Bits and Pieces From Our Happy Family

Happiness

2012-01-31T20:52:00.005-06:00

Winter in middle Tennessee tends to be rainy and gloomy much of the time. This is why I get spring fever immediately following Christmas almost every year. BUT, it has been a mild winter here thus far and we have enjoyed so many lovely days since returning home. Today was sunny and 68. It was the second day in a row that Cash and I were able to play outside most of the day. I am crossing my fingers for more days like this and an early spring. Btw, I took the above photo with my phone and texted it to Brady (who is in Naples, FL) after he texted and asked how my day was. I told him I thought the photo spoke for itself. Cash and I sat on the swing under the pergola for probably 25+ minutes. Love this weather and love my boy!

The Friday Funnies, Vintage Edition

2012-01-27T17:52:00.002-06:00

So what do you do when you can't remember anything funny the kids said this week? Pull out one from the past.....

11/2007-After putting Luke in his bed he said "Can you leave now? My dreams are coming."

Happy Friday, everyone!

Sentimental

2012-01-21T08:53:00.005-06:00

These overalls belonged to my father-in-law and were given to me by his sister. I love that each of my boys have been photographed wearing them but regret I never put them on Avery Jane. I mean, how sweet are they? The baby boys wearing them too! : )

The Friday Funnies

2012-01-20T19:04:00.001-06:00

Brady was washing Luke's feet on the side of the tub the other day....

Brady: You know Jesus washed the feet of his disciples....

Luke: Why, because they had stinky feet like mine?

Our Year in Review

2012-01-16T10:41:00.003-06:00

January- We moved from St. Louis to Wichita Kansas. My Mom drove out here with the kids and me, so I wouldn't have to do the drive alone. Brady had been here for a week or so before us and had the house unpacked.

Cash turned 2!

February- Enjoyed an extended visit from Brady's Mom (Nana) and sister, Jessica while they waited anxiously with us for Noah.

March- Sweet Noah was born!

April- Bought the van....our first brand new car. Only our 2nd car purchase since we've been married.

May- I drove home to Franklin with all 4 kids by myself for the first time. Noah was 5 weeks old and nursing every 2 hours at that point. What a trip! Thankfully they were all angels for me and we made the trip in about 12.5 hrs or so.

June- Gigi (my Mom) came to visit.

July-

August- Papa Frank (my Dad) came to visit us. Luke turned 7, I turned 29, Luke and Avery Jane went off to school for the first time! (Kindergarten and First Grade) Brady's Mom & grandparents came from Iowa to visit and celebrate Luke's birthday with us.

September- Went to St. Louis for a weekend. Went to Rams/Eagles game...our first Eagles game ever. (Brady's Dad recently left the Titans and it is his first season coaching for the Eagles).

October- Avery Jane turned 6, Brady turned 32. Noah turned half a year old. Brady and Luke took a guys trip. They went to Philadelphia and it was their first Eagles home game.

November- We experienced our first Earthquake! A 5.6 in OK City shook us here in Wichita. Very scary! Avery Jane and I went on a girls trip. Our first time in Philadelphia and NYC. AJ's first train and subway ride on our trip to NYC.

December- Brady's sister, Jessica came to visit. A surprise job offer came for Brady in his dream territory. After much prayer, we decided to take it and move back home. This meant our first and last Christmas in Kansas.

All in all a great year for the Washburns! This life of ours is never ever dull, that's for sure. Lots of moves, babies, kids growing up, trips.... We are blessed beyond measure and are thankful to have made it through another year happy and healthy!

The Friday Funnies

2012-01-06T11:03:00.002-06:00

AJ: Dad, when you blink, do you die for a second?

Such cuteness! Well, I'm already starting the year off doing a better job of blogging which is one of my goals for this year. Hopefully I can keep it up! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Happy Blogiversary

2012-01-04T08:43:00.018-06:00

Happy 3 year blogiversary to Bits and Pieces!

As I was thinking about the anniversary of the blog, I decided to look back through some older posts. Boy, have things changed! Here is a look back at a few of the posts from each year:

2008

This video of Luke cracked me up this morning.

Love the lessons I learn from my kids.

2009

Avery Jane turned 4.

Luke learned to ride his bike without training wheels.

Thanksgiving cuteness.

A little shameless bragging

2010:

A white Christmas.

Cash turned one!

AJ's first haircut!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T17:31:00.003-06:00

We wish all of you a joyful and blessed year ahead!

The Friday Funnies

2011-12-30T16:27:00.002-06:00

As Brady and I were taking the ornaments off the tree on Monday....

Cash: You taking all the instruments off the tree, Momma?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:17:00.003-06:00

I hope you all have had a special day with your families and have taken time to focus on what this day is really all about. Happy birthday, Jesus!!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!!

The Friday Funnies

2011-12-09T17:07:00.003-06:00

So, the kids have been learning about drugs at school (don't get me started on this)....
Luke: Mom, I learned about drugs at school today. Alcohol is a drug and pellets are drugs!
Me: Pellets?
Luke: Yeah, you know. They are medicine that you take if you are sick.
Me: You mean pills?
Luke: Yeeeeeah

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A little food for thought

2011-12-08T09:41:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I read this blog post by Jen Hatmaker. She is an amazing writer and speaker that I recently had the pleasure of hearing speak at our church. It is a long post, but without a doubt, worth the time. It was thought provoking and convicting. I thought about it long after I walked away from the computer. Later, I read it aloud to Brady and we talked about it. We discussed ways we can change the way we do Christmas. I kept thinking "How do we undo what we've done for years?" Our oldest kids are 7 and 6. I came to the conclusion that it isn't too late for change. We can make small changes a little at a time. It will begin now.

And then, this morning I read this blog post. I've been reading this blog for a long time and it always blesses me. I have finally started her NYT best selling book One Thousand Gifts. If I was convicted yesterday from Jen's post, boy, I really am now. I had barely begun reading when I began sobbing at my computer. I kept thinking "I've got it all wrong.". My heart is so broken right now. Change is coming. More on this later but for now, I just want to share it with you.

Noah, Catching up

2011-11-30T11:10:00.007-06:00

I think I'll stop apologizing and explaining my absences here. You all know I have 4 kids and I think that's enough of a reason. :) I do, however, feel bad that I can't find the time often enough to update on Washburn family happenings, especially now that we are so far from home. I do worry that some will start forgetting about us and as for our family, I want them to feel like they aren't missing so much. I mentioned in a recent post that we were going to scale back on some of the "stuff" that keeps us busy. I was hopeful I'd have more time for blogging, among other things. BUT, just as we did, a flier came home from school in Luke's backpack about an informational meeting regarding the wrestling team. This is right up Luke's alley, as he is ALL boy. He lives for playing rough, wrestling, any kind of sport and lots of physical contact. Brady is constantly throwing him around, rolling around with him, and play fighting. I was hesitant just because we were enjoying more free time, but we thought they could just go see what it was about and then decide. Well, he came home from the meeting jacked up about it. We couldn't say no. And since practice is 3 nights/week, we are back to our very busy life! You know what though, as much as I enjoy easy weeknights, I am thankful that we have the opportunities to do so many things. I will eventually post some photos and video from practice.

I'll update on other life stuff some other time, but for now I will give a quick update on our sweet baby Noah, since that is really what I came here to do. :) It's been a while since I've posted anything about our growing baby boy. He has changed so much in the last 4-5 months. There are no weight/height/percentile stats as we have stopped going for well visits. I was not pleased with the pediatrician that we chose and haven't bothered to find another. Let's be real, people...This is child number 4. I know my baby is healthy and hitting the appropriate milestones. I don't need to pay a $30 copay to be told that.

Can you believe he started sitting up at 5 months old? This is the same baby who rolled over at 1 month! Strong boy, he is!

6 months:
He was sitting up without falling over at this point.
Got his first 2 teeth (top front, and at the same time)

7 Months:
* Got 3 more teeth (bottom front 2, again at the same time, and then another one on top about a week later.
*Started crawling (video to come....no promises when though) :)

8 Months:
Pulling up on everything now
Still has just 5 teeth.
Says "Mama" and "Dada" very well. ( More video....again, eventually)

As you can see, he is seriously the happiest baby EVER. He NEVER cries. He smiles and laughs all the time. Almost every time I go to pick him up from church, his teachers remark about how delightful and content he is. He is like a little chunky ball of sunshine. Looking at these photos and gushing about him, is making me want to go wake him up from his nap and squeeze him.

Avery Jane, the model

2011-11-22T14:42:00.004-06:00

So, she dressed herself for school the other day and I asked if I could take her picture to send to Brady. I was quite amused by the combo she chose. She was really posing and getting into it and said "Mom, I'm like a model. Can you pay me?"

Before she left for the bus, she asked me to take another one with her jacket on.

Then she got the camera and looked at them all and took a self portrait.I love this girl!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-11T15:43:00.013-06:00

Our Halloween in pictures (mostly)....

After school....

School party...

Luke also had a school party and the entire school had a costume parade, but I didn't really get any photos worth sharing.

For dinner, before we went trick-or-treating, I made some burgers in a skillet and made these cute jack-o-lantern faces with the cheese...

Our little lion, Thomas the tank engine, stealth ninja and mermaid....

It was our first Halloween in Wichita and the weather was amazing. I apparently did not blog about last year's Halloween but here are flashbacks to 2009 and 2008! I did blog about Pumpkinfest last year though! Y'all know I love flashbacks! It is so fun to see how they've grown from one year to the next.

The Friday Funnies

2011-11-11T15:39:00.001-06:00

Me: Ahhhh, my phone is frozen!!
Luke: It just got too cold or something?

And there were other funnies from this week but I jotted them down on paper and don't have it handy so this will have to do! I hope y'all all enjoy your weekends!

The Friday Funnies

2011-10-28T22:47:00.002-05:00

An infomercial came on tv for some kind of spray that you spray your dog's food with. I think it is vitamins. Anyway, my Mom (the kids call her Gigi)is a huge dog lover and rescues and fosters dogs....

Avery Jane: Mom! We need to get Gigi that for her birthday!

*I mean, who doesn't want dog food vitamin spray for their birthday?!?!?? :) Hee hee

Applejack Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-24T14:23:00.010-05:00

This past Saturday we went to a local pumpkin farm and invited some friends to come with us. We had a great time. We opted not to pick our own pumpkins because in the past we didn't have good luck with that. The big kids each picked out a pumpkin that was already picked and ready and they also loved all the fun activities the farm had to offer. It was a beautiful Wichita day.

Cute photo opp

Noah of course immediately put the straw in his mouth. :)

My baby boy, now 7 1/2 months old

And I apparently did not have my flash on for these photos and never looked at any of them until I got home. :(

This little homemade train was cute and our little train-obsessed 2 year old loved it.

Avery Jane and Emry

They loved this bouncy "pillow" as it was called it.

I love the action shots!

Pumpkin shooting

And I rarely get in front of the camera, but here is one photo to prove I was there. :)

The Friday Funnies

2011-10-21T14:40:00.004-05:00

I was sitting on the edge of the tub in my bathroom, trimming my toe nails when Cash walked in.
Cash: You cuttin' your foot snails, Mom?

About that update I promised last week...It's coming.........this weekend. I promise. :) Seriously, every time I get going on a post, I have to stop and go do something. I have tons of unfinished posts just waiting to be published. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Oh well. At least there's facebook.

I hope you all have a super weekend. Mine is looking pretty exciting. It kicks off tonight with my first "real" date with my hottie of a husband, in probably a year. By "real", I mean, no friends or family with us and that includes no sleeping infants in tow. Oh- and this is no short trip to the bookstore/coffee shop either. Those are some of our favorite times away from the kids, but this is the real deal. Like 4 whole hours, dinner, movie etc. Yeah, I'm a little excited!

Speaking of Brady...He came home for lunch while the kids and I were at church this morning and left me this message on the kitchen table. He picked up Luke's blocks that were on the floor from our family tower-building contest last night and created this:
Tell me he isn't awesome!

Updates coming soon

2011-10-13T14:51:00.002-05:00

So, I've been missing from the world of blogging. My absence is definitely not because of a lack of things to share though. Life here in Kansas has been busy, too busy in fact. We are trimming some things from our lives and trying to live more simply. I am hopeful this will allow more time for the things that really matter to us. I look forward to updating you all on Washburn family happenings, especially a very long overdue update on the littlest, who is growing by leaps and bounds.

I will get to the blog this weekend for sure, starting with the regularly scheduled Friday Funnies tomorrow. Until then...

The Friday Funnies

2011-09-30T13:13:00.004-05:00

Luke was telling me that at recess, he fell on the black top and skinned up his knees and elbow. He was showing me his bloody scrapes....
Me: Did you cry?
Luke: No. But I was saying "Ouch, Ouch, Ouch" and Conner called me a baby.
Me: Why? B/c you were saying Ouch?
Luke: Yes.
Me: Well, that hurts my feelings!
Luke: Why does it hurt your feelings? It wasn't you.
Me: Because it hurts me when people are mean to my kids. It actually hurts worse for someone to be unkind to you than it does if they are that way to me.
Luke: It's okay mom. I don't have as much feelings as you. :)

Precious boy!! I'm glad he let the name calling roll off his back, but why is it necessary? In all seriousness....That's just mean! Bloody scrapes constitute saying "ouch" and even crying in my opinion. "Baby?" Ugh!! I KNOW that Luke NEVER would have called another kid a baby for falling and getting hurt. He would have been the first to ask if they were okay. I hate these little instances of ugliness that our kiddos get exposed to so early on. Sad. OK, I'm done venting. That is all. Off to get some things done while the little boys are napping. I'm doing the single Mom thing for the second weekend in a row, while Brady and Luke are away on a fun father/son trip. These are very rare times that make me appreciate having my husband around that much more! :) I hope our Bits and Pieces readers have a great weekend!

Avery Jane's Closet Resale

2011-09-25T18:05:00.003-05:00

Anyone have or know a size 4t girl in need of some cute clothes? Check out these items from Avery Jane's Closet. I meant to post this last week but most items were almost over by the time I thought about it. There is still 24 hrs+ on this week's items. Lots more 4t, 5t and a few 3t next week. Pass it on if you know of anyone who may want to shop.

The Friday Funnies

2011-09-23T06:36:00.000-05:00

While doing our evening family devotional one night last week...

Me: (referring to the memory verse for the day): Do you know what a principle is?
Luke: I do! It's a person who is in charge of a school! :)

"I will delight in your principles and not forget your word." Psalm 119:16

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Oh, just a quick $120

2011-09-14T14:21:00.004-05:00

So, I've been listing most of my kids' outgrown clothing and shoes, purses, hair accessories etc. on ebay for about 6 years now. Some does go to goodwill, friends and family but for the most part it ends up on ebay. I love passing it on to people we know, but it is of great help to me to recycle the $ for new stuff. Over the last 2 weeks I've made about $450 selling some 0-6 month baby boy clothing and a few of AJ's clothing items from last Fall. And just yesterday made about $120 on these 3 items:

Adorable corduroy polka dot doggie purse from the Girl's Best Friend line last fall at Gymboree:
I paid $16.75 and resold it for $29.99

Dress & leggings from the Hammond Bay collection from Matilda Jane Clothing:
Dress had some small black stains on the side and some noticeable yellow paint stains on front.
I paid $46 new and sold for $21.01
Leggings I paid $30 new and sold for $67 used.
She wore this outfit for 2 springs and summers and I was still able to make a profit on half of it. If she hadn't spilled non-washable paint on the dress, I feel certain I would have made a profit on it too!

I don't have nearly as much time to ebay as I used to, but when I do, I really enjoy it. It gives me great satisfaction to make $ from things we can no longer wear or use so that I can use it for new stuff. :)

First week of school

2011-08-30T13:02:00.004-05:00

A few days before school started, we made a trip up to the school to take the 578,935 school supply items we had to buy. :) Nana was here visiting so she was really excited to see the kids' classrooms and meet their teachers too. It was nice for the kids to get to look around their rooms one last time while no other kids were there. We had gone a few nights before for meet the teacher night.

Luke in his classroom.

Luke's classroom.

Cash sat down at bubby's desk and went through some of his stuff. :)

This picture makes me teary. How is my first born a first grader already?

This is Avery Jane's classroom which happens to be right next door to Luke's. It made me happy to know they will probably see each other in passing at school during the days.

Her name tag is on the table with the red chairs, closest to me. The day we were there, her tag wasn't up so I didn't get a photo of her in her seat.

And then, there was the big day. The day I had dreaded for months prior. The kids were excited and we had their clothes and backpacks laid out the night before. Brady and I took them to school so we could make sure they got to their classes okay on the first day. On our drive, Brady and I did not speak a word to each other until the end. The kid's were all talking and laughing in the back of the car but it was nothing but silence in the front. We were both fighting back tears. A few minutes before we got to the school, Brady looked in the rear view mirror and made a comment about how it seemed like our 2 day old infant was just in the back seat on his way home from the hospital. I saw tears run down his face, and then mine came. More silence.

We wiped our tears and put on smiles so we could get Luke to his class without him feeling burdened by our sadness. We really were happy and excited for him, it was really just bittersweet.

Brady, Luke and Noah walking through the back parking lot of the school.

My precious boy with his famous bed head, sitting at his desk on the first day of First Grade. One last photo before I leave. :(

Once back to the car, we got the 3 other kids in, Brady opened my door for me and I sat in my seat. He leaned in to hug me and started to say "I'm proud of you. You've done a great job with our boy." I stopped him and said "Please don't, you are going to make me cry.". There was no point. We both hugged and cried. I sobbed really. Once home, I sat on the couch and cried and cried and cried some more. I vented to Brady about how much I was going to miss Luke during my days and how I hoped his teachers would know what a gem they have in Luke. I couldn't stop wondering if I read to him enough over the years, did I love on him enough, did we do enough fun things. I hope I made the most of all these years at home with him. It was an overwhelming feeling of- there's no going back. My years at home with him are gone. I hope I did my best. Once kids start school, they will be in school forever until they leave your home. I felt afraid, knowing that he was no longer in my care but a strangers care. I was turning him over to someone else, whom I did not know. I knew he would be safe and probably happy, but not nearly as safe as he is at home with me. :( *big exhale*

And so, it was a sad day for me. And I was lucky to get to do all of the above all over again the following day when the kindergartners started school.

My sweet, sweet girl on her first day of kindergarten, out in front of her new school.

Avery Jane with Mr. Mountain, her principal, in front of the flag pole.Sitting at her table for the first time. Mrs. Darbonne had the kids coloring while they waited for everyone to arrive.

On Luke's third day of school and AJ's second, we let them ride the bus for the first time. Luke leaves at 8 a.m., while AJ doesn't leave until noon, since she is in afternoon kindergarten.

Luke getting on the bus for the very first time.

Off he goes. I just adored seeing his smiling face through the window as he rode away. Yes, I cried some more.

Noon came quickly and this big girl was so excited to get on the bus she had watched bubby get on earlier in the day. The bus stop is at the end of our cul-de-sac so it's very convenient.

Brady came home from work so he could watch her get on the bus for the first time. I am so thankful that he has such a flexible job that allow him to be apart of all of these important days in our kids' lives. I am equally blessed that he doesn't want to miss a thing and is super involved in every aspect of their lives. He is such an awesome Daddy!

Brady and Cash killed time waiting for the bus by singing "The wheels on the bus".

We are now on day 10 or so of school and I've just now stopped tearing up every day when they get on the bus. This whole new adventure has been hard on Mama. While the 1/2 day kindergarten is inconvenient for my schedule, I am so glad that I get to have extra time with my girl. I am going to make the most of it before first grade comes and she is gone all day like Luke.

The Friday Funnies- TMI edition

2011-08-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

May be TMI for some, but oh-so-funny so had to share!

Avery Jane was in my room chatting with me while I was getting dressed...
AJ: Mom, I think your panties are on wrong. They are going up your bottom. (thong)

I'm going to post some photos from the first week of school during nap time today, so check back later for those.

The Friday Funnies

2011-07-29T13:44:00.003-05:00

Some friends of ours have 4 teenagers. When we were over at their house for the 4th of July, one of their daughters who is 15, took AJ down to their basement and showed her some of her old toys from when she was little and sat and played with her for a while. Ever since then, Avery Jane has asked multiple times if she can have her "friend" over to play. So sweet. The other day she said, "Mom, I can't believe I have a teenager for a friend!!!"

The other day I was leaving to go run a couple of errands and Luke said he wanted to go with me b/c he likes to spend time with me. He is such an angel. So while we were out, I ended up taking him to get some ice-cream and really soaked up the alone time with him. At one point I noticed he had just closed his eyes in the back seat.
Me: (jokingly) Luke, you can't go to sleep, we are on a date!
Luke: Mom, we are NOT on a date. That's disgusting!"

BREAKING NEWS

2011-07-24T12:31:00.005-05:00

Avery Jane has lost her first tooth! Yes, this is the kind of thing that is a big deal in our house these days. The tooth has been loose for several weeks but she was adamant that as excited as she was for it to come out, she did NOT want it pulled. This morning she finally agreed to it, and out it came. There may or may not have been a little bribery involved. ; )

Here she is with all her teethJust about to pull it

And she started to change her mind

I took this photo to show her how the permanent tooth is already coming in behind it.

She is back on board with the idea of pulling it.

One very short cry until she saw it and realized it was out.

Then it was a hug for Daddy!

Only a couple of tears.

Then a little bloody smile. :)

Proudly showing her tooth.

The tooth is already in her tooth fairy pillow. She can hardly wait for bedtime! She is already speculating about how much money she will get. She knows she will get extra for it being her first and for having it pulled, based on what she has seen with Luke.

Oh, and she is almost exactly 5 years, 9 months old (2 days away). What a big girl!

Wise beyond his years..

2011-07-19T14:54:00.001-05:00

this kid...

Photo taken at the Wichita zoo a few weeks ago

The other night shortly after we put all the kids to bed, Brady and I sat down to catch up on some of our DVR'd shows. A few minutes later, Luke came walking up the stairs to the living room. He explained that he couldn't sleep b/c Avery Jane was crying (her room is next door to his). He sat down in Brady's lap and Brady kissed and hugged him all over.
Me to Brady: You better not take all that good lovin from my boy!
Luke (waves his hand that was free): I still have lots of love in this hand, Mom!
When he came and sat in my lap, we hugged and he said "Mom, Did you know that love is one of the most powerful things?
Me: Yes, I did know that. How do you know that?
Luke: I don't know. I just do.
I asked him if he knew where love comes from and he said he did..."God". The three of us talked about how great love is, the most amazing demonstration of love in all of history (Jesus' death on the cross) and our favorite thing about love. I told him my favorite thing about love is how it grows and multiples. I explained that when I had Avery Jane, no love had to be taken from him and shared with her. It just multiplied. And again with Cash and Noah. We agreed that that is a pretty neat thing.

Where do these statements come from? I treasure these conversations with him more than my words can ever say. I tell him all the time that he is my angel boy. He feels like an angel to me...SUCH a gift, so precious, tender, loving, remarkable. I feel so blessed to be chosen to be his Mom.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

The Friday Funnies

2011-07-15T14:56:00.004-05:00

When I was loving on Luke the other day...
Me: You are so cute!
Luke: Mo-om! I'm not cute, I'm tough!

And today, while waiting for one of our friends to come pick the big kids up, I was loving on Luke.
Luke: Please don't love on me when they get here, okay?
Me: Why?
Luke: Because, I'll get embarrassed.

And I overheard this the other night:
Brady to AJ: You can't wear high heels until you are 20.
AJ: Daaad....
Brady: And jeans, big baggy shirts and flats are great too!

Noah, 4 months

2011-07-13T16:09:00.004-05:00

Noah turned 4 months old on the 4th of July. I took him to the doctor for a check-up a few days later and got his stats: 18.5 lbs (97th percentile), 26 inches (90th) and 90th for head circumference. :) One big healthy boy! That's about all I know. I do NOT like our pediatrician. He did not ask me one single development question. It was a check of his eyes,ears,nose and mouth and off we went! We are not vaccinating him so I guess that made the visit extra short. Biggest waste of $30 copay. I'm so used to our doctor back home who is soooo thorough.

Anyway, Noah is doing great! He is definitely our happiest, easiest baby. We said that about Cash too but Noah has outdone him. He is so easy going, smiles a lot and only fusses if he is overly tired or really hungry. It's so rare! One area he needs major improvement though is sleep. He was doing so great until a few weeks ago when he started waking every 2-3 hrs. Every few nights he might only wake twice, but it's usually 3 or 4 times. The only good thing is that he goes right back to sleep after I nurse him in bed for a few minutes but having our sleep interrupted constantly makes for an exhausted mom and dad!

He is almost sitting up (crazy I know!), trying to crawl, and starting to roll a few times to get to things. We have not given him any cereal or other food and don't plan to for a while unless he gives us the signs he is needing more. As for now, his growth indicates he is very well nourished. Ha ha! I feel strongly about exclusively breastfeeding until at least 6 months.

A few other random things- He has discovered his feet and loves to grab them and play with them. He is drooling and sucking on his hands like crazy too so I guess the teething has begun. He is also loving his play mat, exersaucer and johnny jump up these days. Life is good for Noah. :)

I thought this picture was funny...mid sneeze.

And HERE, a flashback to Cash's 4 month old post. Shocking that Noah is a full 1.5 lbs heavier than my big Cash was at 4 months old. And Noah was rolling over regularly at 5 weeks old when Cash didn't until 4 months! I love to look back and compare with the other kids.

Long overdue update

2011-06-26T08:37:00.011-05:00

It's been a while since I've given a real update on what's been going on with us. Lot's a big things have been happening. Luke and Avery Jane started tennis, piano and karate, Luke lost his 6th tooth, Avery Jane learned to ride her bike without training wheels, Luke learned to tie his shoes, we bought a new car, Noah had his first "swim", and he also most recently started rolling from back to front. All this has happened in the last 2 months. I'm sure I've left out a few things but those are a few of the major things. Time is flying by as usual. How did these kids get so big and learn to do all these big kid things?

First day of tennis...

Another day of tennis... (they go Mon-Thurs)Noah's first time in the pool...

We bought 5 lbs of raw peanuts in the shell and made a huge pot of boiled peanuts...a southern delicacy. It was Luke's first time having them and he LOVED them!

Luke's 2nd piano lesson...

Avery Jane's first piano lesson...

Practicing riding her bike without training wheels a week or so after she learned. And yes, ballerina costumes are perfectly acceptable bike riding attire. :)

This is video of her first trying to learn. She caught on fast....

Avery Jane at her 2nd karate class, breaking a board to earn her first belt....

Same for Luke....

After we got home, a photo with her new karate belt....

Luke too...I'll post some photos of them in their uniforms soon...haven't taken any yet.

There are a few highlights from the last 2 months. I hope to keep up a little bit better from here.

Noah, 3 months

2011-06-22T16:59:00.002-05:00

Noah turned 3 months on the 4th and as usual, I'm behind on posting these photos. Better late than never, right?
He is such a good baby and gets better by the week. He is also a really happy baby, as you can see in these photos. He smiles a lot and loves to "talk" to us. The big kids adore him and are so good to him, while Cash pays little attention to him. :)

He is continuing to roll, something he started doing at a mere 5 weeks old. He is reaching for objects and grabbing them to pull to his mouth. He blows raspberries with his mouth, is drooling and sucking on things. Let the teething begin! The first 3 babies all started teething at 2 months so this is a tad late in comparison to them. It's always fun to compare these things. :)

Quick post, I'm off to shower before he wakes up. We are meeting Brady for dinner. Thanks for checking in!

The Friday Funnies

2011-06-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

Luke: Why do you and Daddy go on dates?
Me: B/c we are married and we love each other and we like to spend time together.
Luke: I'm not going to get married. Marrying is so girly!

On another note....

As is often the case, The Friday Funnies seem to be about the only thing keeping this blog alive. Even so, I've not been consistent in getting that post up. As you can imagine, with 4 kids under the age of 6, one of which is homeschooled, and one of which is an infant, we stay pretty busy here. Luke and I are continuing his schooling throughout the summer, but cutting it down to only 3 days a week instead of 5. With this small break, I hope to find time to do some other things, including catch up on the blog. Of course with this little break, we've also added in 4 day a week tennis lessons, piano lessons, karate and as soon as we buy them some golf clubs, golf! It's shaping up to be a busy summer! Anyway, I say all that to say- thanks for still checking in on us and understanding we can't always update you via the blog. I know it is important to all our family (and friends!) back home in TN and elsewhere to see what we've been up to. I do PROMISE a catching up post (or two) SOON!! :) Have a wonderful Father's Day Weekend, everyone!

The Friday Funnies

2011-06-03T11:09:00.003-05:00

The Friday Funnies

2011-05-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

We were on our way to the dealership to drop my car off to have a paint and leather protection put on....
Luke: Why are we leaving the car?
Me: Because it will take a couple of hours and I don't want to wait on it. We will come back tomorrow and get it.
Luke: Well, what if someone buys our car?!?!
Me: They won't.
Luke: How do you know?
Me: I'll park it in the customer parking area. It's an area where cars aren't for sale.
Luke: Well, if someone did try to buy it, they'd see the bird poop on it and change their mind! :)
*FYI* My car is NOT covered in bird poop. There was only one spot on the hood.

Noah, 2 months

2011-05-18T09:29:00.003-05:00

Our sweet baby Noah turned 2 months old recently. As you can see in some of the photos, he is starting to get active. He kicks his feet and moves his arms a lot! He smiles a lot too and likes to "talk". He is such a good baby. He is a great eater and sleeper and is happy most of the time. We still haven't made it to the doctor for his 2 month check-up but I'll post his stats once we do.

A Royal Wedding Watching Party

2011-05-16T10:34:00.003-05:00

Recently Avery Jane was invited to a "Royal Wedding Watching Party" while we were in Franklin. A bunch of little girls got together to watch the royal wedding in their favorite fancy dresses or dress-up dresses. They drank tea from china cups, enjoyed scones and watched the wedding. Now, how cute is that?!?

Such a fun little party for these princesses!

Noah- Newborn photos

2011-05-10T15:21:00.006-05:00

I just realized I never shared some of Noah's newborn photos. This tiny baby below is growing like a weed and has changed so much since these photographs were taken at 10 days old. He actually turned 2 months old this week which is hard to believe!

The Friday Funnies

2011-05-06T21:51:00.002-05:00

Luke said something ugly to Avery Jane and Daddy was giving a little lecture to him. Avery was standing there too.

Daddy: Do you see your Mom over there? She is my best friend just like you and Avery are best friends. Have you ever heard me yell or say anything unkind to her? Have you ever heard me call her a name?

Luke and AJ: No.

Daddy: If I ever said to her what you said to Avery, or anything mean like that, I'd feel so terrible I'd wanna crawl in a hole and never come out.

(silence for a few seconds.)

Avery Jane (in complete seriousness says): Well, would you come out of the hole to eat? You'd probably get really hungry.

Luke: Yeah, you'd starve in that hole!

(Brady had to turn his head around to keep them from seeing the humor on his face.)

Prayer Request

2011-04-18T16:24:00.005-05:00

My younger brother is currently serving in the U.S. Army and has been stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. As I type though, he and his unit are on their way to Afghanistan for their first deployment. He will be there for a year with a short break to come home after 6 months. I would treasure your prayers for he and all those servings alongside him. I'm praying for God to protect both his body and mind while he is away and return him home safely. Thank you in advance for your prayers for him!!

Exploration Place

2011-04-17T17:58:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we went to the childrens museum here in Wichita, called Exploration Place. The kids really enjoyed it but I was a little disappointed in it after having some of the best museums in St. Louis. It was fun, just not nearly as neat as the ones we had there. Anyway, it was great to spend time as a family and explore a new place in our new city. Here are a few pictures:

Checking out some road kill.

They thought the tornado simulator was neat. Hopefully we never experience the real thing.

Driving a combine in the farming/agriculture section.

Airplane simulator. This happens to be the air capital of the world, so they had a big section on aviation. The boys especially enjoyed it.

Noah just hanging out in the stroller.

Noah did have a little fun too. : )

In the toddler section, Cash ran straight for the Thomas table. He was in heaven and did not want to leave!

The Friday Funnies

2011-04-15T08:54:00.003-05:00

Avery Jane: When I get to heaven, I'm gonna tell God that you aggravate me!
Luke: That's okay. He won't get mad because he likes me a lot, and he forgives me.

There was more cuteness in this conversation but they were talking so fast, I couldn't retain it all. And I was in the middle of feeding Noah so I couldn't get up to grab a pen and paper. I know they talked about how God is our real father, not "daddy". So, sweet.

Happy Friday!!! Have a great weekend.

A little of this and that

2011-04-13T14:00:00.011-05:00

It's rare these days that I have much time for the computer, but today has been very productive thus far and Noah is napping well so I decided to come back and do some catching up from the last couple of weeks. I know I promised "more photos and birth story soon" and never got around to it. Well, the birth story still has to wait but here are some of those pictures from the first few weeks. I know our family back home has been dying for more photos and I've tried to be good about sending some via text but I do forget. Sorry guys!

Some hospital photos:

Nana was so kind to come stay with us in the days (that turned into weeks) prior to Noah's birth and be here when he was born. It was great having her company and help with everything. A BIG thank you to her for that! The night before she left, Brady snapped these few pics....

And a few others from the first days at home:

3 days old

2 days old

Not long after he was born we made the trip home to see my brother before he deploys, and that meant getting to see lots of other family too and introduce Noah. Unfortunately, I barely took any photos while I was there. :( Here are a few from a dinner out at J Alexander's with Mama B, Papa Frank and Wes.....

Aunt Jess managed to slip Noah down in one of Brady's old college football helmets for a photo. :)

Jess meeting Noah for the first time.

She hand carved him this cute mustache baby spoon. Cute, huh?

While in Franklin we gave Noah his first sponge bath. He loved it!

All cozy on Daddy's chest after his bath.

And a few days after we returned home, I gave him his first tub bath. He was in heaven. He was so relaxed and loved every minute of it.

Okay, I'm feeling SO much better about catching up our family a little bit and hopefully our friends and blog friends enjoyed it too. 2 posts in 2 days has me feeling very productive. And if I get to The Friday Funnies tomorrow, I'll really be on a roll. Hey, it's the little things.... Have a great day everyone!

Noah- 1 month

2011-04-13T12:34:00.004-05:00

Well, I am behind on this post obviously, but sweet Noah turned one month old on April 4th. Hard to believe. Here are a couple photos I snapped on his one month bday.

And here he is at his 1 week check-up, weighing 9 lbs! I could hardly believe it. He was up 12 oz in just one week. Most babies are still regaining to reach their birth weight. Big fella!

And here he is at his 3 week check up, weighing 10 lbs, 6 oz:

Noah is also doing some big boy stuff, like rolling over, pushing up on his arms when he is on his tummy, tracking objects with his eyes and he has amazing neck strength and head control. Crazy how fast he is checking off these milestones, and how early too. So much for trying to savor every moment and milestone. He is moving too fast for us! :(

He first rolled over a few days ago when I put him on his tummy. He hates tummy time! He cried for a few minutes and then flipped himself over. He liked his new trick and has been doing it ever since. I keep trying to put him on his tummy to keep working on his neck strength, but he will not have it. He flips himself right over and then cries to be picked up. Let me tell you, this kid is SOOOO rotten! He demands to be held much of the time. He likes his swing, but only for short periods. He prefers to be talked to and in someones arms almost all the time. This is hard for me with 3 other kids, but thank goodness for the baby bjorn and the moby. Without those 2 things, nothing would get done around here! :)

Anyway, he is a sweet boy and the 3 other kids love him so much. There is no shortage of attention and love for him. Cash likes to wave at him and say "Hey Noah!". When I make Noah wave back at him, he thinks it is so funny. The kids adjusted to having him here perfectly. No one seemed to miss a beat. It's as if he has always been a part of our family and I love that. Brady and I are the ones who have had to do the adjusting..... Back to interrupted sleep, lots of time in the rocker, double the diapers, more multi-tasking etc. We are loving it though and trying to soak in every moment, knowing this is our last baby. Every moment, even the ones in the middle of the night are such a blessing. These days will be gone way too soon.

Speaking of sleep, Noah is a great sleeper most nights. He goes down anywhere between 8 and 10 pm, and wakes once or twice. Not bad. He starts out in his car seat(placed in the bassinet), just like the other 3 kids did and after he wakes Brady gets him, changes his diaper and brings him to me in bed. I wake just enough to latch him on, I fall back asleep and then he spends the rest of the night in bed with us. It's so easy that way. As for daytime sleep, he isn't the best napper. I am going to work on that once he reaches 8 weeks when I get him on a schedule. I am really looking forward to a schedule with him so I can depend on a couple of hours during the day to get things done without wearing a baby. :)

Long post, but wanted to give a little update on Noah while I have a moment. We've been busy bees here and I have some other posts that I hope to get to later today since Brady will be home early for the second day in a row. : D

Thanks for checking on us! Have a great day!

First trip to the Wichita zoo

2011-04-05T13:11:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we made our first trip to the Sedwick County Zoo in Wichita, which happens to be only a few minutes from our house. It was a gorgeous, sunny, and 86 degree day. Felt a little like summer rather than spring, but hey, as long as it doesn't involve cold and snow we'll take it!

Most of you know how particular I am about dressing my kids, but I've really lightened up and started letting them dress themselves some. So I'll preface these photos by letting you know that this was one of those days. :) Luke in his running gear and AJ in a random combo.

Little Noah's first visit to a zoo. Too bad he had no idea. :) He was all snug in the moby, which he is a big fan of.

The Friday Funnies

2011-03-25T15:08:00.002-05:00

Nana was digging in her purse for her keys...
Luke: Don't you know they make purses that you don't have to dig in?

Nana and I got a real laugh out of this because since when do 6 yr old boys know anything about purses? HA HA! Then it dawned on me that he probably saw that infomercial with the organizational thingy with all the compartments that fits inside your purse. I asked him how he knew about such purses and yes, he said he saw it on TV. Too funny!

Sand Hills State Park

2011-03-15T15:11:00.007-05:00

Saturday was a gorgeous day and we were so glad since we had plans to go on a family hike at a state park about 45 minutes outside of Wichita. The kids were so excited and packed a backpack to share. It was filled with mostly unnecessary items, along with a water bottle...about the only thing they might need. :) Regardless, I loved how they took turns carrying it when one would get tired.

We had a wonderful afternoon of quality family time and really soaked up the sunshine. As for me, it was my first bit of exercise since giving birth and it felt amazing. We've had quite a few lovely days over the last month and I am hoping it means that Spring is very near.

At the beginning of our hike.

Getting ready to hike up this hill.

When I had to stop to put Noah's hat on, they left us in their dust.

Avery Jane found these helicopters and was so excited to plant the seeds when we got home...which she ended up forgetting about.

Cash got tired as we neared the end and needed to be carried.

Proof that I was really there. :)

The Friday Funnies

2011-03-11T21:06:00.002-06:00

Earlier today Avery Jane came in from the back yard where she was playing with her brothers. Her pink dress was a little muddy and wet.

Me: What happened to you? I can't believe your dress!
AJ: Oh, we are making homes for worms.
Me: Please don't get any more nasty than you already are.
AJ: But Mom, getting dirty is just part of nature!

Oh, how I love this silly girl! And besides making homes for worms on this gorgeous 73 degree day, they also attempted to catch birds. Yes, I said catch birds. While picnicking for lunch in the backyard, they decided to take some cheese from their lunch and sprinkle it in the grass. When I poked my head out the door to ask what they were doing, Luke turned around with a net in his hand to tell me they were enticing the birds to come with the cheese and were then hoping to swoop one up. I love their crazy ideas (most of the time).

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

He's here!

2011-03-06T14:08:00.004-06:00

Noah McClain Washburn
March 4, 2011
12:59 a.m.
8 lbs 4 oz
21 inches

More photos and birth story soon.

The Friday Funnies- Pregnancy Edition

2011-03-04T14:07:00.000-06:00

Looking at my big pregnant belly...
Avery Jane: Mom, I don't remember when you were skinny.

As I was answering lots of curious questions about pregnancy and labor and delivery...
Luke: I'll bet the baby has gills, that's how it can stay in that bag of water and breathe. Then, probably when it comes out, the gills disappear. God could definitely make that happen.

Labor Updates

2011-03-03T21:02:00.007-06:00

We will try and update this post as we can to keep you all updated on labor and delivery like we did with Cash. Just scroll to the bottom of this post for the latest.

3:30- Dr. appt. 3 cm/75%, same as I've been for weeks. On the way home we got in a fender bender. Called doc to see if he wanted me to come back for a check since the seat belt locked up and squeezed my belly pretty hard. He told me to go to labor and delivery to make sure there was no damage to the placenta.
5:30- Hospital checked me and I was 6 cm and 100% effaced.
9:00-Still 6, breaking water.
9:30-water was broken in an effort to get baby's head to come down.
11:00pm-8 cm and heads coming down some. hopefully we will have a baby soon.
12:00-10 cm, head is plus 2, paging the doctor now. baby coming very soon!
12:59- It's a BOY!!!

Message from God

2011-03-03T12:54:00.004-06:00

Day before yesterday morning, Luke came and crawled in my bed looking sad. I asked him what was wrong and he started to tell me about how Daddy had fussed at him. Luke is our tender one. He started to tear up as he was telling me. I told him that I was sorry that he got his feelings hurt and explained that Daddy didn't mean to hurt his feelings and that it was okay to cry. I told him that I cried some that morning too. He asked me why. I went on to explain how I was frustrated by the fact that the baby hadn't come yet and Nana(who is here with us waiting) needed to get to Philly and I have a trip to Nashville next week. I was feeling very torn about whether to allow induction or not and how I had so many things to weigh in my situation. He replied, "So, if you knew when the baby was going to come, it would be easier? And then you could wait better?". I thought for a moment and said, "Yes, but God doesn't want us to know all the answers. If we knew the answers and his timing, we would have no need for our faith. Uncertainty in this life puts us in a place of needing to trust God and have faith in his plan for our lives."

As this message flowed from my mouth, I realized that the message was really for me. A message straight from God to my heart, and I was able to share it with Luke in that moment. I then began to tear up again as we talked. I knew in that moment that God wanted me to stop all the worrying about when the baby would come, how he/she would come and how it would all affect our pending plans. He was calling me to trust him fully and I made my mind up at that moment that I would do just that. So, here I am at 40 weeks, 4 days moving along in perfect peace, knowing that God has me and all my needs taken care of. I will continue to wait, without a worry and trust him.

And here is the massive baby belly at 40 weeks, 2 days (taken 2 days ago)....

I'll continue to keep you all posted and would covet your prayers for all of us as we wait and for a safe labor and delivery.

Waiting

2011-02-26T17:47:00.003-06:00

Yep, still pregnant. I'll be 40 weeks tomorrow and hanging in there. I am actually feeling great, just growing a little impatient. I'm really anxious to meet our newest baby. Since I went into labor 8 days early with Cash, I figured that would happen again. It's okay though, I keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect. He knows when this little baby will arrive and he has a reason for that time. A friend sent me a sweet text the other day telling me that God is putting the finishing touches on this babe and this one is going to be extra special. I loved and appreciated that message very much.

We will continue to keep you all posted as things change. Hopefully my next blog post will be to introduce you to baby #4.

A Picture Photographer

2011-02-23T12:48:00.006-06:00

That's what Avery Jane was calling herself as she walked around he house snapping photos this morning. I always think it's fun to see what they snap pictures of and see their perspective.

Her closet

Her bed

Feet

Her treasure box, made by Aunt Jess

Messy floor in her bedroom

Her bathroom

Play kitchen stuff

Her fridge with magnets

Doll house

A little crayon artwork on the wall, done by brother Cash

Front door

Couch and pillow

Luke not wanting her to take his picture

Blessed wall hanging in the kitchen

Kitchen

Lovely photo of self :)

The Friday Funnies

2011-02-18T19:43:00.002-06:00

At the mall, walking into Justice....

Luke to Avery: Aves, if you are old enough to shop at Justice, then you are old enough to stop sucking your thumb! :)

The Friday Funnies

2011-02-11T09:24:00.003-06:00

I can't remember the exact topic of conversation but the big kids and I were talking and Luke said something about someone's vehicle.
AJ: Vehicle?? He doesn't have a vehicle!
Luke: Avery, don't you know that vehicle is just a fancy word for car....or truck.....or motorcycle!?!?

Luke: Mom, it was really cold in my room this morning.
Me: I'm sorry. Did you snuggle under your down comforter?
Luke: I did, but I still had goose bumps! I had like 3 of them!!

The Friday Funnies

2011-02-04T18:55:00.004-06:00

This was taken earlier this week after we walked in the door from my doctor appointment. This funny guy insisted on wearing his bicycle helmet (the same one he refused to leave REI without), Luke's Boston Celtics jersey which is a dress on Cash, and carrying his old school tin lunchbox. Yes, we got some smiles and laughs while in the waiting room. :)

The Friday Funnies

2011-01-28T10:13:00.005-06:00

AJ: (in her pjs, blanket in tow and suitcase and 2 backpacks packed): I'm running away!
Me: Why?
AJ: Bubby said he doesn't care about me anymore!
Me: Where do you think you will run away to?
AJ: I'm going on an airplane to Coach and Nana's!
(I call Luke into the room to talk about what he said and why and have him apologize)
Luke to AJ: You can't go to the airport b/c you don't know how to drive a car! A police officer will catch you quick! I've heard there are cops near the airport...probably 2 of them!
AJ: (making the above scowl on her face): Well, I'll find a way!!

I should have taken a picture of the inside of her suitcase b/c THAT alone was hilarious. She had all the typical things one would need to run away- super cute and furry house shoes from Gap kids, a necklace and matching bracelet, a build-a-bear, an second outfit for the bear, bitty baby, one shirt, a pair of tights and lip gloss!

We talked about how sad it would be to have her gone and asked her to please change her mind. She later said she was really glad she didn't run away b/c she would really miss her family. :)
These are the stories I will hold on to and share with her when she is much older and I'm sure we will both share a laugh about it.

On a completely different note- It is sunny without a cloud in the sky, zero chance of rain or snow and a high of 64 today! (BIG smile over here)! We will be spending most all of the day outside (as we have every day this week). Even if it's a tease (b/c I know it is), I'll take it! This girl lives for the sunshine!! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!!

35 weeks

2011-01-26T19:46:00.007-06:00

So here I am at 35 weeks...moving right along. 32 days or less until we meet the little guy or gal! At the request of several friends and family, here are some updated belly pics. Oh- and not really anything to report yet. Lots of contractions, but never forming a pattern. I'm just glad to know that my body is readying itself. As for doing my part, I'm drinking my organic red raspberry leaf tea, taking my organic evening primrose oil and stretching lots. I found a vbac supportive Dr. here in Wichita and will see him for the second time next week. I will update again as we get closer or as I progress! :) Also, I added the same 2 polls to the blog (over to the right side) that I had on here when I was pregnant with Cash. We'd love to hear what you all think about what the gender is and when he/she will arrive, so please vote!

This one was taken last week at 34 weeks...

Moving update

2011-01-20T13:52:00.004-06:00

So, we made it through the packing and moving and are here in Wichita, KS. We also made it through the 14 hour drive from Franklin. My Mom was kind enough to offer to ride with me and help out with the kids. I am very appreciative. Having said that, they were FANTASTIC though. I don't think there were any tears and no complaining other than Luke asking "How much longer?" 3 or 4 times. :) We found AJ's ipod touch (loaded with games) but forgot to charge it. SO, no ipod touch, 2 functioning DVD players (the 3rd didn't hold a charge and died 15 minutes down the road), no CDs, they didn't play their leapsters and only watched 3 hours of movie(s). SO, I have no idea how they were so great but I am thankful! Riding in a car for 14 hours with absolutely NO legroom or ANY room at all (bc I had belongings that couldn't fit in the PODS) is rough, but they were amazing.

Before I say anything else, let me make 2 things clear... 1) I do not like moving. 2) I do not like moving while pregnant and/or during the holidays. OK, on to the update.. Brady and I took our time looking for homes, regardless of the time table because we wanted to make sure it was just the right one. The kids and I went home to Nashville while he made his home in a hotel and looked for homes after work. Major props to the husband because he did a great job. I saw the house for the first time when I arrived there with the kids. Crazy, but I really trusted him on this.

I know our families have been anxious to see it and hear about it so here are some details and a few photos. *These are from earlier in the Spring, taken by the owner, with his furniture in it while it was for sale.

cul-de-sac lot
5 bedrooms
3 full baths
living room
dining room
family room with mini kitchen/wet bar
concrete storm room/workout room
storage room in the basement (maybe my fav part of the house...seriously)
big backyard with covered deck

The kids are enjoying it, as are we. It has been so cold so we haven't been outside much to meet people. Brady drove me by the kids' elementary school one night while they were at the movie with my Mom (it's only about 2 miles from us). Just laying eyes on that place sent me into a moment of sobbing. I could see the empty cafeteria tables and the front office through the big front windows. I instantly pictured them walking into the school with their little backpacks on and sitting at the lunch tables laughing with their friends. And all I could think about was that once they went off to school, they would be in school until they leave home. My days of having them at home with me are coming to an end. Yes, it was more than I was ready to think about at that moment and I just lost it. And it's more than I care to think about right now too so I'm moving on. I will do my best to prepare myself between now and August/September when school starts. *takes deep breath*.

As far as location, Brady described it to me over the phone as the "Cool Springs" of Wichita. It is a fantastic area. I mean, it has a Super Target about 1.5 miles from our house....what more do I need? :) Seriously though, there are more restaurants and shops than we will visit. It is in the best school district and close to the interstate as well. Did I already say that my sweet husband did a fantastic job?

*side note* the builder apparently hung the stairwell light fixture above the kitchen table and the big kitchen table fixture in the stairwell. They look silly and are clearly backwards. I hope to get around to having them switched sometime soon. :)

I hope this post will tide those of you who are anxious to see and hear about it, over until I can take photos of my own once everything is in a place. And thanks to you all who were praying for us to find a house and get moved safely. Love u all!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T10:24:00.002-06:00

We want to wish you all a happy and blessed 2011 and thank you for keeping up with our family here at Bits and Pieces. Hopefully soon (maybe after the move is over) we will get around to our annual year-end post. We hope 2011 is off to a great start for all of you!!

Love,

Brady and Ashley

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T12:39:00.006-06:00

As I mentioned earlier, we had a lovely white Christmas here in St. Louis. I took this photo of our back door sign on Christmas Eve.

We baked some chocolate chip cookies for Santa...And since we were out of carrots, we put out some apples and pretzels for the reindeer...

Before Santa came....After Santa came....

Christmas morning, the kids waited for a minute at the top of the stairs while I grabbed the camera and the flip video. Definitely wanted to document their sweet faces as they came down to see their gifts.

Cash was a tad young to get into all the excitement. He did love his new toys though. He was so exhausted all morning and I think that was the main reason he was so chill about it all. The big kids woke him up at 8 when they got up and he never wakes before 9 or 10.

Brady must have taken this picture 4 or 5 times and Cash would not look at the camera. We gave up! Avery Jane with her Pinkalicious doll and Luke with his new Star Wars Wii game.

Cash enjoyed his new Crayola Color Wonder book and markers...

We all had a wonderful Christmas...our first and last here in St. Louis. We hope you had a great Christmas too!!

A white Christmas!

2010-12-24T18:22:00.008-06:00

We were pretty much over our last snow after 2 days of it, but it was so neat to have some more for Christmas!

We took a long family walk in it tonight and it was just lovely! We had snow ball fights, built snowmen and had so much fun!

This tree is right in front of our neighborhood town hall. I thought it looked so pretty:

All is calm....

One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants.... The lights were synchronized to Christmas music that was playing on their outdoor speakers.

If you missed our earlier post today, scroll down. Merry Christmas y'all!!

The Friday Funnies on Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T10:05:00.005-06:00

AJ: (sounding very distressed) Cashey won't share!
Me: I know, I'm sorry. He's still learning. We have to teach him about sharing.
AJ: WELL, he has a lot to learn!!!

Avery Jane was talking to Luke and his friend Tommy...
AJ: Let me tell you.....My brain is smart!!

During the Titans game last week, AJ was dancing around in her cheerleading costume.
AJ: Look, Mom! I know a real, LIVE, cheerleader dance!

On another note, it looks like we will have a white Christmas! And speaking of Christmas, my best gift so far is this quiet morning I've been given. SUCH a treat!! Brady took the kids to run some last minute Christmas errands and to get some breakfast. I almost forgot what a perfectly quiet house feels like. Strange, but nice I must say. I have a to-do list a mile long, but instead I'm opting for a little internet surfing while the Christmas music plays and my favorite Christmas candle burns. Lovely Christmas Eve morning! It really IS the little things that make me happy.

Merry CHRISTmas Eve to all of you!!

Baby #4

2010-12-20T15:20:00.003-06:00

I was just reading this fantastic blog post when I realized there have been no pictures of baby number 4 shared on our blog. I don't even know if I've mentioned that I'm pregnant here on the blog, although most, if not all of you do know. :)

So, without further ado, meet "baby #4".....

And here is proof that he/she DOES in fact reside in my body....
And for the record, here is a little more info about this pregnancy:
- I do not know the sex of this baby. Brady does, and he now regrets finding out. He is sworn to secrecy though.
- I am 30 weeks today. 10 weeks or less before we get to meet this precious angel. I've had this gut feeling from the very beginning that this one is coming early. Cash was exactly 7 days early at 39 weeks. I'm feeling like that will happen again, maybe even earlier. I most definitely need every bit of the next 7+ weeks with all that we have going on.
- This pregnancy, like all the others has been a blessed one. I have not had any problems in the least and for that I am thankful.
- I am planning another VBAC and am praying for God to guide me to just the right doctor once we arrive in KS. My Dr. here in STL is wonderful, and I hate leaving him. BUT, I had the best doctor ever in Franklin and I knew I'd never find another one as great...and I did. So, I'm trusting God for that!
That's all I can think of to update you on, other than to say that Brady and I are already so in love with this little guy or gal. Luke and Avery Jane are getting pretty excited too, especially our mother hen, AJ. She kisses my belly all the time and talks about the baby a lot. Cash obviously doesn't understand it but has been known to pull my shirt up and say "baby!".

I hope to update on the pregnancy a bit more as we near the very end.

Saint Louis Snow!

2010-12-12T11:41:00.010-06:00

We awoke to a good amount of snow this morning and the kids were beyond excited, especially Avery Jane. I adore her enthusiasm. She ran out of her bedroom this morning saying, "Thank you, God! Thank you, God, for the snow! Thank you, God-y!!"

We spent most of the morning playing out in it before we came in for hot chocolate and later delicious soups and grilled cheeses. To top it off, the Lions won and all that added up to one really fun day here! We were glad the kids were able to experience snow here in Saint Louis before we move in a few weeks.

Enjoy the photos, which are mostly of Cash since the big kids were off playing with friends most of the time.

Cash was a little upset that the "fishies" were gone. He loves going to this pond to watch them.

Pure delight.

Um, I think this girl is a little bit photogenic.

Her big brother too.

Luke and his bff, Tommy. These 2 are going to miss each other so much after we move. :(

Big yawn!

He wanted us to follow him to the playground. He kept saying "play".

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

2010-12-08T15:35:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, Brady tossed a little soccer ball at Luke which hit him in the mouth and knocked out that other front tooth. No tears, just laughter and complete shock from all of us when he spit it out. :)

This photo was taken with a phone right after it happened:

The Friday Funnies

2010-12-03T12:02:00.000-06:00

Avery Jane was working on this magnetic United States play mat one morning this week. When she went to put on Wisconsin she said "We call this state Wisconsin b/c they make wiss cheese there. You get it, Mom? WISconsin.....WISS cheese."

Me: You mean Swiss Cheese?
AJ: (smiles) Oh yeah!

Who says moving can't be fun?

2010-12-01T12:21:00.005-06:00

For the kids, anyway! :) While we've been working our booties off organizing and packing, the kids have had such fun making forts, popping bubble wrap and taking rides around the house in Rubbermaid tubs! For those who don't know, we will be moving again shortly after Christmas. And yes, we just moved here to Saint Louis 6 months ago. This time we are headed to Wichita, KS, thanks to a job offer we just couldn't pass up.

And while I'm working away, this little guy is also known to help himself to "nacks". Today he got into a bag of freeze dried strawberries, one of his favorite "nacks".

This is actually how I first discovered this messy faced boy.....After he finished off the strawberries, he dragged a chair over and was trying to reach the pretzels or "da doos" as he calls them. Can't you tell how proud he is of himself? How could I possibly get mad at that sweet face?

Avery Jane and I spent the latter part of the morning working on these fun sticky mosaics that her sweet brother Luke gave her for her birthday a couple of months ago. We all love crafts and it is one of my favorite things to do with this girl. :)

Productive and fun day so far! Hope you all are enjoying YOUR day as well.

The Friday Funnies

2010-11-26T16:08:00.004-06:00

Yesterday....

Brady: Go look out the window, guys!
Me: Snow flurries!
Luke: Looks like hell!! (hail)
Avery Jane: Yeah, little pieces of hell (hail) are falling!!

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

The Friday Funnies

2010-11-19T16:08:00.002-06:00

The Friday Funnies are back. This week anyway. AND, this is the second post today. I'm on a roll. :)

Me: What would you think if we moved?
Avery Jane: I love moving. I'd get to go in Utah.
Me: Huh? What's in Utah?
Avery Jane: Mooooom! It's a kind of truck. (She meant UHAUL) :)

More Franklin

2010-11-18T12:41:00.011-06:00

And a few more photos from our visit....

Snack break on a shopping trip to Target

Ping pong with Nana

On the way home from the game

Daddy and Avery Jane carved a "punkin" (as Cash calls it) together

She was really into it!

Silly girl

Hanging out with 2 of my very tired kids after a full day of fun!

Watching football with Coach. They were both so happy.

Birthday girl

Cash likes the keyboard. And could I possibly have two "lefty" boys? Three if you count Brady.

Winding down with a movie before bed.

Playing with his favorite "toy", his mini NFL and college helmets. He is JUST like his brother in this regard.

He loves to spin them.

Having such a fun time in the bath. Think we added enough bubbles?

Pumpkinfest

2010-11-15T09:42:00.008-06:00

Ok, so I'm back to updating on some of the fun stuff we did while in Franklin recently. We always look forward to the festivals in DTF every year, including Pumpkinfest. Here are some photos from our visit to this year's festival.

Birthday lunch

2010-11-12T12:04:00.006-06:00

So, The Friday Funnies posts are more or less the only thing keeping this blog alive as of late. I apologize for our absence and hope to update on some of what you may have missed with us. We recently spent a little over a week in Franklin so I'll start with some of the fun stuff we did while we were there.

Our precious girl happened to turn 5 while we were there and we spent the entire week celebrating her. Here are some photos from one of her birthday meal celebrations at J Alexander's....one of her very favorite restaurants.

Danno was hanging AJ upside down over her cake. As you can see, she thought it was so fun.

We ditched her hand me down nano for an ipod touch until it was lost on a recent trip. She was so thrilled to get this pink shuffle and have her music back. Seeing how it is much smaller than the first two, here's to hoping this one doesn't get lost too!

Long time, no blog.

2010-11-10T12:21:00.002-06:00

We're here, alive and well. Just a week ago it felt like all was falling apart around here. Turned out to be one of the worst weeks of our lives. It was one of those times where disaster after disaster came, disappointment after disappointment. We felt like we couldn't catch our breath from all the chaos and stress.
Among other things, we had a huge plumbing disaster in the middle of the night, which wasn't discovered until morning. We awoke to a completely flooded main floor, which was pouring through the ceilings into the basement garage and playroom. The main floor which is all hardwood is going to have to be replaced, basement carpets probably will too and we aren't yet sure about drywall. The kids lost lots of their book collection, some toys, we lost Christmas decor, a mattress and other random things.
At first thought, it's not a week I think I want to remember...but on second thought, yes, I do. As painful and difficult and unpleasant as the week was, it undoubtedly made us stronger, closer as a family and definitely strengthened our faith. We are blessed to have friends and family who lifted us up in prayer and encouraged us with their words. We had texts, phone calls and emails daily from them just checking on us and encouraging us. It meant the world and really helped get us through. Above anything else though, it was our faith in God that sustained us. All I really can say is this- God is good, faithful and merciful (among other things). He showed himself strong to us and we are so grateful. I will never know, thankfully, how those without faith get through this life. How do people get through this crazy life without Jesus? And why would they want to? Day-to-day life can be challenging at times, but in those really trying times I am especially thankful I have Jesus. And prayer is an amazing thing too....it REALLY makes a difference.

Having said all that, we are back on our feet for now. I hope to get caught up on some blog posts today and tomorrow, so check back! Thanks to all of you who have been there for us this past week. We love and appreciate each of you!

The Friday Funnies

2010-10-22T10:48:00.003-05:00

Avery Jane: Mom, come see! I made a tower out of cups. It's the biggest one ever....like one thousand big!!

Luke: Can I have some handsitizer? (hand sanitizer)

The Friday Funnies

2010-10-15T11:34:00.002-05:00

Looking into a freezer door at the grocery store...
Luke: See that cherry ice-cream?
Me: Yes.
Luke: Well, it's making my tummy cry.

Just turned my car on to back out of the garage....
Avery Jane: Mom, your car is telling you to check your blood pressure! (tire pressure) :)

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We have a fun-filled family weekend planned as usual, but we are SO sad to be missing Civil War Days in Franklin. Someone please go and enjoy it for us! :)

The Friday Funnies

2010-10-08T08:52:00.006-05:00

Brady and Avery Jane made a run to Walgreen's for some printer ink.
AJ: Oh Dad! I really want some new silly bandz! (for those who do not know, silly bandz are to this generation what slap bracelets were for us!)
Brady: Okay. (sucker!)
AJ: Ah oh, it says 5+ on the package.
B: It's okay, you'll be 5 in a few weeks.
AJ:I'll just stand on my tippy toes and the girl will think I'm 5! (Apparently she thinks the cashier will deny her the purchase if she thinks she is "under age"!)
She then proceeded to walk up the the check out line on her tippy toes and stood there on her toes the entire time they were being checked out.
* Stinkin' cute!*

Luke has been learning about the solar system as part of his science lesson. As he learned about the sun and moon, we talked about how Jesus is the light of the world. Like the moon reflects the sun, we too should reflect the light of Jesus.
Me: How can we be a light to others without saying a word?
Luke: We could bring dinner to someone who is sick. And of course a healthy one! NOT junk food like what bad guys eat.
*Ha! Can you tell he's into super heroes? "bad guys". : D

A little Thursday morning entertainment...

2010-10-07T09:10:00.006-05:00

Having 3 kids means constant entertainment at our house, although both of these kids are quite entertaining on their own. Here they've joined forces for a song and dance performance (which Brady got a brief clip of). I think it is so funny how when Cash moves and Brady pans the camera over to follow him, Avery Jane is quick to jump back in the frame. This girl apparently doesn't want to miss a minute of fame! :)

Fall Photo Shoot

2010-09-30T08:42:00.004-05:00

This one captures Avery Jane so well...My carefree girl...

Quite possibly the sweetest boy on earth...

I can hear the giggles...

Lost his balloon...

Such a happy girl...

Photos by Sarah b. Gilliam Photography. Sarah has been shooting us for a while and we adore her. Thanks for the precious photos, my friend!

The Friday Funnies

2010-09-24T12:37:00.002-05:00

I overheard this while the kids were playing in the play room together...
Avery Jane: If you want me to be more nice to you, then you need to help me clean up my toys.

At the playground...
Luke: Avery, do you want to play in my secret fort with me?
AJ: Sure!
Luke: Well, there is just one condition....I'm in charge!
AJ: Well, then no thanks!

Goodbye summer

2010-09-23T12:35:00.007-05:00

So, yesterday was the last day of summer. It was a great one, but no tears here! The summers are long in TN and apparently here in Saint Louis, MO too. We are definitely ready for all the sights and smells of Fall.

Some snapshots of our summer:

Hanging with friends...

Football of course...Sweet brothers (who share a love of the sport) watching a game together...

Our first Cardinals game...

Lots of playground time....

Luke spends many hours building planes and guns with his Lego duplo blocks...

First family fishing trip...

A stop at BWW (thanks to a pregnancy craving) on the way back to St. Lou from Nashville. It was Luke's first wings...

Feeding the fish at Nana and Coach's house, a favorite for all 3 kids...

Pool time...

Our first time at our neighborhood pool...

Loving the lazy river there...

Playing with frogs there....

Cold treat on a hot afternoon....

More pool, this time with cousins we rarely get to see....

Cash spinning the ~~football~~, I mean silly putty (for like 20 minutes straight)!...

Lots of R&R....

Just being cute...

Losing a 4 legged friend and member of the fam :(.....

Visiting friends back home...

Yes, we love the pool...

A trip to Ft. Benning GA to see my little brother graduate Army boot camp (a highlight of the summer for me!)....

Did I already say we love the pool? I'm surprised these 2 didn't grow fins during all the hours they spent in the water this summer....

And what says summer more than fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade?!?

It's Fall Soccer Season

2010-09-20T15:31:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, Luke just started Fall soccer here in St. Louis. This is his second season playing and he is so excited. This kid eats, sleeps and breathes sports of any kind and craves competition. Soccer is ridiculously competitive here in Saint Lou. Brady and I both agreed that we don't want our kids getting into the super competitive sports until they are MUCH older. Luke is 6, it should just be about having fun right now. For this reason, we enrolled him in the YMCA league which fits us perfectly. We've been very pleased with it thus far. This season is slightly different than his Spring season in that they now keep score, have an official or ref, and also goalies. Last season was really just about learning the rules. He is really excited to be playing in a league that keeps score since he is all about the competition. :)

A few pics from his second practice...
Sissy watching from the sidelines...

Love how he always sticks his tongue out when he is concentrating....

Being a spectator is exhausting and requires water breaks :).....FIRST GAME DAY......

Avery Jane and Luke played on the same soccer team in the Spring but this time she opted to skip it. She really wasn't into soccer and is looking forward to starting back to dance soon. She is always happy to cheer on her brother at his games though! Loving, sweet girl she is indeed!

Perfect Saturday

2010-09-20T11:07:00.005-05:00

Luke's first soccer game (blog post coming soon) of the Fall season (first here in STL and 2nd season ever)+ watching some college football with Brady+ kayaking for the first time and finishing the night off with a dinner date after the kids were in bed= PERFECT SATURDAY!

Luke had been wanting a kayak for a while and had been eying this 2-person inflatable one. He asked for gift cards for his birthday and used them to buy it! I was beyond thrilled to have him purchase something that wouldn't end up on the playroom floor, something that would keep him active and outdoors and of course something we can ALL enjoy! Saturday, we took it out to the lake in our subdivision for the first time.

Cash loved watching Daddy and Luke kayak from the bridge.

Cash loved laying back and watching all the "birdies" and airplanes fly overhead.

Since Luke and Brady took it out first, AJ and Cash played on this hill nearby while they awaited their turn.
After kayaking, we layed in the grass at the bottom of the hill and watched the kids play and wear themselves out. We were all SO tired and sweaty.Not too tired for a little silliness though!

And as we headed back to our house (only a few streets over), our red-faced children hung their heads out the windows for some fresh air and giggled.....

In case you can't tell by these photos, life is good for these Washburns!

The Friday Funnies

2010-09-17T13:33:00.002-05:00

Parading around in one of her new outfits from her Chicago birthday trip...
Avery Jane: I'm SO into fashion! My whole family is- well, except my brothers! *rolls eyes*

Luke and Brady were getting ready to play a Star Wars board game together...
Luke: Here are the constructions, Dad.

Yesterday's post is the beginning of some catching up posts, so check back later this weekend! Have a great weekend, y'all!

Cash's first "real" haircut

2010-09-16T13:52:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Brady and I took Cash to get his first real haircut. And by real, I mean professional. I had been keeping it somewhat trimmed by chasing him around the house with the scissors. I got tired of that pretty quickly and I'm glad I did b/c he looks so darn cute with his new cut!

Since he never would sit still for me to cut it, I wasn't sure how he'd do for someone else. Turns out, a lot better! Imagine that! :) He sat the in chair and was fine until she tried to put the smock on him and he did NOT like it. I told her it was fine to cover him in hair since the salon is only a couple streets over from our house. He needed a bath anyway!
I gave him a sucker to help him keep still and decided with that to preoccupy him, we could try the smock again. It worked!

I thought his little foot sticking out was so cute...The handsome guy with his new do...
*And a side note* This visit was after my camera drowned in the pool, so all the photos are from my phone. Thank goodness for camera phones!

The Friday Funnies

2010-09-03T13:45:00.003-05:00

Avery Jane is such a loving little girl. She adores her baby brother and loves baby talking to him and kissing all over him. She had Brady and I quietly laughing during a car ride the other day as she was tickling him and baby talking him. I was able to sneak a little video clip too. :) In true southern fashion, she takes one syllable words and turns them into 2 and 3 syllables. :)

And before you click on the video, I'll go ahead and translate for you. She is saying, "I'm gonna get it!".

Bits and Pieces From Our Happy Family

Happiness

The Friday Funnies, Vintage Edition

Sentimental

The Friday Funnies

Our Year in Review

The Friday Funnies

Happy Blogiversary

Happy New Year

The Friday Funnies

Merry Christmas

The Friday Funnies

A little food for thought

Noah, Catching up

Avery Jane, the model

Halloween 2011

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

Applejack Pumpkin Farm

The Friday Funnies

Updates coming soon

The Friday Funnies

Avery Jane's Closet Resale

The Friday Funnies

Oh, just a quick $120

First week of school

The Friday Funnies- TMI edition

The Friday Funnies

***BREAKING NEWS***

Wise beyond his years..

The Friday Funnies

Noah, 4 months

Long overdue update

Noah, 3 months

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

Noah, 2 months

A Royal Wedding Watching Party

Noah- Newborn photos

The Friday Funnies

Prayer Request

Exploration Place

The Friday Funnies

A little of this and that

Noah- 1 month

First trip to the Wichita zoo

The Friday Funnies

Sand Hills State Park

The Friday Funnies

He's here!

The Friday Funnies- Pregnancy Edition

Labor Updates

Message from God

Waiting

A Picture Photographer

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

35 weeks

Moving update

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010

A white Christmas!

The Friday Funnies on Christmas Eve

Baby #4

Saint Louis Snow!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

The Friday Funnies

Who says moving can't be fun?

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

More Franklin

Pumpkinfest

Birthday lunch

Long time, no blog.

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

The Friday Funnies

BREAKING NEWS