Jacob's Song

Keilani Sings to her own Tune

Isn't she sweet?

A tough week and now sunshine!

It all started last Saturday when Jacob came down with a fever. By Monday he wouldn't eat. Then Tuesday Kielani caught it. I decided to have the kids checked on Thursday because Keilani was miserable on Wednesday (crying "up" even as I held her) and nobody would eat- not even chocolate pudding or ice cream! It turns out it wasn't strep throat, but a common childhood virus called Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. (Not really a disease, just a virus). Their strain of it lacked the hand and foot sores- herpangina. Adults rarely get the virus, but somehow poor Jeff got it. He says it's worse than strep throat. He's also been miserable. So, I've had quite the week with 2 sick kids, a newborn, and a sick husband. Enough said!

Today the kids were feeling much better. So, we went to Cosumnes River Preserve to get out of the house. We walked around and saw some wildlife. The kids had the most fun trying to catch a butterfly! Later we enjoyed the warm weather by playing outside and running in the sprinklers. Hooray for feeling better!

Baby Meigan

Meet Baby Meigan! Here's our little cutie saying hello world!

Busy, tired, and wild

So life with 3 little ones is quite a challenge. Baby Meigan is up a lot at night. Keilani is always looking for trouble and can't be left alone for long. Jacob needs a playmate at all times. As much work as it is, I wouldn't trade it for a second. Each of our kids brings us so much joy. Jacob is so talented and friendly. Keilani cracks us up- even in her naughtiness. Meigan is just precious. I LOVE them all so deeply!!! I can't wait for each tomorrow with my little ones.

Here are some pictures of our last few weeks. The big kids and I made cookies and they decorated their new aprons one day. They love helping me in the kitchen- Jacob even asks to do the dishes with me all the time!

Baby Meigan is here!

Welcome

Meigan Elaine Quayle

Born 3/27/08 6:07p.m.

7lbs. 3oz. 21 inches

Jacob Reads Again

Here's J reading a book from our home preschooling. He is now at a first grade reading level- we're working on long vowels and silent e words (meat, cake, etc.). The video has a cute ending. :)

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter and we hope you did as well. Praise God for the most important miracle of all time- Jesus raising from the dead. He died for us on the cross and we are eternally greatful!

The kids had fun hunting for eggs in our yard and at church. The got Easter baskets from the Easter bunny, Grandpa and Grandma Quayle, and G-ma Parkinson (Granny), and gifts from Aunt Judy too! I guess they are well loved. We visited with lots of family including Cousin Emily!

Now we are patiently awaiting the arrival of little Meigan! (Okay, maybe not patiently.)

Past time. . .

I know this post is WAY overdue. It's still going to come without any new pics. Baby Meigan is due to arrive any day now (April 2). Some major events have come and gone with no posts- Christmas, Faye's 30th birthday, Jacob's 4th birthday.
Christmas was fun and wild- Jacob got a drumset from Santa which Jeff loves as much as him! Keilani got a wood kitchen, both kids have had a great time with that.
Jacob had a Ninja Turtle party in February with church and preschool friends. He is very proud to be such a big boy now. His schooling continues to flourish- we are working on long vowels.
Keilani is talking up a storm. She is very headstrong which makes her so funny and so tiring to mommy. She discovered how to climb her crib, so she's now in a toddler bed. She has learned to count to 10 and sing a few songs.
I'll try to get some pictures up soon- I'm waiting on a battery charger to get the pics off my new camera. Best Buy had no replacement batteries or chargers in stock, so I had to have one mailed to our house.
More posts and pics to come soon!!! :)

Have a Very Merry Christmas!!

To all our friends and family,
We wish you all a Christmas filled with LOVE and PEACE and the JOY of CHRIST!! We hope you take time to stop and reflect this year and remember that Christmas is so much more than presents and even family. It's about God joining us side by side on Earth and showing us how to live in love and humility. Enjoy the holiday pics and watch for more in a week or two!

The "Star" of the Show!!

Merry Christmas Everyone! Check out Jacob here at our First Ever Children's Christmas Performance. He had no official role, so I guess he decided to make one for himself. Although I thought about scolding him for misbehaving on stage, I just couldn't. We had so many comments on how cute and funny he was and how he was bringing people to tears laughing. What are ya gonna do?!

It's a GIRL!!!

Baby #3 is another little girl!! The ultrasound showed everything healthy. We are excited and look forward to meeting her in April (or maybe March). She is due April 2nd, but I have the feeling she will make her appearance a little earlier. We have decided to name her Meigan Elaine Quayle. Meigan is a pretty name we've liked for a while which means "pearl" and has Irish/Greek roots. Her middle name is shared by Grandma Quayle. Jacob is getting more excited, although he was really hoping for a brother to share his room. Keilani doesn't seem to understand much yet, but I think she will enjoy having a baby in the house.

Halloween

The kids have had a fun month. We've gone up to Apple hill and to 3 pumpkin patches. I took the kids to a carnival at First Cov. and another one in Visalia with our pals. Both kids went Trick or Treating this year- Keilani was much more into it than I thought she would be. She wanted out of the stroller and tripped about 3 times trying to keep up with the older kids. Jacob had so much fun with his friend Alia in Visalia and he really misses her. This last week was especially busy and it's nice to be back home.

Invented Spelling

Jacob did his preschool time with mommy today. A part of his handwriting is drawing a picture that starts with the letter of the day. Today was "L" and Jacob drew a lollipop. Usually I help him write the word under the picture, but today he went ahead and did it on his own because I was busy with Keilani. I was so impressed with his attempt! It's a bit hard to see with the computer scanner, but he wrote "lolepop." Not bad for a 3 year old, eh?

Baby #3 is a Rocker!

Today was my 12 week prenatal appointment. The NP, knowing I was anxious from the miscarriage, offered to bring in the ultrasound. Of course I was happy for a chance to see baby. So, here's the picture. The live feed was pretty funny, though. Baby was headbanging! So, all is well and baby should be arriving sometime around April 2!

Found!

I found my cord!! Here are some pics from our summer fun!
This one is Jacob watching the 4th of July parade.

You may also be interested to know that we are pregnant again and we have seen a healthy peanut baby picture! Baby is about 9 weeks along. We are praying for him or her to keep growing and stay healthy.

Long time, no see!

Sorry for the long gap in posts everyone. I will try to get back on track here. One big problem I have now is that I can't find my cord to upload my digital pictures. So this update is without pics. So our summer has obviously been busy. We tried to travel a bunch on our time off. Since our last post we went to Visalia, Paradise, and camped at Union Valley. We went to the State Fair and a Rivercats game.
Jacob starts back up to preschool this week- this year one of his buddies will be in his class. So he's very excited. He has been playing soccer and keeping active this summer- at times driving me a bit crazy with all his energy. He and his sister run around chasing each other all day. Jacob is continuing to progress with his learning. He is reading very basic phonics books, he can write his name and he likes to practice his letters. J can add objects and is pretty good at counting to 30.
Keilani is constantly on the move- running, climbing, and tackling. She is a feisty girl and she knows what she wants and doesn't want. She uses a lot of words and is really good at animal sounds. Her favorite word is no. Kei Kei likes to look at books, play with cars, and go down slides. She loves her brother and wants to do everything he does.
I'll try to get some pictures up soon!

AlOOOOOhaaaaa!

It's nice to be home, but Hawaii was AWESOME! (Sorry I couldn't get a post done at my mom's, but after typing it all up I lost my connection!) Here's the rundown:
Sunday: Hung out in San Francisco, went to the Bay Area Children's Museum, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and ate on Pier 39
Monday: Flew to Honolulu and then to Kona, hung out at the beach with the fam, drove south to my mom's
Tuesday: Stayed on mom's until p.m. naps and then we left for our 8th anniversary date night out, went to the Sheraton Keahou, ate a fabulous dinner on the rocks at the bay, . . .
Wednesday: Ate breakfast on our oceanfront lanai, 1 hour Lomi Lomi massage at the spa, submarine ride in Kona, met up with the kids at our hotel and played on the water slides, pool, and faux beach
Thursday: Went to the beach to Kayak, dinner at Huggos on the Rocks- in the rain
Friday: Ate lunch at Hard Rock in Kona, Drove to Waikoloa to visit the whole family for dinner celebrating my Grandpa's 75th birthday
Saturday: The Boys went fishing and caught 4 Ono and 4 Ahi Tuna, Tutu took me and the kids to a festival which included nonstop hula performances, water slides, and yummy food, joined the family for dinner at mom's house
Sunday: Flew to Honolulu, visited the aquarium, played in the pool, had dinner at Lulu's on the Waikiki strip, played on the beach with the kids, shopped a bit and enjoyed people watching
Monday: Flew home (with a sick baby- she threw up in the cab and twice on the plane) arrived home around midnight
Today we rested, unpacked, and cleaned up! Yay for our own beds! Enjoy the pictures!

Swim Lessons

Here's Jacob practicing his "rowers" and "kickers" at swim lessons.

Aloha!

Well, we're off to Hawaii to visit my momma. Jacob can't stand the wait any longer. Before nap today I told him we'd leave tomorrow and he said, "How about in 2 seconds?" He almost started crying yesterday when I told him it was still 2 days away. We should have some fun pictures to post and hopefully not any upsetting plane stories! Wish us luck!

One tough day

This morning was my last doctor's appointment. I was in the office for 2 hours waiting and trying to get a good scan. It took 2 doctors and 3 scans to finally get a good view of the baby. (Apparently some fibroids have been making it hard to get a good scan). The baby had again grown to measure about 7 weeks, but had no heartbeat. Before officially ending the pregnancy, the doctor wanted to confirm that there was no cardiac activity with the hospital grade ultrasound. After discussing options with my doctor, we decided to schedule a D & C procedure for this afternoon due to the doctor's schedule and with the thought of our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I had to rush over to the hospital to confirm there was no cardiac activity, pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, meet up with Jeff, and hurry back over to the doctor. The tough part about today was that it left little time to process everything. The procedure itself was yucky, but not terribly painful. I am recovering at home. Thank you friends for your support and prayers. Please continue to pray for my recovery and that we can moved forward as a family and of course get pregnant again soon! I am thankful for my God who carries me through all things.

Birthday Fun

Here's Keilani playing in the pool at her birthday party. She stayed in there for about an hour!

Keilani's Cupcake

Here's Keilani eating her birthday cupcake at her luau party!

Happy 1st Birthday Keilani!

Our beautiful, fun princess turned 1 year old today.
We celebrated with a big luau party on Saturday with lots and lots of friends. Keilani had fun carrying her balloons all around the house, eating pulehu ribs, playing in the pool, and of course her cupcake and presents! Thanks to all of you who came and made her birthday a blast!

Yesterday we dedicated Keilani at church along with 6 other babies. Daddy shared about her name (which means Heavenly leader in Hawaiian) and we committed to raising Keilani in a healthy environment and to teach her about Jesus. The cutest part was when Jacob begged for the microphone. He said, "I love my Keilani. Keilani is what we call her. And I'm Jacob." Sunday night Great Aunt Judy came over for dinner and Keilani opened her family gifts. She got lots of fun stuff!

Today we went to Fairytale Town with Aunt Janna. The kids had a great time. Keilani talked to the goat for a while, snorted at the pigs, went down lots of slides, and went on the Crooked Mile on Daddy's shoulders. We played more at home and had a pizza and more cupcakes.

Growth

Well, I had another ultrasound today and it seems the baby has grown about a weeks worth of growth and is now measuring about 6+ week's and the Doctor found a heartbeat. So, because some things don't quite add up yet, we are going to rescan again in 1 week. She said I still may miscarry, but if things look good in a week- she will consider it a normal pregnancy (but with a later due date). Medically they can't reconcile my dates with the size of the fetus so they would conclude that my dates are just off. I am so positive of all my dates, I must conclude that if the baby is healthy and growing next week that God has done a miracle! I will post an update again next week. Thanks for all your prayers and keep em coming!

Praying for a Miracle, but ready for the worst

Many of you are wondering what's going on since my last posts and nothing really is. I have had no symptoms of miscarriage at all. I feel the same as I did 2 weeks ago. On Sunday at church we read in Acts about how God can use healing and miracles. I am hoping and praying that he will do a miracle in me and grow this baby. I know he can, but I don't know that he will. I am fairly peaceful about the idea of trying again. I do have some anxiety about the pain and timing of a miscarriage. It's never easy to be sick with 2 kids. You can pray that God will perform a miracle if it's His will and that he will keep me safe, peaceful, and lessen the pain if it's not.
Keilani's big birthday is coming up this weekend. We are busy trying to prepare for that. I can't wait to post fun pictures and video of her big day! She is such a little spitfire girl. Daddy took the kids to the park yesterday and Keilani was catapulting herself down the big slides. She is a tough little cookie. She is full of joy and curiosity which means she's always busy, busy, busy! We love her so!

Update

We have some good news. The doctor had called early this morning to tell us that my HcG levels were actually quite high (48,000) which indicate that the pregnancy is probably as far along as we thought (almost 8 weeks). This meant that it was probably ectopic and in need of immediate attention because it could rupture at any time. The Dr. didn't want me to drive, eat, or drink anything. She scheduled a better ultrasound at the hospital at 11:30. We were blessed to have a good friend drop her plans with no notice to babysit- Thanks Jen!! The ultrasound technician wouldn't tell me anything or even let me see the screen which was a bit frustrating and anxiety causing. I finally got a hold of the doctor around 1pm. She told me that the ultrasound confirmed a pregnancy in the uterus- not in the tubes. This is a great relief and means no rupture, no surgery, and no affected fertility. The baby however is much smaller than it should be and there was no heartbeat. The doctor said there's a possiblity the pregnancy could progress, but most likely I will miscarry. For now it's just wait and see. Right now I'm feeling okay. A little dissapointed of course, but also very relieved at the same time. I am confident that God will keep me safe. I am greatful for the 2 kids I have and I am still hopeful that God will bless us with another in his time. Thanks to all for your support, prayers, emails, and calls. They have been a big help and I believe that God has answered prayers for safety. Please continue to pray as we move forward.

Sad News

Well, I was hoping to add a happy news post today, but we had a bad day. Today I had a first prenatal appointment with my doctor. I was hoping to come say that we are pregnant and everything is good, but it's not. When she did the ultrasound, nothing showed up. She was trying to be optimistic and said that my dates are probably wrong and it's just too early to see anything. But I'm pretty confident on the dates. She did find a cyst on my ovary- which happens every time you get pregnant, but nothing else. The bad news is that it is possibly an ectopic pregnancy which baby can not survive and is also dangerous for me. An ectopic (tubal) pregnancy can rupture at any time and cause a lot of pain and internal bleeding. So, they ran blood tests to check my HcG (hormone) levels and plan to check them again on Friday. If it is an ectopic pregnancy they may be able to treat me with Methotrexate which can help dissolve and flush out everything. If the baby has already grown too big or if the tube ruptures they will have to do surgery. Either way there may be some recovery time physically and emotionally. I am feeling a bit sad about loosing a baby, but I'm mostly just scared of having something rupture. Please pray for my safety and that God would use this for good. I remember the blessings I already enjoy- especially my first two babies who are beautiful and wonderful (and not so much babies anymore!)

Jacob Reading

Here's Jacob reading some words at 3 1/4 years old.

Toddle Toddle Toddle

Keilani Mei is a full time walker now. Here is a clip of her progress!

Keilani's Kazoo

Here's Keilani Mei tooting her horn!

Jacob's Spring Sing

Here's our little goofball singing at his first recital with First Covenant Preschool.

The class troublemaker

So last week Jacob performed in his first recital at First Covenant Preschool. It was adorable and hilarious. We discovered that Jacob is one of those kids that make us teachers sigh. During his performance he was squirrely and off-task; just being a complete goofball. At one point he was standing next to an even goofier boy in class and the teacher had to separate them. Isn't it just so appropriate for Jeff and I as classroom teachers to have that kid be OUR kid?!! Check him out by clicking on his video at the right!

Mother Bear

Today I was so scared. While at Chevy's on the River, the sweet Daddies offered to take the kids down to the river to see the Ducks. Jeff kindly took Jacob without complaint and I enjoyed a few minutes of peace to chat with the girls. But, the peace was shattered when I was told that Jacob was missing. I looked out the window to see Jeff in the parking lot with no Jacob in sight. This is when I became a mother bear. I passed Keilani off to another mom and ran downstairs in a panic. Jeff said Jacob ran up the stairs and when he reached the top Jacob was nowhere to be seen. I was frantic and screaming for Jacob. It was probably less than a minute before we were told he was found- upstairs looking for Mommy. In those few gut-wrenching seconds I managed to envision Jacob hit by a car, kidnapped, and drown in the river. The hormonal, raging mother bear in me came out- and Jeff got the brunt of it when I yelled that he was a bad father. My poor hubby who had been so sweet to take Jacob down to the river was repaid with my viscous words. I couldn't say sorry enough. I know he forgave me, but I also know that words cut to heart and aren't easily forgotten. I wish I could just rewind time and do it right, but I can't.

Keilani's on the Move!

Click on the video bar to the right to watch her go!

Waiting to breathe again.

I guess it comes with having two little ones, but can I get a breather please? *sigh* With a speed-crawler baby and a preschooler it seems like I barely have time to sleep anymore. Despite all this, yes I still want one more- so stop asking me already! It's exhausting, yes. It's frustrating at times. But it's all worth the precious kids that I have. They are wonderful and fun and I love them so much it hurts! Even though it will be an exhausting few years, it will be nice to have a big hussle-bussle family. I missed out on having brothers and sisters and I want my kids to have lots! They will not have any cousins their age either, so it's all up to us. We may be at our wits end a few times with 3 little Quayles, but in a few years it will calm down. I trust God to help us and keep us sane! Praise HIM for all our blessings now- and yet to come!

Goooooaaaal!

J scores a goal and runs a victory lap in our backyard.

Spring Break

I guess I'm a lame blogger- I haven't posted since before Jacob's birthday. Oh well. Jacob is now 3 and he started preschool which he loves. Keilani is saying a few words- Momma, Daddy, Bye Bye, Hi, Dog, No no no, and all done. She wants to walk/run, but isn't quite there. She can stand alone for a long time, so it will probably be soon. She will turn one on June 11.
Our family had a nice spring break week. We started it by going to the snow on Monday and out on Grandpa's boat on Tuesday. Gotta love CA! Jacob did 4 egg hunts and received 3 Easter baskets totalling 2 pounds of candy. Good thing he likes to brush his teeth! The kids and I visited Uncle Roger, Aunt Janet, Cousin Hayley, and G-ma this week. The kids both loved their puppies- I think we may need one too! ;) Jacob had a great time with Hayley playing chase, reading books together, and even digging for worms!
This summer should be a lot of fun with the kids. We look forward to swimming and going to Hawaii!

Am I three?

That's the question Jacob can't stop asking. Every day he wants to know if he's three yet. On the 20th I can finally say yes. It's amazing how fast the time flies. We have been busier than ever- we just spent 10 days with "Tutu," the kid's grandma who came in from Hawaii to visit. Tutu got to see Keilani's attempts at crawling and her first tooth. She was amazed at Jacob's computer abilities and she got to see him beginning to read simple short vowel words like box, cat, and cup. I have started homeschool preschool time with him 2 days a week. Next week we will host a toddler Valentine's party and the week after Jacob will have a "Cars" birthday party. Nonstop fun!

Holiday Exhaustion

Twas the day after New Years and all through the house were messes and toys and my dirty blouse. The children are nestled all snug in their beds after 3 wakings each mom and dad have lost their heads!
So, I guess we're in post-holiday downer land. The kids are both ill and Mommy too. Jacob has a sinus infection. Keilani and Faye both have ANOTHER cold virus. Both kids had fevers. Jacob is having persistent nightmares. And it seems like the house will never get tidy again between all the new toys, Christmas decor, and my lack of energy to clean. And tomorrow is back to work again.
On the up side, Jeff had a very successful New Years hot dogging in Roseville- I even joined him for the midnight countdown! And we did have a wonderful Christmas. Aunt Judy, G-ma and Poppy joined us at our home to celebrate Christmas Eve. Santa came Christmas morning and we sang Happy Bday to Jesus. Then we enjoyed seeing almost the entire Reese clan on Christmas night in Paradise. Jacob had an especially good time with cousin Joey and kept asking about him in the days following. Both kids love all their new toys and haven't been bored since! Thanks to all for all the Christmas love!

Daddy Time

Jacob and Keilani get to hang with Daddy tomorrow while I go to a wedding. It's funny how kids relate to their moms and dads differently. I realize that it's really important for a child to have both parents actively involved in their life. I listened in while Jeff gave Jacob his bath tonight. The way he plays with his dad is so different from the way he plays with me! Daddy's bathtime was much louder and more exciting than my bathtimes! In Jacob's words, "Daddy, you're the best!"

Joining In

Well, we have entered the world of blogging. So, this is a site dedicated to our family- Jeff, Faye, Jacob, and Keilani. What's going on with us?
Jeff is adjusting to his new jobs. He's found that hotdogging at the clubs downtown is the most lucrative. It can be quite tiring for a 30 year old however! (Jeff's bday was December 3rd!) He gets home around 3am. He's also working with students at Horizon Charter now too. He finds them to be less stressful, though still challenging than the classroom.
I (Faye) am just plugging along and trying to hold it all together each day. Trying to do anything with 2 young kids can bring one to tears. Despite the exhaustion, I do find little joys every day. Jacob is so funny and he always tells me, "Mommy, you're pretty" and "Mommy, I love you." That always melts my heart. Keilani is a crack-up too. She is already a strong-willed and decisive little girl.
Jacob will be 3 years old in February. He is SO smart-too smart oftentimes. He can recognize most of the capital letters and can tell you the sound they make. He has an amazing memory and he's very clever too. He is constantly amazing us with his reasoning skills. Jacob loves to dance and be the center of attention. He is easily frustrated and overly dramatic. He likes to be the leader. He uses the potty (no more diapers!) and likes to hang out in his undies. His favorite things right now are: the color green, Lighting McQueen (from the movie Cars), pirates, chasing, hide-and-seek, dancing, coloring, and drawing with pens (he likes to make letters and can even make a face complete with eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair!)
Keilani just turned 6 months old. She just started sitting up in the last few days. She has also discovered that if she rolls over a few times she can move across the room. She loves to scream and sometimes scares other babies with her squeals of glee. Jacob makes her giggle the most. She's eating lots of foods now- her favorites are sweet potatoes and applesauce. She doesn't like peaches and she lets me know. She doesn't like being in the carseat and she lets me know that too. She loves her little soft purple blanket at bedtime- she put it on her face and leaves it there to sleep. It scared me the first few times to see her lying face up with her face hidden by blanket. She's not too big on bottles and as a result has been coming with us on dates because we can't really leave her to scream her head off. She is decisive! She also has a trick of looking horribly ill when she cries for long- her skin is so fair and sensitive that she gets red splotches all around her eyes. She is our little princess and we love her so!
We all look forward to a fun and crazy Christmas!