2 months, school, and an update

School is back in session (Yay!!) and both big girls are back to the routine. And now, that we are creeping into fall I realize its probably time for a family update.

Baylie: Baylie is now in 1st grade! Its amazing to me that she's now in real grades that dont start with letters. She's loving school and her new teacher. Thankfully we have the same aid that she had last year and she's in a class with a few of the students that were in her class last year as well. Its made the transition much easier for her. Currently she's fighting the "start of school cold". Daisy brought it home last week and promptly shared it with her sisters. Baylie has it worst of all of them though, so she got a free pass to stay home yesterday and rest. We are hoping for a really awesome school year this year!

Daisy: Daisy is in her last year of preschool at the Center. She really loves it. So much so, that yesterday when I went to pick her up she was crying because she didnt want to leave. I am excited for her to have her last year and graduate this spring. She brought home the cold last week, was sick for about 2 days with the sniffles and a slight cough and now shes pretty much healed up. So unfair that she gets everything 1/2 of what everyone else gets. lol.

Pepper: Pepper is a sweet beautiful amazing child with a naughty streak as big as a house. She loves ticking off playing with her sisters, and loves her baby brother a lot. She's very smart and has recently started counting. So far she's got to 5. I can't wait for her to start preschool next spring and to watch her bloom, as I'm sure she will. She got 2 new molars in this last week, so she's been a bit on the grumpy side, but she's starting to come back around now that they've broken the surface.

(This picture of pepper is copyrighted, I have permission to use it. Everyone else does not. Please do not copy this picture for any use)

Weston: Weston is now 2 months old!!! I keep telling him to slow down but he just wont listen to me. "Little" man is about 24 inches long and 16ish pound. We had to buy him a new car seat a couple weeks back because he'd out grown the first one. He gets stronger every day and is an amzing sleeper at night. He is deffinately a joy in our lives. I told James that it was a good thing Weston was the last baby and not the first, otherwise I would have wanted a whole baseball team of them! lol.

James: James is still working for L&H. He really enjoys working for them. He no longer puts in the Megadoors (unless they are short handed), instead he now works for the oil field crew. He loves it out there :). Today is his company picnic, and I am hoping Baylie feels well enough that we can go. Recently, he under went a little operation to ensure that Weston is indeed our last child. I say thats fair since I pushed out 4 babies and have gone through 2 surgeries as a result of my close pregnancies. He's an amazing husband and father. I couldnt ask for a better life partner than him!

Me: I'm doing well. Still feeling a bit on the tired side, dispite having a good sleeper. Its taken me about a week to find a routine that worked for all of us where school was concerned. I am working through ways of trying to save us money now that all those doctor bills have come in from having Weston. I am looking to homemade freezer meals, homemade snacks, and trying my hand at homemade laundry soap as well. Learning to go back in time is harder than it sounds, but its something I need to learn for the financial well being of our family.

That's about all for now.

5 weeks

It amazes me that little man is already 5 weeks old. He's grown so much! He's up to 24 inches and about 15 pounds, and is on the last notch of the infant car seat. He's almost out grown (in height anyway) his swings and rocker. He's such a doll, an amazing baby that is soo relaxed. Everytime I look at him all snuggled up on my chest my heart just wants to explode!

notes about p-pills

Placenta pills or as I'm going to call them p-pills.
1. Eww
2. Smelly and ewww
3. If you are going to take them, and yes the benefits (from what I'm told) do outweigh the eww factor, spend the $150-200 to have someone else make them for you. It will make them much easier to swallow if you dont have to see what the process is like to make them.
4. A placenta is lumpy- it looks smooth like liver, but once you pick it up and start to rinse it you realize that its lumpy
5. Steamed placenta looks like a giant mutant piece of beef
6. Placenta jerky smells even funnier than the steamed one
7. Make sure you have all food processor parts before you start
8. Do not make hamburger that night for dinner. You will surly gag- I did.
I am sure I will be adding to this list as I get to the point of grinding the jerky up and filling the pills up. Please dear God let the benefits outweigh the the yuck for me too!

The other man

I must confess, I'm sleeping with another man. My husband is okay with it. The other man is bald, toothless and about 2 feet tall, and has won my heart with his crooked little grin and intelligent sea storm gray eyes.

I am a girl

Yes, believe it or not I am a girl. Raised in an all girl family by a single mom. The only knowledge I have of boy parts comes from a childhood of living on a farm and what little I've gained in my adventurous adult life. Which is to say I am woefully uneducated when it comes to human male reproductive parts. But now that I have a son I am learning quickly about the penis (testicles pretty much take care of themselves).
So, for all you other newbie boy moms out there I will tell you a short story followed by some advise backed by a website full of honest facts by people who know.
I took my son to his 2 week check up today and asked my pediatrician about penis care- mainly uncircumcised penis care. We opted not to get Jr clipped feeling that God put that skin there for a reason, why mess with a good thing. So here I am asking for this medical professionals advise on the proper care of this tiny human's reproductive future. She tells me that we should be pulling the skin back at every change to help the skin separate from the head. That advise sounded opposite of what other mom's I know have told me. So, I looked it up when I got home. Sure enough. It was NOT the right advise.
FYI: you are NEVER supposed to pull the foreskin back from the penis forcibly at anytime. The skin will separate and retract on its own around the age of 5, but sometimes taking as long as until your son reaches puberty. Seriously.
This website is from the American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Care-for-an-Uncircumcised-Penis.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

And there are several others, including the Mayo clinic, that support the "don't pull it" rule. This also includes most of Europe, where circumcision is NOT routine!

Happy Birthday Weston Allen

The Soesbe family is please to announce the birth of Weston Allen Soesbe. Born July 3rd at 10:42 p.m. He weighed in at 11 pounds 3.2 ounces and was 22 inches long. His big sisters are very much in love with him as are his mom and dad. Weston is the biggest baby born at the hospital where we are so far this year. And yes, before you inquire on the state of my lady parts- I did have him vaginally with very minimal pain relief after about 22 hours of labor and no I did not require stitches "down there." So, with out further ado, Welcome Weston Allen!!!

+5 and 2

All I have to say is freakin' ouch- that is all. Oh and my mom will be back this afternoon- so anytime now little dude would most deffinately rock- as long as its not today. Ob at 5, mom back at 5, groceries at 6- after that rock on little man, rock on.