Our Baby is SEVEN

Beckett is seven years old already =( I honestly don't know where SEVEN years have gone. He is the funniest little guy and makes us laugh a million times a day (making Paxton mad several times a day is also on his agenda). He's our little performer and while Paxton loves to watch train videos on youtube, this kid is playing music videos of every genre, but usually with a heavy dose of Chippettes--at least until I tell him I can't take it anymore. His birthday was probably the lowest-keyed ones we've ever had a Casa de Tuescher. I've scaled back immensely from the Sunday afternoon munchie fests and have just been having Grandparents over for dinner, cake and ice cream. Beckett was going to wait until the weekend to do his, but on Tuesday night he announced he wanted it ON his birthday. OK, can't fault him for that, but his meal choice was frozen waffles!!! I just couldn't do THAT to family! So it was some veggies, fruit and cheese and crackers to go with cake (of which there was a CRAPPY selection, but he picked what he wanted and was happy, so Momma has to be happy too) His main request for a gift was a sno-cone maker. I was sweating it, but the USPS came through and it arrived on our doorstep while he was at school =) He also got an Innotab 2, some legos, clothes, some CD's, a microphone, DS game and a Spongebob DVD. He was thrilled with everything =)

Beckett's 6th Birthday Party

Tomorrow is officially my baby's birthday, but party day was today. We had a gorgeous day and he was able to open gifts outside on the deck =) The usual finger-foods made an appearance with a couple of new ones to try (the dipped grapes got a thumbs up, the hummus, not as much although "mean" Grandma is not much of a salesman!)
Beckett got a microphone, keyboard, a CD player and a few CD's, Buzz Lightyear Operation game, a scooter, clothes, savings bond, a FyrFlyz and a few more things. He's a mighty lucky little man!
Parker was on the "some assembly required" duty for the scooter, here's hoping it doesn't fall apart as he rolls down the sidewalk!

Happy Golden Birthday, Arielle!

My first-born is 20 today! So 20 ON the 20th means she's having her golden b-day (although she's more looking forward to 21, eyeroll).
Just posting a few pictures from previous birthday parties (back when new Barbies and American Girl clothes made her one happy little camper!!)

Seventeen Big Ones!!!

That's how many birthdays my very first baby boy has had!!! My tiniest baby at 7# 7oz who came nice and early on a Thursday morning, about a week before we were expecting him---not that I complained a bit about that, HA!! He was turning a nice shade of yellow before we were kicked out of the hospital the next day (that was the day of "drive by deliveries" where you got 1 day for a "regular" birth and 2 for a c/s! Whatever you think of President Clinton, women across America should be thankful he made the 2 and 4 day stays the norm!) our MD wanted us to stay longer, but our insurance said "no way"! (Met Life, Snoopy as your mascot is darned cute, but as an insurance company I am not impressed). To make a long story short, he ended up being readmitted for 5 days to bring down his dangerously high bilirubin levels.
Clearly, we had a happy ending =) Here's some pictures from about 10 years ago. Pretty darn cute, don't you think?!

Happy 8th Birthday, Paxton!!!

OK, technically his actual birthday was last week, but we had his party today to celebrate. Both sets of Grandparents, his Godmother, Arielle, my brother and nephews were here to help us celebrate and Paxton had such a nice day. He received the lego sets he had been dying for (and a couple of surprise sets too!), water guns, a couple of gift cards, savings bond, the always appreciated outfit, a new DS game, a CD player/radio (which Beckett has been playing non-stop), a scooter and Yogi Bear (cute movie!!).
I can't believe its been EIGHT years already since his 9# 14oz self made his overdue arrival =( He's just he sweetest little boy and it is a pleasure to be his Momma

Beckett turns 5!!!

FIVE years old, I can hardly believe it! FIVE years ago today, we went to the hospital to meet our last little one. It was going to be a 90+ degree day (practically unheard of in Wisconsin on an October day!), and actually every birthday party until now we've been able to be out on the deck enjoying some sunshine.

Beckett came bouncing in our room this morning announcing "today it is my birthday because it's not tomorrow anymore!!!" Can't argue with that =)

He had a great time opening gifts, with Paxton right on top of him to fill in just in case a paper cut took him out or something. Some of the FP Imaginext toys came in bulletproof packaging, luckily there were 4 sets of able-bodied hands sitting on the couch just looking for something to do--HA!! Beckett got wonderful gifts and spent a great afternoon with family--just the best way to turn 5!

Happy Birthday, Arielle

We had Arielle's birthday dinner tonight--she requested parmesan chicken tortellini, salad and breadsticks and I made Olive Garden's pasta fagoli--YUMMMMMMMY!! My parents and Kurt's parents were here for dinner and cake, it was a nice night and we were able to sit out on the deck (until the mosquitoes chased us inside!)
Since Arielle is giving apartment living a stab, her gifts this year were meant to help with that transition--not very exciting though, HA! She opened a coffee maker, pizza pans, kitchen knives and towels. The gift cards she opened got big smiles too =) Of course she took all the leftovers!!!!
Happy Birthday, Arielle!!

Flashback Friday, delayed Happy Birthday, Arielle edition!!

Blogger wouldn't cooperate for me last night, so my Flashback Friday dedicated to the anniversary of my baby girls birth. She is 19 now--NINETEEN!! She was a beautiful baby and now she is a beautiful young lady and we love her to death!!

Parker's Birthday Party

VERY low-key this year. It's just getting hard to do the Sunday afternoon "bashes" as the big kids get older--with Parker's 2 jobs and life of golf, it's darn near impossible!! He picked his birthday meal (Olive Garden's salad and breadsticks) and I filled in the gaps with spaghetti and cavatini with DQ ice cream cake to finish. Kurt's mom made the salad and it was bang on! My mom provided the breadsticks, YUMMO.
Birthday boy had asked for a golf umbrella, golf ball "scooper-out-of-the-water-thingy" and a little umbrella for his clubs--all of which he received. They went nicely with the gas cards, CD holder, sunshades and KEYS to the car he will be considering "his". Luckily Grandpa was manning a camera as well so there are pictures of Parker leaping up to hug his Momma =) (Kurt and I purchased a "new" car for the family and rather than trade the Alero I've been driving, we kept it in order to make life easier, HA!!) Now, to pass that driver's test!!!

Paxton's Birth Story....

Happy Birthday to our sweet Paxton! He turns 7 today, I just can't believe it =( Since I wasn't blogging when he was born, I'll post his birth story here today--because I remember it like it was yesterday--HA!!
We knew that Paxton was breech. He would do HUGE half and full gainers in my belly and I remember driving to an OB appointment at about 20 weeks and he did one of those earth-moving flips into a head-up position and at that appointment I asked our MD when he was going to stay put. The answer was "any time now". And he was right, because he never did another flip again--stayed breech. As time went on, we had to start discussing our options about what to do with the little bugger. Our MD was quite certain that turning him (or external cephalic version) was worth a try, and so after MUCH thought and discussion between us, we decided to give it a shot. The odds were against us--MOST versions are unsuccessful and those that are, MOST babies turn back to breech. We were able to get him into a head down position and he did in fact stay there. They like to do this procedure at about 36 weeks--there is still a little wiggle room at this point AND if something happened, delivery would be fine.
Fast forward 5 weeks from then and I was still pregnant. We had an OB appointment at 41.1 weeks and he said all looked good, we could let him go another week, or schedule an induction. This big ol' Momma opted for the induction!!! We set it up for the very next day =) We were scheduled to be at the hospital at 7am--we were running a bit behind because it was important to me to have shaved legs--and that's not easy to accomplish at this stage of a pregnancy, LOL!! We got checked in, monitored and started up that pitocin. We clicked along pretty smoothly until about 4pm--the contractions were pretty strong and they hurt. I hadn't had an epidural when delivering the older kids (I did have one when he was turned--my first!) and at this point I did ask for one. The anesthetist usually working at our hospital was on vacation, so the one covering from the nearest hospital had to come. They had checked me when I requested the epi and I was 4 cm dialated. Well, lots happened while waiting for our CRNA to arrive.
When he got there he said "I can see how much pain you're in, lets get this going and we'll worry about the paperwork when I'm done." He asked if I had any allergies and he got to work. After he was done and we were finishing the paperwork, I was still squirming and concentrating on breathing. He said "are you still feeling those?" When I said yes, he said "you really shouldn't be. I bet you're more than a 4". The staff was readying the room for delivery and my MD had arrived. I was still visibly uncomfortable and he said again: "someone should check her, I don't think she's a 4 anymore!" My MD dove in and announced that I was at 10!! So in the 20-25 minutes it took for Dave to arrive, I dilated 6 cm!! I hastily scrawled my name on the epi consent and we got to pushing!!
I pushed just a few times and my MD said "you need to push now" and I said, "but I'm not having a contraction now!" He said "push without one, we need to get him out" So I did =) I pushed about a dozen times and out came Paxton. All the nurses kept saying "he's so big"!, "holy cow, look how big he is!!" I said to my MD "he's not THAT big is he?!" He nodded and said, he's a big boy!! I asked how big?! He went over to the warming crib thing, picked him up and said "I'd say 9# 6oz" and as he handed him back to the nurse he told her "quick, weigh him b/4 he pees!!" I remember saying "NO WAY!" and then the nurse says "9# 13.5oz"!! Egads! I pushed that bucket head out basically without the benfit of an epidural!!
And that was Paxton's arrival. Kurt said later "he looked pretty big to me, but I was the least experienced one in the room, what did I know?!"
And because I was sick last night and still don't feel 100%, I am too pooped to scan in any newborn photos of our little dimple face, so you get more birthday party pics--HA!!