Fiiiiiinally getting some pictures up of our new family member. I've been so super busy with being a new mom-of-4 I've hardly spent time on the computer. Also, I've found that facebook is so much faster and easier to update that I don't want to take the time to blog. Anyhow....heres for all those who don't facebook.:)

Crew Frank Patterson was born Oct. 13th. Weighing 8# 3 oz. At his 2 week follow-up appointment he had already gained a bunch- weighing 9# 12oz. He likes to eat!!!!

On Oct 13th, I started having regular contractions at about 2 oclock that afternoon. They weren't too strong, but were consistently 3-4 minutes apart. By 5 oclock they were getting much stronger so we packed up our kids to take to our friends' house for the night. I wanted to labor awhile away from the hospital as much as possible so we drove through Jimmy Johns and grabbed a sandwich (don't make fun, I know how they like to starve ya at the hospital) then I wanted to walk around for awhile to really get labor going so we went into Menards that was near-by (again, don't make fun. I needed somewhere to walk and I thought it'd get my mind off the pain). By 6:30 my contractions were pretty intense so we went to the hospital. We got there about 6:45 and I was dialated to a 6 already. Whoohoo!! I was planning on delivering with no medication so I was super excited that I was already that far into it. The whole labor process went really smooth and I was so proud of myself for doing it natural. Crew was born less than an hour after getting to the hospital!

yes, it's taken me a while to get to the drawing. so sorry...

So I'm doing two drawings. And they go to Amber and Jesse (I put my facebook guessers in on the drawing too).
Amber, I need to get your mailing address so please email it to me at kamipatters@yahoo.com. And Jess, I'm sure your address is the same P.O. box #?
I'm still not sure what I'm going to make and send to you guys. I think I'm just gonna leave it a surprise :) Amber, what size is your daughter?
Thanks!

It's a boy!

We're so excited to announce that we're having a boy. All three of the kids were hoping for him. I leave for New York tonight so I'll get to the drawing/winner when I return. HAve a fabulous weekend cause I know I will :-)

what'll it be?

We have our untrasound on wednesday....tell me what you think it'll be? What kind of vibes are ya getting? I know what I'm feeling, but I'm not gonna say. All those that guess right will go into a drawing for something fun that I've been in the mood to sew (maybe a minkee, skirt for your girl, baby burp cloths...i don't know...something). I can't wait for wednesday or in mommy language..."two more sleeps!"
I read this quote off of a blog today. I didn't know tears could swell up in my eyes so quickly.
"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back."
~William D. Tammeus

Update

FINALLY!!! An update!!! I can't believe how horrible I've been about blogging. Not being able to find the camera cord that connects it to the computer is the main reason, but still. Also, I've been cutting back on my computer time. I can't stand how I'd jump on the computer after the kids had gone to bed, I'd start browsing at all my "DIY" project and sewing blogs and before I'd know it 2 hours had past by and I still had dinner dishes and pick-up left to do around the house before I could head to bed myself. Anyways, yes, less computer time for me. It's good for all of us, isn't it?

My beautiful Livi. We took this picture to show off her cute new hair-cut. You can't see it well, but it looks adorable on her. It's short in back and stacked and oh-so cute. She gets lots of compliments. I even got a new hair client while I was garage sale-ing becuase of it. This cute little old lady wants her hair just like Liv's. :-)

Here's Jace and Liv finishing up their swimming lessons they had through the winter. They both loved it and have gotten so much braver in the water. And I can't go without mentioning how proud we are for our little Maeli being totally potty trained- even at night. We couldn't believe how fast she did it. It only took about a day, maybe two. GOOD JOB MAELI!

Jace turned 6! in february. We had a Monster themed birthday party for him with lots of friends and games. Do the cupcakes look like monsters? :)

AND! I'll be sportin' one of these again this summer. I'm due mid-October. Bring on baby #4!!!

Last Couple of Months

We got our first and last fall of snow about the middle of october. We got like 5 inches all at once, it melted within a day and half and we havn't seen any since.

Too cute, i can't handle it!

kids had so much fun carving this year

Maeli's borrowed and much-to-small monkey costume.

Liv couldn't make up her mind as to what she wanted to be. We had about 4 or 5 different halloween events so she kept switching up her costume. She wore something different to every one i swear.

ooooooh, scary

Face paint was HUGE in our housefold this halloween. After i turned them tiger and butterfly, they each got to paint half of my face.

Jace at his school parade holding hands with his teacher. Loooooove her!

We're trying, aren't we Maeli girl.

My poser

Jace "helping" dad put up the christmas lights. We put them up three weeks before thanksgiving. Too early!? I think not.

This wig was part of my after Halloween sale shopping spree. I think this wig was something like a $1.50. I remember when I was little dreaming of having super long hair, but i had only a towel to use as props. :-)

Look at my growing baby. She's sporting the matching skirt I made for her and Liv.

Last Sunday Livi had her first talk in Primary. The theme was "How to prepare to become a mother". So Liv got out her trusty notebook and pen and wrote down what she wanted to talk about. She came up with all the ideas, she just asked how to spell it. She has down: helping babies, clean bathroom, groceries, making food, and when you lose a toy get a new one. She did so good. She talked loud and clear and it was adorable.

Last night Livi and I and her friends Kylee and Elli and their moms (my good friends) went to the play of Annie. The girls were so excited and it was fun to experience it with them. They felt pretty special.

Daddy Warbucks

Annie herself! I had curled Liv's hair for the show and after seeing Annie she kept saying "my hair looks just like Annie's, doesn't it mom?!"

Aniversario numero siete

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband! 7 years today! I love you so much Frankie.

Thinking of Having Kids?

A friend emailed this to me (thanks, sheri, i laughed so hard at this) and I thought it was so hilarious! My favorite part is taking goats to the grocery store in comparing taking a few kids- so true!

Thinking of Having Kids?
Do this 15 step program first!

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already
are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5.Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breast-feeding;
sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all
the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighingapproximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
3. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to
sleep.
4. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until
1AM.
5. Set the alarm for 3AM.
6. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and
watch an infomercial.
7. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
8. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
9. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
10. Get up. Make breakfast.

Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years.

Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2.Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all
summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons.

How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy a live octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang
out.

Time allowed for this - 5 minutes each morning.

Lesson 6
1. Take an egg carton.
Using a pair of scissors and a jar of paint, turn it into an alligator.
2. Now take the tube from a roll of toilet paper.
Using only Scotch tape and a piece of aluminum foil, turn it into an attractive Christmas candle.
3. Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty packet of
Cocoa Puffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Lesson 7
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van.
And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining.
Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies.
Mash them into the back seat.
4. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 8
1. Get ready to go out.
2. Sit on the floor of your bathroom reading picture books for half an hour.
3. Go out the front door.
4. Come in again. Go out.
5. Come back in.
6. Go out again.
7. Walk down the front path.
8. Walk back up it.
9. Walk down it again.
10. Walk very slowly down the sidewalk for five minutes.
11.Stop, inspect minutely, and ask at least 6 questions about every
cigarette butt, piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue, and dead insect
along the way.
12. Retrace your steps.
13. Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbors
come out and stare at you.
14. Give up and go back into the house.

You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.

Lesson 9
Repeat everything you have learned at least (if not more than) five times.

Lesson 10
Go to the local grocery store.

Take with you the closest thing you can find to a preschool child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice).

If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one
goat.

Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 11
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4.Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the
swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 12
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, Barney, Disney, the
Teletubbies, and Pokemon.

Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years.
I know, you're thinking Whats 'Noggin'? Exactly the point.

Lesson 13
Find or make a compost pile.

Dig down about halfway and stick your nose in it. Do this 3-5 times a day for at least two years.

Lesson 14
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly.

(Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required).

Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years.

You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 15
Start talking to an adult of your choice.

Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 14 above.

You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all
worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have
kids. I guarantee they'll l get a chuckle out of it.


Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!


Pain nourishes courage.


You can't be brave if you have only had wonderful things happen to you.

Minkee's anyone?!

I found out a couple of months ago that Ty Co. is doing away with the Pluffies collection (all the animals that I love making my Minkee's with). I am soooooooo bummed. They are coming out with a NEW pluffies collection but the animals will be a few dollars more. *this is me pouting!*
Anyways, I've been searching high and low all over Omaha and in the last two months havn't found a single store that has any of my Pluffies left, until yesterday! The floral dept at my grocery store had a bunch still in stock.YEAH! So in lou of the holidays coming up I wanted to have a sale. My Minkee's are originally $20 each (plus the cost of shipping) but right now I'm doing Buy 2 minkee's get the 3rd free! So it'd be 3 Minkee's for $40 (plus shipping). Leave me a comment with your order or email me at kamipatters(at)yahoo.com. Spread the word! Go here if you havn't seen my Minkee's before.

Options of the animals are limited so this is what you have to choose from:

(I have red minkee for the dalmation, purple for the hippo, and pink and blue for the others)