Time's A-Flyin'

The hours pass like days and the days pass like hours.  Turns out life with a new baby fits this little saying to a T.  You'd think I'd remember, you know, having done this all twice before.  Either I was more out of it than usual during those first few weeks of having both Abby and Ellie and simply cannot recall the blur, or one's mind really is wiped clean with each child born into the world so that the species can and will continue.  Or both.  In any case, 8 hours a day spent feeding and 8 more hours dealing with what happens while the feeding is going on tends to leave little time for much else - including blogging.  Which means, it's time to catch up on 5 weeks of...?  Let's see what I can recall:

We said good-bye to Nana, who kept us all cleaned and fed and loved while Patrick entered the world; Abby finished Kindergarten and immediately assumed the title of "First-grader"; we took our first walk to the park; Cousin Mollie was born - 9 days after Patrick, but 3 weeks early!; after losing 1/2 lb his first week, Patrick gained back 3 1/2 lbs during the following 2 weeks and began his journey as our Chubba Bubba; we celebrated the 4th of July, complete with Abby breaking both bones in her lower right arm after slipping on a blow-up water slide;  we got new carpet in the toy room and on the stairs (hooray!);  Nana came back up to our house to attend the Hill Cumorah Pageant with us and take everyone but Daddy back to VA with her;  Mommy had a great week of relaxation in VA and took Patrick on his first plane ride back to Buffalo;  the girls had a super fun time giving Nana and Granddad a run for their money during their second week in VA - a camping trip to Jellystone Park the definite highlight;  we were reunited (thanks to Nana's brave flight back with the girls) once again AND...last, but certainly not least, Patrick started to smile!!!  (Good thing I take pictures to remind me, eh?)

4th of July spent in downtown Buffalo - and at 3 different medical facilities!

Ellie's idea of "playing" at the park in VA, Abby's idea of camping (flowers encircling the fire pit, wearing a dress - and of course playing with fire), and face/arm painting at Jellystone.  Too much fun!!!

And finally, a look at our big boy getting bigger from weeks 2-6:

QFTD

Abby, watching me scroll through photos on my phone: "Even if you see a picture that you took that you think looks junky, you can't displete it.  Except if someone's head is cut in half - then you can displete."

Abby: "When are we going to move to a new house?"  Me: "What new house would we move to?"  Abby: "We could move to a house in Bah-jinia."  Me: "What would Daddy do about work?"  Abby: "Well, he could just drive up here."

Me, after picking up the girls at the airport with Nana: "Were you girls well behaved?" Abby: "Yep."  Me: "And, if I ask Nana if you were well behaved?"  Abby, voice level dropping: "Well, kind of. (quietly)...No."

Abby, while we drove home: "Mom, can we go to the park?"  Me: "No. Not right now.  I need to go home and organize my life."  Abby: "What does 'organize your life' mean?"

Ellie: "Oh yeah - Abby's karate skills are comin' back!  Are you ready for the ninja?"  (Abby does karate move, resulting in a crash landing.) Ellie:  "Nope. Not ready for the ninja."

Me, in response to one of Patrick's explosions: "Uh-oh."  Abby: "You can say that again."

Abby:  "I have two talents. One is, that I can hear a story and picture it in my mind!  The other one is that I can go upside down and still picture the story in my mind."

Ellie, observing me coo over Patrick: "Why do you love him more-ther?"

Ellie, watching me transfer pumped milk into freezer storage bags: "What are you doing with that milk?"  Me: "Putting it in the freezer to save."  Ellie: "Oh! You're storing it for winter?"

Ellie, listening to me answer the phone when Grammy called: "No - you're supposed to say "Mom" and she's supposed to say "Honey.""

Abby: "Dad, you and me need to have a talk."  Adam, caught by surprise: "Ohh. What about?"  Abby: "We need to have a talk about saving my money.  Mommy said...we need to talk about things we need and things we want."  Adam:  "Okay...What is something you need?"  Abby: "An alarm clock."  Adam: "And why do you need an alarm clock?"  Abby:  "To tell me when to wake up for school.  They sell them at Toys R Us in the section by the dolls and I need to buy one."

Abby: "When I grow up I want to be a ninja."  Me: "Really?  Why a ninja?"  Abby:  "So I can walk upside-down and on the walls."  Me: "I thought you wanted to be a missionary?"  Abby: "I want to be both."


Abby, utterly overcome with excitement: "Mom! Ellie has a freckle on her hand JUST LIKE ME!!! That's what she's been waiting for all these years - to be like me - and now she has one!"  Ellie: "Look Mom!  A freckle like Abby's!" Abby: "Now we are twins in our hearts."

Pitty Pat

Well, he finally made it!  Waiting for this little guy did take some patience, but ohhh was he worth the wait.  If you think about it, though, were you up cloud-jumping through the heavens and being informed of your prospects for making it to earth ("Look, the Ashleys REALLY want a baby and I know their life seems a tad chaotic and downright scary at times, but they're kinda great people under it all and really will love you...) it might take the better part of a year to consent to coming to our home too.  Thankfully, his adventurous spirit got the better of him and he eventually gave in.

I should have realized he wasn't going to be in any hurry to actually join us, though.  Having developed his little ears while being assaulted by the shrieks and squeals of his older sisters (and occasionally his mom) through 9+ months, I understand why he just held on as long as he could inside his nice and cozy, muffled waterbed.  In fact, he probably rejoiced at hearing the nurse tell me 3 hours into what was supposed to have been my induction, that it had been cancelled (too many other mommies-to-be in actual labor and no spare beds) and we'd need to come back two days later.  He was in no rush.  But I was.  I just wanted to see this little guy.  And kiss him.  And nuzzle him and feel his teeny tiny body stretch and flop and curl into a ball of wonder in my arms.

So, I guess when the time came (after a fairly "easy" 9-hr labor), he realized I meant business and was determined to win the wait-out.  Before the Dr. made it back into the room and after a few short pushes, Patrick David made his earthly debut.  June 14, 8:32 pm - 8 lbs 5 oz, 20 3/4 inches, with "just enough" dark hair and eyebrows, screaming his little heart out and cute as a button.

He's made it marvelously through his first week.  A sleeper, eater and pooper who indeed stretches and flops (he's rolled over twice while protesting diaper changes wildly with legs swinging) and curls into the sweetest ball of wonder these arms have held since my last butterball of wonder 4 years ago.  He's precious.  He's my guy.  I'm totally and utterly smitten.  (As are his daddy and two mommy sisters.) He was so very totally worth the wait.  And so, I give you... a glimpse at little Patrick's first week of life:

- A little note of encouragement Abby left in my hospital bag. 

The beginning of the end... -

- Patrick's first glimpse of his Momma                      Could a dad look more excited to hold his first son? -

- Sisters meet Brother

Taking in his new world -

- Settling down for his first night

We did it! - 

- Go Irish!(?) (Future QB? Size comparison? Oh, Daddy)                       Ellie's twin -

- Big sis #1

Big sis #2 - 

- A tad apprehensive about going home.  Not sure why.                   And we're off! -

- Snuggly in his Woombie                                                   Dreaming -

- Cutest frog ever                        

                                                                Out like a trout -








- Brother/Sister bonding time                                                               Snuggle Bug -

ONE WEEK OLD!!!

QFTD

Me, wondering why Patrick showed no intention of coming: "Maybe baby brother is just too buoyant inside my belly."  Ellie: "Buoyancy means to keep it afloat."

Abby, while once again making her "healthy pink drink recipe" that she made for our dinner last week: "Where is the thing that takes off the apple skins?  Last time I just had to use my teeth."

Ellie, approaching me very seriously with a clipboard and paper: "Schedule # 12: babies can't eat, babies can't drink and babies can't change their own diapers."

Abby: "Mom, when am I going to have a baby?"  Me: "In lots of years when you grow up and meet someone and fall in love."  Abby: "But I don't know how to fall in love."  Me: "Oh, you'll learn when you're older."  Abby: "Well, I am in love with Nathan Morse."  Me: "Oh, really?  How do you know you're in love with him?"  Abby: "Well, he's just a really good kid and my friend and I love him."  Later...: "So, when I marry Nathan, what will my last name be?"  Me: "If you marry Nathan then you'll be Abigail Morse."  Abby: "Abigail Morse. (Shy smile and little laugh.) I like it."

T-14

Never mind that I've been too crabby during the last 2 months to write anything worth reading.  Turns out me + being that pregnant + two slightly rambunctious girls + Adam working 'til all hours of the night + ... = not a good time for anyone (aka Alison Ashley in her starring role as the Wicked Witch of the East - whose children only wished a house would fall out of the sky to crush her).  BUT, our little guy starts his medically forced journey into the real world come 14 hours from now and for some reason, I'm now doing pretty darn well.

And so, before the madness of adding a new little munchkin to the bunch, I thought I'd best hurry and capture some of the crazy moments leading up to his impending birth.

On Easter weekend we made a fun trip to visit our Cox cousins outside of Detroit where each year a helicopter drops thousands of marshmallows onto a park field so that all sugar-crazed children can run helter skelter and gather up as many marshmallows as they can (which are then supposed to be turned in for door prizes - however, we didn't catch that memo and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their mud and grass covered confections).  So fun.

Easter was just a blast with new shoes and treats found within the jungle of real grass growing in our Easter buckets. I went a little wild with the dresses this year, but oh how they twirl!

Our little Ellie Bean happened to turn 4 on the day of the Kentucky Derby this year.  So, naturally, SHE decided to have a derby party (with a bit of convincing from Dad) and Daddy only suggested we get a new TV (along with cable service) in order to actually view the Derby at this party.  Shopping for TVs was great fun, though we opted for the regular ol' 2-D in the end.  Ellie had a blast at her party, complete with good friends in fancy hats cheering on their winning horse picks, some yummy KFC and other southern food favorites, and a pony pinata.  By the day's end she was one tuckered out big 4-yr-old girl.











Nana came to town to help Mommy get her wits about her and get our house in at least a decent enough condition for baby brother to come home to.  We had good times attempting to swim, at least, in frigid water - with thoughts and hopes of sunshine one day blessing our lives.  We also constructed bunk beds so Ellie and Abby could join forces in their nightly "we don't want/can't go to bed (for x reason)" campaigns.  Very exciting.

 The girls had their first dance recital - Ellie doing a tap routine to "Lollipop" and Abby a ballet number to "Tiki Room."  Most amusing.  Daddy almost made it to intermission. (Luckily they were in the first half and were persuaded out of dancing in the finale by promises of a fancy dinner.)

 We celebrated (did I say that?) our last day of teaching preschool!  Ellie and her darling friends Reese, Kate and Natalie have had too much fun learning all about music and notes and instruments and dancing like little crazies all around our house.  We will miss them!

Because I had convinced my brain - just not my uterus - that baby should and would be coming before Abby's Kindergarten Day to Shine, the two of us had a special check-outta-school lunch date at Romeo and Juliette's - fine Italian dining.  However, Day to Shine came before baby (as did Nana, bless her heart) and Abby got to share with us all of the great things she has learned this year at school.

 Daddy did have a birthday in there and just had too much fun and excitement that we totally forgot to take a picture, but Happy 31st to Daddy.

Finally, to celebrate our final day of being "the Ashley Family 4" (+ Nana), we did some major projects.  I channeled my inner man child and got serious with some power tools, repurposing our old TV hutch in to our new computer table.  Meanwhile, Nana and Daddy decided to power wash the decks, our house, some cars and a couple of little chickens running around.  Now - to just get that little boy here...

 

QFTD:

Abby: "You know where I wanna go?  Hawaii.  Where it's sunny every day."  Me: "That sounds like a great idea."  Abby: "But where would we stay?"  Ellie:  "We could make our own house in the trees with leaves for a roof!"  Abby: "Hmm.  But we would need a lot of driftwood for that." 

Abby, while attempting to play her new violin for the first time: "Look, Mom.  I have to play on the black. (The fingerboard)" Me: "Well, really we need to stay between the black and the bridge."  Abby: "No.  You see, I have a solo in my head and it only sounds good if I play on the black."  Later, Abby: "Mom, do you like my pizzicato?"

Ellie: "Mom, I want to watch a show."  Me: "Okay - after you pick up your books."  Ellie: "But, my arms really hurt.  And a show makes them feel better."

Ellie: "Mom, I want you to wipe my bum."  Me: "Ellie, you know that's your job."  Ellie: "Mom, the first rule is that you HAVE to wipe someone's bum.  And the second rule is that you have to wash your body all over in the bath.  Then, the third rule is that you have to clean up your clothes.  The fourth rule is that you have to wipe my bum.  The fifth rule is that we have to go eat some lunch.  The sixth...... The thirteenth rule: You HAVE to wipe my bum!"

Ellie: "Can I watch a movie?" Me: "Remember - I don't know how to work the DVD player with the new TV."  Ellie: "How about if you just try your best."

Abby, while discussing when we can move out of our "boring old house":  "But, how would we move the chairs and table?"  Me: "We'd put them on a moving truck."  Abby: "But what if they get insects on them?" Me: "Oh, they wouldn't."  Abby: "Because you would spray pesticides on them?"

Ellie, approaching me seriously with a clipboard and a "note" she had written: "Mom, this is for if you find an adult and you can tell them it's for Release-y Sitey and they can bring the cookies and the chicken if their arms get too tired."

Ellie, at breakfast: "Mom, I don't want to eat these eggs - it tastes like a carcass."

Ellie, to me: "I don't understand how grumpy you are.  I don't understand how grumpy we all are - Mommy, Daddy, Abby, me."  Abby: "I am NOT grumpy!"

Ellie, inspecting Abby's sun glasses through her own: "Abby, you are not fashion."

Abby: "Remember, Dad, you said we were going to go tennis racking?" 

Abby sat at the table to eat lunch with a child-sized apron on.  Ellie: "Oh, nice cooking bra, Abby!"

Ellie: "I know where Egypt is.  It's in Corsilian."

Ellie: "Mom, do you know what state koalas like to live in?"  Me: "Yes - in Australia."  Ellie: "Good point.  But they really live in Mexico."

Abby: "Mom, can you earwax my ears?" Later, "Ouch! You brammed my eardrummer!"

Ellie: "a Carmical is a little bird so small you can't even see it and it lives in Africa."

While waiting to cross into Canada, I asked the girls: "Where do you think that truck is going?" Abby: "Algeria."

Ellie reading scriptures: "What did Angel Moroni do to himself? He was a boy and he was not good enough. So then he became an angel. He went from his father as far as he could. So do not lose Angel Moroni." 

Abby: "When will I be a mom? Me: "When you get married." Abby: "But when will I find a little proper boy?"

Abby to Ellie, while in the other room "trying on" swimsuits: "But Mom will recognize me without my panties on." Ellie: "It's okay - she won't recognize your nakey bunsies with a swimsuit on them."

Ellie: "I want to go to Mexico." Me: "What's in Mexico?" E: "I think Daddy's friends are there."

Me, bribing the girls: "You two get dessert if you behave in the store." Abby: "We have to be good and if we don't get in trouble and don't get told - we get some?" Me: "Yes." A: "Woah. That'll be hard."

Abby, as I got ready for my baby shower: "So, a baby shower is a kind of birthday party for moms who only care about babies?"

Ellie: "I want a pet." Me: "You have your turtle Dooga" E: "She's a toy!" Me: "We're going to have a baby brother." E: "He's a baby-not a pet! Humans are humans, toys are toys, pets are pets and ants are ants."

Me: "Girls, today is our last day to be a family with just the girls and daddy because brother comes tomorrow. Let's have a happy day okay?" Abby: "Mom, you can't have brother tomorrow - it's Sunday." Me: "There are lots of things you can do on Sunday and having a baby is okay." Abby: "No, you don't understand what 'anything' means - you can't do ANYTHING on Sundays."

Fuzzy Brain

It's getting to that point.  ADHD (without the "H" - official diagnosis) + hCG = disastrously low levels of brain function and thus seemingly even lower levels of accomplishing anything.  Like not even blogging for a month. Not that there's been much to comment on.  Except that we had a thrilling time in UT (including Nena's funeral - one for the record books) and just loved soaking in every moment we were there.  The girls ask constantly still when we're going to leave this "old" house that we've lived in for SO long and move to Utah where they now want to stay forever.  I think we need to visit more often then every 18 months.



(And no wonder they want to stay forever - wouldn't you if  you had Dusty the horse living in your backyard?)


(Most of) Nena and Granddad's children and grandchildren (without the 43 great-grandkids)

Other than that, I'm just attempting daily to reconcile my denial that in exactly 8 weeks our little family is scheduled for a growth spurt (and that I really should start preparing) with my anticipation of the forecasted event.  Even after holding a myriad of teensy tiny babies over the last little while, I still can't get this gray matter to process that I'M GONNA HAVE ME ONE OF THEM and I should at least read through the baby name book, to say nothing of getting, oh, diapers and wipes and baby boy clothes to put him in!  Yikes.  Maybe tomorrow. Or next month.

QFTD (major catch-up...again)

Abby: "Mom, can you put up our big hammer?"  Me: "Our big hammer?"  Abby: "No, I mean our big hammock."  Me: "Not today, sweety, my back is really hurting."  Abby: "Well why don't you wake up your back and tell it to get better?"

Abby's prayer: "...Bless us to be more honest than ever.  And I know know know I have to be responsible and take care of God's plans. And I love my Saviors very much and I simply love 'em love 'em love 'em forever and ever..."

Abby: "I am so proud of myself for winning a new bike.  You have to earn it by winning the contest of the libraries and the Ashley family won it - which means me."

Me: "Abby, where is Ellie?" Abby:  "My honey is out in the field picking hay for our cows."

Abby, after a heated spat (during which she told me I was ruining their lives and am a mean mom and after which I broke down in tears) and to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?" (while tenderly rubbing my back and telling me she forgives me): "Calm down Mommy, calm down Mommy, It's okay - It's okay.  Caaalm dowwn Mommy  Caaalm dowwn Mommy, It's okay  It's okay."

Abby, while getting off of her chair at lunch: "Woah! I almost hit my head on the floor!  But I caught myself."

Ellie, while on our Sunday walk: "I spy my little eye, a tree log."  Abby: "I spy my little eye, something big."

Ellie, talking in an English accent on her toy cell phone: "Room service! Room service!  Room service is here!  What would you like to eat?"  Abby, in a similar accent:  "Oh, I'll have two chicken bowls and some ice cream, thank you."

Adam and I attempted (once again) to explain honoring your mother and father to the girls, tying in our new no-tolerance policy for their responding "no" to us when asked to do something.  Ellie:  "I have a refute."  Me: "Um... what is your refute?"  Ellie:  "A refute is to say I won't I won't I won't.  That is a refute."

Adam: "Abby, it would be very nice if you shared your cookie with Ellie."  Ellie: "Yeah.  I want that problem."

Abby: "Even though it's not Mom's birthday today, we still have to be respectful for her."

Adam: "Abby, when I asked you if you hit your sister, you said 'no' - even though I saw you."  Abby: "I didn't hit her.  I didn't even get her - I missed."

Abby, after crawling into our bed early in the morning:  "Mom, Jesus and Heavenly Father don't drive cars when they come down from Heaven."

Abby, after I informed her we would be going to get her cough checked out: "I'm going to tell the Dr. that I was exstressed in the night."  Later, the Dr. to Abby: "What seems to be the problem?"  Abby: "My body just isn't working right."

Ellie: "Mom, my hair is a little contrained.  It's not soft and it's really dry in this spot."

The girls, playing in the bath: Abby: "Mother, where are you?" Ellie: "She's dead." A: "How DARE you!"  E: "I didn't do it!  She's floating in the seaweed."

Ellie to Abby while playing:  "These are the buttons I push to tell on you - 911.  They call the police and tell them what you're doing bad."

Abby, while looking at a Joann Fabrics catalogue: "Oh, I didn't see this page! This is fascinating.  I could stay here and read this for hours."

Ellie: "Can we ride our bikes to the park?"  Me: "Ask Daddy."  Ellie: "Ok, I'll go and ask Daddy and you stay here and clean the house."

Ellie: "We're having mac 'n' cheese for energy food!"  Abby: "This mac 'n' cheese is better than a birthday!"

Abby: "Ellie, breaking old things is part of getting new things."

Ellie, after arriving late to Nena's viewing and told we were going back home: "But I didn't get to see Nena." Me: "You'll get to see her tomorrow." Ellie: "But she's dead today!"

Abby, pointing to the airplane wings pinned on her shirt: "Did you know these make you a member of the airport family club? I am a member now because I did such a good job flying."

Ellie, brainstorming April Fool's ideas: "I know an excellent observation what we can do.  Give me two thumbs up for this idea - put toothpaste on the potty for Daddy!"

Abby, at a restaurant: "The girls' bathroom smelled SO good I just couldn't stop breathing."

Abby: "Can we visit Heaven?" Me: "When we die."  Abby: "No, I mean right now and see everybody."

Ellie, singing: "I do not want my mother in my room so I will lock it and I will go to Africa and not bring my mom..." (turns out, she was referring to her play mom, Abby)

Ellie, showing me some scriptures: "Mom! This has map pages in it!  We could just  bring this in the car to show us the way to Nana's and Aunt Jordan's house instead of a GPS!!"

Abby: "When we do things over and over it comes up to our brain and sticks in there.  Then when we die we'll get to do sooo many more things."

Ellie: "Daddy! I want you to come into my room right now! I can't even stop reading!"

Abby: "The Nutcracker is the home of ballet."

Me, while we watched General Conference: "Ellie, do you want to play the organ?" Ellie: "Yeah. Can we buy one?"

Abby: "Whenever you get so fustrated, you just do something you like and then you calm down.  Like, I was being very annoxious because I didn't want (to sit in) the little space and then I colored and now smallest is best."

Ellie, to me: "Let me see your teeth. Yep. They're doin' a good job in there!"

Abby, describing a pain in her side: "Mom, my body hurts from the cold like when the Arctic comes up through my toes and goes up.  The pressure is so bad it's destroying my body."

Abby, during a fit of rage: "I'm SO MAD I don't love anybody but MYSELF!!!"

Ellie, after passing a bank branch under construction: "Look, Dad! Now you don't have to steal money from your bank - you can steal it from this bank!"  Adam: "Ellie, I don't steal money from any bank."  Ellie: "Well, you can buy some new money at this bank so you can get us new things."

Ellie, after "trying out" my old violin: "I think I could teach Abby."

Ellie, during a car ride: "Ew. It smells like a rotten carcass in here."

Ellie: "I want to go to the pancake restaurant for my birthday."  Abby: "I want to go to the bounce house for my birthday."

Abby's "family" prayer:  "...thank Thee for this day.  I know I am a big, righteous girl.  And I know I have to take care of two little kids - my younger sister and my baby brother - when Mom and Dad aren't home..."

Ellie: "Mom, when do I get to go to the dentist?  I like going there."

Ellie: "Mom, can we go to New York?"  Me: "We are in New York."  Ellie: "No. New York is in French and French is in Buffalo and Buffalo is in Virginia.  Really. I'm not kidding."

Ellie, as we passed a bullet bike at an intersection: "Mom, can I ride one of those??"


Abby's prayer: "...I know I am the truthfullest girl and the thaithfullest girl because I am filled with the thaif of God..."


Ellie: "I'm going to count backwards.  Zero...what comes next?"