Rolling Right Along

Today this cute little boy hit a milestone.

He rolled over.

He's been rolling onto his side for about two weeks now, but tonight, as Kylie, Josh and I were wrapping presents, he decided that he was bored with looking up at the cute little things hanging down from his play mat and rolled himself over to see what was on the bottom. The kids and I immediately started cheering for him and he quickly got a weird look on his face like "what the heck are you making so much noise for?"

Kylie and Josh both rolled over between 4 and 5 months. Ryan is not even 3 months yet...maybe he'll be our little one that is early with the motor skills. Think we're in trouble?

On another note, Ryan was wearing a 6 - 9 month Christmas outfit today that Josh wore for Christmas. However, Josh was born a full 3 months earlier in the year than Ryan.

Do you think he eats a lot?

I'm A Very Lucky Girl...

My little Ry-Ry is being such a good baby! A lot of times I'm able to lay him down in his bed and he'll fall asleep, he smiles at me a lot, and at the young age of 12 weeks he's even trying to sit up!

And for the last 5 nights he has slept through the night. And I mean really slept...I mean 8+ hours!!!

Now I know this is probably temporary (I've never, ever had kids sleep through the night before turning 1), but I'm definitely enjoying it while it lasts!

Pictures...Sort of...

I forgot the memory card again. But my in-laws have updated pictures of their night and day with the kids, so I'll send you over there :)

http://www.thestickels.blogspot.com/

The first two sets of pictures are of my nephew and niece. Kylie, Josh and Ryan are the last set.

Have fun browsing :)

Crazy Night!

OK, so I don't have my Thanksgiving pictures yet, so maybe tomorrow?

Last night after work I picked my dad up from the airport (he and my mom were in Vegas...lucky dogs). I dropped him off at home and headed out to grocery shop (which I despise, but thankfully I was able to take my time and not forget things since I was by myself). As I was checking out my dad called and asked me if I wanted to go to dinner. This is very strange because he HATES going out to eat. So I loaded up my car and headed down to Olive Garden (one of the few places he likes).

We had a great dinner. I don't know if I've ever had dinner with just my dad. Afterwards we said good-bye because he was heading home. I waited until he got going and then took off. At the light we started to go our separate ways and then I saw that he had gotten out of his truck and the lights were off. His truck had died. Thankfully it started up again and we headed to the auto store. He was OK as long as he didn't stop! At the auto store they gave him a new battery and that fixed the problem, thank goodness!

He headed home and I headed to my house to put groceries away. By now it was 9:30, and John and the kids came home and after saying "hello" they got ready for bed. Little Ryan and I hung out for a short time before I needed to get to bed.

John wasn't feeling well so I took Ryan up to bed with me hoping that he would lay with me in bed and eventually fall asleep. I laid him in his bassinet with the vibrate on (he LOVES that) and got ready for bed. By the time I was ready he was fast asleep! He went to sleep on his own! I hope we can make a habit of that! He made me even happier by sleeping all the way until the time I needed to get up, so I got another straight 6 1/2 hours of sleep!

I'm jealous because John's home with the kids right now...I hope tonight is not too crazy and I'm able to spend some time with them!

Back At Work...

I'm back at work this week. Just one week and then I get to have another 3 weeks off...is it bad I'm really looking forward to that already? Getting up this morning at 5:45 WAS NOT FUN!!!

John took the kids down to visit his parents' last night...all the kids. I actually got a straight 7 hours of sleep for the first time in a long time! The house was very quiet though and I can't wait for them to come back tonight!

I will post about our Thanksgiving hopefully tomorrow with pictures!

Birthday Weekend Down South

A couple of weeks ago we went down to visit John’s parents and celebrate his brother’s 25th birthday. It was such a fun trip because his entire family was there. We got to spend the weekend with everyone and relax, which is something that we haven’t done in a while.

My in-law’s came to pick the kids up Friday morning to take them down. They had Kylie and Josh and my nephew. My sister-in-law, her daughter and Ryan and I headed down a few hours later.

Once we were all down there the kids went right to their normal play things…Kylie and Carson (my nephew) had their office/school in the back room and Joshie was playing with the little people.

And of course there was the traditional tea party...

John and my brother-in-law came down later that night. It was a packed house but it was fun!

Saturday morning John and the kids and I headed into town to have family pictures done on campus with my family. We had a professional photographer take some pictures with the beautiful leaves as our backdrop. I still have to figure out which ones I want to order :)

That afternoon the kids played outside and I did some work. John's dad took the kids on a bike ride.

Ryan did a lot of this:

John’s other sister and husband came down and we all headed out for dinner for his brother’s birthday. After dinner everyone else left to go back home. John, the kids and I stayed another night so we got to really relax. I took Ryan over to my parents’ house for a little bit because both of my sisters were down and so was my sister’s ex-boyfriend who we are all still really good friends with (including her and I wish they would just stop the “friend” business and get back together!).

Sunday we headed out for breakfast and over to see my parents’. After a few hours there we came back to John’s parents’ house and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. The kids were outside with my in-laws playing in the woods over the creek (which Joshie kept calling the “cricket”). We all headed up into the woods for a little walk and John showed us all the places he and his friends had played when they were little.

John, Ryan and I headed out later that evening and Kylie and Josh stayed with John’s parents one more night. John and I stopped to eat and it was so weird just having one kid again…we couldn’t remember going out to eat with just Kylie when she was the little!

I picked the kids up the next day and I couldn’t tell who was more worn out…the kids or grandma and grandpa :)

It was a great weekend and I really hope we get to do it again sometime!

Great Kids!

I want to take the time to brag about my kids. I know I say that I have the best kids a lot on here, and it was proven to me again twice within the last week.

Last Monday we had our big filing at work. I had to go into the office because I have to sit with our admin and go over the document. I got up early that day and got the kids up and dressed. We packed toys and snacks and headed out. I got to the office around 9:00 AM and planned to be out of there before lunch.

The kids took up two cubicles by our admin’s desk, which also happened to be two doors down from my boss. Luckily she has four kids and didn’t mind the kids being there at all. So between working on my filing I did potty breaks, changed diapers, got new toys out, started movies and got snacks. While at times I was annoyed with all of the requests, the kids were absolutely wonderful. People kept coming over and telling me that they didn’t even know we were still there because of how quiet they were. My boss kept coming out and telling me and them how good they were. Ryan really was the worst at needing to eat and changing a ton of diapers!

Unfortunately, lunch time came and went with no signs of being done. The kids were still doing great, especially since I didn’t have any lunch for them. Luckily I had packed some granola bars, cereal bars, and most importantly, Halloween candy! Our admin kept laughing at my as I kept allowing them to have some candy because it kept them happy and occupied!

Finally, around 5:00 we left my office. I promised the kids McDonald’s because of how good they were, so we picked up John and headed there for dinner. I really just couldn’t get over how good they were and I still brag about it to anyone that asks me how work was :)

The second instance of how good my kids was just a few days after that. I always go to the outlets to get my kids’ clothes. I save a ton of money and get it all done in one day. With work, I hadn’t been able to think about doing it until after I filed. Luckily for me, the week I filed was gorgeous and the weather was in the 70’s (the outlets are outside). Unfortunately for me my mom and Kylie are on different schedules. My mom teaches the days that Kylie is not in school. And I was determined to go during the week because I had heard from a few people that this particular set of outlets changes their prices on the weekends (not as good deals). So I had to brave the outlets with three kids by myself!

We loaded up and headed out around 9:15 AM. The outlets are about an hour away, so we got there shortly after they opened. It was nice being there that early because I got the first store all to myself! The kids could run around and they weren’t bothering anyone. They did so well with their toys and snacks!

I made sure to give them some time to run around outside in the grass between stores, and we ate lunch around 2:00. We hit more stores, getting great deal after great deal. Again, the kids listened, and helped – Kylie opened every door for me since I was pushing the huge double-stroller. They were absolutely fantastic! We ended up leaving at closing time (9:00 PM) and Kylie even stayed awake the whole way home.

I know there are lots of parents out there that could never do what I did with their kids. I’m very, very thankful to have such great kids!

Halloween 2008

What a day!

I started Halloween day out working in the morning, so that was very stressful. Luckily I finished just in time to take Kylie to school. So I got her dressed up in her costume and off we went! Our trip was sidetracked to the nurse’s office when we noticed that Kylie’s ankle was bleeding because her new purple sparkly shoes were hurting her ankles (even though she assured me 100 times at the store that they DID NOT HURT).

When Josh and Ryan and I got back, I got ready for Kylie’s Halloween party while Josh took a nap. After his nap we headed over to Kylie’s class and watched as the kids made pumpkins. Josh got to make one too which I thought was really nice. John and my dad ended up coming over at that time, so Kylie had a lot of family there! After she was done with her craft they got to eat some cool Halloween food and then play a game. After that we got to take Kylie home early.

Once we got home I got right to work making Chicken and Noodles for our court party. Every year the neighbors on the court have a potluck where we all bring food out and hang out together with our candy in front of us. I really look forward to it every year. I got a little down when our one neighbor called and said the kids had strep throat…but thankfully they were still allowed to trick-or-treat, they just had to keep their distance from the other kids (that didn’t happen, but thankfully my kids did not get sick!).

We got the kids back into their costumes and headed out. We ate some food and then got ready to go trick-or-treating. The sad thing about this year was that our good friends were not there since they have moved. Luckily we got to see them the weekend before, but it still wasn’t the same without them.

We all headed out trick-or-treating together as a court while my mom stayed back with Ryan (who was not dressed up because I couldn’t find Josh’s first Halloween costume and it didn’t matter anyway…he slept through the whole night!).

We were out for about an hour and a half and the kids had a blast! There were 6 of them in total that were going out together. When we got back the adults sat around the fire while the kids played. Then we rounded them up for baths and they went over with my dad to his house to go to bed. The rest of us hung out around the fire for a while until it was too cold for my mom and Ryan and I. We went inside and snuggled on the couch.

It was a great Halloween night!

Then Saturday night John and I went to a 80’s Halloween party at his sister’s house. Can you guess who we were dressed as???

Ryan Update...

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted...I am actually doing work right now - so for the next week and a half I am taking care of three kids while working full-time from home. To say I'm stressed and at the end of my rope would be an understatement :)

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Yesterday was Ryan's one month check-up (yep, he's one month now and it's KILLING me!). Here are the stats:

Weight: 10 lbs. 7 oz. (75%) (he gained 2 lbs. since his last visit!!!)
Height: 21 1/2 inches long (50%)

He's doing fantastic! He's so adorable and sleeps really well (except for last night when he had me up for two hours)...he usually eats every four or five hours, so I get nice chunks of sleep which is very appreciated.

He smiled at us for real for the first time yesterday!! Kylie and I were playing with him and he was smiling at us, and then John didn't believe us so he tried and Ryan smiled at him too! Isn't it amazing how kids can get even cuter just by smiling?

Kylie and Josh are doing well...getting a little better with the noise level and just getting used to Ryan being here.

When I have a free second I will write about the fantastic weekend we had down at John's parents house. John's whole family was down there for his brother's 25th birthday.

A Fun Wedding Weekend!

I’m doing much, much better…thank you to all of you and your kind words.

This past weekend we headed to Rochester, NY for the 8th of my 9 cousins’ weddings. What was supposed to be a six hour trip took us 7 ½ hours to get there and about 10 to come home :) But we “enjoyed the journey,” which is all that matters!

The kids had a blast staying in the hotel and I really enjoyed seeing all of my family. The wedding was Saturday afternoon, and then we all headed over to my aunt’s house for a few hours until the reception started. She had wonderful snacks, football, and great family…it was the perfect afternoon!

For the reception, my aunt had gotten us a babysitter for Kylie and Josh (we took Ryan to the reception with us). We had a great time…it was very relaxed and we got to spend a lot of time with my aunts, uncles and cousins.

Afterwards we went to pick up Kylie and Josh. My aunt had already gone back home and the babysitter was getting ready to leave. I paid her and she went on her way. My aunt came up to me and asked if I had paid her and when I told her I had she was horrified because she had paid her too! This girl, who had done nothing but talk about church and her missionary work earlier, took money from both of us! I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt…thinking she would come back the next day and give one of us our money back, but she didn’t. I felt really bad for my aunt because she shouldn’t have paid her to begin with!

The next morning we went back over to my aunt’s house and hung out some more. My uncle took the kids down to the farm to see the animals and the rest of us just relaxed. We headed out around 1:30 PM and pulled into our driveway around 11:30 :) It sure is annoying traveling with a newborn that cries every couple of hours! But like I said, we did it without killing each other and John and I actually had a good time.

Hopefully the fun and good times of the weekend last me throughout the week as I get back into trying to find a routine…and a place for Ryan to sleep where the other kids won’t wake him up!

Gasping For Air...

I’m completely and totally exhausted. Not from lack of sleep or from my new little guy, but from my other two kids. I love my kids, of course, but I have never been so worn out as I am right now.

They are loud. They are demanding and apparently they don’t need much sleep. I spend my entire day running around after them and cooking and taking care of them. I think they’ve gotten worse since Ryan has been born…spending days with them has never, ever worn me out.

I feel so guilty for feeling like this. I feel like I’m constantly yelling at them and telling them to be quiet, or careful or to stop fighting. I want to have fun with them. I want to enjoy my time off. But I also want to enjoy Ryan.

Even my laid-back, easy-going little Joshie is completely wearing me down. He doesn’t stop talking, which normally is perfectly fine, but when I don’t get a moment of peace and quiet, it really starts to wear me down.

I’m hoping things will get better in the next week or so. I wish John wasn’t so busy and was able to take time off work to be with us. I wish I had family closer that could give me a little break.

I will be fine…I know that. I just wish I knew when I will start feeling better and more like myself.

Ryan's First Bath...

Today we gave Ryan his first bath. I was dying to know if he would be like Josh and like baths, or like Kylie and hate baths. Boys are winning so far...Ryan did not cry once while in the tub and seemed to enjoy himself.

Heading Out...

I had a major accomplishment the other night…I took the three kids to the grocery store…by myself. I was nervous, but John had poker and we were quickly running out of diapers and wipes, so I had to go.

I loaded the kids up and headed out. When we got there, they wanted to go in the TV carts (the kids sit in a car and get to watch shows such as Dora and Barney). Luckily for me there were two sections up top…one where I could put the carrier with Ryan, and another for a small amount of groceries. Thankfully I wasn’t planning on buying much!

We slowly made our way around the store. The kids were fantastic and Ryan slept the whole time. The only issue we ran into was at the end Joshie said he had to go potty and the check-out lines were so long…so I pulled the cart over to the side and told them we would go potty and then check out. Kylie was so cute when she very seriously looked at me and asked “what if someone steals our baby?” I of course informed her that Ryan would be accompanying us to the bathroom :)

The whole trip took us about two hours, but I can honestly say it was fun. We have put Josh in a booster car seat, so getting in and out of the car is pretty easy and everyone was in a good mood. Ryan saved his screaming for once I got him in the car and for the whole ride home :)

Family Update...

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve updated. I’m trying to get into some type of routine that will allow me time to both post and catch up on everyone’s blogs. We’ll see how that goes :) Right now my days are spent feeding and changing Ryan along with entertaining the other two. To say I'm absolutely wiped out at the end of the day would be an understatement :) But I'm loving every minute of it!

Ryan is now 9 days old…I can’t figure out where the time has gone already! I am having so much fun with him and truly enjoy every minute I spend with him. He’s such a good baby so far (crossing fingers).

This past weekend we headed down to our parents’ houses for OU’s homecoming. Little Ryan was dressed in OU apparel as were the other kids. We had a ton of fun at the parade and then the football game. It was also nice just hanging out with our parents and siblings.

This is the annual Homecoming picture we take of the kids (once they're able to walk that is...Ryan will join in hopefully next year).

First Couple Days of Life...

Wow, what a crazy last couple of days!

My hospital stay was nice…we had fantastic nurses the whole time, and surprisingly, hubby and I got a lot of time alone with little Ryan. The only problem was that he really didn’t want anything to do with sleeping in his bed at night. The first night I only got about 2 hours of sleep, and the last night I got about 4 1/2, only because at 4:00 AM I finally sent him down to the nursery and told them to feed him a bottle when he got hungry!

Thankfully, last night was not so bad. He is doing pretty well sleeping in his bassinet, so I was able to get some sleep between feedings and diaper changes. He is a fantastic eater, so thankfully that has been very easy on both of us!

And since I now have two sons I’ve decided to start using the names of my family members. Originally I had hoped this blog would be anonymous, but since that is not the case, I have no reason to not use real names (plus it will be much less confusing going forward). My hubby’s name is John, my daughter’s name is Kylie, and my oldest son’s name is Josh.

We are now home and today was fantastic. Kylie had school, so we walked her there and then Josh, Ryan and I hung out all day together. Josh and I played down in the playroom for about 3 hours and then headed outside. After that it was nap time and then time to pick Kylie up from school. I just had so much fun! Josh is such an easy kid, and it’s amazing how miserable I am when I’m pregnant…I feel like now I can do anything and I’m not uncomfortable. I know Josh is really appreciating the fact that I’m no longer pregnant.

Thankfully John told me that he’s really only interviewing new technicians this week and not doing anything else, so tomorrow he’ll be home most of the day, which I’m really looking forward to.

That’s about it for the updates…I’ve taken some cute pictures of Ryan, but I’m currently unsure of where the card reader is. Hopefully I’ll be able to post some new ones tomorrow or the next day.

He's Here!!!

Ryan Mark

8 lbs. 10.6 oz

19.5 inches

After a very long day Ryan finally came out at 5:03 PM with 5 contractions and the cord wrapped around his neck twice.

After he was born it was so nice and peaceful. For the first time, there were very few people in the delivery room - hubby, me (obviously :) ), doctor and one nurse. After I delivered him they put him on my stomach (on top of mats - I'm not into the messy stuff) and he just laid there looking around and he finally let out a little cry.

After they cleaned him up a little they let me hold him and feed him with no one else in the room. It was the most calm and peaceful time I've ever had post-delivery.

Thank you to all of you who were keeping up with me all day. It was long, but totally worth it!

It's 4:20 PM...

Hubby again. Still no baby. Deb is 9 cm and we are getting in the "home stretch". It shouldn't be much longer now...

Third Update...

It's 2:10 and I've been chilling for a while now. My water was broken around 1:10 and I was 4 cm dilated. I'm really hoping that things will be moving along quicker now, but who knows!

2nd Update

Hubby here. They just gave Deb the epidural. They are going to break her water in about 30 minutes. She is in great spirits and had me do this post only because they are making her lay down. I will keep you all updated…

First Update...

I have wireless access at the hospital!!!

For our last night as a family of four we went out to dinner with my two sisters and my one sister’s boyfriend. My sister actually ended up buying us all dinner, which was really nice. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise, which is one of my favorite places (although I was desperately wishing I could have one of their fantastic alcoholic drinks…one more day!).

We actually stayed up until about 11:30 packing and getting ready. I was back up at 3:30, so I didn’t get much sleep which I’m feeling right now.

When we got here at 5:00 AM, the check-in lady informed us that there had been 4 deliveries already this morning (a lot for this hospital), so I had to wait until they had room/staff for me. Another lady came in to be induced as well and had to wait too.

They finally called us back at 6:30 AM. We did the paperwork and then went back and got settled in our room. I had my IV put in and answered some more questions. We were right in the middle of shift change by this time, so we actually had three different nurses in here. We brought them all a couple dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, so they all loved us :)

The nurse checked me and I’m still 2 cm dilated. They then called my doctor and got the orders to start my pitocin. My contractions are getting up to “8” at times, so I’m feeling them! My fantastic nurse informed me that I can have my epidural whenever I want it and she’s in the process of super hydrating me in preparation for it.

My sister and the kids will be here in about ½ hour and everyone else will be following shortly after.

I will keep updating as things progress :)

Tomorrow's The Big Day!!!

As I was driving into work this morning, I realized that tomorrow morning we would be making the same drive tomorrow morning. Only tomorrow there won’t be any traffic, because it will be 4:30 in the morning. It will be pitch black. We will be both nervous and excited as we make our way to the hospital.

Tomorrow’s the big day! Am I ready? Nope, not yet :) The car seat is now put together…we just have to get the base into the car. I will pack our bags today when I get home from work. I will get the presents for the kids ready then as well (I got my daughter a set of newborn twin dolls and a doctor’s kit for them, and my son some coloring stuff and some magnet-toys he loves). I have my manicure and pedicure appointments at 4:30 today :)

But I’m definitely ready to be done being pregnant! I’m sick of being so big! So wish me luck and please keep me in your prayers. I pray that this epidural works just as good as the past two have, and that it’s a fast labor and delivery.

I am planning on posting live updates throughout the morning, so feel free to stop by periodically tomorrow…you’ll be able to find out what this little baby is and how big it ended up being :)

It's a Good Thursday!

I’m in such a good mood right now! I just had my last real meeting for work, and hubby gave me the Mama Mia soundtrack, which I listened to the whole way to work and am listening to right now :) There’s just something about musicals that put me in a good mood!

Last night was gymnastics for my daughter. She was doing fantastic jumps on the beam! I felt bad for her though, because she is by far the smallest girl in the group, and they were doing stuff on the high bar and on the rings, and you have to lean way over to grab those things and she was just too short! The teacher would have to come over each time and help her out. But once she got on them she had a blast! She even rung the bell for the first time because she did something new (they get to ring a bell when they do something by themselves for the first time and everyone in the gym claps for them).

Afterwards my sister and her boyfriend came over to play with the kids so that we could run to the store and then sort through some baby clothes. They were such a huge help! Hubby and I got through a bunch of stuff and thankfully the car seat has now been brought out and was washed and is currently drying. So we’re getting closer to being ready (I mean come on, we still have 42 hours until we have to be at the hospital…plenty of time, right?).

Now off to finish my work so that I can be ready to get out of here at 1:30 tomorrow!!!

Gender Predictions and Thoughts...

People often ask me what I think this baby is (boy or girl). Or they ask me what I hope it is.

With my daughter, I had a very strong feeling she was a girl. But even when people asked me what I thought it was I said I didn’t know. And I desperately wanted a girl…but I never told anyone that…because I was scared that if it turned out to be a boy, people would think I was sad or unhappy, which would not be the case at all. And I was scared to be wrong. I mean come one, shouldn’t a mother have some idea about what gender her baby is? Even though I know that makes no sense, it’s what runs through my mind.

With my son, I had a very strong feeling he was a boy. When the doctor announced it was a boy I was not surprised at all. But again, I never told anyone this because I was scared to be wrong.

With this one I have a feeling what it is. I still don’t want to tell anyone because I’m still am scared to be wrong. Isn’t that weird? I mean really, who cares? But the weirdest thoughts I have are when people ask me what I would prefer. I think it’s a fair question, especially now since we have one of each.

When I think about which I would really prefer, another boy or another girl, my thoughts automatically say “girl.” But I honestly can’t figure out why. Another girl would mean a sister for my daughter, which I think is so important (not necessary, but would be very nice), but it would also mean another girl to take away the spotlight from my daughter. Another girl to steal my daughter’s stuff; girl fights and more of the drama that automatically comes with girls. And then my mind goes on to think about how much joy my son brings to my life. He’s my boy. Those huge brown eyes get me every time. He protects me and takes care of me. He’s so easy! He was such an easy sleeper and is so laid-back. He’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on!

So why is it that my thoughts still immediately say I want another girl? Before my son I chalked it up to the fact that girls were all I knew (I grew up with two sisters), and it scared me having a boy. But now that isn’t the case.

Oh well, I guess we’ll find out what it is in a few short days :) Anyone want to put in their guess as to what this baby is?

The Tradition is Back!

Last night was the start of Monday night football in our house. This weekly tradition started back when my daughter was just one, and has continued on since then. It was especially nice because my daughter’s school was closed due to the massive power outages our city is still experiencing, so she didn’t have to go to bed early.

Hubby gets the kids all ready for bed, and then they go down and pick out their snacks. They picked fruit chews and popcorn (and my son was super excited because he found a Hershey’s kiss too). They watched the popcorn pop in the microwave while hubby poured them some ginger ale (they get real pop!).

After the snacks are all ready we head over to the couch and watch football. Now I really don’t like football. I never have. So this has usually been my time to go off and do something by myself. And last night I had a huge task in front of me: Sorting through all the baby clothes in the basement to look for the coming home outfit and to be ready so that once we know what this baby is, we can wash all the corresponding newborn clothes.

But the kids were so cute as they watched the game, and I was in a lot of pain, so I sat down with them and had a blast! My son didn’t watch as much of the game as he played his own game of football. He was running and throwing so hard that he was sweating! He would play, and then run up and sit on the couch next to me so he could rest. It was so adorable!

So I didn’t get any of the clothes sorted. But I had a great time relaxing with the family and watching the kids have fun. Maybe I’ll get the clothes sorted tonight…:)

Our Last Weekend as a Family of Four!!!

What a weekend!

Friday I took a couple of hours off and headed home early. I spent some time with my mom, and then my son and I headed off to pick up my daughter from school. It was raining a little, so we had fun walking with our umbrellas :)

When my daughter came running out the door, she asked if her friend could come over to play (as she had previously done when I picked her up). I told her that I thought I would be running to the store, so then she asked if she could play over at her friend’s house. So basically my daughter ditched me! My son and I walked back home with an added backpack but without “sissy.” It wasn’t so bad though because my son and I played and read books together.

Hubby came home and we headed out to pick up my daughter and go to dinner! After dinner we headed to Babies R Us for the first time to really get stuff for this baby! The only thing I haven’t gotten yet is a diaper bag, but I looked at them! We got some new BPA-Free bottles (it stinks we have to throw all our old ones away!) and a new diaper genie thing. We were also having some problems with my son's carseat and moved him up to a booster seat. He looks so big now! And as an added benefit, it is so much easier to get him in and out of the car!!!

Saturday we woke up and really cleaned up the house. We were having a party for the USC game that night, so we went nuts cleaning and organizing the house. Hubby swore to me that I wouldn’t have to lift a finger to get ready for this party, and for the most part, he was right…everything I did was just because I wanted to (my scrapbook room desperately needed organizing!). We then ran some errands and came back to finish up before people got there.

The party was a blast! The guys played Wii, the girls hung out around the food and talked, and the kids played PERFECTLY together! We had a total of 8 kids and two babies, and there were absolutely no problems the entire night. It was so nice! It’s just too bad the Buckeyes did so horribly :(

Sunday, after church, my son and I took a nap and then one of John’s friends came over for a while. Around 3:00 the power started flickering on and off, which was really annoying, and then it finally went off around 4:00. We didn’t care too much as we headed over to hubby’s sister’s house for a birthday party for hubby’s uncle. The wind was absolutely crazy and his sister didn’t have power either. Luckily it was not raining, and still light enough that people were outside for a while, or just hanging out inside. We had a great dinner and had a good time hanging out with everyone.

We came home around 7:30 and there was still no power! I hate to say this, but I was really at a loss as to what to do! We took the kids outside for the last few minutes of daylight. For a while, the kids and I just sat on the porch and talked and played together. I had so much fun just listening to them…since there was absolutely nothing else I could do, I was forced to just sit, and I had such a good time! After it had been dark for a while, we came in and read some books by flashlight :)

Around 9:30 the kids went to bed and so did we. Thankfully, our power came back on around 3:00 AM, and I say thankfully because there are tons of people in this city that still don’t have power and may not have it for a week! Unfortunately my office has power, so off to work I went this morning :)

Appointment Update and Walking to School....

At my appointment yesterday my doctor told me that I’m scheduled to be at the hospital at 5:00 AM on the 20th!!! I’m so excited…one more week!

I’m also 2 cm dilated and tested positive for Group B Strep :( But that’s not a huge deal…just means antibiotics while in labor.

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I got to walk my daughter to school again. I have so much fun doing that! We walk a little bit and then we see some other neighbors walking and talk with them, and then it’s into school with hugs and kisses (which her little brother can’t get enough of) and then she’s into her classroom!

On the way out we see another neighbor and talk to her the whole way home. My son is doing tons of cute stuff the entire time (like informing us “I’m the leader”) and it’s such a pleasant walk that I’m sad that it’s over when we get back to the house. It also didn’t help that my son and the nanny were heading outside to play as I was leaving for work. I want to play outside in the gorgeous weather!!!

Preggo Update...

I’m miserable!!! I know, it’s not normal for me to complain, but right now there’s really nothing positive about my state (other than it’s going to end in 1 ½ weeks!).

I have another doctor’s appointment today where she should give me my induction time, and we should be all set!

My boss informed me yesterday that I’m waddling. Of course I know I’m waddling! But does it have to be announced at a meeting? She also announced that my face was getting puffy. Lovely. Luckily, I know that’s her personality (as does everyone else) and she really means well. At least now she told me I can wear flip-flops since none of my shoes were fitting because I’m swollen.

I’m not sleeping…I get up about 4 times per night to pee, and then I also wake up about 2 other times just to change positions. I get home and am absolutely drained. It doesn’t help that hubby is super busy at work and hasn’t gotten home until 7:30 and 8:30 the last two nights.

I’ve totally checked out of work. I feel bad, but my head and heart are just not into working. I’m more concerned with trying to keep myself from falling asleep or making up a plan to steal pitocin from a hospital to get this baby out on my own.

Yesterday I actually was productive (personally of course…remember, work is not on my mind!). I ordered a few shirts to wear after I have the baby, along with a few pieces of winter clothing for the kids. I also ordered the new bumper for the crib. And I made my manicure and pedicure appointments for the day before I have the baby. See? I got a lot done :)

So that’s where I’m at. I’m ready. But at the same time, I’m a little sad when I think about the fact that this weekend is the last weekend for our currently little family. My kids have no idea how life is going to change for them (this would be the benefit to having kids close together and young…my daughter is so set in her routine that this is really going to shake her up!). This is our last weekend as a family of four.

I can’t believe how fast the past 37 weeks have gone by!

Weekend Recap

What a good weekend!

Friday night hubby took my son to one of our local high school football games, so my daughter and I had a special girls’ night. We went and picked out a special movie (she picked the Muppets Wizard of Oz because she’s dying to see the Wizard of Oz and I won’t let her because I think it’s way too scary for her), and then we headed to the grocery store and picked out ice cream and pop!

We settled in with our ice cream (which I made her eat right from the container like a big girl :) ) and watched the movie. The boys came home just as it was ending, so the timing couldn’t have been better!

Saturday, hubby and I headed off to the OSU vs. OU game. For those of you that don’t know, we are huge Buckeye fans. However, we also have LONG family tradition of attending OU, so we headed out dressed in our Bobcat gear and met up with a bunch of family members who also went to OU. I honestly thought they were going to get slaughtered, but they actually led the game for three quarters! I mean come on, OSU was number 3 in the nation! But the Buckeyes picked it up and ended up winning, which is good because we really are Buckeye fans and want them to do well.

After the game we headed over to a party at my uncle’s and had a great time hanging out with my cousins. The kids were a riot and had a blast playing cornhole with each other!

Sunday we went to church and then came home and took a nap! I have been so exhausted lately and I desperately needed that two hour nap :) After that I went grocery shopping and actually picked up some items for this baby that will be here in less than two weeks :) I got some diapers and diaper cream…pretty good things to have, don’t you think? I am shocked by how much prices have increased just since I had my son! A can of formula was $20 when I had my kids, and now it’s up to like $26.50! Good thing I nurse and don’t have to worry about paying that (although I do use some formula, so it will hit us a little).

After that we went to a park and had a little picnic until it was dark. We had fun, and for the first time (and probably the last now) we were able to sit at a table and watch the kids, instead of having to be right there with them as they played. Moments like that make me wonder why on earth we were crazy enough to have another one :) But don’t worry, I’m seeing all these pictures of newborns and I even got to hold one last week and I’m so very excited!

Now it’s back to work. I do have to say that I’m totally wiped out. Just getting up in the morning and getting myself to work has been such a challenge. I’m not sleeping well (which is new for me…I never have a problem sleeping) and my mind has already checked out. But I’m counting down the days. And I know the 20th will be here before I know it!

It's Not Just About ME...

With my first pregnancy I found a great message board that I was a part of… “Due in May 2003.” I learned a lot from the moms that already had kids and was able to voice my fears about being a first time mom. With my second pregnancy I viewed the “Due in June 2005” board, but I never participated, because honestly, I couldn’t handle all the dumb questions and wacko answers that were being thrown around.

With this pregnancy I again found a set of boards, “Due in October 2008” and have lurked there for a while. I swear the people have gotten even crazier and even more full of drama. But there was a post yesterday that really set me off, so I thought I would talk about it here, where I’m allowed to be apparently in the minority.

This poor lady who was about to be a first time mom asked a question about “FTM (first time mom) snobbiness.” She said that a really good friend and coworker just had her baby and fell off the face of the earth. No e-mail to let everyone know everything was OK, and completely ignored this lady’s calls, e-mails and texts. The only reason she knew that the lady had the baby was because she had posted something on her facebook. Almost every comment that came in told this lady “just wait until you have your baby, you’ll lock yourself in your house too,” or “when I had my baby, I turned off all my ringers and ignored everyone for three weeks” and so on.

I’m honestly shocked by this. I understand that having a baby as this huge deal that takes such a toll on your body and that you need so much rest right away, but to go to these extremes? Give me a break! I’ve been through this twice now, and yes, it’s not easy to pop a baby out, but I also know that life goes on! And especially with other little ones at home…I can’t act like my life is hanging on by a thread just because I had a baby. And I also know that there are definitely circumstances where these actions might be necessary…but these women responding were talking about normal births with no absurd complications.

And the thing that really got me was the cutting off everyone from the outside world. Personally, I have had so many people supporting me through this pregnancy. People ask me everyday how I’m feeling, how the baby’s doing. This isn’t just about me…there are many people on this journey with me! So how rude it would be of me to just shut them out the first few weeks…I think some of them are almost as excited as I am about this baby!

So while I understand people have different thoughts, I personally don’t want to be left alone when I have this baby. I love all the visitors in the hospital. I love the visits at home. I love the meals that have been lovingly prepared for me during those first few weeks. I just produced a fantastic little life, and I want to brag about it and show the world!

So you had better believe I will have pictures up right away. And if you live by me, feel free to stop by…while I might be moving a little slower, my life will be continuing on as normal!

Making Progress...

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday…yippee!!!

You know what that meant??? My first internal exam (not so yippee, but at least I got to see if I was progressing at all).

According to the doctor I am “a good 1 cm dilated and the baby’s head is really low.”

Yippee!!!! That means no c-section!!!

She is also going to schedule my induction and will let me know what time I need to go in on the 20th at my appointment next week.

So we’re on our way!!!

On a completely separate topic, today was my day to take my daughter to school. I love these mornings! I get to sleep in a little and then spend some good time with the kids as we eat breakfast and get ready for school. A super bonus about today was that hubby had finished with a client close to home and surprised us and came home to walk her to school too! So we really had some fantastic family time this morning.

First Day of Kindergarten!

This is my baby. However, it does not appear that she is staying my baby. No, my baby had her first day of Kindergarten on August 22nd.

She has been so excited to start school. So when the day came, she of course was up way before she needed to be. She didn’t have to be there until 10:00, so we were able to hang out and play and leisurely get ready for her first day. Hubby and I had of course taken off work as we were supposed to go with her for orientation for an hour.

We took her pictures and then walked her to school. One of the things I love most about our house (and the main reason we chose to build here) is the fact that the elementary school and middle school are right here in our neighborhood. So it literally only takes us five minutes to walk from our door to the front door of the school.

When we got there, the parents sat with their child as the teacher ran through some paperwork. We then helped our child with their school supplies, and then, sadly for us, it was time to leave. My daughter had no problem saying “goodbye.” She was more than ready!

It was weird, because now I had five hours with just my son, and it felt like someone was missing the whole day. I can definitely see how stay-at-home-moms long for school to start…to have some time either by yourself or with a reduced number of children has got to be a welcomed break after a full summer!

My daughter goes to school all day Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then Friday afternoons. I wasn’t sure what I thought about that schedule since every other district around here does either half-days or full day Kindergarten. But now? I love it! I love the fact that she doesn’t go to school on Mondays…it’s hard enough getting hubby and myself back into the work-week routine without having to worry about getting her ready for school as well. I also love that she gets a break every-other-day…she seems to really need that. It also helps on days like today where her allergies are really bad and I don’t have to worry about “should I send her to school or not.” It’s also nice because hubby and I have decided to take her to school here in the beginning. So he takes her Tuesdays and I take her Thursdays. I can’t wait until I’m on maternity leave and can take her and pick her up everyday!

On Tuesdays she has music and computers, on Thursdays she has gym and art, and then on Fridays they have library time. Every day she comes home happy and telling us she had so much fun! So far she has packed her lunch everyday, even though she knows that I’ve filled her school lunch debit card and she can buy her lunch anytime she wants to.

So yes, unfortunately my baby is growing up…but at least she’s having a lot of fun doing it and still makes me so proud every single day!

Bristol Race

A great race weekend!

Friday afternoon we headed down to Bristol, TN for the NASCAR race. I was very worried about making the trip because of the long drive and because I’m really not a NASCAR fan anymore. I was really worried about being pregnant, even though I went to the Charlotte race at the same point in my pregnancy with my son (I think I’m starting a tradition here). But this is the one race that hubby has been dying to go to since the day I met him, so there was no way I was going to take that away from him or bring him down by telling him I didn’t want to go.

The drive down was gorgeous and went by really quickly! We got to the hotel around 10:30 and then went and got some food because I hadn’t eaten very much that day. Saturday we got up and did a little shopping, ate some lunch by the pool and then took a nap! The weather was absolutely gorgeous down there! It was the perfect temperature with bright sunny skies!

After our naps we headed to the track! We had a parking pass for a lot that was pretty close to the track, and then we actually hopped on a shuttle that took us right there, so there wasn’t too much walking which was really nice. We walked around and visited the vendors and got some freebies before heading into the track. The only bad thing about this track is that it’s up on a hill, so I had to climb this hill to get up into it. My legs were sore, but I survived!

Hubby loved the race! My mother-in-law and I had a countdown of how many laps to go until we got to leave. I at one time even pulled out my phone to play solitaire :) Part of the reason we hated the race so much was because Kyle Bush was leading the whole time, and we DESPISE him. So since Carl Edwards passed him during the last 5 minutes of the race and won, we actually say that we had a good time at the race!

Sunday we got up and headed back home. We stopped at my parents’ house to pick up the kids and hung out for a little while. The weather was hotter and much more miserable there than it was down south!

Once we got home we gave the kids a bath and played for a little bit before putting them and ourselves to bed. We were beat! But it was worth it…hubby had a fantastic time and I liked the trip a ton better than I thought I would. Maybe next time I’ll try it not being 8 months pregnant :)

September 20, 2008...

September 20th is the day that we’re planning on having this little baby. This will most likely be my baby's birthday. Of course it will ultimately depend on the hospital, but the doctor and I are planning on the 20th.

That’s four weeks away. FOUR! I’m panicking a little…I still don’t think it’s really hit me that we’ll have a third child is one month. I’m not ready at all, and for my personality type, that sucks. We don’t have any diapers, I don’t have a diaper bag, clothes aren’t washed (heck, they’re still down in boxes), I haven’t brought out any bottles, or blankets, or the car seat, or the bed the baby will sleep in…we still don’t have a name picked out.

The third child syndrome has started already. With our first we were so ready. We were so ready so early. I’m a planner, and I like to have things planned out as much as I can. And while all of those items seem very miniscule and easy to accomplish (at least that’s what my husband keeps telling me), it bugs me that they’re not done.

Outside of the worry of getting all of these things done, I can’t wait to see this baby! I can’t wait to see if it’s a boy or a girl, and who it looks like, and to see my other kids interact with it. I can’t wait to not be pregnant anymore!!! We’re going to Bristol, TN this weekend for the race, and I’m dreading the heat and walking being this preggo. I’ve done it before…we went to the Charlotte race when I was this far along with my son and I survived; but that was Charlotte, and Charlotte, to me, is a lot more fun than Bristol.

I just want my body back! I want a drink! Wine, wine cooler, margarita…I’m not picky, I have just missed alcohol a lot more this pregnancy than with any of my other ones (I’m guessing it’s because I’m used to having margaritas in the summer).

At my doctor’s appointment yesterday my doctor was quite perplexed by the size of the baby. I have a history of large babies (my daughter was 9 lbs. 2 oz 4 days early and my son was 8 lbs. 15 oz 2 weeks early), but I guess I have never measured big. And this time is no exception. So she’s trying to guess whether I’ll have another big one or not.

Alright, that’s enough of my complaining…good things are coming…my daughter starts school tomorrow!!!

An Interview And Some DRAMA!

First and foremost, please go here to check out a featured interview by moi. Daddy Dan has some really nice things to say about me (even though I don’t feel like I’m happy all the time :) ).

Now for the next batch of craziness in our lives…

Hubby and I both work, we all know that. When you work, and have kids, you obviously need childcare. As my long-time readers know, we haven’t had the best luck with childcare since we moved to our new house. Anyone see where this is going???

We hired a nanny back in March who has been great. It’s been so nice to leave the house while the kids are still sleeping and not have to take them anywhere. It’s been nice to come home without having to pick them up from anywhere. I loved the idea of having someone help me while I’m going to be on maternity leave.

But I’m starting to find out that good things don’t last. About 1 ½ months ago our nanny tells me that she’s pregnant. Again. She had her first daughter at the age of 16 or 17. She’s still with the girl’s father, but they are not married. He’s in the army, and just happened to be home for a month a little while back. You would have thought she would have learned her lesson the first time…there are ways to prevent babies.

Anyway, hubby and I have been nothing but supportive of her, even though I’ve had my reservations. She assured me that she had a completely normal pregnancy with her first and would only need about a week off when she had this one. However, this week happens to be at the end of February…during the most stressful part of my year. And then, just in passing in a later conversation, she mentioned that she was on bed rest for two months with her first. WHAT??? That’s not a normal pregnancy!!! Who’s going to watch my kids if you go on bed rest again???

Besides all of these issues, I don’t want two babies in the house. It’s going to be hard enough for someone to spend equal time with my son, my daughter when she's there, and the new baby, let alone if she has her own two kids (including a newborn) with her.

So now we’re on the search for a new nanny. As of right now, unless she finds another job right away, our current one will stay until I have the baby. The during my maternity leave I’ll search for a new one…one who hopefully will not be having her own babies any time soon.

It's Almost Time....

Last night was my daughter’s Open House for school. We also had a meeting for anyone new to the school to get basic info such as attendance policies, when and where to drop your kids off, etc. I love that her school is in our neighborhood because we all just walked right on over!

My daughter got to meet her teacher whom I’ve heard fantastic things about. She’s young and seems full of energy! The classroom is full of things all over the walls and on shelves and book bins…I think she will have plenty to do over the next year :)

Our school district is different from all the others around us in that she will go 2 ½ days per week…full days on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then Friday afternoons. All the other districts around us go 5 half-days with a few schools doing all day Kindergarten. Her first day will be this Friday, and of course hubby and I are taking the day off so we can take her and pick her up.

I love that at our school the Kindergarteners are in their own separate wing…away from all the other kids. I have to admit I’m a little scared of her getting trampled on by a big 5th grader :)

I learned that our next door neighbor will be in her class, so it will be nice for her to know someone the first day. The little girl’s dad has even offered to walk my daughter to and from school everyday if we want, since he’ll be walking his daughter anyway.

I was also able to write a check to load up my daughter’s lunch debit card, so on the days we don’t pack her lunch, she can just swipe it and go!

I have to admit it was adorable seeing my little thing walking the halls of this huge school. Even though she was shy at times, I think she’s really going to love being there, and I can’t wait to hear how her first day goes!

Beautiful Weekend!

What a gorgeous weekend!

I got out of work early again on Friday and spent the whole afternoon outside with the kids. I didn’t even make them go in and take nap…we were having too much fun! One of our neighbors also had the afternoon off so they came over and hung out with us too.

Friday night we put the kids to bed early (since they didn’t have a nap) and watched the movie 21. It was pretty good…I didn’t really like the ending.

Saturday morning we woke up and took the kids to a sibling class at the hospital where I’m going to have the baby. They learned how to change a diaper and how to hold a baby. The best part by far was the tour of the post-partum rooms and the nursery! That’s pretty much the only part my son enjoyed…he doesn’t have that “motherly” instinct and kept bonking his “baby” (aka “teddy bear”) on the head.

Here are some pictures (ignore the fuzziness...I forgot my real camera and had to use the camera on my phone):

After this we went to a pizza party for my daughter’s t-ball team. There she got her first real trophy. I love watching how excited she gets every time she tells someone about her real trophy.

Saturday afternoon we just hung around the house and relaxed. That night I had some friends over for a scrapbooking night. I got a few pages done and thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate fountain :)

Sunday we went to church and then took a 3 hour nap. I have been running around so much lately that my body had just had enough! After that we had a great time outside the rest of the evening.

Tonight we have Open House for my daughter…I can’t believe her first day of school is just 4 days away. I’m so excited and yet so nervous for her at the same time. I’m hoping I feel better after the Open House tonight and after some of my questions are answered (like how and where do we drop her off/pick her up????).

Continuing...

A continuation of my thoughts from yesterday….

Parenting is such a hard balance (we all obviously know this), and if you don’t find the right balance in a lot of things, there can be a lifelong impact.

Socialization is a huge thing for kids. Having friends helps determine where you stand. I have been watching this phenomenon with the older girls in the neighborhood and it hasn’t changed since I was young. And honestly? At the age of my daughter, it isn’t so much how cool you might be (I mean they’re 5…there’s not much to be cool about yet) but how cool it is to go to your house to play.

Hubby and I have always vowed that we would try our best to have our house be the one that kids want to come to. We figure that would be the easiest way to keep an eye on the kids without seeming too overprotective (that last part being geared towards high school years). Thankfully, so far, all the little girls want to come over to our house to play with our daughter, so we’re doing something right, and that’s good, because with the exception of a few parents I know really well, I’m not ready to send her down the street to play yet.

As the girls were playing the other night, I thought back to what made me want to go to certain houses over others. Of course toys and what we had to play with played an important role, but so much of it was the parents. Were my friend’s parents ones that yelled at us a lot? Did they have a ton of rules? Did they get me a drink if I was thirsty? Were they generally nice? Were they there if I needed to talk?

My daughter has one friend in particular who has very odd parents that don’t let her do a whole lot. They are constantly monitoring her and telling her she can’t do what all the other kids are doing. Surprisingly, she’s not the oldest.

Now, I’m definitely not one that will let my kid do something just because everyone else is doing it. BUT…I will relook at my position to make sure I’m not being a tad overprotective. My goal is to be liked by my kids and their friends (definitely not at the expense of compromising my morals or beliefs and I am the mom first and foremost)…whereas some parents seem to think it’s fun to embarrass their kids or make them miserable (our old babysitter was like this), and they could care less what others thought of them. I can already tell how this little girl (with the super strict parents) is getting left out of things. As much as I tell my daughter to try to include her, it’s hard, because everything they want to do, she’s not allowed to participate.

I had very strict parents. And while there are tons of things they did right, there are also some areas they really could have loosened up on. My sisters and I were made fun of a lot as kids because of our “rules,” which, looking back, some of them I still can’t understand. Were we scarred for life because of it? Of course not, but to this day it still affects us a little. And I’m still keeping the vow I made as a child when going through all of that…I would never tell my kids “no” without giving them a reason. It keeps me in check. There are many times my kids will ask me something and my first response is “no.” They ask "why?" and I think about it and realize I’m just being lazy and don’t want to do it, or I didn’t understand them, or something like that. Other times I stick to my original "no" because I have reasons and I tell them what they are. This makes parenting that much harder for us because we constantly have to be on our toes. But that’s good…I hope to raise better kids because of it.

And through all of this, I know that I will be much stricter during the teenage years than most parents. I will have no problem telling my kids they can’t go to a party that I’m not sure about, or that they have to be home by a certain time. But to me those are the things that have lasting consequences.

Obviously a lot has been on my mind with my daughter starting school a week from today. She will be with her friends all day. Without me. And even though I know this is just Kindergarten, it’s the beginning of a whole new world for her, and I really hope I’ve prepared her for it. She will encounter new influences and new situations, and above all, I want her to know that she can talk to me about all of it...and I hope she does.

Are We Raising Strong Kids or Wimps?

I have to admit I’m worried about how today’s kids are going to be as adults. It seems as though the majority of parents these days are so overprotective of their kids.

When our neighbors and good friends moved last month they took with them their trampoline. My daughter was very disappointed because she LOVED jumping on it. Our next door neighbor…not so much (he has two kids – an 11 or 12 year-old boy and a 5 year-old girl). He actually told our friends “I’m so glad that thing is going to be gone now.”

So a few weeks ago I mentioned a big purchase we made…guess what it was?!?! We now have our very own trampoline. I’ve been wanting one for a while…as a former gymnast I grew up on them…both at the gym and in our backyard. But it had always seemed silly to buy one since our good friends had one that we could use any time we wanted. So once theirs was gone, I decided it was time. I got a nice big square one with lots of room to tumble!

Our city has a code that says a trampoline must either be fenced in or have the netting around it (to keep stray kids off). Most people go with the safety netting.

Anyway, our next door neighbor was not too happy with us (can you tell I do not care whatsoever?) and the kids have a blast on it. But it does worry me that they’re learning to use a trampoline with so much protection around them. When hubby and I were little there was no such thing as those nets. We learned how to not fall off of it, and if we did, we knew how to fall. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love the piece of mind I have with that enclosure knowing I can let my son jump back there without constantly watching him, and that he can jump with the big girls without fear that he’ll fall off. But I still hate the idea of the “safety net.”

We talk to various neighbors about this trampoline, and so many of them have such a fear of it and don’t like their kids on it. I understand there’s a chance they can get hurt. There’s also a chance that they can fall off their bike and hurt themselves too! But for some reason these people don’t think like that.

Another thought...what if my kids go to a friend's house that has a trampoline without a net? Now I know some of you might say that your kids know not to get on it. But let's be realistic here...I have fantastic kids who follow my rules very well, but I was also a kid, and I know that there were things I did even though my parents told me not to (we all did). So would I want them getting on there not knowing what to do or would I want them to be able to protect themselves?

Now of course this is just one tiny example, and I obviously want to protect my kids as much as I can. But I also don’t want them growing up to be wimpy people. I want strong kids that will be good athletes and employees someday and that won’t whine because something might be a little scary. I want them to learn how to tackle their fears. I want them to know how to pick themselves back up when they fall.

I don’t think that a lot of today’s kids will be able to do that…their parents are trying to protect them from too much when they are little. If they don’t experience falling and pain and failure when they’re little and the parents can help them, how are they going to react when their parents aren’t around?

Continued tomorrow….

Happy Anniversary!

Eight years ago today I married my best friend. He was in my Jr. Algebra class, and our junior year we had even hung out together as a bunch of friends. Who would have thought that the boy I thought was cute and had a great smile would be a part of my life forever?

We started dating at the end of our senior year and even got to go to prom together. From then on we were inseparable and happy! We went to college together and got married the summer before our senior year. Having dated since high school, we have gone through so many life-stage transitions together, and I think it has made us so strong. To read more about how we met and started dating go here.

I could in no way ask for a better husband. He has always put me on a pedestal and done what he can to make me happy. He is the guy that everyone drifts towards. People know that if you need help with anything, hubby will be there. If you need anything done with your computer? Hubby will take care of it right away for you…even if he’s sat in front of them all day and never wants to see another one again…he will fix your computer with a smile on his face. And of course he’s the best father to our little ones...I love knowing that no matter what he can take care of them just as well as I can (sometimes even better). I know there are a lot of women out there that can’t say that about their husbands.

There are times I feel like we just got married and then others when I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. We are still learning new things about each other and also relishing in the comfort of things we’ve always known. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

We have friends that joked about each kid they had being a guaranteed 18 year extension on their marriage. It was like a new contract had to be signed each time a baby was born. For hubby and I it’s a 30 year marriage. For some reason during pre-marital counseling, our pastor made some type of comment about having to deal with each other for the next 30 years. We were a little confused by that, but it has become our little joke with each other.

8 years down Hottie, only 22 more to go!!!

:)

Great Weekend!

What a fantastic weekend!

I got off work around 12:00 on Friday and went and met my mom and kiddos for lunch. After lunch I decided this was a good time to start shopping for my daughter’s school supplies. She had so much fun with me walking through the store trying to find what she needed. The hard thing is that she doesn’t understand (nor do I really) that these won’t be her supplies. In our school system, you all buy the exact same things and throw them all together on the first day. So when picked up the ugly green binder, she was almost in tears saying that the kids were going to make fun of her for having such an ugly binder. I reminded her that all the kids would be bringing this ugly binder and she felt a little better. It does make me a little mad though…why on earth can she not have a pretty pink or purple one? I remember school supplies making the whole school thing a lot more fun because they were what I picked out and the colors I liked. Anyway…

After shopping we went home and the kids and I went down for a nap :) Afterwards we went to Cheesecake Factory for my late birthday dinner. We sat outside and had a great time in the gorgeous weather.

Saturday we went to a neighborhood bike rodeo and met some of the new neighbors which was nice. Then we did some work around the house, and then while the kids were napping hubby helped me with the software that goes with the fantastic birthday present that my parents got me: A Cricut machine!!! I love this thing so much! While hubby was working on the software I made a couple cards for some people using my Cricut.

Saturday night we ran a couple of errands, one of which was to get my daughter a backpack. There were two places she wanted to go…Toys R Us had the character backpacks, and then Justice had a green and pink one that she really liked. She looked at the character ones and decided that she liked the Justice one better, so we headed over there to buy it.

Sunday we went to church and then went to get a paper shredder. While we were in the store we checked the price of the new cell phone I want. Hubby was going to get it for me for my birthday, but his rep told him that the price would go down in about 3 months, so we decided to wait. However, Best Buy had the phone for $100 cheaper than even his rep could get, so we decided to get it. This is my new phone, and I LOVE it! I have been carrying around a phone and a PDA with my contacts and calendar, so now that I have one thing it is so much easier!

Sunday afternoon we played outside and did some work while the kids were napping. Our friend that had moved was in town for the weekend, so we finished it off with dinner with her and some other neighbors, which was really nice.

Of course we had to watch some of the Olympics last night (especially men’s swimming…go USA!!!), so I’m extremely tired only getting 6 hours of sleep :)

This week my son is down with my parents, so our daughter is an only child this week. She was crying when my mom and son left, saying that she was really going to miss her brother…but I think she’ll bounce back quite easily when all of the attention is on her :)

Movin' On Up....

My daughter goes to a fantastic gym for gymnastics (Buckeye Gymnastics). It’s a large building that has two sides…what my daughter calls “the big gym” which is for the big kids and has the larger equipment, and then the preschool side, which is just for kids up to six years old.

My daughter loves gymnastics. She loves it more than any other sport she’s attempted or thought about. I don’t think she’s missed a single weekly class the entire year we’ve had her at this gym…she would be too mad!

She had gymnastics last night. She normally goes on Wednesday nights, but since she was down with my parents, she took a make-up class last night. Along with her normal teacher there was another teacher. This teacher would periodically ask my daughter to do some things that weren’t in the normal rotation (i.e. she’d ask her to go to the mat on the side and do a backward roll, or a cartwheel, or a handstand. She’d also make my daughter do more difficult things during the rotation since the normal stuff was too easy for her (as her regular teacher normally does). My daughter was a little thrown by this, and even started crying at one point because she didn’t understand why she had to do harder stuff.

At the end of the class, her regular teacher came up to us and told me that the other teacher wanted my daughter to move up to the “big gym” for her next class. The smile on my daughter’s face was priceless! The warned us that she would be by far the smallest girl over there, but she would be fine skill wise.

I went to sign her up as she only has one more week left in her summer classes. I realized as I was signing her up that she had moved up three levels!!! So not only were they moving her up after having just moved her up last spring, but she was skipping two whole classes in between!

I’m so excited and proud of her! I had always told her she had to be seven before she could go to the “big gym” and here she is as a new-five-year-old going over there! She’ll be dealing with a lot as her new gymnastics class will start right after she starts school, but I think she’s strong enough to handle it!

Golfing Time

My daughter has been down visiting with all the grandparents this week. My mom wanted to have one last long spell with her before she starts school. So she went down to get some one-on-one attention, which right now, she so desperately needs.

And we’ve been able to give my son some great one-on-one attention too. He’s honestly getting very spoiled :) Anything he wants I pretty much get…it’s so much easier with one child! Getting him a drink or a snack or whatever is much easier because he is so much more laid-back than my daughter. He wants some type of juice warmed up with warm water (we still heavily dilute his juice, and he’s not a fan of cold things, so it’s always warm). My daughter, on the other hand, has to take 5 minutes to decide what type of juice she wants, what cup she wants, and then she’ll change her mind completely once you open the refrigerator.

Monday night he and hubby stayed up really late watching Cars. Then Tuesday night we played outside all evening…baseball, golf, bocce ball and riding his jeep. Last night we headed to the driving range.

Now he loves to golf. And seeing him carrying his real club set is absolutely adorable. Hubby has taken him to the driving range a couple of times, but us girls have always stayed home because my daughter would be bored out of her mind. So I was very excited that I got to go and watch him. He was the hit of the place! All the old men thought it was great that he was starting so young, and all the girls just thought he was the most adorable thing ever.

He had so much fun taking turns with daddy (when he got tired hubby hit some balls, and then after he was rested it was his turn). I thought he did well, although hubby said he normally does even better.

Afterwards we headed over to Dairy Queen for some ice cream, which of course ended up all over my little man :)

My daughter comes home today. I think the hardest part of her being gone is the fact that every night when we get home my son asks us when sissy is coming home. He really misses her. He’s had to sleep by himself the last few nights and play by himself during the day. I know he will be super excited to see her today!

A Wedding Weekend

Two weeks ago we had two weddings in two days. I had one cousin get married about 2 hours away, and then another one get married the next day close by. One was on Friday night and one was on Saturday. One cousin was on my mom’s side of the family and the other cousin was on my dad’s side of the family.

Friday after work we headed out for the drive with a full car (my sister and her boyfriend rode with us). After numerous times asking “are we there yet” and filling up on fruit chews, we finally got there. We didn’t make it in time for the ceremony, but pulled in just in time for the reception.

I had a lot of fun seeing cousins that I hadn’t seen since my wedding! These little girls that were my flower girls are now 15 and 11!!! My daughter loved talking to the bride and playing with my cousins. Hubby and my sisters loved the open bar. I loved the two diet cokes I had :) We drove home afterwards and got home around 2:00 in the morning.

The next day we woke up and ran some errands and then got ready for the next wedding. This wedding was cool because the reception was going to be very laid back and down in the hills at my uncle’s cabin. He got us a cabin for the night as well, so we packed up our stuff and headed to the ceremony. It was beautiful!

Afterwards we headed down to the hills and checked into our cabin. It was so cute! We changed because this was going to be a casual reception, and then headed over. They had a huge tent and it was decorated so beautifully! The wedding party all stayed dressed up, but everyone else was wearing anything from sundresses to shorts. The food was delicious and I had a great time talking to cousins I hadn’t seen in a while, as well as my sisters.

Once it got dark it was time to dance! My aunt took my kids out on the floor and got them started. This little boy (who was absolutely adorable) kept trying to dance with my daughter and she would run away! Hubby kept cheering her on and I tried to get her to dance with him. Meanwhile, my son was putting the moves on a little girl himself :)

Sunday we woke up and took the kids to the pond that was by the cabin for some fishing. We had bought them polls a while ago, but had never taken them. My son had fun for about 2 minutes, but my daughter enjoyed it the whole time! Hubby really had a lot of fun teaching her how to do everything…but since we didn’t have any real worms they didn’t catch anything.

We headed home after that in time for church and to regroup before another week started.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

My sister teaching my daughter a dance:

My son picking up girls at the young age of three:

Hubby, my cousin's wife (not the one that got married), me and my daughter:

My sister's boyfriend, hubby and me (I'm getting so freaking huge!)