a birthday party success!

Good morning!

Well, today I wore myself out! I had a work deadline (that I actually have to finish today) and just had birthday party day, and I'm tuckered!

The party day was just perfect. The morning was filled with cleaning and the afternoon with food and family and friends and fun.

Well worth the effort. I agonized over making sure it was perfect and the right people were there, and they absolutely were. I loved every person who came and exactly what happened. It was a Lego party with a cake and a few Lego challenges.

Well worth the effort. I knew it would be... I also knew I worried endlessly for not much reason. Funny how that is... I knew I shouldn't worry and I should pray more before the party, but I just was in cleaning mode and thinking, I'll get through it! It was like I was set on just doing things my way, even though I could have prayed more and let go of worry more and enjoyed the prep a little more if I had trusted God.

Well, it's an area to work on, that's for sure... learning to trust God and leave worry behind, even when I don't want to!

Happy day to you! I will be resting up today after a big push of "things to do!" How about you?

this was lego art from the party people in front and a "fire seven (station)
on the left and a five with a pool on the right, made by the boys.

Our annual picture almost got missed - that's why Brielle has on the boys old jammies
I like to let her wear and she randomly saw her favorite summer dress she had to wear on top! We were all also tired because it was the end of the day!

Birthday boys and their lego cake!

A better view of the cake... the boys helped make it! Very pleased with how much they could do. Two sheet cakes (one choc and one vanilla) mixed and matched into Lego blocks that we decided on as we went! Erik did the best buttercream work. You can't see his yellow brick - it's on the other side of the cake, but he did yellow and blue and I did red and green, which the green included an "accident" with the powdered sugar getting all over it!!.

happy birthday, boys!

It's a favorite day in our household!

Brayden and Jase's birthday!

Yep, Jase was born on Brayden's 2nd birthday. Seven years ago, I was at the hospital with B and five years ago, I was at home, wondering if we would get a double birthday. It wasn't until later in the day that I called my mom and said, "Could you take Brayden to go get a birthday treat? We have to go have a baby!" 

So happy birthday, Boys. I'm excited to celebrate you!

Oh and according to you, you don't officially change ages until you blow out your birthday candles. Who knew? ;-)

Birthday donuts:

Somebody else got donuts too, but she doesn't have mommy's sweet tooth like the boys do (although she thinks she does and definitely wanted a donut)... here she is frosting her donut with yogurt and not really eating either!!

thankful for family fun

We visited family this weekend and ended up eating out at a Chinese buffet last night. The end of it took a little longer than normal because we all ate frozen yogurt in cones. Well, it was Brielle's first time with a cone and she decided that she should eat the frozen yogurt with the sharp end of a skewer! It took forever! Here she is: 

We finally showed her that she could eat the cone itself.... In fact, in order to leave, I had to take away her filled cone and replace it with an empty cone so we could leave without too much fuss! 

Yesterday, I heard Pastor Jim talk about the dangers of bitterness and how thankfulness is the antidote to staying bitter and stuck in the past. Thankfulness is something I try to add to my life often. Today, I am thankful for this season of life. Every season has its ups and downs. Generally, my goal is to focus more on the ups than the downs, and that helps me make it through. I'm thankful today for a fun little girl who eats ice cream with a skewer and won't take a different utensil when offered. 

I'm thankful for my oldest, who was a rainbow baby. He's growing to be such a big boy, caring and thoughtful. We left my mother-in-law's this weekend and he took the time to leave behind a good-bye present for her. So kind!

I'm thankful for my youngest boy, who is so full of creativity. Always keeps me on my toes with what he thinks of next. And I'm thankful for my husband who said, "Yes" to hanging out with me for this lifetime. I'm extra thankful that even though he has had many health problems over the years including anxiety, he wasn't anxious last night and didn't have to leave the restaurant early! Even though he didn't feel the best throughout the day, he was able to stay until the very end and get ice cream with everyone while we watched Brielle take forever eating her own. Yay!

Life isn't easy, but it is well worth it when we have wonderful people by our side... and taking the time to be grateful for them fills my heart.

BTW, this must have been what the boys learned in church this past weekend, for they walked out with bracelets that said (and they keep saying), "Oh give thanks to the Lord!"

He is good and His love does endure forever.

What are you thankful for today?

typical conversations with three-year-olds

Recently we recorded this video with Jase... and it reminded me of a video we took with Brayden when he was three. Apparently I was right. The "no" conversation is common among three-year-olds!

Jase at 3 years old


 Brayden at 3 years old

Brody, Brayden, Jase and.... ???

Thursday, we got to visit Santa early and got this little gem of a photo.

And.... yep! Another baby is on the way! We are super excited and have a wonderful sense of peace and contentment that I know only comes from God. And contrary to what the picture shows, both boys are really excited to become big brothers (again and for the first time).

I kinda think that is one reason that pushed us to having just one more - seeing the boys with their baby cousin made me long for them to have a playmate. Plus, during these past two years, if you ever asked, "Are you going to have any more kids?" I always hemmed and hawed. We were perfectly content with our little family of four, but something never felt finished.

Now we know why. It's the best feeling to know that this feels just perfect. Because yeah, three kids has a whole 'nother level of keeping up with the kiddos attached to it, but I like to think that we're as ready as we'll ever be and with God by our side, all things are possible. Plus, we know that every baby grows into a toddler, kid, and adult and doesn't need quite as much hands-on from us as the parents.

If you know anything about our story, you will also know that one reason we hesitated on another pregnancy is because today marks the six-year anniversary of our firstborn son, Brody Mark. He came at 21 weeks because my body couldn't hold him longer. I had a cerclage put in place for six months of the pregnancy with Brayden and Jase, and this little baby will be no different. That means I'll have weight lifting restrictions starting at the end of this month (okay, my mom is starting them now!) through 36 weeks (May?). I also have to be somewhat cautious on what I do. I did the least with Brayden because I was the most nervous. I did more with Jase and my body did great. I'll probably keep similar activity as I did with Jase, since my body held up well. So if you see me sitting down during praise and worship in church or something like that, I'm just trying to be cautious about my body so it doesn't get overworked.

My kiddos are at an age where they are excited about the baby, able to do much on their own, and great helpers for mommy and baby. I will try to be very good about asking for help when needed and gauging what me and my family need... not easy, but I've learned that asking for help is vital.

Anyhoo, that's my story. Today we think ahead to baby #4 with excitement and we honor and remember our littlest, biggest buddy Brody. You mean the world to us, Kiddo. Hugs and love from me and the fam. We'll have a sweet treat in your honor and celebrate you today.

Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement and support that you have given to my family during all that we have been through and all that we will be through. I know having a little kiddo here next year is worth all the effort.

My boys are 3 and 1!

Happy birthday to my boys! Last Sunday (1/11), they both turned a year older... for Jase, that means 1 and Brayden, 3.

As you can imagine, there's much I could say right now... but for now, I want to show you what I got in the mail. On the right is a picture of Brayden at 1, which I've had for a couple years. He was in the middle of eating his one-year-old birthday cupcake... I love this pic... he's just a-staring at the camera. I thought I might get a similar pic during Jase's one-year cupcake celebration, but didn't, so I printed this one instead (and just got it in the mail!)... one of my favorites of him smiling in the bath! Although they often look alike, I think these pics show their differences.

Now, here's the cool thing... Shutterfly always has fun credits, coupons, and freebies that they send to their email list or have on the Facebook page. I definitely recommend signing up for their email and following them on Facebook to see what they are offering. (By the way, if they do offer you a free gift, you cover shipping, which usually isn't too bad compared to what you are getting!)... I often take them up on it, partially because it's a great way to make sure I actually take the time print pictures and/or make photo gifts. I use them a whole lot around Christmas. 

These pics I have pictured are "desktop plaques" and I've actually given them for gifts as well as purchased these two and I love them! They are frameless... just the picture with a nice shiny finish. I would highly recommend them! Great gifts and great to have around the house. 

Anyhoo... hopefully I'll take the chance soon to share more stories about the boys. Until then... go make memories yourself. Life is beautiful, crazy, and definitely worth living... and yes, it's all with God at the center, as best as possible. :-)

the boys in action (photo overload!)

 So I haven't yet given in to getting a "smart phone." As a result, my phone doesn't have as much memory and the photos can be fuzzy... so here are some quick snaps of the boys in action taken on my phone! Great place to "dump" them and make room for more! :-)

helping make cupcakes for Grandpa's birthday 

rainy day fun

more rainy day fun

love!

Lots of people ask how I get work done with the kiddos... here's a glimpse of one of the ways! Kids on the lap, computer nearby!

Here's what happens during a grocery story trip when you give your toddler a piece of chocolate to amuse him (this is at the end of the trip!)

zonked out

Jase is super smiley at 4 months! And chubby. Love the chub.

I love this... B loves holding things wherever he goes, even when he can't fit them in his lap! Here's his latest picks for going on a walk. He occasionally throws the basketball and wants me to pick it up and "hide" it in the back of the stroller. Super funny.

The boys (and my feet) just hanging out... not sure what B is thinking....

Sidewalk chalk in action! (mostly pictures of cars!)

This will hopefully have many pictures to follow of the boys in action wearing their matching superhero pajamas! This is them hugging!



That's all for now!

life is beautiful

If I'm honest, life is pretty "go-go-go" right now... so I was pretty excited that tonight, according to my plan, the boys would be tired enough to go to bed by 7 p.m. I'd have a whole night to myself (Erik is visiting his parents). Did you catch that? A whole night to myself!

But then, I'm not sure what happened or why, but Jase would not go to sleep, no matter what I tried... and I did try! He was mostly sleeping at least three times within an hour, but then I'd lay him down and he'd cry or he'd move and cry and wake again. At that point, I was worn out and a bit bummed that my time with sleeping children was slowly disappearing. 

Instead of moping, I followed this picture I had in my head (which I attribute to the Holy Spirit's prompting) and moved my favorite glider from Brayden's room (who was thankfully sleeping) and placed it smack dab in the middle of our upstairs. I brought my computer, water bottle, cell phone, and baby boppy pillow to the floor surrounding the chair. Then I went and got Jase, settled him down for the long haul in my arms, and put my computer on my knees so I could get some work done. I put piano music on in the background, and just held him until he was clearly sleeping and wouldn't wake up. 

You know what? That hour of frustration that almost brought me to tears turned into a beautiful new hour of admiring Jase, soaking in mommy/son time, and getting my computer work done that I had initially planned to do after the boys were sleeping. 

And in that moment, I knew, life is beautiful. It has ups; it has downs. It has rain; it has sun. It has thunderstorms and it has beach days. It is a beautiful "circle of life" (pardon the Disney reference!).

Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. 

This is obviously beautiful: 

In a completely different way, this is just as beautiful:

I don't always love what life brings my way, but I do love the beauty I find in life.

two months in!

After two months of learning the ins and outs of our newest one, Jase, I think we're finally settling into a bit of a schedule. A bunch of out-of-routine things happened in those two months, including my father-in-law having a stroke/aneurysm-type episode that brought him close to death. Thankfully, he is a walking testimony--the words I heard while praying the night of the episode--and is making a close to full recovery. (We are believing for 100% recovery!)

Jase just started officially sleeping through the night (the 6-7 hour stretch) earlier this week, which is fantastic! Overall, he has been a good sleeper at night and a fast eater, so I feel like I have been less tired overall than I was with Brayden. (yay!)

Jase is a fabulous eater and is growing very quickly. He is either close to off the charts or off the charts in his height, weight, and head size. At his two month check up, the little chart from the doc said that a well-nourished two-year-old should be 3-4 lbs. above their birth weight. That would put Jase at close to 12-13 lbs. and 10 ounces. He's 15 lbs. and 2 ounces. Length? Most his age are 1-2 inches longer than birth. He was 22 inches at birth... 23 inches at 2.5 weeks and 25 inches at 2 months! Definitely growing! :-) Most people think he's already three months old, maybe older! It's been interesting to figure out what clothes fit him.

I've gotten lots of questions about how Brayden is doing with Jase, and he is doing very well. Save for the occasional times where he doesn't want to share attention, he loves his brother, is intrigued by him, and is very proud of him. In fact, if you walked through the door right now, he would eagerly point to Jase and make sure you got a good look at his little brother.  I am very proud of Brayden as he is adjusting to having Jase around! I can tell they will be good buddies as they get older. Yay!

Well, all for now. Hopefully, I'll write more soon.

my three sons

Last summer, we knew it could be a possibility. Brayden's due date was 1-23-12 and baby #3 was due 1-20-14. It was clear that they could share a birthday.

To have it become a reality six months later is definitely surreal, especially since I went into Brayden's birthday feeling no sign of a baby being born that day. My dad even supplied a countdown for me - early afternoon he said, "You have about ten hours to have two born on 1/11" ... to which I shrugged and said, "No, it won't happen today." ... and then when he was driving Erik and I to the hospital he declared, "Well, you have about five hours to have a double birthday" ... to which I replied (while I was in labor), "Nah, I don't think this will happen until after midnight." 

Boy, was I wrong. 

:-) 

Jase William Wegener gave the first hint of appearing on his brother Brayden's birthday at 5 p.m. Everyone had been sleeping, which I then took advantage of as I realized my contractions were close together. I quietly finished pulling things together for our overnight bag... and got my makeup on, of course! Last time I forgot my makeup bag in the car, and for some reason, I was set to make sure I had makeup for pictures. Kinda funny, huh? 

By six o'clock, I knew contractions were becoming serious (aka painful!), so I let my mom know plans had changed and they wouldn't be joining the three of us for ice cream for Brayden's birthday... instead, I hoped they could give him a mini celebration that I had planned on. Then I called the doctor, woke up Erik and Brayden, and we headed out. 

To make a long story short, we arrived at the hospital probably between 6:45 and 7 p.m. and Jase William Wegener was born at 8:47 p.m. Yes, it was as surreal and crazy as it sounded; thankfully, as I look back, I see God's peace was in that room, despite the quick decisions the doctors were making to help baby and me stay safe and healthy. Yes, I was one of those people whose labor went too fast for an epidural (kinda never thought I would be!), but I was very grateful that they could switch and give me a different pain med that worked faster and lasted for an hour and a half to two hours.

We are grateful to God for a healthy baby and healthy mom, because we had lots of questionable things happen that could have created much bigger problems. The nurses saw right away when I checked into the hospital that baby had pooped in the amniotic fluid, which could be a sign of the baby being in distress and potentially the cord being wrapped around his/her neck or limb or somewhere (which ended up not being the case). Then I had trouble pushing the baby out, which we later found out was because Jase was such a big baby! He ended up needing to be vacuumed out for his health and mine. Scary in the moment... and also a little later that week as we learned the bruise from the vacuum created extra chance for jaundice for Jase as it broke down and healed. My milk came in a little later than normal because it was a fast delivery, which meant Jase became a little dehydrated as he waited for the milk to come in... all that to say, everyone's prayers came together to cover us through a bit of a crazy delivery and our recovery. Jase is not jaundiced and him and I are both recovering well!

Jase was a huge baby - definitely not the biggest I know of, but big enough! My doctor and nurses all exclaimed at how big he was when he came out...big hands, long toes, big head, thick chest! My doc had actually guessed a 7 lb. baby earlier in the night. When he was born, she said, "You hid the baby's weight well." Jase clocked in at 9 lbs. 10 ounces, 22 inches long and a 14.5 inch head. Yikes! :-) I say I got payback since I was a 9 lb. 12 ounce baby. (Sorry, Mom!)

It's funny looking back because once the baby was safely delivered, Erik and I just broke down in tears of joy and relief... so much so that there wasn't the "It's a boy" or "It's a girl" exclamation I was kinda expecting in my head as the way it would happen. Instead, they placed the baby on my chest, and one of the nurses who was looking right at him (and had been excited we didn't know what we were having) finally said, "Well, can I say what it is?!" And then I was like, oh yeah, we have no idea and really didn't care at the moment because (s)he was safe and healthy! Then I answered her, "Yeah!" She said, "It's a boy!"

It was definitely worth that moment in time finding out what it was. It was perfect, and nothing like I had planned in my head as I pictured that moment of finding out what we were having. And yes, not knowing did help me make it through labor!

Then Erik and I both realized, Brayden just received a wonderful birthday present... a baby brother.

I've always pictured myself with little boys, so I'm kinda thrilled about it, although I know the joys of having a girl would be fantastic as well. And Erik kinda wanted Brayden to have a brother, since he had always wanted a brother himself. Erik has a sister and I have a brother, so to have two kids (make that three including Brody!) the same gender is kinda fun.

Brayden met him the next day and overall loved looking at him. He occasionally gets upset when he has to share his grandmas with Jase, but he's learning it's okay to share. Now at home, he wants to hold Jase quite a lot, and he loves it. He laughs and giggles and is proud and shows him off. Hopefully pictures or video to come of the two of them. I'm proud of Brayden. He'll be a great big brother, and I'm super excited to watch them grow up together!

Now, it's a week later, and I kinda still can't believe the flurry of life that has happened. We're slowly but surely getting on a routine, and have had an amazing amount of support and help from our family and friends. (THANK YOU!) I know we'll need the support a little longer because the newborn stage is a little overwhelming, but now I have a much clearer picture of what comes after the newborn stage, and that makes it all a little more exciting. We know how much joy is to come in watching Jase grow up.

Coming home with baby Jase!

Like I said, pictures of B and J will soon be coming! Thank you again for all your prayers and thoughts and congratulations for our family. Most of all, thank you, Lord, for your blessing of another child! We are very, very grateful and honored. With love, the Wegeners.