Saturday, November 19, 2011

Lazy Saturday

I thought Caleb was playing upstairs.

Apparently Asher thinks he is old enough to make his own sandwiches.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Bethany's First Turn

Bethany turned over today! Twice! Yay! I do not have a picture but will try to get one soon.
Just thought ya'll would like to know! :) 
Heather

Asher: Master Tower Builder

Asher has been spending a lot of time building with blocks and anything else that will make some sort of structure.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

My New Favorite Show!

Once Upon A Time is soo great! It totally captures the imagination, keeps you guessing, stimulates the mind, and reminds us Princesses at heart that it is okay to believe in fairy-tales. Also since it is made by the creators of Lost there are a lot of Lost connections. Though I do not catch them because I have only seen the first season of Lost. There are also connections between Once Upon a Time and the classic Disney fairy-tales. I think it is so much fun to guess who is what storybook character and to look up information about other fun little "Easter eggs" that the producers have hidden in the show. If you are all about that like me--here's the link for you: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time/storybrooke-secrets
If this sounds like a fun show you can get other information and start watching the shows--here.
And before anyone asks--no I am not getting paid for this endorsement (sillies). I just think it is a swell show. I love how this show perfectly blends fairy-tales from my childhood and remakes it into something that intrigues my adult (or somewhat adult) intellect.
Also it is fairly clean. I definitely think it is cleaner than most shows out there. Though due to the evil queen it is a little bit dark in nature (a curse and such). Just to be safe I watch this after my kiddos have gone to bed. 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Bethany's 8 Week Appoitment!

On Tuesday I took Bethany to her 8 week appointment. Both the Dr. and I were surprised by her measurements. She is 12lbs and 24inches. This puts her in the75 percentile for weight and 95th for height. The boys have never been much above the 15th percentile so this was a pleasant surprise. Obviously Bethany is growing well and is very healthy. She has been more alert and starting to coo and smile. After three children I am still surprised how much a smile and a coo warms my heart. It is one of the best feelings ever.

I love my little family. I can't wait to see how all three of them grow and develop. 

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Earthquake

We had a 5.6 earthquake here tonight. It was scary for us adults but the kids slept right through. I even picked up Bethany and she barely moved. 
I know it was nothing compared to the Earthquake in Japan and it could have been 100% worse. Yet the Earthquake is just a reminder of my vulnerability and powerlessness. I do not have the control in my life I think I do. I was sitting on the couch, watching TV, and surfing the internet, when I was literally shaken off of my feet. As humans we like to pretend that we our in control. We go to great lengths to believe and prove this.
Even though I am not in control of my life I know who is: The Lord the King of my life. He is my protector. My family and I are safe in his arms. I can rest in the knowledge that even though the world around us is shaky (literally tonight) He is our strong foundation. No matter what happens in my life I can rest in peace with the Lord. 
I am praising the Lord for our safety and the safety of others in Oklahoma. I am thankful for the reminder of how out of control I am. Praise you Lord for being our rock in this very unsteady world! 
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/
 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Asher: Super Feeder

Asher jumped right into action as a big brother to Bethany. This picture was taken September 10th, five days after Bethany was born. Asher insisted on feeding her.

While he was feeding her he was watching Thomas. He still wanted to feed her but it was becoming a bit too much work while watching his favorite show. No worries: he improvised. Notice his hand lovingly placed on her head. So cute!!! He has been a good big brother from the start!

Bethany's First Day of Church!

September 18th was Bethany's first day at church. This is a picture of her outfit for her first day of church. I love dressing her up and putting bows in her hair!!! Thought you all would enjoy! 

Caleb: Tower Builder

I was upstairs getting ready. When I came downstairs my little trouble maker had gotten into the fridge, took all the yogurt cups, and brought them to the living room. He then built a tower. My Mommy instincts went, "Oh no!" But my child development instincts went, "What a great learning experience!"  Anyway, he may be a trouble maker but he sure is smart!

Asher: Sweet and Sour

Asher is such a good big brother to Bethany. He is her biggest protector. I just hope it continues when she gets to the "boyfriend" stage. 

His relationship with Caleb is a little different. They love each other dearly, but it is a love fitting of two boys. One second they are playing with each other and the next second they are beating each other up. 

Now Bethany adds a whole new dynamic to the mix. Asher's protective instincts of Bethany do not stop at Caleb. Here is a fun video that demonstrates exactly what I am talking about:
(I just realized the audio on this video is out. But even silent it is entertaining. He is singing Jesus loves me to his sister--but it's the actions that are so funny.)

Halloween

Monday was a day of princesses, lady bugs, dinosaurs, angels, trains, and other fun characters. Our house was full of them! We had some friends come over for dinner and trick-or-treating afterwards. We had eight kids, five adults, two dogs, and one cat in our house. It was very busy, very crazy, and VERY fun. I love this kind of chaos.
Here are some pictures of that fun day:
The Gang!

Asher was Thomas of course!

Caleb was a dinosaur. This is a costume Asher wore a few years ago. I gave Caleb an option of being something different but he wanted to follow after brother

Here is my little Lady Bug pooped out from a long day of pumpkin patch and trick-or-treating fun.

Pumpkin Patch

On Halloween my friend Bonnie (who was visiting from Tulsa) and I took the kids to TG Farms Pumpkin Patch. We had sooo much fun! The kids were able to run through the haze maze and corn maze. They climbed up bales of hay and slid down slides that were put up on them. They carried pumpkins and pushed the pumpkins and Caleb in a wagon. Bethany was able to experience her first hay ride. There was also a petting zoo. I thought Caleb would love to pet the animals (since he is crazy about anything farm) but he was afraid of them and only watched the animals from a "safe" distance. It was a small pumpkin patch but we spent three hours there. It made for a busy Halloween but it was well worth it!   



 









Saturday, October 29, 2011

Update

Hi everyone! I know it has been some time since I have posted. It sure seems I just posted last week. The last 7 weeks have flown by very quickly.
Bethany is growing big. She has been beginning to smile and coo. Asher is such a good big brother to her. He is very protective of her.
Caleb is doing well--he is starting to speak in sentences. I can't believe he is almost a preschooler.
Asher is doing very well in school. I enjoy homeschooling him.
I know this is a quick update. I will try to update more fully with pictures in the next few days.
Thank you so much for your following,
Heather 

Monday, September 19, 2011

Bethany Hope Misner!

I am proud to introduce our little princess: Bethany Hope Misner. She was born September 5th, 2011 at 10:51am. She was 7lbs5oz and 21 and 1/2inches. We joke that she had to come out outdoing her brothers from the start. She beat them both in weight, length, and in how much hair she has. Though people comment on how small she looks for Adam and I she is big! 
The delivery went really well. I checked in at OU Children's Medical Center at 6:30. They put the contraction belt around me and told me that I am contracting two mins. apart. I had no clue! I barely felt anything! When the Dr. came in he said that it must be destined to be her birthday because if I were going to deliver her by labor she would probably come that day too. 
I was scheduled to go in at 8:30am but I was pushed back due to an emergency c-section. We did find out that that baby was rushed to the NICU. So prayers for the anonymous family is appreciated.
But once it was my turn it happened rather fast and Bethany was here with in minutes. Yet not before the Dr. made a joke about how I had to be pregnant during the hottest summer in history and I delivered on the very first day it cooled down. He said I had nice timing. The Dr. only thinks he's funny! :)
I was very blessed to have my Aunt and Uncle in town (they are what I consider to be my parental units). They did a great job of taking care of their Grandsons so Adam and I could focus on Bethany. It was also amazing to have them here at her birth. My Aunt fed Bethany her first bottle. A privilege that I would only give up easily to her.   
Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers. This delivery was the smoothest of all of them. It went so well. 
I know you all have been anxiously awaiting pictures and updates and I am sorry for delays. I know that I am bad at it--but right now I am taking each day at a time. 
Love to you all,
Our first picture of the Princess.

Daddy and Bethany minutes after her birth.

First photo with Mom and Dad! I am still on the operating table being worked on!
Bethany in her church outfit for her first day of church (which was this last Sunday).
There are way more photos. But right now my kids sound like they are tearing up downstairs and I have to get started on Asher's school. But I will try to post again soon. Oh by the way both boys loove their sister and are very good to her.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Busy Asher

This is what Asher kept himself busy with this afternoon. Can you guess what it is? It is a waterfall. Asher jumped around with excitement as explained to Daddy and I that it splashes to the ground. He was very sad to have to take it down before he and Daddy left for their movie. Yet I promised him he could reconstruct his waterfall when they return.
Both Adam and I were impressed with his creativity, excitement, and dedication. He did spend a while creating and adjusting his waterfall.
Anyway just thought this would be fun to share!
 


Friday, August 26, 2011

Busy Hands, Busy Hooks

Not only have I been  busy getting ready for Bethany I have been busy crocheting. In the last week I have made three projects--more than I have in one month. They weren't big projects and they were fairly easy. Yet I had lots of fun! 
Newborn Hat for Bethany!

Preemie Hat for Bethany

Star Fish Dishcloth
If any of you are interested in the patterns--let me know and I will send you the links. I got them all off of the internet.

Our New Family Member!

Meet Kenzie! She is our new family member. Arthur found a new home and she needed one. She belonged to a family on base who is moving and has a son who is allergic to cats. She is seven years old. She is the most loving kitty. When she was two weeks old she got very sick. Due to this she has nerve damage in her hind legs, so she limps. The whole family loves her--even Jake our dog.  





An Update: Summer Coming to a Close

Oh my goodness I just realized that it has been over two weeks since I have posted anything on the blog. I am not sure where the time has gone. I truly apologize for not posting sooner.
So let me get you caught up from the last few weeks.
Two weekends ago I had my baby shower. Ladies at my church did a wonderful job of hosting my shower. The food was wonderful and the company was even better. We had a very good turn out. I have only been attending the church for less than a year. I was surprised to see so many ladies at my shower. It made me feel so welcome and accepted. Also a friend of mine drove in from Tulsa with her one year old girl to attend my shower. It was great to see them and spend some extra time with them.
Caleb started Fall Mother's Day Out this week. He is in the same room and has the same teacher he did this Summer. On the first day of Mother's Day Out he walked straight into the classroom and didn't even say goodbye. 
Asher will not be going to Kindergarten in a brick and mortar public school this year. We have chosen to home-school him through a Public Charter School--entitled Epic One on One Charter School. Though Epic is technically a virtual school he will have very little work online. I was able to choose a curriculum that is very hands on and very early childhood friendly. Asher even has a teacher. Her main job is to assist me as I need. We will be in communication throughout the week and meet face to face once or twice a month. She will give me support and advice but at the end of the day the parents really get to make the "call." I love that I have support yet I still get to play the main role in his education. Asher is very excited that he will be learning at home with me. School starts September 6th (yes the day after Bethany is born) and we get to meet his teacher in person on Monday. I am very excited as well.
Though we are homeschooling I am planning for Asher to have tons of social interaction. Today we went to a home-school co-op. The home-school co-op consists of a PE and Music class. They are also going to start a Spanish and Bible History class. All of which are age appropriate. Asher loooved the co-op and behaved very well. I am excited to see how the co-op develops. We are also planning on enrolling him in soccer and a music group that he was involved in last year. Between those activities and his normal church activities (Children's Church, Sunday School, and Wednesday Church) he will be plenty busy. That is not even including normal play dates and outings.  
Another exciting event that happened this week is that Asher is now in a twin sized big boy bed. We decked it out in Thomas bedding that was mainly provided by his Grammy Denise.
Hmmm....let me think what else has happened in the last few weeks. Nothing much really...just preparing for Bethany. We are working on cleaning the house and washing clothes for Bethany. I already packed her bag. I have not been experiencing any labor signs except for nesting. If she comes before September 5th we will for sure post it on the blog! 
Here are some pictures of the boys I thought you might enjoy!
Asher and Caleb enjoy the new bed.

Asher maxin' and relaxin.'

Caleb maxin' and relaxin' too.







Thursday, August 11, 2011

It's Raining!!!

As most of you know it has been a VERY HOT summer. The news reported a few days ago that this July in Oklahoma has not only been hotter than any other State. It also has been the hottest in RECORDED history!!! Of course I have to be 8 months pregnant the whole time. But I am blessed to have a house and a car with air conditioning. Praise the Lord!!!
Another major praise is that as I am writing this it is only 76 degrees outside. It also has been raining off and on all day. The kids actually had to wear pants and a jacket when we went out this morning. I was so excited about this that we had to take pictures to document this event.

When we were outside. The kids found the puddles very interesting. They would have splashed in them all day if I would have let them.
I just pray that we will continue to see more rain and less 100+ degree weather. 
I hope you all are keeping cool. 
Blessings to all of you,
Heather




Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Auntie Bekah's Gifts for Bethany and the Boys

Auntie Rebekah is especially excitied for Bethany to come. She has been wanting a niece for almost as long as we have been wanting a daughter. Bethany's middle name will be Hope, which is Auntie Bekah's middle name. I promised Rebekah when we were little girls that if I were to ever have a daughter I would give my daughter her middle name. I am excitied I can finally fulfill the promise.
When we visited her in Chicago last month she gave me these shirts she bought for Bethany. We were both VERY excitied by the purple Eeyore onesies. I love Eeyore and I love purple so the onesies are the perfect item for a daughter of mine.
Auntie Bekah also bought "Big Brother" shirts for both of the boys and a little sister onesie for Bethany. I am saving the shirts for the boys to the hospital when they come to meet their little sister. I can't wait for them to meet her. We will have to get pictures of all three of them in their shirts together.
Thank you so much Auntie Bekah for spoiling your Niece and Nephews. We love you!!!!

OB Appointment Update: Bethany's Birthday!


This morning I had my OB appointment. It went very well. The pregnancy is still uneventful (I am happy about this). The only thing is that I have lost a little bit of weight. The Dr. said just as long as I am still eating and drinking he is not really concerned. But we will continue to watch my weight. It's just hard to eat so much when it is so hot outside. Takes much less for me to get full right now.
So now for the exciting news: I will be going into labor (figuratively speaking) on Labor Day!!! Unless Bethany decides she wants to arrive early. My c-section is scheduled for the 5th of September at 8:30am. The countdown begins!!!!
Blessings to you all,
Heather

Oh and Rebekah (my Sister) I will post the pictures of the Eeyore outfit this afternoon. I should probably get off of the computer and tend to my children! :)