Not Me Monday

I am always conscientious of making sure my meals are balanced and nutritious. Especially now that I am eating for two. Therefore I would not let my entire days diet consist of only chocolate pudding and white rice.

Oh no. Not me.

And I wouldn't be avoiding the inevitable transition to maternity pants by relying on the "rubber band" trick. Of which I am of course very conscientious of making sure my zipper stays up at, ahem...all times. Especially high traffic times such as Sunday mornings and trips to the grocery store.

So therefore, my five year old would never have reason to tell me that my underwear was showing. In the front.

Oh no. Not me.

crater of cuteness

Jeremiah to Ezra: Hey buddy, what is that called? (pointing to his dimple)

Ezra: Dats my meatball!






























Love him.

of bubbles and hammocks and captain sassy pants

Ella enjoyed a sleepover with cousin Cana last night. And they enjoyed Jeremiah's tales of Sir Captain Sassy Pants whilst dreaming of warmer days on the hammock.

Oh, and Eli enjoyed his bubbles. And making a mess.

And Ezra. Well, he just has to smile. He has me at a smile.

Thursday Thoughts

I have been sleeping oh so good these last few weeks. I don't remember sleeping this good early on in my other pregnancies...but, then again, I wasn't looking after 3 other littles either and that just might have something to do with it.

I hesitate to say it...

There... I will consider myself hesitated.

But, Jeremiah and I both have noticed how Ezra seems to be showing some glimmers of hope lately and even some opportunities for us to praise his good behavior and obedience. He is still 111% boy...but not so much as difficult as the last 6 (16?!) months of his life. He is even back to taking regular naps without so much as a fight or issue. Oh, how I love nap time. Especially nap time that doesn't have to be fought for.

Eli has been the bestower of kisses here lately. He will make his rounds and give each family member a kiss. Usually the spots he picks to kiss are pretty random...an elbow here, a knee cap there...but I'll take it!

We took all three kids to the dentist this week for their check ups. Ezra decided to actually cooperate this time and even opened his mouth nicely. Last time he locked his jaws in a vise grip and there was not even a peek inside allowed by the dentist. See...hope. Glimmers of hope. Ella and Eli did great also. Unfortunately, we were shocked to learn that Eli has 8 cavities.

Yes. You read that right. Eight.

Oh my.

So we will be making a couple more visits back to the dentist to get his mouth up to good order. And then hopefully NO more cavities on our watch. Or our dime.

Who knew that a hand me down tee-pee set up in the living room could make book time that much more fun. Reading by flashlight is so much more exciting.























































Happy Thursday!

homeschool: mish and mash

I know I haven't blogged much lately about our homeschool...

But that isn't because it hasn't gotten done. It has. I decided that even if I was puking and feeling miserable...the house and laundry and cooking dinner could wait...but we still managed to get our school in. Now, in all honesty I probably won't win any awards for creative or energetic teacher of the month. But. We did it. And Ella caught on to some new concepts in the process.

Count to one hundred. Check.
Counting by tens to one hundred. Check.
Money. Check. (well...at least the basics. those tricky nickels and quarters will get you every time!)
Finished next level of Bob Books. Check.

She is starting to do her math problems without using manipulatives now. I went in to check on her the other day and found her all hunched over and contorted. She explained that she "was trying to count using her fingers, but ran out of them and had to use her toes too." Oh yes. Of course. Toes make great math manipulatives.

We also started learning about the basics of sentence structure. I got this fun game (Silly Sentances) at the consignment sale last week and she loves it. In only paid $2 for it to. I love that.
































Eli really likes this activity. Matching the beads to the dots. Keeps him occupied for a long time.








































So, overall and with all things considered I am happy with what we got done in January. But I am looking forward to feeling better and being more creative with them next month!

photojournal: braving the blustery day

30 degree temps with a wind chill to factor in...

Ha! (hahahaha)

We Hambrick's laugh in the face of cold. At least for 15 minutes at a time. With our hats and coats on, of course.

sucker punch (for a good cause)

Confession time.

I hate home parties.

Yes. I know hate is a strong word. But I really do.

Pressure.
Things I really don't need.
Money I don't have.
Did I mention the pressure. (Especially for people pleasers like myself.)

That said. I make one exception. I don't hate Pampered Chef parties.

Free food, duh.
And you can actually buy something for $5.
And I actually have used the few pampered chef items I have on a weekly if not daily basis.

I say all of that to announce that I am hosting a pampered chef party this week.

(I know...I am hearing gasp's all over the world at this announcement.) But it's for a good cause. A really good cause. A generous portion of the proceeds raised by my show will go to help bring home my two best gal pals little girls from Uganda.

So, here is your part:

1) If you got an invitation...cause I mailed out a bazillion of them. Please RSVP already. Geesh. How's a planner like me supposed to plan without knowing if I'll have 5 or 50 showing up?

2) If you didn't get an invitation but would like to come (if you are not a stalker or serial killer) let me know and I'll give you the details!

3) If you'd like to go online and place an order click here. Just make sure to put my name (Jennifer Hambrick) as the host home.

See. Isn't that easy.

And may I remind you...it's for a good cause. A really good cause.

Just look at her...
















So start shopping!

Not Me Monday

I am NOT craving beer this pregnancy. After all, I don't even like beer. I don't even ever drink beer when I'm not pregnant.

So I don't daydream about a cold one...a brewsky...a cup o' ale...some man soda.

Preferable ice cold drawn from the hidden recesses of the fridge with the rim lined in salt. Not that I've thought much about it.

Nope. Not me.

princess peach

There is not much that will hold all of their attention with such raptness. Mario Kart is one of them.


























Happy Friday!

Thursday Thoughts

I am headed out in a few minutes to the kids exchange consignment sale. Think ginormous indoor yard sale. Then think bigger. Then think even bigger. And you are still probably not even close. I hope I am ready for this. I hope I don't throw up there.

Today Aunt "Cake" leaves us. My heart is breaking. You know as a mom you have those moments where you wish you could clone yourself so that you can get more done...well, Cate is the closest I will ever get. She has been awesome with the kids. Just awesome! Cooked, cleaned, took the boys adventuring outside every day, cut fingernails, emptied dishwashers, loaded dishwashers, wrestled, sword fighted...and the list goes on. I'm pretty sure the kids will be as sad as I am. Jeremiah too. Now he has to go back on double duty around here.

I had a pregnancy scare on Tuesday this week. I had a really rough day throw up wise and started bleeding that afternoon. With my healthy pregnancies I never had any spotting. Only when we lost Myla. Obviously, my heart was paralyzed a little. But praise God...I went for an ultrasound and check up and the baby is fine! It is amazing how in two weeks time the baby has grown...it actually looks like a baby now...just a miniature version. What a miracle. I have some new back up medicine in case I have another out of control day again...and go back again in two week for another ultrasound. I have to say all the extra appointments this time around has been very reassuring.

Yesterday the weather got up to 60 degrees here and I officially have the spring bug. I know...bad idea with a lot more winter ahead of us, but I just couldn't help it. We even got to go to the park.

One of the main reasons I love North Carolina so much is how early Spring comes. This photo was taken last February. See...I only have to wait one more month for some real proof of spring.


























Happy Thursday!

the baby bond

I'm sitting in my bed after a morning spent hugging the porcelain bowl. Thinking about how even though I feel miserable, absolutely miserable, I am counting it all joy knowing that I have the privilege of carrying life inside of me. I would do anything for this baby I have yet to meet.

Being pregnant just six short months after adopting has brought up a lot of new thoughts about Eli's first mom. What was her pregnancy like? Was she sick a lot? Did her heart smile the first time she felt him move? Or was she sad? Overwhelmed?

And of course, that leads to questions about Eli as a baby...questions I'll never have answered.

I am forever and inexplicably linked to this woman. This first mother of my son. The one who carried him and birthed him and nursed him. And loved him. I have no doubt of the motivating factor behind her decisions.

I traced the outline of her hand in my journal when we met in Ethiopia.























I wanted a physical and tangible reminder of my responsibility to her.

To take care of our son.
To protect him.
And, mostly, to love him.

Eli: 6 month update

I remember reading adoption advice that you should not even allow yourself to evaluate how things are going until you reach the 6 month mark. I didn't understand that at the time.

Now I do.

When I look back on those pictures of when we stepped off the plane...



























































And walked out the airport as a family of five for the first time...
Those early days and feelings seem so far away.

I was so overwhelmed. So emotional. So unsure that we had done the right thing. What in the world had we done? What were we thinking? Was this kid ever going to sleep through the night? Will I ever feel like I know him? Was Ezra ever going to accept him? Was he ever going to feel like mine?

And today.

We still have our moments and we still have our issues. Potty training is one of them. Language issues is another. And he is the most quietly defiant child I have ever met with a stubborn will of steel.

But...

I know we did the right thing.
I know we were obedient to what God had called us to do.
He sleeps like a champ.
Eats like a champ.
Dances like a fool.
Is growing like a weed.
Ezra and him have figured out a workable truce.
And he feels like mine.

























Happy 6 months my Eli Cade!

pictures of the day

Two pictures taken today.
And oh, let me tell you...they capture the excitement of my day. I'm not sure you are ready for them.
But you can consider yourself warned.

1) Aunt Cate (or Cake as Ezra fondly refers to her as) weeding out my expired coupons. Yes, that is quite the pile. What can I say...I'm a coupon slacker. And she is my angel.


























2) Ella painting. More mermaids. The girl has a mermaid fetish. And yes, I know she is wearing a 90 degree sundress in 40 degree weather. I choose to pick my battles today.


























Now my January 2011 picture folder has two photos in them. I can go to bed tonight and sleep.

A sad sad sad Not Me Monday

I have not forgotten about my camera where it is sitting in its case collecting dust...since Christmas.

Therefore I do not have empty January picture files with nada a picture in them. Not a one.

And so, I have not enforced upon myself the rule that I must take at least one photo a day from here on out this year.

Yeah...right.

Not me.

a life remembered

On the anniversary of the Haiti earthquake and all throughout the week...
I was remembering with fondness our sweet toothless ninja warrior Peterson...




















































I wrote about his life and death this week last year.

It's been a year...but he is not forgotten.

___________________________________________________________________________________


Will you pray with me as my father in law and my adopted father in law are in Haiti right now.

You can read about their ministries here and here.

zits

Ella told me in perfect detail how God made our eyes able to adjust to the dark by causing our pupils to dilate to let in more light. And when we go back into the light the pupils readjust and return to their normal size.

Such a smart girl.

Except that she called her pupils...um, pimples...instead.

























Just when I think she is growing up too fast...I realize I am safe for just a little bit longer.

Thursday Thoughts

I'm home. And so are the kids. After ten days away, I am enjoying being Mom again. A lot of that is because my sister Cate took pity on me and offered to come home with me and help me out for another week.

God bless her.

We had a good second opinion appointment for Eli at a cranio facial surgeon at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore while we were up in Maryland. As per his recommendation we also are going to get him evaluated by a pediatric ophthalmologist for concerns about his eye orbits being out of alignment because of the shape of his head. Because we love love love doctors appointments around here. Hopefully once we have that appointment done we will have enough in our arsenal to go ahead and file an appeal. Blue Cross Blue Shield won't know what hit them.

After weeks and weeks of not being able to drink anything other than water (with a high ice to water ratio) I have developed a strong craving for gatorade the past few days. Just the lemon lime flavor. Oh so good. And grapefruit. Lots of grapefruit.

I've been asked a lot lately if I am hoping that this baby is a girl. And while I'll be thrilled if it is a girl I am also really ok if it is a boy. Because...what are the chances that if this baby is a boy that I would have another boy like Ezra.

I'm thinking slim.

Don't get me wrong...I love him to the moon and back and could eat him with a spoon (sometimes a spork). But that boy is a one of a kind and every family should only have one Ezra.

So...any other kind of boy would be fine.


























Ella asked me in all seriousness the other day where the baby in my belly puts its plate when it is done eating?

Ok. So she's smart...but maybe not a genius.


























That above picture of Ezra was actually taken last January. Two things give it away:

1) I haven't taken any pictures in weeks. Thank you pregnancy motivation sucker.

2) Our pond has been frozen over since December. This has been the coldest winter in NC since I have lived here. With a lot of the white stuff too.

I am eagerly looking forward to spring. Because spring on the farm is awesome. Just awesome. And I'll be pregnant this spring. Which means my allergies won't be so bad and I will get to get out and enjoy it.

See. I'm thinking positive.

Happy Thursday!

mia

I know I'm a bad blogger these days...but typing makes me naseuous. Weird, I know. And we are busy getting a second opinion for Eli up at Johns Hopkins this week.

I hope to be back to my normal blogging the end of the week.

Thursday Thoughts

I know. Kinda hard to top my Not Me Monday post yesterday. But life goes on. Although my life feels really extremely weird without any kids around. Really extremely. It's so quiet around here. And clean. And I still haven't had to run the dishwasher yet. Or do a load of laundry.

Weird, I tell ya.

I have a new BFF in life. Zofran. Otherwise known as the puke stopper for pregnant women. Why did I not know about this drug with my other pregnancies?

I have managed to be semi-productive this week without the kids (in between my HGTV and TLC marathons, of course). I got the next few months of Ella's school planned as well as a lot of leg work done for Eli's insurance appeal. It's amazing what you can get done in a horizontal position.

Keep your minds out of the gutter, folks. This is a family friendly blog.

I had a very strong craving for chicken nuggets yesterday. Until we got to the restaurant and Jeremiah ordered a salad. Then suddenly...chicken nuggets = bleh. Salad = mmm. Good thing my husband is so good at reading my face and just quietly switched our meals.

I love him.

This pregnancy is starting out very different that my others. For one, I have been much sicker this time and thrown up 10x more than all the others combined. And I have had really strong cravings and aversions. Really strong. Oh, and the tears...

Blast you ASPCA commercials. And the Ted Williams (homeless man with the golden pipes) story.

I also have such a different perspective on the privilege of carrying a new life inside of me that I didn't have with my other pregnancies. After experiencing the loss of Myla two years ago...I won't ever take this blessing for granted.

Puking and all.

Happy Thursday!

Not Me Monday (on Wednesday)

I am not pregnant.

Therefore I am not forcing a peanut butter sandwhich down my throat in hopes of warding off another round of puking.

And I of course did not send off my kids to my moms for the week because it was easier than explaining what alien being has overtaken their mommy. That and the whole can't make it off the couch without getting nauseous makes it just a little hard to care for them.

So, then, since I'm not pregnant...I wouldn't have gotten to see a picture of our newest little one by ultrasound today and hear the choo choo train sound of it's heartbeat. And I didn't shed tears...because even after 3 other pregnancies...the miracle of life never gets old.

Nope. Not pregnant.

Not me.

Photojournal: family t ball game

mama bear start the year (rage against the insurance company)

Well...

We had Eli's surgery scheduled for this friday. But in lieu of having the surgery we are instead waged in a war with our insurance company who sent us a nice letter stating they are denying coverage of the surgery. Nice, eh.

And since we don't have a spare $64,000 we are appealing their decision.

Not so appealing.

But.

Eli is worth it. And as his mother I am his advocate.

For those of you interested in the medical details you can read below. If not, I won't bore you... just skip down to the bottom.

Eli has a very abnormally shaped head. You can't tell this from most pictures of him as the abnormality doesn't translate through pictures. We have had two ct scans done and seen several specialists who agree that it hasn't affected his brain, but was created as a result as his positioning (or rather, lack of proper positioning) as a baby and young toddler. And while the surgery is not a life or death issue...it is medically justified. It is something that will impact the rest of his life if not fixed.

Folks, we can't even get a bike helmet to fit on his head.

How can they say it is not needed?

I want to walk him through the cubicle mazes of the insurance company and bring along a bike helmet and invite the powers that be that decide these things to try and get it on his head.

But instead I am rationally getting second opinions, rounding up letters from specialists and pediatricians, taking pictures, and googling the mess out of how to write an effective insurance appeal. Any suggestions are welcome!

Am I frustrated? Yes.
Am I worried? No.

I know that the Lord wouldn't have provided every. single. penny. we needed to bring him home only to stop now.

I was just hoping it wouldn't have to be such a fight.

But.

Bring out the mama bear in me. Eli is worth it.

The Hambrick's Rockin' New Year's Eve, 2010

Ah, New Years Eve. A magical night.

Jeremiah and I are just sitting around getting ready to do our nightly affirmations after a lovely night of listening to the kids recite Handel's Messiah in three part harmony. They are asleep in their beds now, all tuckered out after all that singing and eating that big home cooked meal I laboriously prepared for them. {1}

What a calm and relaxing way to end such a calm and relaxing year. {2}

Except for a few minor inconveniences {3} 2010 was a year filled with a lot of highlights for us...

Our big story of the year was the addition of our new son, Eli, adopted from Ethiopia in July of this year. We had a brief adjustment period, but I can safely say we have found our new baseline as a family of five {4}.

Jeremiah continues to work tirelessly in the rewarding field of investing in the lives of college students {5}. Jeremiah expanded his reading horizons this year and spent his free time reading through Descartes {6} and handcrafted an extensive backyard playground for the kids complete with swinging bridge, 17 slides, and a swiss family robinson style tree fort {7}.

Our kids had a great year and reached many new milestones {8}. Ella started kindergarten with an amazing and voracious mind that soaked up everything {9}. Ezra turned 3 in September, and we are happy to have moved him out of those terrible two's {10}. Eli is a happy laid back little guy who has fit right into our family {11}. They all three love literature, sharing their wooden toys, and eating organic vegetables from our garden {12}.

I seamlessly transitioned to being a mother of three and thoroughly enjoy the day to day activities of motherhood {13}. In my spare time I like to read books without pictures and take gratuitous amounts of pictures of my kids.

We've enjoyed lots of travel up and down the east coast this year visiting friends and family and soaking in lots of new experiences {14}.

Happy New Year!

________________________________________________________________________________________

1} Yep. All lies. We ordered chinese and watched Despicable Me. There was another toy fight and this time Eli tried to play the drums on Ezra's head. Then I fell asleep on the couch from 10pm until 11:59 when Jeremiah woke me up. And I am actually writing this the next day while hiding in my bedroom pretending not to hear the boys in the bathroom making a mess.

2} If by calm and relaxing you mean crazy and unpredictable...then, yes.

3} "just sayin...", Justin Beiber, Glee, Polly Pockets, and Brett Favre.

4} Lots of caffeine, earplugs, and lowered expectations.

5} And his Madden football and ping pong skills have increased dramatically.

6} Ha! Free time? What the heck is that?

7} Yeah. Another lie. See above. But the kids like to pretend the backyard bird bath is a stove and make soup with sticks.

8} The boys can burp and fart simultaneously. Every now and then they actually wipe their own bottoms. And Ella learned how to cop an attitude.

9} I actually had to get my act together. Dang it.

10} Because 3 is the new 2. Or 13. Or tourrettes syndrome.

11} Once we worked through the sleepless nights. And 10 tantrums a day.

12} Yeah. They love Super Why, barbies and action figures, and macaroni and cheese is a staple food around here. We've totally sold out.

13} Stop laughing. Really. Stop laughing. Because who really doesn't enjoy wiping endless trails of snot rockets, refereeing fights, and changing barbies outfit 37 times a day?

14} Like cleaning up throw up in the car on the side of the road for the umpteenth time.


p.s. You can read about our 2009 rockin' new years eve here if you want.
p.p.s. I totally stole this idea from this girl who makes me laugh so loud I regret not doing my kegels more.