Sweet Berry Farm

A few weeks ago, some friends and I drove out to Marble Falls to Sweet Berry Farm to pick strawberries. There were 8 kids under the age of 5 (4 months, 10 months, 13 months, a 2-year-old, 3 3-year-olds, and a 4-year-old). We had a blast! Peter, Danielle, and I joined Stephanie and her two kids in her van so that we didn't have to take an extra car. It was helpful because I still get really sore from sitting in the car for a long time, so I was able to move around and stretch out a bit instead of having to sit in one position to drive. The two boys (Peter and Sam) loved being next to each other, and the girls did pretty well in the backseat once they fell asleep.

The boys were so silly. They shared books and toys and actually carried on a conversation.

Sam: Peter, where are we going?

Peter: To the berry farm!!

Sam: Peter, where are we going?

Peter: To the berry farm!!

(short pause)

Peter: Sam, where are we going?

Sam: To the berry farm!!

Peter: Sam, where are we going?

Sam: To the berry farm!! Once we got there and had all three little ones in strollers, we set off to find the strawberries. This was a milestone day for Danielle because she was able to actually sit in the stroller instead of me having to put her carrier in the stroller. I think she enjoyed being able to see everything going on. She did great and didn't get fussy at all. After she was tired of the stroller, I wrapped her in the moby wrap for the remainder of the day.

All of the kids had little boxes to hold their strawberries. Peter was excited to find the sweet little berries in the strawberry patch, and I was excited to teach him about where our food came from before it got to the grocery store. We soon discovered that the best berries were found by digging down under the leaves close to the ground. Peter picked a few, and then he was content to help me by putting the strawberries that I picked into the box. I guess picking berries out of someones hand is much easier than pulling them off the plant. :)

Gabe, who just turned a year old, enjoyed picking the berries as well. He also enjoyed being able to eat them (stem, leaves, dirt, and all!) before Audrey put him back in his stroller.

After the kids had their fill of picking berries, we carried our boxes over to the cashier to pay for them. Abby entertained Danielle while I payed for strawberries and bought goat food. The boys entertained themselves by climbing into a very small space and laughing at each other.

There were plenty of picnic tables in the shade, so we enjoyed lunch outside. After eating, the kids enjoyed feeding and petting the goats who were in a pen near the tables. They also discovered the donkeys and horses.

We had a great time, and I can't wait to take Peter and Danielle again. We finished off the day with ice cream at McDonald's so the kids could play on the playscape and hopefully tire themselves out enough to sleep the entire 1.5 hour trip home. Um, not the case for our boys. The babies in our car fell asleep quickly and slept the entire way home. The 4 kids in Audrey's van fell asleep quickly and slept the entire way home. Peter and Sam, on the other hand, entertained themselves with snacks and conversation all the way home.

Sam: Peter, where did we go today?

Peter: The berry farm!!

Peter: Sam, where did we go today?

Sam: The berry farm!!

Bluebonnets (AKA My New Son Named Big Bird)!

For those of you who aren't from Texas, the bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. They pop up every spring, and they are beautiful! We took pictures in the bluebonnets back in April, but I'm just now posting them because they were used as Mother's Day gifts. Peter was attached to Big Bird that day, so he's in every picture as well. I guess he was my adopted son for a day. :)

Angry

Angry.

That is how I feel right now.

Angry.

I am angry that I missed out on the first month of my new baby girl. I am angry that I didn't get that bonding time with her that I so needed.

However, I am blessed that other people did get time with her. Some of my family bonded with Danielle in ways that they would never have had if I had not gotten sick.


I am angry that I couldn't nurse her for 3 weeks and trying to get that back is taking so much time and effort. I'm angry that it looks like it isn't working. I'm angry that it looks like it's time to give up trying.


However, I am blessed that she transitioned to the bottle and formula so easily. Danielle is growing and healthy. Because she takes a bottle like a champ, other people are able to enjoy the blessing of being able to feed her.



I am angry that I missed out on 3 weeks of Peter's life at a time where he is learning so much each day.

However, I am blessed that many of my friends and family got to know my sweet little boy in a way they hadn't before. I'm thankful that he was young enough when I got sick to not have a concept of time. He has no idea that I was gone for so long, and I don't think he'll even remember it in the future.

I am angry that my husband had to spend almost 2 weeks unsure if I would get well and come home again.

However, I am blessed that he was able to take 2 months off work to stay with me in the hospital, help with the kids, and help me get my strength back. We were blessed by everyone that supported him and prayed for him during that time.

I am angry that my family and friends had to go through something as tragic as this.

However, I am blessed that many of them came to see me. I have heard many stories from friends and family about people who started praying again, people who started attending church, people who gained a new appreciation of their kiddos, and people whose lives were changed after watching what I went through and seeing the miracle of my healing.



I am angry that I could not hardly move after coming off the ventilator, and I'm angry that my body is still feeling the effects of that. I'm angry that my lungs may never be back to normal again. I am angry that doing simple things during the day still tires me out sometimes. I'm angry that my muscles still ache at the end of each day.

However, I am blessed that I had such a quick recovery and was walking on my own again just 2 weeks after the ventilator was removed. Although I still have some issues with muscle soreness, stamina, and weakness, I am so close to being back to where I was before I got sick.

Praise God for healing my body and restoring it in such a way that I am able to enjoy life with my family to the fullest!!!

Dancing

Peter loves to dance. He has a CD of praise & worship music that he calls his "dance music". Hope you enjoy watching him dance around the living room - it's just too cute!!

5 Months!!

Nana and Pop

Dear Nana and Pop,

Thanks for coming to visit last weekend. We had so much fun playing with you! Mommy and Daddy said they are thankful that you watched us while they went out to dinner. We can't wait to play with you again. Pop, we hope your back feels better soon. See you this summer!

Love,
Peter and Danielle

Peter and the Red Drink

So Peter and Andrew were sharing a drink the other day. Andrew made sure the cap was on, and then he went upstairs for a few minutes. Turns out Peter knows how to unscrew water bottle caps. Good thing we have a good washing machine!! :)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

With the temperature in the 70s last Saturday evening, it was perfect weather for a ball game. We haven't taken Peter to a Round Rock Express game since he was almost 8 months old. I think he enjoyed that game, but he definitely enjoyed the game last weekend a whole lot more. It was so neat to watch him really get into everything that was going on. It was also Danielle's first baseball game, and she did great!!! She spent the first part of the game sitting in her car seat. Then she spent some time sitting in my lap just watching everything that was happening. She slept a little, and then sat in my lap some more. She only got a little fussy during the last inning. Once I stood up with her, she was content once again.

We sat out on the grassy area called the berm. Peter is a part of the Round Rock Express Kids Club. For just $15, club members get 10 game vouchers (good for 2 berm tickets each), a backpack, a t-shirt, and 5 free activities in the Fun Zone. It's a great deal! Andrew took Peter down to the fence to talk to him about the game and watch the players warm up.

The berm is a very popular place for kids to roll down because of the incline. Peter saw some kids rolling down the hill, so of course he had to try it. He continued to roll around the grass for a good part of the game. I'm so glad that we had patient and understanding people sitting near us because he rolled into a few people and almost knocked down several drinks! There were so many kids running around and having a great time on the grass. Most of them were older than Peter, but he had a great time imitating them and chasing them around. It's the first time I've seen him really interact and actually play with a big group of kids.

The game started at 7:05, so that was kind of late for a sweet little toddler who usually goes to bed around 8:00 or so. He had a late nap, though, so he was full of energy. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for him to eat at the game, but he was not interested. He spent a good portion of the night eating peanuts that Andrew and I cracked for him. He would have eaten the shells if we let him - I had to keep reminding him to eat the peanuts inside the shells instead of the salty shells. Peter had his first bite of corn dog, but he wasn't too impressed by that either. He preferred eating the hot dog off the stick after I ate the breading from the outside.

As it got darker, Peter and Andrew enjoyed the game and Danielle enjoyed being outside. Sometime towards the end of the game, Peter became friends with two little girls (6 or 7 years old?). It was so cute to watch them together. I'm not sure who started it, but they took turns pulling grass and putting it on the other person's head. When one girl would go back to her family for a few minutes, Peter would yell, "Girl, come back down here!". We had an absolutely wonderful time, and I'm so glad we decided to go. It was a nice way to spend the evening as a family. :)

***Just in case you were wondering about the final score, the Express won 5 to 4!

Morning Routine

This is what a typical morning looks like in our house. Danielle is usually up sometime around 6ish. If she wakes up any earlier, I just nurse her in the glider and we both fall back asleep. Around 7:15 or so, Peter starts stirring. If I don't get to his room fast enough, he comes out and appears at the top of the stairs. He tells me that he came out of his room and asks for me to please open the gate. Then we go downstairs to change his diaper and get dressed. If Danielle isn't on the floor, he immediately asks for me to put her on the floor so that he can be next to her. He always asks, "Please I shuch her head?" He loves to touch her hair and hug and kiss her. It's just too cute. She has started turning toward him when he is next to her so that her feet are on his tummy. Peter thinks this is so funny because Danielle is "shuching" him too!

I love to watch them interact with each other. It is the sweetest thing to see them loving on each other, and I pray that they always have such a precious relationship.