FYI

Just so all of you know..I am aware that facts about our children are probably boring and not too exciting. However this is my way of jotting it all down and remembering in the years to come.. I am horrible with traditional baby books, so this is my attempt to have something for our kids to read later in life.. In the mean time I am sure you will all humor me with your excitement..

Oh boy it just gets better!!

Jack is officially pulling up on everything at just a week shy of 9 months (9/20/2011).. I caught him this morning and then continued to follow him around with my phone so I could catch a video of it.. Sure enough within minutes he was up.. No stopping this boy now.. Brycen thinks it's the coolest thing ever.. He calls him the baby mountain climber. He keeps making different obstacles around the house to see if Jack can climb them.. Its pretty cute..

Will we ever be invited again

So this past weekend Jon's cousin Lori got married in Michigan.  We took off on our flight Thursday afternoon anticipating a fun filled family weekend..Brycen has been  so excited for this trip.. Lots of 1st on this trip. This was Jack's first ever plane ride.. You just never know how a baby is going to act, but for the sake of our own sanity and those of the other passengers you pray it will be a perfect flight.. Jack of course held up his side of the bargain and flew like an angel.  I'm positive all the passengers around us let out a sigh of relief when we landed. Little did those passengers know they needed to be more worried about the big kid.

As we are walking down to baggage claim Bry starts complaining that his stomach hurts. He sits quietly with his Uncle Andy as we get our bags and head to the shuttle. First sign my boy is sick is that he turned down a big bowl of candy from the shuttle driver " The Candyman". As we sit and wait for our car to be ready Brycen leans over to me and says " Mom, I think I'm gonna " ... And right there it happened all over the Enterprise floor, Pink Puke.. I quickly escort Brycen outside as he continues to vomit all the way out the door.. Poor bear just couldn't control it.. He claims he is feeling a lot better  at this point and we all get in the car and head towards the rehearsal which is about an hour away.. About 45 minutes into the ride Brycen says " Jon, I think its going to happen again." We quickly pull over , let him out for another puke session.. At least this time he was able to give us advance notice. We finally make it to the rehearsal only to quickly say hello before I escorted Brycen to the hall where he laid in my lap for about 45 minutes before he need to toss a few more of his cookies into the trash can I parked right next to us. At this point Jon and I left the rehearsal to take Brycen back to our hotel room. As soon as we made it into our room he crawled into bed and didn't move till the following morning. Only a mama would crawl into bed with her sick puking child and cuddle with his hot stinky body :) Thank goodness Jon's cousin Robbie is a nurse and was able to bring some nausea medicine over for Bry, Thank You, Thank You...

Morning comes and Brycen is feeling better.. However my eldest child Jon is now sick.. He has exactly what Brycen had but a much stronger version of it.. As Brycen, Jack and I venture downstairs to eat, Jon lay shivering upstairs puking.. Have I told you how much fun I am having yet? Unfortunately the day didn't get any better for Jon. He missed his cousins beautiful wedding. He was really upset but there was no way he was going to make it.. Plus we really needed to contain this bug as much as possible.

Upon returning to Houston, each day we would hear about how someone else got sick. Like Lauren said it was like our own version of " Final Destination". We named it the "man flu" because it was only attacking the men in our family..It all started with Brycen. Next came Jon, then Chris, then Andy, then Arnie, then Casey.. Needless to say after this performance we put on in Michigan, I think everyone will seriously think twice of inviting us to their wedding.. Casey & Christina have already said they will be mailing vitamins with their invitations.. I guess that means were still invited..

Sorry we brought the crud to Michigan.. Thank you all for being so sweet and loving even though you knew we were contaminated :)))) I mean what is family for??

Congratulations Lori & Paul. Your wedding was absolutely beautiful and magical with the rain :) Wishing you two a lifetime of adventures, love & happiness....

And were crawling....

Jack is officially crawling...He is into everything a very curious.. Some of his favorite things to grab are : wires, the trash can and all my coffee table books just to name a few.. This is going to get interesting..

In the market for a baby cage..

Can you do the splits? I can

4th Grade

And we're off...

Today is the first day of 4th grade...I cant believe my baby is already in 4th grade.. It feels like just yesterday we were walking into Rylander Elem for the 1st time and now we are almost on our way out. Junior High School will be right around the corner and I honestly am not ready for that.

I have always been told to enjoy your children while they are young because they grow up way to fast. This is so incredibly true.. I can't believe Brycen is going to be 10 this year.. Look at those feet! They are huge, I can actually wear those tennis shoes.. Good thing is I no longer have to question if shoes I'm buying will fit, I can just try them on.

Bry - We have a big year ahead of us.. Rumor has it 4th grade is going to give us a run for our money.. However I am not the least bit worried.. You are such a good student and a quick learner. Thank you for being you and making it so easy to be your mom. We love you buddy!!

Hi ! My name is Jack & I have TWO teeth!!

Jack has been teething for what seems like the last 3 months...These two lil pearly whites broke ground about 2 weeks ago but they are finally showing enough to capture on film..

Hello Emerald Coast ! !

WOW- what a beautiful place. It's very hard to imagine that the same body of water that gives us this brown cruddy water and hard packed brown sand also has Beautiful Emerald Green waters and white sugar sand..

The entire Pate clan ventured down form their respective homes for a week long family vacation in Destin, FL. Charlie & Karen rented a house and it really was the perfect house for our group. Thank You so much for making this happen for all of us to share. After we all arrived you would have thought that we lived there with all the groceries/items we came with..

To say I was a little worried about driving 10 hours with a baby was an understatement.. But in usual fashion Jack was perfect, we really couldn't ask for a better traveler. Brycen is always great and after this road trip I don't really think our boy is one who will look for trouble or disobey the law.

We took the seas on the Bounty Hunter and had a fantastic trip. I am so glad we choose to take a private charter as it was worth every penny. We maxed out on Red Snappers and Brycen and I joined the small elite group of " Shark Catchers"! I think Bry was in fishing heaven..

We had been wacthing parasailers all week on the beach. After much convincing we were all scheduled to go up.. Jon was terrified, Brycen was hesitant only because Jon was. They very much have a " Monkey See, Monkey Do" relationship. However once up the lil monkey loved it and well the big monkey couldn't get back on the boat any faster..I'm glad we did it as a family and got to experience this together.

I love vacations. Vacations create memories & experiences that last a lifetime..

1/2 a Year Old...Really already?

We had our 6 month check up today and our boy is doing great.. I think the words the " Dr" used were "perfect".. Here are his stats

Weight : 17lbs & 8oz - 53% percentile

Height: 29 1/2 inches - 85% percentile

Head : 17 3/4 inches - don't remember percentile..

Anyways we got another round of vaccines today, lets all hope he behaves better then he did last time ...A new chapter has been opened for Jack today - FOOD..

Jackson- You are such a treat..You have been and continue to be such an easy baby. You make it easy and for that we are forever thankful. I can and do take you everywhere and you love it. You love your Big Brother, Sophie - your puppy & Sophie - your giraffe.. All three bring a huge gummy smile to your little face. The car makes you sleep and you take some of your best naps in your car seat/stroller/swing. What are we going to do when you no longer fit in these contraptions? Here is mama bragging... You are on a sweet 7 to 7 schedule. You wake up around 7am and play for a few minutes while I feed Sophie, brush my teeth and start the coffee pot. You continue to take at least 1 nap every 3 hours ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. You spend your days talking,rolling around, making odd sounds, shoving anything and everything into your mouth and demanding to be fed at the appropriate times. Your last bottle is around 7pm and then you are off to dreamland.. We love you Roo..

Bry - You are such a great big brother. You have gotten so good at taking care of your little brother. I will admit it makes me a bit nervous when you take him upstairs by yourself because you have a hard time taking yourself up and down the stairs without falling..You currently still want to be a veterinarian which hopefully sticks around. You love the history channel and anything at all that has to do with animals/wild life/nature/fishing and of course your slew of cartoons..We can only hope that Jack follows in your footsteps. Keep up the great work Bry...Big Air hugs & kisses..

Pate-Clout-Llags 2

We had our annual trip with The Cloutiers & The Llagostera's to La Cantera in San Antonio.. We had such a great trip last year that we committed to an annual Memorial Day trip.. This happens to also be the 1st weekend we have been away from Jack since he was born. He was in great hands and I was 150% positive every single one of his needs and then some were being met. Its so nice to have such great friends to get away with. Memorial Day holds lots of good memories for us and we are looking forward to next year with the addition of the trips...

2 months down a lifetime to go...

Jack is officially 2 months old today and doing fantastic.. He is growing like a weed and once again our parental progress report shows were excelling with him.. Little chunk gained almost 3 lbs in the last month..

11lbs, 10oz

23 1/2 inches

His two month check up was on Friday.. It went great other then the mean lady that came in and stuck my baby with 4 different needles... Of course I cried.. I cant stand to see anyone inflict any kind of pain on either of my boys.. Mama Bear doesn't do well with that.. As soon as the mean lady was done, I picked up my baby and within seconds he was calm.. What can I say, this boy loves his mama...

You in Month 2..

You are still a pretty easy baby.. You love to be in anything that moves.. Within seconds of being in a car/stroller/shopping cart you are out..You are starting to sleep for longer periods at night and your Dad and I are super thankful.. You have the most beautiful smile, and I love sounding like a fool to make you do it.. Its no longer gas its truly a smile.. Your big brother is still thrilled to have you, he thinks you get your good looks and loud burps from him.. You love bath time.. Just like your momma you love to relax and soak in a big bath tub...You are a tad bit spoiled in the sense that you are the only person I know who gets warm towels to dry off with.. You can thank your Grammie for that.. PS... She may have a different name by the time you read this...As I type this you are currently passed out in your swing..  I love you Jackbob...

Happy Birthday Carter....

Baby Carter joined us today.. Michelle did fantastic and is recovering nicely... Carter is doing awesome and couldn't be any cuter..Michelle and Cory are adjusting well to having a kid with only two legs. They are going to be fantastic parents.. Congratulations my friend..I cant wait to love & spoil your lil monkey..

Carter Reid Ormsby

2/26/2011 @ 12:55pm

6lbs 3oz, 18 3/4 inches

1 month down, a lifetime to go

Life is perfect.. We are enjoying every second of this sweet angel.  We must be doing something right as our boy is thriving just as he should. So far here are his stats or I like to think of it as our "parental progress report.."

Birth:

7lb 4oz & 19 inches 

1 month:

8lbs 10 oz & 21 inches...

Jackson is such a sweet baby.. He really is and we hope he continues to stay this way.. He really will only fuss if he is hungry, dirty or needs a little extra lovin...Currently we really have no idea who Jackson really looks like.. He has a lot of Jon in him, reminds me a ton of Brycen and even looks very similar to some of his Aunt Lauren's baby pictures. I honestly think he is a pretty good mix, but looks a ton like his daddy..

To our Sweet Jackson....

You have only been with us for a short while, but we can't imagine our life without you.. Life with you currently involves a pretty fixed 3 hour schedule.. Every 3 hours you demand to be fed, changed and rocked, really any kind of back and forth motion will make you happy. Your big brother is so excited that you're a boy, and he can't wait to make you his own personal slave.. He has his own master plan for you, I guess time will tell how much you actually adhere to his wishes. Current nicknames for you, some I like, some I hope are just temporary, Jack, Jacky, Rumple, Wilbur, JW, Jackis & Bubby... We have big plans for you and our family, but most of all we just want to love you and provide for you as best as we possibly can..

1 Down 1 to Go...

So during the last few months of pregnancy, I found myself standing in the midst of my closet on numerous occasions. Wondering and praying that I would soon one day be reunited with my clothes and all my fantastic size 7 shoes. I must admit I had only a handful of meltdowns during this pregnancy, and all of them happened or at least started in my closet... I am not a girl of many purses, accessories or tech gadgets ( honey, in case your reading I would actually enjoy an I-Phone for my Birthday). Shoes on the other hand, I have a mild obsession with...Anyone that has spent any amount of time in my closet can attest to this.. I was really hoping that I wasn't one of those woman whose foot grew a whole size or two during pregnacny and stayed that way..

So tomorrow is the first real day I have to get dressed for anything important, Michelle's Baby Shower.. I was forced to try on non-maternity clothes and real shoes.. I am happy to say my shoes fit great.. As for my clothes..Let's just say were getting there..........

PS.. by the way, Jack is fantastic.. He really is a sweet baby..We are loving every inch of him and trying really hard not to squeeze him..More to come....

Jackson William Pate

WOW.. What a Surprise...

   I don't think I can explain how truly surprised Jon and I are with the arrival of Jackson. While we never really knew what we were having. Jon and I,  along with everyone else was pretty convinced we were having a girl.. We were mentally ready for Meghan Elizabeth Pate to come home with us..

Birth Story...

12/27/2010 @ 1:03pm
7lbs 4oz, 19 inches

   Jon and I arrived at the hospital at 10am just after dropping Brycen off at Yaya's. He would later arrive closer to my scheduled c-section time. We get into Labor and Delivery and in a short amount of time I am hooked up to monitors, have IV's started and am in the process of transforming into marshmallow woman.. Since I was having a c-section they have to pump you with that many more fluid bags, by the time I walked back to the OR I was on my 5th bag. Talk about feeling yourself get fatter and fatter by the second. C-section was scheduled for Noon, but were told we should be heading to the OR around 12:30.. I remember walking into the OR and I swear it feels like a meat locker in there. Jon had to wait outside while they did my spinal and all the final preps for surgery. Jon was brought in just as surgery got under way and I felt like I could breathe once he was with me. I am secretly a chicken of anesthesia and being cut open..  I am soo glad Jon decided to bring the "Flip" with us and not leave it with our families as we got some priceless footage of Jackson's first breaths and the moments leading up to it..

   I remember laying there, Jon with flip in hand and he leans in to me and says " should I shut it down" just as my Dr is saying " I got a foot, Oh two feet" .. Just then my eyes begin to tear up as I know I should hear baby any second.. The blue curtain gets pulled down a bit and Baby Pate is held up right above me so we can see what it is.. Jons exact words " Oh My God, It's a Boy ".

    We were in total and complete shock.. We really thought we were having a little girl. All along Jon and I always said we didn't care what we had. We really just wanted a healthy baby.  If given the choice I would have wanted another boy, simply because its what I know. Plus I enjoy being the only girl in the house ...Of course with the exception of Sophers.. I cant tell you how excited all of us are with Jacksons arrival.. Our house and hearts are complete.. I am surrounded by 3 boys and I would have it no other way...

Twas the Night Before BABY!

So here we sit the night before the big day. So many different thoughts and feelings are going through both of our minds. Excitement is prob the biggest one of them all. Brycen cant sleep as he is also anxiously awaiting the arrival of either his new sister or brother.. He keeps saying he really wants a sister, and then proceeds to explain to me how reverse psychology works..

Jon and I are set to arrive at the hospital at 10am with my c-section scheduled for Noon.  I pray for a very smooth surgery and the healthy arrival of our new baby...

Everyone ask us what we think this baby is. Even thou ppl don't believe us, we have no idea what we are having. We have prepped ourselves for a lil girl as that is what everyone seems to think.. We also think that the ultrasound tech slipped as she called it a " she" during our ultrasound. Also in a previous post, Michelle and I took belly shots together and her belly is very different than mine , and we know for sure she is carrying a boy.. I do have a few hesitations on committing to " IT" being a girl for the following reasons.. I feel exactly as I did when I was pregnant with Brycen. This babies heart rate has always been in the 130 range, and they say boys tend to have lower heart rates.  I am carrying very high and to me seems to be all in the front..While I know these are all just an old wives tale, it does make me think...

None the less tomorrow we will meet our baby.. We are all very excited...I know the waiting room will be packed with our families and a few of my very dear friends..

Is it a Boy or a Girl??

13 sleeps to go... OMG

OMG.... Only 13 sleeps till we meet our sweet little baby.. That is crazy to me... This picture really kind of made it a reality for me.. 

But to be honest with you I have never felt more calm and ready for something in my entire life.  I think my lack of urgency and stress is causing others to stress :) My boys are very ready and super excited.. I can't wait to see each of them with our baby.. Also can you believe Christmas is next week??

37 weeks 4 days..

Well here we are at 37 weeks 4 days.. Had a great Dr.'s appointment today and everything still looks great.. Baby Pate is quite cozy in it's current living quarters and has no intentions of trying to make an early appearance.  Just as last week " IT" is still laying in the breeched position with it's feet directly on my bladder. Not enjoyable by any means. Here are a few snapshots of the belly, def growing.. I feel huge at times, but I also feel great and realize it could be a lot worse.. I feel very blessed that we have had such an easy and enjoyable pregnancy..

I think Brycen is nesting....

So I have to write about my boy... Such a sweet kid, yet always has been a kid that could care less about cleaning his room, or keeping anything tidy for that matter.. Its been an on-going threat that I am going to switch him to one of the smaller rooms so he wont have so much room.. Not that I would ever actually take his room away from him, but a little threatening never hurt a kid.. Last Wednesday he came home from school with a fever and complaints that he had a sore throat. We got home gave him some medicine and let him just lay around. When it was time to tuck him in for the night, I went upstairs and much to my surprise Brycen and Mr. Bubbles had become best friends.. He scrubbed his bath tub, toilet, bathroom sink, mirror, organized the linen closet and even washed his bedside table and tossed a little cologne on it for good measure. I was in total shock.. What or who has taken over my messy kid that could care less about being clean?? I have to say it was one of the most precious things I have ever seen, my boy is nesting...

Come Thursday morning we go to the Dr. and get confirmation that Brycen in fact has strep throat just as I suspected.. We get it once a year and it always takes on the very same pattern. Lucky for him he was prob only really laid up for about 1 day and then was up to his usual shenanigans. However FF to Sunday, I leave and go to the grocery store. As I walk in Jon says you wont believe it but Bry is upstairs cleaning his room. Jon was dying for me to see how good he was doing but I was not allowed upstairs until he was done.. To say the least the nesting bug has really bitten Brycen because that boy has never cleaned his room like he did.. I mean he got under his bed , organized his movies, books, toys, everything put away right where it should be..
I'm even more happy to say that today is Thursday and his bathroom and room are still super clean..

I love you buddy... You make your mama proud!

36 weeks 4 days...

Had our usual Dr's appointment today.. Had our last ultrasound, everything looks great and the little nugget is weighing in at 6lbs on the nose. Its so weird how before you could see so many details of your baby on the screen. Space is limited in there so know we can just sneak glimpses of body parts.. We got to see an ear and a hand with 1 finger sticking out ( no worries it was a good finger).. We have entered the last phase of Dr's appointments, the joy of physical checks.. As of today we are sealed up with no indication of labor..
Thursday is my last day of work and I am officially on maternity leave.. I have to say I have been really looking forward to that day, but its a tad bittersweet..