Company Christmas Party

Last year we won a bunch of stuff.  This year, we did not win anything, but we enjoyed a lovely dinner and a night out (with Ezra), and most of all... we counted our blessings.  We have so much to thank our God for.  We have a Savior who bore our curse.  We have everything. =)

And, the big kids got to have a sleepover with Grandpa Ron and Grandma Connie, complete with Mickey Mouse pancakes and everything!!  

Thanksgiving...

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we got together at my parent's house and had tamales.  Here's the best family picture:

Then on Thanksgiving day, we read stories about Thanksgiving and ate at my parent's again that night after Ben was off work (Thank you Mom and Dad for feeding us so much that week!!)

The kids had a blast with their cousins:

And then we had another "Feast" at Grammie's house, and the kids got to play and run around with their other cousins.

P.S.  The trouble with a 4 year old who can read:

I was reading the books about Thanksgiving I got from the library to the kids.  One of the stories had quite a bit of reading, so I was "paraphrasing" in order to give them the most important information.  Caleb told me, "Mom!  The last word on the page was "grains" and you didn't say that!!"  Oops.  =)  

Enjoying the Christmas tree...

So, we put up our Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving [I know it's been a while, but I have not been very good about keeping up with the blog.  Luckily, my sister-in-law reminded me that I have been lagging!! =)]

Anyway, this is a picture of the kids in their jammies... It would have been our Christmas card, if there wasn't one child missing!!! =)

Fun Friday

Cadence and Lyric (my nieces) came and hung out with us on Friday.  Here is a picture of Cadence and her Auntie "See-saw".  She even fell asleep on me and let me cuddle her... just until Mommy was available.  =)

Child Labor...

Just to be clear, I didn't ask Emma to mop the kitchen floor and the bathroom floor.  She begged me to let her use the Shark H2O mop.  I LET her do the kitchen and the bathroom.  I did the rest.

Oh yes, Caleb had to have a turn too.

Look Who's Getting Big...

Ezra at 6 weeks.

One Month

Ezra is a month old!!

We had fun putting up our (fake) Christmas tree!!-Ben starts his "work week" on Thanksgiving day, so we figured we might as well put it up and enjoy it now!!  

Here are the big kids with our tree:

He's Growing...

Ezra at three weeks old:

It Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time...

Well, today was one of those days.  We all have them, you know.  Ezra was up at 1:15 am, which was normal.  Then, Caleb was up at 2 am to go potty, then 2:15 am to blow his nose, then at 3 something am to tell me he had a bad dream.  Then Ezra got up to eat again at 4 am, which is again, pretty normal.  But he didn't want to go back to sleep.  So at 5 am, I just brought him into the bed with me and he fell asleep.  But alas, Caleb was up again at 6 am to go potty, and left his door open, so Noah got up and started getting into trouble in the living room.  I came to get him, and Noah threw a fit, so he ended up screaming in his crib for a while.  Then everyone decided it was time to start the day!

After breakfast we were getting ready for a walk, and Emma got into trouble for using unkind words with Mama after I asked her to change.  Then, Caleb threw a big fit and ended up on his bed (which was all for nothing, because all I was going to do was ask him to flush the toilet, but he assumed he must be in trouble so opted for crying on the floor).

The walk was a nice break, but I decided we all needed a do-over.  So, since my mom was babysitting the cousins, I thought I would take the kids over to Grandma's, which they love, and then take the big kids to the library to choose some Thanksgiving books.  When we got to the library, it was closed!!!  By this time, you just have to laugh.  I mean, really.  But, my mom ever-so-kindly made us all lunch, and we had some fun on starfall.com, and then came home for rest time.  

After dinner, Ben had to go to work (it's night shift week!).  A friend came by to bring over some hand-me-down clothes, and her two kids were playing with all of mine.  In the next 30 minutes, Caleb hurt his ear, Emma cut her gums and was bleeding, Ezra was screaming to be fed, and Noah did this:

TWICE.  They took the sink out of the play kitchen, and Noah climbed into the cabinet below the sink opening, and stuck his head and arms up through the opening.  You can't see in the picture, but there is a microwave above his head, so you can't pick him up through the opening (not that he would have fit that way!).  The only choice was to go back down through the opening.

The first time I helped him out (and told him not to do it again).  The second time I took pictures and told him he was on his own.  He got himself out.

Anyway... today was a day.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow has for us...

Matching...

The first time the boys have had matching shirts... 

"Mysterious"

Caleb and Emma have two new favorite words.  "Mysterious" and "suspicious".  I have been hearing these a lot.  The other day, I made tea for the kids.  Caleb told me, "Mom, there is something really mysterious going on here.  My tea just keeps getting tastier and tastier as I drink it!!"

Deja Vu

 Caleb  Ezra
  CalebEzra

They look so much alike sometimes, it is uncanny.  It amazes me.  Even many of their facial expressions and mannerisms are similar.  And yet, God has made them each unique, I am anxious to see what differences and similarities we will see as they grow and change.  And even though these pictures don't even do justice to their similarities, I still don't look at Ezra and think, "Oh, Caleb."  I look at him and think, "Ezra."  =)

Update on Ezra

My SIL (look at me, trying to be like a pro-blogger, my sister-in-law) reminded me that I needed to post some pictures of Ezra.  Tomorrow we go to our appointment to try and get him a birth certificate.  Only after running around getting letters and records from his pediatrician and my OB/GYN.  

Anyway, at Ezra's one week check-up he had already gained 1/2 a pound, so I think he is doing okay.  

He eats every three hours, which means I get up about twice a night.  He has been very sweet about going back to sleep after he's done eating.  Unfortunately, the big boys have been getting up before 6 am ever since we changed the clocks!!  But, we are enjoying our new family addition, and he is doing great!!  Daddy's is off starting tomorrow, so we are all looking forward to some time together as a family.  

Psycho Sally...

Okay, I usually blog about the kids, or our life in general.  Today, you get to read about just one of the crazy things about me.  Now, my birthday was in October too (we have a LOT of October birthdays in our family!).  So, my MIL (that's blog speak for Mother-in-Law), got me these really cool bamboo pants for my birthday.  They are super soft, and black, and I don't know how it happened that I no longer had any black workout pants (I used to be a personal trainer, an aerobic instructor, and I worked at a gym!!).  But I really needed these pants, not to mention they are AWESOME.  So, I was so excited about this gift.  Here's where it gets a bit personal.  They were a size Medium.  I tried them on that night, and although they were snug, I could get them on, and they looked moderately decent.  Fast forward about a week or so, and Ben asks me why I haven't worn my new pants.  Well, I wasn't sure if I should keep the medium or exchange for a large.  But, I decided to keep the medium, since I can actually wear them right now, and the hope is that I am not going to get larger, but that I will lose at least some of the pregnancy weight and they will fit me better and better.  Another couple of days goes by and Ben still hasn't seen me wearing the pants.  Then I tell him.  I am afraid to wear them because they're nice and I don't want to get them dirty.  He laughs and reminds me that they aren't doing anyone any good just sitting in a drawer.  So, the other morning, I triumphed over the Psycho Sally in me, even if it was just for one day.  We went for a walk.  I called Ben to tell him.  I wore my new pants.  They are awesome.

The Country Fair...

I have been amazed at how quickly all of you have gotten up your Halloween pictures.  I like to lag.  =)  So, we had a very nice time at the Country Fair at our church.  The kids brought home way more candy than they'll ever actually get to eat, (although I am pretty sure I have seen Daddy sneak some here and there!), they enjoyed the bounce house, and I didn't get many pictures because I had to feed Ezra when we got there, and then I was trying to watch in two different directions all night.  But, it was a great time for the kids.  My mom had bought a big bag of candy for us to pass out (our neighborhood is very popular for trick-or-treating).  I didn't think there was any way we would be able to get rid of that candy!!  But, between the trick-or-treaters who came while I was getting everyone ready, and the ones that came in the fifteen minutes after we got home from the church... all that candy was gone.  Seriously, the streets are lined with cars, people who dropped off their kids and are waiting to pick them back up at 8pm.  There was a ton of kids.  But, everyone is safe, the kids had a good time, and here's to another year of my least favorite holiday gone by. =)

Caleb is a Knight (big surprise!), Emma is Belle (although with a veil on her head, so maybe she's Belle getting married??) and Noah is what I call Super-Baby.  Basically, we didn't have any money to invest into this holiday, so they all wore something that they already had.  

Amazing...

WARNING: this post contains sensitive material.  

Okay, I am continually amazed by the way God has created our bodies, and babies and mommies, there are so many things that have fascinated me this past week and a half.  One of the things that they do in the hospital when you have a newborn is administer a Vitamin K shot, which helps newborns with blood clotting.  We had decided to go ahead and get the Vitamin K shot (we opted out of the eye goop, and the hep B vaccine) since we knew that Ezra would be getting circumcised.  No real medical reason, just thought he would prefer being like Daddy and brothers.  Anyway, getting a vitamin K shot proved to be a difficult task.  They don't have it at the pediatrician's office, the hospital won't administer it unless we took Ezra to the Emergency Room, and none of the pharmacies carry it.  After some further research and a very helpful talk with a midwife, we came to the conclusion that the actual benefits of this shot compared to the risks were not worth all the effort we were going to in order to get Ezra this shot.  This is the interesting part:

When babies are born, they do not have the full amount of clotting factor... well, this can be a problem in some babies, but for most, it is not.  Our pediatrician explained that it is because they have not yet fully built up the "good bacteria" within their intestinal systems.  But listen to this!!!  Not only is there a higher concentration of Vitamin K in the colostrum (the stuff just before your milk comes in), but after the first week of life, the baby has built up sufficient amounts of the "good bacteria" to be able to clot on their own.   The midwife specifically put it this way, that the baby has sufficient clotting ability by the eighth day.  Now, perhaps that isn't super significant yet... but, in Biblical times, boys were circumcised on the eighth day!!!!  And, not only did this just completely amaze me, how God perfectly designed that all to fit together, but before knowing any of this information, we had made an appointment to have Ezra's circumcision done, and do you know when his appointment had fallen???  On the EIGHTH day. I'm not even kidding!!  Ben and I were talking about how God told the Israelites to circumcise on the eighth day, and He didn't necessarily spell out WHY he told them that, He just expected them to obey.  And it was for their good!!  

Anyway, I am just in awe of all this, and although it may not interest everyone else the same way, it tickled me enough to blog about it.

P.S.  Ezra is doing very well since his circumcision, and healing up just fine.  His doctor said there was very little bleeding.  Yeah God!

In Love...

It's hard to find the words to communicate what I am feeling, but I wanted to try, because when I look back, I want to have written down somewhere what it felt like during these days that are going by so fast. 

In the quiet moments of the night, it is just Ezra and I.  Sometimes when I am nursing, the thought occurs to me that I could be doing some multi-tasking... accomplishing more while I feed him (even if it's just checking e-mail or something).  And then my heart reminds me that these moments are over too fast.  So instead, I drink in deeply the details of my God's handiwork, I praise Him, as my heart overflows.  I hear the chorus of the Chris Tomlin song over and over as I stare in awe, "You do all things well!!"

Yesterday, instead of our usual "schoolwork", Emma and Caleb wrote stories.  They told them to me, and I wrote them out, and then they drew pictures to accompany their stories.  I marveled at their creative ability.  I am listening to them giggle as they make play-dough Oreos, and I am so thankful for these amazing kids.  

This afternoon, while Caleb and Emma and Ezra were quiet (well, sort of) I got to just sit and play puzzles with Noah.  Then as he ate his lunch and made silly faces at me, I thought, "How can one person be so blessed?"  

I am the mommy to four.  There will be many times when just that thought alone will overwhelm me.  But right now, I am in awe.  I am so honored to be entrusted with these ones, and I pray that despite my failings and mistakes, I will be found to be as faithful as one sinful human can be.  These amazing ones are in my care.  My husband is at work, providing for us, and can't wait to come home to us.  I can't wait for him to be here either.

It is our great God who has given us all this.  He most certainly does all things well.  I am reminded of how God loves us just because we are, not because of what we have done (as if we could do anything of worth!!) and in spite of our sin.  Thank you seems so small compared to all that God has done on our behalf.  And yet my heart cries it out, over and over... Thank you!

I am in love.

Birthday Boy...

We celebrated Noah's 2nd birthday.  Nothing fancy, but everything that was really important.  Family and cake.  Good times!  I can't believe how big he is... and he loves puzzles just like his big brother.  He can already do all of his puzzles, but he loves doing them over and over and over.... =)

About the castor oil...

Some fun details I forgot:

1.  Ben has his EMT Certification... just in case you were all wondering.  It does make a big difference, because he did know what to do and didn't even freak out about the cord being around Ezra's neck.  As far as I know (but I really can't be sure), this is the first time that one of our kids had the cord around their neck.  (Ben just informed me that this is not the first time!)

2.  Ben tied the cord with dental floss.  Although our pediatrician's office seemed to think that not clamping the cord was a big deal, when they saw it, they were pretty impressed.  Maybe all hospitals should use dental floss???

3.  I had two friends of mine who had tried castor oil to induce labor.  I was scheduled to be induced this Friday, the 24th.  I was not too keen on this idea of castor oil, so I decided I would consult with the two people I knew who had tried it.  They both said it wasn't too bad, and they weren't in pain on the toilet for hours.  One of them said that it was definitely what worked (although she did take multiple doses, maybe four total).  I decided that desperate times called for desperate measures.  And, I thought, they are going to be pumping me full of pitocin soon anyway, might as well give it a go!  I was afraid, though, because I haven't had much trouble HAVING contractions, it was just keeping them that was the problem.

We actually happened to have some castor oil (for another purpose), which is what had started me thinking of trying it anyway.  The internet recommended dose for inducing labor was 2 oz., or 4 Tblspns.  Being as scared as I was, I decided to try 1/2 of a teaspoon.  I have no idea if that is what did the trick.  But, man, if it was what did it... it really worked.  If it is not what did it, then it's just a funny story.  

4.  I had secretly been wishing for a home birth.  We even consulted with a midwife, but since our insurance wouldn't cover it, we decided on the hospital.  One of the nights when my contractions were really intense, I started getting scared that the baby might come at home.  And I was terrified!!  I thought, "Oh no, we have to do this at the hospital!"  This is how I knew God was so close to us the whole time... when we actually WERE having the baby at home, I was not scared... I was at peace, but desperate for His help (if that makes sense).

I am sure I forgot many other things, and they may or may not come to me during the night when I am up with Ezra.  But, it was an amazing experience, and we are so thankful for God's provision and care.  

The Reader's Digest Version...

Okay, in any story there are many details.  This will be the reader's digest version of Ezra's birth story:

At 4:30pm(ish) I had a contraction.  It was a good one.  But I had been having contractions, and they would get stronger and eventually go away.  Then I had another one.  I grabbed the phone and called Ben, crying.  I asked him to come home.  I told him that these contractions (all two of them!) were really strong, and I didn't know if they would stop or not, but I was alone and I needed help with the kids.  So, Ben started the process of getting off work in order to come home.  Then I called him back to say that I was just overreacting and he didn't need to come home.  (He declined and said that he was, in fact, coming home.)  I went to put a movie in for the kids, and felt a trickle that might be my water breaking??  But I wasn't sure.  Then I got in the shower, which is where I was when Ben got home.  I had stayed until there wasn't any more warm water. =(

As I was getting out, I told Ben that this would be the time we should go to the hospital.  But, I asked him to try and check me, since we had been through this on and off again with contractions and they hadn't been very productive.  So, Ben goes to check me and gets a very interesting look on his face.  I ask, "What is it??"  And he replies, "It's a head."  At this point, we pretty much realize that we are going to have the baby at home, unless something goes wrong.  I didn't quite feel ready to push just yet... But Ben threw down a shower curtain and an old comforter and some towels.   Then, I decide that laying on the bed on my back doesn't feel right, so I go into the bathroom where I am standing/squatting.  My legs got tired, so I sat down on the toilet to rest.  I had a contraction while sitting and told Ben, "The baby moved."  I knew he would be born with the next contraction.  The next one came and I said, "Ben!"  And he asked, "Is he coming?"  "Yes!!"  (Side note: I did have a bulb syringe and a pair of scissors that I had boiled just in case on one of my previous bouts of contractions).  Ben grabbed the bulb syringe, and ran back in the bathroom to see baby's head emerging.  He was trying to get me to move to the ground, but I ended up sort of squatting, and I couldn't move because the rest of baby was coming!!  Ben very calmly told me, "I have to get the cord off the baby's neck."  Then, he suctioned, and handed the baby to me to keep on my chest and get warm.  We made it to the bed and after a few minutes of letting him cry, the baby was nursing.  It took about an hour to deliver the placenta, during which time we called my OB/GYN who was going to have us meet her at the Ojai Emergency Room, but once the placenta delivered, we knew I was okay and baby was already doing great.  So we opted to stay home, and do doctor's visits the following day.  We had a couple of moments that were a little scary-the first being when we realized for sure that the baby would probably be born at home.  We stopped and prayed.  The second was during our wait for the placenta, and we stopped and prayed.  We felt God's presence so strongly, and are overwhelmed by the many ways he took care of us and provided for us.  Ben graciously did the clean-up and buried the placenta in our backyard.  And he even "punched me in the stomach" (this is always what I call the massaging of the uterus) and told me, "You can curse Eve, but I have to do this."

Ezra Lucas Knight Hester was born at 7:35pm at our house.  It was awesome, and we are praising God for His mercy, His grace, His wisdom, and His amazing creative ability.  I am in awe of how God made a woman's body to give birth, and a baby growing inside, and how they work together (like nursing, and how it ever-so painfully contracts a uterus!!) =)

Please continue to pray for us, as we embark on this adventure... It has been a little harder than we expected to get the care we need, and details like trying to get a birth certificate.  We're working on it.

Ezra means, "Jehovah helps"

"For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."  Ezra 7:10

Lucas means "bringer of light"

Knight was chosen by big brother Caleb

We couldn't choose, so he gets them all!!

Ezra-"Jehovah Helps"

Sometimes, things are just too amazing for words.  This is sort of one of those times, and yet not at the same time because our God is so amazing and His praise must be declared!!!  So, this is not the "birth story" in its entirety, so to speak, but it is a testimony to the amazing Jehovah God we serve, who has most certainly been our help.

Tonight, Ezra (in case you hadn't guessed, that's the baby's name!!) was born at home.  Daddy Ben delivered, and if we could say anything about the whole experience... it would be that Jehovah has been our help, and we are praising Him for the safe entry of Baby Ezra into the world.  We haven't yet decided on the middle name, and we don't know how much he weighs or anything.  But I will post more when I know it!!  Thank you for your prayers... and keep 'em coming.

Birthday Present

Well, it is so exciting.  For my birthday, my parents got me the Shark H20 Mop, and it's even pink!!  I have included a picture because I was so excited.  Most of our house is either hardwood or tile floors, so this comes in so handy.  It only uses water instead of any harsh cleaning chemicals (good for little ones!)  And because it heats the water into steam, it sanitizes!!  And, it is easy enough that the kids have all taken turns (when I LET them!!)  Simple pleasures.  =)

Worn Out...

Evidently, watching me do a workout video wore Noah out.  Poor baby.

Baby Knight's Celebration

The women at my church honored me in such an amazing way... We had a celebration party for this sweet little one.  It was amazing.  I don't have the words to describe it, but I did want to share some pictures.  I am so thankful for this amazing group of women, and am so excited that these are the ones praying for our family.  The cake is my sweet friend Madison's masterpiece!

Family Hike and ALMOST a baby!

The other day we went and hiked Pratt trail, here in town.  The kids had a great time pretending to hunt for tigers and other animals.  Emma was so sweet, she felt the need to hold my hand and "help" me up all steps, since "I have a baby".  It was very touching to see her sweet heart for taking care of mama.  It was a very nice hike, and was successful at producing lots of contractions, which eventually led us to the hospital on my birthday night.  However, once we got down there, the contractions stopped (which was really weird since they had been so strong).  They monitored the baby's heart rate, which was high, and told me that if they couldn't get it down then we might just have a baby even if my contractions had stopped.  After quite a while of trying to get baby's heart rate down, they decided to do an ultrasound which confirmed what I had thought for a while, and the most likely cause of my contractions stopping:  Baby is face up!  So, we are praying for baby to turn over and we are still anxiously awaiting his grand entrance!!

Big Week...

So, not only did Emma lose her first "wiggly" tooth, but then she informed me that she knows how to tie her own shoes.  And sure enough, she does.  They are all growing up so fast!

36 Week Appointment

Well, not too much to report from my doctor's appointment today, except that my doctor was a little concerned that baby is on the small side, so I am going to have an ultrasound on Friday to check on him.  Ben has suggested pumping myself full of calories, however I am not sure that would turn out with exactly the results we would hope for.  Maybe I'll just enjoy getting to peek at him and see how he's doing!

Date Night

The best thing happened.  My mom called and asked if Ben and I wanted to go see Fireproof, a new movie.  First of all let me say that you MUST see this movie, it is the best ever, and I am so glad we were able to go and support this Christian film.  Then, we went and got some sushi at the aforementioned Seafresh, and it was totally awesome.  Don't worry, everything I got was cooked.  We shared a Seaweed Salad, a Spicy Shrimp roll, and one other that I can't remember.  So, so good.  We had the best night, and I am so thankful... It was so special, and the timing was perfect, since baby will be along soon enough.  Thank you God for an awesome night with an awesome hubby and an awesome mom willing to watch our awesome kids.  Oh yeah, and awesome food too. =)

Cravings...

Well, as far as my pregnancies have gone, I have NOT had (oops!, when it first posted it said I did!) huge cravings that were like, "I MUST HAVE....!"  But of course, we haven't ever really been a family that could indulge such cravings if I had them, since the budget is always pretty tight.  But, if I were going to sum up each pregnancy according to the most desired things to eat, I think it would go as follows:

Emma:  Well, it all started at Fresh Choice (salad!!)  There's where I told Ben the news that we were having our first baby.  After that, I pretty much couldn't eat anything that was super healthy.  I liked Nacho Cheese Doritos.  

Caleb:  The thing I wanted most often when I was pregnant with Caleb were those yummy little clementine tangerines.  They were awesome.

Noah:  Cocoa puffs.  I did also enjoy cucumbers in the Chinese Chicken Salad dressing from Trader Joe's...

Baby Knight:  Well, I didn't feel so hot in the beginning.  But as of late, the only things on my mind are 1) ICE and 2) Seafresh.  Seafresh is a restaurant here in Ojai that has some killer sushi rolls and a to-die for Seaweed Salad.  Yum. 

So, your turn?  What did you crave?

34 weeks

It occurred to me that I haven't done a whole lot of "baby" posting on the blog.  That is kind of sad, especially since we are towards the end here... but, I thought I would at least try!!  (Poor baby #4!)  Anyway, I debated not going to my 34 week appointment, and those of you who know me well are laughing, I am sure.  It's not that I don't like going, but once you get into going every two weeks, or one week, it is hard because life with the three other children must still go on!  And, between Noah's surgery (which was this week) and driving down to L.A. (gas is still expensive, even though it is under $4/gallon!), and homeschool, and laundry and dishes and groceries... sometimes it is hard to make the time to drive down to Ventura for the appointment.  But my DH (evidently in blogging world, this stands for Dear Husband, and I am now trying to be cool by using it) made a good point.  These appointments aren't just for me, but also for my doctor to get to know me and to be able to notice changes or things that might mean something more than I think.  So, I did go and I am glad that I did.  I got my grocery shopping done as well, so I actually accomplished quite a bit.  Anyway, no big news to report, except that Baby Knight is doing well, and his heartbeat is REALLY strong.  Two weeks ago, I was applauded for only gaining 1 pound in a month!!  (Ben attributed this to my bike riding) Well, here it is two weeks later, and let's just say that I made up for it by gaining about 5 pounds in two weeks.  Go figure.  =)  Anyway, I am supposed to pre-register at the hospital sometime soon, and then at my next appointment (36 weeks) she will start checking me to see where I am and to get a better idea of the baby's position.  I am excited to meet this sweet one, and yet this week brought the panic that I always feel at some point, "Am I ready?"  And of course, "I'm not sure I am doing a good job with the ones I have, should I really be allowed to have another one??"  And oh yes, "If I am already getting up five times in the night with the various other children, how in the world will I be able to take care of a newborn all night as well???"  God is gracious.  He calms me, and reminds me that He is in control, and Baby Knight is going to come at just the right time.  And when he does, His grace will be sufficient to meet the needs of these ones He has given us.  Until then, we wait.  Well, we wait and do laundry and dishes, and cook, and clean, and do schoolwork, and ride bikes.... =)

Update on Noah...

Well, Noah had his surgery today!  We were so fortunate to have a church full of people praying for him.  They called us yesterday to inform us that they moved his surgery time from 12:45pm to 10:45am, which meant that we had to drop off Emma and Caleb with my mom at 5:30am.  (She was a trooper too!!)  But, Noah didn't complain or fuss at all, even when we handed him over and the nurse took him in for the surgery.  The surgery went just as planned, although he was not quite so happy when we went in to be with him post-op.  He pulled out his own IV, and after some gatorade, threw up.  He threw up some more on the car ride home, probably due to the anesthesia.  But all in all, he was such a trooper and he is almost back to normal.  Thanks for your prayers and concern... and we appreciate your continued prayers for his recovery, he is still kind of "uncomfortable."  

Jalama...

Well, I'm eight months pregnant... seems like a great time for camping!!!  I sometimes get these ideas into my head, but this one actually turned out really well.  We decided to go ahead and take a family camping trip up to Jalama State Beach.  Interestingly enough, the last time we went camping I was pregnant!!  Anyway, Jalama is a first-come, first-serve camp ground.  When we got there, it was already pretty full.  What a testimony as to how our God knows and cares about every detail!!  It was as if He himself picked our camp spot.  It was right next to the restroom, right across from the playground and the beach, and very close to the general store/restaurant.  It was a great time, and after our wonderful night, we decided to leave on the upside so that we can come back again soon.  Ben got in some surfing time, the kids and I finished reading Pollyanna, and we all slept in the big 'ol tent.  Good times.  Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Helping Daddy set up camp.  

Beautiful beach day!

Everyone has to help!

Proof that I was actually there.

Proud of Emma...

So, we started our "new" school year today... we actually never really stopped school, because it gives us the freedom to take days off as needed, especially with the new baby coming.  Anyway, we started all our new stuff today, including continuing on with what we had been doing.  The kids did a great job, and I am very proud of both of them and their work.  But the thing we just had to blog about (per husband's instructions)???

The etch-a-sketch.  Oh yeah, she rocked it...