Adopting 2 More Kids!

(get your attention?)

We've been a little busy over here in the Steece house! One of my best friends from nursing school, Maurine ("Mo"), and her precious 2 children came to live with us for five full days! (Here are pics from our Nursing Reunion from last year)

That's 6 kids, all under the age of 3, for 5 full days! (WOWEEEE!!!)

(Mo, Monroe- 13mo, Drew, Hannah- 3yrs, Ethan, Savannah, Mama, and Ben)

Sav just LOOOOVES wearing her princess pirate eye patch (yah...not so much). Sweet little Hannah tried to show Savannah how all the cool girls are wearing them, but I don't think she was buyin' it....do you? (Ugh- that LOOK! See below for the definition of "savitude")



Look at those eyes on little Monroe!!! Such a cutie!



Mo was our resident "Ben-whisperer" while she was here...little man can throw some SERIOUS tantrums and Mo is SOOOO calm and gentle (unlike Mama when she is stressed!). I could actually use her services right now as I'm typing this post! Mo threatened to pack Ben up and take him with her...I definitely wasn't standing in her way at that point in time! ;) tee hee hee. (Benny- Mama loves you.)



One night, we took Hannah out to a movie after the little ones went to sleep! "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (interesting title, eh?) It was okay...kinda weird, but apparently doing really well at the box office.



Did I mention that it was in 3D??? Precious little Hannah-Banana--I miss watching her singing and dancing and twirling around my house in Sav's dress up clothes. Such a sweet, darling princess!



"ben-tan-trum" (n.)- an intense emotional breakdown following any minor unfortunate event- whether big or small. Ben was experiencing one serious bentantrum all week/weekend long.



"sav-i-tude" (n.)- a ridiculous amount of sass and attitude resulting in a highly negative demeanor with zero smiles. Savannah was throwing around savitude during our friends' visit--the ENTIRE TIME! Anytime she gets around other girls, she just clams up, never smiles, and does not say a WORD! Is that weird?



Nope, not staged. The pieces were watching their Daddy stain our new fence. (Ethan, Andrew, Benjamin, Savannah)


LOVE YOU, MO! Thanks for coming to visit us!!!!

Now, on to the laundry, cleaning, and cooking! Time to get ready for another BUSY and exciting week--I'm busting at the SEAMS to reveal our magnifico weekend ahead! (It involves the Texas A&M vs. Arkansas game at the BRAND NEW DALLAS COWBOYS STADIUM...and bull riding)

Jammin' Out While Workin' Out

Been on a workout kick lately---4 straight weeks of working out earrrly in the morning (I'm such a morning person its almost sickening). I hate working out. HATE it. But I do it because I know that it is good for my body--especially with the high genetic propensity toward Diabetes...and that I had Gestational Diabetes while preggo.

My fav shoe (add about 10 years of hard physical use to these poor babies--not pretty! but get the job done...definitely time for new kicks- but that'll have to go on the back burner for now):

I have found that if I take McNulty's advice and get up early in the morning before Joe leaves for work, I feel so much better throughout the rest of the day! I can get the working out over and done with- so I'm not dreading it all day. I WAS trying to leave for the gym at night after Joe got home--wHaT wAs i tHiNkInG?!! By that time, I was completely physically and emotionally drained with ZERO energy left in me.

My fav snack right now: French Onion Laughing Cow cheese with Multigrain Wasa crackers---SOOOO good and less than 100 calories combined!



oh, and Twisted Protein Bars! Joe and I LOVE THEM!!! (15 grams of protein with pretzels, peanuts, nougat, caramel, chocolate coating!)


I'm not dieting per say, just making healthy food choices- especially during the week. (lots of salads!) On the weekends, I am much more relaxed about what I eat---you gotta live a little! ;) You guys have any good healthy snacks out there that I should try? I have already noticed my muscles getting tighter and the flab starting to firm up a tad which is exciting!

That's ME! First one on the left! (tee hee hee...wishful thinking)


I attend a Spin class twice a week, a cardio/strength training class once/wk, and run programs on the elliptical on the other days. Its all about having the right music to motivate you and keep you energized, so I thought I would share my current playlist (I change it all the time):

My fav earphones (hate the earbuds that stick in your ear)---


I run the weight loss course on the elliptical which has hills about every 4-5 minutes---so, I programmed my ipod to play a fast song, then slower, then fast, etc

Suz's workout playlist:

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (TOTALLY gets me going...LOOOOVE this song)
Eric Hutchinson - Rock & Roll
Bob Schneider - 40 Dogs
Maino - All the Above
Kanye West (boo!) - Touch the Sky
Akon - Beautiful
Bob Schneider - Bombananza
U2 - I'll Go Crazy
Bob Schneider - Tarantula
Fat Pat - Tops Drop
Bob Schneider - Super S
Dave Matthews - Why I Am
Akon - I'm So Paid
Dave Matthews - Alligator Pie

If you've never thought about working out early in the morning, I encourage you to give it a try! You might be like me and be pleasantly surprised at how much you enjoy it! Make yourself do it Mon-Fri for at least one week and see how it goes.

Curious to know what songs you like to work out to right now---or songs that get you going---I'm always trying to find new music and change up my playlists!

Those BIG Steece SMILES! :)

I have found a wonderful way to channel my precious, darling, dear's INDEPENDENT spirit---Savannah LOVES helping Mommy...with anything! She helps me fold clothes, clean up, unload groceries, and her new favorite activity is helping me in the kitchen. It cracks me up how I can talk to her like an adult and ask her to do things for me. She LOOOOVES it. Such a big girl. (and Benny is just like her---whatever Sav does, he does)


Miss Priss was helping her Mama make a pizza and sampling items as she assisted--notice her red pizza sauce mustache! (Speaking of, I've got a fun new review coming up soon! You'll have to check it out...)

We have been thoroughly enjoying our cooler weather here lately (can I getta "AMEN", DFW?!) After a nice long walk this morning, we have been hanging around the house--reading, playing, laughing...its been a good week.

Mr. Sunshine...my darling Drew



Liddle E-bud (Ethan) is looking SOOOO much better! (Always with the car---any car---even now!)



Benny Boop is such a ham! I LOOOOVE this new smile of his---he gets SO excited when I tell him to smile for the camera. Oh, and don't forget to make the noise when you smile: "Eeeeeeeeee"



Good 'ole Mom & Dad are doing good too---thanks to the Steeces, we had a much needed date night last Saturday in Austin with some of our best friends.

And remembering in prayer:
We are lifting up the McDonald family (close friends of the Steeces) as they have unexpectedly lost a mother and a wife to a brain aneurysm a little over 24 hours ago. I cannot even imagine the heartache/pain involved of suddenly losing my Mom at age 16. Our hearts our breaking and we are on our knees for these wonderful people. May the God of all comfort and healing continue to lift you up and hold you tight in the darkest hours of your lives. We love you all.

Erythema Multiforme (minor)

Poor little dude. My pitiful baby leopard, Ethan.


These pictures were from yesterday morning at Grampy and Grammy's house in Austin. Saturday afternoon, Ethan had awoken from his nap with what looked like a mild rash on his face. It wasn't anything major so I gave him some Benadryl and it cleared up within minutes. Sunday morning when got him out of his Peapod Travel Bed again, he had this ridiculous rash with hives ALL OVER his body--he was covered from head to toe!





So, after about 1 to 1.5 hours of being medicated with Benadryl again, the rash had not cleared up at all---so I decided to take him to the clinic in Austin (afterall, we had a 3 hr drive ahead of us and I wanted to make sure that it was in fact, an allergic reaction to something. We were thinking it was his Peapod- randomly after 1.5 yrs of use). We waited for 3 LOOOONG hours with other kids covered in "swine flu masks" (neato) and were FINALLY seen by a doc. She quickly passed us off as an allergic reaction and told me that I had done everything right and to keep feeding him Benadryl every 4 hrs. (Hmm...I'm not so sure about that, "If he received Benadryl 3 hours ago, the rash should be clearing up by now dontcha think?" Ugh. anyway)

So, we dose up poor Ethan again with another round of Benadryl and get ready to head home. During this entire time, E is not acting sick or itching at all- which just BAFFLES me. (A little dopey from the meds, but that's about it). As we get closer to home, I notice that the hives are getting worse---we give him his next round of Benadryl when we are about an hour away from our house. By this time it is pitch black outside and I am driving--staring at E in the rearview mirror every couple of minutes--I can see that it is getting worse and worse. Once we reach our casa and get him out of the car, into the light (around 9:30pm)- his body was breathtaking.





Pictures can't really do it justice. He was completely swollen with huge hives from head to toe---the little blisters had formed ginormous patches of red, HOT, puffy skin lesions. Again, Benadryl was not even TOUCHING the little man's "leprosy"...Something wasn't right and I did not feel comfortable putting him down to sleep, so we headed up to the ER. (Lots of one-on-one time with Mama yesterday! Woo hoo)

E bud was SUCH a trooper after missing his afternoon nap and being dragged around all day to various med clinics. The cute little spotted guy got lots of sympathy love from the nurses and Auntie Liz who came up to sit with us. As soon as the doc walked in he knew exactly what it was: Erythema multiforme (which I had NEVER heard of). One of his daughters even has it! I was SO relieved to find out what it was---its some type of virus that people pick up for no rhyme or reason. It is NOT contagious (thank you GOD!) and will disappear within 1-3 WEEKS! (yikes- not so good for professional pics this Sunday, but hey- at least we will always be able to tell Ethan and Andrew apart, right? lol. not funny. well, kinda) This virus is just SO weird to me and looks horrible for the little guy---but the only meds to give is OTC Motrin if he begins scratching or develops a fever. (Sometimes it is a precursor for Strep throat or some other type of infection)

I read up on EM- and it is usually caused by some viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. One thing stuck out in particular---COLD SORES. Well--BINGO! Ethan had a cold sore on his lip last week and whallah---lesions all over his body. Apparently this is probably going to happen every time he gets a cold sore. POOR BUDDY! Any of you guys ever heard of this? But thank God nothing serious---and thank God I followed up instead of dosing him with Benadryl every 4 hours for no reason at all! (tsk, tsk)

Entertaining Videos of the Diva & Drama King

We've caught some great video in the past week. I've taken snippets of some clips that I love. Today we will be featuring Benny and Sav right before bedtime.

We have been praying with our little guys and it is so cute to watch them catch on. Her sweet little voice just melts my heart.
Sav's prayer:

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ben has always been our most..."emotional" child, if you will. If he wakes up in a bad mood---watch out world! Love the little guy...but he sure does crack me up sometimes.
Drama King Ben:

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Savannah LOVES to sing. Her favorite song? "Row, row, row, your boat" But it goes a little something like this: "wo-wo-steam...mahhhhhhhhhhhhh...deam". She sings it over and over and over.
Sav's lovely little melody:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our little Aggie darlin' is doing an Aggie Yell. Its hard to explain, but you Ags will appreciate it.
Sav's Aggie Yell (A-R-M-Y):

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

...nice little classy burp at the end, there Sav!

A Treasure Trove of Dress Up Clothes

"Yah....So What..."

(Benny & Sav- partners in crime, holding hands)

The kids were beyond thrilled to play with a big chest full of dress-up clothes/hats/sunglasses/jewelry thanks to our friends Alisa and McKenzie!






Drew flashin' his million dollar smile and making purple-dude-shades look super cool (well, maybe not...but I won't tell him)


Sav trying her best to get Ethan in some purple shades...but he is not one for dress up...all man- this one



Come on, E! Its a manly fireman hat! (nope...dress up is for GIRLS!)


Drew and Ben actually sharing the bus and having fun too!



Miss Thang trying on her first pair of heels...



Heaven help us (I had some video footage but couldn't get it to load---you can imagine how funny, though right?) Conquered those heels like an old pro!



Ethan, Ben, Savannah, and Drew in one of their favorite spots...sweetest little devils I know!


Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Are You Still Alive???

Yes, yes...despite my 2-year-olds' BEST efforts, I am still alive and kickin'. The 'ole blog has been gettin' the shaft lately because frankly- I'm POOPED! So, what's been going on with the Steece's and their pieces?


SICK JOE:
My poor sweet hubby has been running anywhere between 100 and 103.7 fever for the past couple of days. The kids and I took him to the doctor yesterday where they ran a flu test (I would have bet my LIFE it was flu related), strep test, blood work, etc. Apparently its just some bacterial infection...but I dunno.
(tee hee hee. I just ran in there and took a pic. Evil Suz!)
I don't think I have EVER seen him this sick. FEVER, sweating profusely, chills, entire body aches...poor fella. So, Nurse Suz has been in full effect---while being the sole provider/caretaker for 4 very active toddlers as well. (Keeping Daddy in quarantine)
Its been fun around here! LOL.


NEW SUZ!
But I feel great because I'm on day 4 of a commitment that I made to myself---I've been waking up early in the morning to hit the gym (before Joe leaves for work)...and I feel AMAZING throughout the rest of the day! My BFF, McNulty, who continues to inspire me and cheer me on has been my encouragement...and Elyse, girl---you rock my world---such a great example! So, it was time for Suz to get off her rear and exercise that body. (and maybe hit my pre-pregnancy weight for the first time in forever? UGH! That would be nice)


THE RUGRATS:
Are just that...rugrats. HOLY COW! Why do I feel like all I do each day is constantly reprimand? NO NO NO NO. TIME OUT. SAY YOU'RE SORRY. DID YOU TAKE YOUR BROTHER/SISTER'S TOY? The little *dears* are constantly testing their boundaries and seeing what they can get away with. ahhhh....the TERRIFIC TWOS! (times 4). But they are also SO precious and growing into little adults. One minute you want to scream/rip your hair out and the next minute you want to kiss/love/hug on them forever. A favorite thing I love right now, is that they like to take turns climbing into my lap like a baby and for me to rock them and sing to them. They smile and say "baby Sav", "baby E", etc. Just melts my heart.

But I take everything in stride, because I know that one day very soon, it will be the parents chasing the kids around, wanting to spend time with them...instead of vice versa. So, despite the tantrums, screaming, fits of rage, fighting, attitude---I soak up every second of my kiddies and just love them SO dern much.

I'll try to snap out of my blogging funk soon. Just trying to survive at the moment! (wow, that sounds dramatic doesn't it?)

Have SAFE holiday weekend travels for those of you who are braving the roads and friendly skies! ;)