2 Teeth

Luke is getting 2 teeth! They're coming in at the same time and he's so glad to have 2 down at once. It's been a long week already (and it's only Wednesday). Bryan got stuck at home due to the winter storm & had the flu. He finally made it to Pittsburg Monday night, about the time Henry got sick. I will be surprised if Luke isn't next, simply because Henry loves him sooo much & constantly kisses him. Here is another shot of Luke discovering animal crackers!

Bryan's home!

So it was a major dose of testosterone in the Duncan house today. The boys spent the day with Bryan shooting the pellet gun, chopping things down with a machete and attaching little green army men to firecrackers & blowing them up!

They had a blast being with Bryan every second of the day. The weekends seem to go by so fast while the weekdays drag by. I can't wait until this training is over. These boys need their Daddy at home!

Esther

So, I'm starting week 4 in a new Beth Moore bible study. I love Beth Moore. Her studies work for me. I have found that for a few months after the birth of each of my 3 boys, I have had a hard time focusing on prayer and devotions. Maybe its the lack of sleep or crazy hormones, but something causes me to be so scattered in my spiritual life (at just the moment I should be most in touch???). Anyway, this is my first attempt to get back to some sort of "routine" bible study.

And my point is...

I have learned something very important in Esther. If you know me, you know that I am a worrier. I worry about germs, I worry about my children being in a car accident when they're riding with anyone but me, I worry about natural disasters occurring when I'm away from my children, I worry about anything that is out of my control when it concerns Nate, Henry & Luke. I am forfeiting my joy as a mother with "futile speculations". So when I feel that worry creeping in, I am going to say "NO!" I will not be in mental torment over things I can do nothing about.

Something else I've learned in Esther is that I need to be thankful for my overly active guilt complex. That feeling sorry for the smallest offense I make to someone is a good thing. Conviction is designed by God so we would make amends quickly.

I had no idea I would learn all this from Esther!?!? Just thing, there are 5 more weeks to go...

Happy Valentine's Day!

So we "attempted" a Valentine's dinner at a new Italian Restaurant in Clemson called Brioso. I shouldn't say "attempted" because it was a great dinner considering it was all 5 of us. The restaurant was wonderful with pastas and sauces made on site & gelato! Yum!
This is the start of week 4 of Bryan being out of town. I'm hoping for a better week this week. Things got a little crazy last week.
Luke is so proud that he made a new sound today. "Bbbbuuuuuu, bbbbuuuuu." and sometimes bubbles come out!

Here are the boys before bedtime. Luke is wearing a pair of pajamas that both Nate & Henry wore! They are quite a trio.

The Pirate Dinner

Aaaarrrrggghhh!

My friend Elizabeth gave me the idea to have a pirate dinner. She told her children that if they practiced good table manners throughout the week, that she'd reward them with a pirate dinner - where good manners are not required. The boys were so excited on Thursday night to have their own. We had rotisserie chicken (compliments of Walmart), buttered noodles, green peas (a favorite of Henry), kabobs of mango, pineapple, strawberries & marshmallows, crescent rolls & chocolate pudding for dessert. All to be eaten without utensils. No napkins, you were to wipe your hands on the tablecloth (a quilt). If you needed to burp, you went right ahead and feet on the table? No problem! Of course, you know my children, they can't do anything in moderation. Of course it got a little out of control. I'm talking rubbing deodorant on the mirrors on their closet doors. Yes, you give my boys an inch, and by gosh, they'll take a yard, maybe more. We had fun, and the mess wasn't too overwhelming.

Here is Henry sporting a tatoo drawn by yours truly, and I wore a moustache! Nate, of course kept his school clothes on, he's not one to get too wild & crazy.... he's so much like Bryan.

So, we start week 3 of Bryan's training....

Week 1 down, 10 more to go...

Well, I just survived the first week of 11 that Bryan will be gone (for the majority of the time) for training at Duke.

I have been dreading/agonizing over this since Thanksgiving and I really thought that the hardest part would be being lonely. I figured that I could handle the feeding, shuttling, bathing & bedtime for these 3 wild boys, and the hardest part would be after they all go to bed, just missing Bryan's company. Well, I was (naturally) wrong. The week was crazy. I did handle the days routine, but it

was tough. Bryan does a lot. And just knowing he's gonna do one of the things on my to-do list, like brush Henry's teeth at bedtime does a lot for my morale. (Sometimes that a difficult job!!) And, I was lonely at night. But, we survived and I think he missed us as much as we missed him.

There were only a few glitches in the week, including a meeting of my car with our house (Bryan wasn't happy about that) and possibly the least amount of sleep I've ever had in a week. We had a great weekend with Bryan that included some bowling, some Texas Roadhouse (Nate's favorite) and lots of books. So, we'll see what week 2 holds...

By the way, here is a picture of Luke with his first sippee cup of juice. Yes, I know he's a little young for this (5 months now) but we were having fun, and by baby #3, you just don't sweat the small stuff!!

Still with Delta????

So, I've had several people ask me how am I still possibly employed at Delta Air Lines. Here's how it worked out:

I went on maternity leave when I was pregnant with Nate. Before I was scheduled to return, Delta offered 5 year leaves b/c of the hit the airline industry had taken after 9/11. At the end of my 5 year leave, I was called back and I said "yes" I would return. Then I found out I was pregnant with Luke. They offered me a "delayed return" scheduled to return to flying when Luke was 6 months old. I haven't been paid during these past 6 years, nor have I taken advantage of flight benefits (other than our trip to Florida), and I haven't received any other benefits (like medical, etc).

While we were travelling this past week, I realized that I didn't miss the job at all. My life has taken a turn for the better. I'll gladly trade in long San Juan layovers, 24 hours in Honolulu or a 3-day in Madrid to watch my children fall asleep every night and then to be the one to greet them in the morning. Children give you a perspective on life like nothing else. They make you think about the things in this life that matter.

There aren't many things that we can take with us when we leave this world. But, I want to be making every effort, every day, to make sure I get to spend forever with my children.

Flying to Florida

Bryan & I have been wanting the boys to experience flying on an airplane for quite sometime. I am scheduled to return to work at Delta when Luke is 6 months old (next month) and I plan on resigning. How could I leave these boys for 3 days at a time? So, knowing that our days left to fly for free were numbered, we planned a trip to fly to Florida to visit Mark, Denise & Silas & a day with Mickey & Minnie! Other than Henry being sick the majority of the trip, we had a great time. It was especially nice to see Silas, the boys only first cousin. (That's him in the picture). We did hit Magic Kingdom on Friday, an experience that will be discussed in a later blog. Connecting in ATL wasn't nearly as stressful as I had imagined. The boys even pulled their own suitcases most of the time.

Happy Birthday Nate!

I can't believe Nate is 6 years old! Here is a picture from the day he was born. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever laid my eyes on! I love you Nate!

A Very Special Day for Luke!

Today was Luke's baby dedication at church. This was a special day not only for Luke, but also for me & Bryan, Nate & Henry and all of Luke's family.

A dedication is different than a christening. We present Luke to the Lord and ask for wisdom and guidance while we raise him. We also pray that one day he will committ his life to Jesus. The rest of the family and our friends promise to help us raise Luke to be a Godly man. Our Pastor did a wonderful job and the service was so touching. He even wrote a letter to Luke, to be opened on his 12th birthday. Wow, I hope I can make it 12 years without peeking inside! You know how curious I am.

I hope Luke knows how much he is loved, not only by his immediate family, but he is loved by so many more.

Nature vs Nuture

Luke is so happy. He really is. If you (as a stranger) take the time to speak to him, he will smile. Almost guaranteed. It's like he's saying, " I have 2 brothers, I love them but they drive me crazy. They're always waking me up with loud noises and poking my cheeks. Thanks for being nice and speaking to me." I'm starting to wonder: how much of a good disposition is born in a baby and how much is what we teach/do to them.

Possibility #1 - They follow our lead. I'm a much happier Mom this time around, I worry less about little things, like changing peepee diapers (I just don't do it, I wait until there's poop), or do you feed them at 3 months, 4 months or 5? Maybe babies get vibes from us. They pick up on our moods & imitate them.

Possibility #2 - It's all in their nature. They're born happy or they're born fussy & grumpy. I have definitley had 2 fussy babies. Nate & Henry couldn't have been more difficult, but with Luke it's just going fine.

Possibility #3 - We teach them how to behave. They become so used to being waked from their naps, feedings disrupted & being left in the crib to cry while you attent to "more important things" - the breaking up of big fights, the wiping of hiney's, or turning off the bath water before it overflows - that they grow to be more tolerent.

Joy's verdict - #1 & #3 may be true, but #2 is out. Luke sleeps 2 hours at the most at nights. I feel okay every morning, maybe because I've discovered Red Bull, but maybe because I've adapted. So I think nuture has more to do with disposition than nature.

Lesson I've learned- while having 2 brothers has it's drawbacks, a big perk is that you become very tolerent of many of the problems you will face in life.

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of men my boys turn out to be.

Welcome 2009!

Well, the tree is down (actually it was down the day after Christmas) and the toys are (almost) put away! I am very excited about 2008 coming to an end. It was a great year seeing that we added Luke to our family, but I am excited to see what exciting things await us in 2009. Nate, Henry and Luke had a great Christmas. Santa managed to squeeze down our chimney and left lots of goodies for good little boys. Hope you had a good one!

A Robot that cleans my floors!

Well, Santa knew just what to bring this year! I have a new best friend. Mr. Roomba has been all over my house cleaning up dust bunnies, crumbs, etc. When he is working, I have a new motivation to clean. And it really works. This morning I locked him in the laundry room & my closet for about an hour and returned to find a clean floor! Amazing. I love this guy.

Thanksgiving

I love this time of year. I look forward to putting up my Christmas tree, I enjoy shopping on Black Friday (even Walmart at 5am), and I love making my Christmas card. Since Bryan and I got married (1999) we have made a Christmas card with a picture of our family. Until 2003, it was just me and Bryan and the cats, but now we enjoy taking a family picture to share with our friends & family. Each year, it becomes more of a challenge to get everyone looking at the camera & happy. Here are a few of my failed attempts at this year's card.

Laid Back Luke

Luke is so precious. He absolutely adores his brothers. The mere mention of their names brings a smile to his face. If they are touching him, he's happy. But, suprisingly he is a very light sleeper, which isn't good considering the noise level at home. And he's not the easiest baby - but we are enjoying every minute of his babyhood.

Nate

Nate...

He's so much like his Dad. He pays attention to detail. He has to know exactly how it works. He loves the science behind things. That is probably why his favorite thing to watch on TV is "How Its Made" on the science channel. He doesn't like chocolate, he loves raw vegetables. He will pick a pepper or a tomato off the plant and bite in.

He loves milk and vanilla wafers and it is crazy about his new brother.

I miss him so much while he is at school, and so does Henry. Luke misses him too, he just doesn't realize it yet.

O Henry

Henry has beautiful eyes. He is changing so fast right now, turning 4 was huge for him. He actually slept in his bed all night 2 nights this week (not consecutive nights). He is so loving. He wants to fall asleep with my arms wrapped around him. As I'm trying to teach him to fall asleep without me, I keep reminding myself that 10 years from now I'll probably give anything to get to fall asleep with him in my arms. Oh, in this picture he has on 3 pajama shirts, and I wonder why I have so much laundry...

The shower

It's a big event. The first time you (as a Duncan boy) get to take a shower with Dad. We have pictures of Nate's first shower, then Henry's first shower, and finally Luke's first shower. Luke seemed to like it, despite all the squealing & shouting. Although he does look a little nervous in this picture.

Luke has been sick this week. We spent 3 mornings going to the Dr. It started with a cold, then the croup, then a fever of 103.4, finally a really nasty ear infection. He's doing much better now. I guess he will catch every cold that comes through our house because Nate & Henry can't keep their hands off him! But what's a little bad cold now & then when you've got so much love from your brothers.

Luke at almost 3 months.

Settling into 3

Life here at the Duncan house has been pretty crazy lately. Blogging is very high on my list of priorities, and as you see, I am not getting to blog very much. These boys are crazy. I know it's not gonna get any easier, but I am expecting to get better at handling this chaos. Halloween was lowkey with a little trick or treating in the neighborhood. We were in bed just after 8. Outage at Duke Power means Bryan is at work most all the time. Nate & Henry are pulling out all the stops when it comes to trying to surprise me. I never know what I might find when I walk in the room. But, I keep reminding myself that one day, when I'm old & can sleep all I want and long for company, I will say to Bryan, "Bryan, you remember that day that the boys drew all over their faces with permanent marker? They drew moustaches & beards and even ear hair. Now wasn't that funny. Those were the good ole' days, right Bryan. Boy, I sure do wish I could go back & do it all again."

Maybe I will say that one day, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll just be enjoying the peace & quiet.

Henry you are so funny

Kia for sale!

I have done something many of us say we will never do. I bought a used minivan. I love it! I still have all 3 boys in car seats/booster seats and we were busting out of the Kia. I couldn't even fit the stroller. Now, I have so much room. I even have a DVD player. We may just spend the afternoon hanging out in the car. Take some cookies & milk, put on a movie. I don't like minivans anymore than the next person, but once you try one, it's hard to not drive one. Yippee! Be on the lookout for the blue Honda Odyssey.

brushing teeth?

I vividly remember a particular day 5/6 years ago - a few weeks after Nate was born: I was driving and suddenly realized that I hadn't taken the time to brush my teeth that day. I was so "floored" by this fact that I called my mama on the cell to say, "Oh, what a crazy morning it's been with little Nate. I am almost to Seneca, and I just realized I didn't brush my teeth! How could I forget to brush my teeth? Hahahah..."
Well, this morning, as I was delivering Nate to kindergarten, then Henry to preschool while Luke was yelling in his car seat, I thought to myself how often these days I not only forget to brush my teeth, but I don't even realize that I haven't until much later in the day.
My point is, if you call my house and you know I'm home & I still don't answer, don't get mad. Or, if I don't answer an e-mail promptly (or ever), be patient with me. I am loving this life, but it is really crazy right now.

Sweet smiles

Henry is such a big boy now. He's lost that baby face and has changed so much in the last few months.

Nate is a school boy now & is so grown up. I can trust him with Luke & actually leave the room when Nate is watching him.

And here is Luke with Silas. I love this picture because I can just image the 2 of them together next year this time. There will be no stopping these guys.

Luke meets Silas

What a great weekend it's been. My brother Mark, his wife Denise and their 4 1/2 month old, Silas & Buddy drove up from Florida to visit. They had never seen Luke and we had so much fun playing together. Silas was so sweet & fun, it's hard to believe that he and Luke are only 3 months apart. Just a reminder to me of how fast they change.

O so sad...

My heart is breaking this week. For the last few years I have been busy being a Mom. My days were filled with diapers, bottles, preschool, sippie cups, car seats, cooking/cleaning up meals, bathtime, and watching Noggin together. All of a sudden, I have been hit hard with what happens when your babies grow up.
Monday I dropped Nate off at school at 7:45. After school he had Mad Science Club until 4:00. We had a PTO meeting scheduled for 6:30. That leaves what, 2 1/2 hours for our family to be together? Needless to say, I skipped the PTO meeting. What has happened to our family time? I want to see my boys build a fort together in the living room, I want to let them play in the bathtub until the water gets cold. I am not ready for this busy life of running from one scheduled activity to another. I like downtime at home. Unfortunately, I know that this is going to be the way it is. Before I know it, they will be asking to participate in other sports and activities.
Everyone tells you that your children grow up fast, but I never realized just how right they were. I am so thankful for every moment that I have spent with my boys. I am even thankful for those days when I was longing for more adult interaction, when I was bored, thinking that I had only talked to a 2 & 4 year old all day.

Growing

2 weeks ago newborn size diapers swallowed Luke. Today, he can hardly fit in them. He is growing so fast. And he's yelling at me now....

Bedtime

Bryan always reads the boys a story before bed and last night this was the scene when I walked in the room. Luke was so content to be laying in the bed with his brothers. They were so adorable I had to take a picture.

Luke - 2+ weeks

Luke is 2 weeks now and is doing great. Henry started preschool today and had a good day.

Nate & Henry are crazy about their brother. In fact, Henry has been getting up with me for all the middle of the night feedings! He still sleeps in the bed with us and he wakes up when I get up with Luke. I knew it would be a problem before Luke was born but I didn't have the energy to deal with it. We are now working on bribing him into sleeping with Nate. Thank goodness I have one child who is finally sleeping through the night in his own bed.

I must say, though, that I don't regret a single night that I have shared my bed with the boys. They are growing up too fast. Before long, they won't even want to get in my bed at all. I try to remember that everything, the good and the bad, will pass.

Some cute boys...

Nate & Henry at Stumphouse Tunnel, one of their favorite places to visit.

It's Friday!

It's Friday and I am so glad the weekend is here. I have missed my family. Nate being at school has really thrown me for a loop. It was so nice to have an evening where the boys played together in the yard while Bryan and I watched. Luke joined us outside and was very interested in everything they did.

I am so completely overwhelmed with how God has blessed me with family. A great husband and wonderful sons. We laid down together tonight at bedtime, Bryan and Nate in Nate's bed, Me and Henry in the bottom bunk (in Nate's room) and Luke in the bouncy seat in Nate's room. All five of us in one bedroom of our house and I felt so content. I think God created children so we could catch a glimpse of how he feels for us. How he delights in our happiness, just like we delight in seeing our children smile. And, how His heart breaks when our heart breaks.


Here is Luke after his bath today. He is such an interesting baby. I can already see that he is going to be very different than his brothers. Much more laid back, but possibly the boss of the house.

What a Week!

Wow! It's finally Thursday and I feel so much better than I did this time last week. Me & Pregnancy just don't jive. Luke is amazing. He can sleep through the loudest, craziest noise the boys can make. He has had some jaundice and we've had to go check blood twice this week, but other than that he is doing fine. So, the other big news is Nate starting kindergarten. He loves it. I hate it. I miss him so much. 7:45 - 2:45 is a long day. When I catch a glimpse of "Deadliest Catch" on TV, it breaks my heart (Nate loves that show). Henry is lost without Nate. His best friend is gone. I know this is the way it is going to be now, and he will probably grow up very fast. I am thankful that he likes school. We are starting bedtime at 7, that sounds crazy, but he wakes up happy and feels good during the day. Until he gets used to going all day, we will go to bed early. Which suits me fine, I can go to sleep at 8 every night.
I only lost 18 pounds in the hospital. I came home and got on the scales and was devestated. 30 lbs. to go to get back to prepreg weight. I suppose he was worth it (haha).

We're home!

Check out this little man!

More of Luke

Okay, he is an awesome baby. He eats good, never cries & sleeps through loud noises! Here are some pics.

Luke Gracen Duncan

Meet Luke. 7 lbs. 9 oz. and so cute.

Gracen is for both my grandmothers whose names are Grace Powell & Grace Whittaker. We just added an "n".
I am drugged right now. More to come.

Finally....

The last few hours that I will ever be pregnant in my life. I am so excited. Yesterday we all went to the doctor (Bryan Joy Nate & Henry) and then to the hospital for blood work. We had a busy day doing things that you do in Greenville, like buy new cletes for the fall and go to Target for those last minute items that a new mother has to have. Things like trash bags and laundry detergent. For some reason I feel like it may be a long time before I am in a store again, although I'm sure it won't be. Guess I will post again with new baby photos. Please be praying for a healthy baby & safe delivery.

Olympics

My boys have discovered the Olympics. They love it. Nate can't get enough. He especially loves gymnastics, the uneven bars and the rings. Henry loves the Olympics too. He is waiting patiently for Sumo wrestling (is that an olympic sport?). I'm not sure. But Henry is sure it is. I love the Olympics too. I am spending a lot of time indoors these days and it is nice to have something interesting to watch. Saturday is the day! I am so excited.

VBS 2008

I survived an exciting week of VBS at church this past week. It was 100 degrees at least almost every night. The boys had a blast. Here is a picture of them dressed up with Uncle Cliff as Roman guards.

You know the old saying...

If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. I think that's me until August 16. I am huge and hot. I can't walk to the mail box without catching my breath. I am grumpy and tired because I can't sleep at night. So, I will try not to complain for the next 2 weeks. Which means you will probably hear very little out of me.
Oh, the name, lately we're thinking Jack Nolan. We also like Beau or Bo but we can't think of a middle name that sounds good. Thanks for all the suggestions.

August 16, 10am

I am so excited to have a date to look forward to. Unless something happens in the meantime, I am scheduled for a c-section on Saturday the 16th. I won't be home in time for Nate to start kindergarten, but at least the excitement will be over (or will it be just beginning...) The crib is up (although if this baby is anything like Nate & Henry, he will not sleep in it, ever), diapers and wipes stocked and baby clothes in the drawers. All we need is a baby. And a name for him...

The Magic Bullet & Jessica Seinfeld

Well, it's 10pm and I just put a loaf of banana bread in the oven. But, this isn't your usual banana bread. It has a 1/2 cup of pureed cauliflower in it! Plus 1 1/2 cups of pureed bananas. Yes, I finally got the infamous "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld & a Magic Bullet! The Magic Bullet is a food chopper/processor/blender that is supposed to be magical. However, so far I am not impressed. So the idea in the cookbook is to put pureed vegetables in your food somehow deceiving your children into thinking they are eating junk but really they are getting lots of fruit & veggies in everyday meals. She has recipes like brownies with 1/2 cup pureed spinach or chicken nuggets with beets or broccoli. The bread will be done in 40 minutes...... I'll let you know the verdict.

It can all go downhill fast...

Well today I had another ultrasound and passed out while she was doing it. I usually only faint when I donate blood, but I had been laying there (on my back) for a couple of minutes and I knew it was about to happen. I started sweating & got clammy and my ears were ringing. Luckily a Coke & cold towel were all it took to help me recover quickly. To add to the fun, my blood pressure is high. I have been on blood pressure meds for a few years (I know it's early to have to do that, but high bp runs in my family) and so far have had good bp during this pregnancy, but now it's going up. Great. To add to the stress, my doctor wants to do the c-section the very day Nate starts kindergarten. Which means I will be in the hospital half the first week of school. What happened to going into labor & not having any say so in the process?

Pick Your Battles

Ever heard someone say "pick your battles?" Well, this is a perfect example. Yesterday, the high was only 94, but Henry really wanted to wear this. Had I fussed about it, he would have really insisted on it. But, I said okay, and he only broke a light sweat before he was ready to take it off.

Yesterday was another good report from the baby doctor. I had another ultrasound which showed the baby about a week ahead of schedule, he is 4 1/2 pounds now & has lots of fuzzy hair! The ultrasound tech said it looked like an afro, maybe we'll name him Denzel! So far so good with the umbilical cord problem. I have to stay very aware of his movements, calling the doctor if he slows down significantly (which you should do anyway). This could be an indication that the blood flow has slowed through the cord & catching it early could prevent stillbirth.
I'm so happy that June is over. Now, I must survive July. I hate to wish my summer away, but have I mentioned that I hate being pregnant!