Annual Mesquite Rodeo

It is now becoming an annual tradition for my father-in-law John's birthday that we attend the Mesquite Pro Rodeo! It is Brooklyn's third year to go and it becomes more and more evident how much she loves it!

This past Saturday night we (majority of Aaron's immediate family) had dinner at the 8 Second club and front row seats for bull riding, barrel racing and lots of entertainment. Cayleigh girl got really sick at the beginning of the rodeo and ended up throwing up all over Mommy :( Luckily, my sister-in-law had some maternity clothes in her car, so I got changed up and we stuck it out. (Brooklyn was having WAY too much fun and it was quite the drive for us.)

Gamma and Gampa treated the "bigger" grand kids to a pony ride....they better start saving up, the Hein grand kids just keep multiplying!



Charlie



Remi and Uncle Dan

Sydney and Gamma

B and Daddy

Cowgirl

Happy birthday Gampa!

It was a great night with family!

Ophthalmologist Consultation

The girls and I headed back over to the Children's Special Care Medical Center (where C originally was seen for possible GERD) this morning to meet with the Ophthalmogist about Cayleigh's right eye. They gave her 4 drops in each eye to dilate them and then the doctor came to examine her eye. After taking a closer look, she said that Cayleigh is farsighted, but that almost all babies are. She also said that her eyes look great and she will most likely not need glasses at all! Good news! But it appears as if surgery would be necessary at this stage in the game since we have tried massaging, ointment and giving her time to grow out of it. Her nasolacrimal duct that normally drains tears from the eyes into the nose is clogged/blocked. It is a very quick procedure where they put her under anesthesia (yikes!) and insert a thin probe through the corner of the eye down through the nose to reopen the passageway. The procedure only takes about 20 minutes in all and will have no effect on her eye sight at all. As the doctor said "It has nothing to do with her eye, it is a nasal blockage. It is only being seen all over her eye because it is backing up from not being able to run out her nose." In most cases, everything is resolved after this, but a stint may need to be put in if it doesn't.

So, not exactly the news we were hoping for, but Daddy and I will discuss it further and decide. No fun :(

First Real "Jobless" Day

Today marks the first day back for teachers. While, I would have already been working in my classroom the prior week, I would have had to return for professional development TODAY! I am a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings today. I was up late last night (couldn't sleep) just thinking. Emotionally and mentally I was prepared to return to school. Poor Aaron had no idea and when he questioned me about it, I rambled on about all the house projects I want to do, things coming up and how it was just consuming my mind; secretly knowing that I want to do all these decorating and organizing things to the house because I am going through withdrawals from not doing this in my classroom right now. But, how could I possibly tell him this....."Thank you dear for sacrificing so much and working so hard for me to be sad that I am not teaching?!?" Of course I am happy and absolutely love more than anything in this world being at home with my sweet girls. I wouldn't change my decision at all.  It is just such a foreign feeling for me. This is by far my favorite time: organizing centers, placing new books on the shelf, decorating my classroom with a fresh new theme, placing new crayons and sharpened pencils on the tables, labeling everything with my kiddos names, getting to know them long before their face is at my door.....I am having a difficult time NOT doing all of these things. For the past few weeks, I pass by the dollar sections and "back to school" isles and see all the things I am NOT putting in my cart. It's so weird! And I miss my teacher friends; the amazing people I got to see and work with everyday.

I can still remember my first year of teaching! Oh, the memories! Every year still getting butterflies in my stomach before the first day of school! This feeling of loss in my heart is only temporary and I know this. I am truly happier and healthier at home as well as my family with me at home. But, I have a feeling for the next couple of weeks, the change will bring an occasional lump to my throat.
Happy 2012-2013 school year! This year, I will be on the other side of the door. Now, its my own baby walking through the classroom doors!

Fun With Papa

Papa came to pick up all the girls yesterday and took us to the Fort Worth Stockyards to watch the cattle drive! What a treat! Brooklyn was very excited about getting to see the horses, cowboys and longhorns. We got there in plenty of time, so Papa treated B to a pony ride and took her over to pet the various horses and a longhorn.


Riding Clyde, the pony

B refused to smile in most of the pictures. What a toot!!

This was fun!

Afterwards, we headed over to the Cowtown Chow Down food truck park and ate tacos and a cheese steak sandwich. We concluded our trip with a stop at the Mexican bakery for a sprinkle cookie. Yum! We had such a nice time!

9 Month Check-Up

Cayleigh had her 9 month check-up today and all is well! She weighs 17.8 lbs, height is 27 inches and head circumference is 17.5 inches. She is in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. Again, it is such a blessing to have her on the growth chart and getting a good report from the doctor! She had her HepB vaccine today and they drew blood to test her levels and for anemia. She was super tough, no question, as they had to fill two tubes with blood with the nurse continually squeezing it out of her tiny little finger!

I will, unfortunately, be scheduling a consultation with Ophthamolgist here soon to find out the next steps regarding the clogged tear duct in her right eye :(

We love our little "dada, baba," chuck! She is worm crawling all over the place and pulling up on all fours, just can not seem to put it altogether. Cayleigh sleeps about 11 hours (on most nights) and is completely laid back. Her giggles are infectious and has two teeth on the bottom.

Here's our littlest princess playing dress-up with sissy's stuff!

New Babysitter

Aaron and I had our first night out with a hired babysitter at the house with the girls. I'm not sure it was very "official" because we actually put B and C to bed before we headed out, but nonetheless! We were gone for 4 hours. We went over to one of Aaron's coworkers house and hung out and had a few drinks. I was a bit nervous that one of the girls would wake up and be difficult, but they never did!

Hope (babysitter) came over on Thursday so that I could introduce the girls to her. She is very sweet and going to be a junior in high school this year. She is a certified babysitter and she lives just a few houses down from us! Awesome!

These Girls!

I just don't know about you, Momma?!?

I can't help it, I just love being with these girls. Daddy was really sick and ended up being home from work on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and after finally seeing daylight (from sleeping so much), he said at one point to me "How can you not just love hanging out with them all day? They crack me up." And that they do! And drive me crazy, mad, tired and completely insane!

I love it!

I showed B how to use her scissors and glue.....watch out!

Music time with Cayleigh and the maracas

Yep, this child is CRAZY

First spaghetti bites for C

Vacation to Pennsylvania

The girls and I flew to PA from July 18th- July 30th to visit my brother and his family and all of my dad's side of the family. Brooklyn was overly excited about the plane ride and was so well behaved (thank goodness!). We stayed in Wexford with Jason, Jen, Addy, Kate and baby Nolan for majority of the time, and it was quite the household of children!

2 days after arriving, we packed up again and drove 5.5 hours to Bethlehem for the weekend. Nana and myself took Brooklyn, Cayleigh, Addy and Kate to visit my grandparents and rest of the de Wolfe family!! It was a special treat to be able to see my grandparents and for them to meet Cayleigh girl. They are not exactly young anymore and it was very important to me to be able to see them again and let them see the girls as well.

Cayleigh and Great-Grams (my grandmother)

Making the famous paper airplanes with Chief and dropping them from the balcony

Having tea with all the dolls at Great-Grams and Chief's house

The de Wolfe gathering was fabulous and all 4 girls got to play with several of their "cousins" (second cousins actually, I think), swim, eat and just have fun! It was nice to see my uncles and aunts, cousins and so forth considering it had been 2 years since my last visit. My, how things can change in just 2 years.

(Lots more pictures from the party at the very bottom....too lazy to drag ALL of them!)

Addyson (Addy)

Cayleigh (Cayleigh Monk)

Brooklyn (B)

Katelyn (Katie)

Back in the car and back to Wexford for a full week of kid chaos! Ha! Addyson, Katelyn and B played constantly and fairly cooperatively, so that was nice. It was awesome to have the opportunity to have them do that! C became army crawling mobile while there, so that made things more interesting still. Jen and I got to escape one night for drinks and mah jongg and for my birthday, Jason, Jen and I hit up the local spot for late night fun :)

Bow-making, movie night, nail painting, park trips, walks, playing at the mall and outside, popsicles, cookie baking, hugs, dress-up....oh, the memories!

A quick visit to the hair salon for Kate and B

Making healthy cookies with Aunt Jen

Fun times at the park

Nightgown girls

Watching cartoons at the hotel in Bethlehem

Giggles from Nolan

C likes to swing just like her sissy

 I will outwardly admit that the trip was very stressful and exhausting. The girls and I in the same room for 2 weeks made for restless nights, not to mention the lack of napping due to all the excitement. I would probably never travel again with 2 kids under the age of 5 by myself again!! Daddy was desperately missed! But, seeing my grandparents, Grams and Chief, and the cousins have a blast together made the trip worth the heartache, HANDS DOWN!

Family, family and more family

Pool time

Eating dessert

Cayleigh, Brooklyn, Kate, Alayna and Henry

Uncle Dan talking to C

B, Kate, Addy and Victoria

Grams and Chief with the great grandchildren (not all, but most)

Grams and Chief with granchildren (not all, but some)

Alyssa, one of many cousins with an amazing voice

Tons of family

"Cheese!"

Kate, B and Alayna with Aunt Pat

Splash time

B, Kate, Alayna and Addy

My amazing grandparents, Grams and Chief