give a kid an oreo

clean up the mess for days

Two more posts! Yay!

Halloween 2009

It took Gracie a long time to decide what she wanted to be this year. She went back and forth between a few things. Finally I decided to take her to the store where she could look at an entire wall of costume pictures and pick from that. In the end, she decided on being a vampiress! I was a little surprised, but I think she was inspired when we were looking at accessories and she saw the scary plastic teeth. She asked me if she could get some, and I said that fairies don't wear scary teeth but vampires do. When we found out they didn't have the fairy costume in her size and she had to pick again.....well, a vampire it was. I think the teeth ended up being a little more uncomfortable than she first imagined. She was a great big sister and showed her brother the ropes at each house.

A monkey costume would have been so fitting in all areas of Bubs' personality (and diet), but I couldn't find a monkey costume that I liked. Joe picked out the skeleton costume and painted his face. I thought Barrett looked absolutely hilarious and every time I saw him I couldn't help but laugh (I like the costume more than a monkey one). He was a shy little guy when we were out trick or treating. He wouldn't say anything to anyone; he would just stand there and stare. I get such a kick out of that kid!

Maddox went as a newborn. He enjoyed the ride with Dad around the neighborhood.

We had a spooky dinner of Bat Wings, Spider Potatoes, Witches Brew (drink, I think it was the hit of the whole meal), and Mummy dogs. The kids loved it, and Joe and I had fun preparing it. I love that I have a husband who is family oriented and enthusiastic about doing things with the children.

Tagged

I was tagged by Katie. Here are the rules. List ten Honest things about myself and tag 10 other bloggers who I think are honest in their blogging.

1. I think about things I would like to blog all the time, but when it comes to actually sitting down at the computer....I forget the witty and thought out things I had to say and simply blog about my kids and day to day. I miss more of the "writing" of blogging. I used to do it more often. I don't know what happened. Maybe it was just life. Maybe it was motherhood.

2. I turned 30 last month. I will admit that this is a little strange to me. Thirty feels old. Twenty nine, not so much. When you're in your 20's, you're still kind of figuring things out, allowed to be a little irresponsible sometimes because you're "young", and some people might still call you a "kid". Once you're thirty it's time to be an official adult. Granted, I've accomplished a few things before turning 30. Like being married for several years, having three children.... but still. I don't think I want to be 30. Can anyone help with this? Post Edit: I turned 30 and it wasn't so bad. I actually think I like it. Which is good since I'll be 30 for a whole year. I don't want to think about 31.

3. I hate it when I offer to do something for someone and they say I can't because I've got too much of my own stuff going on. Really, that's for me to decide.

4. I like to move. I'm sure many of you aren't surprised by this, but I love the feeling of renewal and starting over. I hope that someday I'll be ready to buy a house (and be able to pay for it) and I'll want to stay in it for a long period of time. Maybe I'll just have to keep redecorating or something. I also like to throw things away. I hope I don't give my kids a complex or make them hoarders because I throw their stuff away.

5. I am scared of death. I'm not scared of the next life, but I am terrified that something will happen to myself, Joe, or one of the kids. I think it's got to be so terrible to lose a parent. I dread the day I have to go through that and I hope my kids don't have to go through it until they are old and gray.

6. I hope I don't have regrets about the way I parented my children when they are all grown up and gone. Sometimes I think I need to work on being more "in the moment" with my kids. Also, I hope I like my daughter in laws and they like me. I should probably work on being a little nicer between now and then.

7. My personality has changed a lot over the last several years. I don't think that some people realize this. I think it was becoming a mother, but I think there were other things that facilitated change as well.

8. There isn't anything I can think of that I hate more than lying. Lies of omission, lies on purpose, lies that we think are to protect the other person..... Lying shows weak character, and 99% of the time lying is more difficult than just telling the truth and facing the music.

9. When I was young I wanted to have a career. I am so grateful that the Lord showed me my heart and led me on a path to where He knew I would be really happy.I love staying home with my kids. I love having a clean house. I love doing laundry. I enjoy cooking and baking and everything domestic. Maybe someday I will get to finish my degree and have the professional experiences I would enjoy but for now I am very happy at home with my family. I am grateful that Heavenly Father has given me a testimony of "times and seasons".

10. Sometimes I think I am the black sheep of my family. It's ok with me, but it is a strange feeling. Often times I feel older than people who are actually older than me, but I think it's because of my lifestyle. Is that weird?

11. I like scratchy towels. I have many luxurious, soft, fluffy towels, but I would rather use my old ones that are a little rougher. I give the guests the nice ones though, so if you ever come stay with me you'll get soft thick towels.

12. I hate it when people are really pushy about their religion. I think that missionaries exist for a reason, and while I think that every person can (and should) be a missionary, it is best done in their own way, prompted by the Lord and in the direction that would best benefit each individual. I have never seen pushy and demanding actually work.

Well, that's 12. I could probably go on but I won't. I've had most of this post done for weeks but I forgot to post it. So, I added to it. I would think of things I could add to this list at the most random times (see #1). I am not sure who to tag, so anyone can do it that wants to. Thanks Katie!

Excuses, excuses

I went back and did a couple of posts from earlier in October. One on the 10th, and one on the 13th. I'm trying to catch up, people! I'm trying!

Matchy Matchy

This was the first time I put the boys in matching clothes.

It won't be the last.

Happy one month birthday Maddox!!

P.S. It should be noted that Joe did NOT accidentally dress Barrett with his onesie on the outside of his clothes. He really is smarter than that! He did, however, forget to button up the onesie before putting his pants back on after a diaper change and thought that this might be an efficient way of finishing up. Good thing we weren't going out in public.

What happens when Dad dresses me...

Maddox smiled!

Baby Maddox 2.5 weeks

12 days old

Maddox 10 days old

Maddox 2.5 weeks old

Staring off the back of Grammy's shoulder.

Maddox is a dream of a baby. His temperament and personality so far totally remind me of his sister (and he looks just like her at this stage). He is very laid back, a good sleeper, only cries when he's hungry, loves to cuddle and loves to be swaddled nice and tight and warm! Most nights he only wakes up once around 4am to eat. He is slowly developing his own routine. One night he slept for 7 hours (!) and some nights he wakes up a couple of times or wants to be cuddled after eating instead of going back to sleep, but overall he is doing amazingly well for a baby his age. He will be a month old soon (and I'll be 30 soon, but that's another story).

He smiled for the first time yesterday! His dad says he got one the night before but EVERYONE KNOWS that THE MOM gets the first smile. I was nursing him and looked down to see a huge wide eyed grin. I managed to get 4 more smiles out of him yesterday. I will try to get a picture soon.

Bath time with Auntie and Grammy

Here is my mother and her sister, my Auntie, giving Maddox a bath. I have to admit that I was quietly (or maybe not so quietly at times) chuckling to myself watching them. By the time you're a grandmother, do you forget what it was like to be young mother of multiple children? They're all worried about his water temperature (I checked it with the thermometer), and so gentle with him, taking their sweet time and giving him so much special attention as well as all of his nooks and crannies. It was a little over the top to watch, but I'm sure he loved all the attention!! HAHA

Roanoke

We made a day trip to Roanoke to see my Grandmother. She had only seen Barrett once and of course Maddox was brand new to her. They did a great job on the car ride there, and the mountains were covered with beautiful fall colors.

My grandma has had to move into an assisted living facility in the last several months. She still has her own little apartment, but she goes to a cafeteria to eat, and they set up all kinds of activities for her to do all the time. It's really good for her since she's such a social butterfly, and I can tell that she is happier there than she was in her own place. It's a relief for me!

We had a nice visit. We went to lunch and took the kids to the park so they could work off some of their energy. She loves the kids immensely, and they love her in return. I remember (she still loves me, of course, she's just older now) so well the precious feelings of a grandmothers love (from both of my grandmas). There really is nothing like it, and I love seeing it get passed down another generation to my own children.

Going On

Life as a family of 5 is going pretty well. Maddox is nursing like a champ, I'm doing my best to get lots of rest and avoid stress, and the kids are showering their little brother with as much attention and love as they are allowed. My mom has been giving me a lot of help during the days since I'm not supposed to lift Barrett up for another few weeks, and Joe takes care of us at night. I'm getting better each day. The hardest part is reminding myself (and my helpers) that this will only be another couple weeks and how worth it it will be if I heal properly and don't have to go back into the hospital for anything.

This is Maddox and I right before we left the hospital.

Meet Maddox

Maddox Bane Lienemann
16 Sept 2009
9 lbs 11 oz, 19 in long




























Mom and baby are both doing well.
We feel very blessed and grateful to the Lord for another healthy child and safe delivery.
Maddox is a laid back little man so far and we love having him in our family.

Crafty goodness

I have been nesting and crafting like crazy over the last couple of months! I've been hanging pictures (or having Joe hang them), making Gracie hair clip holder things, a dress up clothing shelf thing, asking Joe to paint furniture, (haha) and other stuff.

Once Joe figured out that I was nesting, he was willing to jump on the bandwagon too. I can't begin to say how grateful I am for all of the incredible support he's given me over the last while. He has done whatever I've asked and even tried to be as enthusiastic about all my crazy ideas as I am (even when he has to do most of the work). It has made me feel so much more at ease and bouyed up. I am so blessed to have him in my life. Thanks babe! What a man!

Pregnancy makes me sew. This time around I made some burp cloths, bibs, hooded towels, knitted some hats, curtains are in progress now, and some blankets. It's been therapeutic, as usual. I love it!

Here are some pictures of things I've done. Some of the others were already given away as gifts. I'm excited to show pictures of the boys' room once I get that finished too. The new baby's crib still needs a mattress and the wall above Barrett's crib needs something.

Before he was a big brother

...he was a little brother and my baby boy!

I feel like my time with the Mini-Mr has gone by so fast. It's hard to believe that he's already going to be a big brother.  

I feel like he just barely got here!

Since his little brother is coming very soon, I wanted to get down a few noteworthy things that I've been thinking about.






-Barrett is very smart. He loves to figure out how things work.
-He LOVES to rough house with his dad. He is becoming more and more of a daddy's boy each day. I love watching Joe with him too. He is patient and loving. It is so sweet.
-He says lots and lots of words (seems advanced in this area but I really don't know), like: car, truck, mama, dada, sissy, Gigi (she hates that he calls her that and insists on "sissy"), don't, shoes, danger, hot, cookie, cracker, grandma/grammy, bubba (his lovey), no no, good girl/boy, thank you, your welcome, juice/drink, bye bye
-He understands a lot more than he can say and will follow direction SOMEtimes! He's stubborn like me.
-He loves boy things like toilets, plungers, dirt, trash, climbing things like slides and the dog, tools, antagonizing his sister, toilet paper, and taking off his diapers. He loves animals and going outside to play.
-He will barely let me cuddle him anymore (unless he's hurt or something like that), but he insists that I tell him goodnight before bed.
-He isn't a big fan of riding in the car, but he loves getting out and going places. He likes to be entertained the whole time he's riding.
-He loves his grandparents.
-He has a great sense of humor.
-He loves music and books, but he doesn't like to sit still long enough to let me read to him.
-He is extremely attached to his lovey, "Bubba". He will go upstairs by himself to find Bubba in his bed.
-He is very very sweet and good natured. He acts shy around people, but he'll give out coy little smiles when he wants to.
-He has a tender little heart. Loves to play and tease, hates to get in trouble, and will apologize easily and share hugs and kisses when he's sorry for something.
-Loves to eat.....bananas (his dad gave him 3 in a 5 minute time span and he was in heaven), pizza (routinely eats 3 pieces at dinner), and raisins.
-He loves his family and brings a lot of energy and laughter into our home. I love having a little boy!

He has been really patient with me while I've been pregnant and unbalanced. I have spent a lot of time being frustrated with him just because I couldn't do as much with him as I wanted to. I am hoping that once I have the baby I will be able to regain some patience and be kinder to him.

We could use everyone's prayers for a safe and healthy delivery of our latest addition over the next few days. I have faith that all will go well and I know I have great doctors to take care of me. See you guys soon as a family of five!

XOXO
L