I Am Just Giddy!

Look at this little bit of pretty....

Can you say Love. It.? This is Eliza's Thanksgiving bow and it coordinates perfectly with her Thanksgiving shirt.

(I should note, Eliza's Thanksgiving shirt doesn't say Gabby)

The shirt came from the store Three Sweets on etsy.com. And the bow is from Cary Hair bows. I love, love, love Shannon at Cary Hair Bows. I signed up for a "Bow-of-the-Month" club with Shannon back in August and loved it so much, now I have 2 subscriptions. We get a Sweetly Southern and a Layered Boutique bow once a month and I promise you it is like a drug fix. The minute I open the box each month I instantly start longing for the next month's bow.

I was inspired to do a custom bow this month by this little pretty. This is Paisley. Isn't she gorgeous? Her mother has ordered several custom made bows from Shannon that you may think wouldn't turn out so nice, but let me tell you - they are beautiful! So, I figured Shannon could make something not so traditional, gorgeous for us too. And she did! The turkey topper on the bow came from JoGees Wee Purls and I love how she matched the minky turkey on the shirt to the topper! Love. It! I could go on and on about all the wonderful things I have bought off etsy.com. And I will eventually. But until then here is one more bow that will be coming our way this month.
This one is to match a gorgeous light blue Petit Ami dress from my favorite surrogate mom GoGo (aka Gloria). I promised her I would have a portrait taken of Eliza in the dress she gave her and I couldn't possibly have a portrait in a fancy dress without a beautiful bow. GoGo insists she will laugh the first time Eliza jumps in a mud puddle and loves it, but until then, I will delight in all the prettiness that is having a girl. Besides, she will probably be wearing a bow when she jumps in the puddle. And that will be ok too. :-)

Have I mentioned how much fun it is having a girl?

And I'm Proud to be an American...

....where at least I know I'm free.

Man Down! Repeat. Man Down!

I spoke to soon about Owen this morning. It's official - we are all sick.

A Few Random Thoughts

Yesterday when Eliza, Owen and I were leaving to pick up Ethan from school, Owen told me to turn off the tv. I asked him why and he kindly told me it is wasting power to leave it on. I asked him who told him that and he said daddy. Impressive I thought. I have been trying to teach the boys (including Chris) to turn the lights off when they leave a room and just like that, he has taught Owen to turn the tv off when he leaves a room so not to waste power. Owen also kindly reminded me that "a long time ago" I left the tv on.

Later that evening, Chris was helping Ethan brush his teeth and Ethan must have said something about what was on his tongue because Chris told him to use his toothbrush to brush his tongue. He did but whatever he saw wasn't coming off so he told Chris about it. I asked him what was wrong and he leaned out the door of the bathroom and said "oh, it's nothing, just my tastebuds." Chris then leaned out the door and said "I'm on a roll today."

And lastly, we are all starting to get sick. Ethan has been sniffling and has had a runny nose for several days now and Chris has been complaining of a sore throat. I got up at 4am to feed Eliza and she was so stopped up she was having a hard time breathing to eat. Poor little girl. Now I am starting to have a sore throat too. So far Owen is escaping our sickness. I hope it stays that way. Back to reminding everyone to wash their hands more often. Speaking of reminding everyone to do things often, why is it I repeat and repeat and repeat and Chris says something one time and next thing I know my children are telling me what's what?

Let's Give Thanks

What are you thankful for? Do you think you could think of something everyday for 30 days? Well, we are trying. Meet Tom Turkey.


I cut him out of construction paper and then cut out 120 feathers in all different colors. Each day we all pick a feather and write down something we are thankful for. Ethan is practicing his writing so he is writing most of his ideas himself with me helping him sound things out. We have things from chicken nuggets, to Scooby Doo movies, to mega blocks, to hugging mommy (one of Owen's feathers). We are trying to stay on top of it but I admit life gets crazy and not to mention the tiredness thrown in there but I think we are doing well with it. I am trying to help the boys learn to appreciate the things in their lives, even if it is chicken nuggets and Scooby Doo. Admittedly, I love the innocence of that. Just as I love that Owen tends to appreciate love and affection. How did I get so blessed? For that, I am thankful.

Lovin' NC Weather

Ask me in July and August whether I love NC weather and I am likely to say not a chance. It is typically in the 90's or occasionally it has reached 100 degrees; hot, humid, ick! But ask me what I think about NC weather in October and November and you will hear a different story.

We have the most beautiful weather in the fall. Usually in the 60's-70's, gorgeous fall colors. And we usually have a few unseasonably warm days in November. Today was one of them. We took advantage of the day by heading out to the park.

I know our days like this are numbered and cold weather, or at least not shorts weather, is right around the corner. So we met up with one of Ethan's friends from school and had a wonderful day at our neighborhood park.

Ethan has learned to go down the fireman's pole at the park and really thinks he is doing something big now. Which, really he is. I would say it takes a lot courage and a bit of faith to lean out from the stand, grab the pole, jump and then slide down.

I continue to be amazed at all the new things he is trying. He has always been more of a cautious child so it is interesting seeing him step outside his comfort zone to try new things. I am very proud of him. And then there is this little devil, who isn't afraid to try anything new.

Don't let the sweet face fool you. Really, don't.

Four Months

Eliza is 4 months old today and this is what she is up to:

• Her upper body is continuing to get stronger. She is much more capable of sitting in her exersaucer now and enjoys it for about 20-30 minutes at a time.
• She has a favorite toy, a lion like toy she can grab and chew on although there is something about it that may hurt her sometimes and I can't figure out what it is. She will be playing happily with it then out of now where start crying.
  
• She is grabbing and holding on to rattles and small toys now. Everything is starting to go in her mouth so I have to stay on top of the boys not to give her toys unless I am right there with her.
• She is rolling over from belly back but hasn't gotten back to belly yet. It is still pretty early for that.
• She loves her mommy and daddy and gets so excited to see us when we have been away from her.
• The happiest times of her day are first thing in the morning when I go get her and peak over the side of her crib and when I am getting ready to nurse her. She lets out a squeal and starts to punch and kick in excitement.
  
• She is eating about 2 ounces of cereal most nights for dinner. She usually likes it but if she is too tired when I try it she puts up a fuss and refuses.
• She is wearing 3-6 months clothes and some 6-9 months although 6-9 is a little big.
• She went through a spell for a couple of weeks where I really thought she was going to be a thumb sucker, but that seems to have passed. We continue to try pacifiers with her some. She thinks they are funny and will suck a few times then spit them out and smile.
• She is starting to belly laugh. I was dressing her the other day and was trying to button a button close to her collar bone and she got really tickled and started laughing.
  
• She is such a blessing to us and as hard as it is to go back to diapers and sleep deprivation, Chris and I are convinced she is perfect and completes our family.
  

Don't Mess With My TuTu

TGIF!

What Can You Do This Holiday Season?

"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:20

Yesterday at work we received an email about someone putting up the Angel Tree in our department and I knew right off I would be participating. What I didn't know is how much I would want to give. This is a family of three; a mom and two baby girls. A 3 year old and a 1 year old. I took some time this morning looking over the tree at the various things they were asking for and I began to cry. They want shoes. They wants clothes. They want a Dora the Explorer pillow and blanket. Dare I even tell you what Ethan wants for Christmas this year? A Nintendo DS and a gum ball machine! Hardly necessities. And Owen sees every plastic, shiny toy in the 5 Target toy books we have received so far and thinks he has to have that very toy - all of them! We are so incredibly blessed. Just this morning while pulling into the parking lot I was listening to the radio and singing to the top of my lungs "God is Great, Beer is good and People are crazy!" And you know what, God is Great (beer is awful and people are indeed crazy)! He is so great because he has blessed Chris and I with wonderful jobs, a beautiful, warm home, 3 amazing children and the love of family that I cannot explain. So this holiday, I am buying shoes for a little 1 year old and her sister who love Dora the Explorer just like Owen does. And I am buying mom a cozy pair of bedroom slippers because moms love something warm and comforting on their aching feet. And I will most likely go grab two more ornaments off the Angel Tree because every little girl deserves to have a baby doll under the tree for Christmas. I believe as a mother we all want the best for our children. We all want to give them the world. To see that sparkle in their eye on Christmas morning. I cannot imagine what I would be feeling if I couldn't do that for my children. Now, all the wonder aside, Ethan is definitely NOT getting a Nintendo DS, but his Christmas will be full of magic and excitement all the same. I will see to that. And I will also see to it that this family has a little magic of their own for Christmas.

There are so many ways we can give this holiday. I know Ethan's school is also sponsoring several families, their is another program here at work that is sponsoring elderly people at a local nursing home. There is the Samaritan's Purse program which is always a wonderful cause (they are taking donations now). There are always food pantries, shelters, etc. Kelly, of Kelly's Korner, is in El Salvador right now doing her part for the children of El Salvador. You should take time to read her posts about her journey. As a mom, it will make your heart ache for these moms and children and again open your eyes to how incredibly blessed we are.

Now go forth and spread joy!

Give, and it will be given to you. Luke 6:38

The Formula for Success

I have always been very proud of myself for breastfeeding my children. I will be the first to say it is not the easiest thing I have ever done. But I have been committed to it from the beginning. Ethan was for 9 months, Owen for 7 months and now Eliza for 4 months so far and still going. However, I am doing one thing different with Eliza than I did with the boys. She has started taking a bottle of formula at night for her last feeding. I have had to come to terms with the fact that I am one mom against 3 children daily and I need sleep. So about a week or so ago we started a bottle of formula for her last feeding to see if maybe I wasn't producing enough milk for that last feeding and she really was waking up hungry. It has turned out to be "the formula for success." She is going to bed around 8pm and sleeping until about 5, sometimes 6am. Beautiful! I struggled with this at first b/c the boys were exclusively breastfed, but at the end of the day, if I am not at least half way rested, I am no good to anyone around here.


One thing I have noticed at night when I am feeding her with the bottle is that she likes to hold my hand while I am holding the bottle. Ethan used to do this and it developed into his comforting mechanism of clicking my finger nails. Her little hands and fingers are so sweet and delicate. I just love it.


I am still pumping 4 times a day to leave bottles for Chris and freeze as much milk for day care as I can and I am still nursing her throughout the afternoon when I am with her, but the one bottle of formula is doing wonders for our sleep around here. We are even sleeping enough at night to where Owen is back in bed with us off and on. Which admittedly I have missed. How perfect is it to wake up with your little ones snuggling close to you? I love it! And although some pediatricians may argue, I tell myself, he won't be 18 and still sleeping with mommy. So enjoy it now. And that's what we are doing.


BTW - doesn't he looked bigger than 3 in this pic???? I can't believe my baby boy is growing up.

Slowly but surely....

We are making progress on the house. I wish we had before pictures so you could see how far we have come but Chris told me everything was so ugly when we bought the house he didn't bother with pictures. Makes me wonder why we bought it? :-) Here is the kids playroom.


When we first moved in this was a man's room. Complete with wall to wall golf themed wallpaper. This room was very dark and cave-like. They had brown broken wood type blinds that were hanging by a thread. It was awful. Now it is bright and cheery. Crisp and clean. The color is called Seedling Green.


I still want to get a few more things to put on the walls but I am having a hard time committing to anything. Amazing what white wooden blinds and a fresh coat of paint can do.

On to the kids bathroom. I had originally wanted to do a bugs/butterfly theme but couldn't find a shower curtain that I liked that seemed both masculine and feminine. We went to Target on Sunday and this is what we came home with.


Chris says when the lights are on the room is so bright it is like being on the surface of the sun. :-) While it is true I wouldn't repaint in this same color of yellow, I do think it turned out ok.


And here is Ethan's room. We (well, Chris) worked incredibly hard the first weekend we had the house so that the children's rooms would be finished for them. We moved on July 6, Ethan started kindergarten on July 7 and I had Eliza on July 14. To say that I am glad to see July come and go is an understatement. Whew.


Ethan picked out his colors and I really thought he was going to pick green since that is his favorite, but for some reason he went with khaki and dark red. I think it turned out nice. He also has a Star Wars poster that I framed for him that we bought at his school's book fair last week. He was very excited about that. The bear that is on his bed is Griffin. Although I think I am the only one in the house that knows his name. We built him at Build A Bear when Ethan was a baby. I insisted Ethan would grow attached to Griffin and share many memories with him. Occasionally Ethan will pick him up, but usually it is to throw him in the floor so he can go to sleep.

And here is Owen's room. His room seems to be lacking any character at all. His nursery was firetrucks which is why his name is painted in a firetruck theme. I have considered doing that same theme now, but I don't want to do something that he is going to grow out of soon. I personally like surf boards, but he doesn't seem to care so I haven't pushed it. I do think we need to do something though to make it more kid friendly.


And finally, Miss Eliza's room. I couldn't resist doing it in pink. The actual color is called "The Fairest of Them All." How stinkin' cute is that?



I love the flowers trailing up the wall over her mirror. And the bow holder was purchased from Etsy.com, as well as the monogram above her crib. I am planning on doing a whole post on all the wonderful things I have bought from etsy in the near future. I can literally spend hours looking at all the beautiful things people make from that site.

So that's what we have been up to lately. The hallway will be next, then the laundry room and finally Chris's room on the third floor. Work, work, work........

Is God in Outer Space and Which Pawpaw Does Nana Gale Go With?

The hard questions are starting to roll in. I knew these days were coming and I have been going over answers in my head for awhile now. So let's start with the easy one.

Ethan: Is God in Outer Space?
Mommy: Well, yeah, kind of, only further than outer space. It is a place called the heavens which is where Nana Gale lives with God.
Ethan: But outer space is as far as we can go.
Mommy: No, honey, the heavens is as far as we can go but only after we die.
Ethan: Did Nana Gale die and that is why she lives with God?
Mommy: Yes, honey.
Ethan: Who was Nana Gale?
Mommy: She was my mommy. And now she is your angel. She watches over you for mommy when I can't be there to watch you myself.
Ethan: Does she come in my bedroom at night and watch me?
Mommy: Kind of. Only she isn't really here with you. She is just watching over you.
Ethan: Which pawpaw did Nana Gale go with?
Mommy: Pawpaw Jimmy.
Ethan: Then who was that girl with Pawpaw Jimmy that watched us swim at the train?
Mommy: That was Sharon. Pawpaw Jimmy married Sharon after Nana Gale died.
Ethan: Do you miss Nana Gale?
Mommy: Very much. If I went away forever would you miss me?
Ethan: Yes, I would cry a lot.
Mommy: I do cry sometimes. I miss Nana Gale very much.

Whew. Those are big ideas to explain to a 5 year old. But I am glad he asks.

Knock, Knock..... Who's There?

Mr. Noncky Head!

This post is dedicated to my middle child who is destined to be the class clown. He thinks he is so clever and it doesn't help that Chris and I usually laugh at his antics. When we were in Dillsboro a few weeks ago, Owen and I were in the elevator and a man joined us going down to the lobby. Owen, ever the socialite that he is, said hey noncky head. I had to quickly explain to the gentleman, who tried not to seem offended (I hope he wasn't), that being a noncky head was not a bad thing. In fact, noncky heads are terms of endearment in our household. What is a noncky head you may ask? Beats the heck out of me. Owen completely made this word up. I believe it is like a knuckle head, just a silly term that he has come up with that we make jokes about now. Like the ever so clever knock knock, who's there? Mr. Noncky Head! At which time he laughs hysterically and Chris and I chuckle.

Speaking of laughing hysterically, Owen does this as well. Only it is a fake hysterical laugh. He will silently start laughing, mouth opened wide, hand to his chest, or his head or his belly, often times doubled over in laughter like he just can't stand himself. It really is quite funny.

And a cute word that he is saying right now is opopus. Can you guess what an opopus is? An octopus, of course. I love the words that come out of his mouth. Sometimes I understand them right off and other times he has to say them a few times or explain to me what he is talking about. Either way, I think they are adorable.

As for today, it was a wonderful day! We started off calling to wish my father in law a happy birthday (Happy Birthday SJ!) then headed out to Home Depot for our monthly project. Today was a trivet. Then over to Snip Its to get hair cuts for the boys. They look so handsome right after a hair cut. Then off to do the mall for a bit of shopping. We always have better days when we keep going during the day. An idle mind is the devil's playground.

That's it for the Bordmans! Hoping to be able to post a picture of Eliza and her tutu tomorrow. It has got to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Look What I Just Bought

Love it!

I have really gotten into etsy.com since Eliza was born. I have found so many cute things for her and they are all handmade. This dress is my latest purchase (just now) and I can't wait for it to get here. It will be monogrammed with an E and comes with a matching bow. Love It!

We are expecting this any day now.....

Help! My Heart is Running Amuck Outside of My Body!

Anyone who has ever had a child knows what I am talking about.

This.....

My heart. My first true love.


Do you see that smile?

It's infectious.


Those eyes?


My heart has started kindergarten this year and it continues to be a struggle. For me. Not him. I am learning to let go little by little and I am fighting it tooth and nail. You see, how do you protect your heart when it is running rampant outside your body? How do you protect your heart when you can't be there all the time to guide it?

I have arranged my schedule at work so that I am available every day to pick my heart up from school. Every day we have the same conversations and he gets so frustrated with me.
How was your day?
Who did you play with?
Was anyone mean today?
Were you on green, yellow or red?
What did you have for lunch?
How was your special?
Did you get recess today?
Did you have to walk the track today?
And now, I get to ask him were you left outside alone today after recess?

Oh yes, my heart was left. alone. outside. after recess was over. And to think I just happen to stumble upon this conversation yesterday when I picked him up. I mean, really, who thinks to ask their child if they were left. alone. outside. while at school? Well, now you will, just as I will.

I was at school first thing this morning to speak with his teacher, to get her side of the story and as I expected she down played how I was feeling. She is young, probably 25 at best, just married, no children and so no heart running around outside her body. She doesn't know what it feels like to leave your heart in the care of someone else trusting, praying, that they will be fine and you will see them again at the end of the day. Unharmed. Unscathed. Happy. But one day she will. One day she will become a better teacher for it. Until then, I have to trust that she really is doing a head count when the children come and go from the classroom. I have to trust her when she says it was only for a minute. Right now, I have to trust that she really does care about my heart.

And one day, in the not so distant future, my heart is going to break once again as I start to let go of this one.

Guess Who Tried Cereal for the First Time Last Night?

About a week ago, Eliza woke during the night whimpering. Chris and I went to her off and on trying to soothe her. Everything I have read over the course of the three children has said that once babies reach around 3 months of age they should be able to go without eating during the night so I was convinced (at the time) we were doing the right thing, by continuing to check on her, pat her back, trying to soothe her, but not feeding her. Well, this went on for TWO HOURS! She finally gave up and went back to sleep. Needless to say Chris and I were beat the next day, not to mention I had more than a healthy helping of mommy guilt. It was awful. All I could think that day was what kind of a mother was I not to feed my baby in the night just because a book "told" me she should be fine. Did I mention I felt awful? So I decided right then and there that I would get up with her as much as she needed me to. Feed her, rock her, whatever to renew her trust in me that I was there for her. And I did for several nights in a row. And then it started happening twice a night 1am and again at 4am. And the final straw was Friday night when she was up at 1am, 4am and 6am. Wow! What did I get myself into? This is a baby that was sleeping great and now all of a sudden we are back to 3 times a night? Maybe I need to re-evaluate. So last night after we had cleaned up dinner I asked Chris what he thought about feeding her a little bit of cereal. He, of course, deferred to me to make that decision. I got out the box and read the back and according to Gerber Rice Cereal, if a baby is a "supported sitter" (Eliza is) then it is ok to start cereal. I am confident I did this same "test" with the boys so I said why not? Let's try it.

First bite....


Can you see the grimace?


Trying to get the hang of it....


Might not be too bad....


Guess who slept all night last night? Whew - maybe we are on to something. But I have learned not to get too comfortable. As soon as I do, my children like to shake it up a little.

Another beautiful song....

Potatoes and the Modern Mom

I took Ethan to Target with me this morning to check out the clearanced halloween decorations, of which there wasn't anything we had to have except for this:

Ethan said he just couldn't live with out it. So that's what we are making right now.

But back to our Target trip......
I was reading over my list after I already picked up most everything we needed and I read the word potatoes. Ethan chimed in and said "We already have potatoes, mommy." And he held up this:

My son is growing up thinking potatoes come in a box. I just had to chuckle. Occasionally, I go all out and make homemade mashed potatoes, and I admit they do taste so much better that way. But when I have to throw dinner together in 30 minutes or less typically with a baby on my hip and two others fighting over who has the better green crayon, Hungry Jack sure does come in handy.