Week in Review: Reformation Sunday, Halloween, and Family Photos

Our week was good. We were just busy enough to keep from getting bored but not too busy, so those are the best kinds! :) 

Sunday: We went to church that morning. They told me Alaina had been fussy when I went to check on her between church and Sunday School, so I fed her and rocked her for a little while. After Sunday School, we came home and ate roast for lunch. The kids and I napped that afternoon, and then we got ready to go back to church. Every year on Reformation Sunday, we have a joint Sunday night service with another church, and we take turns hosting each year. This time it was at their church, so we went there. The service was going well, but I got paged. I went to the nursery and Alaina was loosing her mind screaming. I took her, and normally she calms right down when I hold her, but she would NOT stop crying. I tried nursing her, rocking her, walking with her, taking her outside, EVERYTHING that usually makes her happy, but she would NOT calm down. She was absolutely inconsolable, and it kind of started to concern me because she just isn't normally like that. I haven't felt that helpless since those early newborn/colicky days. There was a reception after church, but Alaina was so upset that I thought we were just going to have to go home, but she finally passed out in my arms and slept long enough for us to get some food and visit for a little while. We left when she started to rouse. She fussed in the car on the way home, but she perked right up when we got home. After the way she was screaming at church, I was convinced that her ears had to be infected or something, so I decided to take her to the doctor the next day. David and I got all the kids to bed, and Alaina ended up sleeping through the night like usual.

Monday: David took Aubrey to school, and Jude and Alaina and I got ready to take Alaina to the doctor. When she slept so good and woke up acting normal, I almost didn't take her to the doctor, but after the way she acted the night before, I wanted to have her checked out for my peace of mind. The doctor said she was fine! No ear infection or anything else. I was happy to know that she was ok, but I still don't know why she was screaming like that? Maybe she was just tired and didn't like being in a new environment. Who knows. Anyway, after the doctor, I got Jude some lunch, and then we went to the grocery store. Going to the grocery store with the kids isn't my favorite, but it was necessary that day. We went to pick Aubrey up from school after the grocery store, and then we came home for naps. While the kids slept, I straightened up the house. That evening, I cooked dinner and the kids and I ate. Then we just hung out at home and watched Dancing with the Stars until David got home. We bathed the kids and put them to bed, and I read my Bible Study homework before going to bed.

Tuesday: The kids and I went to Bible Study that morning. My study was good. We talked about older women/younger women mentoring type relationships, and it was a great reminder that we're ALL older and younger women. Sometimes I just think of myself as a younger woman who needs to be mentored, but it was a good reminder that I could be mentoring someone myself. Good stuff to consider. After Bible Study, the kids and I came home and ate lunch. I put them down for naps after lunch, and Alaina didn't nap well. She's at the age where she won't fall asleep just anywhere anymore, so if we're out and she misses that morning nap, the afternoon nap usually isn't good either. When David got home that evening, we got the kids ready, and we went to Primos to have dinner with his parents. It was a lot of fun! The kids were really sweet and cute. Alaina started to have another major meltdown, but we were able to calm her down before it got out of hand. I think she might just get overwhelmed when she's in unfamiliar places when she's tired and there are strangers around. Anyway, we had a fun evening, and we came home for bedtime after we had visited for a while. When the kids were asleep, I got on the internet for a while before bed.

Wednesday: David took Aubrey to school that morning, and I got myself ready while Alaina napped. When she woke up, the little kids and I went shopping. I needed a few things for our family pictures coming up on Saturday, so we ran all over the place. We went to Belk, Old Navy, TJ Maxx, The Loft, Gap, Francesca's, and Kohl's. Whew! Jude and Alaina were troopers, and I fed them both lunch I had packed in the parking lot, and I nursed Alaina in the car, too. Ha! Mom on the go, for sure ;) We picked Aubrey up at 1:30, and I had to take everyone in the school with me since the Herringtons were out of town (we usually take turns going inside and watching each other's babies). It was no big deal, though, and we got home in time for naps. I got a few things done around the house, and then David got home and we went to church. Since it was Halloween, we had a smaller crowd than usual, but it was good. I taught the 1st and 2nd graders, and then we came home. After the kids were in bed, I worked on filling out an application to go volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, but the application was intense and I got overwhelmed and just stopped. Haha! David and I went to bed late.

Thursday: We didn't have any plans that morning, and I was pretty productive. I made and froze several batches of babyfood and did some laundry. I took a shower and fixed the kids lunch. I put them down for naps, and they all slept, but Alaina woke up sooner than I was hoping. I was trying to get ready for tutoring and I was having to get dressed up for a banquet I was going to that night. I cooked some pasta pesto for David and the kids to eat for dinner, and then I tried to find something to wear. I didn't like the outfit I was planning to wear, and then I couldn't find anything else and felt rushed and got stressed out. I finally just put something on and got us out the door. Tutoring was fine, and after it was over we just hung out at church. My mom and I were going to a banquet for the Center for Pregnancy Choices, and David was going to take the kids home after he taught karate. I ran to Stein Mart while David was in karate and my mom watched the kids. When I got back to the church, I fed Alaina and helped David get everyone loaded up. My mom and I went to the banquet and it was really good! There were over 500 people there, and it was encouraging to be in a room with so many people who are pro-life. I've really felt such a burden for the unborn lately, and I've just been wanting to do SOMETHING to help, so it was nice to be at this banquet. After it was over, I came home and David had all the kids in bed. David and I talked for a while before going to bed.

Friday: When we got up that morning, we got ready and then we left. I dropped the girls' off with my mom and then Jude and I went to get haircuts. We went and saw my cousin, Devin, and Jude did great and sat very still for his haircut. I then got my hair cut and my eyebrows waxed. On our way back, Jude and I stopped at a consignment store, and I got a sweet little dress for Alaina. We picked Aubrey and Alaina up from my parents' house and we came home. I fed Jude lunch (Aubrey had already eaten), and then I put them all down for naps. I talked to David on the phone for a while, and I folded and put away a bunch of laundry. When David got home, we got ready and went to eat dinner at 5 Guys. We had a fun dinner and it was nice to just be hanging out together as a family. I love our Friday nights together :) After dinner, we went in Old Navy and Belk, and then I ran in Target. It was getting late, so we came home and got the kids to bed. After everyone was asleep, David and I watched The Avengers. It was good and entertaining. We went to bed late.

Saturday: David, Aubrey, and Jude got up early and went to the Farmer's Market. They ran into some friends there and ended up eating breakfast with them and staying longer than usual. Alaina and I got up around 9, and we had the house to ourselves for a while. When I put her down for her nap, I straightened up a little, and then David and the kids got home. Alaina woke up, I took a shower, we fed the kids lunch, bathed them, and then it was naptime. David took a short nap himself, and I curled my hair and got myself ready for our pictures that afternoon. When David got up, I ran to get Aubrey and Alaina bows, and then I came home and we got everyone ready. Getting Alaina dressed was stressful. I hadn't tried her outfit on her before (dumb) and it literally would NOT go over her head and shoulders. It fit her perfectly, but it just wouldn't stretch enough to pull over. I think it was just a very poor design. We had to cut it a little bit, but we finally got it on without hurting her. Ughh. We went to a park and met the photographer there for our pictures! We had to wake Jude up for the pictures, and he was kind of a pill. He wasn't really in a BAD mood, he just didn't want to look at the camera and cooperate. The photographer said he didn't think he got any good family shots, but he got good individual ones of all the kids and maybe a good one of all three of them together. It was disappointing about the lack of family shots, but what are you going to do? I have to remind myself that we have a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a 7 month old. The odds aren't good for getting a decent picture of everyone! ;) Alaina did great and smiled so pretty for her pictures :) We ran around the park and played until almost dark. I fed Alaina in the car, and then we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we went to Kroger and then we came home and put our tired kids to bed. I made a double batch of muffins and did some prep for our lunch the next day. Then we went to bed.