Woo-Hoo, Voting Day! (as political as I get)

Exactly!

Yes!  Election day!  Now, maybe my phone will get a break from all of the recorded messages and I can stop filling up our 55 gallon recycle bin with political junk mail. 

As we were walking into the polls this morning with our three little kids, a man passed and made a friendly comment about bringing them along.  I joked, “gotta start them early.”  His response, “Well, it depends which side you are starting them early on.”  Luckily, his wife punched him in the arm and told him to be quiet so I didn’t have to.  Really?  Not sure what his political standing is--don’t care--just think that it was kinda an a-hole thing to say.  All I meant was getting them started to understand and appreciate being able to vote in this country.  Puh-lease—we save the brainwashing for home!  (I joke)

This is my stance:  I am fortunate to live in a country where I can vote freely and for who I like (or dislike the least J).  No police need to stand in the doorways to ensure my safety, no discrimination based on sex, race, religion, etc,.  So, I do my part.  The outcome may not be the way that I voted, but I have to respect the system and the outcome.  It’s a whole lot better than some of the alternatives. 

Six Years and Counting

So True



Tomorrow, Oct. 14^th, will by our wedding anniversary—6 years!

This is us then:

This is us now:

What a difference 6 years have made!  What I am most grateful for is how our relationship has matured and grown into a marriage that we both love being in. 

I love that my husband is soooo supportive and encouraging in all that I do—whether it be work, soccer, motherhood, etc. 

I love that he would be just fine if I was more successful than him. 

I love that he is always looking for ways and asking for ways to help me. 

I love that he is never upset OR shocked when I tell him that I’m pregnant.

I love that he still thinks I’m hot even after watching me give birth to three children.  J  And when I still have 10 15 20 pounds of baby weight to lose. 

But, most of all, I love his heart—that he is giving, thoughtful, and committed.  I love that he is in this for the long haul.  That he takes his wedding vows seriously.  That he loves me. 

Happy Anniversary, Joe!

Have I Mentioned That I Love Having Babies?

Shortly after Cecilia was born, I wrote down everything that I could remember from the day that she was born.  After Anna was born, the memory was so vivid that I didn’t really feel the need to do it.  For some reason, with Cyril, I have that need to remember the details again and I want to get it down before it isn’t fresh anymore.  The one thing with both the birth of Anna and Cyril is that the only people in the room were Joe and I…and a small army of medical staff.  I LOVED this—it is such an awesome moment to share just with my husband and our new child. 

Anyhow, the 1.5 weeks leading up to the delivery, I had A LOT of false labor.  So much that I was a little worried that I wouldn’t know when it was REAL labor.  But, after much walking, timing, and debating, I decided that on August 26^th at 2:00 am, it was time to call my doctor and let her know that I was on my way to the hospital.  Even at this point, I remember riding in the car and saying to Joe, “I really hope this is it.”  By the time that I was hooked up in triage, I had a little more confidence but it wasn’t until the checked and verified that I was at 5 cm, did I breathe a sigh of relief.  I WASN’T crazy and we would be having this baby soon.  Hurray!

The one thing that I always forget is how long it takes to get you admitted from triage to labor & delivery and, as a result, how long it takes to get the epidural.  Due to my past (fast) deliveries and the fact that this was my third delivery, they bumped me ahead of some other women.  Something about taking care of their “frequent flyers.”  I actually dread getting an epidural.  For me, it beats going through hours of painful labor and helps me enjoy the whole experience so I suffer it.  But it does cause my blood pressure to drop and I just can’t get comfortable with the idea of somebody putting a needle in my back but I close my eyes and try to trust in all of their medical training/experience. 

So, epidural in and my body continues to contract like I’m on a pitocin drip (so I’m told by the doctors and nurses.)  It’s something that I’m proud of but which I have no real control over—my body was just made to have babies.  Since I was GBS (Group B Strep) positive, they waited four hours to break my water to ensure that the antibiotics had a chance to work.  They came in around 10am to break my water and within 10 minutes, Cyril was ready to come out.  I have no idea what it was but, despite my epidural, I felt everything.  Four contractions later and much cheerleading from my doctor and the small army of medical staff, at 10:24 am Cyril was lying on my chest screaming and listening for my voice.  He actually calmed down when he heard it which just brought tears to my eyes.  Of course he knew me—I just told him that I was a surprised that he recognized my voice when it wasn’t scolding his sisters.  J 

I am always blown away by this whole experience.  I am amazed when I stare at my baby and think about how his life began, how he developed from something so tiny to the baby that he is now.  I am amazed that we have been trusted with this awesome life and pray, pray, pray every night that we will honor God in how we love and raise all of our children. 



Love this moment!




Proud Dad



Our Little Man

Bribing Children with...Edamame?

I love my girls.  They drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, but my family is my world and I love how, at the end of the day, I always have little amusing stories to tell my husband (alongside the horror stories).  And, occasionally, I just have these moments where I stop and think, "Did that just really happen?"  For example:

1.  Cecilia has been asking for peas ever since she saw a Curious George episode where he ate them.  I keep forgetting to buy any because I NEVER buy peas because, well....they're gross.  I gag at the smell of them.  (The only person who beats me hands down in their dislike for them is my brother.  He won't even eat vegetable soup because he says that it infects the rest of the can.  My husband loves them and has been kind enough to not nag me about buying them.)  Fortunately, I found out today that what she calls "peas" are actually edamame.  I bought some today and she was psyched.  So, today, I managed to bribe my girls into eating their dinner by offering more "peas" as they ate.  What???  Why have I been buying so many fruit snacks?

2.  Cecilia has also decided to be a great helper in disciplining her younger sister.  Anna took milk into the living room the other day which is "no-no" in our house (don't judge my analness).  I was in the bathroom when I heard Cecilia tell her "no, Anna, milk in the kitchen only" and then proceeded to count to 3 giving her due warning of impending punishment for her milk crime.  Anna, as she does with me, ignored Cecilia so Cecilia promptly gave her a time-out.  It was funny...but I did have to explain to Cecilia that only mom and dad discipline them.  I'm also glad that my mini-me didn't sound like a mean mom. 

3.  Anna pretty much chose to not talk for a long time.  In the last couple of months, she has really picked up a lot of words and found the benefit of communicating beyond grunting.  But, she isn't even two yet so there is no filter there.  She chased me through the Norfolk airport a couple of weeks ago shouting "Poop!" because she needed her diaper changed.  So glad that she learned that word before "please."

Counting Down

Part of the fun of subsequent pregnancies is that you start to look full term about two months before your due date.  Your body just reaches that point where it says, “yeah, I remember this and I’m not going to fight it anymore” and no amount of holding in your belly will make it look any different (as if that were an option…).  It’s the point where complete strangers start questioning your due date and look shocked when they find out that it is not next week and the point where your countdown changes so it doesn’t SEEM like 2 months away.  Because the other added benefit is that you FEEL full term also.  So, my countdown goes something like this:

I’m 32.5 weeks now.  In 1 week, we leave for a week at the beach with family.  We are looking forward to it and I think the girls will LOVE it.  And, being vacation, it will pass much more quickly than it should so that by the time that we get back, I will be roughly 35 weeks.  At that point, it will only be 2 weeks until I’m technically full term and I can go day to day believing that any day could be the day.

For me, the one thing that hasn’t changed from child to child is the excitement.  The growth of a baby in utero is so amazing.  Carrying this growing child inside of me and feeling it move and kick (even if it is my ribs, hips, etc.) has always made me smile.  But all of this pales in comparison to that moment when he/she is born, put on your chest, and you see them for the first time.  We have no idea how we will manage three small children, but I just don’t think that is something that you can prepare for.  We just have a few final details to sort out—like the baby’s name and what to do with our girls if I go into labor more than 1.5 weeks early and my mom is NOT in town*.  Minor stuff really. 

*Did you know that some people choose to have their kids in the room WITH them when they deliver?  I was surprised when our pediatrician told me that (not that it was recommended, mind you).  I'm sure that I'm not alone when I say "thank you" to my mom for never doing that.

What Pinterest has Done for Me Lately

When I first checked out pinterest.com, I didn’t really get the draw.  People (ah, primarily women) LOVE this site.  I wasn’t getting it…until I started seeing some recipes on there that I wanted to try and when I went back to find them, it was impossible.  So….I signed up for an account.  I’m still a very casual user and while I have many boards, I really only care about two things:  food and kids. 

The food—so many junk food recipes out there.  But what I have found it how this one site has linked me to so many awesome food blogs.  Through this route, I have found an AWESOME recipe for Daal with Golden Lentils and Coconut Milk.  I love this blog—I’m not a big meat eater and she has all kinds of yummy vegetarian and fish recipes that I want to try at some point.  I will say that I didn’t alter this recipe at all which is unusual for me.  I’ve made it twice—once serving a tomato/cucumber/onion salad with cumin salt, the other time serving it with cumin roasted chicken (recipes to follow).  Next time, I’m making a double batch and freezing half so that I can eat it whenever I want.  Have I mentioned that I love this recipe?  If you are curious, it was her masala chai recipe that I found on pinterest.  I haven’t tried it yet but will once my allowable caffeine intake is a little more relaxed. 

Kids’ activities are big on pinterest.  I’m always looking for manageable activities that I can do with toddlers.  Honestly, a lot of what I find wears me out just reading about it so I know that there is no way that I will actually do them.  But, I did find this activity—it is a giant water sensory bag.  (Link here)  Tarp, duct tape, water hose, done.  It was a super popular pin and thought, “now this is something that I can handle that I think my kids will actually enjoy and requires little facilitation on my part.  Perfect.”  The girls loved it, specifically Cecilia.  My only mistake was not getting a thick enough tarp.  Once I looked back on her site, I realized that she used 3.5 mil which would have been perfect.  I ended up with only 1 mil, but doubled it up—worked but we did end up putting some holes in it before it was all over. 

Cecilia loved hopping from one end to the next.....



And then flopping down on her belly or back.





Anna took a bit more convincing but played for a little bit, enjoying the cool water.

Overall, a success and a great way to burn some afternoon time on a warm day.  

Anna the Jumping Banana

Anna never ceases to amaze me with the rapid development of her gross and fine motor skills.  She also scares me because she has NO FEAR.  So much so that I actually get comments from other moms at the park.  I guess they are a little surprised to see an 18 month old swinging from a bar like a monkey, laughing her head off or trying to climb the horizontal ladder that she has no business trying to tackle.  (Seriously, this girl keeps me busy trying to keep her in one piece.)  Recently, she has been working on her trampoline jumping.  I was impressed one week so I took this video:

But….here she is only a week later (give it a few seconds—she was distracted by Cecilia in the beginning). 

Love this girl!

The Sickness Spreadeth

On Friday night, Cecilia woke up sick.  She managed to empty her stomach all over her bed which is always fun.  After cleaning her and her bed up, she went back to bed and woke up the next morning completely normal with an appetite.  Ok, I think, perhaps it was just something that she ate....

Then we had an awesome Easter, celebrating our risen Lord with family, friends, and way more food than necessary.  Having disinfected the house and having a healthy family, I felt ok that we weren't infecting all of our guests.  And then....on Sunday night, Anna wakes up.  Repeat Friday night.  She goes back to sleep and wakes up normal with an appetite.  What the?  Kids always amaze me with their ability to cope with illness.  (As an example, a couple months ago, Cecilia had a horrible double ear infection and I had NO IDEA--no fever, no complaints--until she woke up screaming one night.)  But, when I am amazed the most is when I actually get what they had....which is what happened today. 

After getting hardly any sleep from the nausea, I woke up to find my husband sick as well.  And not just the same--way worse off than me.  But, no worries.  We already had a babysitter scheduled for this morning.  And then.....SHE. GOT. SICK.  Needless to say, we spent the day watching entirely too much television and I currently have the theme song to Dora the Explorer in my head. 

So....I just have to go ahead an apologize to our guests if any of our guests got sick.  No fun.  At least now I feel a little less guilty about all of the candy that I ate. 

To Nap Again....Someday

When my Anna was born, I swore that when she was born I also delivered my ability to take a nap.  It was gone—I would be exhausted but could not sleep because I could not settle my mind down.  Well, with my third pregancy, the ability to nap has returned.  But what I have noticed is that this is not a good thing because I typically wake up grumpier than before I took the nap.  ????  But, the fatigue makes it hard to resist getting a quick nap if I have the opportunity.

Today, I had the kids all day.  We had a laid back morning and met my husband for lunch.  When they went down for their nap (or “quiet time” in Cecilia’s case as I cannot remember the last time she napped regularly…), I laid down for just a little bit and woke up in a terrible mood.  I always feel bad for my kids when this happens and look for an opportunity to diffuse the situation.  Today:  trip to Trader Joe’s!

I love this store.  The strong love that I have for this store is driven by the fact that it is a short walk from my house.  It gives me the chance to load up the kids in a double stroller and take a walk, get some dinner, and get the kids free stickers.  It’s amazing what some sun, fresh air, and exercise can do for your mood.  Which is why I had the patience to color eggs with the girls after dinner. 

Coloring eggs is all that Cecilia has been able to talk about for WEEKS so I mustered up the courage to let go of my analness for a period of time and let them color it up.  It was not disappointing. 

Adding the final touches.  The stickers should make them extra fun to remove the shell.

I worried about doing it because the only person who will eat a hard boiled egg in this house is me.  No worries now because my brother will be utilizing them for an incredibly unhealthy but tasty treat for us on Easter.  My understanding is it involves deviled eggs and bacon made in cup form…

From A Square To A Circle

When we told people that we were pregnant with Anna, we received a lot of “you must be crazy!” looks.  I didn’t really understand why until I Anna reached the same age as Cecilia was when I got pregnant (they are 16.5 months apart).  So, on Christmas Eve, when that invisible line turned blue again, I was hesitant to tell many people.  Now that we are out of the first trimester and things are going well and I don’t feel like I will be sick FOREVER, the excitement has really set in.  Here is a pic* taken of our little peanut 6 weeks ago:

It always amazes me when I see that ultrasound the first time.  Since it is still early in the pregnancy, other than feeling terrible, there are not any other signs of pregnancy.  You are not showing, can’t feel the baby move, but you are always aware that there is this little baby growing inside of you.  And then, BAM!, there they are on the screen with their precious heart beating away.  I know this is baby #3 for us, but I still got tears in my eyes.  I don’t think that it is something that you become immune to.  I also breathed a sigh of relief that there was only one baby…. 

So here we go again!  Baby #3 is due to enter the world September 4^th and we couldn’t be happier to have another set of tiny feet running around our house and to have our family of 4 rounded out to a family of 5.  We are truly blessed!

*My husband says that our ultrasound pictures always look like a mysterious ship wreck, not a baby.  It is clearer on the screen, but my doctor was kind enough to label the different parts of the “ship” in hopes that we could at least make out part of the baby.  J 

Sometimes Even I Can't Keep My Mouth Shut

I don’t voice my opinion much about controversial things—it’s not that I DON’T have an opinion…..ahem….strong opinion about most issues—I’m just not a person who enjoys personal attacks about my opinions.  But, every once in a while, something comes up that even I can’t keep my mouth shut about.  Recently, there have been two.

1. Susan B. Komen no longer awarding grants to Planned Parenthood

So, what has me all fired up about this is how political people are treating it—the biggest offender being PP themselves.  I think that the emotionally charged people really need to look at why—I mean REALLY why—they made this decision.  This article is pretty good.  Hint:  it was not political and I’m guessing that PP is not the only organization to stop receiving grants from them.  Did you know that PP does not even offer mamograms?  If PP is really about helping women, they should have made a regretful statement regarding this severed relationship instead of trying to destroy Komen—an organization that has spent over $1.9 BILLion dollars in breast cancer treatment and research. 

2. HHS Mandate

This really bothers me because it is widely ignored by the media.  The issue here isn’t about whether sterilizations and contraceptives are right or not—it’s about religious liberty.  It’s no mystery that the Catholic church does not believe in sterilization, contraception, and various abortifacient drugs.  You don’t have to agree with it, like it, but you have to agree that it within the church’s right to not supplement it.  Jews don’t eat pork—would we force them to serve it because people have a right to pork?  These Catholic institutions are not saying that they will not employ those who chose to use birth control—they are saying that they cannot and will not supplement it. 

To give you an idea, as of today, almost 80% of the dioceses in the country have spoken out against the HHS mandate.  That's solidarity--you can't even find that during election time.

If the government feels that it is ok to take away religious liberty on this issue, where does it end?  Sign this petition.  It’s the right thing to do.

If you're interested in a good overview on the issue, on of my favorite Catholic bloggers wrote an open letter to Obama which covers a lot of the aspects. 

Here’s To the Next Generation of Girls

I’m not sure what it is about being female, but we are inherently caddy.  Maybe it’s because we grow up always comparing ourselves to others and, therefore, must find fault in others to feel better about ourselves.  But, something happened the other day that just shocked me. 

We were at one of our favorite play places when I noticed this group of preschool/kindergarten age girls.  Two girls stood out because they were obviously the queen bees.  It wasn’t long before another little girl was complaining to her mom, “they are being mean to me and won’t play with me.”  And I thought “what?  When did little girls get so mean?"  Long story short, it wasn’t long before this girl was “accepted” into their group and SHE was being mean to other little girls (who had enough sense to not care.) 

As often happens, this got me thinking about what I want for my girls.  I’m sure that I’m not different from most parents out there.  Here is just a sample of my long list:

1. Confidence.  In whom they are and what they can do.  I want them to understand that they may not be the best at everything but, at the same time, know that they can do anything that they put their minds to.
2. Respect for others.  This is something that I work on continuously with our girls.  When they play together or when we are at playgroup, they have to share, wait their turn, and be mindful of those around them.  I hope that, as they get older, they will (begrudgingly at times) understand that, even if they don’t like someone or they’re not “cool” that they still have to show them respect.  If they don’t understand, you better believe that, when I can, I will be there to remind them.
3. A family that they can count on.  When I was younger, even when my siblings and I fought and made fun of each other, we always knew that we still had each others’ backs.  You gonna mess with my little brothers?  Well, then you’re going to mess with us and we’re not girls that are afraid to hit boys!  I want my kids to count on each other and build each other up even when others are tearing them down.
4. Pride in what they do—to understand that their work is a direct reflection of what they put into it.
5. Entitlement does not exist.  You are not entitled to a grade, you earn it.  You are not entitled to certain clothes, you work to achieve them.  You are not entitled to a car, you work for it.  Etc, etc. 

Our girls are still young, so I’m not sure how we will achieve all of this or if we will.  You just kind of do the best as these things come up.  I won’t shelter them because that is just delaying the inevitable.  Do I want my girls to get picked on?  No way.  Will they?  For sure.  But they will know that they can always come home and get plenty of love from their mom and that I will be here to build them back up when others tear them down. 

But, wouldn’t it be awesome if, as moms, we were resolved to not be backbiters ourselves?  That our kids would see us as people that were respectful to all people regardless of who they are?  If we lead by example, will our kids take note?  Isn’t it worth trying to raise a generation of girls who build each other up instead of tearing each other down?  I, for one, am going to try.