The kiddos...

Jack went to the doctor today for his 6 month checkup and shots...yuck! Being the bad mom that I am, I forgot to take his binkie in to the office. He actually did really well with the shots and didn't cry too much until the soreness started to set in to those thunderthighs! He was 18.7 lbs which I didn't think was too bad! :) Both of those bottom teeth are fully through now thank goodness, hopefully now the runny nose will go away!

We had a meeting yesterday with Shelby's IEP team at school. For those of you that don't know, an IEP is an individualized education plan through Special School District. I asked for an SSD evaluation back in October because even though she is on medication for her ADHD, she is still really stuggling in her schoolwork. She did qualify for assistance through SSD which will be really helpful...but they also are going to take a look at something else that might be slowing her down. The screener seemed to think she might have a central auditory processing disorder (deficit?) and that might be what is causing many of her educational problems. I still have a lot to learn about it, but the counselor did give us a few papers with info and tips. Reading over it I found myself saying "yep" and "see...I told you it was something else" a lot! I am not excited for my beautiful, talented daughter to have another diagnosis, but I am intrigued as to why it has taken us this long to discover this as a possibility and how it may help her now that we have discovered it! Stay tuned for more updates on her progress!!

Audrey...well Audrey never ceases to crack me up! This evening she gave me part of a cookie she got at school during their holiday party. I was shocked that a parent paid to have Cookies by Design cookies made with their names and all. They had them for Halloween also and are delicious! I told her that the next time she got one she couldn't eat any of because I wanted to eat it all! She stated in a funny voice, "It's okay...I'm sure I'll get one for Easter...and I'll get two." She asked me how Jack did with his shots today. She can be a very caring person...and then manipulative and cunning all at the same time...I hope the next 11 years are kind to us, or at least she is! :)

Funny story and then I HAVE to go to bed...I was cleaning house last night and was wiping down the kitchen table. We have an Advent calendar on the table that has doors and holds candy inside. I decided to take a peek through the rest of the month because Audrey had 4 candies after dinner and I was confused. Not anymore! She must have been behind and was catching up to her sister...who has already eaten her candy all the way to Christmas Day! I questioned Shelby about it this evening and her only response was..."How did you know?!?"

Time...

I can't believe Jackson is already 6 months old. It really does seem like yesterday that we brought him home. I asked Shelby this evening if she even remembered how little he was when he was born and she said no. I remember exactly how tiny he felt when I picked him up...I miss that. But now we are heading into the last half of his first year and I want it all to slow down! He already has his two bottom teeth, they came in this last weekend. He is STILL not rolling over but is starting to at least become more active while playing. He LOVES his bath. I wish I could get a video of bathtime to post but everytime I try to video him or even take his picture, he freezes! No joke! It is the craziest thing. He stops laughing, playing, everything...it is really funny. His 6 month check up is this Wednesday so I will post stats as soon as I get them...too big...too fast!

The girls are both fantastic. Soccer is over for the season and now they are down to one activity each. Shelby is bringing her violin home for two nights every week and is showing us the songs she learns at school. I am glad she is interested in music...I think it is a good outlet for her.

Audrey is busy with gymnastics. Her first meet is coming up soon and should be interesting! She just got her aerial cartwheel tonight (no hands) which is awesome. Many of the older girls can't do one and she is only one of two in her level than can do one. She was pretty proud of herself! I will put up info for the meet as soon as I know more. I'm sure she would enjoy a few extra friends/family cheering her on! :)

The fun we've had...

So since August we have been pretty busy...school started (yay!), Audrey has started gymnastics, and they both are in soccer right now. Shelby has another activity going on but right now we don't have the joy of participating. She is learning to play the violin and they have not been able to bring their violins home just yet. I wonder how much it would cost to make that continue for a little while longer?!? Just kdding! I tortured my mom with the saxophone and clarinet for a while...we can handle it! Here are a few photos of what we have been up to for the past couple of months.

Two of the Fairy Doors in Downtown Ann Arbor, MI.

Roy and Nancy with 3 of the 4 grandkids...Jack was home in St. Louis with me.

And it's here...

I can't believe it's the beginning of another school year already! Shelby will be in the third grade this year and Audrey is heading into the first. They are both REALLY excited and have already made me purchase their supplies, clothes, and new high top tennis shoes. It was hilarious picking them out because Audrey kept telling me I didn't know anything about high tops, since I had never worn them before. Does she think they JUST came out with this new concept of bringing the shoe up a little higher on the ankle yesterday?? When I had informed her that yes I had worn them in the past she was amazed! Kids are so funny sometimes...

The girls and Jamie just got back from Michigan this past Monday. They went to visit Jamie's dad and step mom. Everyone seemed to have a good time swimming in the lake, looking for Fairy Doors (pictures to follow), shopping, etc. Audrey was more glad than anyone to come home since she can't stand to be away from her momma for too long. When I had Jackson she even asked if she could stay in the hospital with me!

Other than that, not a lot going on here. Jackson's last weight at the doctor was 10 lbs and 12 ounces. That's a 4 pound weight gain from when he left the hospital 6 weeks prior! He isn't smiling yet or being very active, which worried me at first. Then I remembered...he's really only a 3 week old baby if you look at it since he was one month early! He's fine and I am sure it will all start to kick in very soon.

So Jackson had to come into the world with a bang...he couldn't let his sisters out do him, right?? I had been contracting all night at work and went home to shower, shave my legs, you know...get gussied up for the doctor. I called the doctor on my way home and told him that my contractions were 5 minutes apart and that I would be right back to the hospital. When I got there, they hooked me up to the monitors and we find that I am now contracting every 2-3 minutes. My mom starts giggling as I am having to breathe through these contractions and tells me that I have always wanted to experience labor, right?!? They check me and call the doc to tell him that I am NOT dilated, but that I am in an extreme amount of pain. He gives me the option to go ahead with the delivery or try and stop it since I am preterm. I was not yet 36 weeks. I said GO...get this over with...I am DONE being pregnant! They move me to get my epidural placed and call the doctor to let him know that we are ready. Jamie arrives...having missed all the fabulous pain, breathing, moaning...just in time to get dressed for the OR. My mom and Jamie both get to go to the back this time, which I am excited about since my mom has not seen any of her other grandchildren be born. Then in comes Chaney, my fab nurse!, and wants to know what is going on because Jack is having decelerations of his heart rate. They turn me to my side and decide to start moving to the OR. We get to the back and hook Jack up one more time to check his heart rate...56! Not good since there should at least be a 1 in front of that number!! Dr. P and Dr. DR move quickly to get him out and hand him off to the NICU staff. APGARS were 5 and 7...not too bad for a little guy one month early and a heart rate of 56 about 5 minutes prior! The NICU staff take him to their nursery and Jamie and my mom follow. All in all...he did great only spending a day and a half in the NICU and getting to come home with me 4 days later. Thanks to Dr. P and Dr. DR...Kris P and Chaney...Jamie K and Dr.O'Neill we have a beautiful addition to our family and couldn't be happier!!

Introducing....

Baby Jack has made his arrival...more details to come soon!

33 weeks and counting...

Jamie starting to get the nursery ready...nothing like waiting until the last minute right!?!

I can't believe I still have 6 weeks to go!

Dance recital 2009

Tonight was the 2nd and last night of recital...as I type I am trying to upload some video that I took during the performance, sorry Kristi! They all did a beautiful job but I am definitely glad, as I am sure Jamie the super dance dad is, to have some time off this summer from dance. It gets to be a lot being there 3 nights a week, not including extra practices when competitions come around. Luckily I have a husband that doesn't mind taking the kids to dance...and so I let him...probably more often than I should! :)


I called Grandpa today just to check in on him and see how he was doing. I was cracking up as I hung up the phone, mainly because he rushed me off the phone so that he could get out of the house to get his day started! He told me he had a doctor's appt today but that first he was going to go to the church, find something to eat over in Cape, kill some time, and then head to his 2pm appt...this was as I was talking to him at 9am!! I called my mom and told him what he was up to...giggling the whole time...and she started laughing too. My aunt says he is going to start volunteering at the senior citizen building in Jackson or something and has been spending some time over there along with going to visit the firehouses in Cape. I am glad he is keeping himself busy. It makes me wonder how much his "Alzheimer's" really affects him...

Ok...well the video won't upload. I guess I'll have to play with it a little more and see if I can get it to work.

Memorial Day Weekend

Mom went down and got Grandpa this weekend. He spent the weekend at her house, but lots of time with Jamie and the girls since she was on call. I was supposed to work Friday night and happened to get the night off so we ordered pizza and sat around talking while the girls swam...yes they have already hit the pool! Saturday they all went to the Cardinals game with Jamie's sister and brother-in-law and then spent the evening back at mom's. Jamie said they had pretty good seats and that everyone enjoyed the game...of course they did...the Cards won!! Sunday Charlie and Sue went to church with mom and Grandpa and then to lunch, and by this time Grandpa was about ready to head for home. Mom, Jamie, and the girls took him home Monday morning and I got to stay home sleeping the day away! I'm glad he had a good weekend. It sounds like he really enjoyed himself!

Audrey FINALLY lost her first tooth Saturday night. She had her Nana pull it and now walks up to you with a really goofy grin just so you can see the hole! I am just glad it finally happened...she's been trying to tell me she has a loose tooth for a year now!

Tomorrow I go for a growth ultrasound to see just how big mister Jack is these days. Mom is going to go with me because she hasn't seen any this time around. The girls will also be there so they are excited to get to see their little brother! A girl at work last night asked me what I will call the three of them as a group since I can't say "the girls" anymore!?! I hadn't really thought about it until then but am sure it will slip out a few times before I get used to the change!

Recital is coming up June 1st and 2nd. I am glad then to only have to worry about Summer school for Shelby...well and keeping them occupied all summer! :) Other than that it seems that the birthday parties have started which keeps our (Jamie's) weekends pretty busy! We seem to have a lot of friends with summer kids...I can't complain since I too will have 3 of those now. Don't worry people...it's called a Birk Birthday BBQ, no gifts needed!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their day off and has thanked a service man or woman for their contributions! Thanks Ryan...

Long time...no blog

So it's been quite a while since anyone in our family has used the blog...I think almost all of us have moved to Facebook and seem to be doing the same type of communicating there which is great! I decided then to change this blog to the Birk Family blog if that's okay with everyone else.

For those of you not in our family that follow this blog...a few things have been going on in the Baker clan. First and foremost, we lost Grandma Baker 2 weeks ago today. Grandpa says it was very sudden which is relief for me. I wouldn't have wanted her to suffer, but it was also very hard since we didn't get to say our goodbyes. We knew she had a heart condition but she had just been released from the hospital the day before so we thought she was cleared and doing better, but if you knew Anna Belle she had to be in control! She wasn't taking all of her medications properly and we think she ended up with a blood clot. To be honest, it still doesn't seem real. Maybe it's just that I am so busy with the kids and getting ready for #3 that I haven't had time to wrap my mind around it, but I don't think I have finished dealing with it. I am afraid when Jack is born it might hit me that he will never get to meet his great grandma, and what a GREAT grandma she was!

That leads me in to the next portion, JACK. I am 32 weeks today and am going to the doctor weekly. I have gestational diabetes, which stinks, but am learning to deal with it. I just have to keep telling myself that it is only for 7 more weeks and that it his health I am caring for too!

The girls are great! They have finished their competitions for the season and are getting geared up for the recital. Shelby will be attending summer school again, which she is really excited about, no REALLY. She loves school so another 5 weeks is ok with her! I am pumped about all the cool things we are going to do this summer...Science Center, movies, Magic House, Zoo, pool, Six Flags. etc. I am probably getting ahead of myself considering my feet are swelling just talking about it all, but luckily my mom is a big help and loves to do fun stuff with them too!

Hopefully I will be able to keep up with this even after the baby...it does make it easier than individual emails! :)