Today...

Well, today we got all our photos back from the studio...we are so grateful our children cooperated through the whole sesh!

I am so glad Josiah is home, she has just completed her first year of Chiropractic school and has been practicing some of her techniques on Josh and I. She has adjusted our feet which felt amazing when I was in the final stages of pregnancy. She adjusted my hands at Thanksgiving and those of you that know me, know that I have always dealt with wrist pain, especially after playing volleyball, I usually can't wear any bracelets, watches, rubber bands or anything on my wrists because they have always been so sensitive. Typically I would wake up with inflamed wrists and swollen hands once a week from sleeping weird or putting to much pressure on my hands. This is something I have dealt with since highschool...after one adjustment-I have had NO pain! I have gone a full month with ZERO pain in my wrists! Amazing!
Since having Nevan..I have had a terrible, raging and constant headache, I could tell it was from the pain in my neck...I think I must have twisted my head weird while I was pushing Nev out and since then my neck has been extremely tight and constantly sending waves of pain up to my head and down my back. Josiah has been trying to massage my neck all week, but I have been so tense due to the pain that she has just been slowly trying to stretch it out. Tonight she did a gentle adjustment and WHAM...my headache was gone and my neck was no longer tense! I am completely amazed at Chiropractic care! Josiah is just in her first year and she already has learned so much, I am so proud and grateful for her! There really is no arguing the benefits of Chiropractic...I know now from personal experience how great and beneficial it is!

Tomorrow is New Years Eve, we get to stay over at the Grandparents and watch home videos of all the Hinkle's...they are all pretty entertaining, I can't wait to watch vids of Josh when he was growing up!

Blessings!

Pictures from Christmas

Not a lot to say for today, Nevan woke everyone up at 5 am this morning :/.
Clare and Paul are watching lots of cartoons today because I have to get laundry done.
This is my first full day with the kids alone (((YIKES))).
I found a Mother in need who had preemie twins at the beginning of the month so I am donating my breast milk to her, feels good to be able to help someone.
We have professional family pics tonight- so I have to somehow get myself and everyone else ready...yeah right.
God bless!'
Mandy

Three doesnt really feel very lucky

Lucky number three keeps coming to mind when i think of my kids, however I do have to admit, three does not feel lucky but completely overwhelming! Don't get me wrong, we are soooo grateful and just enjoy our children sooo much but wow, three is insane! I looked into preschools in the area and we just can't afford a preschool for Clare and the public school system here is NOT an option. There are some Mothers Day out programs but they are all at Baptist churches and I just dont know what that entails as far as being Catholic and I am nervous to even find out. Then there is always the dilemma of not vaccinating and kids going to school. I know I can throw exemption forms at various schools of choice but I just dont even want to jump through those hoops, and I dont want to make other parents uncomfortable. So it seems I will just have to deal with the overwhelming feelings I am having about three children. Clare is pretty good, she is just incredibly sneaky, and she knows it! She is always getting into things and sneaking around which is tough considering I am spending so much time nursing Nevan! Nevan is sleeping well for a newborn (my expectations of a sleep schedule at this age is pretty low though). He is so adorable and getting so big, he is out of NB diapers (he was out of those the day he was born practically but we had to use them till the cord stump fell off). He is wearing 0-3 or 3-6 month clothes - pretty much he is too tall for the NB outfits but he is skinny so the larger sizes he is tall enough for but still is swimming in them. Nevan loves the carseat and so errands are still about the same as they were before since he just sits in his carseat. Josh has had a little time off but when he does go into work I have mini panic attacks (not really) because I have to spend two or three hours alone with the kids. I am dreading tomorrow, because he has a full day at work... :(

Christmas was wonderful! The kids got lots of toys and clothes that they love. Clare got a couple more baby dolls so I wanted to just list of the names she has chosen for her babies. We have
Honey baby
China baby
Tiny baby
Naked baby (bath time baby)
Cynthia
Scary baby - story, Scary baby was originally baby Julia, but Clare kept forgetting and calling her baby Jew (i.e. where is my baby jew?) totally not appropriate so I told Clare to change the name and she has been calling her scary baby, reason...because she blinks and sucks on her bottle which is "scary, awkward, and freaks" Clare out. (really, those were Clare's words)

Paul is transitioning well right now with Nevan being here but has definitely had a hard time. I have really enjoyed being able to carry Paul around a bit now that I have hips and not a huge belly. (when I have time)

We have been spending time with cousins Abby and Titus. Abby is so adorable, she is very smart and listening to her say various words is sooo adorable. She doesnt really have baby talk - she says everything very precisely and with intensity...it is cute. Titus is quite the bruiser, he is big and has a strong personality, he has kept me laughing all week. He is a big Clare fan and loves to follow her around and hold her hand. (the age difference is about 13 months).

Josh and I are sleep deprived but sooo happy and blessed with our beautiful family. Three is tough but totally worth it!

Nevan!

We are so proud, blessed and grateful to announce the arrival of...

Nevan Jonathan

December 15, 2010

8lbs 15oz - 21 1/2 inches

I have written this post a million times, but half way through I have gotten interupted or distracted...so I am going to make it short.

Delivery was wonderful, natural and quick. Not to take any credit from myself ;) it was very painful and I always feel so empowered after a natural birth. The Lord, Mary, St. John Bosco, and St. Clare really watched over Nevan and I as there could have been quite a few complications with the way he was positioned and how the cord was...but we were taken care of.

Josh was great during all my screaming and crying and when Nevan arrived we were just overwhelmed with joy and love for our family.

Recovery is going great. Clare and Paul love Nevan, Paul is feeling a bit replaced and it is showing in his behavior big time so we are trying to show him some extra love and attention to help ease the transition.

I have tried to put together Christmas cards but things just keep going wrong with it, I think we will just send a family photo out in a couple of months.

Love and Blessings,

Mandy

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my Momma!

I would tell you her age, but I dont know it off the top of my head and I am to lazy to count back to her birth year for this post (plus its rude to broadcast ages on blog posts unless you are a baby :)
Some things about my mother you may not know or that I just love and appreciate.
-She has a soft tone to her voice that makes her an easy person to talk to.
-When she really laughs hard, it makes me laugh even harder
-She has always dressed in really up to date styles- like no frumpy momma stuff or anything like that, she always takes time to get ready in the morning (something I did NOT inherit).
-She always gives great advice from a very peaceful perspective.
-She has a way with babies and soothing them with various holding positions.
-She is extremely patient (another thing I did not inherit...but I guess that is something I will continue to build and work on...hopefully)
-When she prays, it is sincere.
-She often takes on little sayings from her friends after spending time with them...i.e. Her english friend Denise always says things like "Lovey, and Dearest" and I always know when my Mom has been talking with her because she will call me those things :)
-My mom makes THE BEST bean burritos (simple but true), lasagna, homemade mac and cheese, and even though I am not a fan of the following, my bros and sisters always rave about them- seafood casserole.
-My mom is fun to shop with.
-My mom is fun to see movies with.
-My mom is very caring towards others and will spend lots of time making someone comfortable.
-My mom loves all her children and grandchildren.

I am sure I will think of more as the day progresses but...Happy Birthday Mom, and I love you so much. Miss you.

Mandy

Crazy week

Today, my Grandma died. I had a very strong relationship with my Grandma, she always was very accepting and loving towards me as well as my sisters. She went into the hospital on Tuesday and fought until this morning at 9:30 AM when she took her last breath. I miss her already so much, I haven't seen her since January, however I am so grateful I spoke with her on the phone yesterday morning for a couple minutes. She always makes me laugh, however yesterday I just cried while talking with her. She was a spitfire and I will always remember her attitude towards life. I always thought she was very beautiful for a ninety year old and am still amazed at how healthy she was and aware of everything. I will miss her dearly and will pray for her.

Josh and I are eagerly waiting baby Hinkle, Clare and Paul seem pretty excited. Josh is busy with work, and I have been spending quite a bit of time at his parents house as I am so tired all the time and feel like I can't get anything done being this pregnant.

Clare has been fighting bronchitis all week, the doctor prescribed her some antibiotics but I held off with those and tried some natural remedies and they worked! I used garlic, essential oils, a homeopathic cough syrup and some vitamins and she is a new girl...almost. Here's to hoping Paul doesnt get sick :/

Paul is such a goof ball, he is talking more and more each day, he seems to be understanding so much and we are really enjoying him. He is going through a rough sleep stage and has been spending a lot of time in bed with us. We are constantly praying for peace for him in his crib but he still ends up in bed with us. He is OBSESSED with blocks, he will sit and build with blocks for hours!! Love watching him...his concentration face is precious.

Please keep us in your prayers, I am pretty sad about my Grandma and of course we are praying for a safe and healthy delivery for baby.

Oh and please keep Clare in your prayers as well- and Paul :)

Special Times...

So, I always feel like something is happening in our life...and we can't just be in a routine or have the same day over and over...which would be boring I guess.

Josh is now switching stores for the fourth time, this is great news, since he has had to share a store for about two months with another manager. Josh was originally placed at his last store as an interim until his new store was complete and to "fix" everything at the new store and train the manager there. Well...this of course wasn't happening, the other manager just doesnt have the same work ethic as Josh and didn't want to work. Josh ended up picking up the slack, and everything else involved with the store when it wasn't really his store. CONFUSING. Anyways, we have been praying that corporate would see that Josh was in a hard place at this store and move him and TA-DA, we got the call Friday that he would be managing another store until his new one re-opens in March! Josh went to work on Monday and was so excited to walk into a store that had been ran really well and meet a crew that works and are good team members. This is very positive for him, less stress and hopefully more money :) Thank you Lord.

While Josh was at work on Monday, Jan took me and the kids to my doctor's appointment. I was not expecting the doctor to check me as he is a pretty easy going, natural doctor...anyways, I have definitely made progress...Baby is big, so the doctor and I decided next week he will strip my membranes and if this baby is anything like Clare and Paul, that should send me into labor. I have made enough progress for it to work. Doc also gave me various remedies to use at home to help my body prepare for labor as well as potentially induce naturally at home. I have been eating pineapple, kiwi, taking blue and black cohosh, evening primrose oil and walking a lot. EVERYTHING I do causes very strong braxton hicks contractions...very strong and makes for each day to be very uncomfortable. I was glad though that baby's heartbeat was back up in the 160s because last week it was in the 130s which worried me because he wasn't moving a lot...
Clare is so excited for her baby brother to get here, she is constantly talking about him and patting my tummy and telling him "its okay, its okay, I miss you, I love you, your gonna do great" etc...
Paul hugs my tummy quite often and says "aww baby, awww, hug".
I have FINALLY gotten into the "nesting" mode, PTL! Today, Josh and I did a complete overhaul on our apartment. I reorganized our kitchen which between that and the kids, pretty much took me all day! Josh cleaned various things that I just didn't want to clean so I pushed off on him. He also cleaned the car and got everything ready to install the baby carseat!! (YAY) We are thinking we need to teach Clare how to buckle/unbuckle herself because trying to lift and buckle three children into carseats is going to be tiring for me!
Josh and I went and bought our Christmas tree this past weekend at the local boy scouts lot, crazy thing- their whole shipment of trees were from OREGON! So I have a beautiful Oregon tree in my apartment! We put up all the ornaments (mostly blue, brown, pearl bulbs) and then the kids put up some ornaments that Grammy Jan gave us that she had bought over the years for Josh. Paul spent the first two days pulling ornaments off and then throwing giant fits when we would tell him NO, and now he seems to be over pulling them off.
Today, while Josh and Paul were out cleaning the car, Clare hung out with me and I pulled out some puzzles I had forgotten about for her. I was so proud of her, she put all of them together with no help from me. So for Christmas, I think I will buy her some next level puzzles. She is so cute, she is always hugging everyone and telling us "its okay hunny, I love you". She always refers to everyone as "hunny". She briefly spoke with my Mom on the phone the other day and said "oh hunny, before she rambled on about her gingerbread house". I hope she doesn't grow out of saying "hunny".
Paul...Paul, Paul Paul- I have NEVER in my life seen a child who can throw a more dramatic and drawn out fit! He is amazing...he will cry and scream for a very extended period of time...I never thought he would be more dramatic then Clare. We have found that if he starts to throw a fit, ignoring him does NOT work at all, so ultimately I end up just cuddling him for a couple minutes and he calms down and I try and explain why his behavior is inappropriate. Not sure he understands, however at least he isnt throwing a fit for thirty minutes (literally).
I have all these photos to post of this past week but I can't find my connector cord...so I will have to wait to post those. The pics above are of Clare and Paul in the bath - they are so cute in the tub and a pic of them in their carseats ready to go see some Christmas light shows! Some of my fave memories are driving around looking at Christmas lights. Josh found some neighborhoods that actually synchronize their entire street with Christmas songs and put on a fabulous show...so we went a saw a couple of those.

Thankful

This past weekend, Josh and I travelled to the lake for a Thanksgiving fish fry with Josh's family. It was very cold and rainy but we made the trip there with Josiah and Doug and then Josh met us there after work and we rode home around 8 PM that night together. Josh and I were really thankful to spend the time together in the car. We were able to just talk and reflect on this past year and what will soon be coming up with the baby and Josh's work (Clare and Paul were sleeping, which made for a very peaceful trip). We ate fresh fish that Grampa Potts had caught and I made some cranberry salsa which went well with the fish. We enjoyed potatoes (I made :) and various snacks all day. To make the meal a bit more traditional we ate some pumpkin pie after lunch.

The kids got to bathe in Grandma and Grampa's GIGANTIC tub, which when Clare first saw she said, "Mommy! Look, I KNEW there was a lake here! I can swim in it!"

We spent the day relaxing and playing with the kids, enjoying the family and watching some football.

Josh and I are so thankful for this year and the time we have had together. We are so proud of Clare and Paul and really can't wait to meet the baby.

We are also very thankful for Josh's family and my family and all they do and have done for us this year.

Thanksgiving will always be special, not just because it is thanksgiving but also because we got engaged the day before Thanksgiving in 2006. I vividly remember Josh playing a game of pool with my Dad and then afterword, my Dad making some not so subtle comments about me getting engaged soon (I knew though, so it wasnt a huge surprise :)

We have been apartment and rental house hunting for a while now, and nothing seems to be right for us right now. Our apartment is very small and is only two bedrooms, but we think we might just sign another 6 month lease and save a bit more money and hope that something jumps out at us in 6 months.

Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving!

We are going to be posting pics of Christmas tree decorating this weekend, Clare is so excited she can hardly contain herself when we mention anything to do with Christmas.