The Perspective of a 3 Year Old

I was having a conversation with Cecilia today and it eventually came around to Uncle Scott, Aunt Mary, and Baby Gloria--Cecilia LOVES to remind me that Uncle Scott is HER Godfather.

Me:  Well, maybe when everybody gets a little bigger, we can go out to Colorado and visit them.
Cecilia:  Yeah, we can go once Cyril is asleep!
Me:  Ummm...it's a really long trip so we won't be able to go during Cyril's nap. Maybe we
Cecilia (cutting me off):  Hey!  Can we go to the beach house and get our bathing suits?
Me:  That would be fun but probably not this year.
Cecilia:  Not this year?  Why?
Me:  Well, we don't go every year because it cost a lot of money.
Cecilia:  We have a lot of money!
Me (confused):  We do?
Cecilia (insistent):  Yes we do!
Me:  Really?  Where is it?
Cecilia:  In the kitchen!
Me (really curious about our stash):  Really?  Where?
Cecilia runs into the kitchen desk, points, and says "Right there!  That is A LOT of money!"

Proud of her find!

I think that we may have to settle for a lot of car washes.  :)

Can I Get a Resolution Over Here?

As I sit here and write this, I can hear my younger daughter hacking like she's been smoking a pack a day since birth.  Every time that one of our children comes down with a new virus, I think "This is it!  We will be out of the woods after this virus."  And then some other bug finds it's way into our house.  And they're mocking me--it always happens when the kids are doing better, the house is freshly sanitized, and all sheets are clean.  And they're kicking my butt--I'm Ex-Haust-Ed!  I tell you all of this to better understand my 2 month hiatus from updating this blog.  (as opposed to my typical one month increments.)

Anyhow...this is no secret to people who know me but I don't do New Year's resolutions.  I figure that I'm making resolutions all of the time--every day/week/month is New Year's over here!  But, this time of the year does generally make you reflect at least a little and think about what you want to do or improve.  I think that it has to do with the gluttony of the holidays.  Even if you do NOT overindulge, for some reason, you feel like you do.  It's like your body and mind need a cleanse.

So, I've decided to try to add specifics to my not-resolution-resolutions.  For instance, I would like to eat better--doesn't everybody?  Specifically, I want to continue to cook more from scratch so that I know what is actually going into our bodies and can modify recipes to make them better.  It seems like a lot of work and sometimes it is.  But, I find that most things just taste better when freshly made.

Also, I would like to work on my patience with my kids and do better at teaching by example.  It's not that I am TERRIBLE but it amazes me daily what these kids absorb.  One day, Cecilia asked to eat standing up and I was like, "What???  Where would she get that from?"  Oh yeah....I do that sometimes.  This is a harmless example and I will continue to eat standing up if I need to but you get the idea.  I'm not into passive parenting but I do find that if I make the extra effort to show my kids more attention and love, they are generally better behaved and happier.  Some days, it's just hard.  It's those days that I want to improve.  Instead of blowing off my child because I'm dusting/sweeping/peeing when they want to show me something, I want to turn to them and give them my attention.  Well, maybe not if I'm peeing....  Otherwise, I may miss silly memories like this:

Here's to a happy and healthy 2013!  Maybe our resolution should be just to love life a little more...like a three-year-old!

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.