When...

.....your baby asks you for one more kiss, never say no!

When he asks you play, put down the dish rag and play!

When he asks for cookies, bake 'em!

When he wants to help, let him!

When he needs you, run to him!

When he's sleepy, cuddle!

My baby boy is getting so big! These days will be over before I know it.
I intend to ENJOY!






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Evolution and You Capture

I am evolving. 
I'm a mother of two now.  I have a whole new set of challenges and priorities. I'm learning a lot about myself, how to get things done and how much I can handle. I have a lot to say and a lot to blog. You may have noticed the added buttons and gadgets in the header and sidebar of the blog. The blog is evolving too! I've been connecting with other moms online and through other blogs and have decided to make my blog a more regular thing. So, please bear with me as I embark on this journey of evolution!


You Capture is a weekly challege to get you out taking pictures! This week's challenge: Outside!
What happened outside at my house this week?

Ronan joined in some yard work!

He cried for a second.....

Then, fell asleep.....

Even though big brother was blowing his whistle:

The New Adventures of this Modern Mama: Part Two

To cloth or not to cloth? That is my GINORMOUS question!

As I was pondering, "what do we spend the most money on and what can we cut back," the thought occurred to me: DIAPERS! Diapers are a major expense of having children. Sure, month to month you have to fit it in the budget, but have you ever looked at the big picture? I mean, add it up.
One value box of diapers costs about $40. It's lasts about a month.
One value box of wipes cost $12. This also lasts about a month.
An average of $52/month for disposable diapers. Let's say you potty train at 3-years-old.
52x12x3=$1872 spent on diapering.
Now, consider this being your second child and the older one still wears pull-ups at night for the first year. Add $20 more per month. Times 12 months=$240. Added to our previous figure: $2112 in the trash!
Sure, it's spent over the course of three years, so it may not seem very bad at the time but think of the things you could buy for your family with that $2000!

Sounds convincing so far, Patricia, but how do those numbers compare to the cost of cloth diapering? I'm glad you asked!
If Ronan soils an average of 12 diapers a day, I wash diapers every 3 days and assuming I alternate between 2 covers per day: 3 dozen cloth diapers and 6 covers= approximately $125! BIG DIFFERENCE, huh?!

Now, that's just the monetary benefits. I haven't even mentioned the fact that cloth diaper don't contain ANY of the chemicals present in disposables OR that our household waste would be cut in HALF!

Send me your thoughts!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffLuJJ0iUQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player





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What We've Been Doing

Grandma and Ronan

Fun in the sun @ Uncle Steve and Aunt Krista's House

Driving home from VA

Our SWEET SWEET boys!

"I can hold him, Mommy. Give him to me."

Exploring the library

Playing "Reader Rabbit" @ the library

Play date/lunch date with Chloe

Stay tuned for LOTS more!

I just realized....

....I forget what it feels like to come home from work, kiss my husband, cook dinner and talk about our day.
:(


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The New Adventures of this Modern Mama: part one

Most of you know that I am usually all about my gadgets, drive-thrus, Starbucks coffee and other modern conveniences, but since I have been home this summer, I have been researching every SINGLE IDEA that pops in my head for saving money and generally keeping my kids as healthy as possible and, to my surprise, I have become very efficient. I must admit that a mom cannot be supermom without a supportive husband. Mine listens to all my crazy ideas and VERY patiently allows me to try things out. And, Boy, did I get on a roll over the past few weeks!

I have started baking bread. No, not in a machine. Real, hand-kneaded yeast bread. I started this, at first, because Alistair and I eat a lot of different kinds of sandwiches. We go through LOTS of bread. One of my favorites is Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal.....mmmmmmmmm. Well, that stuff, although delicious, is $3.79 per loaf and that $3.79 is very difficult to spend when there is a (seemingly) perfectly fine loaf of wonder bread right next to it for $1.20. This is VERY tempting and I bought the cheap stuff quite a bit, but I knew there had to be a way to eat better on a budget. Duh, Patricia! Make it! Thanks to my Good Housekeeping Bible (I mean cookbook) and allrecipes.com, I've been baking my little heart out! Feeding this breastfeeding Mama and the rambunctious toddler fresh, preservative-free yummy yummy goodness for around 60 cents per loaf! But I don't just feel good about cutting back the amount of preservatives that my boys get and saving money at the same time, but I feel accomplished when I manage to do this seemingly daughting task while caring for my children, and most of the time wearing Ronan! (it's the little things that excite me these days).

Rainbow Parents

If you have ever lost a child and tried again, suffered a pregnancy loss or failed adoption, then you are a RAINBOW PARENT! Hang onto your "rainbow after the storm" and check out Stephanie's GORGEOUS designs at Beyond Words Designs



Or check out her blog and read the story of her precious Amelia Rose!

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Another Miracle!

As you can imagine, I haven't had a whole lot of time for blogging lately. The boys, the house, the laundry and the visitors have kept me pretty busy, too! And let's face it, no one likes to type with one hand either! Sorry it's late, but, as promised, here's the story:

Friday, June 4th was just another Friday. I was off work and headed to the OB for my 38 week appointment. Everything was fine, Ronan's heart rate was good and I was feeling great. I talked to Dr. Shonekan about our family situation and how terrified I was that Noah would not make it here for the birth. (I so badly wanted to have Ronan on a Friday in order to have Noah here and to maximize our time with him before he had to return to work in VA.) So, she informed me that she could not induce me unless medically necessary until after my due date (which was June 16), but she could strip my membranes and "see what happens." So she did and sent me on my merry way with an appointment to be induced Friday, June 18th if Ronan didn't come by then.

Without going into too much detail about what happened next, there was blood and I was at L&D by 12:30pm. (only 2 hours after leaving the OB's office). I had called Noah on my way to the hospital and he was on his way immediately. Upon examination, I was declared 4cm dilated! WooHoo! At this point, I was considered in active labor therefore, even if labor slowed, Dr. Shonekan had a medical reason to "help me along." (btw, it turned out that the blood was not a concern).

Noah arrived by 3:30, I think, but the exact timetable is a bit of a blur. Around 6pm, I was only 5cm and my contractions had slowed, so my Dr. was called and pitocin and epidural were ordered. At 8pm I was given my epidural and a pitocin drip. I was checked at 10:30pm and was 7cm, then at 3:30 and again at 5am.....still only 7cm. My "water" was broken at 8:35am and Ronan was born at 9:55am. It took 3 pushes. As soon as his shoulders were out, Dr Shonekan asked if I wanted to deliver him and, without hesitating, I reached down and grabbed my little boy bringing him up to my chest! It was so beautiful! I cried and smiled....and cried some more!

He was perfect and, aside from being VERY sleepy, he latched on and took to breastfeeding right away! We were discharged from the hospital the following day!

Now he is 5 1/2 weeks old and THRIVING!!!! He had his 1 month check-up last Wednesday and is strong, healthy and in the 75th percentile for height and weight despite losing 11oz before leaving the hospital!

Both boys are doing great! We are SO THANKFUL for our two most beautiful blessings!!!









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Coming Soon......

.....Ronan's birth story. But as far as his first week, we were all doing great! Ronan took right to breastfeeding and is eating VERY well! We spent the first week home enjoying our time with Daddy and getting used to being a family of FOUR! However, Friday night, I began to hemorrhage and Noah took me to the ER. They couldn't get the bleeding stopped with medication, so I underwent a D&C in the wee hours of Saturday morning. After I woke up in recovery, they took me to the postpartum wing for observation. My techs got me up to use the bathroom and I passed out on the way back to my bed. It was decided that I wasn't making blood fast enough to recover the blood I lost the night before, so I received a blood transfusion and stayed at the hospital all day Saturday to receive that and ensure that I wasn't going to have any reactions to the donor blood.

Noah was by my side through it all and cared for sweet little Ronan like a seasoned Daddy would! He is my hero! He stayed calm, sprang into action Friday night and got me to the hospital. He helped calm me down in the ER as I bawled and began to panic. He spoke up for me before I was even out of recovery, making sure that my nurses knew I was concerned about being able to nurse Ronan even with the medications and anesthesia. He was up all night and day in the hospital for a second weekend in a row and still picked up the slack taking care of Alistair and cleaning up the house on Sunday so I could rest! It's no wonder it is so easy to love him! I am so blessed!

Thank you, Erin, for coming over and staying the night Friday with Alistair! Also, thank you, Theresa, for going to our house, getting Alistair and keeping him all day (and late into the night) on Saturday! Thanks to Miss Judi, as well as Janie, for letting the dogs out on Saturday when we didn't know if we were coming home! And, Janie, the lasagna was fantastic! Thank you for having us! You are all a godsend......truly.....and we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and neighbors who have helped make this challenging and difficult time a bit easier for us. You're the best!

MANY more thanks to Miss Judi, who came and got me when I was in labor, arranged for Alistair (Thank you, April, for keeping him), stayed at the hospital with me until Noah got there and still got Alistair, stayed at our house with him Friday night and Saturday and brought him to the hospital to meet his baby brother! We love you, Miss Judi! You saved us!

Aunt Jen made the drive from VA Beach to be with us during labor and for Ronan's birth! It means more than you'll ever know, Jennifer!

Mom Gail! Indispensable! We love you so much, we appreciate everything you did last week and are always thrilled to have you involved in your grandchildren's births!

One more VERY important "Thank You" goes to my dear friend, Corina, who has made us two fabulous, delicious, wonderful, more-than-we-could-ask-for meals that have totally blown us away! You are a truly amazing friend and you are cherished! Thank you so much!




























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A Child's Angel

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. One day the little
child asked God:
"They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to
live there being so small and helpless?"
God answered him "Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be
waiting for you and will take care of you."
"But tell me," asked the child, "here in Heaven, I don't do anything else
but sing and smile, that's enough for me to be happy."
"Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And
you will feel your angel's love and be happy." God reassured him.
"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I
don't know the language that men talk?"
"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will
ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how
to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you, Lord?"
"Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"I've heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?"
"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
"Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way
for you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth
could already be heard, and the child in a hurry asked softly
"Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
"You will call your angel, Mother"
~Author Unknown



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A few pictures

- Posted from my iPhone

Ronan George Brackbill

955am. 7 # 11oz. 20.5 in. PERFECT!!!!!

In the hospital!

I'm in labor!!! Not much of anything to report. I don't even have an epidural yet, but I want to let my loyal readers know to stay tuned!




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Pure Sweetness

A few weeks ago, on a Friday, I was out with Alistair and he looked at me, totally seriously and said, "I'm the only baby today! This is fun, Mommy!" It was obvious to me then that this time together REALLY is special to him because he "shares" me with Jake and Sadie Monday-Thursday. Within the next few weeks, he'll have a little brother to "share" with, so I have been (probably more than I should) trying to make our Fridays all about him. He notices!

In the car Wednesday evening, completely out of the blue, Alistair asked me if he could have a marshmallow when we got home. Dry. A "dry" marshmallow. I'm assuming that meant plain as opposed to on a s'more, so I said, "sure. After dinner." This is the response I got:
"You're the best Mommy ever! I will never leave you!"
I was moved to tears by this! Oh, if only life stayed that simple!

To top off that story, Thursday afternoon we were walking up the driveway at work on our way to the car when he grabbed my hand and said, "Don't ever leave me, Mommy."
Tears again. Where is all this coming from? I don't know, but I'm soaking it in while my boy is still young enough to want to be with his Mommy!


Cowboy Alistair and his trusty "horse!"


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Biggie Boy

Working with some heavy machinery
(and modeling his ear protection!)




Smarty boy playing his favorite computer game at the library!




Bath time fun!








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36 weeks!

Visited the OB this morning. Good news all around! Ronan's heart rate was good and his heart still sounds great! I am still at 2cm dilated, which is awesome! It gives us more time for Daddy to get here! However, If I go into active labor at this point, they won't do anything to stop it. I mean, that's good news too because it means we're out of the woods as far as preterm complications, but I REALLY NEED Noah to be here!

On a side note: I would like to thank the playgroup ladies again for all of their support, advice and offers of help. YOU LADIES ARE THE BEST! I am so blessed to call you all my friends!


Our playgroup:
These are some if the most wonderful women and children i have ever been blessed to know!


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I'll save you from the unearthly Ralphy!

Some of the things that Alistair has said lately have REALLY blown me away! I mean, once he started toddling, I realized one day that he wasn't a "baby" anymore and we moved onto the next phase. Then, he REALLY started talking and over the past year and a half that we've been spending our days with Jake and Sadie we have been on a wild ride of development, learning, discovery and craziness! A ride that I can't even begin to describe without bursting into tears over how happy these three BIG KIDS make me every single day!
We are now onto that phase....BIG KID! The impending birth of our second child has REALLY brought my love for Alistair to a completely different level. It IS true what they say; your heart grows! It makes me so proud to watch him becoming a "little man" so to speak. He's a BIG BROTHER and it is really starting to "sink in." He loves to rattle off the list of things he's going to teach his baby brother. From sign language and ABCs to bike riding and how to walk! The first thing he said to me when he got up from nap yesterday was, "I'm going to teach Ronan how to talk. Like this: TRAC-TOR." It was so adorable!
He has become so well-spoken too! He has an incredible ability to say exactly what he thinks! Sometimes I look at him and wonder if there's not an older brain in that 2 1/2-year-old boy! Here are just a few of the funny things he has said lately:

-I had a nasty cold. Just after hearing me explain to Sadie that I couldn't share my chapstick, Alistair says, "Mommy, I know just the thing! I'll get my screwdriver and we'll get your sickies out! I can fix anything!"

-Whenever I am trying to get him to do something he doesn't want to do, he says, "Mommy, my batteries are dead." And I have to pretend to change his batteries before he'll do what I asked.

-He crawled into bed with us Sunday morning and was playing with the dogs saying, "Mommy, I'll save you from the unearthly Ralphy!" it was so funny because he puts on a tough guy voice when he's pretending to be a super hero and he wrinkles his brow and hunches his shoulders! I just want to squeeze him!

Latest Happenings

At the OB last Friday, I was 1-2cm dialated already. Could stay like that for another couple weeks, but it's hard not to get anxious! He's head down, his HR was a bit higher (150's), but he was VERY active while we were there. I FINALLY gained what I think is a sufficient amount of weight although my doctors weren't worried at all. We did our hospital tour on Mother's Day, so we are prepared for where to go and what it will be like. Alistair went along so he is familiar with the scenery. Other than that, we've been trying to get some things done around the house on the weekends and I've been slowing down A LOT to allow for good rest. I definately hit "the wall" early this week as far as the end-of-pregnancy hunger and exhaustion go! I'm taking everything slow and not doing as many outing with the kids, so I can take care of myself too!

Took the kids to playgroup at the strawberry farm!

Picnic lunch at the farm!

Pedal Tractor Maze!

We loved it so much we went back the following week with more friends!

(This is Savannah)

AND GRACE!

More tractor pedaling!

Daddy found a baby turtle in the yard!

Isn't he awesome?!

The boys' room is coming along!

Alistair FINALLY got a hat rack!

There's still a lot to be done, but it's ready enough!