Easter Weekend 2011...

Yet another crazy weekend was enjoyed by the family :)

Good Friday started off not so good for Johnny :( He went in to get snip-snipped, the big V, early Friday morning. Now, I have been pushing him to get this done for months now, but always claimed that he was too busy to make the call. So when he called me Wednesday last week and told me he was getting it done Friday, one would think I would have been elated. But instantly I felt sad, and worried about whether this was the right decision. My head knew it was, but my heart and my mommy feelings were sneaking in telling me that maybe we could do one more kid? Are we really ready for such a permanent procedure???

So for the next 2 days I kept wrestling with these feelings. I kept talking to John and he was so excited that he had gotten it scheduled and that he could finally get this done – he just couldn’t sympathize with my feelings. Thankfully he got better at talking them through with me, and reminding me that we had kids young for a reason, and that we would like to enjoy some time while we’re still “young” when our kids are gone. I knew he was right…

We got there and even up until he went into the back to have it all done I was having a hard time. But then when he came out, it’s like those feelings disappeared! I felt so free and I haven’t looked back since. Even now writing this, I feel good knowing that Colton is our last child and things will only get easier from here (and by easier, I just mean diapers, sleepless nights, etc. – I’m not delusional and I know that these years will be no match for the teen years!). I think having the whole weekend to take care of the kids by myself while John recovered on the couch solidified the thoughts even more :)

Thankfully John really felt fine the whole weekend, but he listened to his doctor and sat all day Friday and Saturday. I took Kylie and Colton shopping on Saturday and then spent the rest of the day cleaning up after everyone :)

Easter Sunday we all got up and went to church. Denny had a great message and Kylie and Josh’s class sung a song that sounded wonderful! After church we went home and the kids looked for their Easter baskets. Kylie ended up finding all of them I think :) Even little Colton got a basket with pacis and swimming trunks in it :) The only downside to the day was that while it was a nice temperature outside, it was so rainy and gross :( I didn’t get my normal outside Easter picture of the kids and we didn’t do an Easter egg hunt, much to Joshie’s dismay.

After that John, Colton and Ryan took naps while I played with Kylie and then started cooking. We had a really nice Easter dinner of lamb, asparagus and potatoes (followed by cookie pizza) with my parents and Cindy and Big Josh. After dinner John sat outside with Josh and Ryan while Kylie, Colton and I stayed in a watched Ramona and Beezus. Then it was bedtime and let me tell you, I crashed into bed!

A Great Weekend!

What a busy, long, great weekend!

This past weekend went by way too quickly, as usual, but at times, it seemed to last forever, so it was a good mix :) we started Friday night by braving the rain and heading to dinner as a family. We were going to go to a local place, but the wait was 40 minutes in a small space, so we decided to go somewhere else and ended up going to one of our all-time favorites, Salvi’s. The kids were amazing (even Colton!) and we had a really nice dinner.

Saturday morning John and Josh headed out to football practice and the other kids and I started the day slowly with some relaxing. After John and Josh got back I spent a good chunk of the day on the couch with Colton – his reflux was bothering him pretty badly and the only way he would stay asleep was if I held him. After a while I was able to lay him down and Kylie, Josh, John and I went down to play Guesstures together. We had so much fun and it was cute when Ryan came down from his nap and played too. Later that afternoon we headed to the golf store for John to try out some clubs. He got all kinds of gift certificates for Christmas and his birthday and now he needs to decide which set he wants to buy.

After that we headed out about 25 minutes and went to a local Amish restaurant. John had been here before but I hadn’t, so I was really excited to get some great food! While we waited (40 minutes), Kylie and I went and browsed through the store and bakery while John stayed with the boys. I love the fact that John doesn’t bat an eye at the thought of staying with some/all of the kids. I wasn’t going to leave him standing there with them by himself, but he urged me to go and look around. So Kylie and I had a good time together looking through all of the neat little things they had, as well as buying some fabulous donuts in the bakery!

When we finally got to our table we had a fabulous server, the food was great, and again, the kids were amazing! Colton did great up until the end when he started whining, and rightfully so because he needed his diaper changed! We went home and ate dessert and then the kids headed off to bed.

Sunday we got up for church and unfortunately, because of Joshie’s football games, had to take two cars. John and Josh left church early to get pictures taken, and the other kids and I waited until church was over. The sun was shining, and the temperature was in the upper 50’s, but the wind was HORRIBLE! So I knew the least amount of time I had to entertain the kids outside, the better. So I took Kylie, Ryan and Colton to Chipotle and we had a really good lunch. Poor Ryan was so tired he kept laying his head down on the table and didn’t eat much of his lunch.

We got to the football fields at a great time…had about 10 minutes to get over to Joshie’s field and set up shop before the game started. It’s quite comical all of the gear that we are required to bring to a game – chairs for myself, Kylie and Ryan, the wagon to put the chairs and/or Ryan in, the stroller for Colton, the diaper bag and the camera. It stunk because since John was already there, I only had Kylie to help me. So she pulled the wagon with Ryan in it, and I pushed Colton through the grass to the field that Josh was playing on.

Remember when I said the wind was bad? When I was trying to get everything set up, the stroller, holding Colton strapped in his car seat (thank goodness!), flipped over, by the wind! It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. I ran over and got it backed up and thankfully Colton just kept opening his eyes (he had been asleep) and had a look on his face that said “what is going on?” He was not harmed at all, and again, I’m so very grateful that he was TIGHTLY strapped into his carrier.

I finally got everything set up (with the stroller wedged between the wagon and my chair) and the game started. I love these games, partially because Josh has been playing with some of these kids for 4 seasons now, so it’s nice to hang out with the parents each Sunday. As a bonus, our friends from church, whose son had to move up due to age this season, were hanging out waiting for their later game, so it was an even better “reunion” of the old team. My one friend also brought a little tent with her and we staked that to the ground and the kids sat in that so the wind didn’t bother them.

It was a double-header day, so after the first game (which we lost :( ), we headed down to a different field and set up shop again. John’s parents arrived, and so did my mom. Ryan was so tired and I really wanted to get some pictures of Josh, so he curled up on Grandpa’s lap and slept for the whole second game. Colton needed to eat and have a diaper change, so I missed some of the second game (again, so thankful for the tent my friend brought!), but overall Colton did extremely well with the horrible chilly wind. And it was nice having my friends around to help rock his stroller or peak in on him when he needed it. And Joshie won the second game! Overall he pulled a bunch of flags and scored a couple of times.

After the game we loaded up the cars and headed home. John took Josh and Ryan with his parents to watch our nephew’s football game, and I put Colton to sleep. Kylie and I spent some time together looking up American Girl doll toys and watching Cupcake Wars. When the boys got home we ate some dinner and then went downstairs to play some Wii together (after Ryan begged me to go to bed at 7:30). Then it was bedtime for the kiddos and clean-up time for the big people :)








Noteworthy things from the weekend:

My mom said that Colton rolled over. I know he can get to his side very easily, but I hadn’t seen him roll completely over yet. I hope it was a fluke…I’m not ready for him to be mobile yet!

It’s officially spring/summer as John has brought out the mower. It’s funny that he has such a reputation in the neighborhood that this was actually said to me by some neighbors…and it couldn’t be more true!

I'm Having Such a Hard Time...

Being a mom is getting more and more difficult for me. Part of it has to do with the fact that the number of children I have to be “Mom” to keeps increasing, and part of it has to do with the fact that my kids, especially my daughter, are getting older.

I feel like I am losing my mind with Kylie. I love her to death and she is my one and only special little girl, but she is driving me nuts! I think part of the problem is that she is too smart for her own good, and she’s always been the sweet, good little girl that never got in trouble, and now that she is not so sweet, she is not handling the getting in trouble part.

She constantly questions why she is supposed to respect adults, but adults don’t have to respect her. Every time we hand out a punishment she questions it, and tries to talk her way out of it. Just this morning she went on and on with me about why John told her she was not allowed to play her DS and it’s not fair that Joshie gets to play his again after she goes to school and blah, blah, blah. I kept telling her that she needed to accept it and move on and to quit asking me to reverse the punishment. I finally got so fed up with her that I told her she could not go to the movies with her friend tonight. This of course sent her into a whirlwind of emotions which included begging me to change my mind to yelling at me because I’m so mean. I left for work knowing that me staying there was just making it worse. She texted me and called me and finally gave up when she realized I was not backing down on this.

I’m worried about how she can be so mean to people at times. I’m worried that I’m failing as a mother. I know in my head that I’m not really failing, but I feel like I’m on my way there. What if I screw this up and she grows up to be the daughter that hates her mom? What if she never wants to have a close relationship with me? Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that I’m not there to be my kids’ friend, but I want to have a good relationship and be her friend when she’s grown…

I just wish God would tell me what to do. I wish He would tell me that I’m doing OK and that she will be fine, and remind me that I’m doing this for her own good. I’m quickly learning that I am fabulous with little kids…I can play and love on them until I’m blue in the face! But dealing with older kids is a learning process for me, and I desperately hope I learn fast, because I’m not a very happy mommy right now.

Mother's Day Promo From Shutterfly...

When I decided that I wanted to be a mother, I had no idea what in the world I was getting into. I assumed that having a child meant sleepless nights and baby-proofing and bedtimes. But for me, those things are the easy parts of being a mother.

No, being a mother means constantly worrying about your children. Worrying about how you’re raising them and how they act when you’re not around. Being a mother means making sure they are always cared for, even when you’re not there. Being a mother means feeling so drained at the end of every single day with barely enough energy to climb into bed. Being a mother means dealing with drama in elementary school and so many other growing pains. Being a mother means praying that they all grow up to be successful adults and marry the right person. I could go on and on…

But being a mother also means lots of hugs and kisses. Being a mother means that you are needed…even if you are told otherwise. Being a mother means having a heart that grows with each child and is filled to capacity with pride and adoration for each of your children. Being a mother reminds you of your own childhood, and takes you back to those great memories. Being a mother helps you understand your own parents a little bit more…

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching…have you thought about what to get your mom? Each year I get my mom a photobook from Shutterfly. She loves to look at all of the pictures and they are so easy for me to make! If you’re not into getting Mother’s Day gifts you can just create a beautiful card for your mother…I’m sure she would appreciate the time and detail you put into creating a special card just for her! And what better way to thank those who send you something for Mother’s Day than to create a personalized Thank-You! Let those people know how special their gift made you feel!

Shutterfly is running a promotion right now for bloggers…if you have a blog and would like to write a post about Mother’s Day, click here to find out how to get a cool prize for it!

Colton - 3 Months...

Colton turned 3 months yesterday! I know this is total cliché, but where the heck has the time gone? Wasn’t he just born???

This past month Colton has become more and more fun! It’s amazing how in a house with three kids already, a newborn is kind of “boring.” I obviously love him with all my heart, but the other kids and I are always wrestling on the floor or playing games or something, and poor little Colton is stuck in his bouncy seat watching us :( But he has been changing so much! We can now get him to smile, and I have gotten him to laugh a few times. The biggest sign that he’s becoming more fun is that John is spending more and more time with him. John is a fantastic father, but he’s definitely not a “newborn” guy.

Colton has really started chit-chatting with us. If you make the same sounds he’s making, he will carry on a “conversation” with you! He is also rolling over to his side pretty consistently so we have to be super careful with him…I feel like it’s just a matter of time before he realizes he can roll all the way over.

He still has to be swaddled to sleep. Even last night I tried just holding him (and he was so tired), but he was so restless. But the minute I swaddled him up in his swaddle-thing he completely relaxed and went right to sleep. But he is definitely my best night sleeper by far! Around 8:00 or 9:00 at night I feed him his last feeding and he’s out! I can either hold him or lay him in his bassinette by our bed and he’ll sleep until about 4:00 AM, eat, and then go right back to sleep until around 7:00. So far this schedule has been working perfectly with me going back to work. Naps are a different story… :) He wants to be held during naps. But thankfully my nanny has been able to get him to take good naps during the day without holding him.

He was circumcised last week (our pediatrician said he had a vascular leasion and wanted him to see a urologist instead of doing it herself and taking a chance of him bleeding too much). He was bad for one day, but after that he was back to normal! He weighed 13 lbs. 2 oz that day…

I think that’s it for the update on CoJo (our nickname for him since his name is Colton Joseph). I’m sure he will be doing even more over this next month!

A Great Weekend!

What a fabulous weekend!

Friday night we went to dinner with our friends/neighbors and were there for 2 hours! With all of our kiddos (plus one because Kylie had a friend over)! We went to a local Mexican restaurant and really had great time.

Saturday morning Josh and John went off to football practice while the rest of us just hung out around the house. I held Colton and watched some Food Network (one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday when I can’t be outside).

Saturday night John and I took Josh, Ryan, my nephew Carson, my dad, John’s uncle and his cousin to the last Blue Jackets game. It was Ryan’s first game and he was so excited. Although we spent a lot of time on Saturday trying to get him to understand that we would not be skating! He kept saying “I’m going to be goalie!” :) He really did super well and even those the Jackets lost, we still had a really great time.

Sunday was Joshie’s first football game of the season! It started out rocky with me trying to get Colton happy and Ryan to listen, but then they calmed down and I was able to enjoy the game. Joshie pulled 7 flags and scored a touchdown! He was such a machine out there! One of the kids that he plays with lives in our neighborhood, so it’s nice to be able to hang out with my neighbor during the game, and they have a girl that is Kylie’s age, so she has someone to play with, which is nice. The Saints (Joshie’s team) ended up winning by one point!

After the game we went home and just enjoyed the 84 degree sunshine! We sat outside with our neighbors until Colton started screaming at 6:00 to eat. We all took that as our cue to go in and feed our kids and get ready for the upcoming week. It was really such a great day and definitely got all of us so excited about summer.

Another Post So Soon???

Today is my third day back to work and I can’t believe how fast the week has gone by! With me being so busy at work and then coming home to a rushed dinner and off to an activity, I feel like I’m going to bed not long after I wake up :)

Our new nanny is working out so wonderfully! She keeps saying that her goal is to make our lives easier, and she is definitely following through on that – yesterday she actually went into each of the bedrooms looking for laundry to do! Colton had an amazing day with her yesterday and will hopefully continue to have great days with her. Having great childcare definitely makes going to work so much easier!

Our weather is finally starting to warm up, thankfully! Joshie’s first football game in Sunday and it’s supposed to be 79 degrees and sunny! We are so ready for warm weather and ready to be outside each evening!

I think that’s all we have going on right now…it feels so good to get back into the “normal” routine! I love that I have had my maternity leaves to prove to me just how much I love my job and I love being a working momma!

First Day Back...

Today is my first day back to work from maternity leave and it has flown by! I can’t believe it’s already 3:45! I have thought about Colton and the kids, but thankfully, we are so busy at work that the day hasn’t been too horrible. And thankfully, Miss G. (our new nanny) seems to have everything under control at home!
This week is a busy one for the family too…tonight is Kylie’s 2nd grade musical, tomorrow night is a small group meeting for our Marriage BLOC at church, Thursday night Kylie has gymnastics, Friday night is house church, and Saturday we are going to the last Blue Jackets game of the season (and taking Ryan for the first time since he was 2 months old!). Of course the week I start back to work would be crazy at home too!
And last night Kylie lost her 4th tooth! She finally lost the top two and the bottom two and looks adorable :)
I have to get back to work now, but hopefully I’ll be able to update a lot more often now that my arms are not constantly holding little Colton :)

Colton Turns 2 Months (a little late)...

Colton is much older than 2 months, but at least the pictures and the information are from when he turned 2 months :)

Weight: 12 lbs. 5.5 oz. (69%)
Length: 24 1/2 inches (92%)
Head Circ.: 39 cm (32%)

He is now smiling a little bit, which is nice :) We have also found out that he has reflux, so that has been a new challenge for us :) As long as we stay on top of the medicine (he keeps growing out of his dosage), he is a fabulous baby!