"Oh What Do You Do In The Summer Time?..."

On Saturday I woke up feeling FANTASTIC! I'm not 100% back-not even close, but I WAS feeling good enough to put on some real clothes and get outta the house for an hour.

But where to go?
The Splash Park!
No. I did NOT put on a swimming suit. (had a baby a week ago, remember?)

No. I did NOT splash. (I'm not that cool, and again...just had a baby)
I DID sit on a bench next to Corbin (who slept in the stroller the entire time) and watch the fun.
And I DID eat 1/2 a bag of potato chips (the other half was consumed by Q, who merely had to dip her pruney wet hand into the depths of the giant bag, wiggle her fingers a little, and it would come out with several chips stuck to it like a magnet. She would suck the crumbs off her hands and repeat the process. Nasty. But cute, only because she is MY kid, and I knew that no one else would be partaking from the chip bag after her.

It felt SO good to just be out of the house and a part of my daughters' lives again! Even if that meant as a spectator watching them play with their Dad.

and I DID take several pictures:
After two trips through the tunnel, Quincy was content to watch. I think the craziness of all the unfamiliar kids running around her scared her a little bit. It's just as well, since we aren't sure if her rash might possibly still be contagious. The doc said only the fever and the open blisters are contagious. She didn't blister, but still...no one REALLY wants to play around that kid with the rash at the park. Only 1 more day until the full week has passed. We survived! We DID keep her (and Reese) home from church today. No one wants a rashy kid at church....especially in the nursery.
Ahhh the comfort in the Ariel towel. (See, mark?! You are not the ONLY one who got a beach towel for High School graduation! I got one too....it looked great in the backseat of my new car...)
Aaron was DRENCHED. He had NOT planned on getting near the water, either, but the girls wanted him to play, so he just got soaked in his clothes. What a good sport! My children are lucky they have such a fun Dad! At least he remembered to take his keys and wallet out of his pockets first!
This is supposed to be a photo of Reese...but I know you're only lookin' at that kid's crack. I don't know how to crop it out. Sorry.
and one VERY giggly little video:

"But You'll Look Sweet Upon The Seat of a Bicycle Built For Two..."

Reese and Quincy got their first bike this week! Aaron took Reese to pick one out, and of course they came home with the Disney Princess bike, helmet, knee pads and water bottle. She loves it and has spent a lot of time in the garage, pedaling herself around in little circles, over the past few days. The best part is when she is done, she walks around for about an hour with the helmet on still. The helmet is HUGE on her tiny head.



I got this little bike for Q to ride from a friend. She loves it, but is still a little jealous of Reese's bike because it had Disney Princess all over it.
A sheet of Disney Stickers and a sheet of My Little Pony Stickers solved that problem!

Q decorated her bike with pride...then carefully peeled all the stickers off 2 hours later and put them in the seat for later. Reese was a generous big sister and gave ONE of her knee pads to Quincy to wear. Now they both look special, but at least they are sharing!

"Some Like It In The Pot, 9 Days Old..."

After seeing Corbin in this little outfit, Aaron hasn't been able to resist calling him "Dude" all morning. He does look like a little man...it must be the shorts. All 3 of my babies have been pretty quick to lose that "all newborns look alike" squashed face. It's fun to see his little characteristics show up already. Thanks for the dang cute clothes, Auntie HolleeAnn!

I love this one because he's making the "ROAR" motions with his little arms...his actual "roar" is a pretty wimpy little cry still. But that probably has more to do with the fact that he hasn't HAD to cry a whole lot, than it has to do with his size. We have a deal: as long as he stays perfect, and also continues to sleep at night as wonderfully as he does...then I will continue to spoil him. It seems like a good plan and has worked out beautifully so far. It is easy to spoil a baby that only wants to nurse every 3 1/2-4 hours, and falls asleep on his own when placed in the crib. And so far, the only person he's actually peed ON is Aaron.
P-E-R-F-E-C-T baby. Corbin, I forgive you for what your big head did to my body when you came into the world. You are totally worth it!

Have a great weekend!

"Call Me! On the Line Baby Call Me, Call Me Anytime..."

Ding Dong!

What's this??!!

Another surprise visitor?

An unexpected package?

Publisher's Clearing House?

Nope.
Just another phone book!

"Rescue Me..."

Just in time. Grandma and Grandpa Willardson stopped by a few hours on their way to Branson, Mo. They were only here for a couple hours, but Lynda will be back Sunday to stay for a whole week! Yahoo for grandparents! It was fun to visit with them and show them all the improvements we've made since they were last here 2 years ago. I think Aaron is itching to skip out and go join Rob for some fishing in Branson this weekend.

Here are a few pics we took before they left:
Grandpa Rob meets Baby Corbin
Grandma Lynda-thanks for all you did for us in the short time you were here! We can't wait for you to come back!

"Got The Fevah...Ooh!"

It just keeps getting better!

Quincy woke up with a RASH from head to toe this morning.
Hand, Foot and Mouth.
Awesome.
Looks like we know where that fever was headed now.
Reese woke up with a TICK in her head behind her ear.
I'm guessing it's from doing THIS yesterday.
Aaron had the pleasure of removing the tick...which Reese was surprisingly fascinated with and wanted to keep in a water bottle as a pet.
It's been squished, and thrown in the trash.
Sorry, Reese.

Poor Quincy will be quarantined until the rash is gone.
In the meantime, Corbin and I remain sequestered in my bedroom.
Naturally, we are THRILLED that she spent hours doing THIS before we knew she was sick.

The danger in Corbin catching the hand, foot and mouth disease is obviously the high fever, but also if he gets blisters in his mouth he won't nurse.
No food for a newborn for 7-10 days can be bad news bears.

Keep us in your prayers!
We make our exodus out of the bedroom after kids have gone to bed...which doesn't really help with the Jaundice, but we're doing our best around here!

Last night he enjoyed the Lakers Game.
Aaron is doing his best to indoctrinate his son as early as possible, and has taken the opportunity to introduce the baby to Phil, Kobe, Fischer, and the rest of the gang. He's doing great handling the kids solo, especially with Q being sick and all.

Grandmas...we are counting the days until you arrive!

It's Inevitable...

Well we always knew that despite our best efforts, at SOME point, at least ONE of our children would end up on a milk carton.

So as we were leaving the hospital Saturday afternoon, we weren't really surprised to see THIS on the side of Aaron's beverage:
Another Corbin. Already. A FAMOUS Corbin. (a filthy rich Corbin? Maybe not so bad...)
We thought we were pretty original...now I wonder how many other Corbin's there are hiding out there. I mean, the namefinder thingie on babycenter said that there are only 800 Corbins out of every 1,000,000 in the US population. Sounds good. It's Ranked at #265 or something. Not TOO popular, but not one of those names he will have to repeat 100 times or spell out everytime he says his name.

Then again. Beyonce is ranked #11079...but if my daughter were one of the 7:1,000,000 Beyonce's out there right now, no one would be asking HER, "where did your parent's come up with that name?" or "could you spell that please?" I guess it's all relative.
I just hope that this particular kid doesn't follow the path of the typical downward spiral that too many Child Disney Stars have taken.

This is what I get for being part of the small percentage that has not actually sat through an entire viewing of High School Musical, HSM 2, 3, or 100...how ever many there are. Did everyone else know that was this guys name? Why didn't anyone tell me? I'm glad that MY little Corbin is pretty dang cute.

Whatever.
My kid was 2 days old, and already he's on a freakin' milk carton.
Mother of the Year.

"Get Out! {leave} Right Now {go}....It's the End of You and Me..."

"...It's too late. {now} and I can't wait for YOU. TO. BE. GONE...."

Yesterday:

Meg had a bad day.
Meg fed Big Willy and they took a nap.
Meg's doorbell rings.
Meg is not expecting anyone else, but quickly remembers that she did not lock the front door after her last visitor left.

Door opens.
Marge.

"....MEG?"

Yep. She let herself in. THEN she wandered down the hall until she found me.

Meg: Um. Hi Marge. I'm resting right now, and I am NOT ready for visitors yet. Can you come back next week?

Marge: I'm ready to hold that baby now. (holds shaky old lady arms out) Hand him over.

FO. REALZ.

Might as well get this over with. She's nice. and old. and considering that she didn't see the BABY SLEEPING sign taped OVER the doorbell, she probably doesn't remember the phone conversation a few days ago when I told her I am not feeling well and that I'll come visit when I am ready.

Meg: ok, let's go into the living room (and out of my bedroom) there is soap at the kitchen sink where you can wash your hands before you hold him. (THAT I will not budge on).

Marge: I just washed them before I left.

Meg: There is soap at the kitchen sink where you can wash them again.

Marge went to the kitchen sink and like a stubborn child RINSED her hands for 5 seconds and patted them dry on her thighs. Nasty.

She held the baby for 2 minutes while I opened the gifts she brought.

Yes. Gifts.
I'm trying this thing where I'm nice. It isn't working out so well. Let's just say that the gifts had to join the other gifts she's brought by in past months. BUT, it was very thoughtful of her to bring them by.

Corbin made a barely audible squeak and I decided it was time for him to eat.
Marge let herself out. (and why wouldn't she after so comfortably finding her way in?)


Was she giving me a taste of my own medicine? I mean, I DID let myself into her house a week ago...but her SMOKE ALARM was going off for crying out loud!

Aaaah, the joys of the uninvited neighbor guest.

An unbeatable epidemic that normal people have had to deal with for years. I guess everybody has their own version of an Urkel, a Mrs. Pool, a Ned Flanders, a Wilson, an Eddie Haskall, a Six, or a Kimmy Gibbler.

I have a Marge.
Lock your doors, people.

"Some Days Are Better Than Others..."

Ok. You KNOW you're only here for the pictures.
I did type a post too...and was planning on saving the pictures for the end...but I'll go ahead and leave them at the top since you'd probably scroll past my many words to see the baby anyway. You win. Here ya go:
Corbin lying on Aaron's baby blanket. I can't believe Lynda saved it all these years. Oh wait...YES I can...Lynda you save EVERYthing! I love it, and I LOVE that our kids get to play with all the toys from Aaron's childhood every time we visit.
I love them. (isn't my new bedding pretty?! Happy Mother's Day to me)
They're SO glad he's home and can't get enough.
Corbin ready to leave the hospital. As they wheeled me out, we passed a nurse who said,
"Good luck with him." ...it came out the way you'd wish someone good luck with a naughty puppy. I'll remember she said that to me when he's 1 and blowing raspberris full of chewed peas in my face, 2 and under my bathroom cabinet eating my lipgloss, 3 and pooping in my hallway... He's perfect now, but I can't say I wasn't warned!
5 Days Old-check out that fake bake tan...hopefully the jaundice will clear up soon.

They've watched a lot of this lately.

And for those of you who missed ME, a wordy post:

Since Aaron will be starting a new position next week, today was the ONE mandatory day Aaron needed to go to work during his paternity leave.

I planned ahead and set up all day play dates for the girls, since I can't even lift Q yet (long story. Yucky recovery...no details posted here, because...well that's nasty. Call me if you wan details..but honestly... Um, you don't.)

Last night Q had a fever of 104.1*
Even the drugs only brought it down to 102.7*
Poor Aaron was up ALL NIGHT LONG with her, the night before an important day at work. I felt terrible for him. I honestly think he got less than an hour and a half of sleep...and the sleep he DID get was on the sofa, with a toasty child in his arms and a Barbie movie going.

I KNOW he was exhausted, but he didn't complain one bit.
He only came in to wish me a good day, and ask what clothes to put on the kids.
He dressed them, and took them to friend's houses for the day, so as not to expose the baby to Q's illness, or leave me alone with 3 kids that I am still physically unable to take care of.
Then off he went to mandatory meetings totally sleep deprived and out of energy.
He is awesome. I could never do this without him.

I've learned a lot about accepting help the past few days.

Learning how to accept help is truly just as important of a lesson as learning how to give service.

It was easy to accept meals from friends.
It was easy to let others bring me goodies and visit me in the hospital.
It was NOT easy to ask people to care for my 4 yr old ALL DAY LONG.
It was NOT easy to hand over a sick, fevered, needy child to another set of arms to hold her and cuddle her back to health all day.
It was NOT easy to let friends come in and wipe counter tops, put toys away, do laundry (seriously girls, I hope you didn't look too closely at anything in those baskets-gross), make beds, wash dishes, make me a sandwich, and take out my trash, and keep an eye on my (still perfect) baby while I took a shower and dressed my "war wounds".
It was NOT easy to let someone else carry the car seat and drive me to the pediatrician today.
It WAS easy to see the Light of Christ in my friends.
It has been a HARD day, physically, emotionally..but not spiritually.

I came across this quote tucked in my scriptures yesterday, and never has it held more truth than it does to me today:

"We humble people, who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good-for-nothing, we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God's love has been expounded upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. We may be insignificant in our own eyes...but the truth remains that we are the children of God and that He has actually given His angels charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping." Elder George Q Cannon

Friends are angles.
I've been so uplifted today, I feel I've been given wings.

Corbin's appointment went more smoothly than Q's (who has a 3 day fever-virus FYI...ears are lookin' good). He has a little bit of jaundice, but it should clear up in the next few days. His internal plumbing is working great...he peed ALL OVER the table at the dr's office. They had me undress him for his check up, and before his diaper came off, everything was soaked. I thought it was spit up at first, then realized he had just managed to firehose RIGHT OUT THE TOP OF HIS DIAPER, all over himself. Oops! I'm still learning the ins and outs of changing a diaper with a little nugget in it.
I don't care what ANYone says.
GIRL diapers are easier to change.
No contest.

...and a little something something for the Grandparents.
Not too exciting...but dang he's a cutie. Enjoy a precious minute.

"Hooooold You I-in MY Arms...I Just Wanted to Hooooold You I-in MY Arms..."

"Since U Bin Gone..." Part Deux

What were we doing on

our baby brother's birthday?

80 degrees, New bathing suits and Sprinklers

Lemon popsicles

Sticky hands (followed by a bath)

Getting ready to go meet Corbin

And the day after he was born:

Sam's Club while Quincy and Jimmie took afternoon naps

And in case you don't believe how well behaved and loving we've been this week, this video was tonight AFTER our second hospital visit, and 1 hour AFTER our usual bedtime:



In case you can't hear it,

Reese: "THANK you! You're so NICE, Quincy!"

Quincy: "I LOVE you!"

Baby Brother has arrived! [videos added]

Meg and Aaron asked me to post some pictures tonight (Meg pre-approved them!) since they won't be online for at least 24 hours. The girls were so excited they giggled incessantly upon meeting their brother.

Corbin Mac Willardson

6:01 pm, 5/21/09

7 lbs, 11 oz

19.5 inches