VERY soon - before August 15th!

That all being said, Dr. White agrees with the majority for his arrival date of August 18th. He sees no reason at this point why I should not make it.

HOWEVER... if the majority wins for his weight, then Gabe will have to arrive SOON! I didn't have a sonogram, but by feeling on my tummy, he thinks that Gabe is 7 1/2 - 8 pounds RIGHT NOW! Seriously, if you touch my tummy, you can tell that it is truly "all baby." From the top to the bottom and left to right - Gabe is taking up every bit of the space in my tummy.

I didn't ask Dr. White how much he thinks that Gabe will be at birth, however if he stays in "cooking" for another 19 days, then he will for sure be over 8 pounds! Am I looking at having a 9 pound PLUS baby? If so, doesn't bother me a bit, as it's still better than carrying 15 pounds of baby along with TWO "bags of fluid," etc. Besides, he's "cutting me open" to take Gabe out, so he can be 12 pounds as far as I care. ;-)

Can't ask for anything better so far!

Baby Gabe Poll #2

2008-07-28T15:43:00.005-05:00

Wow - I am more shocked by the turn out of the poll than I am the results! As of 9:00 Tuesday morning (less than 24 hours posted), we have had 33 people vote. I didn't realize that I had so many lurkers out there. ;-)

The winner: 61% of you guys think that little Gabe will weight in between 7 and 8 pounds; 33% think that he'll weight between 8 and 9 pounds; and 6% think that our "little chunk" will be over 9 pounds!

Jon and I both were two of the votes who voted for "between 8 and 9 pounds." Our logic is that Jacob and Caleb were born early (yes, GREAT for twins, but still early) at 37 weeks and 4 days and weighed 7 pounds, 12.5 ounces and 7 pounds, 2 ounces respectively. If Gabe stays in place until the c-section date of August 18th, he will be 39 weeks and 3 days - which will mean that he gets to "cook" two weeks longer than the boys! (At this stage of the pregnancy, all he is doing essentially is getting more fat reserves.) Plus there is more room for him to grow in there with there only being one - and that Jacob and Caleb "stretched out" a good home for him!

BUT... the question is... will he actually make it "in Mommy" until the scheduled c-section date of August 18th?!

Here's the scoop as to why Gabe will or will not make it in Mommy until then:

* I am still walking at least a half mile with the boys in the blistering Texas heat every day (which could induce). However, I have yet to have one true contraction while walking (by this point one or two could be expected).

* I carried the twins to 37 weeks and 4 days. Does that mean 37-38 weeks is the time that my body prefers to carry a pregnancy? Do remember, however, I was on bed rest for almost 12 week prior (which is what we think kept the boys "in" that long).

* Do also remember that they didn't take the boys because I went "into labor" - it was due to my sudden blood pressure spike (so, again, I've NEVER had a REAL contraction at all).

* We had a c-section scheduled for February 5th with Jacob and Caleb, however they found a way to make their arrival one day early on February 4th. Will Gabe keep the family tradition and do the same (August 17th)?!

Baby Gabe Poll #2
When will Baby Gabe make his big arrival?

Sometime in July.
Early August - before the 15th.
Between the 15th and the 18th
August 18th
After August 18th.

The results...

So let me know what you think! I have my thoughts, but what are yours?!

Also remember to vote in yesterday's poll if you have not already done so: Baby Gabe Poll #1.

And see our Babymoon post from this past weekend.

Baby Gabe Poll #1

2008-07-28T14:58:00.003-05:00

The time is drawing closer...

Three weeks from today, as a matter of fact!

Don't miss the previous post about our Babymoon this past weekend, but also vote in the first (in possibly a series) of Polls!

Baby Gabe Poll #1
With the twins, Amber carried 15 pounds of JUST BABY! How much will Gabe weight?

Less than 7 pounds
Between 7 and 8 pounds
Between 8 and 9 pounds
Greater than 9 pounds
Oh, he'll be all of the 15 pounds or MORE! ;-)

What did other people say?

The polls are anonymous, so you lurker (ahem - stalker) types have no fear! ;-) I am so curious to see what all of the readers think!

Oh, and if you have ideas for more polls, let me know.

Back to reality...

2008-07-27T22:01:00.012-05:00

Jon and I had an AWESOME time together this weekend on our "Babymoon" - just the two of us. Yes, we did talk about the little "goober-heads" a lot, but it was great to be together - alone - again. This was the first time that we have been away together without the boys for more than a couple of hours. Of course, since I am oh so close to popping, we had to stay within a little over an hour from the hospital...

We began the weekend Saturday morning by getting the boys up and fed breakfast. Then we headed out, on the way stopping for donuts and coffee/chocolate milk. (No fair - we got donuts and the boys had to eat breakfast at home?!) We dropped the boys off at my parents' house west of Fort Worth (Aledo area) and got the boys settled in. At this point I began to get really nervous, but felt better when my mom said "boys, tell your Mommy and Daddy bye-bye," and Jacob proceeded to get up from his puzzle, walk to the door, turn to us and wave while saying "bye!"

We got on the road to head a little bit further Southwest to our final destination - Granbury, Texas!

We started out the day by walking around the town square, looking in many of the antique shops, gift (random stuff) shops, and book stores. Then we decided that we needed to get lunch, so we walked to Babe's Chicken. We were surprised to see Babe's in Granbury! We love the original location in Roanoke and this was where we took our family to celebrate telling them that we were pregnant the first time (before we knew twins), so it seemed right to eat there again. Plus the food is GOOD!

After we devoured a great lunch, we walked around for a bit longer, and then headed to our Bed and Breakfast to check in.

We stayed at Angel of the Lake B&B.

We specifically were in Gabriel's Room! This is actually what lead us to "Babymoon" Granbury, Texas. Jon somehow stumbled across the room while looking at local B&B's online, and that was our "sign" that we should go!

The room was very nice and QUIET - which actually made us a little sad... but it was nice to get some much needed REST!

After getting settled in and resting briefly, we headed to the lake, which was conveniently located directly across the street!

The water was a bit murky, especially compared to the last time Jon and I went to the "beach" together in Cozumel, but nonetheless we had fun swimming for a couple of hours.

We then went back to the B&B to clean up and get ready for a night out. Of course, part of my "cleaning up" involved getting in the blue marble jacuzzi tub next to the beautiful harp stained glass window - very nice!

Our evening plans were a Dinner Cruise on the Granbury Riverboat. Our dinner consisted of steak, baked potato, steamed veggies, croissants, and cheesecake. The cruise is BYOB and a nice glass of wine would have been great with dinner, however we improvised considering our (well, uh, MY) circumstances. ;-)

After we ate dinner, we went to the upper deck of the boat where there was live music and dancing. So many people came up to us, wanting to touch the belly (I guess they think rubbing the pregger belly will give them good luck?), ask when our baby is due, ask if this is our first ("What - this is your third boy?! When are y'all trying for the girl..."), and so forth.

After the cruise we turned in for the night, where we had a great evening snack at the B&B. Part of the "hospitality" of the B&B is that they have always have a fridge stocked with sodas, a coffee pot with coffee, a hot water pot with tea bags, M&M's, peanuts, and brownies available! I got into the nice, comfy robe that was provided, and had some hot (decaf) tea and a warm homemade brownie - that I didn't have to make!!

The next morning we slept in!!! And what's even better is we got dressed and went to the main house where we could smell fresh coffee and breakfast cooking - again, not by myself!

After breakfast, we checked out and went back to the lake for a little bit longer. We didn't swim this time, but just walked around in the sand.

As much fun as Jon and I were having together, we figured we better head back so that we could get the boys home in their own beds for their afternoon nap while I unpacked and Jon picked up Abby (our dog) from his Dad's house in Irving. (But not before Jon could get a Venti Mocha Frappaccino for the drive home!)

After all, we get back to reality starting bright and early tomorrow morning. :-(

Even more love for the all of boys!

2008-07-25T13:32:00.008-05:00

The boys and I went to a Tiny Tots Playgroup yesterday! As many of you know, my Mothers of Multiples group - McMoms - has a playgroup for little ones that I have "headed up" for the last year. At first all of the kiddos didn't participate much, but they have really started to actually play together more and more in the past year. I've also had fun chatting with the other twin Mommies. What a relief to hear some of the same frustrations and day to day challenges of having multiples!

So, anyway, this summer I have really slowed down on planning get-togethers, but one of the girls, Christina, wanted to plan another play date. We got it all set up, and, seeing as every playgroup might be the last time the boys get to see their friends in quite a while with their brother's arrival drawing ever-so-close, we were definitely in!

Well, we arrive to soon find out that everyone else was bringing in food (nobody told me we where having a pot-luck playdate)... and then I see gift bags... and then cake...

SURPRISE!
It looks like this playgroup was a dual purpose get-together!

Unfortunately, the boys were NOT having too good of a day. I am not sure what the deal was! But nonetheless, I was a little embarrassed that my babies were the ones trying to spoil the party! Jacob is getting even more molars in (and he was the one that was especially moody), but teething doesn't usually effect him that badly! Hmmm.... perhaps they were a little jealous that there was a party thrown for Gabe and not the big brothers! hehehe I laugh, but I seriously do think that there might be a little something to that. Both boys have been especially clingy to me. They are smart and do know that something HUGE (yet so tiny) is about to rock their little worlds.

But, anyway, after we went outside and regrouped a little, all went pretty well. They - especially Jacob - were still not their normal happy-go-lucky selves, but they at least kept it together.

Here's a great shot of us temporarily organizing the chaos to get a group picture...

Even though neither Jacob nor Caleb are looking at the camera in this picture, I thought it turned out GREAT! I mean, 13 kids and NOBODY is crying?! We'll take that!

Thank so much to my sweet, sweet friends Christina, Carly, Kelly, Michelle, and Cinnamon!!

Now... I must go pack for the weekend. Yup - the time is HERE! I'll make a post about what all we did after we get back and settled. (Remember: we still be within an hour and a half from our delivering hospital, Baylor Grapevine, just in case!)

36 Weeks - * YIKES! *

2008-07-22T16:41:00.005-05:00

We are now officially to the "less than one month" countdown!

I had my 36 week appointment this morning and all is still going well. For those of you who know about my history of HELLP Syndrome, my blood pressure was 100/52 today and there was no protein at all in my urine - as well as zero swelling in my legs (which is quite amazing for any one in this Texas heat, let alone a pregger chick!). This is way uneventful when compared to the twins' pregnancy! In the back of my mind, I keep waiting on something to happen since every appointment was so dramatic with Jacob and Caleb, but it looks like all is just going to be smooth sailing.

* Well... mostly smooth sailing... *

I like to have to demeanor that I've "got it all together," but lately I feel like I am losing it. I am having some HIGH anxiety about Gabe coming and how Jacob and Caleb will be affected by the addition to our family. Will they regress after Gabe arrives? Will they have even more meltdowns/tantrums? Will they try to hurt him?! (OK, so not intentionally, but they are having a hard time understanding "gentle" here lately.)

In an attempt to "make it all better," I have been frantically trying to get our house PERFECTLY in order for when Gabe arrives, getting myself into one project after another. I already have ADHD and I think a little OCD, so nesting gets taken over the top - EXTREME in my case. I am flat, worn out, exhausted, but our closets are starting to look pretty good. ;-) Oh, and I am trying to work on cooking a lot of meals that can be frozen now so that we will actually eat more than Chick-fil-a (much to Jon's dismay) or Subway, without me putting pressure on myself to cook while tending to two toddlers and a newborn.

I guess what it comes down to is I am freaking out a little about having THREE BOYS within 18 months, so I am trying to be as prepared as I can be - like THAT will help when all of the chaos hits! What freaks me out the most is that I have ZERO CONTROL over life right now - and I HATE THAT! (I admit it - I am a MAJOR control freak!)

So there is my brutally honest 36 week update. Overall things truly are going great and I can't complain. We have been blessed with what appears to be another very healthy child. Most of the time the boys and I are staying so busy that I don't think about the upcoming chaos - it's just at night when I STOP, sit down, and get quiet for a minute - then I have time to think. (* ding, ding, ding * There's my problem - I think too much!)

But only 27 days (or less) until Gabe is HERE and then I won't have time to worry anymore. :-)

On happier news, Jon and my "Babymoon" is drawing closer!! More about that to come...

34 weeks (almost 35 now) and still growing!

2008-07-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, before the Baby Celebration, we had our 34 week appointment.

Because we were having a sonogram, my mom came out to sit with the boys so that Jon could go along.

All was still looking GREAT with both Baby Gabe and Mommy! This pregnancy has been so much more uneventful, thank God!

He was measuring to be 35 weeks, rather than 34 weeks, so either the date is off (which is a possibility since I was breastfeeding when I became pregnant) or he is just a big guy! He is guesstimated to be about 5 1/2 pounds right now.

Although the machine was out of paper to print any still shots, we got all of the sonogram on DVD. For those of you who really like watching sono footage - here ya' go!

As you can see at about one minute in, Gabe is still most definitely, without a doubt, a BOY! (So, the cute blue and sports themed nursery that we finished TODAY will still be applicable. LOL! I'll have to remember to post some nursery pics soon...)

Here's the belly today - at 34 weeks and 4 days along.

To compare to my last pregnancy, here is a shot of me at 34 weeks and 4 days along with Jacob and Caleb. (It was taken on our Anniversary dinner - which is why I am actually dressed and looking moderately good.) Wow - I am about HALF the size that I was with the twins - hehehe, go figure!

The OR has been booked for our scheduled c-section on August 18 at 8:00 am! I would really, really like to try for a VBAC, however Jon and my doctor are pretty adamant that I not take the risks involved, so I am going to suck it up and respect their thoughts here.

I guess that means - if Baby Gabe will hold out that long - we have 34 more days until we get to meet him! Since he is measuring big, however, we'll see...

One more picture for the road...

Celebration!

2008-07-14T20:20:00.012-05:00

On Saturday, we had a Baby Celebration for little Baby Gabe!

The "Baby Celebration" pretty much was a Baby Shower - but since Gabriel is a second pregnancy, we did not call it a "shower," rather a "celebration." Another difference in this "celebration" is that, since we are having a third boy and were blessed with TONS of stuff for the twins that we still have, we had a "teddy bear drive" in lieu of gifts to go Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, where Deputies will distribute them to children effected by domestic violence and similar situations.

Mostly we feel that EVERY child is a blessing and deserves to be celebrated, so we wanted to get to get friends and family together to have snacks, cake, punch, and, of course, chocolate and coffee to celebrate our newest little gift from God - but did not want everyone to bring gifts. Thus, a Baby Celebration!

Jon and our dads were there (mostly because Jacob and Caleb came and we needed help corralling them while I visited with everyone!). But, since they were all there, we thought it would be fun to "punk" them and have a little surprise game - just for them. We gave each guy a baby bottle with about 4 ounces of juice, in which they had to suck down as fast as they could. Well, my dad and Jon had the same exact though, as they, simultaneous, unscrewed the top and chugged it within seconds! (So quickly, my camera did not get the shot in time, but this is them afterward.) Taking the top off had NEVER crossed our minds - but they both agreed that it was the first thing they though of! I must say that I am a little freaked out that they BOTH had the same thought. My dad won because his was sucked dry and Jon had a little left at the bottom. He had to wear a sign that said "I'm a Sucker," and also got a sucker out of the deal. (The gift isn't as funny, considering he didn't actual suck it down!)

We ended up collecting 40 bears at the celebration! I wasn't expecting that many, but am honored that we will be able to give so much on Gabe's behalf. Here's a cute pink bear, as I rarely see many pink things anymore! ;-)

And, because my friends and family are such sweet, generous people, many couldn't just bring bears to donate; so I ended up getting gifts anyway! The biggest gift given? Diapers and wipes! Overall, we got a grand total of 862 diapers (ranging from Size 1 - Size 2/3) and 3191 wipes for Gabe's little butt - literally! Wow! It's A LOT of wipes, but figure they will most definitely get used around this joint, considering they will be used on three hinies.

There were also several other things brought - gift cards, some really cute clothes, lotions, etc. (At least Gabe won't get ALL hand-me-downs now! LOL!)

My friend, Amy, came up with the idea of doing the celebration for Gabe and made/sent out the cute invites shown above. My mom stepped up to do a lot of the other work involved in the celebration, however, since Amy lives so far away and my mom felt it was a lot for one person to tackle. Because of both of their hard work, I gave them each a bottle of wine. (Although that's not NEAR enough for all of the work that they put forth!!) You can't tell very well from the picture, but the wine bottle is in a little cradle-looking basket and wearing a diaper and baby t-shirt. :-) (Yes, I am too creative for my own good - I know!)

Mommy and Daddy were overwhelmed by all of the friends and family who turned out for the celebration and all of the great gifts received.

Here's a shot of all of the bears and stuffed animals collected. Wow, guys, this is going to potentially put a smile on 40 once scared kiddos' faces! I am so excited to present these in honor of our son.

After we stacked them all up, we did let Jacob and Caleb play in the huge mound of animals for a while before bagging them up.

My LITTLE guys had so much fun, however, whether he'll admit it or not, I think Jon had as just much - if not more - fun diving into the mound of bears!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who came out to be a part of this special day! We had a lot of fun, and hope that you did as well. Gabe is one lucky little boy to already have so many people who love him so much.