Monday, December 22, 2008
The Farmer Gets a Son (2001 model)...or....Happy Birthday, Trent!!
Trent, this year, is a victim of modern technology. He turned 7 on Wednesday, and while I can type, I don't know how to put pictures with it on this blog.....so his post is a little belated and the pictures will come later when Audrey is able.
Trent was born 3 days after the twins turned 2. Seriously, at the time, I didn't think this was a big deal*....but looking back: WOW!! 3 children 2 and younger must've been a handful! LOL. (*Paul is reminding me that at the time I really did think it was a big deal.....time has a way of latching on to only the more pleasant aspects of the harder tasks we've faced in life, I suppose....)
I went into labor that day around noon just as Paul was heading out to chase some renegade heifers over on the farm we rent a mile or so from here. No big deal. I settled in to read "Rosa Parks, My Story". I figured he'd be back eventually.
Well, the day wore on a some hours later I was getting pretty uncomfortable (a mild understatement). Poor Rosa's saga was no longer holding my attention and I got to wondering if Paul would ever get back. This was before cell phones.
I had (2) two year olds, a 3 year old, a 5 year old, a 7 year old, a 8 year old and a 10 year old with me all day and they were getting hungry. (I think Blake, who was 11, was out helping Paul with the heifers.) Too bad I waited so long to notice they were all getting hungry because by the time I was rumaging through the fridge for left overs I could barely walk. Their food was burnt that day, but I served it with a, "Here, guys, is a little food. Maybe Gramma will fix you something later."
Well, it got to be about 2:45 or so in the afternoon and Paul was still missing. I began sizing up my options. I thought of getting in the truck to go get him. I'd already called the doctor and they were telling me to get to the hospital. Yeah, right.
Happily, I heard the four wheeler zoom in so I dispatched a child to please tell Daddy to come in right away. He did. And do you know what he said? "Can I have about 10 more minutes to fix the four wheeler?" To think some couples sit through breathing excercises together during labor....
After the four wheeler fix and after a quick shower on his part, we were on the way to the hospital around 3:10.
We got to the hospital about 3:20. The children said at home Paul's dad was telling them not to expect any news for a few hours.
By this time I disintegrated into a royal whimp and I told Paul to pray the baby was born before 4 PM. That gave me, as it happened, about 30 minutes to go from 3 cm (!!!) to birth. The doctor and Paul eyed each other, I saw, like: is she crazy???
Trent will tell you that he was born at "4 exactly". Yep. He was born not a moment after 4PM that very afternoon.
He was our first VBAC baby and he weighed a whopping 10 pound 9.5 ounces!
Trent is now a big boy 7 year old and is learning to read. He is such a blessing to us!!
~Colleen
Trent was born 3 days after the twins turned 2. Seriously, at the time, I didn't think this was a big deal*....but looking back: WOW!! 3 children 2 and younger must've been a handful! LOL. (*Paul is reminding me that at the time I really did think it was a big deal.....time has a way of latching on to only the more pleasant aspects of the harder tasks we've faced in life, I suppose....)
I went into labor that day around noon just as Paul was heading out to chase some renegade heifers over on the farm we rent a mile or so from here. No big deal. I settled in to read "Rosa Parks, My Story". I figured he'd be back eventually.
Well, the day wore on a some hours later I was getting pretty uncomfortable (a mild understatement). Poor Rosa's saga was no longer holding my attention and I got to wondering if Paul would ever get back. This was before cell phones.
I had (2) two year olds, a 3 year old, a 5 year old, a 7 year old, a 8 year old and a 10 year old with me all day and they were getting hungry. (I think Blake, who was 11, was out helping Paul with the heifers.) Too bad I waited so long to notice they were all getting hungry because by the time I was rumaging through the fridge for left overs I could barely walk. Their food was burnt that day, but I served it with a, "Here, guys, is a little food. Maybe Gramma will fix you something later."
Well, it got to be about 2:45 or so in the afternoon and Paul was still missing. I began sizing up my options. I thought of getting in the truck to go get him. I'd already called the doctor and they were telling me to get to the hospital. Yeah, right.
Happily, I heard the four wheeler zoom in so I dispatched a child to please tell Daddy to come in right away. He did. And do you know what he said? "Can I have about 10 more minutes to fix the four wheeler?" To think some couples sit through breathing excercises together during labor....
After the four wheeler fix and after a quick shower on his part, we were on the way to the hospital around 3:10.
We got to the hospital about 3:20. The children said at home Paul's dad was telling them not to expect any news for a few hours.
By this time I disintegrated into a royal whimp and I told Paul to pray the baby was born before 4 PM. That gave me, as it happened, about 30 minutes to go from 3 cm (!!!) to birth. The doctor and Paul eyed each other, I saw, like: is she crazy???
Trent will tell you that he was born at "4 exactly". Yep. He was born not a moment after 4PM that very afternoon.
He was our first VBAC baby and he weighed a whopping 10 pound 9.5 ounces!
Trent is now a big boy 7 year old and is learning to read. He is such a blessing to us!!
~Colleen
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Happy Birthday, Twins! December 14th
Each child added to our family has been a wonderful blessing. In 1999, we were doubly blessed with the unique gift of twins.
Here are some of the most oft asked questions:
Did we know we were having twins before they were born? Yes, but not until I was about 17 weeks along. They were discovered during a regular prenatal appointment that Paul did NOT go to. It was fun coming up with a way to tell him on the way home. Boy, was he surprised!!
Were they early? Only a week.
Who is older? Brady. His name comes first alphabetically. That's how we decided which got Brady and which got Brock. Their birth certificates have them born one minute apart! Paul says it must've been a long minute because it seemed longer than that at the time. I was alternately too miserable and too relieved it was over to care!
How much did they weigh? Brady was 7 pounds 14 ounces. Brock was 7 pounds 9 ounces. Brady has always been a tad bigger, even to this day.
Are they identical? As far as we all know. We declined a test that would confirm it for certain.
Did we ever confuse them when they were babies? One of them was an orangey color, the other was a purplely color when they were tiny babies, LOL, so it was fairly easy. It was sort of confusing at times when the color wore off, but one of them does have some birth marks the other doesn't have.
Do you ever confuse them now? Once in a while I will think I'm talking to one when it's really the other. They know it, too. They'll sit quietly by, ignoring my commands and then adamantly declare they're not the one I was talking to!
Do they ever try to trick people? Yes. Sometimes with more success than others.
Cousins! (L-R) Brady, Zachary, Colum, Brock
Here are some of the most oft asked questions:
Did we know we were having twins before they were born? Yes, but not until I was about 17 weeks along. They were discovered during a regular prenatal appointment that Paul did NOT go to. It was fun coming up with a way to tell him on the way home. Boy, was he surprised!!
Were they early? Only a week.
Who is older? Brady. His name comes first alphabetically. That's how we decided which got Brady and which got Brock. Their birth certificates have them born one minute apart! Paul says it must've been a long minute because it seemed longer than that at the time. I was alternately too miserable and too relieved it was over to care!
How much did they weigh? Brady was 7 pounds 14 ounces. Brock was 7 pounds 9 ounces. Brady has always been a tad bigger, even to this day.
Are they identical? As far as we all know. We declined a test that would confirm it for certain.
Did we ever confuse them when they were babies? One of them was an orangey color, the other was a purplely color when they were tiny babies, LOL, so it was fairly easy. It was sort of confusing at times when the color wore off, but one of them does have some birth marks the other doesn't have.
Do you ever confuse them now? Once in a while I will think I'm talking to one when it's really the other. They know it, too. They'll sit quietly by, ignoring my commands and then adamantly declare they're not the one I was talking to!
Do they ever try to trick people? Yes. Sometimes with more success than others.
Cousins! (L-R) Brady, Zachary, Colum, Brock
Brock
.....and Brock his own....
Ok, confession time here, some of the family thinks this picture is of Brock. Some of us thinks it's of Brady!
Ok, confession time here, some of the family thinks this picture is of Brock. Some of us thinks it's of Brady!
Winter Days
Last night we ventured out into the snowy night to have our annual banquet for our/Paul's parent's bed bracket business. We usually pick a buffet style restaurant.
Paul and I and the 6 youngest were ready to go before the 5 oldest children, so we got to the restaurant and were seated and eating by the time the others arrived. (Paul had to milk the cows afterward and we were afraid it was going to get way too late if we'd waited).
The waitress was very impressed with our tableful of 6 little boys, she doted on them quite a lot. I'd heard her ask Garth if he were the oldest, to which he must've said yes.
It was hilarious to see 5 teens walk in and take their place with us at the table. I heard that same waitress asking the oldest ones if they're really ALL siblings???? Later a couple of them heard the waitresses in the back talking about the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen". While I don't think our family is movie material, we do have some rollicking good times and we're feeling quite blessed these days!
Afterward, we brought the youngest 6 home to do chores and Blake took the others to a "concert" of young violinists we know at a local church.
It's been cold and snowy here. The girls and I pretty much cleaned up the house. Paul and the twins left to get posts somewhere for the barn addition. Logan and Garth are here trying to get done all the things on the list dad left them. Blake has been tending to his various craigslist and ebay sales of automotive parts (of which there seems to be no shortage!)
Garth even got some school done even with it being Saturday. He's just taking off with his reading, which is a tremendous relief to his mother.
~Colleen
Paul and I and the 6 youngest were ready to go before the 5 oldest children, so we got to the restaurant and were seated and eating by the time the others arrived. (Paul had to milk the cows afterward and we were afraid it was going to get way too late if we'd waited).
The waitress was very impressed with our tableful of 6 little boys, she doted on them quite a lot. I'd heard her ask Garth if he were the oldest, to which he must've said yes.
It was hilarious to see 5 teens walk in and take their place with us at the table. I heard that same waitress asking the oldest ones if they're really ALL siblings???? Later a couple of them heard the waitresses in the back talking about the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen". While I don't think our family is movie material, we do have some rollicking good times and we're feeling quite blessed these days!
Afterward, we brought the youngest 6 home to do chores and Blake took the others to a "concert" of young violinists we know at a local church.
It's been cold and snowy here. The girls and I pretty much cleaned up the house. Paul and the twins left to get posts somewhere for the barn addition. Logan and Garth are here trying to get done all the things on the list dad left them. Blake has been tending to his various craigslist and ebay sales of automotive parts (of which there seems to be no shortage!)
Garth even got some school done even with it being Saturday. He's just taking off with his reading, which is a tremendous relief to his mother.
~Colleen
Monday, December 01, 2008
Poppy and Grandma's 50th anniversary party
Getting everything ready...
Aud making lemonade
Grandma and Poppy
the guest book
Kaitlyn and Brenda (a friend) served the cake
first few people going through the line.
All the little boys served coffee.
Clark enjoying his ice cream!!
Blake baby sitting. :)
Did you know that if you stick your tongue out at a baby...
..he'll stick it out at you!!!
All the people!!!
Karen and Colleen talking (well, watching something) :)
Logan and some friends got into some trouble in the kitchen! :)
Cleaning up afterwards...
Aud making lemonade
Grandma and Poppy
the guest book
Kaitlyn and Brenda (a friend) served the cake
first few people going through the line.
All the little boys served coffee.
Clark enjoying his ice cream!!
Blake baby sitting. :)
Did you know that if you stick your tongue out at a baby...
..he'll stick it out at you!!!
All the people!!!
Karen and Colleen talking (well, watching something) :)
Logan and some friends got into some trouble in the kitchen! :)
Cleaning up afterwards...
Baking cakes
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