Sweet boys

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We have some very sweet people in our lives & we are so thankful!
Mom & Dad, Thank you for getting in the car & being here for the boys right away. For dropping everything to care for us! I love that I idnt have my bags packed for the hospital, but you guys had your bags packed to come when baby did. We love you! Thank you!
Tamsyn, Thank you for being there & being so willing to care for my boys..even if it meant leaving your own sweet girls at home. You are such a great friend! I am mad at you for folding my laundry...but I love that you were looking for ways to help us. We love you & your family!
Joe & abby, Thank you for skipping class to watch our boys all afternoon. Thank you for making sure tehy were napped up, warm, happy & having fun. Thank you for going out of your way to buy them grapes & get dish washer detergent for me...which I had completely run out of. Those little gestures mean so much to us. Thank you for taking our runny nose little angels out to eat. I know they loved it!
Laura, Thank you for letting me fall into 100 pieces & listening with such love. Im so glad to have you as a friend. Im still not sure how you do 3...but maybe you could teach me.
Rod (i kept my favorite for last!), Where do I begin? Thank you for holding my hand! Thank you for keeping your eyes locked on mine, they read such calm & comfort when everything else around me is going too fast. Thank you for being my greatest support & friend. Thank you for our children & our eternal marriage. I thank you for loving me, for making me laugh & smile each day. I could not have survived this crazy week of surprises without your love and embraces.
Thank you to all the sweet people in our lives who pray for us & check up on us! We are so blessed!

The madness surrounding Maddox

I cannot even believe that Maddox is here in our home. I was nearly certain that this little boy would be late...never did I think Early! Not even after 7 hours of active labor contractions Monday morning. This week has been absolutely hectic. I don’t want to forget any of it so I’m glad I have this venue to remember it all.
Im gonna go ahead & start on Friday Morning.
Friday morning the boys were up early (which is 5am in our house) & so I put Tre’s school uniform on him, made breakfast & we snuggled in to watch a few noggin shows before school started. It had snowed the night before so the roads were slick & the house was freezing! I checked the local news for cancelations…but nothing for Tre’s school. I was disappointed. I thought it would be so fun to have his first “snow day.” 8 rolled around so I pulled the car to the front of the house & let it run to heat it up. I piled the boys into the car with jackets, back pack, hats & snack. When we pulled up to the school…what did we see…NO ONE! Yay! So Tre did end up having his first snow day after all. We had planned a play date for that day after Tre got out of school. I had some things to get for the play date. I decided to go straight to the store from the school then head home. When we got to the store Tre was his normal self asking for a new match box car..so of course that was our first stop in the store. As we crossed off items on my list I noticed Tre was looking a bit pale. When I went to give him a snuggle he was on FIRE! Just warm as could be. We finished up real fast & checked out. Before leaving Tre had to make a quick run to the potty…and that’s when the flu hit! Except I thought it was something he had eaten. I did not suspect the flu at all. We went home and I pondered canceling the playdate as I emptied the grocery bags. Tre said he felt fine so I made a little bed on the sofa for him to rest. Britt went down for his nap & the afternoon carried on as usual. Tre’s temperature went down & again I assumed it was simply something he ate. The finkleas & the whitings came over to play around 1pm & then the Daddies joined us all & we had cake and a song for Austin’s birthday. The adults then got all the kids ready to go and we all climbed into our cars to go to Joe’s house to shoot guns... I was NOT thrilled with the idea only because Tre was starting to wilt & his temperature was back up. Just in case I brought a bright yellow sand pale with us. Im so glad I did…it was 20 minuets into our venture out & Tre was sick sick SICK! We headed home & got the boys cleaned up & put to bed. We hoped & prayed that Tre would feel better.
Which Brings us to Saturday.
Saturday Morning I awoke at 4am to start getting myself & all the sclater guys ready for the ward temple trip. The trip would require us to spend 8 hours in the car. I went to feel Tre’s head first before getting showered & ready. I snuck to Tre’s bedside & the boy was burning up. So I went to Rod, we talked about it, prayed about it & then made the decision to stay home. Saturday we just gave Tre extra love & cuddles. Britt colored & caused chaos. It was a good day, but we were disappointed that we missed the temple trip.
Which brings us to 12:34am Sunday morning…when it all starts going DOWN HILL!
I awoke feeling 100% AWFUL! I grabbed a pillow & went to distract myself with whatever was on TLC. Not 20 minuets later Rod was out on the couch with me feeling just plain pitiful too. From that point on we each fell apart. I knew that 5am was going to come soon & Britton would be calling out to get up. Between sprints to the bathroom I pleaded that Heavenly Father would PLEASE help me have the strength to care for the boys knowing that Rod was worse then I was. I prayed & prayed that I would be able to settle my tummy & care for sick Tre, Sicker Rod & our mischievous Britt. My prayers were answered, I still felt my worst in a long time, but I was able to walk a straight line, and pour OJ. The boys were particularly understanding & sweet. We all were ready for bedtime when it came. Needless to say we had to miss church & stayed in our jammies all day hoping for the yuckies to pass.
Now the real Fun begins… Monday Morning.
I had not slept well at all. The boys were fussy with runny noses and coughs. I was worried about Rod & I myself was still incredibly sick & feeling not quite right. I awoke at 3:45am with “cramping.” I grabbed my book & went to read a little to distract me from the discomfort (okay…pain.) One by one my boys awoke. Britt at 5, Tre at 6:30 and Rod at 7. Rod is extremely anxious when it comes to class attendance. He never misses class, but opted to miss the day and catch up over the holiday. He was still sick & miserable, & he could tell that sunday had warn me out as I had taken 100% charge of caring for our sick family while also being just as sick as the rest of them. By 8am I was buckling over. I started to think…maybe this is labor, but doubting it as I still had 2 plus weeks of pregnancy according to my doctor. But still the thought that maybe this is it sent me in a full blown nesting frenzy! Between “cramping” I mopped the floors, did laundry, emptied dishwasher, cleaned bathrooms. Washed sheets, took trash out, vacuumed & made beds etc… By 9:45 Rod had seen enough of me hitting my knees each time a wave of pain came. He told me to call my parents (who had plans to come to our rescue when baby came…they are only 4 and ½ hours away.) and give them a heads up & then he took charge! He told me to take a shower & get ready. He called my Drs office & started to chart my “cramping.” At this point we both were certain how the day would end..but I still was thinking…”not today..please not today, im too sick, the boys are sick, rod is sick. NOT TODAY!” I called tamsyn, our sweet friend and she came over to watch the boys & give them love. We took off to the hospital. I was hooked up to the monitor & low and behold…my CONTRACTIONS (not cramps) were off the chart. I had already accomplished 8 hours of labor at home. I was ½ way there. I was admitted & Rod made plans for Tamsyn to be relieved so she could go back to her own little family, and for our friend Joe & his girlfriend Abby to take her place. The boys were well cared for which made the day a bit easier. I was super dehydrated after Sundays happenings so they had to get lots of IV fluid in before any pain relief could be considered. Ill spare all the details but of my 3 sweet boys this pregnancy was by far the easiest, but the labor was the WORST! My labor slowed down a little shy of the push stage so they turned off my epidural. I experienced labor in its fullness…and let me say…I cried like I have never cried before! But in the end sweet baby Maddox was in my arms, Healthy, strong & BEAUTIFUL! We were elated! We still are!
When I reflect on the days I noted here I see our Father in Heaven’s hands in our lives. Although the flu was awful, we were forced to stay home from our weekend to Nashville…which was good considering the approaching birth of our sweet baby, I also feel so blessed that Rod was home to take me to the hospital. He will tell you that I probably would not have called him even when the pain reached unbearable had he been at class. So I am grateful for the awful terrible, no good flu & how it insured that we were near our hospital, doctor & friends who could care for our boys. So here we find our selves with another son sooner then anticipated, we are still trying to find our bearings, and we are still trying to shake the flu…but we are smiling & learning & growing closer together!

Sweet Baby Maddox William Sclater

It's a Boy!!!

This is my first time blogging, so I hope I am doing it right! After a tough weekend at home we found the sweetest little light at the end of the tunnel. At 4:04 this afternoon my blushing bride gave birth to a 7 lb 5 oz, 22" bundle of joy. (He arrived a few weeks ahead of schedule for those of you looking at the countdown calendar and doing the math.) Both Jenn and the little fella are resting and well and might be able to come home tomorrow! I would post pictures now but I don't know how. Here's to hoping that all of you in bloggerland can forgive my ignorance. Jenn will post an update as soon as she gets the chance with pictures and details of the blessing that was our day. I love her so dang much...

Sclater Sick-os

We Sclaters could sure use a team of personal

We have been hit hard by some yucky bug & are all doing our best to hold this home together. We have been blessed that this is only the first time that both Mommy & Daddy are super sick at the same time. Rod NEVER misses class...I mean NEVER...but is staying home today after the "worst day of my life" as he puts it. We are still all feeling pretty yucky, but yesterday was by far the worst. We are hoping and hoping that we will all feel better before baby arrives. So say a little prayer that these contractions are just warm up ones & that baby stays inside atleast till December 1st...although I wouldnt mind a lil' longer so My mom will be here & settled in. Today I am going to pull it together & disinfect, wash & pump vitamin C into my family. Again...if you think of it say a lil' prayer that our little boy stays warm inside for a bit longer. We sure arent ready after this bug.

Lazy Saturday

Last night Rod & I got everything ready for the temple and the drive & then we prayed that we would receive a definitive answer as to whether or not to make the trip to Nashville. Our answer came at 12:03am. Tre was blazing hot & sick as could be. He snuggled in bed with us till 3am when he woke again...still with a fever. at 4am Britt woke for a quick fuss, so I figured It was time to check on Tre to make a final decision about the trip. I put my hands on his forehead & sure enough he was still very warm. So I settled both boys back into sleep. I had set my alarm for 4:15am to get ready for the long day to Nashville. I woke up Rod & we pondered what we should do. As much as we wanted to go, we knew it would just be too unfair to Tre. So we snuggled back into bed. We all slept till 7am (a rare occasion in out home!!!) When Tre woke up he said he felt good, the fever was gone & so Rod & I began to question our decision. So much so that we dashed to get showers going & planned on how to get out of the house in 15 minuets. After a quick minuet & some easy math we figured we wouldn't even get their in time to get into the session with the ward which would leave us with no one to watch the kids. So again, disappointed, we settled into the idea of a lazy Saturday at home to care for Tre. All morning I questioned our decision...until about 10:30am when the fever hit again & miserable Tre was white all over. Things have not changed much since. Hes just feeling yucky & sick. So although we were really disappointed that we were not able to go to temple, we are so GRATEFUL that we did NOT go & put our little boy through such a long day! We would be in the car right now starting the 4+ hour trip back. Instead he is snuggled up with his mommy (who is typing. ha) and a blanket watching Christmas movies and trying to drink some liquids. Thankgoodness we stuck around the house after all!

Snow Day

So by the end of the day our Tre was miserable! You couldn't help but feel bad for the little guy, he was ghostly white & his belly just wouldn't let him rest, he was warm, but cold & just sad as can be. Hugs & Kisses helped a bit & we are hoping a good nights sleep will do the trick. We are praying he feels better tomorrow because we love him, but also because our ward temple trip is tomorrow. It is a 4 hour trek to Nashville & it may be our last time for a bit as we are quickly approaching baby's arrival. The young women are traveling to Nashville as well to watch all the little ones across the street at the stake building. I know our kids would have so much fun playing in the nursery with their friends while Rod & I are able to attend the temple. We have a lot of decisions to make right now regarding rotations, & moving or staying put. There is no better place to find peace & clarity then the Lord's Holy Temple...so for these reasons we really hope to be heading that way at 6am tomorrow morning.

Tonight we are hoping & praying the boys will awake happy & well. Especially our little Tre.

Wordless Wednesday

Little Craig all grown up

Congratulations Craig! We are so proud of my little..okay so hes not so little...cousin Craig. I don't talk military so bare with me. Craig applied for an extremely EXTREMELY competitive position in the Army...and of a gazillion applicants he was one of the select few chosen. Which does NOT surprise Rod & I in the least...because lets face it...everyone loves Craigie! He spent the summer in Africa & has been studying at Belmont University in Nashville. He has been busy busy! He will be off to Alabama & at some point ( I still am not 100% filled in..as Rod got to talk to him about the great news) he will be flying helicopters. Could it get any cooler?! I think not! We love you Craig!
(as a side: I love this picture. Craig wanted NOTHING to do with holding Britt. He was so nervous, but I just had to catch a picture of the two of them together even at the expense of Craig's comfort zone! It was just too funny...for me atleast!)

Ward Confrence

Today was ward conference. I was touched by each talk & each testimony. The one that stands out the most was our stake president's talk. What an inspired man. He addressed how we can stay afloat in these difficult economic times. Heaven knows Rod & I are really struggling. But its not something we did not anticipate. We realized fully that medical school with two children & the desire for more children..a lot more...would put much strain on our wallet. We were blessed enough to find an incredibly low mortgage & car payment. We have been able to make payments each month by the sheer grace of God. I don't know how we make our tiny numbers work, but we are blessed each month with a home, food, and all our necessities plus some. Our families help how they can & we are truly grateful. Medical school has definitely been our biggest challenge so far, & we are surviving. The topic of how to financially survive is very applicable for our family so we both listened very closely. Our stake president counseled us to pay our tithing fully & honestly, to fast & pray. He counseled us to use all our resources, reuse, use up, wear it out. He challenged us to find ways to make things last longer in our homes or find new purpose. make a quilt from old clothes, reuse baby items, etc. He also counseled us, as prophets and general leaders have that we should do all we can to stay out of debt with the understanding that both a home & education are sometimes the exception to the rule. Our car lease is up in 2 weeks, and the payment was as low as you can get. We have been looking & looking for a car with a similar payment that would Carry all 5 of us sclaters. Its been a challenge, but also a major learning experience for Rod & I. I am a rather backwards thinker. I truly appreciate the opportunity to be humbled. It hurts, but even when it hurts I am happy that I am learning & being stretched. This car situation will most likely end up a very humbling experience. Today's talk from President cruz encouraged Rod & I once again to think, think, think & pray, pray, pray about any financial choices. I feel so blessed to have been reminded of these important ways to live our lives so to best keep our families secure financially & spiritually. I have been worrying a lot with the new baby coming, but after conference & after Rod giving me a little pep talk I reminded that NEVER once have we been left alone, & without. We have been blessed in every way & every need has been met one way or another. Our Father in Heaven loves us, & we are so grateful...even when times are hard we are always taken care of.

Playing at the Finkleas!

Laura had us girls and all our crazy brood out to her home in Virginia today. I for one LOVE going to laura's house. She has such a talent for making her home warm & inviting. Theres nothing like walking into a friends home & feeling the same spirit you feel in your own home in there...did that make any sense at all?! Simply put...We feel Happy there! The boys have so much fun with the toys and the children & always the treats. Today's was a DELICIOUS brownie with Hershey CHOCOLATE BARS...yes CHOCOLATE BARS in the middle. can you say new favorite treat ever?! Us girls ate lunch together & the kids had a lil' picnic with noodles & fruit. Britt was his usual mischievous self getting into evetyones business. Payton was coloring and britt just went ahead and took a seat on her coloring book rubbing his bottom all over her art. then he figured that wasn't enough...he hsould fully lay down on her coloring book. Sweet Payton was such a trooper, so patient. You can tell she has 2 brothers of her own! The kids wrestled and played nap time (too bad they really didnt nap. ha) they watched a movie with talking dogs...my boys LOVE dogs!! Oh geez..if only you knew how much they love dogs! Britton was barking at the TV. Laura played a game of Simon says with the kids & it was precious to watch. I love that my kids love & listen to Laura. In my opinion there werent any major melt downs...Tamsyn & Laura may see it differently. We had fun. Rod was able to sneak into the early lab group and caught a ride out to the Finklea home with Austin. The kids get so excited when the daddies come home. We visited for a few moments more and then drove home. It was a blast!...Too bad I FORGOT MY CAMERA! Darn it!!!

Not so Wordless Wednesday

Laura & her cuties, and Tamsyn & her pretty girls came over to play today. It was a lot of fun. I love having friends over! I love that the house is so busy. Its always such an adjustment after all the little ones leave. The house feels so empty. I know the boys are always sad to see everyone go at the end of a play date. We sure love these guys!