The Broken Arm: Take Two

After I had Anna, Grady was bummed because he didn't get to go to school early like he had with me all year. He loved to play with the other teachers' kids before school in the gym while I got ready for the day of teaching. While on maternity leave, I dropped him at the same time as all the other kids. Every once in awhile I would take him early and my teammate, Calae, would let him in through her door so he could play with his buddies. On this day, April 11, to be exact... when this baby was 3 weeks old.... 

I dropped him off and headed back to my mom and dad's house because Anna was screaming her head off (as she did everyday) while taking him to to school. There and back. 25 minutes or so of losing. her. mind. As I pulled into the driveway my phone rang and it said Ryan Elem. I answered and it was the principal. She said Grady fell off some mats in the gym and was pretty shaken up, wouldn't stop crying and they were worried about his arm. I turned around and went back. Upon seeing him and how he was acting, I knew it was broken. We could hardly get him to walk to the car. He sat in the front seat because he could not climb in the back of the mini van. I called the doctor and then sent us straight to x-rays. I pushed him in Anna's stroller because he wouldn't walk and carried Anna's carseat. We were a sight. Don't mind the fact he was bawling the whole time. The x-ray tech was awful and tried to grab him by the arm to get him out of the stroller. I about had to punch her. He screamed. I felt rage. Ugh. Anna cried. It was fun. She took the x-ray of his elbow and sent us up to the doctor. Not broken. I said the way he is acting, I know it is broken. I told the doctor, I thought it was up higher. We went back down to radiology. He could hardly walk and said he was dizzy. Anna was crying. I texted Kris. No response. He was teaching. I said he had to come. It was not going well. Same x-ray tech. I went behind the wall with Anna and by the screen that the x-ray pops up on. I saw this....

...and nearly puked. No wonder he about passed out. The x-ray tech was shocked. I'm not sure she believed it was broken and thought he was being a baby, or that I was babying him. hmmmm. They sent us home with a sling and told us to give him Tylenol. Needless to say, the next three days were pretty awful. Then, we went to the orthopedist. He was in better spirits by now. We got some harder drugs that helped a ton. He got a soft cast and a splint. It was up too high for a real cast. 

He was totally into soccer this spring and was a goal scoring machine. Until the broken arm:(

He had had to miss the first month of baseball. Two practices a week and a game. It nearly killed him. And Dad was the coach! ugh! So he read, played with the Rubick's cube, and the number puzzle game instead. Thank goodness for the Rubick's cube. We may not have survived the broken arm without it. 

Field day with a broken arm. 

His teacher texted and asked if there was anything he wasn't allowed to do. I said the three legged race and the 40 yard dash, ha!

Cubs and Rockies with Dad and Grandpa. Still broken.

End of year awards. Grady got an Academic Achievement award for first grade. Still broken. 

He was also one of two kids in first grade to get an Art Award from the art teacher. 

Anna was happy with a mom of a former student, while I snapped some pictures of G on stage. 

Last day, still broken. 

Lost two teeth, still broken. 

We went on June 5, about 12 weeks after he fell, and he got the all clear. Although he had been playing baseball for a few weeks prior. We couldn't stop him any longer. He said, and I quote, "This is the best day of my life." 

I believe it, buddy. I believe it. 

Life These Days....posted a month after it was written, which sums up Life These Days

Anna Joy is almost 8 weeks old and we are adjusting to life with 4 kiddies. We are still in Grandma and Grandpa's house and our new house is supposed to be done at the end of May. There are 6 of us in between two bedrooms in the basement. We are doing ok considering we don't have our own space, and are so thankful for selfless parents who are helping out in all areas of our chaos. I think going from 3 to 4 kids was easier than 1 to 2 and 2 to 3.... mostly because our current living situation has a 1:1 ratio of adults to children. I remember both Grady and Lainey kind of lost it when the new babies came (Laine and Ava), but Ava seems to be doing just fine with Anna coming mostly because she and Grandma have a pretty special thing going and Grandma gives her all the love and attention that I can't when I'm with Anna. Grandpa and Grady hang out a lot and Laine has been adopted into the Carlucci family as the middle daughter and has made it clear she would be just fine with that really being the case;) Ha! Here are a few more specific details about each kiddo at this point in time....

(these pics are from Anna's newborn photo session from Kris' cell phone)

Grady is now 7 and 3 months. Three things about him right now.....

One: He loves his new little sis. When he found out the baby was a girl, he cried and was quite upset. But upon meeting her and holding her, he changed his tune. He asks to hold her once in awhile, and does so for about 45 seconds and then is done. (There are balls to be thrown or running to do). He talks to her and kisses her and tells her she is so cute all the time. It's pretty sweet. We cannot say he treats the other two the same. 

Two: He broke his arm. He fell off some mats in the gym at school and broke his humerus bone pretty badly. It was an awful day and an awful few weeks following. What does a kid who never stops moving do when he has to sit still and can't move at all?!?! And what does a mom who just had a baby 3 weeks ago do to entertain this child?! Good times... 

We are now 5 weeks in to the broken arm and things are looking up. He missed the rest of soccer season and is missing the first few weeks of baseball, but should be off the DL by June. (We HOPE). 

Three: He is a good little reader and student. He tested at a third grade reading level at the end of first grade and is reading lots of pretty cool books. He loves history, geography and sports so he checks out lots of those kinds of books from the library and has picked some out at the book store to add to his collection. He loves Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr, Roberto Clemente and many more people who had a big impact in our world. It is pretty cool to see him grow up and become a little human with his own interests and passions. 

Three point Five: He is obsessed (OBSESSED) with Rubics cubes. He has one in his hand at all times and has solved the 2 by 2 a couple times. He can get one side of the 3 by 3 with his own formula and wants to show you how he does it. He has tried to explain it to all the adults in the house, and no one gets it like he does!

Laine 5 and a half:

One: Laine is a very, very good big sister to our new addition just like I knew she would be. She loves to hold Anna and burp her just like a mama. She sings to her and lays by her on the floor. She likes to stay home if Anna stays home and go if Anna goes. She is just the perfect age for a baby to come into our family. I am so excited to see what their relationship will be like as they get older. 

Two: She loved karate. Tatum wanted to do karate for a long time, so Auntie Ash signed her girls up and Laine too. They all went for a month and got to try it out. It was pretty hilarious to watch. She learned lots of moves and even came home and made her bed so she could earn her uniform. She would unbuckle Ava in the car and announce that she was using self discipline. She stated that that means doing stuff by yourself and without being told. I heart you karate. Kris and I may have said that we have the wrong child in karate. hehe. 

Three: Laine is in love with her cousins and Auntie Ash. She spends tons of time with them and fits smack dab in the middle of Isla and Taters. She can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the busyness of our house and I am so grateful for the relationship that she has with her Auntie and cousins. It is quite special. 

Ava 3 years 2 months:

One: Ava is very into learning right now. She loves letters and always asks what letters words start with. Or she tells you what letters things begin with. We had watermelon the other night and she announced that watermelon starts with W!!!! Loudly and proudly. She sings her ABCs and writes a few letters. Mostly H, which she says is for Great Grandma Helen! She can find an A anywhere. She loves her shapes and locates them around the house or when we are out and about. 

Two: Ava is observant and makes connections about things all the time. We drove by Wendy's today and Ava saw the red headed Wendy and said that that was Kate from Dora and Friends. (Which totally true). Grandma was talking to Great Grandma Helen the other night on the phone and Ava walked in and said, "Let me talk to your mom." Then while talking to GG Helen, pointed to Grandma and said, "This is your daughter." Weird things to put together when you are just 3:) 

Three: She is a ham. She loves to be the center of attention and often makes Grandma say, "Ladies and Gentlemen presenting AVA!!!" then she runs into the room and sings a song from Trolls, Sing, Frozen or Zootopia. She knows all the words and sings them in her funny little way while spinning in circles. She likes to make people laugh and has a sense of humor more than I ever remember the others having. She is full of joy and laughs all the time. She is into being a superhero and calls everyone supermom, supergrandma, superdad, supersister and so on... then she says things like, "Let's go save the world!!!" 

Anna 8 weeks:

One: Anna is a snacker. She likes to eat off and on all day and never really finish eating. She is not really on a schedule at all and just eat and sleep when you like. She might be starting to be up for a couple hours and then sleeping, but it is hard to say.... since I really never look at the clock like I should. 

Two: Anna started off a bit fussy, but seems to be coming out of that now that she is almost 8 weeks. In the beginning, she got very upset and little things and would scream everytime we were in the car for the entire car ride. So much so that her whole body would be red and she would be sweating. It stressed your momma out. I really had a panic attack one day in the car that I left her on the sidewalk because the car was quiet and it had NEVER been quiet with her in it, I had to look back and make sure her seat was there. 

Three: There may have never been a little girl so loved by all her bigger siblings and cousins. She is constantly held and kissed and hugged and snuggled. Which is why she has had a snotty nose since she was two weeks old. ;)

Welcome to the World Anna Joy!

Anna Joy arrived on March 18, 2017. Her c-section was scheduled for 3/22, but on Saturday night, after taking Grady to a bday party at Jump City, my water broke around 6:30. Grandma and Grandpa came and got the big kids for the night and we headed to the hospital. They moved pretty quickly from there since I was in labor and didn't want baby to come on it's own. They took us back about 8:45 and Anna Joy arrived 9:25(I really can't remember the exact time, but will look it up eventually;)) We didn't know if baby was a boy or girl, but some things kind of made us think boy, as they were wheeling me back, Kris said let's do Clay for a boy (we thought Clayton the whole time). I agreed and then giggled it was going to be a girl. We'd soon find out. 

Grady (7 years- 1month, Ava a week away from 3, Lainey 5 and a half (almost exactly!))

This is the day you were born. Grady had a soccer game that morning and a birthday party that afternoon. You came that night!!

Just waiting....

Out you came. GIRL!!! I was surprised and excited and nervous. THREE girls. 

Daddy cutting the cord for the 4th and final time!

Our first picture with you, Anna Joy!

You weighed the most of all the babies. 7 pounds 7 ounces.  19 inches long.

Auntie Ash was there as soon as we came out of the operating room and hung out with us in the recovery room. 

The next few days, we had lots of visitors!

And from here on the post just has lots of random pics that I want to look at in the future to remember your first few days. In no particular order. 

Auntie Crystal and Uncle Jason

Mimi and Papa

Baby burrito

Every nurse that came in said... you will hold your own as the littlest of 4. You liked to scream your little heart out when they messed with you. 

You weren't great at sucking right away so I fed you through a syringe.

Heading home outfit:)

Sisters

Grandpa got another girl!

Cousins, Isla and Taters.

Don't be fooled, you never liked the pacifier. We tried and tried. No such luck! 0 for 4 on DeCola kids and pacis.

And then there were six....

Headed out to the craziness!!!