My First Tie...

Growing up...

Well...Max is in his crib. This is the first night. We are going to see how it goes. Jack was thrilled to hear his baby brother would be in the crib tonight. My heart aches a little knowing Max is growing up. I have the monitor set on high and next to my side of the bed...I can hear him breathing.

Bath time smiles

Bath time tonight...love it!

Do you like my curls and strawberry blond hair when it's just washed?

Basketball Basketball

Tommy played in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament today with some buddies from school. They had a great time. Max was a trooper through it all, smiling with our good friend Allie Miller.

Busy busy and rambling on...

Well... I have determined that Spring in our house is about as busy as December. We have started baseball, I am heading up the yearbook and it's final draft is due on the 10th of April, spring cleaning is here, putting away winter stuff is on us, swapping clothes in our closets, more baseball, school projects, more baseball, throw in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament this weekend, our anniversary is next week, more birthday parties for friends...oh and did I mention baseball has started? Baseball, by the way, is by FAR our most time consuming sport we do at the Shisler house. Practices and tournaments are non stop starting in about 2 weeks. Tournaments every weekend from now until July. I should enjoy any free evening we have...oh wait I don't think we have any coming up.

Scott was in St Louis this week, Monday-Wednesday so our first time on our own without him in town since Max was born. We made it. :)

The Buckeyes play tonight, we will be cheering from here

Monday is the annual Luther College days...where 2 of my closest college girlfriends, Lisa and Niki come and bring their kiddos and for 24 hours it is a bit of chaos in a wonderful way. Between the 3 of us we now have 11 kids with Tommy being the oldest and Max the youngest. I can't wait.

I have my quarterly MRI and neuoro Dr appts next week too. Didn't miss those when I was pregnant. I have been doing those for almost 3 years now. (pituitary adenoma for those that do not know, we pray it doesn't grow and won't need to be removed)

I feel like all I have done is pay medical bills for 4 weeks. Between Scott's knee, Max's birth and other random normal things it has been nuts with bills. I am concerned how this new health care plan will affect families like ours.

I need to go back to school, again, this afternoon for more recess pictures for the yearbook...

Oh I should get in the shower as Max is asleep...

Oh and one more thing...we are taking Max to meet his Great Grandma Lu next Friday for Easter weekend. Max is her 19th great grandchild. I think that is so special. She is still very active, healthy and on her own. We are excited to head to Benson for the weekend.

Enough rambling for today....better shower. Didn't get that done yesterday. :)

Max's Busy Day

Swinging this morning...

First nap in my crib this afternoon...

First time outside on the swingset after school...

whew what a busy day.

Sweet Jack

Today, while playing with his Lego house, Jack said, while holding the flowers up "Mom, I'm going to pretend that the Dad is coming home from work and he is bringing the Mom flowers. Great idea huh?!" I smiled and said, "Yes Jack, that is a GREAT idea."

Sweet boy...

The BIG Project

This weekend it was time to set up the crib, pretty soon Max will start sleeping in there. He only has 1.5 lbs to go until he is at the weight limit of his bassinet. :) Jack has been asking for 2 months when we were going to put Max's crib up and this weekend we got it done. Of course to make that happen, we had to take apart the bunk bed, move the full mattress to Tommy's room so we can donate the older mattress he sleeps on. Which also led to cleaning and organizing of the storage room so that we could FIT the pieces of the bunk bed in there until we need them again in 3 or more years. Needless to say it has been busy and messy.

Last night we had a surprise bday party to go to for a friend and in the night Scott came down with a flu bug...so it has been an interesting couple of days. I am happy the boys don't have school tomorrow as we need a quiet day at home without 100 projects going at the same time. Scott is heading to St Louis tomorrow until Wednesday, this will be his first overnight trip since Max was born...we are ready. Grateful we had him here for these 2 months every night. Max is now sleeping well, usually 11:30-4:30 or 5 so I feel rested.

Here are some before and after pics of the room makeover....we are still waiting on Jack's bedskirt and a couple of other small items. But for the most part it is DONE!

P.S. Note Max is in his jammies in the pics, we all have been today. We didn't go to church due to Scott's flu and my cough. Jack found his Halloween costumes while cleaning the storage room hence his Speed Racer outfit. Luckily no one stopped by today.

Hmm..spring is coming right?

Thursday 64 and sunny...baseball playing, Christmas lights finally ALL down, bikes out, patio furniture out...

..this morning.

Home Sweet Home

We have been in Ohio since Friday...and now we are home. Home sweet home. Tommy, Max and I flew and the others are driving. We definitely got the better deal, but certainly couldn't have taken Max in the car for 11-12 hour drive. It would take us days to get there. He nurses every 2 hours not to mention the car seat would have been old after about 1 feeding. Bless Scott's heart for being so willing to drive, and haul ALL of the stuff....the baby bed, the blow up bed, the suitcases, duffle bags and STUFF STUFF STUFF it takes. Max did great on the plane and is now a seasoned traveler.

He has the camera so not many pictures to share. But I will post when he gets home.

We had a good time in Ohio, always nice to see family and the boys LOVE the farm and the fresh air. Jack was able to ride the tractor and help Daddy and Gpa Shisler deliver seed, Drew loves playing in the barn and with the dog and Tommy shot some baskets on their hoop and enjoyed Grandma Shislers home cooking. She spoils us with her food. mmm....

Happy to be here...happy that most of the snow has melted and we can take down Christmas lights in the backyard, and the treetops out of the pots. I am hoping to get Jack's bunk bed down and the twin bed up with the crib set up this weekend...it's getting closer to the time where Max will be able to move in with Jack. We will officially have the "little guys' room"...Max hardly fits in his bassinet, but I will hold out until he hits the weight limit. :) I'm in no hurry to get him out of our room. But I would like to get their room organized....and ready. Max can start to nap in there some now...

Max 2 months

A few of my favorite of Max's 2 month photos...taken March 11, his 2 month bday. (taken by my friend Makila)

Jack's chapel

Yesterday 1st grade led chapel at school...

Jack closed chapel in prayer

Then they sang one of his very favorite praise songs ! Can you tell he LOVES it? ("Every Move I make I make in you...you make me move Jesus...)

Did you Know?

From the time a child is born until they graduate from high school you'll have 940 weekends...

If your child is in Kindergarten you have 637 left

-3rd grade 471 left

-5th grade 364 left

-9th grade 208 left

If you have a 12th grader, you know how few you have left.

What are you going to do this weekend?

You have a short window of time before your kids becomes a teenager...it happens fast.

reference http://www.252basics.com

Dear God,

"Dear God, Thank you for this day. Thank you for the food you have provided. Bless it to our bodies. Please be with me and my brudders and help us to get along. Help us be kind to on anoder. Thank you for Max, pray he grows up to love you and love the Buckeyes. Amen"

-Jack age 7

Go Lions

Drew had his last basketball tourney this weekend...and they won! I loved these pics and Drew's excitement. I wish they weren't so blurry but you get the idea.

Way to go Drew, we are proud of YOU!

Done with basketball...on to baseball.

Monkey slippers

Here are the cute little monkey jammies Mike and Cara gave to Max...my favorite part are the feet. Don't they look like he has slipped into a pair of monkey slippers? Makes me laugh every time I put them on him. They gave him puppy ones too, same thing, puppy slippers.

I took these tonight right before he cashed out for the night. He rarely smiles later in the day so it was fun to get a little smile, and a bent ear too. ;)

The last snowman

After the 64 or more inches of snow we have had this winter would you believe this is the FIRST snowman that has been made in our yard this season? Scott, Drew and Jack built him today. Thinking the snow will melt..or so we hope...at some point soon. SO they went out and built the big guy with all of the heavy and wet snow, not an easy task. But I think he turned out pretty great!

Basketball, Boys and Rambling

This is our last weekend of basketball...Drew is in a tournament. Last weekend both Tommy and Jack finished up. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

-Ah...then baseball tournaments begin, well that is only if the snow melts off the fields ever.

Jack talking Star Wars with the ladies

Max watching basketball with Daddy

Drew taking a shot

Tommy taking a shot

onto rambling....

-Had more meals brought in this week from friends. When I did make a meal, the first one I have made since Max was born, Scott asked "who made this meal?" and I said "me" and he was shocked...that's how long it has been.

-have 2 lasagna's in the fridge to eat now too. (Drew has a canker sore so it isn't so great to eat now, will move one to the freezer)

-made a fresh loaf of Rhodes bread today, forgotten how good that smells

-happy to have a week of sunshine for a change

-we leave for spring break next Friday, we are heading to Ohio. Max will get to go on his first airplane ride and head to the farm for the first time.

-why is it that I still crave root beer even though Max is now born?

-have pictures of Max up around the house now in frames, makes me feel good to see him all over with the other boys

-I am wondering why fridge has a "d" and refrigerator does not (thanks Makila)

-I love being a Mom

-I love being married to Scott

-my parents have been in Cabo, MX the past 2 weeks and for 1 more week...I miss talking to my Mom every day. Cell phones and MX don't mix well. (miss talking to you too Dad :) )

-We got a cell phone for the boys to all share, calling it the " Shisler bros" phone. It will be nice when one is at a tournament and one of us isn't with him, or if they are at the driving range, or at a practice, or get hurt somewhere we are not. They are excited. Although secretly, or not so secretly, wish they had their own.

-after 2 years our neighbors house sold this week, anxious to see who bought it.

-I'm so glad we don't have a dog (I hope the new neighbors don't have one especially one that barks)

-I need to go to bed...