3 months and mastitis

Bennett will officially be 3 months tomorrow.  Wow!

Just took this picture and he is getting ready for bed so he is not very happy plus my camera was about to die, but here is the 3month documentation picture. 

You might be wondering why I am blogging in the middle of the week, welp, Chad had to come home for me today.  Monday night I started having some pain in my left boob.  It was still there in the morning and as the day went on I had the aches and chills.  I pretty much knew that it was mastitis though I was not running the typical fever.  I went ahead and called in a prescription and started taking it around dinner time.  A couple hours later, I started running the fever of 102... 100 with Tylenol.

24 hours I feel a bit better but I had to call Chad this morning and tell him I needed his help.  Since I rarely ask anyone for help, I think he knew I must feel like crap.

It took 4 kids before I finally get mastitis and I must say it is like the flu but with a sore boob when you have to nurse... not fun I tell you... not fun.

Anyway, back to the cause of my mastitis.

Mr. Bennett continues to such a blessing.  He was boycotting the bottle but we have been working on it this week and he no longer cries about it and will take an oz or two from it... so progress.  However, he will only take it from me.  He pitches a fit on Chad when he tries to give him one.  Oh well, baby steps.

Bennett is still a serious baby but will always smile, coo, and laugh during diaper changes and bath time.  He has smiled for his brothers a couple times but mostly his happy time is for me.  He is also not sleeping quite as good and getting up around 2 and then sometimes 5 or 6- maybe a growth spurt.  But overall, he is growing and is awesome.

This past week flew by.  2 more weeks and we will close on the house.  Hard to believe!  I am trying to pack a couple boxes every day.  Chad took yesterday off work and came home to help me.  We got a good bit done and I am confident that we will be ready to load it up come May 4.

Here are just a couple of other pictures from the week...

My little world

my word... that is all I have to say about that face

I was folding laundry a couple days ago and Bennett was in the family room in his bouncy seat.  I hear Shepherd say, "mommy wook, I can hold Bennett." I quickly drop the laundry I am folding and sure enough big Shep has picked Bennett up out of his bouncy seat and is standing there holding him.  He was so excited that I didnt want to get onto him but I did make it clear that next time he needs to come and get me if he wants to pick Bennett up.  :)

so busy playing with his toys

Eating outside

This past week was and half has been fun.  The boys have been great.  Bennett has actually had a couple fussy days, but the past 4 days has been a dream. He has  not only been good but been smiling and laughing a bit more.  He makes my heart melt.

We have had a couple playdates with Leah and her boys and Jodi and Connor.  I really must remember to bring my camera next time.  Though we will miss them, I am sure that we will still see eachother when I make runs down here.

Last Friday we went up to mom and dads as did Zach, Anna, and the cousins.  We had a great dinner at Mellow Mushroom and then went to part of a Clemson baseball game.  Unfortunately we couldnt stay long as it was already late but the boys had fun.

This is what happens when the phone on your camera sucks.  But it is proof that we were at the game

Saturday morning we had the boys soccer game.  They had a pretty large fan base as Mantis, Queenie, Grandma, and Zach, Anna, Owen, and Caelum came.  The boys played good and won whiel each snagging goal.

Picture day.

My boys running together

Owen and Shep

This stroller occupied them for an entire half

Owen- getting so big

Mantis in his Avenger shirt which was a gift from the boys for his birthday.  I to so tickled when I saw him with it on.

Right after the game we went to Mr. Connor's 4th birthday party.  Ol' Connor has become so precious to us and while at first did not like Bennett at all has really warmed up to him and will stroke his hand and gently pat his head.  We all joke that Bennett is the guinea pig for Connor as he is getting a new cousin in May.  Anyway, the party was great.

Happy Birthday Connor!

Just because I love running all over place, we decided last minute to go back up to mom and dads and catch part of Clemson's spring game.  Once we got to moms, everyone was pretty tired and decided not to go... that is until it was apart over and we all (minus dad, Hunter, and Bennett) load up in the van and head to game- only to discover it was just over.  We, instead, went to the lake and the let O, C, A, and S run around for a bit.  We convinced Mom and Owen to cross a squishy, wet path and join the rest of us.

The lake crew

So purty

Zeus and Owen and Sheppy making their way

Another cool picture

 Molly also had a birthday this week. On Tuesday, Miss Molly turned 11!  We have had her for 9 years and she is just such an amazing dog.  She has definitely gotten more ornery in her age but we love her dearly.

The pink icing did not show up

Singing Happy Birthday to Molly

Chad, Bennett, and I are heading up to look at houses today. The boys soccer game got moved back and we already have appts to look at houses so thankfully mom was able to come by and pick them up.  They spent the night with Mantis and Queenie last night and will tonight too.  Thanks mom and dad for keeping them for us. I will update on the house hunt.

Just Too Much

This is going to be a short post without pictures but I didnt want to go 3 weeks without a post and some kind of  record of this insane time.

Basically, when I am not holding a baby, homeschooling Hunter, talking to Ashton, and loving on Shepherd, I am packing for the move or trying to keep the house from turning into a total pig pen or a toy store.

We got word last week that we close May 6... which officially gives us 3 weeks to pack up and be out of this house.  I am beyond thankful for selling the house so quickly.

During the transition, the boys and I will stay with my parents from the time we sell the house to when we buy a house in our new place.

As for buying a house, we are on the hunt.  God has been so faithful through this whole process... with timing so perfect that I know that He has something perfect for us and I can say with certainty that I trust His timing.

The boys are doing great.  Bennett has had a couple of super fussy days over the past week but he has also had some really good days, so I dont know what the deal is.  Hunter has about 35 days of homeschool left and we are aiming for mid June to finish.  Ashton is loving his preschool and he and Hunter love soccer.  They are both quite good and I enjoy watching them play.  And Shepherd is in love with the iPad, I have to limit his iPading as he really loves it! He is also still trying to adjust to no nap which works out fine on days we are home early enough for him to go to bed at 7:30 but at least 4 nights a week that doesnt happen.

Continue to pray for me as I see so much work for us in the next few weeks and I dont know how it is all going to get done, but again, God is faithful and I know it will get done.

Hopefully, a post with pictures next week as I did take quite  a few from our fun weekend with mom and dad and Zach, Anna, Owen, and Caelum.

Easter Fun and House Update

This Easter saw very few pictures on account of me forgetting my camera and then not being able to find my camera when I needed it.

I did manage to capture a few shots.

Easter shot... had to cut off our feet because Chad was wearing old worn out tennis shoes. 

Look at them and cant believe they are mine!  Also thanks to Granmda for buying the boys Easter outfits this year!

The boys and my girl

We celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord with my family on Saturday, with our church family Sunday morning, and then with Chad's family Sunday after church.

Saturday we had dinner at my parents house with Nolan and GrandmaDean.  The boys dyed eggs and did a couple egg hunts and got their Easter baskets from my parents.  Mom made some banging cheesecake which filled me up before we even ate dinner, but I managed to still eat! :)

Sunday  morning after we got ready for church, the boys got their Easter "bags" from us.  I took a different approach this year since I still havent found Easter baskets that I like for the price I like.  I had Chad get his Nike rep to get 4 Nike bags.  The older two definitely need these to carry their soccer stuff in for practice and games.  I then filled the bags with their Easter goodies.  I always go overboard but the boys seemed to love their "bags" this year!

Their Easter loot-  they each got practical stuff like soap, toothpaste, etc and then they each got a game, legos, and some type of cup/ water bottle and Avengers Pez.

Easter "bags" packed and ready for Easter morning

Playing with their travel games

Ashton entertaining Bennett and Shep looking at Bennetts' Easter stuff

Sunday we had Easter dinner with Chad's parents, his nieces, his aunt and her family, and some of his cousin's friends.  We then went up to his parents house to visit for a bit and let the boys get their Easter baskets.

Wonderful Easter! 

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In the housing news...

Last Thursday, we had 4 showings on the house. I was like a mad woman trying to get the house ready to show for 4!

Thursday night, we got that call... an offer.  Though the offer was actually pretty good, I had this number in my head of what I wanted us to be able to walk away with so I countered it.  Thankfully, they accepted the counter.  So as of last Friday, we are under contract!  Inspection was yesterday and I think that it went well.  Closing is set for some time mid May.

Once the house went under contract and since Chad has this week off, we made the trip up to our new city and had a realtor show us some homes.  I definitely know what I want and I didnt see the exact house however there were a couple that were nice... one might be offer-worthy... we will see.

The view!  Precious.. Our car DVD player is broken but thankfully we had enough to keep them occupied.  Ashton had ipod, Hunter, had ipad, and Shep had Nook.  Everything was dead on the way back home so Hunter and Ashton talked, and Shep and Bennett slept.

A funny story about the house hunt.  While looking at the last house, the one we do really like.  Shep disappeared.  Hunter came down and told Chad that Shep was stuck in a small room.  Chad tried to put him off and Hunter was persistent and said, "you really need to come."  Shepherd had gone to the master bathroom, to the separate toilet room and had pooped and needed help wiping.  hahaha.  When you gotta go, you go!

Bennett getting a bath in GrandmaDean's sink.  He loves bath time.

We stayed at GrandmaDeans and she was kind enough or crazy enough to offer to watch the older 3 boys.  She took them to Chick filA, the park, Dairy Queen and even made a trip to urgent care.  Can you guess which child would require an urgent care visit?????

Back of hand- swollen with door imprint

Go ahead and guess.

The middle finger saw the most damage

If you guessed Shepherd, then you are correct.  While at the park, they made a bathroom stop and he got his finger shut in the door.  A man that helped clean his finger said he would probably take him to urgent care so GrandmaDean did.

Compare shot

We dont think it is broken, he will probably lose his nail though.