The Clayton 10

Ten random things from the month

1. We are finally getting some answers on Addi's skin rash, it has been looking like this for about 2 months now...

We took her to an allergist who did blood work, but results came back normal. We went back to the dermatologist for the third time and she decided a skin biopsy needed to be done. WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. I was upset and nauseous all day afterwards. No mother should have to hold her child down for one of those. Addi was screaming so hard she wasn't breathing. But at least it gave us some answers. She has atopic dermatitis. The dermatologist is amazed she hasn't scratched the life out of her skin because apparently that is suppose to be incredibly itchy. Addison hasn't scratched at it once which is why the dermatologist never diagnosed her with that from the get go. I feel like that was a tender mercy for us from Heavenly Father. I can't imagine what the last 2 months would have been like dealing with that on top of everything else that was going on. She would have been miserable which would have made me miserable. We have started a treatment that involves steroid creams and wet wraps. It has worked miracles and she is almost back to normal. HORRAY!!

2. Kaden is a crack up. Today he took a bite of his lunch and said "not bad mom, not bad at all!"

3. Taycee is a sass but she is pretty funny too. After spending quite a bit of time on her hair I sent her downstairs. Five minutes later she came upstairs and had been playing leapfrog so her hair was a mess. I exasperatedly said "Ugh! Taycee sometimes..." To which she quickly responded..."I know I know, sometimes you just want to kiss me!"

4. My kids need some new clothes desperately. It is actually comical to watch Kaden walk around in his shirts that barely reach the top of his pants. And his pants that barely reach the top of his ankles. The kid is growing like a weed. Once we find out if he is going to a regular school or charter school I will break down and buy the poor kid some clothes. Haha

5. Brielle is perfect and sweet and smells like Heaven. Why can't they be newborns for longer and 2 year olds for shorter amounts of time?

6. We went to our first drive in as a family of 6 and faired pretty well. We saw Despicable me 2 and Monsters University. Bri and I spent the second movie in he car sleeping/eating. Kaden stayed awake through both movies and voted monsters the best one.

7. We had the VanDusen cousins over for a party last week. Boy was it a party. We had messy challenge games, water fun, s'mores, ice cream sundays, built a fort, watched a movie in the backyard with a projector, and they ended the night sleeping in a tent in the backyard. Pictures to come once I find time to get them off the camera.

8. My 6 year old is starting to ask questions above my intelligence level. Luckily I can still answer most of them but I am starting to get worried about what first grade will bring. Some of his recent questions include, "mom, how are rocks made?", "Why when I jump up in the air I come back down?",   "Why when hot air and cold air mix it makes a tornado?", "Why can I breathe when I am eating but not when i am drinking?",  "How come birds don't have teeth", "How come the moon is orange" to which Chris responded its because of the angle of incidence...and Kaden said "oh" like that totally made sense to him.

9. A few nights ago I woke Chris up around 1 am because a neighbor had messaged me to say our car lights were on.  If you know Chris you know he has an over active imagination when he is sleeping. When I woke him up he very calmly looked at me and said "huh?" After I told him our car lights were on he said " oh I thought you were going to tell me one of the kids had died." Then he got up to go turn the lights off. Nice to know he could handle such news with so much composure! Ha. 

10.  We are moving 2 weeks from today. I am slightly in denial. I am not sure if that is because of how much we will miss our friends here or because I don't want to think about boxing up all the junk we seems to collect. Probably both.

5 to 6

We are a family of six now. What?! Really? I have four children? Wasn't it last month I was enrolling in my first college course? Wasn't it a week ago I met Chris? Wasn't it just yesterday we got married and moved into that tiny one bedroom 400 square-foot apartment? And now I have four kids? Four  little souls that depend wholly on me? Four mouths that need 3 daily meals? Eight little feet to guide down the right path? Oi, who's idea was that? :) (I am sure someone somewhere reading this is thinking "you do know how that happens right?". Yes we do. And apparently we are really good at it! :))

As I looked at these four beautiful kids yesterday I was overwhelmed with love and gratitude that they are mine. That Heavenly Father wouldn't entrust four such precious souls into my care inadequate as I am. There is nothing more rewarding than being a mother. It truly is Gods work.

There has been such a peace and added spirit in our home since Brielle's  birth. At times it is almost tangible. Heaven truly must be closer than we think.

Oh how this baby is loved.

Into the darkness

Anyone who knows  us well knows that our lives have been a little helter-skelter as of late. I would suppose that anyone's life gets a bit crazy with the entrance of the new baby. Add to that the impending defense of Chris's dissertation, the end of our lease, the lack of job, and the fact that Kaden  should be starting first grade and Taycee should be starting preschool in three weeks and we have no idea where we will be living and it's fair to say that it has been a stressful time. Much time has been spent in silent prayer asking for help and guidance. And though we still don't know where we will be going comfort has been sent and I am constantly reminded that my plans are not His. His plans are greater, His plans will teach more, His plans humble and refine, His plans will lead us where we need to be. So we are holding out to see just what His plan for our little family is.

In the meantime we are packing boxes and preparing to move. Good thing storage units aren't too expensive. We are so blessed to have good family who is willing to take us in till we know where we are going. Kaden is currently enrolled in two kindergartens and there is a strong likelihood he won't attend either. I am hoping wherever we end up I can find a preschool with an open spot for Taycee. I am hoping that sometime in the next three weeks I can find the time and money to take my kids school shopping. I am hoping a job is right around the corner. I am hoping that there is a perfect little house just waiting for us wherever that job is. I am hoping in the next two weeks I can find someone who wants our bunnies. I don't think they will fare well in the storage shed. I am hoping that by September I look back and smile at how everything worked out. I have faith that if we continue to press on we will be blessed.

Faith is a funny thing. It is so easy to have when it is not needed and so hard to hold onto when it is needed most. It is so easy to ask "why?" Why haven't we found a job yet? Why were we guided down this path? Why are all the blessings we were promised being withheld at the moment? Why aren't all of our prayers answered? Why hasn't the fasting made a difference? Why? Why? Why?  Daily I feel Satan putting these questions in my head. He wants to instill fear and doubt. Those are his greatest tools and it is so easy to succumb to those emotions. It is true that faith and fear cannot coexist. And when I push Satan aside and choose to put my faith in Heavenly Father I am blessed with peace and a calm assurance that he is in control, he is aware of me and he does have a plan for us. Today as I was sitting in Sacrament meeting I was so touched by the talks I felt as though Heavenly Father had them written just for me. This quote was read on faith, "Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness." - Neil A. Maxwel. That is where I feel we are right now, on the edge of the known and the light. Now it is time to take a few steps into the darkness. 

Here is to embarking on new adventures into the unknown,

Xoxo-

Me.

Dear Bri

My dear bitty pretty one,

  You have been in our lives for just over 3 weeks now, yet my heart can't remember a time when you weren't ingrained in it's every beat. The first few days of your life were spent as close to my heart as you could physically get. The nurses had to pry you away for your checks and daddy hardly got any snuggle time at all. I was desperate to soak up every second of you. I know you will probably be my last and it is hard to wrap my mind around the concept of never having a tiny baby laying on my chest again,

You have been an angel since day one. You eat like a champ and sleep like a champ. You have slept 5-7 hours at night from the day you came home. You rarely fuss, and are quickly consoled. You are beautiful, truly beautiful.

You are still so tiny, yet you seem so big. Your sister Addison was in preemie clothes for the first 3 months of life, today I packed up all of those preemie clothes because you are officially in newborn size. You are growing to fast.

I can't count how many minutes of my day are spent in awe of your perfection. Last night I said to daddy "how did we create something so perfect?" Your perfect little nose, your long delicate fingers, your ten tiny toes, every tiny detail of you makes my heart want to burst.

You have stolen my heart, my sleep too, but mostly my heart. I don't get much done these days because in the moments when I am not making PB&J sandwiches, running to various doctor appointments, or reading stories I scoop you up and snuggle you close. And we stay that way til another little person needs mommy.

Some say you look like your brother, but I can't decide. Sometimes I can see him in you, but mostly you are your own little person. You have started to open your eyes more as of late. It is your siblings favorite thing. They love to look at you and tell you all sorts of things. You are loved little one, that is for sure.

Welcome to this world little one. If I could freeze you just the way you are I would. I would hold you on my chest forever and breathe in that glorious newborn smell. But you must grow, so I will just try to savor the moments that are mine. 

xoxo-

   mom

San Diego

While I was home with a brand new babe. These lucky kiddos got to party in San Diego with Grandma and Grandpa. They sure are lucky to get to do so many fun things.They had so much fun and loved every minute they were there. Here are a few of the cell phone pics that were sent to me documenting their trip.

Sea World 

Playin at the beach with grandpa 

More Sea World

I think they probably ended every day looking a little like this...

We love cousins!

Thanks again grandma and grandpa for the fun trip.

Brielle Felicity

On June 27th our newest little angel joined the family.
I hired a birth photographer this time around, once I get those pictures back I will do a post all about the birth story.

I pulled my camera out once we got up to a room and the kids came to visit.

 

They were so excited to meet their new sister and they smothered her with love and affection... well except for Addison. She was way more interested in all the buttons on the bed and cupboards in the room.

We are so blessed to have great families who are willing to take the kids. Chris's sister Cass had been staying with us the week prior to help out with the kids while I was on bed rest. His mom and sister Kelsey came up the day Brielle was born and stayed with the kids at our house while we were in the hospital. Then Claudia took Kaden and Taycee to San Diego on vacation with them and my mom took Addison for the week. So we some time to just be with our new little one and try to soak in all the little details of her perfect self.

She wasn't too thrilled with her first bath.

Isn't it amazing how instantly you can love someone?

The kids came back again the next day to give more loves before heading off to grandmas. Even Addison wanted in on the kissing action this time.

We went home Saturday afternoon. It was such a relief to be able to take home a healthy baby this time around.

So so many more pictures to come.