Wednesday, April 15, 2009

updates...

So life is beyond busy here. But somehow we are muddling through. I still am as "Bon Jovi" says "Living on a Prayer". I can't believe how much harder 4 kids are compared to 3. Oliver is such a good baby but still requires so much attention, as do the other kids. But we sure are enjoying this new addition. And it's funny how quickly he has become "one of us". He just fits like a good shoe. Coco and I were discussing the other day which kid looks like which parent, and she had just this confused look on her face and  then said " Really I don't see how any of us would even look like dad,...he didn't even do anything!"......."yep, your right" ....I so am not ready for that talk.
So as you can see from the pictures I turned 30 last month. Not my most glamorous  birthday that's for sure. And the only reason I feel like I could post that picture is because I already look so different...thank heavens!! I swear I always look worse after the baby comes!! Why is that? It's crazy. As if labor isn't enough, I have to look like someone accidentally left the IV going in my arm for a week? And it's funny that my family feels the need to constantly update me on my looks. "mom, your buns and tummy are getting smaller"-Coco. Then there's Bart. " Your face is getting smaller" What is that?? "Hey coco look regular pants today"...Coco: "finally". Rude. I still have a looooong way to go. Infact just today I went walking with Annie and Oliver for the first time. Oliver was strapped in my baby bjorn while I pushed Annie...I was out of breath and had a severe side ache by the time I reached the corner..about 8 houses away...Yes I still have a very long way to go.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

More Oliver Pics...






The girls love their new brother too....

Friday, March 13, 2009

At Last...

So he is finally here!! Our sweet boy Oliver Thayer. We are so excited (especially me) to have him here with us. What a long haul this was for us (me again) but sooooooo worth it!! I was started on Pitocin early Wed. Morning the 11th and by 11:36am he was here. I couldn't have asked for a better delivery either 2 pushes and he was in my arms well, that's kinda impossible, I guess he was in the Dr.'s arms first then mine. Anyhow, What a moose he was compared to my other 3. No wonder I was in such turmoil. I know some of you have bigger babies then that and are rolling you non- puffy eyes, but for me this was not the norm.

SO this baby is really a mix of all my kids. He has Bartel's eyes, Coco's nose and Annie's mouth. If he was a Drink we'd  call him a "Barconie" cocktail. He's really sweet and yummy. And I feel really good, still puffy but I feel better after this one then all my others. Weird huh? I'm just waiting for my cankles to go down now, ...and my eyes....lips....hands.........
8lbs. 19 1/2 inches long.. Our big Boy..



Look at those gaps between his big toe and the rest!!!We determined we could probably fit a dollars worth of quarters between that gap..

Blue eyes like Bartel's were and dark hair like Coco had..

Such a munch.
Smiles for the camera


Big belly....
Puffy lips and nose means it's getting close to delivery...
My sexy cankles...Or forgive me, my "fat Bastard Legs" as Bart so lovingly called them...

Monday, March 2, 2009

Promises, promises....

OK, no more promises I can't or may not keep. I know I said I was going to post more pictures etc.. but seriously, everytime I attempt to, something always comes up. Either I just plain forget, or Bart has my camera, or I'm too busy at the moment, or like now, it's almost 4am and I really have no excuse, except that my converter is in my closet and I'm afraid to wake up Bart. I'm out on the couch and I can't sleep due to ....well, I can't put my finger on it ..oh, ya the big baby in my belly, making me so uncomfortable...silly me how could I forget? YES, I'm still with child and YES he is already grounded. My contractions finally started up again, I can't believe how responsive bed rest was...dang it. Talk about bringing things to a screeching holt. I hardly even took the meds I was given! Now, I'm practically jogging around the block at night to get things moving..Well, jogging may be a tad bit of an overstatement especially since I have no shoes that fit except for some ill fitting flip flops. I am seriously running out of clothes and shoes. Oh, I wish I had pictures up right now to prove my homliness...Is that a word? I am sporting the same sweats just about everyday. I did mix it up a bit with a pair of jeans, but I coughed the other day and well, it wasn't good so now i have to wash the dang things and they will take took long to stretch out to my liking, so it looks like it's sweats from here on out..sorry Bart I'm sure your sick of leaving me in the morning wearing the same thing that you come home to at night..But not as sick of it as I am...trust me.
My kids are getting a tad anxious for this baby to come out too. Everyday Annie asks the same thing.."when is your baby coming out?" good question, I wish I knew. Then tonight when I was leaving to go on a walk around the block, I told Bartel we would be gone for just a quick walk and that I'd hurry back (everyone was in bed he'd be in charge) he said "I don't care of you have to walk around the block 5 times, just get that baby out!"..gee, how do you really feel? Then there's Coco who just likes me being pregnant. I can't walk by her with out her rubbing, kissing, or talking to my stomach. And she has to tell me 10 times a day just how cute my little tummy is...Does she had rose colored glasses on or what? because it is not little. She actually was looking at my bare tummy the other day and said "why do you have a line of symmetry down the middle of your tummy?" (you know the line she's talking about) I was just glad she was learning something in school... SO I will update with pictures when i can, they are very entertaining and will boost your self esteem, and i will keep you posted on the arrival of this boy who insists on torturing his mom by being stubborn..

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

LOST

Ok, no I;m not blogging about the TV show, that I've grown to love since Bart got me the first season for Valentines Day, (although, how about that Sawyer?) ok, ok, so I found my converter for my pictures and the next day we had new carpet put in my room and then I lost my camera!!! I was so bugged. Anyhow, i found it today in the car, which I really haven't been in a whole lot lately. So I'm off right now to "Pinewood Derby" where I will take pictures and then promise to blog about my ever exciting life later tonight or tomorrow including pictures..and there are some good ones!! So stay tuned and don't lose faith in me my fellow bloggers!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Lazy Bum...

SO I just took some fun pictures of myself to show you, the world just how attractive I am right now (I no longer have any pride left) but my dang picture transferrer thingy -I know there is a name for it, is all the way upstairs and I just came down from there! And I am not going back up so you'll just have to wait for my fun stories and pictures until tomorrow.. 

I can however, share an embarrassing moment I had recently...actually I will save it until next time.. I will report all is getting better here in the Van home. We had the flu this week, 2 different kids, I've been sick, we had new carpet laid in my family room and my bedroom to match the rest of the house..and it doesn't. they brought the wrong carpet, so now they are coming back next week to redo it, in the mean time my house is a bit in disarray. But nothing I can't handle right? Then next week I will go in for my appointment to see if things have progressed or not, if not, I can stop taking medicine and kinda go back to normal activities, but will still have to keep this boy in for another 2 weeks..Not sure if I can handle that one. But trooper that I am...I will give it my best shot. 
I know my kids will keep me in check, because Coco keeps freaking out if I'm not taking it easy and reminds me that "If your not careful your going to have this baby in like 2 days and it will be stuck in your pant leg".... What a dreadful thought to have a baby stuck in my pant leg or worse to not only have the baby stuck in my pant leg, but to be stuck wearing these sweats forever.. Which is another story for tomorrow...complete with pictures. Don't worry there are no stuck babies involved..Totally rated "E" for "everyone. So coco is protective but yet a couple weeks ago, when we were at my inlaws we were talking (the girls) about trying to exercise at home with kids and how it's darn near impossible when there little. And coco looked at me with the most annoyed look on her face and said "mom, you don't exercise, you just....lump."  What the heck??? I don't always just "lump" , well yes as of lately I guess I do "lump" but there was a time when I exercised and I'll get back into it I promise, I am going to be in my sisters wedding in MAY for heavens sake!! No "lumps" allowed!!!  And by the way coco, your the one always telling me "oh your buns are so cute and the chubbier they get the cuter they are!!"  Not something most people would brag about, but still I though you liked me "lumpy"?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

CASE CLOSED PART 2 "OUR SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS"

  
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Ok, so we had an unexpected twist since our last episode, that I might as well share with you as much as I don't want to.  So we last left off with the cursing of the stupid cat who possibly took Bert's glasses, and was now prancing around the female felines feeling like his I.Q. was now magically higher then it really is, kinda like when I go from blonde to brown hair...

Sunday came and went and it was now evening in the "Sam" home. The Cardinals lost the Super Bowl at the last minuet or so, and it didn't really effect the family, they didn't watch it but had updates texted to them from time to time. And since Bert didn't have his glasses anyway, it wouldn't have mattered much if they did watch it, he wouldn't be able to see it. 
Bert had been super helpful Sunday evening getting the house in order so that Brandi could start her week off right ( but a good stiff drink would have probably done the trick too and would of saved Bert some time).....Ok, Brandi doesn't drink and never has except that one time she took a sip from her dads beer, but that's another story....She doesn't want to talk about it.
Sooooo, Brandi's Visiting teacher had stopped by and dropped off a beautiful lemon meringue pie for dessert. And since that diet doesn't start until after her baby is born, she welcomed it with Open Arms...And it was good. Perfectly sweet and yet tart.
"Kids time to get Jammies on" Bert yelled to the kids upstairs, "then you can have some pie" he continued.  "I can't wait to get kids in bed" Brandi thought to herself. It had been a long day, and she was looking forward to a quiet night, maybe a bath, watch a movie, a good book, anything to relax. The kids were quick to obey due to the "pie factor" and Brandi could hear Bert dishing up orders for the kids...he was so patient with them, and Brandi loved him a lot at that moment. "Here you go Lynnard" Bert said as he handed her some pie in bed. Lynnard was her "pet name" if you could call it that. She was rarely called "Brandi" by Bert unless Bert had something serious to talk about or if his mood was a little on the "cloudy" side,  to which she was then usually cautious in approaching to him because she knew she was in trouble. But he called her "Lynnard" so all was well. "Thanks honey" she said, she had been typing away furiously at her laptop, writing some kind of story he could see, but he didn't dare break her concentration further, he could only see something about "Mystery Theatre"...
The kids had finished eating and bounded into Brandi's room where the routine of brushing and flossing began. One by one the kids brushed and then one by one the lined up for dad to rebrush the spots they missed. (Except for Minnie who ate mom's pie on the sly) They were good sports and used to this routine, they just backed up into dad who sat on the edge of the tub and threw back their heads and opened wide for their dental inspection. Bert liked to pretend he was a dentist but really he was a "Food Processor Mechanic" which to him translated into "dentist" and sounded more professional, the kids thought it was funny and Brandi didn't really care what career he had as long as he was happy doing it. And he was.
The kids passed inspection and gathered on mom's bed to say family prayer. After a moment of playing, " No, it's your turn" dad decided to end the game and say it. Minnie their youngest still had the "wiggles" on occasion, and still thought there was plenty of room on mom's lap for her to sit, which made Brandi feel good mentally, but physically was a whole different story. But luckily dad's prayers are short which explains why he always says "couples prayer", because whenever Brandi say's it it's followed by the same predictable comment each time from Bert, "wow, I could of said all that in like 1 min instead of 10." " I obviously have more to be thankful for", was the only come back she could ever think of. And on occasion when he was especially sassy she would bring up the whole "reading scriptures on their wedding night because someone was nervous and trying to be spiritual and kill time" incident. This topic usually quieted him down.... So with prayers done the last major haul of the night was getting the kids upstairs and into bed....And then of course coaxing Minnie to stay in bed... 
The house was silent and Bert had company over for some well needed business chatting that couldn't wait until Monday. Which was fine, that meant Brandi could have her pick of the movie to watch. She carefully chose her movie and got all comfy in her sweats that she hadn't actually changed out of for 2 weeks now, -she doesn't want to talk about that either. Got her water, kleenex, meds, nasal spray (she was a mess actually, not really a picture of health) and was ready to relax and watch "The Devil Wears Prada"  As she laid in bed watching all the models look so glamourous and actually having a place where the had to be and had to dress up so nice she pictured herself in the "big Apple" Running down the crowded streets because she was late for a meeting or a "Shoot", she didn't get  very far because she tripped in her stilettos due to a knock at the door and the scream of "mommy" from the other side and that quickly shook her from her day dream and brought her back to "earth" real fast. The door Burst open and in broken semi understandable english, Minnie was talking a mile a minuet with the biggest smile on her face arms flying. Brandi had to say "what? " several times to try to decipher out the message from this foreign sounding little munchkin of a girl. Well, turns out Minnie had found dad's glasses. Brandi turned to the porch where Bart was sitting chatting with his friend and he pointed to his glasses. She then turned to Minnie who was just beaming and was so proud of her discovery, she knew she had done good. Brandi hugged and kissed Minnie and Minnie explained that dad had left them in her room when they had snuggled that night before. "Of Course" thought Brandi, "he fell asleep out side then bolted in the house to take care of Minnie and slept upstairs with her for a bit before coming to bed." The pieces had all come together. SHe kissed Minnie and told her what a great job she did, especially since she didn't even realize that Minnie was aware of the missing glasses, which in turn made her realize that Minnie picked up on more then Brandi thought, which made Brandi quickly evaluate herself and wonder ...what other things Minnie knew...She couldn't think about that now, her thoughts were on the return of the glasses and as happy as she was that she wasn't going to have to fork over money to again buy another pair of glasses that had disappeared unnecessarily (2 pairs at Lake Powell, 2 or 3 at Saguaro Lake due to over excitement and just jumping in the water without a thought) Brandi had to admit that she was bummed that her "Cat" theory had just gone to pot. She really wanted another reason to hate those dang cats, as if using their yard and garage for their own kitty litter box and mating ground and fighting arena weren't enough. And one did run into her house the other day when one of the kids left the front door open but luckily "Zoe" her second oldest grabbed the cat before it made it's way upstairs, it still was a bitter disappointment that she knew deep down she would have "to kinda" repent for. No, she wasn't going to approach "catman" about her theory on the glasses and apologize, she would simply try to hate the stupid cats a little less, and possibly quit plotting to get rid of them...Those dad gum cats....