Merry Christmas from the Metcalfes!

In no particular order....our Christmas day!! :)

 a ba-jillion pieces

 actually reading the directions

 all done!

 just chillin'

 enjoying watching my brothers dig into new toys

 testing out the loader

 matchy shirts...can't help myself!!

 Lunch at Grandmother and Papa's home

"Christmas pajamas" this year were whatever I had in the color red. Hand-me-downs and 2 sizes-too-big have no affect on sweet dreams! ;)

4 Months...

     Daniel Asher is 4 months old...ALREADY? Where has the time gone. Oh yeah I remember. I've been chasing a preschooler and a toddler. Learning the art of potty training, changing diapers and swiping gooey noses... oh and chiseling dried oatmeal off the kitchen table and the floor and the highchair and the chair-the-highchair-sits-in and the bowl that never made it to the sink. Next time I need a concrete slab poured, I'll just stop by SAM'S and pick up a box of instant oatmeal! So while life scurries onward and I slowly regain a few more minutes of sleep each night, my newest addition has begun to explore the world around him.

 IGNORE my face, focus on the baby smile!!!

 At 4 Months:
1. Mommy and Daddy can't decide what to call me still: Daniel, Asher, Baby Asher, the baby, him, yes that one, Baby Daniel... it will be official when mommy busts out the Modge Podge and decorates wooden letters to go on the wall.
2. I can roll from tummy to back.
3. I prefer to sleep on my tummy(no lectures) and don't mind playing on my tummy as long as I haven't just eaten.
4. I have chubby cheeks and one irresistible dimple on my left cheek. I have really chubby legs. SO.CUTE.
5. I smile anytime some talks to me.
6. I laugh and gurgle and cooh.
7. I reach for toys and make a bee-line to my mouth. My big brother David is already a good teacher in sharing. He makes sure I always have a toy next to my face or on my face if playing close by.
8. I'm already attached to a blankie and love to grab it or have it snuggled next to my cheek in the car seat.
9. I'm also my mom's best bud. Since I'm still a nursing baby I go where mommy goes.  I've been an excellent Christmas shopper. The sweet 'ol ladies go ga-ga over my smiles and the old men are quick to hold the door for my mommy!

Love. Cherish. Smother in kisses. Nurture. Scrub. Pamper. Nourish. Cherish. Love.

Avoiding the Christmas Madness

Looking for a way to make a difference, not just in donations, but in the gifts you give to others during this Season of Giving? A true blogger and sister in Christ compiles a list of families and/or companies selling items that make great gifts and whose proceeds benefit a most WONDERFUL cause!

GO HERE and CHECK IT OUT!!!

" Every shop on this list represents a family or ministry raising money for adoption and orphan care.  This Christmas take your gift-giving to the second power by buying gifts from these families." -Vitafamaliae

The Dancing Lady

     This story I'm about to unfold is worth more than gold itself. It has literally pulled me out of my hiatus from stagnant unmotivated blogging with a force! Sit back and enjoy!!! ;)

     For me having children has been engrossed with snotty noses, diaper changes,  and more diaper changes. Samuel is finally emerging into quite the charismatic preschooler with a million questions that no answer can satisfy. He is also at the age where what he is thinking slips right of his mouth with an innocent twang. This evening we decided to do something quite crazy. TAKE the children with us to a fine dining establishment. Bonefish Grille is usually reserved for birthdays, anniversaries, and a babysitter is always prearranged. But after fighting Christmas crowds we lost a couple of marbles and arrived at 4:30 before the dinner rush. As per habit, we always make 2 trips to the bathroom with a 3 year old. At the beginning and end of the meal. I volunteered for the end.
Here is our chain of events:

     We enter the ladies room and wait patiently for our turn. Nice lady comes out of stall, we go in stall. Nice unsuspecting lady begins to wash her hands.

Samuel: Is she the cooker mommy?
Me: no, she is a customer. She is eating here just like we did.
Samuel: She doesn't cook?
Me: I don't know Samuel, but this time she came to eat like we did.
Samuel: well is she the dancing lady?
(nice lady is still washing hands right outside the stall)
Me: Cough, catch my breath, shhhhhhh, Samuel. Let's not talk so loud. How old are you Samuel?
Samuel: mommy is she not the dancing lady?
Me: Flush toilet...flush again. Peek outside. Sigh in relief. Nice lady is gone.

     WHERE DID MY THREE YEAR OLD SON GET THE IDEA THAT A DANCING LADY IS PART OF THE DINNER ENTERTAINMENT?!?!?!?!?!?

#1 embarrassing moment since having children...it has begun!!!

Daniel's Birth Story-- Part 3

Go HERE for Part 1 of this exciting thriller of a story!  
Go HERE for Part 2 of this exciting thriller of a story! 

     Tim swung through the late night drop-off and I waddled and hunched my way from the ER entrance to the 2nd floor Labor and Delivery. As per hospital regulation, the receptionist began handing me paperwork to sign. I was so relieved to be close to receiving some relief (pain meds) that I was overjoyed to fill out paperwork. BUT It required me to be on my knees grunting through contractions. I managed 2 signatures before I gave up. I dumped my purse in Tim's arms and left him dumbfounded at the counter. 
     By then, a nurse had been summoned and I followed her back. AT this point I couldn't even keep up. Pain radiated from tip-top to toes and my resolve was fading quickly. She yelled back "Meet me in room 12" and left me in the hall. Crazy nurse! Didn't she know I was in labor?!?! The charge nurse was all business. Just what my body needed this night. I walked in the room, practically threw my clothes at her while attempting to done the beautifully crafted hospital gown...HA! Those things are a joke and I'm not sure mine ever actually made it completely on.  I was already announcing I would gladly accept any form of pain medicine as I hobbled onto the bed. But of course, the response was lets check you first. I slithered around on the bed not cooperating and continuing to ask for relief when the nurse started shaking her head and smiling. SMILING! 


Page the doctor. Membranes bulging. Fully effaced.

...And more mumbo- jumbo that I wasn't catching due to labor pains. Now I'm not an expert on medical terms, but I knew what she was saying. I would not be pulling an all-niter. This baby was coming. I just had to wait for the doctor to arrive. Another nurse stepped up and quickly began inserting an IV into my arm while  explaining that..


I was ready to deliver
There would be no medication b/c they wanted the baby to be alert
NOT to push until the OB arrived
To focus on how exciting it was that my baby would be here soon, and
The doctor was en route.


      My wonderful, seasoned husband had assumed his position next to my head, giving me his hand, to vent my pain through. A murky few minutes later, the doctor sailed in and broke my water. I proceeded to push for 2 excruciating MINUTES and a slippery, squalling baby was born. The nurse lifted the baby and announced  

You have a beautiful healthy baby boy.
Silence. Confusion. Relief. Questions.
Honestly our first question was "How long have I been here?" 
You walked in our doors 16 minutes ago 
We have a BOY?
YES
Tim-there's just one baby in there right?
YES
OK, lets see this precious gift! 

     From beginning to end my labor lasted a mere 3 hours. A quick delivery to top off everything as well.  Not that there is an option, but I wouldn't change anything about my experience. I prayed that God would direct my decisions in labor and delivery for this child. Torn between comfort and the unknown, I laid it in God's hands. I was so scared of delivering naturally, but when it came down to it God CREATED us. HE KNOWS our stamina and limits. He created my inmost being... knows the number of hairs on my head. 

Ah-la natural labor...ehh just another day in the history books! ;)

Daniel's Birth Story-- Part 2

Go HERE for Part 1 of this exciting thriller of a story! :)

Monday, August 22nd I woke up feeling miserable and reluctant to head into town for my post due date doctor appointment. Of course, 2 small boys and a messy house are a good reason to escape for a couple of hours. Everything seemed fine and no sign of labor sent me home a little distraught and determined to change just that!  


I had been banned early on in the pregnancy from mowing the grass due to the bumpy nature of our large tractor. It was my last ditch chance to use this bumpy ride and bring on full-force labor! Sure enough a haphazard trip through the pasture and I went to bed exhausted and sore. I could NOT get comfortable amid mounds of pillows, a heating pad, and assorted blankets. After an hour of tossing and turning, I felt the gentle tug of what I believed to be a labor pain. I shrugged it off and continued to lay in bed planning my next move to induce labor. No more than ten minutes later, I had another tug, not so gentle, and this time my mind started racing. 


Should I wake Tim up? We don't have bags packed. This house is a disaster. That's okay, I usually have long labor anyways. I can clean if I cant sleep. Wait! I  have a long TO DO list waiting for me tomorrow, including  consignment sale drop-off. Its 11:00 pm. should I go ahead and take the boys up to my in-laws?! What am I thinking this is going to take forever. Slow down Heather and start with a bath.


And that is just what I did. I sat up, told Tim I was in labor, and headed to the bathroom for a nice long soak with a good book. Disappointingly enough, the bath was just as uncomfortable as my bed. Even more strange was the timing of contractions. Nothing seemed "textbook" and I could not find a pattern to my waves of pain. Tim trickled in soon after, unable to sleep after my nonchalant announcement. I sent him back to bed, dressed myself, and sat down at the computer to double check my research on labor and delivery. 
My body was rebelling. I could not sit or stand for long, and laying down was out of the question. I poked my head in and told Tim to pack his bag and call his parents. It had only been a mere hour since labor had begun, but intuition AND pain were pushing me to the brink of sanity.  I paced and panicked(internally) and paced some more for what seemed an eternity. My husband seemed to be taking his sweet time packing an overnight bag and other hospital essentials like computer and cell phone cords. My in-laws, neighbors to be more precise, had not appeared at our door yet.


Somehow I was able to convey to Tim that we needed to hurry. Like pronto. Like NOW! Grandmother and Papa appeared and whisked 2 sleepy big brothers away while Tim expertly squeezed our hospital bags in and around the overflowing mass of consignment merchandise. I waddled out and we took off leaving dirty dishes, piles of dirty clothes, unmade beds, toys scattered... chaos--my mortal enemy!


Now the contractions were rolling on top of each other some more severe than others, but I wasn't getting a break. I blatantly told Tim DO NOT STOP. RUN EVERY RED LIGHT. I'll handle the cops. It took every ounce of my being to stay in the van. I focused on the odometer and kept reminding my husband, who was not in labor, to DRIVE FASTER. Neither one of us knew just how close I was to delivering. 

Daniel's Birth Story-- Part 1

As I consider where I fall in line with the modern day practices of labor and delivery, I'd say I walk a fine line between knowledge and ignorance. My awareness has certainly peaked more and more as each pregnancy takes on a new meaning in my life. How do I approach sickness, health, daily living, our home environment?


 Certainly I want what is best for baby and momma. But, am I willing to take the plunge, into an ever decreasing number of mothers who choose natural labor without any intervention, to better the chances of a healthy child? Sadly today most women say "no thanks" and "give me the drugs" and I fall right in line with the statistics!


This third pregnancy has been crazy from the get-go! One--being that my husband was unemployed, a full-time college student, and living on unemployment wages. We did not have the funds or insurance to birth more children. Now I KNOW how babies get here...heard that speech years ago ;) , but somewhere between muddled mommy brains and crazy calendar days we got pregnant.


Second-- I can't say I wasn't excited, because I was! I was ready for another darling newborn to cuddle with, but mixed in that sweet rejoicing was the fear and anxiety streaming with a million "what if " questions.


Now skip ahead to the anatomy ultrasound. I wasn't the only one holding my breath as we were forced to listen to the tech analyze every aspect of our healthy baby but what was between the legs. With 2 boys "under the belt," I was READY for a girl. I longed for ruffle-bum pants, laced trimmed fancies, and a splash of pink. So upon declaration that we were indeed going to have a girl, I was thrilled!
My initial 20 week ultrasound revealed placenta previa which  basically meant I would receive another ultra sound at 36 weeks to determine If I would need a c-section or not.


BOTH ultra sounds never showed the true identity of what was to come. I REALLY wish I had called into our local baby consultants... Rick and Bubba. Radio personalities that more often than not--guess right! I thought of it often, but never dialed into their expertise.


Scorching summer days came and went just as my due date did and I scoured the Internet for natural (post due date) inducing labor ideas. I made my list and started at the top, skipping the gross or obviously pointless ideas.  Nothing worked folks...

And baby BOY makes 5

   Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   before you were born I set you apart; 

Jer 1:5

   For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD 

Jer 29:11

Welcome Daniel Asher Metcalfe born on August 23, 2011 at 2:10 am weighing in at 7lbs, 13 oz and a whopping 19.5 inches long.

Motherhood

As I sit drumming away on the computer, I'm day-dreaming of breathing freely, bending over w/o holding my breath, seeing my toes, cuddling a precious newborn, and the all around relief of not being pregnant anymore. As much as I love the feeling of my unborn child kicking and growing over the course of time, I'm now at the point of anxiously waiting for her arrival. The days run together and often leave me on the brink of insanity as I look at another pile of dirty dishes, a permeating smell coming from a diaper clad toddler, or the mound of clean laundry preventing me from curling up and taking a nap.

Is it worth it all?

I desire, more than anything, to value what the Lord values. I do consider that Motherhood is a Calling, but do I truly believe so in my heart of hearts?

Well the count down is still on. 39 weeks and counting to be exact... Am I ready to add more chaos to our lives?? Is my attitude and heart seeking out truth and joy? 

In over my head

So I stumbled upon an enticing project and decided it was worth a try. I added my improvements as I dove in feet first. BAHHAAHA!  One afternoon I calculated... turned into a 2 week project....

 

 wooden letters for each of the children's names

 

One bottle of mod podge, paint brush, wash cloth, scissors, a pencil, and scrapbook paper

several ice cream chocolate bars for energy (gold packaging)

3 beautiful stacks of colorful fun names ready to be hung on the walls.... I'll let you know if that ever happens! ;)

Birthday Boy

It was a good day. Happy Birthday sweet handsome Samuel!

Pants are Optional

Potty training has been a thorn in my side. I hear these fairy tales of moms and kids performing on cue and gaining results within just a few days. I clung to this hope and proceeded to begin training Samuel after he turned 2. MY goals were simple: 

1. Train Samuel to use the toilet

2. Save loads of money on diapers/pull-ups

So we began this oh so blissful process and failed miserably at every turn. At first he didn't seem to get the concept. I could accept this. We would halt my fruitless efforts and wait a month or two and pick up the process again. Then I began to notice defiance. Smart little bugger just refused to play my games. He could care less about going to the bathroom. He would even announce he used the potty in his diaper, but NOTHING could sway him to plop it in the toilet. At this point I was left with a mound of extra laundry...wet undies... and frustration.

I gave up again. And again. And again.

Samuel turned 3 on July 3 this year and I was determined to break through his barriers. There was NO REASON to have 3 kids in diapers and Maggie's due date is fast approaching. I was even encouraging David towards potty training and leaving out Samuel. Why not??

So with bull-headed stubbornness and the most solemnest mommy face I could muster, I sat down with Samuel for a chat. I told him the Monday after his birthday that he was now a big boy. He was 3 years old and would start wearing underwear and going potty like a big boy. 

He looked at me and said "Okay mommy." 

"Okay---that's it. Did you hear me son?"

" Can I wear my choo-choo underwear?"

"Uh-sure thing kid"

He donned his Thomas the train undies and never looked back.

Sure we've had one or two mishaps, but there was no training involved. No big accidents. I am relieved and perplexed.....

Samuel is potty trained. He doesn't particularly care to wear shorts, but would rather show off his undies and I'm ok with that for now!!

Dismissed for Good!

We recently purchased our official Dave Ramsey swagger wagon. 

 Betty Lou

 
Today she took her maiden voyage out of the city limits and on her first day trip. Samuel, Imy, and I headed down to Birmingham to meet with the kidney specialist involved with Samuel's HUS. Imy rode along to help entertain Samuel and probe me in case I fell asleep. After guzzling mellow yellow to stay awake for our sunrise trip down because our appointment was at 8:00 AM, we arrived only to wait another 2.5 hours for news that is good for ANY parent to hear.

Samuel's labs look good. Actually he is very healthy child. All looks well. I don't think we need to see you again.

Praise God! My toddler is growing into a preschooler, eager to learn, explore and challenge the world around him. God has enabled him to do so with out the worry of sickness.

Where did the month go?

SO much has kept us going this fine and steamy June. I managed to attract sickness from beyond the normal and spent over 2 weeks battling shingles only to recover and catch a nasty cold which landed me in bed again for several days. Tim has been a TROOPER. Sliding in and keeping the boys dressed and fed. I haven't even looked at the messy house because it will always be waiting...sick or well! :)

The boys are un-phased by the drought and heat that has reared its ugly head with force. I, the very pregnant mom, has not been as interested in sweating  off the pounds while the boys play outside. Instead, we have opted for dips in the pool and evening or early morning ramblings in the yard.

It's hot folks!

I'm always wanting family photographs, but never actively pursuing getting some made. We're good at snapping the kids in action, but that includes the gritty dirt, grass stains, and mismatched play clothes. Don't get me wrong, THOSE PICTURES ARE PRICELESS! But I don't want to print and frame those as much as a good scrubbed-behind-the-ears matchy-matchy photograph! Feeling motivated, we scheduled to do a photo swap with a friend and her family. The day came, the temperatures soared, and things did not go as planned. We proceeded despite the humidity and had an abbreviated family photo shoot. I took one look at my glistening forehead and red face and DELETED all the grownup pictures. The boys cooperated as any child would.

Unwilling and more interested in the surroundings.

Thankfully we managed to get a few and I will be content to frame pouty faces, giggles and messy hair!

JEEP 4 SALE

The Jeep is for sale. We are on the countdown... 2 months to go until we welcome baby Maggie Grace into our lives. Exciting as that is for us... Reality is that 3 car seats DON'T fit in a mid-size SUV. We'd love to keep the jeep for Tim to drive, but alas our season in life leads us to make other plans. So our purple baby is scrubbed to look her "Sunday best" and displayed on the wonderful world wide web.

SOLD

Peppermint Foot Soak

Scientifically Proven

I read an article recently that  stated children who were allowed to play outside in the elements tend to have a much stronger immune system.

Girls tend to fall short of this mark when they are pampered, fussed over, and drowned in germ-x, ect... As I reflected on my childhood, it seems my parents choose to let me run barefoot, play outside to my hearts content and still squeeze in bath times! I was a healthy child. I want that for my children as well.

I have a feeling I might have tasted dirt a time or two, just might not have enjoyed it as much as this sweet little man seems to be doing.

He has no problem sinking his toes and fingers into murky mud puddles. He delights in painting his clothes, face, and brother with a pasty goop of questionable substance. This kid has a stout immune system...or at least he is working hard at putting one in place. 

Online yard sale

Well the lack of income and always present bills have forced us to take a fresh approach to survival. As scripture reminds me that God is my ever present help in time of need... we look around for ways to put a meal on the table seeking the Lord in every step we take. THIS WEEK we are cleaning out storage. Items we've held onto for the "future" and yet have sat collecting dust. Toys forgotten and stuffed in the back of a closet or rarely even glanced at. Around our house you can measure the worth of a toy, in the eyes of a child, by taking in to account how times you trip over said toy through the day. A truly loved toy never stays on the shelf long and is always changing locations throughout a day. Well I'm getting off my original focus here... THAT SAID, here is a list of items I've posted to Craig's List.

TAKE A LOOK. PASS IT ON. PURCHASE AT WILL!!!!

POWER TOYS-- JEEP 
SOLD

TV and TV STAND
SOLD

QUEEN HEADBOARD/NIGHTSTAND
SOLD

ROCKING CHAIR
SOLD

KING HEADBOARD
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/fuo/2441629619.html

SLEIGH BED and MATTRESS SET
SOLD

PAPASAN CHAIR
SOLD

On the links that you cannot just click on, simply copy and paste the link and it should work just fine! :)

Experience comes in all sizes

As part of a massive undertaking to rewire our old farmhouse, the boys have offered their assistance to Tim. Unproductive yet worth capturing on film, are my 2 boys getting in the way while Daddy worked on outlets in the boys room...

I'm so thankful Tim is a patient man. He wears the daddy hat so well.

Snip Snip...Chop Chop

It's that time of year again....though you can't tell by the chilly May weather. We plunged forward with our summer hair cuts.  I was amazed and saddened by the change in David. My baby is growing up!

Though Samuel is NOT a fan of hair cuts, he weathered through his as best as he could. Now we are ready for swimming pools and shade tree picnics!

Growing Pains

David is 18 months. He is still my baby, but making great strides in growing up. Today marked the beginning of a new era.

BIG BOY BED

I regretfully move my cuddly boy into his first big boy bed. With the approach of baby sisters' birth it's time to say goodbye to the crib. For now I'll stick with nap time. David is an early riser and I, nor Tim, am ready for our day to start at sunrise!! At the least the crib allows us a little more shut eye in the morning. David was quite excited for the change in routine and only got up once. When I went to put Samuel down for his rest time, I had to snap another picture of my wee babe all snuggled up with his quilt, blanket, and pacifier.

EEEEEEEKKKKK

We live in the country. We have a cat. In 3 years, we've never had a mouse problem. 

UNDERSTAND?

Our wonderful pest control guy-Larry, says the scent of our cat is a good deterrent for the resident field mice. Sounds good to me! Anya is a pretty laid back lady. Occasionally she teases the mice out in the field, but I've rarely seen her lift a paw for much other than a bath, but that doesn't mean she doesn't earn her keep....that good ole cat scent is paying her rent!

UNTIL YESTERDAY!

We also have a real porch. Our house was built in a different era. Back when people went visitin' without calling ahead and sat on the porch to cool down since air conditioning was unheard of. On rainy days, we close a makeshift gate and trap the kids on the porch and let them play to their heart's content! I had things to do yesterday afternoon and so instead of joining the boys, I propped open the storm door and went to work inside. One ear trained on their toddler chatter, of course.

One load of laundry into my tasks I look up to see THE CAT with a LIVE AND ACTIVE mouse in the dining room. She had been outside of this I'm 99.99% sure. She then caught herself a playmate and brought it in MY HOUSE. I reacted with a cool head (of course) screaming for Tim to come quick. This got the cat's attention and she LEFT THE MOUSE and took off for a hiding place from my wrath. The rodent was now free to roam and possibly set up house. 

I BEG TO DIFFER.

Tim, acting the more level headed of the 2, trapped the mouse behind the bookcase. He then acquired mouse catching tools-- broom, dust pan, and long arm pincher. 20 minutes later that small, less than threatening squeaker, was caught and released outside to the amusement of the dogs. 

THE CAT slept outside last night.

A Pictorial of Sorts

Easter swept by with a blink and our time and effort was thrown into weather disaster and relief. Now that life has returned to normal...whatever that is... I'll throw some pictures up of Easter and Mother's Day.

Easter

Mother's Day

The boys "made" mother's day treats for Tim's mom and grandmother. We delivered them AND caught it on camera...a rare happening in our parts. We made hand prints and tied them to a mason jar that displayed roses from our very own flower bush.