The Glass House of Nicolerene

What I have been doing...

HI

I can't believe it is already Wednesday. The days are flying by. The weekend came and went so fast. I could not believe it when I sat there Sunday night asking myself if it was really over. Everyday has just been so busy. 

 

So our weekend... well it started great. My cousin and her friend arrived Friday night and we had chinese food and hung out and everything was great. Then I woke up in the morning and discovered that my cousin was SICK. Oh was she sick. Poor Cara was laid out on the couch as the weekend sped by. Ben and I went to get the new piano.. finally. I LOVE IT!!! Its home and even though it needs me to fix the paint on it (eventually I would love to strip the paint that some moron in the past 80 years painted it with, it was once orange and then painted black, it has beautiful wood underneath that, so one day it will happen, like when my kids are grown up and I have that kind of time on my hands) it looks amazing. And Ella loves it!!! She would play the other one with Ben but she LOVES this one. She crawls over to it and stands there waiting for you to come pick her up and sit her on the bench to play. She can just reach the edge of a few keys so she will try to play herself. And if you play it, she will stand there and dance. She gave her grandma's a great laugh the other night as she showed off her new moves. By Sunday afternoon Cara and Sam had to get ready to leave but we headed over to the beach for some pizza. Then the girls hit the road and the weekend was... sadly over. 

 

Monday______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________ Oh Monday how I hated you!!!!! You chewed me up and spit me out this week. There is no other way to put it... Monday sucked this week. It hit my like a truck. I had a very hard time letting Ben leave this week. I just could not do it. I cried... I acted like a baby and felt like I was going to die when he walked out the door. I know... grow up Nicole... but every once in a while I get a week like that. Hell, I am only human and I just want my husband home... Is that really so much to ask?? In my past life I was an Army wife. I have done my time with deployments and all the other separation time that comes with that life. I did it, I got the t-shirt and then I burned that baby!!! I guess its just not in my cards to have a husband at home with me. Maybe one day... a girl can dream... right? 

So lets move on... Good bye Monday, Hello Tuesday... 

 

Well when I went to bed Monday I had my head set that I was going to go to sleep and wake up Tuesday and all the horrible would be gone and it would be all rainbows and sunshine for me... Ya well I was wrong... I woke up feeling like death. Now it was not related to my love being away... it was this stupid cold that I have been fighting for a month. Seriously... a month. I got sick on Jan 30th... and I can not get rid of it. (do not ask how I remember that date but I do) Ella was the best baby ever though and she played in her crib next to my bed while I got a little extra nap and then I woke up feeling much better. Things were looking up... so I forced my butt out of the house and into the thrift store! That helped a lot. I found a few things and my bill was $8.80. GO ME!!! That's the kind of shopping I like. I had my favorite pasta for dinner and tried to help my Mr. with his speech homework but I do not think I was much help last night. I hope I cheered him up a bit when I suggested to turn it into a rap. Hey I tried to make him smile... So the day turned out to be pretty good. 

 

 

Those are a few of my favorite Ella moments from the weekend. I am just hanging out this Wednesday doing chores and planning for this weekend. Its my weekend with the older munchkins so lets see what kind of fun we can get into. No matter how bad the day can be at least I have my munchkins and my husband (well a long distance husband :) ). I love my family through all the GOOD and the BAD. We can only work hard and the GOOD things will happen. 

I hope everyone else is having a great week!!!

Thanks for reading...

Nicole

As I write this... I got up to change the laundry, cause well, that's my job around here, and I walked into WATER... yep water... and it was well, you know leaking from my WASHER!!! Really??? This is not the day, the week or the year for this. So of course I called the Mr. down in the Keys and broke the wonderful news. I dried up all the water, moved everything into the hallway and put another load in. So my house is now a wreck... again. As soon as I am done with this post I get to go and check the status of my swimming pool... uh, I mean laundry room. Whoever is dealing the cards, can you please reshuffle before the next hand? 

 

 

 

Flashback...

 

May 30, 2002

 

 

The day my son...my first child was born.

Kyle Allen

May 30th, 2002

7 pounds 8 ounces

My dearest Kyle... this was one of the 4 most amazing days of my life. I was young... just 20 years old and my life was changed forever. I have a million better pictures from the day my boy came into this world but this picture is a special one. Kyle was born with a skull fracture and had to go to the NICU at another hospital in Savannah. Kyle left just hours after he was born in a neonatal ambulance and I had to stay behind until I was released the following morning so that I could go be with him. Hardest night ever!!! When I was discharged the next morning I left the hospital with this picture. No baby.. Just this polaroid that the nurse took for me before Kyle had left. An experience that no mother should have to go through. 

In the end, Kyles head healed up just fine and he has never had another issue with it. He has grown up to be my amazing son. When I got pregnant with Kyle I wanted all boys and now he is a big brother to 3 little sisters and I would not change it for anything. He is my boy. My one and only and I love it.

I love my baby boy. 

I love you forever Kyle!!!!

 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Mama

 

_{* I am late with my Flashback post. I know, but I warned you that my commitment to Friday's would only set me up for failure. There was good reason though. I spent the day doing chores and getting ready for my bestest cousin in the world and her friend to come home for the weekend from college. Once they got here we had to hang out and spend some time together. Better late then never!!! Have a great weekend!!!}

A little update on Ella...

 

It was less then a month ago that I sat here typing a post, excited about how well Ella's doctors appointment had gone and how things were looking up for this pretty baby girl of mine. Well here I am again to give a little update as my little baby sleeps next to me. 

Let me go back to her last appointment first. Everything had gone well but I did notice that her weight seemed low compared to her 7 month check up. So I scheduled a weight check at her pediatricians office so we could get her weighed on her normal scale and well that scale said she had not gained much either. So I spoke with her doctor and he said to just make sure she was eating lots of baby food and to keep a food log the week before her 9 month check up that was coming up. Well here we are a few weeks later and Ella went in for her check up on Monday. She had not gained anymore weight. Since December 12th, Ella has only gained 9 ounces and has reached a plateau. I was so anxious for this appointment because I was pretty sure she had gained something. She eats very well and nurses plenty, but no, nothing.  So now there is reason to be concerned. The doctor does not seem to think this is in relation to Ella's liver issues because those levels are improving. Now this may be nothing. It could just be that I am not making enough milk but I do not think that is it. I nursed Chesney for 8 months and I do not feel as though something is wrong with that. I have something to compare to so I feel like I would be able to tell a difference of something was wrong. And I am not going to lie... hearing that I may not be able to give my child what she needs is not cool at all. It is a horrible, no good feeling. I am in for the long haul with nursing this little girl. ( I was cut short on nursing Chesney at 8 months because of my medical problems and I have been set that this time nothing was stopping me. ) So if it is me then as much as I do not like it, the problem should be easy to fix. But while it might just be no big deal we need to rule out other possibilities. Ella went today to have a TON of blood work and a X-ray of her wrist so they can look at the bone age. I felt so bad today making this precious girl go through being stuck again. She did so well but its so sad that she is getting used to this. The doctor is trying to rule out any issues including Thyroid problems and some Autoimmune diseases. All of my girls are at higher risk for Thyroid problems because I have them, but I also have Hashimoto's. This puts Ella at higher risk for other Autoimmune diseases. 

I know that this is probally nothing and probally just me not making enough milk... but... I can not help but freak out. I do not want her to have any health issues. No mother wants their children to have anything wrong, but to know that she could and that its because of me that she is even at risk for this stuff, SUCKS!!!! I have been so worried about this since my diagnosis during my pregnancy. 

All the tests are done and now we wait for the results. We have an appointment scheduled for a weight check the week after next. I am nursing more and filling this baby up with lots and lots of food. And in the meantime we wait... and I do my best not to freak out. I am a person who plans for the worst and hopes for the best so there is nothing I can do over the upcoming days to stop from freaking out. This baby does not deserve anything bad, no baby does...

Here are some pictures of Ella playing today. I love that even though she had an afternoon of tests, that she is still such a happy baby. Keep smiling my baby Ella. We love you. 

 

I hope everyone is having a good week. I am going to do my best to keep my chin up. Everyone else around here is doing great. Happy kids... Happy Mama...

For now its time to get some sleep. 

Thanks for reading...

Nicole

Ella's first love day...

My pretty little baby on her first Valentines day. 

(mostly her opening her little love day gift)

 

 

I hope every one had a sweetheart of a day!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Nicole

To my valentines...

My Dearest,

Kyle, Austin, Chesney & Ella

 

Happy Valentines to my 4 amazing, wonderful loves.

I love you more every day. I have been truly blessed to be your mother. 

I love you!!!!

 

Forever & Always,

Mama

 

 

Just a little weekend fun...

Our weekend:

Jacksonville

Family

  Museum 

Valentines

Cupcakes

Playing Around

 

 

I hope everyone had a great weekend and Monday...

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Nicole

 

Flashback...

 

To February 1986

 

Grandma and Me. 

I thought these were good pictures for today since we are just days away from Valentines Day. I do not remember this but I looked happy about my big box of chocolates. This picture was taken at my Grandma's house in NY before any of us moved to FL. I loved this house and I have so many amazing memories there. I am very excited about the shirt I was wearing that day. It has a penguin on it and around here we kind of LOVE penguins and Ella just happened to be wearing a penguin shirt today. Sooo Cute!!! I already have the kids Valentines finished but after seeing these pictures I think I am going to go and get us all a heart shaped box of chocolates. And we can sit around and eat yummies together. 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

HAPPY almost VALENTINES DAY!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Nicole

 

 

Some unexpected new things and a giant mess...

Take a deep breath and let it out, and here I go...

 

Okay so...

It has been a crazy, busy, messy, exciting and frustrating past few days and I am feeling very excited and overwhelmed. It all started Friday evening when I spoke with my Mom and she let me know that she had come across an amazing find on some couches. ( I have been needing / wanting new couches for a very long time but could not find any that I liked or I could find something and it was way out of this Mama's budget ) So my mom bought these couches super duper cheap and I had no idea what they looked like but it was one of those its now or miss the deal kind of things. She was pretty sure I would love them and knew that if I did not, she could re sell them and make some money on them. We were finally able to go with her Sat evening to go and get them and I really did like them. I would have not bought them at the store for full price but I liked them and for the price I loved them. EXCITED!!! We manage to get them home in one trip... { thanks to my awesome husband and nephew } Sunday morning we get up all ready to get the new stuff in place and go about the day and everything comes to a screeching halt. Oh yea... we have a couch and chair and now we have a couch and love seat... um how is this going to work... FRUSTRATION!!! Well moving the new couches in and moving the old ones to the play room and moving that couch to my sisters was not going to be that easy... no, its turned into me having to re arrange my entire house. We moved the piano to the living room and the huge tv cabinet to the play room, the kids now have the good tv that was still in my closet from x-mas and their tv is going to the garage but is still in my play room too. MESS!!! Then every way we thought the new couch and love seat could go, did not look good. We came to an arrangement that should work for now. (We are looking at bigger houses now that Ella is getting closer to needing her own room, so we know its only short term and that soon we will have more space ) The issue with all this is that moving all of this around means that THIS no longer can go THERE and THAT can't go THERE anymore and now I need to empty THIS out and well I can get rid of THAT but where does THIS go now and that leads to cleaning out this cabinet to make room for this and that leads to that and OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I STARTED, happened. 

I got to a point last night that I felt I was making progress and I knew today I would really get somewhere with all of this. 

I thought WRONG!!!!

BECAUSE TODAY I FOUND THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME!!!!!

Somehow, and I really do not know how... I ended up on craigslist this morning. ( It may have been because I was being tortured by dealing with car insurance and I must have thought craigslist would make me feel better) Well guess what... IT DID. EXCITED!!! 

I found this...

 

And it's now MINE!!!!!! 

Yes I know I already have a piano... but... I don't have this piano and this is the one I have been dreaming of and wanting and whining about for a long long time and it only cost.....

$50.00

And she works... 

So I am very excited and I still have so much to do including figuring out how to get this piano home. I have to finish putting my house back together and I have a million things to sell and donate and that overwhelms me (my garage is full ) and I have a bunch of gift projects I am in the middle of for Valentines for the kids and I have to make Valentine cupcakes and and get their little Valentine treat box together and keep up with life and horrible things like car ins and we are going up to Jacksonville for the weekend so that means packing and packing and packing and and and and and the list goes on and on and on...

Its hard to imagine that last week I was on schedule and doing okay and I had no idea what was about to hit me. But I am happy with my new things even if it brings craziness to my house. The kids are all doing great. Austin is going to be in a play at school. I am very excited about that and proud of her!!! She loves performing at home so I think this will be a great experience for her. So before I know it, this wave of crazy will be over and I will be on to the next round... family camping trip next month... I think so!!! 

 

And now its time for this Mama to get some sleep... 

Goodnight all and I hope your having a great week!!!

Nicole

Oh ya... one more thing... In all of this my husband started back to school this week and we are all so proud and excited for him!!! 

 

 

 

Flashback...

 

To January 15, 2006

 

_{( Kyle 3, Austin 2, & Chesney 6 months )}

Just a short trip back this week. Though it seems like just yesterday and a million years all at the same time. I was looking around my computer at pictures and I came across this and I smiled. Its so crazy to me how big these 3 are getting every day. They were all just babies not to long ago. I remember taking this picture. I took a few that night, trying so hard to get a cute picture of all three kids smiling in their matching pajama's. Chesney just was not having it that night. Kyle and Austin were good sports about it though. They did good trying to sit still for me. They were so happy and knowing that at that time things were pretty rough on me since I was in the middle of a divorce, and yet they still were 3 happy little munchkins makes feel so good. I do not have a house full of little babies anymore. Now they are BIG kids. Growing up so fast. 

 

I sure hope everyone has had a great week and that you have a super weekend!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

 Nicole

 

A thank you note...

 

To the kind and wonderful Talia Christine!!!

Talia has been so kind to put a link up on her blog to share The Glass House with her readers. She is giving me a wonderful opportunity and I am very grateful to her for this. 

Talia's blog is the first blog that I ever read and I want to share it with you. Its a wonderful life story about a girl from Texas that falls in love, gets married and moves around the world to New Zealand to start her family. Follow her through her adventures as a new mother to her beautiful daughter Audrey. I think she has amazing style and I am so jealous of her sewing abilities. 

You can check it out here.

 

                       

 

Hope everyone had a great Wednesday!!!

Nicole