Merry Christmas

Everything is finally done! I even got me and the kids packed to head to Pa. on Christmas Day. Hard to believe 5 days ago I didn't even know where to start or where it would end on Christmas Eve. So this will be my last post until after Christmas, So I would like to wish all of you a VERY MERRY CHIRSTMAS and I hope you all have a nice one, get what you want, and go to bed early and get some sleep!

Finally got some good pics of Logan. He's always moving and very difficult to photograph. He is laughing but of course I can't catch it without a blur.

Almost Time!!

So, it's almost time for Santa. I will be ready by then! Olivia is very worried that he won't come because Logan wakes up at night and if he's not sleeping, santa won't come.We've got most of the cookies done, the presents almost all wrapped (hey the shopping finally got done on Friday),and christmas cards have been mailed. I truly didn't think it would be this difficult with a baby! what was I thinking.

Speaking of the little man, he's sooooo funny. He's laughing(don't know if I already said that earlier or not)no sound, but laughing. All he wants to do is lay flat on his back and babble at you and make all kinds of faces and look around. I have never seen a child soooo interested in just looking around. Maybe he's casing the house out for when he gets mobile........note to self, he will be very good at finding things to break when learns to crawl........But he's funny, he don't like his swing or bouncy seat and toys don't interest him at all. The girl from Help Me Grow was very impressed to see him putting his hands together so much. So maybe he is making big strides without being stimulated with colors and stuff........who knows. I'm waiting until after x-mas here and I can spend more time with him and see really what he's up too!

So all is well here. Rich is doing his typical driving me nuts being layed off for the winter, but we are both still living yet! LOL

Let Christmas Begin

So, let me just say, I (we) kicked some butt today! I don't know how, as my eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep, and by body is going in a different directions each time, but we did. It helps I must say when you have a cooperative 5yr. old and a baby that chose today to sleep alot! We made oatmeal choc.chip cookies, Choc.cupcakes w/strawberry icing (yeah, no one is on a diet here), started our paper x-mas chain, and Olivia wrapped the other kid's presents!

I thought I would start the day with the tree being plugged in all day and the x-mas lights on in the house all day (it sure was dark enough for them). Also, I brought Olivia's stereo out and played x-mas cd's all day!! Drank a whole lot of Lipton tea w/sugar added! So we made our Avon deliveries this morning and ran to walmart to pick up our x-mas cards (yes, they came in early). I was really needing to do this before the snow. So once we came home, it was all out GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS! Olivia wanted to wrap stuff and at first I thought, yeah right, but then I thought, oh gosh Michelle, let her. So she wrapped the kids stuff cause kid's don't really care what it looks like as long as it has paper and they can open it! Everything was running like a well oil machine and then Logan decided to really lose his cookies! The boy has been eating like a little piggy lately and I think it finally caught up to him. Olivia was in "awe" of how that looked!

So, Rich is out plowing, Logan is due to wake up, and Olivia's in bed (i think I played her out). We will do this again tomorrow and see how much more we get done!!!!!

Happy Birthday Jimmy

How Can You Resist??????

And Then He Turns Into This!!!

Today is my brother Jimmy's b-day! He has now reached the "thirty club". Almost can believe I finally have a sibling that has gotten out of their 20's. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and we will see you over Christmas!!

Didn't get much at all accomplished today. I was seriously up till 2am last night and this morning felt as if I had a bad hangover and there was no alcohol involved. Thought I should make a trip to walmart during the day before it got crazy tonight with the "big storm" coming. So I had some time by myself at the store, so I took advantage and looked around and just took my good old time. Very relaxing I must say. I didn't hear "mom, hold on go back I want to see something", "i want that and I'm going to move if you don't buy it for me", "mom wait, see that, right there, yeah, that's what i want"...........nothing but silence.

So tomorrow is another day, so we shall see what I get done then. It's suppose to snow LOTS here so maybe I will just play in the snow!

PS....Martha is now making her own ornaments!!! LOL I'm going to NJ next year

Christmas Music

Enjoy

Where in the world have the Nagle's been??

It's kind of like Where's Waldo......except we haven't been lost or in a puzzle (maybe a puzzled state!), just really crazy. Let's take a walk back in time, not too far back, cause I don't remember too far back.

Ahh, Christmas, the time I wait for the most (other than spring and I thaw out). Christmas is passing me by and I can't stop it! I even stopped the countdown clock by needing the batteries somewhere else and got busted when Olivia realized the numbers weren't moving. So that didn't help and made things worse when I re-did it and realized 3 more days had passed by. Couldn't wait to Thanksgiving, cause you know what comes after that....nothing like taking a nice walk at night when it's quiet and it's snowing those big flakes and for some reason the whole neighborhood is oddly quiet.......snap out of it.......it's been either raining or turning everything to ice, the neighborhood is rather noisy, and there is brown mud everywhere. OK, I promise the next time I write this post, I will have holiday cheer.

Let me tell you how I got this far behind.......It's a little man named Logan. Yes, this little man that I was so sure wouldn't make life any different than it was, after all I consider myself a professional stay-at-home mother, I can handle this! I handled 7 kids babysitting last yr. I was so wrong and have surrendered. The white flag is waving. It's been 5 yrs. and you forget just how long it takes to actually leave the house or that he will want to eat when you are leaving the house! It's all good, I can do this. Take away the holiday and push it back another 30 days and I can do this.

Now, how did I get so far behind that I barely have anything bought for x-mas, ordered my cards on Tues. evening (yes, don't look for mine until after the 19Th), haven't baked a cookie unless it's choc. chip and comes already pre-sized and cut. Bonus: tree is up and outside and house are decorated!! OK, we have dealt with ear infections, sleepless nights, cranky kids, hernia operation, overnight spent at hospital, cranky kids!, more doctor's appts.

So Logan's hernia surgery went really well, they did end up keeping him overnight to keep an eye on him since he had never been "put to sleep" before. We weren't really prepared for him to spend the night, but it all worked out well. I have to say I got a whole night's sleep and when Rich went to wake me up the next morning, I closed my eyes really tight and tried to pretend he wasn't standing there and it really wasn't time to get up already! You know how kids do that, they close their eyes and if they can't see you, you can't see them. Doesn't really work well for grown-ups, must be only a child thing. LOL My father-in-law came down with a horrible case of pneumonia (on the day of Logan's surgery) and is thankfully home from the hospital now. He does the babysitting of Melinda's kids and takes the girls to school and picks them up. So every body's schedule has been changed. So I am babysitting and doing the taking and picking up............oh yes, and don't forget, preparing for x-mas!! LOL

So Mr. Logan is doing so good, he now weighs 8lbs.9oz (can you even believe it). He is pretty much wearing newborn clothes (sad but good to pack the preemie's away) and I have caught him laughing!! How exciting has this been. It's not the "reflex" laugh that babies have and everybody gets excited and it's only gas.......this is the real thing. He is so fun.

Olivia is just being Olivia. She decorated the tree for the most part and how nice is that when your kids get old enough and can do these things. I have threatened to get her hair cut short if she don't let me do something with it. She doesn't even want to brush it. She did not like leaving her brother at the hospital overnight, which in a weird way made me feel good that she really does love him and recognizes him. Other than that, Olivia is Olivia...................Here is a good conversation between her and her cousin Mackenzie,

Olivia: "Mom, Mackenzie is touching my stuff in my room and I told her she's going to get my germs"

Mackenzie: "It's OK Olivia, I told you we are cousin's, so it's OK if I get your germs"

Olivia: "Well fine then, if you want my germs, go ahead and touch them. I thought you said we were Twins, not cousins"

Mackenzie: "We are, we are twin cousins"

I will leave it at that!!

Last, but not least, I would like to tell you about the Martha Stewart we have in our family. I read my cousin's blog the other day, after i was sooo proud I finally got my cards ordered and found these wonderful projects posted on her blog. She had these perfect cookies, potato stamps!(never even thought of these before), and was making her own wrapping paper! Yes, I read this and realized how pathetically behind I was. So what does a girl do?, call mom. Well too bad they were already in bed for the night and my dad was laying there listening to my "poor me" message. Oh, I must tell you, my cousin has 3 boys, all from 5 and under and she DOES this. So cuz, all I have to say is, next year........Game On. I will be wrapped, stacked and baked by Dec. 1, 2008...................Kim, you know I'm joking and I truly admire what you have done, but seriously......game on! Oh ya, got her x-mas card about 2 weeks ago also!!!!!

Home Again

My little man looking so peaceful!

This pic was right before me and mom left with him for the store. He was fussing and mom put the hat on him and he went right to sleep and wouldn't move a muscle. It was too funny. He also had his camo on, getting ready for today's big hunt! The hat is a reindeer hat, but it's actually small for him and it's a newborn. Go figure.

So, our trip home went well.......no stops to the bathroom. Olivia is getting to the age where all I hear is "are we almost there yet". "Are we still in Pa. or Ohio". Yeah, see how payback is, I remember like it was yesterday saying those same words. I'm really thinking of investing on a tv for the car. Had one and she broke it and that has been quite a while ago, maybe I'll cave and get another.

Olivia did not want to go to school today. Who could blame her after having those days off, but she went. It's raining so much here today, maybe i will build a ark!! Logan has been Mr. fussy butt today and most of the weekend (of course he did this during the night at my parents), but did well during the night here.

What a week

Where to start? Let's start with Monday night and the earache. So, if you read the earlier post, Olivia did finally get medicine to fix her ear (thank you!). So Logan also had another eye exam on Monday and it was his last one!! You don't know how good that makes me feel to say that. The retinas have finally matured and there's no more exams! Another hurdle crossed over. So Tues. I end up keeping Olivia home from school to start getting her meds in her, while Logan has a appt. with the urologist at 9:30am (who schedule's these early appts.) Can't get her up since she just went to sleep at 4am, this causes chaos. So pappy ends up coming over after taking Mackenzie to school, to sit there with her so I can get Logan to his dr. on time. So much for being on time, I didn't even get in until after 10am. So I fly to G.Eagle to get the meds. filled for Olivia and then finally home. :)

Wednesday was a pretty good day. Olivia didn't have school at all, so she was very happy about that so we baked most of the day. Logan got weighed on Monday and he weighed 7lbs.11oz. Growing like a bad weed and I love it! He's wearing a lot of Newborn sizes finally! Funny to see the "big" clothes on him.

Thanksgiving Day.......A whole lot to be thankful for. We spend the day at Aunt's Mels and Uncle Homer's house. Not before we left the house without Logan's bottles and had to turn around to get them (hey, we haven't had a newborn for 5yrs.) I have not forgot him anywhere yet, so I'm doing good! Time to pack for me and the kid's big trip to Pa., by ourselves.........

Friday...We left the house by 11am. We are doing good. I tell Olivia we are NOT stopping for anything, so don't have to pee. That fails and I have to stop, luckily Logan remains sleeping and all is well. We touch down in Pa. about 1:45, awesome timing with 2 kids. So here it is Sat. night and we will do this all over again tomorrow and leave while mom hopes and prays we DON'T have to stop and pee again. TO BE CONTINUED....................

Turkey for me, Turkey for you

Logan's too cool shirt for Turkey Day!

Aunt Mel's spoiling Logan!!

All the grandkid's together, one unhappy one!

Pappy and Grandma Nagle

Two children up to NO GOOD! With a whole lot of chocolate sitting in front of them.

Fun Fortress

Olivia had her friend Amanda's b-day at a place called Fun Fortress. It's a bunch of blow up, bouncy, climb toys! We all went and actually had a fun time, even me and rich went down the big slide and obstacle course! This night led to Olivia having a earache of course at 11pm. Not a very good night at all. So fast forward to 2am when i told rich that one of us was taking her to the ER, cause I couldn't take it anymore until the next day and we could get her in to the regular doctor. If any of you have had this happen, you know what I'm talking about and it don't quit and there's nothing to do for it. So that turns in to a disaster being she was hurting so bad and was extremely exhausted. Needless to say: Glad it's over!!

Quote of the Day

"MOM, It is soooo hard trying to be so good, when I know that Santa is watching me!"

-Olivia Nagle

Olivia's Progress

So we had teacher conferences Thurs. night and to really no surprise, Olivia is doing really good. Her teacher had nothing but good things to say. The only thing she can't do is tie her shoe! I seriously thought that is why someone invented the velcro shoe! She is in the advanced reading class, which makes for all the "mom, how do you spell ____." and " do you know that "sh" makes the shhhhhh sound" worthwhile and "we have to read all these books tonight" really worthwhile!! So her reward for making us look so good is going to Build-a-Bear and making her own Rudolph reindeer. If you know Olivia, you know she is Rudolph's biggest fan! She is lethal on the purse when you take her to the store this time of year. So hopefully if all goes well, we will make it there on Sunday and I won't have to keep hearing how we are the worstest parents in the world cause she didn't go today..........

Olivia made her brother feel at home, by laying in her bed and sharing her pillow and blanket!!
Logan had his worst night yet since coming home tonight. I don't know why it is that he gets fussy at night just like Olivia, but he sure does. I think he cried for 3hrs. straight. Why does this not bother Olivia at all?? She can sit there right thru it. Amazing. I almost can't wait until he sees the urologist on Tues. and see if this hernia is bothering him and that's why.......Patience, it is learned! He has found the tv, which is interesting, which tells me he sees more now. He will strain his neck to look at it, so at least that's fun to see.

The OTHER boys

Meet Winston and Tiny. Winston is the bigger dog and Tiny is the little one. They are full blooded long haired chihuahuas. They are also brother's, same parents, different litter. They are soooooo bad together! You think, awe.....two little dogs, so pretty, they must just sit and look pretty all day! WRONG. They are highly upset now that the weather has gotten colder and they can't be out all day barking at everyone. And I mean bark at EVERYONE. They dig holes under our( entire) fenced in yard to get to the neighbors garden where they throw their leftovers out at, I have ankle breaker holes all thru the yard. They took turns stealing the tomatoes off the vines this year, only to play with them. They fight with each other, cuddle with each other and are just a "team" together. Neither will leave the poor cat alone when he comes around. Tiny will stand at the door and whine if he knows he's outside the door.They love our bed, a little too much. if you get out of bed, Winston is right under your covers and you have to chase him back out.

This was a action shot, they are not easy to photograph. Winston seriously needs a good dogie drug to settle him down, he's on edge all day!

Tiny is scared to death of the camera. I swear, I never tormented him with it!

Getting Bigger

I have noticed a lot going on here lately. Logan is trying to find his hands, but everytime he puts them in front of his face, he looks the other way! I've seen him trying to grab for things, but of course missing. He wants to "coo" at me more and stay awake longer, which has gotten fun. Mr. Logan has also mastered the art of staying awake at night........yes, I knew it was too good to be true when he was so easy to put down earlier. He likes to be up from 1am-4am. Yes, I get plenty of sleep (ha ha) and he wants me to hold him. He will fall asleep in the my arms and when i lay him down, he wakes up crying again. How do they seriously know that!! His hair has also gotten real blonde but looks dark in the pics. But other than that, not much else happening with him.

Olivia has mastered the art of changing her brother's diaper and about giving me a heartattack. I was in the bathroom and she came flying in all excited that she had changed Logan's diaper, well if this doesn't put the fear in you........I looked and he was still laying where he was (so that was good), but she really did change his diaper! It needed a little tighten, but all in all, she's a natural. She broke up with her boyfriend and said he likes another girl, and "you can only have one boyfriend at a time when you like someone mom", very smart and where do they learn this stuff at? I guess she really likes this boy and had a long discussion with Uncle Jimmy about it on the phone. Now she didn't tell me all this, but him! Teacher conference is tonight, so we shall see how much "olivia doesn't like school". I bet her teacher has a very good report for her, but she insist she doesn't like school!

It's sleeting here now, Tis the season! Stay warm!

Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, so I thought I would share this poem with you that was shared with us when Logan was in the NICU.




The Preemie's Prayer

Dear God, as you look down upon us,
We know that you might have to squint.
We're located here in the NICU:
It's the nursery that we rent.

There are many alarms and sirens,
Connected to condos and flats.
The nurses tape or booties on,
And dress us in funny hats.

We have a lot in common;
All of us were in a hurry.
For many different reasons,
Our storks came a little early.

Some of us don't know why,
We bursted out from our bubbles.
We entered into this world,
Never meaning to cause any troubles.

Mommy and Daddy are worried sick
About the odds that we must beat.
Please God, help them to realize,
That seeing us grow is a treat.

Breath by breath, we'll learn to breathe.
Ounce by ounce we'll tip the scale.
We're like a boat in the ocean,
That knows not sink-only sail.


For we are living miracles,

Mommy and Daddy must simply believe,

That you have angles watching over us;

From the time we arrive, till the time we leave.

Recalls, Recalls, Recalls

Ok girls, now you have searched all over the place to find the #1 x-mas toy of 2007, find a awesome deal on it, were extremely excited because it's before Thanksgiving, so your not going to have to fight people for it.....guess what?......now you have to take it back to the store because some worker in china forgot that those chemicals used in children's glue would cause a "date rape" drug affect.........NICE. I am highly disgusted with the toy recalls and food too! What are you supposed to buy anymore? Every new toy out, that they tirelessly advertise on tv is made in china. I never realized before how much is really made in other countries (i realized it, but not to a extreme). I have sent back Thomas the Train, checked my Dora and Diego toys (which had to be purchased after May 2007, ours was brought by Santa, so somebody AFTER x-mas decided to use lead, yeah right). So now that the holiday shopping season has begun, how much will you have to return due to china not realizing lead paint is not good for children??!! Thanks for letting me vent! LOL

Now on a lighter note, Olivia has officially announced, she has a boyfriend in school. Dad is very happy with this announcement! NOT. See, he was Kera's boyfriend during the week and now Olivia got him back. She told him in the lunch line. Here the whole time I thought she was only learning in school, after all she floored me when she told me the vowels, and spells me words. Apparently she has time to find a boyfriend too, way to go girl, multitasking!!!!!!!!!!!

Got Turkey??

Well, I have a turkey bird. I had Logan to his doctor's appt. on Monday and he weighs a whole 6lbs.10oz. and is now 18in. long!! Last time he was here, which was about a month ago (hard to believe it's been that long) he was 4lbs.13oz. and 15in. long. Glad to know all those "night" feedings are doing something. He doesn't miss a meal and if he does sleep 4hrs. straight, he's madder than a hornet when he gets up, kind of funny. He has figured out that when you lay him back down, that if he cries, somebody will come and get him and about 5 sec. later he's sleeping again!! Oh ya, how do they figure this out so young! You have to very quietly trick him and lay him back down. LOL.

He's doing really well though, doing what a newborn would be doing, which is limited to lifting his head and looking around. He loves to lay and look around, loves watching Olivia, as she is very entertaining. She held him this morning and she hasn't held him in a while and he was "huge" on her lap compared to before, it was funny how big he looked on her. He does have to have a hernia repaired soon, but that's minimal compared to what "could have been", i"m sure he won't be happy about that.

Me and Logan took a trip on Monday before this stinky snow started to fly to see "Aunt Julie". She is the ultrasound tech at the hospital that I got to visit everyday and check on Logan. She is a absolutely wonderful person and was the only reason I didn't go insane while staying away. She earned the title of Aunt, as she knew parts of Logan that only a tech could, taught me doctor "lingo", and made fun of my "monster placenta" that only Julie could. It's a inside joke, but she felt bad for Logan in my belly to have to be by the "monster". Oh well, all that set aside, I met a wonderful person and Logan earned a new Aunt. So she finally got to see Logan for the first time on Monday and that was cool, after looking at him everyday on ultrasound.

So that's about all for now. I'm attempting to clean my house, i have started the process of "let it go". Do you know how hard that is?? It will drive me crazy and I have practiced it now for a couple of days and now it MUST be cleaned!!

All About Logan

So I thought it was time to update everyone on Mr. Logan. He has been staying awake more often now, and it's been good to see his eyes for more than a peak. He is doing so wonderful with everything. In fact, at his last eye exam, his retinas have started to reach out,instead of staying clumped together!! He goes back again on Nov.19, so hopefully we will be getting to the end of those soon (they are so awful, that I don't even watch or go in the room). I have caught him looking at things very odd like, so i know he can see more. Like what in the world is THAT!! He turns his head when someone else is holding him and he hears me talking.......BONUS, at least he recognizes me for all I've been thru with him, it's nice to be recognized once in a while!! He seems to awaken to sounds now around the house, which sister does not do well with being quiet, after all she never has had to be before. All in a days work I guess.I have to admit I felt really sad when Olivia had to go to kindergarten all day, but you know God works in mysterious ways and it's actually become a good stress reliever for me, especially with being up at night with logan. I still feel bad though, we did everything together for 5 yrs., day in and out, but she's learning to be her own person and be responsible for her own stuff and that's what's important. I tell her she's "working on getting her own wings"! Sometimes those wings break and we have to repair them!!

I had to give in to the Binky, he was not happy on his belly!!

I love the creases (or rolls), just think this little guy started off with wrinkly skin and no fat what so ever. He looked like a very old man!

Logan's First Trip to Pa.

I thought this picture would put us in the mood of November. This is the view from my parents deck in Pa. I miss the hills and scenery here, like there. I'm a true country girl.Ok, so Sunday was trick or treat. The gangs all here........and the kids were sooooooo tired. We couldn't believe it. They wanted to go home after not even filling their bags!! So me & rich started to go back to when we were kids........started right on time never missed a minute to get candy and never stopped until the time was up, and hit every house. I was laughing how I used to trick or treat in "moonboots", now you all know what those are! Snow would be flying, but you still went. (it has never snowed yet for Olivia to go in) How about when you would go and buy your costume in a BOX with a MASK. LOL. You all know your old enough to remember this. The costume (made of plastic) would rip by the time you were done and the mask, the little rubber piece that fit under your neck always broke and you know you either stapled it back on or taped it!! How funny is that and these kids don't even have a clue!

They decided they needed a rest at this point, it was chilly out, so Olivia thought of this plan "what if you guys trick or treat and we will wait here for you". I could have died, needless to say we didn't go to many houses after this. (The two girls are my brother Jimmy's girlfriends kids, Kathy & Donna)

The look of a true mad cat!! Notice someone else is carrying her bag, because it was just waaaaay to heavy for her. OMG. This is why God gave me a boy this time!!

Meet Willow, Jimmy's dog. Our 2 Chihuahuas love to bark at her.

This is pretty much what Logan did on his big trip!

Jimmy is probably giving Logan tips on hunting already!! Someday he will be as big as you, Uncle Jimmy.