Happy Halloween!

Happy Pumpkin Day from the 4 Spooky Steg Kids (Pirate Dylan, Flapper Shelby, Renaissance Princess Hailey and Butterfly/Lovebug Ashley) :) Hope you all have a trick-or-treatin' fun day/night!

Today was "the" day :(

Well, today was the day my post-partum-ness came crashing down on me :( I honestly knew the day was coming sooner or later, but was hoping it wouldn't rear it's ugly head this week of all weeks (since it's a crazy week with Halloween activities/parties, etc).

But, today after Shelby's preschool party (and all the chaos that ensued there with Dylan on his "best" behavior)....well....my energy level just plummeted and life came to a halt. I could barely get lunch for the kids before I felt completely drained and honestly the next few hours were a blur. I sat down on the couch...somehow had the smallest amount of energy to get a movie into the DVD player and 2 hours later I woke up with Ashley still sleeping on my chest to thankfully find S&D still watching the same Dora movie I'd put in earlier. Not a shining mommy day, but I did what I had to get through. I haven't felt this exhausted since those final days of pregnancy....and now 5 1/2 weeks post-partum it's all caught up with me. And I'm ok admitting that. I've not been feeling well lately either...also due to "post partum" issues (you new mommies know what I'm talking about :))...I'm still not fully healed from delivery and actually have had some pain issues again this week...so dealing with all that for 6 weeks has been a blow to my energy level as well. Today I've also had tummy issues which led to a semi-despirate call to my sweet hubby who thankfully came home early cuz the Dora-watching kids finally lost interest in TV and were on each others (and my) nerves :) So, wonderful Kev came racing home and took over for the night so I could head to bed and just take care of 1 kid instead of 4.

So, "the" day is almost over and I am hoping tomorrow is better...I knew I had done "too much too soon", but until today I has been able to keep going....it felt good to give into the exhaustion though....

Even in the midst of all this I am thankful. Thankful to have a reason (my kids and busy, full life) to be exhausted. As tired as I am I am grateful to be in this situation....and to have so much support from so many people. Thanks to all of you who always stand by my side and who have offered to help all along the way. Bless you all...and thank you, Lord, for even a day like today...as tired as I am I know I am blessed by my sweet, healthy (yet crazy) family :)

Still on the Mend :)

Don't ya' just love it when you go into a doc's office and find out the receptionist has scheduled your very sick baby for an appt one month from today. Just lovely. I'm sure my face said it all when the lady at the computer broke the news to me...and she could tell by the small baby I was holding and the diagnosis I spurted out that there was no way they could turn me away and make me come back next week.....so they somehow squeezed us in and in a matter of 15 minutes we were in and out of there (the quickest we have EVER been seen...they need to mis-schedule us more often!)

But, the most important news of the day is that lil' Miss Ashley girl's lungs seem to be healing well...praise the Lord for that bit of good news! In all honesty I was not so sure we would get that bit of positiveness today. I won't bore you with our night's adventure, but let's just say that Ashley was up from about 2-5am screaming at the top of her lungs...ya' know...that unconsolable, hysterical crying...the kind that just breaks your heart. And this was after the same hysterics yesterday for half the day. I was worried about my poor girl...sad by the pain she was/is experiencing at such a young age. I'm still concerned about that, but the doc assured me that this was probably due to drainage and all the mucus loosening up and making it hard for her to eat/get comfortable. Not a fun thing for our poor girl to have to struggle through every day. She's been puking up a storm lately due to all the mucus and I think it's not only painful, but then she's hungry again and mama just can't keep up with that milk supply need. It's just one nasty cycle now. I really do hope that in a week or so she will be back to her normal, calm, happy self. I miss that Ashley and I'm sure she misses that in herself also.

Anyway...so I was relieved to hear good news from the doc and also happy that we can cut back on the meds only giving the steroid nebulizer once a day. (yay! no more middle-of-the-night treatments!)...and hopefully in a week she can stop all together. The doc did warn us that with any cold she gets in the next year she might need her nebulizer treatments...and to not be alarmed by that...that she will hopefully outgrow it after that. So, I am definitely praying our girl stays well for the next year...and I've already decided to keep her closer to home during this cold/flu season.....

So, there ya' go. Our girl is on still on the mend and I'm so grateful for that...so thankful this never turned to RSV cuz I do believe she was right on the verge of that (since what she has was caused by a virus). The doc today even said that sometimes these resp. treatments don't work on infants, but Ashley was one of the lucky few (yay!)...in other words she would have needed some inpatient hospital treatment if the nebs hadn't worked. So, I'm thankful our girl has some nice, strong lungs that could fight this off.

Anyway...that's all I've got for today. It's a yucky, cold, rainy day here and makes me wish even more that I was back in that nice, FL sunshine! But, life goes on. The weekend will be filled with much of the same ol' stuff for us....lots of ballet and Nutcracker practice and our church's Harvest Festival...and maybe some basement work?! Hopefully I'll have some pics to post this weekend or next week if Kev can find the time to put them in an album (I'm almost out of room on the blog to post them individually...can we say "new blog needed!"). And don't be alarmed if I start to slack off on blogging. I'll try to give the occasional update, but honestly I am just "blogged out" right now. Not really into being on the computer and kinda just burned out in general and I don't want to fully burn out before the holidays get here! I just don't want anyone to worry if a week or more goes by and you don't hear from me. I'll try to post a pic here and there, but there might not be much "meat" to my posts....but, try not to fret....most likely I'm (we're) still ok.... :) :)

Home Again, Home Again...

jiggety, jig :)

Well, in some ways I feel like doing a jiggety dance now that we're back in the chilly midwest...but in other ways the reality of it all has hit hard......I miss the lovely FL weather...I miss only caring for one kid (whether she's sick on not...she's easier to take care of than a sick kid and 3 other crazy ones...ok, 2 other...Hailey is really not all that crazy and VERY easy)......but you get the idea....

It's good to be home and it was definitely time to be home...if not for me, for my family. I love being home with my hubby (well, he's not home now, but it was great to see him last night and even have a dinner date since my flight came in early!)....and it was great to have the kids race to my side right away and give me hugs and shower me with cards and even some (fake, but beautiful) flowers :) I love my sweeties. Dylan even did his happy jig/hopping/galloping dance around the room when he saw me. I love that kid! But, that happy night of "mama's home!" is gone today...and replaced with the normal stuff: lots of fighting between D&S and fussiness from lil' A and just pure exhaustion from me. I am just having one of those "let's feel bad for the tired mommy who never gets a break" day. And I'm not seeing an end in sight to this with the holidays coming up. And now that my so-called "relaxing" FL vacation is over, I am struggling a bit to find the energy to keep going.....sigh....but honestly I didnt get on the ol' blog today to complain so I'll refrain.....

I just wanted ya'll to know that I'm home safe and sound and that sweet Ashley girl is hanging in there. She didn't have a stellar first night back at home (fussed at 1am for quite awhile) and this morning has been equally as rough/fussy. I'm praying she's not getting worse cuz she's struggling to eat again and her cry has been very high-pitched and not her normal one. I'm not a worrier though so I just pray tomorrow at her doc's appt we get good news that she's still on the mend. Our poor girl has really been through the ringer in her first month of life :(

But, truly...as rough as her illness was in FL our time down there was many great aspects to it. Maybe not all that relaxing, but I think I expected way too much when it came to napping and sleep. And we all know how over-rated those two things are anyway...especially with 4 kids...and a sick newborn :) But, it was great to see my family and friends down there. We had some great quality time with my Aunt Mary and Grandma (I can still picture my grandma holding sweet Ashley for the longest time and how much she and Nina laughed at the hand gestures Ashley made in her sleep) and there was so many good times with Nina and Pops....and that time was the most treasured. We also had a great time seeing Sis Candy and her mom and celebrating our new niece-to-come (Brooke)...my mom and I threw her a baby shower and it was a great time seeing old friends and celebrating the impending Jan. birth of the newest Gritz girl. We also got lots of shopping in and ate lots of yummy food...all normal procedures on our FL visits, but fun none-the-less :) So, it was good times even amidst the sickness (and can I just say what an awesome traveler Ashley is...she slept on both the flight there and back...I have never had such a super baby aviator on my hands!). I don't think I officially took a nap, but I did go "back to bed" the one morning that Ashley was so sick. Not great timing, but by that point in our trip I was simply to the point where I could not function w/o getting some extra zzzz's....so I guess that counts as my "nap" :) I did dose off a couple times on the couch too, but that was with baby on my chest, so I'm not sure that counts as an official nap either....but maybe I shouldn't be so picky about my nap specifics :) I need to take when I can get when I can get it! :)

So, that was that...a week in FL is done and it's back to reality. Nina Stegs took awesome care of her son and her grandkids and I think they lived in the lap of luxury with her here. She organized all their clothes and cleaned up and cooked. I think she spoiled them a bit...so I'm sure they will miss all that! But, we can't thank her enough for all she did and the time she took out of her busy schedule so I could take time to see my family down south. And I can't thank my parents enough for flying me down to FLL and for all the hospitality. If I haven't said so lately we have the best parents around! There is no arguing that!!!! And we all know I have the best hubby around (and don't try and convince me that yours is better even if you think so :))....Kev is always so wonderful to let me go on these get-away vacations and to have some "me time", all while trying to tackle the life of a single dad. He's a super dad/hubby is all I can say and I'm glad he survived w/o me and kept the kids alive! :)

Sorry I don't have any FL pics to share today, but as you can imagine I took a "few" and will share them soon! I do, however, have our most recent Penney's pics taken right before our trip to FL. They are not all that great, but some of them are cute, so just focus on those and ignore the bad ones (where Ashley looks like a worried little old man...at least that's my opinion of the "awake pics"...the old-manish look is not her normal look, by the way :)) Ashley was not in a great mood that evening and the timing of the pics turned out to be "dinner time" so between her crying and me feeding her (and the strange heat rash she got on her face that day) the pics of her are not superb. And Dylan was having a "stubborn" day so he only posed for a couple pics before he decided he was DONE...all in all we were just lucky to get any good pics. I know I need to start expecting that with 4 kids.....but still...when you drive an hour to Indy to get pics taken you want them to be semi-perfect. So....here is the link to that below....just put in my first and last name and you should be able to view them....hopefully this weekend I can post some FL/other pics....hope you all are well and enjoying this lovely fall weather!

https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTPP0194118419JCP

1 Month Old and Feeling Better! :)

Well, that about sums up the day!

Our sweet lil' girl is celebrating her 1 month b-day by getting herself healthier! YAY! Yep, we saw my sweet ol' peds doc again this morning and he seemed surprised when he listened to Miss Ashley and stated that her lungs were already 60-70% better...after only a couple nebulizer treatments and less than 24 hours time. There's no denying that kind of healing is a tiny little miracle for our sweet girl and definitely an answer to prayer.

So, we are cleared and ready to go home tomorrow afternoon. Dr. T. (yes, Wen, Dr. Taslimi was my doc too...he looks exactly the same...we took a pic to prove it!)...anyway, Dr. T. wasn't exactly thrilled to hear I still wanted to go home tomorrow...he actually started out by saying how nice it might be for me to spend a couple more days in FL with my family. But, I was not hearing any of that. I want to be home with my hubby and my 3 other crazies and as nice as my visit down here has been it's definitely time to be back in the day-to-day grind. So, the doc said that was ok (esp. since my flight is only 3 hours total and non-stop)....and he just insisted I see our ped. on Friday and continue the neb/resp. treatments. So, that's the plan. In less than 24 hours we should be back in our home enjoying the IN craziness again. Can't wait to see my 4 other fav. family members and have help again at night (I definitely appreciate the night-time diaper changes that Kev does...and now he can help with the resp treatments too...I know he can't wait...hee, hee...and even if he never helped with any of that I still just simply love him and miss him (and the kiddos too!) :)) So, all good things must come to an end and it's time for "vacation" to be over.

Thanks so, so much for all the thoughts and especially all those prayers...really, I think those made all the difference in our little girl's lung healing. It's so good to have a girl on the mend. She's had very little coughing today and has slept much more peacefully in the last day/night. Praying for the same tonight and tomorrow...

And can I just say that it's hard to believe that as of today I now have a one month old! How did that happen? I know the phrase "time flies" is a big cliche....but my-oh-my...where has the time gone???? I still find it hard to believe Ashley is in our family sometimes...and then again it feels like she's been here forever. One month already...wow....and now she's gone from 9, 15 to 11, 5...she's a big, growing girl and such a blessing....here's to many more months/years of growing and hopefully no more sickness! Today I'm just thankful we can go home tomorrow and there was no hospital stay for our growing girl....yippee! :)

Unexpected Florida "Fun" :(

Well, I didn't plan on any FL blogging nor did I expect anything like the vacation "fun" we're having...but I probably set myself up for all this by hoping for relaxation, naps and lazy days....

All that to say that I have one sick little girl on my hands right now. Hopefully she's on the mend, but the last couple days have been rough ones especially for my almost 1 month old :(

Poor lil' Ashley came down with yet another cold this week (which I'm blaming on our plane ride)...our poor girl can't get a break! The "cold" worsened yesterday and she started wheezing and doing some nasty deep croupy coughing, sounding a lot like her big bro did when he had his upper resp. issues as a baby. Anyway...we made it through the weekend, but last night was rough....Nina gave our sick girl a sauna treatment in the hot steamy bathroom which seemed to help and then we set her upright to sleep in Nina's saucer toy (so she could breathe)...at about 2 a.m. she was hacking up a storm again so it was upright on mama that she slept for the rest of the night (crying and coughing constantly). By the time the sun came up ol' mama was exhausted and handed the sick baby off to Nina. I was so groggy and out of it and rolled back into bed and slept for a couple more hours...while Nina gave her grandbaby another sauna breathing treatment in the hot bathroom. And thankfully worrisome Nina took it upon herself to call my old peds office and set up an appt for Ashley for a couple hours later. So, by the time I woke up it was almost time to go. Not only did we get to visit my old doctor's office where I went as a child, but I got to have my old doc as Ashley's doc...Dr. T. is still as sweet as he was 30 years ago and it was wonderful to have him look over Ashley.....

Anyway...so onto the diagnosis....our sweet girl has bronciolitis. I'm not all that familiar with it, but I think it's similar to bronchitis and must be fairly serious as the doc even mentioned the horrible "H" word--hospital :( Yes, there is a chance that our sweet girl might be admitted to the hospital tomorrow. We are, of course, praying this doesn't happen. But, for now we are on a couple major breathing treatments (I say major cuz when I saw the price of them I just about passed out...thank goodness for insurance! And you should see the equipment we now own...it's gonna take up half my suitcase just to get it home!). So, our sweet baby girl is on nebulizer treatments every 6 hours. She actually loves them and fell asleep during them both today...probably due to the loud buzzing the machine makes :) But, thank goodness she likes them cuz she'll probably be on them for a few more days. It's pretty sad to see your 4 week old newborn with a mask hooked up to her tiny face. But, it sure beats seeing her coughing like the dickens and struggling to breathe and eat and unable to get comfortable. And honestly I'm just thankful her resp. issues haven't developed into awful RSV as I know that was/is possible. We are also thankful no fever has been involved as that would have been an immediate hospital admission for a septic work-up....

So, there's the downlow on our current FL "fun" :( Not what I had envisioned for our relaxing vacation, but I have decided I am just destined for exhaustion. But, for now I'll take all the exhaustion over my sweet baby getting better...cuz if she's not better by tomorrow I probably won't be flying home on Wednesday and I know that will be very upsetting to me and my sweet family back in Bloomy. So, please, please, please pray for my sweet Ashley that she'll be better by our doc's appt tomorrow and that there will be no talk of a hospital admission (not the way I really want to celebrate her 1 month b-day). I'll keep ya' posted and here's to a healthier baby soon and a better night's rest for all (well, aside from that 1am nebulizer treatment :()....

Vacation Time! Whohoo!

Well, me and my littlest girl are off to FL this morning...yippee! I don't really have time to blog and I honestly had hoped to post a bunch of pics before I left...but time (or lack of) and the craziness of getting ready to leave just got the best of me. So, you'll have to wait for pics until I get home! But, be rest assured I'm gonna have a wonderful and (hopefully) relaxing time down south with my family! I can't wait to just chill and hold my baby and maybe (just maybe??) take a NAP!? So, until next week I bid you all a fond farewell!

It's Potty Time?!

Well, yesterday was an unexpected Big Day for our Big Boy...

I was caught up in the whirlwind of laundry and packing for my trip this week to FL and my sweet boy was downstairs watching cartoons. I was going about my business when I hear him coming up the stairs saying "pee pee, mama". Of course, I just assumed he had gone in his diaper cuz that's just the way it's been for our 2 1/2 year old little man.....but just to make sure I asked him "did you go in your diaper or do you want to go pee pee in the potty?". I honestly never expected him to chose the latter of the two...but lo and behold he said "I pee pee in the potty!". So off we went to the big potty (the lil' potty is covered in dust from non-use so thus the reason we opted for the large one...plus honestly I never thought he'd sit on the potty much less go in it...) BUT....guess what....HE DID SIT AND HE DID GO! It was almost instaneous too! He didn't even act surprised that he went...in fact he looked at me like he'd been peeing in the potty for years, but I could tell he was so proud of himself. Of course the wayward ways of his pee pee made it go all over the floor and his clothes, but that was ok...at least he had good intentions! And mama was SOOO proud of him! He was all excited and flushed the toilet (twice), washed his hands, we promptly called Nina in FL so she could share in the good news as well, and then Big Boy Dylan sat and feasted on some frosted animal cookies as his treat/incentive/bribery (to continue on his path to big-boy-dom) :) And then to make matters even better....he repeated this whole process after his nap (when he woke up with a dry diaper!)...and this time he kept all the pee in the potty too! Wow, two pees in the potty in one day! That is a monumental thing for our never-before-peed-in-the-potty boy! I am so proud of him!

I realize that the road to potty-dom might still be long for him, but at least we're on our way! Of course, we'll have to restart the process after my week in FL, but that's ok....hopefully I'll be well rested after my trip and I'll have all this energy to potty train in my "spare time" :)

3 weeks old?!

Where has the time gone? Is my Ashley really that old already? Sometimes I still find it hard to believe I don't have a big belly anymore and that she is no longer inside me....

Why do the days/weeks/months/years have to go by so quickly....it's hard on us mamas to see our babies grow up in the blink of an eye (sigh) :(

A Precious Gift...

...from my dear, wonderful and treasured friend Jill! :)

I can't even tell you how touched I was when my wonderful neighbor friend, Jill, showed up on my doorstep this past week with a smile and another gift in hand. She always seems to know when I'm having a bad day/week/month and she's always there to send a card or an email or a funny joke about her kids....and she always seems to be the cheerful giver too, for she has truly just showered and showered us with so many goodies lately. Here is the latest jewel she so graciously had made for me.

I was truly almost speechless when I saw it. Jill, you know just what I love...anything about my family...and especially anything engraved with our names on it. Honestly I have looked online for something like this and to have Jill show up with this in hand...well, my heart was so grateful. Take a look at this beautiful piece of jewelry. If you can't tell, it's a necklace with this beautiful family circle attached and engraved with all our names. I just simply adore everything about it and I am wearing it with pride. It is a daily reminder of God's abundant blessings to our little Steg family....my blessing in a wonderful husband like Kev and the 4 little miracles that came from our love and through God's grace.

Jill, bless you a million times over...not only for this beautiful token of friendship, but for your constant support and love. You are a dear, dear friend and this necklace will constantly remind me of that too! Thank you, friend! :)

Busy, but FUN times! :)

Well, a bit belated, but none-the-less...here are "some" pics from our very busy weekend (last weekend, not this one!)....of Hailey in her AG fashion show...above is Hailey actually "trying on" the AG clothes at the fitting back in Sept. when I was still big and prego (the week before I delivered). Is this not the most beautiful coat ever?! I love it! Ok maybe I should back up a bit. Did I ever even explain the whole American Girl Fashion Show?? It's put on annualy by the Junior League of Indianapolis (as a fundraiser to make money for certain charities). Girls come from all over Indiana to try on these clothes on a first-come/first-serve basis....if you come to late and there are no clothes left to try on you can't be in the show. We showed up semi-late (thanks to ballet class and the long drive to Indy), so we didn't have much to chose from...but we were just thrilled Hailey could be in the show...and that she could be Samantha (the AG doll)...it really was a great match for her! And I loved the clothes....below is the trendy, new outfit that just came out in the catalog (the one where you can "dress like your doll")...Hailey liked this one! Above is Hailey at fashion show practice (at the new Renaissance Hotel in Carmel) last Friday....at the "model check in" area....
Practicing on stage with the other models...did I mention Hailey just had a ball doing this?! She did!
Her with Amy (her Just Like Me AG doll, who looks nothing like Hailey :))....but they both have matching fashion show t-shirts! :) Gotta love that!

The morning of the fashion show (above)...Nina Stegs took all us girls...it was a fun "girls morning out". Ashley was a little angel...she was fussy here, but at the show she slept almost the entire time! Can you tell Shelby was excited...she would have been more excited to be in it (maybe next year?)...but she still loved it and had to take Sara (her AG Bitty Baby twin) along to watch...

Hailey checking in for her big modeling debut :)
Two of my sweet girls....
And here's Samantha played by Hailey :) along with Samantha herself...all in matching duds!
I love these pics...reminds me of the girls in Nutcracker and how much Hailey would love that!

My pretty girl...in her old fashioned dress....I love red on her too!

Girls and their dolls...so fun!
Me and my girls...all holding our dolls...but mine is real! :)
Sweet sleeping Ashley during the show....if you're wondering why she's wearing so many outfits this day it's cuz she was constantly pooping (and staining them!) :) Thank goodness for all those many cute newborn outfits we own!
Nina and Shelby eating their yummy brunch...which for Shelby was mostly cookies and fondue! (notice the choc. on her face)...and notice the slumbering Ashley in the background...what a good baby!
And then the show began...here is Hailey in her coat with her matching doll (who they could not find the coat to...bummer!)

Hailey with all her other historical friends on stage...it was really neat how they gave a historical account of all the dolls and what they wore in their day and age....

Here is Hailey in her trendy outfit (above) And after the show...taking a breather from all the hard modeling work....

Nina and two of her girls post-show.... And then it was back to Nina and Poppy's house for some fun and family time! Shelby had to show off her roller blading skills...not bad for a 4 year old!

Dylan showing us his rendition of a bridge on Nina's garden bench :) (and notice the mohawk...those double cow-licks are just out of control lately, but very suiting for our crazy boy!)

And time to show off Ashley to the Steg family...Aunt Jan got to hold her first...and Jenny (due in May) and Big-Sis-to-be, Averey, took a side-view/sneek peek at the baby :) Averey loved holding Ashley and Ashley loved to be held by her (as you can see)....Averey will make a great big sis in the spring! :)

Great-grandma Stegs holding her 5th great-grandchild :)...and Poppy trying to calm Ashley down after she pooped through outfit #4 for the day (have I mentioned that Miss Ashley is the world's super poopiest baby!? She is!) :)And below are pics from our Sunday adventure...Hailey's first Bible Bowl tourney in Indy. I think I have failed to mention that Hailey joined our church Bible Bowl league this year. It's a big group of kids this year...and they study the Bible every day (or are supposed to) and meet once a week to study together at church...and once a month they have their competitions in Indy (where they get quizzed on certain things they have studied). I love it cuz not only is Hailey diving into the Word and learning a ton, but she's loving it too! What could be better?!
Above is the last competition of the day...I failed to take a pic earlier cuz I was mostly sitting outside the rooms with Ashley (they like it quiet during competitions and although Ashley is a great baby she likes to squeek and poop loudly :))....but you can see Hailey above with her buzzer in hand....she did great for her first competition and no fear of buzzing in and answering questions...I think they won 4 and lost 3? But, I could be wrong on that....either way...they did GREAT and I was so proud of these girls (she's on a team with 3 other church friends...below you can see the girls in their cool, new Bible Bowl shirts...and feasting on cookies after the competition!)


So, that was our busy, crazy, but fun "last weekend". Yes, we were exhausted beyond measure, but it was worth it in the end. Hailey, especially, had a ball doing everything! Special thanks to Nina (and Poppy) for taking us to the awesome AG show...and for that whole fun experience for Hailey. And double thanks to them for having a "meet the new baby" get-together so we didn't have to plan one for the Steg family. Nina outdid herself with food as usual! It was all a great weekend!

The reality of being surrounded by sisters...

...sometimes ya' can't help wanting your nails painted a lovely shade of cotton candy pink :)

It's been one of "those" days :(

Well, sure enough it's been one of those fun "what else can go wrong" days.....gotta love those!

I don't really have the energy nor brainpower to explain all the excitement of the day, but I will say that we had our first "baby scare" today :( Not something that mommy would like to repeat again. I was only out of sight of Ashley for a few minutes (outside saying goodbye to Hailey as she went off with Miss Jill to church) and daddy was actually home (but in the kitchen cutting up our yummy meal brought in by a dear friend)....and then IT happened....I came in the front door to find that Shelby was holding Ashley in midair about 3 feet above the floor. Unfortunately that wasn't the bad part...I must have scared Shelby when I walked in the front door cuz when she saw me she either knew she had "done wrong" or didn't even think...cuz she immediately dropped (more like threw) Ashley to the ground, dropping her on her head. I still don't even like to picture it. I was frantic and, of course, screamed "NO SHELBY!", but the deed had already been done. I scooped Ashley up just as she started to scream and I was already in tears myself. Luckily our living room floor is carpeted and Ashley had a knit hat on (which maybe helped cushion the fall)....and I think mostly the whole thing just scared her more than hurt her....but it was not a shining moment in our home :( Shelby ran up to her room crying and was of course in deep trouble (including punishment and a stern talk about being careful with babies) as she knows not to pick up Ashley....and after it was all said and done she timidly came downstairs and told us she didn't want "a baby" in our house anymore :( Sigh. Not a great way to end the evening :(

Then to make matters worse Dylan has a new cold (with fever of 102)....so not fair as he was just sick (and thus why Ashley was also sick)...so I'm preparing myself for more sick kids...which would not be good considering I will be getting on an airplane to FL in a week and Ashley and I need to be well for that! No wonder Dylan's been in a funk all day and very clingy to mama. And to add to the joy he just peed on Shelby in the bathtub (comical to mommy but not-so-much to Big Sis)....gotta love brothers! :) Oh...and did I mention Ashley started spitting up today...sigh...and here I thought we had a non-spitter-upper...guess I spoke too soon cuz my shirt is covered in baby puke today?! Or maybe she was just having a bad day like the rest of us were....

Anyway...so it's not been a splendid day in the Steg home :( Not that I expect every day to be happy and smiley....but I hope we don't have any more baby droppings in the near future (or EVER!). Thankfully all is well and Shelby and Ashley just had a bonding moment on the couch so I think "the baby" is ok again in her big sis' eyes :) But, have I mentioned that I need a break?! All I can say is "FL, here I come!"...maybe I can get my first post-delivery nap there cuz I need it!

Photography at it's BEST! :)

Well, since I'm a slacker on pics I thought I'd post a link to the amazing pics our friend Corie took last night of our sweet girl (and fam). There's no denying Corie's a great photographer...and that our girl is as precious as they come! Thanks, Cor, for capturing the joy of our sweet new girl! You rock! And if anything made me smile this week it was seeing these beautiful pics! (and, yes, Ashley was having a bad hair day thanks to mommy who has no clue how to style baby hair...we don't normally have the mohawkish-crazy-do going on!) :)


http://tellyourstory.typepad.com/corie_communications/2008/10/meet-sweet-little-ashley.html

Doing Better?!

Well, friends...first of all thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and support (and for all the offers to lend a hand!) I hope I didn't worry any of you with my recent instability and mental breakdown this past weekend. I just had to lay my heart out there and admit defeat...sometimes putting it down in writing helps me feel better (and realize the error of my ways/i.e. that we NEED to slow down!). But, I am on my way back to the land of mental stability and for now I am just physically exhausted. Actually I am blogging today just to stay awake. I know if I took a nap now I'd be a goner for the rest of the day/night and I don't want to leave poor Kev to fend for 4 kids on his own.....

But, honestly, we're ok and I think I've just come to realize that every day is gonna be it's own little "adventure" (both good and bad). Today's adventure was taking the kids to the dentist...always a "good time" and actually it was slightly comical too....and we survived which was my top priority. Yesterday it was taking the kids to the doctor...we also survived that one...whohoo! Ashley has somehow shrunk in stature from her birth, which has me quite baffled...how does a baby go from 22 1/2 inches to 22 1/4 inches in 2 weeks? Is she becoming elderly already?? I just laughed when they told me her height...the nurse acted like she was such a long baby and I just could't break it to her that she was actually longer at birth. So, I'm thinking someone needs a new lesson on how to measure babies...cuz I really don't think our new girl is shrinking yet!? She's almost up to her birth weight again and is now 9lbs, 13oz (greater than 95% in all measurements...not unusual for our tall/big Steg babies). The doc seemed fine with her growth and mumbled something about how big babies generally lose a lot of "water weight" right after delivery. So, I guess that's all good...I certainly have no worries as I know our girl is a ravenous nurser. And I'm proud to say she is still a rare spitter-upper...I almost don't know what to do with myself to not have a baby projectile puking and needing a bib on constantly....though I admit she makes up for it in the poop department...the girls has stained half of her new newborn clothes in just 2 weeks! Anyway....I was hoping they's snip off her dried old cord too yesterday at the peds office, but they didn't...and instead we got lucky and the ugly thing fell off in the middle of the night! Shelby was especially thrilled to discover it was gone this morning and that her sister now had a "belly like hers" :) And of course we had to closely inspect the petrified cord piece which honestly I think looks like a dried up kitty dingleberry :) So, yay, that FINALLY after 2 1/2 weeks our girl can have a REAL bath in her baby tub! Hurray for that cuz the sponge baths were growing old! So, life with Ashley is just one big ball of fun. The girl is really a super sleeper...we haven't had any more 7 hour night sleeps, but we came fairly close last night (5+ hours?) and now she has slept most of the day....truly we feel so lucky...I really thought we were destined for another Shelby-baby (colic/reflux/VERY fussy/not so fun)...but we have been blessed with a good lil' girl which is super for this mama of four! We are just loving this baby girl...she is so sweet lately with her "awake time"...and she just loves to stare at all of us and take her new world in.

Anyway...so that's the exciting life in the Steg household this week. Never a dull moment :) I have tons of new pics to post, but they are still on our camera and I'm not sure if Kev can possibly make room on this old computer to download them...but we'll see. I do want to show off our fun/crazy weekend though! So, we'll see what I can do in the pic-department! Our baby girl has changed so much in just 2 weeks (not to mention she's losing her hair like Big Sis Shelby and Big Bro Dylan did...so maybe we'll have another light-haired girl? And light eyes too....I was thinking she'd finally be our brown-eyed girl, but I'm thinking they are looking very blue right now....I guess the brown eyes will be for the new Candy/Jeff creation :))

Oh...and we had a super wonderful time last night with our super wonderful friends, Chad and Corie and kiddos. I know poor Cor read my last blog post and felt bad that they were coming over in the midst of my mental breakdown. But, I pursuaded them that I was stable enough to hang out with them and I so glad they blessed us with their presence. I knew a good night of friendship and smiles would warm the soul and it sure did. They even were nice enough to look past our filthy, dumpy house and our fussy new girl (who happened to be so famished last night that she gave her own self a welt on her arm from sucking on it so hard!)...but Chad and Corie were wonderful and we so enjoyed seeing them (not to mention our kiddos loved racing a ruckus with theirs!) :) So, thank you, guys, for coming over even in the midst of the insanity :) I am so glad you did! And special thanks to Cor for snapping some pics on her fancy camera...I'm glad Ashley was asleep for part of the phote session! :)

Well, folks...I am off to do some D & L (dishes and laundry...my two least fav. things that seem to never give up with a family of 6)....I would love to just put my feet up and veg, but I think the reality of that life is gone for me...and honestly I knew it would be when we had 4 kids. But, again, I want to thank you all for your wonderful support. I will be calling on you friends who live near...you can count on it! I know I'm bad about asking for help, but I think I am realizing I need it...and since I have friends offering I'm going to bite the bullet and admit I can't do everything on my own....thanks for being so understanding, friends...I appreciate it!

Too Much, Too Soon...Burned Out! :(

Well, I don't have much energy to even write right now...but I just wanted to put my heart out there....I am burned out. I had a feeling this time would come in the post-partum period and sure enough...this weekend I hit a brick wall......just completely worn out....and realizing I have been doing way too much too soon after delivering a baby. I didn't really intend for life to get as crazy as it has, especially "post-baby"...but sure enough life has gone and gotten crazier and I am just not able to handle that right now. I am in need of some serious down-time and some serious napping (have I mentioned I haven't taken ONE nap since I've delivered Ashley....now, for me, that is unheard of!). And even with her 2 power sleeping nights I am still exhausted beyond belief.

So, after weeks of people telling me "you're my hero!" (for being out and about so much after having a 4th baby), I am admitting defeat. I am tired, I am cranky, I am in need of some time to myself (or even just some simple time holding my baby)....I am just in need of help. I'm not one who asks for it much, but I think I am to that point. No more trying to be super mom/wife/woman (not that I was trying to reach that goal before)...but I just want to be a hermit in my house for a few days and I don't want to feel guilty about doing/wanting that. Now, that won't be happening any time soon (both the guilt and the hermit part)....but I still want it! So, there ya' go....my honest feelings. It's been a super crazy weekend. Lots of fun/good times....but I am just not in a position right now to be on-the-go so much (nor is Ashley) and I am definitely feeling that after 3 days of running from one activity to another. It shouldn't feel like I had a baby months ago, but it does and I feel time is going by too quickly and that I'm not able to take it all in...I need to remind myself that it's only been 2 weeks and it's ok to be tired and worn out..........help, I want life to slow down!

Spoiled?!

Ok, so the trend continues...another night of 7-hour uninterrupted sleep with a newborn in the house! Don't envy us, please! :)

Picture Time!

Well, just when most of you were probably giving up all hope that we'd ever provide the long-lost newborn Ashley pics we promised....here they FINALLY are! Just click on the link below and hopefully over 200 pics will appear in our album (all from labor/delivery up until a few days ago). I know good ol' Nina G. had a ton of great pics too, but I honestly have not had time yet to even go through those on the computer....so these will have to tide you over for now.....Enjoy!

http://www.meerasea.com/pics/2008/2008-09-28-ashley/

Lucky Us! :)

Well, I hate to even admit this lest to jinx things...but our newest girl slept from 11pm-6am last night/this morning. Yes, folks, that's 7 HOURS straight! I almost didn't know what to do with myself this morning when I looked at the clock...no wonder I felt so well-rested (well, sorta :)). This is definitely going down in the baby book as "slept through the night for the first time"...YAY, for Ashley and Double YAY YAY for mommy and daddy! Now if only this trend would continue?! I'm not holding my breath. Honestly after two night's of getting up every hour or two I am not too surprised that our sweet girl needed a good night's slumber (and, by the way, she is feeling much better in the "cold department" :)...thank goodness for that!)

So, hurray for Ashley and her first good night's sleep...may it be the first of many!

And the Winner Is....

(drumroll!).....

Laura V. wins the big baby poll!!!! YAY!!!! (see link to the left)

Ok, so it only took me a week and a half to enter in the stats and find this out...but at least I finally did it! Actually...I already knew she had won just by her "girl" guess and the date....

So, hats off to Laura!!! I'm not sure what the big prize will be, but I'll have to come up with something oh-so-exciting to send her in CO!

Coming in a close second was Melissa in MI (who's hubby "Jesus", by they way, came in last...that's what he gets for trying to curse me with an oversized baby boy! :))....and coming in a solid 3rd place is Daddy Kev! You go, daddio!

Here's to all you brave guessers and again, Congrats to Laura, she's one smart baby guesser!