Someone got ahold of my camera...

My camera was sitting on the kitchen table. My husband, my kids, and I were all sitting in the living room enjoying our family time. There is a wall that separates the kitchen and the living room, but you can see the dining room from certain angles. I was on the couch against the wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room. I thought I saw a flash come from the kitchen table, and I asked my husband if there was a flash in the kitchen. He said he thought he saw that, too. I said is Cole on the table? Does Cole have my camera? Wouldn't you know....one of his favorite places to climb up on top of...he got my camera! Here are his photos...
Finger....
Drooling chin shot....
Chest.....
Drooling mouth shot....

And another finger shot....

I think he did a pretty good job with his photo session. I would prefer him not using my camera, however, I think his milestone to taking photos was a job well done.

Wordless Wednesday: Summertime snack?

Happy 1 Year Birthday Cole!

This blog posting was meant to be up a couple of months ago, since my baby turned one in January. It was not intentional that I posted this late, however, it is so important to me that I write about my baby's birth and celebrate his life! He is a miracle baby...with the toughest birth of my children. All children are a blessing and an amazing miracle created and formed by God! Thank you God for choosing me to be Cole's mother!! I am blessed beyond all...Happy (belated)Birthday to my sweet little baby boy!
Here is me (winter of 2008). Cole growing inside..."I knit you together in your mother's womb..."~God
January 2009...intense labor, by induction. Everything started at 6:00 Am and didn't end until almost midnight. My OB/Gyn Doctor is amazing! He was with me throughout the day, broke my water, and kept checking on me. After his shift, he stopped by to wish me well. He said he would stop back after his son's games (around 9 PM) and if I was still in labor, he would be with me. That is complete dedication! I really believe that God stirred in him to stick with me, because of all the complications I had with labor/delivery. I owe so much gratitude to Dr. S. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! One of my bestest friends, Randi, was with me as an assistant coach. She was with me for Caleb, Madelyn and Cole. She is an amazing, loyal, and dedicated friend! Thank you so much, Randi for all you have done, and all you are! I owe so much to you! Thanks for putting up with me, letting me bruise your arm, loving and supporting Terry and I and being my comfort in labor! I love you!!
Cole Matthew was born after over 2 hours of intense pushing, being turned around (inside) because he was face up, and face first...ouch!, and after so much pushing...he was vacuumed out. That was the hardest decision to make. I am not a promoter of the vac., but I felt like I didn't have much choice. I was worn out, ready to give up. I feared for my baby and for me.
Cole came out limp, and the cord was wrapped around his neck. I was so scared because I knew he was in grave danger. The nurses didn't say anything and my Doctor's face displayed serious concern. The nurses rushed him to the warmer and rubbed on him so hard and had a mask to his face. I kept asking if he was OK, and no one answered me. I was fully relieved to hear him cry after what seemed an eternity! He was OK. THANK YOU GOD!!
Cole had serious injury to his head from the delivery. He had an ultrasound to make sure everything was OK. He had a lot of fluid build up and the top of his head was like moving water in a water bed. I was so protective of his little head. Cole also had bad jaundice that needed monitoring, so we made several trips to the clinic for blood tests. They were concerned that the numbers weren't getting better...but eventually he made a turn for the better.
One of my best friends took this photo when Cole was a week old. Jennifer is an amazing photographer, and I highly recommend her if you need a photographer! She takes the pictures of the moment...check out her site: JR Photography (currently it may be under construction).
He is so cute!!
Here is Cole with his little cousin, Isaiah, who is 10 days younger than him. I love that the two of them are so close in age! It is fun for me and my sister-in-law, too.

Here is Isaiah and Cole last summer. I believe that they were both about 6-7 months old.
I think that he is about 4 or 5 months old in this photo. I know, I should write things down to keep track.
Cole loves to eat, and he loves to feed himself.
Praise the Lord...even if it is with spaghetti all over your face!
My kids love to dress up, and surprisingly Cole keeps hats on (for the most part). This was taken on Halloween 2009.
Cole crawled early, walked early, and seems to do everything early. I think he feels he needs to keep up with Caleb and Madelyn. It is exciting to see him go through all his amazing milestones, but he is my baby...and it is all happening to early (for me).
Cole has a new "pocket." Every time he gets a chance to hook his hand here, he does. It has to be a male-thing. It is funny, though.
Cole is so happy, and good natured. Lately we are noticing that he is determined, too. He loves to be independent: opening doors, digging in the cd's, turning buttons on/off, climbing up on to EVERYTHING (even Caleb's ladder to the top bunk bed), throwing things in the garbage or off the tray of his high chair, and anything else he can get into. It is amazing to me how much a one year old knows. He knows exactly what I don't want him to dig in, and makes it his top priority to do it. I love seeing his mind work through his actions and verbal usage. He really is talking a lot! He says: Mama, Daddy, Thaniel (Nathaniel), hode ju (hold you), Uhv you (love you), and a few more. He also knows what I am talking about most of the time, too.
Cole loves to dance, and any chance music comes on or he hears singing, he is bobbing his head and dancing. He also loves to hug and kiss. He finds most anything to be funny and loves to imitate people that he thinks are funny. Cole loves to keep up with his siblings, and he really enjoys playing with them. Madelyn loves to give Cole a push to make sure he knows she is older than him, but Cole knows which buttons make Madelyn's temper rise. Ahhh, sibling love.
My children are such a blessing and I am so very grateful to God! Cole is a wonderful addition to our family, and we are so blessed by his life. Happy Birthday to my little Cole. May God give you abundant joy and may you serve him with your whole life.

Family Fall photos (with updates)

I cannot believe that my baby is already 9 months old! Seriously, time just flies by so quickly! Cole is an amazing little boy. He is very busy, too! At 9 months, he is crawling (like speed crawling), all over the floors & up the stairs. He loves to pull himself up and walk all around furniture. One of his favorite "hiding" spots is under the kitchen table.

Cole has just recently realized that the doors in the kitchen open up, and he loves to open and shut them over and over. He really enjoys hanging out where ever we are.
Cole loves to pet our dog, and he does the sign for dog. I am not sure if he realizes he is signing, or not, but it is still cute. Cole loves to eat table food, and we are loving our Food Mill to grind up his food. He loves snacking on Cheerios and cheese, and pears are one of his favorite fruits.
Cole loves to be held, cuddled, kissed and snuggled. He is still nursing, but lately he has been experimenting the chew-motion with his two new bottom teeth. Momma isn't very fond of that. So, he had better stop while he is ahead, and wants to keep a good thing (a.k.a. nursing), or we will have to find an alternative.
Cole tries his best to keep up with the other three kids. He is quick, and I don't think it will be long before he is running right along with them. He is a very happy baby, and I just am overwhelmed with love for him. Happy 9 month to you, Cole!
Woo hoo~ check out the photo of Madelyn smiling! It can be challenging getting a photo of her with her genuine smile. Many times she is posing her cheesy grin, or has a mellow look.

I love this photo! She is my princess....and I am just filled to the rim in love with my little dolly!
Caleb is getting so tall. He is such a handsome little guy! He is doing pre-school home school this year. We do what we can. I am reading a lot to the kids, and we are learning how to use the scissors right now. Caleb loves to cut things out. He does very well on his colors, shapes, what is different/same, and his counting. He loves pre-school. I am just so loving my sweet, comical, and caring Caleb!
Here is an inside family photo of our family. I am so thankful for my husband and children.
Here are my four beautiful children. Getting a photo of multiple children can be a challenge. I love this one, because of Madelyn's sweet pose. What a little honey!

Here are Nathaniel's (home school) yearly photos for fifth grade. He is such a handsome guy!
I can't believe he is going to be 11 years old this week! I can't believe I have been a mom that long either! He is so precious, and I am so blessed to be chosen for his mom. Nathaniel you are such a great son! You are the twinkle in my eye, and you bring so much joy to me. I love that you are so generous, thoughtful, giving, and loving. You are intuitive, and usually know when I would love a hug, need a kind word, and more. Thank you for being such a great son, and for being who you are! I thank my God for you! Nathaniel~ means gift from God, and that is exactly what you are!
Happy eleventh birthday Nathaniel! I am so proud of you~
Here are some more photos of the kids:




Cole was giving his "funny face," were he gets really excited and makes a surprise look. It is way adorable!
Here is another snap shot of his funny face. I think it is too cute!
Here is an outside family photo. I still am amazed how our family has grown and changed in the five (plus) years that I have been married. I am so beyond blessed with a wonderful, caring, and loving husband...four beautiful, healthy, fun-loving children, and a lake-home roof over our head. God is good~ all the time. I take my blessings for granted too often, and I owe God all the credit for all I have. Thank you Jesus!
I am currently cancer-free, and I am so thankful for that! Home school is going. I am struggling some, but I know that we will get through it. If you have any suggestions, or helpful ideas...shoot me an e-mail, or leave a comment. We have been busy getting the outdoors ready for winter. Terry has been getting a ton of wood cut, and will be splitting/stacking it for next winter. We had to buy a new furnace this year (unfortunately $$-wise) but we needed it. Work has been a bit on the slower side for Terry, but we are thankful for a job with benefits.

I want to thank my wonderful mother-in-law for taking all of these photos! You are the best mom-in-law ever! I am so thankful for you, and for raising such a great man! I love you!

I will try to keep up with the posting, but things get so busy around here. I don't get much time to get on the computer as I would like. I hope all of you are well, and that the Lord is blessing you.

Guess who's a movin' and a shakin'?

I think it is well past the time for an update from my household, what's going on...and who's doing what! Here is a photo of Caleb and Madelyn waiting at the top of the stairs for someone to follow... (don't mind my walls...we have been remodeling our home...~ever since we moved in, ~lol)
Who is coming up the stairs behind them? Oh yes....

Cole is on the move! For over a week now, Cole has decided that he needs to move up those stairs to see (for himself) what is up there. He is such a busy guy and is getting around very quickly lately! I can't believe how much he has grown and learned recently!

He is a drool-monger, and I always miscalculate when those chompers are due to show up. He has been drooling for months, and still no teeth coming in. He is a big eater lately, so that growth spurt must be happening. When he was in to the clinic about a week ago, he was #18.1 pounds.

So, he is on the mission toward those stairs...crawling faster and faster everyday.

He keeps close tabs on his older siblings. I am thinking he can't wait until he can do what they do!

Here he goes...

Look how he is on his tip-toes! How cute is that?? I love this picture...

Madelyn was needing some attention, so she ran over to the closet and said, "Take a picture of me like this..." with a pose. I think it is adorable! She is so sweet~

Caleb wanted some snap shots, too. He was posing "in the cool" for this one. He is now a home schooled pre-schooler. He is loving his home education, and he is currently working on his name and how to cut with scissors. I make a few different types of lines on paper and he cuts them (squiggly, straight, and angled). He is very active and busy....even hitting his head on the fireplace today leaving a puncture wound to his head. Poor guy! He is OK, it just looks like it hurts. I am hoping we won't have too many trips to the ER with him.

Nathaniel is in the 5th grade, and I am home schooling him this year! I am really excited about him being home and teaching him. This is an answer to prayer, and I pray that it is a great year. I am hoping to get a lot accomplished, have fun learning together, and being creative. Nathaniel has had a busy summer with his close friends, and he is missing his best friend who is a neighbor. His friend is on a different school bus and is attending a different school this year, so even if Nathaniel was in public school, they would miss each other. Nathaniel is very excited to be home schooled, and we are having fun so far. We are apart of a great co-op that will meet once a month. I love our mom's monthly meeting, because it is time together, time to pray for each other, and work together for the best interest of our kids and home schooling. I am excited for this year, and for the field trips we will do together.

You know how hard it is to get four kids to sit together and all look at the camera at the same time? After about 10 photos, I did get this one.

I love my four kids! I am really enjoying being a stay at home mom and home schooling them.

Not too much is new here, besides the home schooling this year. I had 3 more moles removed from my back. This time, I had quite a bit removed. I had one removed that was about an inch in length, and one that was 1 1/2 inches in length. Each of those moles were about 3/4 inch deep. The third mole was punched off. GOOD NEWS~ all the moles were benign!! Praise the Lord! One of the moles would have turned into cancer someday (I can't remember the term for it), but they got it all out.

We went to a threshing show last weekend~ Terry, the kids, my mother-in-law and I. I will have to post the pictures from that. It was a lot of fun, nice day out for it, and the kids had a blast! I had never been to one of those before. Anyway...time for bed~ well, way past my bedtime, but I miss blogging!