Hughes' Birthday

Yesterday was Hughes' actual birthday. We had a small lunch with grandparents since we just brought Collins home. We continued with the dinosaur theme of his friend birthday party and BecBec did not disappoint with this cool t-rex cake.

The birthday boy blowing out his candles.

Hughes about to open his birthday presents from family.

We gave him this super cool t-rex dinosaur. I had to tell David to stop playing with it when it came in the mail two weeks ago. It is quite amazing.

Bryce and Hughes before they went outside to play Nerf dart tag.

And, Ironman. Need I say more.

Dear Hughes,

You are amazing. You are loving. You are stubborn. You are compassionate. You are my favorite 5-year old!

You have been playing soccer and although it started off very rough, you have finished the season as a champ. You played your last game on Saturday and almost scored a goal in the last few seconds. Dad says you played so good and I'm sad I had to miss it - we didn't want to take a 5-day old out yet.

You're taking karate at school and love it. You don't want to wear the karate shirt/pants and that's fine with me. You love to show us your moves.

You are doing great in school in with Miss Kate. You have made tremendous progress so far. Where as you would never sing the ABCs or even let me sing them, now I hear you joyfully singing them to yourself while you play. You are very into writing letters and then asking me what they say. You are very interested in letters and numbers right now and that makes me soooo happy! You are also doing really great in speech with Miss Ali.

You have shown nothing but care and love for your new brother Collins and you show lots of patience with Banks. You're a great sharer and listener. I hope this continues.

Dinosaurs seem to be our #1 interest right now but books come close behind. You like to look at the pictures and make up the story. You often tell me to read the book but with no words.

I can't wait to see where this next year takes us and how you grow. You amaze me everyday. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mom

My Three Sons

Does life get any better than this?

Let me introduce you to Collins!

William Collins Holman officially joined our family yesterday. The c-section was uneventful and everything went smoothly. We had to be at the hospital at 6am for the 8am surgery. I was giddy with excitement over meeting our sweet baby.

Collins proved to belong to our family upon his first weight check. At 8 pounds 15 ounces, he fits right in with our "big baby" trend. He is 21 inches long and David thinks he has my skin coloring. He's been a great nurser and sleeper.

I'm relaxing at the hospital while the boys are in school and David is doing errands. With this being our 3rd, it's like the hospital is an all-inclusive resort except without the fun, fruity drinks. I've got a comfy bed (sorry David about the sleeper chair), food being brought to me, a tv, a computer, and a lot of quiet time. Oh yeah, hospital life isn't too bad!

Collins supporting his two favorite college teams.

Me and Collins - excuse the drugged look in my eyes. The morphine was going strong.

Hughes giving Collins a "welcome" kiss. Sorry about the sideways picture.

First Family Photo with all 5 - excuse my chins, I thought I had one but obviously a few more popped up!

Dad, Collins & Mom

David is not a priest but he is a godsend. He's the best daddy in the world!

39.4 Weeks Pregnant - Here Comes Collins!

Collins is coming tomorrow! We have to be at the hospital at 6am for an 8am c-section. BecBec is here to take over Hughes/Banks duty while we're at the hospital. We've talked and talked about it with the boys so we'll see if all the talking was worth it tomorrow when they meet their new baby brother.

I'm excited and thrilled to be able to hold Collins in my arms and not my stomach, however; I realize that he is a lot easier to care for inside of me rather than on the outside. I'm not looking forward to the healing process from the c-section and really not looking forward to "looking pregnant" but not being pregnant. That part really stinks. I am looking forward to nursing him, cuddling him, and watching him grow. It is true - children grow up way too fast!!

So

Dear Collins,

Tomorrow you will be here and I'm ecstatic. You have been prayed for before you were conceived and have continued to receive daily prayers on your behalf. It is my prayer that you have an open and loving heart, a listening ear, a helpful hand, and a prayerful tongue. I promise to be the best mom that I can be. I promise to be loving and fair, always have an open ear, and be your biggest cheerleader through life.

You officially join the world tomorrow and I know you will make it a better place! I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mom

I can't believe I'll be a mom to three boys tomorrow!!!!!!

Blessing of the Animals

Tonight we braved going to St. Michaels for the Blessing of the Animals with two kids and Charlie in tow. And, I have to say, Charlie was the perfect Christian dog. He didn't bark during the sermon, he didn't urinate in the church, and he received a blessing from Priest Peter Moore like he was use to it.

Charlie, we are proud of you!

Taco Boy T-Rexes

Today was a crazy day. Hughes willingly & joyfully played soccer today. We've had quite a time with Hughes and soccer. He would participate in practice doing the drills but would never want to play in the scrimage during practice. And on game days - forget about it. He sat on the bench - sometimes crying, sometimes pouting, always miserable. Well, for parents, that makes us miserable. What do you do?

This morning we had team pictures at 8am and a game at 8:30am. Dreading it, I sent David with Hughes for the pictures. Well, he did great with pictures which is kind of crazy considering Hughes hates getting his picture made.

Top Row: Thad, Hughes, Conley, Coach Jay

Bottom Row: Sasha, Wyatt, & Graham

David called me after the 1st quarter to tell me to "hurry over" because Hughes just played the first quarter like a pro (okay, maybe not like a pro but definitely like someone who's interested). I was in shock. Banks and I rushed over only to find Hughes playing soccer with a smile on his face. I got tears in my eyes because I was so happy that he finally was enjoying himself. He did awesome!

Now, let's back up a little bit to the early morning before we left the house. David and I had a talk with Hughes. We told him that he didn't have to play but that he could not cry on the bench. All that we asked was that he sat on the bench and not cry. We no longer cared if he played. We showed him a ring pop that we had bought for him in return for no crying.

A promise is a promise. Showing off the ring pop that he worked so hard for. Of course, Banks just benefitted from his brother's hard work.

38 1/2 Weeks - Oh So Close!

Well, it seems Collins is holding on to one of my ribs because my body is refusing to make any progress down there. I thought for sure that something would be going on but not so. They had a hard time finding his heartbeat this morning but it didn't worry me because during the time that the nurse had the doppler on me Collins kicked her the entire time. Then, when Dr. Dennis came in to find the heartbeat he kicked him the entire time, too. When they finally got it the heartbeat was around 150.

Banks went with me to the doctor this morning. As I was giving my urine sample in the bathroom, Banks fussed at me, "mama, teetee goes in the potty not a cup". And, then, when I was undressing for the examination, Banks said, "mama, why you take your clothes off? Put your clothes back on". Hopefully this newly 3-year old will forget all that he saw. He didn't pay to much attention to the examination as I had brought Sweet Sixteen Doughnuts for him to snack on during this time. He was way more interested in the doughnuts than me on the table.

So, unless there is a drastic change, which I foresee not, Collins's c-section date will stay the same - Monday, October 4th. Now, just got to get David's honey-do list started because my body is pooped. Not a lot of sleep going on, a lot of daily and nightly bathroom breaks going on, and two boys who still want to go-go-go!

Ambitious?

Conversations with Banks and Hughes:

Me: Banks, what do you want to do when you grow up?

Banks: a dentist (while playing with Mr. Fill 'n Drill playdough)

Me: Hughes, what do you want to do when you grow up?

Hughes: watch tv

Dear God,

Please let Hughes' aspirations change drastically and keep Banks' the same.

A Worried Mother,

Me

It's Raining Diapers!

I have been showered with diapers, wipes & all kinds of cute necessities from some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Collins has diapers and wipes that will last him until he's 18!

I love seeing his name and initials monogrammed on items.

Sweet day gown that my mom gave him. He'll be wearing this home from the hospital.

With having 3 boys there is a lot of clothes sharing but a day gown is one thing that I've always gotten new for each child to come home in. We share a christening gown so this is the one thing that is completely there's. Of course, I'm sure their future wives one day will probably hate day gowns but, hey, I don't care. I love them! I guess I'll be that crazy mother-in-law that hands down a precious gown that I've saved for 30 years only to be laughed at behind my back. Can I start praying for my future daughter-in-laws now?

It was a great night with a few of my favorite girls. We are officially ready for Collins to come on out and play (without crying, of course).

Dino-Mite!

We celebrated Hughes' birthday a little early this year due to Collins' impending arrival. It was a dinosaur themed party at The Charleston Museum and all the kids loved it! Hughes invited a few of his 5-year old buddies to come learn about dinosaurs. It was great and I was happy that it wasn't at my house so there was no set-up or clean-up for me!

The Birthday Boy holding up his age - 5! I can't believe he's 5 already!

Blurry picture but it's the best I have of the both of them. My camera was on the wrong setting.

Dinosaur cupcakes courtesy of BecBec - to bad the sun melted off most of the icing hence the green pool the cupcakes are sitting in. Oh well, no kid complained.

Family Picture

Checking out the dinosaur fossils with Miller & Lucy.

Wyatt & Conley in the puppet theatre.

Listening to Miss Ryn teach us about different types of dinosaurs. Hughes was interested, I promise!

On to the art activities - each kid got to make two fossils and then paint a triceratops bank.

Wyatt, Conley & Miller focusing on their banks.

Hughes, William & Banks hard at work.

This was part of the scavenger hunt through the museum. They all had picture lists to find certain items in the museum. I stayed behind but David said it was great.

Look at that glowing cupcake! He blew it out without a problem.

Hughes has already said he wants to do his party again. I think after so much fuss over Banks' party, Hughes was glad to have the spotlight. We had a Dino-Mite time!

Soon-to-be Big Brothers

Well, technically, Hughes is already a big brother but Banks will soon be joining the ranks.

I had my weekly check-up this morning with Dr. Dennis and I'm making progress. I'm 70% effaced and I've lost 2 more pounds. He couldn't check for dilation because my cervix was posterior and he said he would have hurt me had he tried - to that, I thanked him! He thinks I'll make it through this weekend but has moved my normal Wednesday appointment to Tuesday just in case we need to move the c-section up to next week.

I think Collins has created about 10 more inches of stretch marks on my stomach in the past 24 hours. He is constantly kicking, stretching, punching, head butting everything in his way. His heartbeat sounded good this morning but I can't remember what it was. He was definitely showing off his kicking skills at the dr.'s office. Every time the nurse or Dr. Dennis would touch my stomach he would give them a swift kick right where their hand was.

As for the big brothers, they have been troopers. The other morning I sighed on the way to school and Hughes asked me why I did that. I explained to them that Collins was making it hard for me to sleep and that there wasn't much room left for Collins in my tummy. Hughes then told me that Collins could come sleep in his bed at night if he wanted. It just melted my heart. Hughes is such a sweet child and he has already shown a lot of interest in Collins (way more than he did with Banks, although he was only 23 months old when Banks came along).

Banks brought home a picture today from school where he had drawn Collins into the family portrait. Hughes brought one home already and I love them both. Banks loves to hug my tummy and feel Collins move. After we feel Collins move then we always have to put our hands on his tummy and feel his baby move.

37 Weeks and Home Alone

Is that a beach ball under my shirt?

I had my weekly check-up this past Wednesday. Everything sounded and looked good. Collins' heartbeat was 164 and I, actually, had lost 2lbs. I'm not sure how that happened. I think the scale was wrong. I was 1cm but to a 3rd time mom I know that I can walk around 1cm for weeks so that didn't get me too excited or scared.

I guess not scared at all since I sent David and the boys down to Auburn for the Auburn/Clemson game 7 hours away. My entire family except Kent is down there tailgating and having a great time. I'm a little jealous but realized the best place for me right now is at home. Although Bill thought it would be cool to give birth in Jordan-Hare, I had to disagree. I don't think giving birth on the jumbotron would be such a great thing.

So, I'm at home alone. Oh, and I'm loving it!!!!! I've gotten so much done and I've done a little pampering for myself, too. It's quite nice not having to fix juice cups, wipe hineys, listen to crying, etc.. I know it will be a long time before it's this quiet in the house again so I'm enjoying it. I think today I'll go sit on the beach for a few hours. That is after I get my pedicure!

War Eagle!

He lives where?

Banks with all his superhero knowledge is sure to impress to any girl. I've said before that he can tell you who many mask crusaders are without their masks. David has added to that and is now talking to Banks about where the superheroes live. Well, this is a bit of the conversation this morning at 6:45am:

David: Banks, do you know where Batman lives?

Banks: no, where does Batman live?

David: Gotham City

Banks: Ga Dam (of course he was trying to say Gotham but it had us cracking up)

So, according to Banks, Batman does not live in a very nice city.

Banks' Batman Birthday Party

This past Sunday, Banks had his Batman Birthday Party that he has been talking about since this summer. I'm not sure when or where Batman became such a huge part of his life but he loves it. Banks can tell you the name of Batman's true identity (Bruce Wayne), Spiderman's true identity (Peter Parker), Superman's true identity (Clark Kent) and we're working on Ironman's identity. I can't say his love of superheroes has not been helped along by his Dad but I can say that they both are having a great time.

We started our celebration Sunday morning with letting him open our birthday present to him - a new Batman costume complete with muscle chest. It's a size 2-4 but it didn't stop this Batman. We just rolled up the pants and put on our Batman boots (thanks Dawa & G-Daddy). To say he loved it would be the understatement of the year.

We, of course, wore our Batman costume to our Batman Birthday Party even though it was 95 degrees. He thought he was the coolest kid at the playground that day. He definitely enjoyed all the attention he got from outsiders.

Super MaryBec & Super Lucy

Super Wyatt & Batman holding his new Batman thermos - Thanks Wyatt!

Super Charles

Hughes hanging with Miller and Lucy - the two loves of his life.

David carrying the kids across the monkey bars. I think he did this for about 30 minutes. Super Thomas is in the background sans cape.

Super Francis enjoying some cake. It was fabulous - thanks Mom!

BecBec and Batman

Batman and Super Conley

Kentos/The Joker terrorizing Batman

Blowing out those three birthday candles.

Hudson, Chandler, & Thomas enjoying the cupcakes.

Batman loves chocolate.

When we got home BecBec and PopPop gave Banks their special present - a real bike! Kentos and Aunt Trina helped the look with a Batman bike helmet and bell. Banks loves the bike and he is ready to cruise the neighborhood.

At the end of the day, Batman was exhausted, cranky, whiny & whipped. So was I!

Happy Birthday Banks - I'm glad there are 365 days before we have to have another one!

Albeit, we're celebrating Hughes' birthday next week so wish me luck!