Birth #4 (the plan)

I figured I should blog about how I envision the birth of baby #4 since it supposedly will happen a little differently than in the past and even though I never know for sure how it will turn out, this one seems even more different.  All three previous births have been within 2 days of the due date, all natural labors, and all vaginal deliveries.  Hooray!!!  The problem is that the time it takes has been halving each time.  12 hours, 6 hours, 3 hours...and 1.5 hours just won't cut it especially since we are 45 min. away from the hospital and barely made it with Mikey as it was.  Therefore enter new plan.  My doctor mentioned this plan right after Michael's birth and I have been holding on to it ever since.  I discussed it with her again last week.  The plan is to induce labor sometime in week 39 as to avoid not making it to the hospital.  I am in favor of this plan for several reasons.  The first is that I will not have to worry about not making it to the hospital!  I was a panicking mess with Michael.  Think TV drama births!  It hurt and was scary.  It all turned out okay in the end however:)  My second reason is that I am a planner and if I can know ahead of time when this will all take place I would love that.  I will have my bags packed, the baby things ready, my hair washed, etc.  I will be prepared.  The third reason is that I plan to have an epidural.  I had one with my first and it was lovely.  I had one with my second, but I think it ended up not mattering much because it wasn't quite enough time to really take effect.  I did NOT have one with my third (hence the TV drama screaming!).  This time even if the labor is longer or harder I will not feel it!  OK, so three good reasons for this plan:  the baby will be born at the hospital, I will be able to plan this event, and I will get an epidural.  What could go wrong?!  Well, I have two basic fears when it comes to this plan.  Even though my doctor assured me that I would not be induced unless "conditions are favorable" I worry number one that I might end up having to have a c-section which would just really be disappointing.  And I worry that the baby will be ready and as healthy as he should be.  So I have high hopes for this birthing process...but a few reservations as well.  Stay tuned to see how it all turns out.

P.S.  I thought I was going into labor this morning...so who knows what will really happen!

Mikey Turns 2!

So our little Mikey turned 2 last Thursday.  I can't believe it has been two years since that mad rush to the hospital and...I'll spare you the rest of the details!  I had an ob appointment that day for baby #4 and just am hoping this next one goes much smoother.  Not that I can complain too much.  I quickly had a healthy happy baby boy who has been on the go ever since.  

Mikey LOVES him some Elmo, hence the cake!  He also loves him some frosting.  Really he is a great eater, the best we have right now, don't know how long that will last.  He is still in the highchair at 2 even though big brother and big sister were not.  I don't know if it's cause he's the baby or if he really is that much messier.  

Mikey is really starting to talk more and more each day and it is fun to see what he comes up with and to finally understand some of the babble.  Last night he was saying, "Mom, whe ar oooo?"  He is still quite a pest to Jude and Cora, but starting to play a little "nicer" and starting to be able to use his little imagination which is fun.  He still has some bleach blond hair and very blue eyes and pale skin.  Just about like sister.  We are wondering what this next baby will bring into the mix!  Mikey has no clue what is coming so it will be fun to watch him become a big brother.  Although he has gotten used to having two other littler ones around during the day and doesn't hesitate to remind them that he is bigger than they are.  He still likes baby dolls, although recently he has started to like cars and trucks just a little more.  I would still say right now wandering around the house and making messes wherever he can still tops his list of things to do.  He likes to play outside with Cora and Jude and it is nice to have those two to play with him and take care of him outside.  Jude can even get him out of his crib in the mornings on the weekend which is nice.  They will all troop down the stairs and either turn on the TV or find the ipads while Gil and I get a few extra minutes of shut eye (that is all about to change in a few weeks however...so don't get too jealous!).  He is quite the boy and doesn't let himself get left out or left behind too much, but I will say he really enjoys Wednesday nights when Jude and Cora are at Awana and he gets all the toys and all of mom and dad's attention to himself!

We love you sweet Michael Johnnie!  

Fall 2014

Oh my.  It's happened again!  I completely skipped a month of blogging.  In fact it's been almost 2 months.  Whooops!  I guess this time my excuse is that I have given up blogging and even reading to concentrate on other endeavors for a bit.  This time it has been photography, quilting, and Thanksgiving/Family/Christmas!  I took some killer pics of the kids in October and have been practicing my editing skills via Picasa.  You're welcome for the Christmas card by the way (can you believe I actually sent one?!?!).  I have also been attempting to complete Mikey's baby quilt (can you say finally?) by Christmas.  It is not looking like I will make that goal either (previous goals include his birth, the summer, his first birthday...then I gave up!)...but I am hoping while Gil is in Honduras in January that that might just get it done.  So 2nd birhday....not bad for the third kid right?!?  That will free me up to learn to crochet so I can complete 4th baby's blanket by...at least the 3rd birthday!  Also, Christmas.  It seems that it takes up so much time these days, what with kids and all.  Plus my sister Alissa came back from Hawaii in November for 3 weeks and we had 2 Thanksgivings, a Thanksmas, my family's Christmas weekend at a waterpark resort.  All that with the cooking and cleaning and getting the tree and putting up stuff and ordering gifts and shopping for gifts and wrapping the gifts and making the gifts.  You get it.  So I guess we have been busy which is nice.

Yesterday Gil's sister came from Alaska with 2 young children and no husband (he is coming in a few days).  Yikes, I know.  But we are totally excited about seeing them today or tomorrow!  Jude has his last day of school tomorrow with an early dismissal and a community coffee in the morning where they are going to sing their Christmas songs.  Then the Christmas concert is Friday night after being postponed due to a bad weather day on Monday.  Saturday we are off to Missouri to celebrate with the Buhmans and then to CB for a few days to spend more time with the Ridenours.  We will be home for Christmas morning which I so love as that is where I always was Christmas morning growing up.  And after Grandma Mary Lou's that night we are pretty much done with family things.  It will be nice to have the week after Christmas to rest and recuperate as Gil will be leaving for Honduras again of course shortly.  That is the black lining of the Holidays for me.  Looking "forward" to two whole weeks alone with kids.  I don't know how people do it!

Oh, I should probably also mention that I am now I believe somewhere close to the third trimester.  Almost 27 weeks I think.  Anyway I am getting huge and my feet and back ache, but I don't take pregnancy selfies anymore.  Sorry, I know you were hoping for one!

Here are some pics as our signs of life this fall!

Our kids are cute aren't they?  The first ones are all from my photo shoot that I did alone mind you.
Gil was helping harvest that day.

The "little" tree in the kitchen.

The "BIG" tree in the living room.  We opted to go to a tree farm in West Point instead of Missouri Valley this year (on the absolute coldest day of the year!) to save some time and gas...but we did pay about $100 more for these babies.  Yeah...

this girl...

Her name is Cora.  We have been spending quite a bit of time together lately and I just feel that it is time to record her wacky ways once again.

Here is a top 20 list of "Cora Quirks"
1.  She loves her owl hat and/or any other accessory she can find to add to her ansaumble
2.  She will not wear anything I pick out for her even if it is her favorite outfit.  She must pick.  And let me tell ya...it's not always pretty!
3.  She is very opinionated with the way things look.  "I do like you're hair mom, but I don't like your pants."
4.  She wants just a little binit (bit/minute) of something to eat
5.  She likes the same songs every bedtime:  Away in a Manger, You are my Sunshine, Jesus Loves Me, and Jesus Loves the Little Children
6.  She is a picky eater.  Won't eat hamburgers or hotdogs, but LOVES plain chicken dipped in ketchup. 
7.  She is still obsessed with Frozen and will be nothing but Elsa for Halloween
8.  She likes to tell stories that never end (and often don't make sense)...and...and...and...and...
9.  She is very touchy and just can't. keep. her. hands. off!
10.  She likes all things girly and carries around all of her girly things (anything pink or purple mainly) in a basket or bag
11.  Attending Cubbies (Awana church program) is the highlight of her week.
12.  She loves to paint and color.  Purple is her favorite crayon!
13.  She wants to paint a rainbow when she grows up.  That will be her occupation.
14.  She also desires lots of animals including a purple cat and sheep.
15.  She loves watching Caillou on the ipad.
16.  She learned how to pump a couple weeks ago and could go forever on a swing now.
17.  She loves helping with the babies
18.  She only wants to wear her hair down with a headband or in a side braid (like Elsa!)
19.  She starts all stories or comments with "You remember..."
20.  Everything that happened in the past was last night.

Some infinities are bigger than other infinities

 

As I stated in a previous post I have a new job. AKA I quit my job.  Now I am full time mommy and even get a couple extras to tag along with us on our days.  I am glad that I waited a while before writing about it.  I think I have a new perspective than I did right at first.  At first, like all firsts, I was a little panicked and unsure of myself and wondering what I had done.  Now that I am about six weeks in or so I have gotten used to it as I knew I would.  I can see the benefits more clearly (although I do admit there are still costs).  The number one benefit is pictured above.  These three sweeties/monsters.  It is incredible how much you can love someone who can also drive you so--to use Jude's phrase--"up a nut!"  I guess that is family for you:) 

 

The place for a mom of young children is complicated to say the least.  I am not going to get into a which is better discussion because I have no idea and I don't think there is an answer. But when I was teaching I always felt a little out of place, like I shouldn't be there.  I felt like I was missing out on being home.  But it is something you don't know how you'll feel until you're there.  So now I'm here.  And I still have that feeling.  Like I should be doing more, making more money, being more busy.  There is always a feeling I guess because after you have kids you are not just you.  You are you plus the little guys/gals (not to mention husband!).  You are plural.  You long to be apart from and with them all at once!

 

I have had four great pieces of advice/words of wisdom that have really impacted me in my new job recently.  1.)  My OBGYN asked about the kids one day and I mentioned how they are super loud and fight constantly.  She has four kids herself and replied something like, "sounds about right, that's how we show love in a family".  That made me feel so much better that day.  Like I wasn't failing (and *might* not go insane) because my kids are loud and fight.  It's just love people!  2.) I read an article by a woman who was describing her two jobs.  One was a psychologist and one was a mother.  She referred to her children as demonic angels or something like that and I could totally relate.  She also mentioned which job was more difficult.  I will let you figure that out!  3.)  I read another article in which the author (a stay at home mom) described her revelation that her occupation was a luxury for her spouse and how much it positively impacted him.  That also gave me a boost.  4.)  Finally I just finished the book 'A Fault in Our Stars' which I sort of liked but probably wouldn't recommend.  Anyway there was a quote, probably a theme, that I did really enjoy.  It was that some infinities are bigger than other infinities.  That doesn't make any sense.  But the book related it to times in our lives.  Moments, even, that impact us 'forever.'  I could relate to this when thinking about the time in my life of having small children.  I have been a mom of babies/small children now for five years.  That is not a huge big time compared to the 32 years I have been living.  But honestly it feels a little like infinity.  Like it will never end...but it will.  Shortly.  And it will impact me forever.  So it is a small infinity.  Even though some days themselves feel like infinities, these diapers and naptimes and books and toys all over the house and screaming and crying and laughing and fighting, will all come to an end for me in my house. 

 

So I have decided that I am going to enjoy this short infinity as much as possible.  I don't know who first said this phrase, but I completely agree, "The days are long, but the years are short."  Eventually I will go back to work outside my home and have another infinity there, but right now I am in the middle of an infinity here and I am thankful for our little infinity.  It will be a "forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."

food cravings and aversions...mostly cravings!

Here I am at 12.5 weeks.  Maybe it's 13.5...I don't know, I've done this a few times now so whatever!  I have been on the up and up now for about a week as far as the blaaahhhh (picture me making a sick face and sticking my tongue out...only way I can describe it!) feelings of the beginning of pregnancy go, so before I'm in the this-is-the-best-I've-ever-felt-in-my-life feeling kicks in (also known as the approximately two week long period where you feel great since you've been feeling blaaaahh for the past three months and before the I'm-so-big-and-uncomfortable-I-just-want-to-lay-on-the-couch-and-watch-tv-while-eating-icecream-with-someone-rubbing-my-feet period which will last for the next approximately six months), I wanted to record what this feeling has been like this time around. 

I. Need. To. Eat.  That pretty much sums most of it up.  In the morning I eat usually cereal.  And while I'm eating I feel great.  But then I get done and realize it was too sweet.  Yuck.  Can't be having anything too sweet these days.  That includes chocolate.  I normally love chocolate.  If I'm feeling aversions to chocolate something has to be up.  In this case it is a fetus also known as a tiny crazy monster out to make eating food a major and unending chore.  Gil got a chocolate mousse cheesecake a few weeks ago and I could only take one bite.  He didn't mind...

Ok.  Breakfast done.  10 am arrives.  I'm STARVING!!!  Like I must have forgotten to eat the last five meals or something hungry.  I begin each pregnancy with this optimistic thought:  "This time I will only gain 25 pounds and will have self-control."  "Hahahaha," says tiny crazy monster living in my uterus, We'll see about that!  EAT!"  So what can I do?  I open the bag of potato chips and chow down.  Tiny crazy monster prefers lots of sodium!  Luckily the monster will tolerate sweets as long as they come from fruit.  So yeah, healthy option!  It's just that cutting an apple and opening chip bag are not on the same level of difficulty!  Peanuts and peanut butter have been a favorite this time.  This week I've been hooked on ants on a log...YUM!  Food-food is also delicious and meal time is chow down time!  This might mean that I've been cooking better, like as in more real meals, not healthier ones. 

I have also been more indulgent this time.  Like forget about the 25 pound rule.  I don't care.  Bring it on.  I need to eat and right now and potato oles and a smoothie is the only thing that will do so I will drive there and buy that for myself right now thank.you.very.much!

Here are some yums:
motzerella sticks
anything blueberry (for each pregnancy, weird!)
peanuts/peanut butter
apples (especially with caramel), any fruit really
orange juice
sausage
lasagna
salad (varying dressings depending on the moment)
Oh, I had shrimp and lobster alfredo from a restaurant last week.  Double YUM!
chips, especially potato sour cream and onion
Gatorade
Pizza
potato oles
Yogurt smoothies
Chinese

Here are some yucks:
Chocolate
...see mostly cravings!

Well, here's to not gaining 100 pounds this time around:)  Cheers!  (I'm gonna go have a snack...it's two thirty and I'm SOOOO HUNGRY!).

Summer 2014

Summer is once again over...sort of...Jude went off for his first day of school last Thursday (kindergarten!), but I did not.  I have decided to take a few years off of teaching and stay home with my kiddos plus a few extras.  I have also decided not to determine how I am "feeling" about this choice for at least a month as I am not one to adjust well to change and I know it will take a while to get into a groove and schedule and make this the new normal. I will have Cora (hopefully my big helper), Mikey (currently a terror on two toddler legs), a current 9 month old, and soon a six week old.  So I think I should be kept rather busy!?!?!

But back to summer.  It was another good one and we sent it off yesterday with a visit to the zoo which was a total blast and all the kids LOVED it.  Thanks for coming along John, Carolyn, and Brittany!

Here are a few more highlights:

beautiful lillies

I painted a barn quilt!

did a little fishing and had a boondocks party

got on the boat only once

Jude painted a "redwood" cross for Gil

lots of cousin time and fun at the fair

I painted my kitchen table and chairs!

Jude played tee ball and took swimming lessons

Jude showed his bucket calf ("Mikey calf") at the fair

Jude went to kindergarten!

And came home on the bus!

And we had a fun day at the zoo...