Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas all. I promise to post some pics from our Christmas, but it probably won't happen until Monday or so because I'm tired tonight, and we have two more busy days coming up. Today was so much fun, and Sean's dad and step mom were able to be here with us this year, which added to the insanity, but it was well worth it in the end. The kids loved having extra family (and presents) here. The living room is a mess with presents and paper still scattered everywhere, but who cares. It's all part of the fun of Christmas, and I don't feel like cleaning anything else today. :)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Big Fat Goalie

So I've decided that should be my nick-name for a while. Ironic huh, considering no goalie is what got us in this mess in the first place. lol! But anyway I did play goalie in soccer for a few years, so that is somewhat fitting, but the really appropriate part of this is the Big and Fat. Now before anyone gets all, "You're not fat, you're pregnant," on me, I have to explain that while yes, I am pregnant, that does not negate the fat that existing prior to this pregnancy, so really I think fat is still an accurate description. Anywho, on to the picture of proof.
This is a picture I took today, and I'm 15 weeks and 5 days pregnant and feeling ginormous.
(oh and please ignore the crappy picture and my dirty mirror)
15 weeks 5 days

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Happy Birthday Jackson

My baby is 1! How did that happen? I have no clue where the last year went. I remember all too well the insanity in our house last year at this time with a stomach virus circulating, a newborn baby, and tons of snow and ice. I think it's even harder to believe because he's still really tiny. He's growing and healthy, just really little, so he looks like he's about 6 months old instead of 12. He had his checkup at the doctor today (Monday) and he's now up to 17 pounds 1 ounce, and 27 inches long. So, he's done some serious growing and the doctor seems happy with how he's doing. He is doing all the things a 12 month old should be doing, so I'm going to try to stop stressing out about our little man, and just enjoy the days as they come.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

a real person

Ok, probably totally screwing myself with this one, but I think I'm finally feeling like a real person again. I still have a cough and random sinus headaches, but for the most part I'm feeling more normal. The nausea wore off just in time for this second cold to hit, so I feel like I haven't really had a break and felt good for the last 3 months. The last two days I've felt much better, and I'm so thankful for it.
Now I'm worried I'm going to start gaining weight because I've been really hungry and actually felt like eating. I lost two pounds early on, but have been pretty much just hovering there. I was really hoping to make it to 20 weeks without gaining anything, but I'm very fearful that won't happen. For some reason I gain a lot of weight in my pregnancy no matter what I do. No I don't live on carrot sticks and granola, but seriously it's ridiculous how much weight I gain during pregnancy, and it really feels almost out of control. My body image is pretty crappy having 5 kids in 7 years, and then I look at these pictures online of these first time moms who are 20 or 30 weeks pregnant and I look way more pregnant than them and I'm only 15 weeks. I don't know, first time moms are just annoying me right now. I guess I'm jaded since I've been through it all before, or maybe I'm just hormonal and crabby, but seriously I'm tired of feeling judged by women who haven't even been through it before.

Friday, December 4, 2009

sick

Why is it I have to be sick every pregnancy? WHY?!?!?!?! I don't mean morning sickness, although that is getting old too. I have another freaking cold and I'm just done with it. I'm done coughing and blowing my nose 80 times a day. I'm done not being able to hear and feeling like people are stabbing me in the forehead. So I felt mildly better last enough. Enough so that I actually left the house to go do something, and then this morning I wake up with pink eye. REALLY? Did I REALLY just wake up with freaking pink eye? I can't remember ever having pink eye my whole life and I get it now. AWESOME! The kids had it starting last Friday, but they have all been clear since waking up Wednesday morning. Then somehow I wake up with it today. What the heck? I thought I cleaned and washed everything. Why am I getting it now? And please, please, please, don't let the kids get it again. Putting eye drops in a two year old and an almost 12 month old's eyes sucks.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Christmas Shopping

I have a major love hate relationship with Christmas shopping. I love to do it for my immediate family because I generally know what to get them, and what they'll like, and what will make them happy. Then there is everyone else, and shopping for them makes me crazy. My mom and Sean's parents are so hard to shop for. We don't get any ideas of things they would like, so it's just a big guessing game. My mom always says, "Don't get me anything. I don't need anything." But yeah right, like we're not going to get her a Christmas present. Thanks for the help mom!
We also have my nephews to buy for, but they are like my kids in that they don't need anymore toys AT ALL! But clothes are lame christmas presents, so I feel very stuck. How does everyone else decide on Christmas gifts for those that are hard to buy for?

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Yesterday was our 6th anniversary, and to celebrate we had my mom babysit and then Sean and I went out to eat, went to the spa at the Four Seasons and got a room there for the night. It was our first entire night out without any kids in a very long time, and it was fabulous!!!! I seriously wish we could have had an extra day or two for just us. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but I also love my husband and feel like we don't get much time just for us anymore. Sadly that's not going to change anytime soon with our newest addition on the way. 5 kids is a lot to ask of anyone for any length of time. Hopefully when they are a little older and more self-sufficient, asking a grandparent or two to keep them for a weekend won't be such a major undertaking.
Anyway, we had a great day/night together and can't wait to do it again next year. I think instead of gifts we're going to do something like this instead whenever possible. Quality time together is much better than any gift from a store. :)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

scary times (with a happy ending and a rant)

10/2/09
Today (october 2) was my first appointment with dr. p. I went in there feeling pretty normal and no major concerns. I've been having a lot of cramps, but no spotting or bleeding, so I just figured we were fine. As soon as the dr. started the ultrasound I knew something was wrong. There was nothing there. :( The lining of my uterus is thick and there is a tiny black dot, which could potentially be a sac for the baby in the near future, but we can't be sure right now. So now we wait. It's possible my dates are off and I'm not as far along as I thought, but it's also possible I was pregnant and there is no longer a viable baby in there and I'm just waiting for the miscarriage to begin. There is nothing my doctor can do right now. So we all just wait. I go back on October 23 to recheck everything. My doc is going to be out of town next week otherwise I'd go back sooner. It's hard not to stress, but I also know there is nothing I can do either way, so I'm trying to put it in God's hands.

10/0/09
I had another doctor appointment on Friday and got some good news. He did another ultrasound and there was a baby with a strong heartbeat. YAY! I spent the last 3 weeks worrying and trying to figure out if I was sick with some terrible virus, or if I was having morning sickness, so I feel like I can breathe now. Of course we are still nervous, and will be for the health of this baby for the rest of our lives, but I'm hoping after I have another appointment in 4 weeks and hear the baby's heartbeat I'll be able to relax even more. Oh, and my due date has changed to June 2, 2010, which was Nathan's due date, and is one day before his birthday.
(I wrote this next part and was just honest about my feelings. I know a lot of you won't like it or get it, but it's the real me. Sorry!)
Now I just have to figure out how to tell everyone. I have to be honest that I know we are not going to get a lot of "Congratulations, that's so exciting!" responses from people, especially our family members, which really just sucks. Instead we're going to hear a lot of, "Holy cow! Are you guys crazy? But your done now right?" type of responses. It makes me sad and angry that people can't be excited about another addition to our family and someone else to love. We're not on welfare, we can afford our bills and provide for our family, and don't rely on other people to care for our kids, so I don't understand all the negativity around such an awesome gift of a child.

a hard decision

10/13/09

Today I made a very hard decision. Jackson is going to be mainly eating formula instead of breastfeeding. Anyone who knows me knows how important breastfeeding my kids to at least 12 months is, and how strongly I feel about how important breastmilk is to babies, so you know this was a seriously difficult decision. But because of his weight gain issues, and me being pregnant again, I really feel this is what is going to be best for him. I am hoping I'll still be able to nurse him on occasion, but his main nutrition will be coming from formula for the next 2 months. I have been so nauseous and crappy feeling that I haven't been eating or drinking properly, and not taking care of myself means I can't produce enough healthy milk to take care of Jackson.
I know making it to ten months is way better than nothing, but I still feel terrible about what I'm taking away from him, and the financial burden this puts on our family. Of course buying formula for the next two months isn't going to break the bank, but it's still not something we have budgeted for. I also feel incredibly guilty because had we been just a little more careful on preventing another pregnancy, this wouldn't even be an issue right now, but what's done is done, and I'm trying to focus on the positive here. Jackson will get the nutrition he needs, and I don't have to worry I'm starving him because I'm being stubborn and trying to stick with exclusively breastfeeding.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Holy crap

9/23/09
There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out with it; I'm pregnant again!
Before you start throwing things at me let me just answer your questions.
1) no this was not planned
2) yes we know what causes this (we are obviously just really good at it, lol!)
3) no we won't be finding out the sex
4) Jackson will be 18 months old when this baby is born
5) I am tentatively due May 30, 2010
6) This is our last baby as Sean plans to get the "procedure" done
and lastly
7) NO we are not crazy, although we may be by the time all the kids move out. :)


We just found out 2 days ago, and the shock is wearing off, and the realization that we are going to need yet another crib and we'll have to figure out how to squish everyone in the car, and where to put 5 kids in our house is all setting in. I'm really not that worried though, we'll make it work somehow.
Today I also woke up with a raging case of morning sickness. No puking yet, but definitely crappy feeling. I'm hoping every day won't be like this or it's going to be a long 9 months. I still haven't called the doctor. I'm definitely going to hear an I told you so from him. I love my ob, he's so nice and fun, but he told me when I went in to get my IUD removed months ago that if he took it out I'd end up back in there pregnant again. He tried adjusting the IUD so I didn't have as many bad symptoms, but then a few days later it pretty much just fell out, so I never bothered calling or going back in. I hated that thing, and can't remember to take a pill everyday, so I didn't see a need to call him to let him know it came out.

I will update everyone once I go in for my appointment and let you know if my due date changes and if everything looks good with baby #5.

I took this idea from Julia and wrote some posts as we went along and saved them to share later. Hope you don't mind Julia!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

weekend pictures

Ok thanks to Heather for sending these.





Sunday, November 8, 2009

family

I have to say Sean and I are very lucky that we both have pretty awesome families. They are the kind who would go out of their way to help you, and do pretty much anything you need. This weekend we were finally able to help out my mom, instead of the other way around, which is seems like is always the case. I can't tell you how many times my mom has dropped what she was doing and come running to help us out, including taking care of our whole family who had the stomach flu while I was having a baby. Yeah, she's amazing.
So anyway, this weekend we went over and did some yard work for her. I say "we", but I didn't really do a whole lot. I was more of a kid wrangler, butt-wiper, lunch maker, but hey, I was there in spirit. We (there I go again) raked my moms yard, which is big and has lots of trees, therefore lots of leaves, and my brother cut down 4 trees and cut them up for firewood and then everyone helped load up the trailers. We'll have to spend another weekend on a date with a log splitter to actually get the wood down to fireplace size, but cutting down the trees was a huge accomplishment.
When the kids weren't eating, or needing their butts wiped, they were actually pretty good helpers, especially the older three. At 6 and 5 they can use a rake decently, and were very helping in carrying logs to the trailer and picking up sticks for kindling. Their favorite activities of course, were jumping in leaf piles and climbing around on the trees right after they were cut down before the guys could cut them into pieces. All in all a great weekend with my family and I love that we helped my mom out.
(I wish I had pictures to share, but I'm a dork and forgot my camera. My sister-in-law had hers though, so maybe she'll share a couple of her pics.)

Monday, November 2, 2009

another year has passed

As the anniversary of my dad's passing approaches I find myself struggling to say anything new about how I'm feeling.
This post from last year pretty much still sums it all up. I wish I had something nicer or happier to say this year, but it's all still the same for me.
But instead of focusing on all the sadness, I thought it would be fun to post some things about my dad so you could know him better.

~He loved trout fishing, and was trying to teach me how to fly fish, despite me actually catching him one time.

~He coached our soccer team when we were little even though he knew nothing about the game before then. He was volunteered for the job, so he got a book about it and actually wasn't a bad coach.

~He also coached the girls basketball team for our school, and he was much better at that.

~In high school he played every sport he could, and excelled at all of them.

~Despite being an office guy, he loved to work on things around the house both inside and out, and did really good work in all his projects.

~When he was younger, he had the most awesome sideburns ever. These things seriously needed their own zip code. He was quite the stud back then I guess. lol!

~Most importantly he loved his family and spending time with them, including the extended family, not just my mom, brother, and I.

Happy Halloween

Two days late, but so what. :) We had a fun night trick or treating in our subdivision, even though it was pretty darn cold, and we have more candy than we know what to do with now. Here are pictures of our tribe as my brother likes to call them. (click on the pics to view them in a new window so you can see the whole thing. Poor Nathan got cut off in the last one on here)




Friday, October 30, 2009

Anniversay trip (take 2)

So we never made it on our anniversary trip last year that we wanted to take. Something about being 8 1/2 months pregnant just made it sound like a bad idea to travel anywhere. lol! I honestly hadn't really thought much about trying to take a trip this year since we've traveled so much already, but then Brigid, the photographer who took our family photos earlier this year, posted on facebook about an awesome deal on a trip near that date. We have been wanting to get away just the two of us for so long, and it has never worked out for one reason or another. I'm really not holding out too much hope at this point since not only is it a short time frame to work out our travel details, but we also need to find someone to watch the kids for however long we're gone, which is a lot to ask of anyone. 4 kids at the ages of ours is a lot of work, and I think I'd feel guilty the whole time we're gone worrying about someone else having to deal with the kids 24/7 (or however long our trip would be). Parenting is so hard. :(

Monday, October 26, 2009

fever

Nathan has been sick since Thursday, here's the thing though, his only symptom is a fever, and it comes and goes. He does have a cough, but he had that before the fever started on Thursday. He was fever free all day Saturday and Sunday morning, and then in the afternoon he started looking blah again and his fever was back. So he stayed home today, and I was planning on calling the doctor, but he's been fever free again all day, so I didn't. Does that make me a bad mom? He's been jumping around and playing all day and acting just fine other than his cough, but he's the kid that will have a cough all winter long whether he's really sick or not. It seems like once something gets in there and irritates his lungs it just won't go away.
So now the question becomes, do I send him to school tomorrow, or give it one more day just to make sure he's really over whatever this is?

Monday, October 19, 2009

brrrrr....

We spent a very cold 4 day weekend down at Cloud 9. It was our last trip of the year, so we had to winterize, which isn't a huge job, but still no fun. Sean's dad was also down there with us, so we got to go on some fun 4-wheeler rides. I had 4 layers of clothes on and was still cold. We bundled the kids up and they loved it and never once complained about being cold, even though when we'd get back to the camper their little hands would be as cold as ice.



and the water was so high down there from all the rain it was over the road

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

sorry

I am still slacking in keeping up with the blog, but there has just been so much going on in our family lately, and most of it I can't talk about, so I've just been keeping quiet. If you are the praying kind we would appreciate any extra ones you can offer us. It's nothing terrible, but it has definitely added to the stress in my world right now. I dont mean to sound like a debbie downer, and I know there are a lot of people in worse situations than us, so I am trying to focus on the positives in our life, but it's hard some days.

Friday, October 2, 2009

all better

Emma recoverd from whatever she had by Wednesday and went back to school Thursday, and so far no one else has come down with it. Sadly I know it's just a matter of time before someone comes down with something else. Such is the life with kids, huh?

Monday, September 28, 2009

and so it begins

The sickness that is. I put Emma and Nathan on the bus this morning and came back in and sat down to drink my coffee. Megan got up around 9 and shortly after the phone rang and it was school telling me Emma was in the nurses office complaining of a headache and had a low (99.6) fever. They said I should come get her since she didn't seem well at all, and a temp of 100 or higher requires the kids go home. So I got everyone dressed and drove the 5 minutes to school, and by the time I got there, Emma looked terrible. I think she really did get worse since I had talked to the nurse. She shivered the whole way home and kept saying how cold she was. She felt pretty warm to me, so I'm sure her fever is climbing, but she says she is really cold. She said her tummy hurts a little, but not bad. She looks terrible and i can tell feels even worse. She's watching a movie in her room, but I'm sure the damage is already done and we are all going to catch whatever she has. With all the media attention on the flu being so bad already, it's hard not to wonder if that is what she has, but unless her fever gets severely high, or she comes up with other symptoms/problems I don't really think it's worth it to call or take her to the doctor.
There is going to be lots of hand washing and laundry in the house for the next week or so, and we will try to stay home and not expose anyone to this nastiness.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Old Navy coupon giveaway

Stlmommy is offering a $50 off $100 purchase coupon to Old Navy. go here and enter, but hurry. She's choosing the winner tomorrow morning!

big news

Megan is using the pottty, and I don't just mean every once in a while, I mean all the time. Like she's wearing underwear like a real person and doesn't pee in them!!! YAHOOO!!! YIPPEEEEE!!! We all know my track record with posting stuff like this and then the kids having a relapse just to prove me wrong, which is why this time I waited until we'd be doing good for about 2 weeks. It really was like she just woke up one day and decided to use the potty instead of a diaper. We started off just leaving her naked, because in the past if she had anything on her butt, she'd pee in it, and that went really well for several days. If we had to leave the house we did put a diaper on her, which I know seems crazy and like it would confuse her, but she would always be dry when we'd get home. I finally decided one day to put underwear on her since she hadn't had any accidents at all without them, and she has done so good. We also finally took her out in public in her underwear while running errands this weekend. We made a couple of stops at the bathroom, and she had no accidents. She has also been wearing underwear at night and wakes up dry, which is amazing to me. Some nights she'll wake up and go when we check on her when we go to bed, but most nights she doesn't and she'll stay dry for the whole 12 hours she's sleeping.
I am so glad she is finally using the potty and likes doing it. We needed this!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

lame-o

My life is officially so boring that I have nothing new to post about. We have done some fun things the past couple weekends, but nothing really note-worthy. Why didn't some one tell me life as a family can be so boring? lol! Life is so mundane and same old same old anymore. During the week the kids go to school and Sean goes to work, and I stay home, clean house, change diapers, feed kids, go to bed, and then wake up and do it all over again. The weekend we run errands, hang out at the house, work on projects around here, and play outside with the kids. Oh, so exciting, huh?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

good deals

love shopping online on target.com because they always have good deals going on. Well their new thing is daily deals, which is really neat. Every day there is a different item on sale. Sometimes it's a big discount, and sometimes it's not, but it's always cheaper than regular price, and best of all, there is always free shipping on the daily deal, with NO MINIMUM PURCHASE. YAY!!!!!! Anyway the other day I snagged this scrapbooking tote on sale:

It retails for $34.99 and I got it for $12.99 with Free shipping. Yipee for a good deal!!!!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

finally!

After living in our house for 4 years I finally bought curtains for the living room. It's ridiculous that I waited so long, but the windows in there are so weird it was/is hard for me to decide what exactly to do with them. We put up blinds when we moved in because it is sunny in there all day long, and that is how it has stayed for 4 years. I finally got tired of looking at it like that and went to work shopping for curtains. I bought online and hated them, then tried the curtains I had bought for my bedroom that I hated in the bedroom, and hated those in the living room as well. So I returned all those (14 panels if you want to know), and tried to shop again today, but Megan decided she wanted to be a pain in the arse, so I ended up being the mom leaving the store empty handed, well in one hand was my screaming toddlers arm, but you get the idea. Tonight after I put Jackson to bed I went back to the store determined to find something I liked that would work on the rod we have up already since I made Sean change that once already. I walked around the drapery department looking pretty lost for a good 20 minutes at least. The sales lady came and asked if she could help. I told her all my thoughts, concerns, and ideas and wouldn't you know it she led me over to some panels I really liked. Of course they were the most expensive ones I considered buying, but they also seemed to be just what I was looking for. So I bit the bullet and bought them anyway. I came home and put them up right away. So far I like them, I'm just hoping I'll still like them tomorrow. I really don't want to have to return any more curtains for a long time.
Before:

After: (Sorry the pictures aren't so great. The morning sun is so bright in there)

curtains closed

close up of curtains

Jackson updates

I've been a total blogger slacker this summer, so here are just a few updates on Jackson
~He is sitting awesome now

~He pulls up and can stand while holding onto something

~he crawls like a maniac, even though it's the "army crawl" he is super fast and is getting into everything

~he is still super tiny despite nursing a ton most days. The pediatrician suggested starting solids, but I have been hesitant to do that. I did give him some finger foods the other night though, which he seemed to enjoy. I'm thinking we'll probably stick with giving him things like that at dinner both to get him started onother foods and to keep him occupied during dinner since he's becoming increasingly difficult while I try to eat and he's just sitting there.

~he has two teeth on the bottom, but that's it

~I can't wait to see what's in store next!


anxious

That is probably the best way to describe the mood in our house this morning. Emma did awesome though, and I couldn't be more proud of her. Plus, I didn't cry at all, not one little tear, which was quite impressive. We walked down to the neighbors house this morning and there were four families of kids there, so I think that helped both of us. Nathan was so excited about starting school and he did great getting on the bus. Honestly I wasn't worried about him since he's such a social kid. Neither kid ate much breakfast though because of the excitement/anxiety. I just hope they settle down a little by lunch.
As usual I took my camera out to take the traditional picture, but this year both kids gave me "the look" about it. You know the "come on mom, are you seriously going to take my picture in front of everyone? I'm so embarrassed" look. I told them to pretend to be happy and deal with it. Little do they know if I have my way I'll be taking their picture on the first and last day of school unit they graduate high school (or maybe even college if I can). Anyway on to the pictures:
Last year:


and this year (yes I could only get them to take one picture together)

getting on the bus

Monday, August 10, 2009

weird

Emma and Nathan went home with Sean's mom yesterday and today has just been weird. Even Megan didn't know what to do this morning when she woke up and she couldn't find them. She keeps asking where Nathan is, which is funny since she and Nathan fight more than anyone else in the house. The house is super quiet today too. Right now the two little ones are napping and it's nice not having the older two in my face about everything. Don't get me wrong, I love and already miss them, but they are a little much sometimes. Not to mention running errands with two kids is so much easier than taking all 4 out.
I really hope Emma and Nathan are having a fantastic time with their grandma, and most importantly, I hope they are behaving and not driving Sean's mom and step-dad crazy. We're going to get them back on Friday, so for the week I'm going to try to enjoy the small break.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Sad Sad Sad

We are all so sad. Vacation is officially over. Emma and Nathan go back to school on the 19th and so we came home from cloud 9 yesterday. :( We all had such a great summer and none of us wanted it to end. Last night at dinner Sean was asking the kids if they had a god time and if they liked our camper and Megan yelles, "I WANT MY CAMPER!!" Obviously she did not want to be home either. Today I'm trying to catch up on laundry and a few other chores around the house since Sean's mom is coming to visit this weekend.
A couple exciting things happened while we were gone. Jackson has learned to sit, crawl and has his two bottom teeth now. He's incredibly tiny still, but he eats and sleeps well, and is clearly meeting all his milestones, so I'm trying not to worry. The pediatrician mentioned at his 6 month checkup that starting solids would maybe help him gain weight, but I think the best thing is to just continue nursing him right now. I may start him on some things soon, but I'm in no hurry, so I'm preparing myself for the doctor not being happy with me.
Megan still won't use the potty, at all, but I'm hoping to work on that once the older two are in school and we have a better routine again.
Nathan is so freaking excited about starting kindergarten. He can't wait. Emma on the other hand is very nervous and we are trying to talk with her about her fears so that hopefully this year won't be as hard as last year.
I have to be honest and tell you I didn't take very many pictures this trip, but I will find some of my favorites from the summer to share.

Monday, July 13, 2009

July 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

checking in

Hi all, we went to Cloud 9 for the last week and a few days and had great weather and lots of fun. Now I have lots of laundry to do and bills to catch up on. Coming home from vacation is always such a bummer...

Sunday, June 28, 2009

home again

We're back home finally. We originally planned two days of driving to get home, but because our kids are such awesome travellers we drove all 16 hours yesterday and got home at about 2am this morning. I am so sad our Florida trip is over, but am glad to be back home. We had a great time even though it was incredibly hot. Here is a quick run-down of the last week and a half. We left thursday evening at about 7pm and drove all night and got to Daytona Beach around 11am on Friday. We stayed in a hotel on the beach for Friday night and hung out there on Saturday. Saturday afternoon we drove to our house we rented in Orlando. Sunday was Sea World, Monday was swimming in the house pool, Tuesday was Disney, Wednesday was Aquatica, Thursday was another swimming day, and Friday was Downtown Disney shopping day. It really was the perfecct mix of hitting theme parks and just relaxing in the pool at the house. Of course I took a ton of pictures again, and hopefully I'll upload those later tonight.

Friday, June 12, 2009

6 months old

Jackson is 6 months old today. How is it possible he's been part of our family for 1/2 a year? He is so laid back and easy-going, and his baby days are slipping away and will be over before I know it. In the past couple weeks he's been pushing up on his hands and knees and actually crawling a tiny bit. Since he took so long to roll over I figured he'd be behind on everything, but I was very wrong. He is getting much too mobile for my taste. I like that he stays put when I lay him down on the floor. He is till working on the sitting thing. He is very wobbly and can only sit unsupported for about 20 seconds on a good day. But, all well, it's not like he'll be 5 and not know how to sit. :) We go to the doctor next week for his and Nathan's checkup so we'll know how big our little chunky monkey really is after that.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Jackson's Christening

Sunday was Jackson's christening. I know I'm terrible for waiting so long, but I'm a procrastinator, what can I say? It was storming during the service, but it was so odd because every time the priest would say Jackson's name or touch him it would thunder really loudly. We were not the only one's who noticed it. The priest made a comment about it and all the other families noticed it as well. It was quite odd and kind of freaky. Anyway, it was still a good day and Jackson didn't cry at all, and even though he's quite the chunky monkey he still fit into the family christening gown. All the older kids had a good laugh at Jackson's expense though, and the boys were convinced Jackson was wearing a dress. It was kind of funny how they all reacted.
Here are a couple pictures my sister-in-law took.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

single digits

Oh my gosh! We leave for our trip in 9 days!!!!!! We are all so excited, (and yes I'm still freaking out).

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Happy Birthday Nathan

Yesterday Nathan turned 5, and he was convinced all day long that he would be starting kindergarten today. Imagine his disappointment when he realized we were serious that he had to wait until the end of summer to start kindergarten. I think he had a really good day though. My mom came over and stayed with Megan and Jackson while Sean and I took Nathan and Emma to see the movie "UP". It was such a cute movie and the kids had a good time. Nathan got scared of the mean dogs, but he's deathly afraid of dogs, so that wasn't too surprising. We didn't even get to have cake last night though because we had to hurry to leave when dinner was over and by the time we got home last night the kids were too exhausted to stay up for it. So I guess we'll have cake tonight. I'm a slacker mom and I didn't plan a big party for Nathan this year. I feel bad, really I do, but it was just impossible to fit it in with everything else that is going on. I really hope he won't hold it against us, and maybe later this summer we can have a belated party with everyone. There won't be presents involved then, but I think he cares more about being with everyone than the presents. My mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said, "Whatever people want to buy me." I was shocked because Emma always has a list a mile long when you ask what she wants.
As the kids get older time just moves faster and faster. It's so sad that they are getting so old, but I love watching them grow more independent and learn new things. Being a parent is so weird.
As always here are pictures form years past.

When he was born

His first birthday

His second birthday

His 3rd birthday

4 years old with a new bike!

and now he's 5!

Last day of school

Yesterday was Emma's last day of school. After quite a rocky start the year turned out to be a good one, and I'm amazed at how Emma progressed. They had a little book that they had to journal in all year. They started out drawing a picture and then "writing" what the picture was. Her teacher told us about how kids learn to write. When they start out they know words are made of letters, but generally only write the letters they are most familiar with and not letters that would correspond with the words they are trying to say. So Emma's first page is a drawing of her and dad, but the word is her name with the letters in the wrong order.

Then they had to tell their teacher what was going on in the picture and the teacher wrote that out. By the end of the year the pictures were completely gone and Emma can write several sentences that are completely understandable. The spelling is phonetic, and so not everything is spelled the "right" way, but you can definitely read it now.

Emma can also read really well now. She loves Dr. Seuss books, which is great because those are ones I don't mind listening to over and over. I'm so glad she had such a fantastic year and I'm hoping when she has to go back to school in the fall things will go smoothly.
Here is Emma on her first day of school:

and here she is on the last day of school

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

freak out

I'm starting to freak out about our trip. The sad part is I'm not worried about how the kids are going to behave during the long drive, I'm worried about how I'll handle it. Admittedly I'm a terrible traveler. I get pretty cranky/antsy after about 5 hours of driving, and now I'm faced with a 16 hour drive, that I'll have to handle twice in 10 days. YIKES! I'm actually really glad we're planning to leave late Thursday evening at around 9 o'clock. I'm a night owl, so hopefully I'll be as happy as can be for the first part of the trip, and then I'm praying I'll be tired enough to sleep for a few hours. Sleep always make a road trip better. The trick is sleeping while the kids are quiet or asleep. Generally when I try to sleep in the car, someone starts crying. I don't know why, but I swear they just can't let me sleep. Thank goodness we have a dvd player with wireless headphones for the kids to keep them occupied for a while. I have also been amassing new toys and coloring books to occupy them. And, when all else fails, I'll just give them food. Snacks are so helpful on road trips. But I can't just eat the whole time, so I need some ideas of how to keep myself sane when I'm not driving or sleeping.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Product rave

I know I don't do it often, but I just have to share this awesome product with all the moms of babies and moms to be that read this. After 6 years and 4 kids, I think I have finally found the perfect nursing shirt! I will warn you it looks a little funny by itself, but the design makes it perfect as far as functionality. It's called the milkshirt:

Here is the description from the website:
"Made from 100% cotton these breastfeeding tops can be worn with a nursing bra and any regular shirt. There is no more need for other breastfeeding tops with their multi layers and snaps. Milkshirt breastfeeding tops allow you to wear your own clothing thus eliminating the need for pricey nursing tops."
They have a pear shaped opening that allows easier access to your nursing bra than a regular nursing shirt. Most nursing clothes I have purchased and wear have either two layers of shirt, or an extra layer at the top that you have to pull open and then pull another section of fabric over and then unclasp your bra. Anyone who has ever nursed a baby in public knows how much of a pain dealing with all that material is, especially when you're in a crowded restaurant and your baby is screaming and wants to eat 5 minutes ago. I recommend everyone that is nursing or will be nursing go buy one now! I bought mine online from nursingnotions.com, and they had incredibly fast shipping.
Happy Shopping!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

it's my party...

Today's my 26th birthday. (Holy Crap, when did I get that old?) Today was pretty much your average day, involving changing poopy diapers, nursing a baby, feeding kids, folding clothes, playing referee, and other mom-like duties. Sean came home from work about an hour early and we all went out to dinner. The kids chose bread co. which was fine with me because I was hoping since they picked it, they would actually eat dinner without a fight, which is a great birthday present. After dinner we ran by a store so I could buy a couple pairs of shorts since I am still a big fatty and none of my skinny summer clothes fit yet. BOO!
Then we came home and had desert. Sean made me a banana cream pie, from scratch, and it was really yummy! That was always my desert of choice for my birthday when I was younger. Then on to the presents:
Sean got me a pair of Fit Flops, but they are too small, so I'll have to exchange them.

A cuisinart food processor. I know this seems lame, but I love kitchen appliances, and I plan to make Jackson's baby food when the time comes, so this gift is much appreciated!

and a new flash for my camera. This is also an awesome gift since I complain about the flash on my camera ALL THE TIME, but now it's just one more thing for me to learn to work. I'm not complaining though. :)

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, and thanks to my awesome hubby for such great presents. It's not motorcycle, but I'm still happy!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Nathan's graduation

Ok, so I'm always behind now. Sorry!
Nathan graduated form preschool on the 15th of May. He was so excited and proud of himself, but still doesn't really get the concept of graduating since he still asks when he goes to school again. And he's not talking about kindergarten. I'm hoping it will sink in soon.
Now, on to the pictures:
Here is Nathan on the first day of school.

and here he is at graduation:


He's so grown up sometimes, but is also incredibly lazy and can't/won't put his own shoes on sometimes. I'm hoping kindergarten will help him learn he can and needs to do things like that for himself. I know it's just about laziness and not really not being able to do things. What a pain!

Friday, May 22, 2009

"that's gross, I wish I were a boy"

Emma is growing up way too fast for me. I think being the oldest of 4 has naturally led her into questioning things about babies and bodies and how they work and recently the questions from her have gotten more precise and require a real answer about how it all works. Not too long ago we had the discussion with Emma about how babies get out of mommy's tummy. I told her some mommies have a surgery called a c-section where they cut into the mommy's tummy and take the baby out that way, and some mommies have the baby come out their vagina. She looked appalled that that can happen to your girly parts. She asked how it fit, and I told here when she grows up it would be able to stretch so the baby would fit, and then it would go back to how it was before. She doesn't need to know it's really never the same down there. And she was really just worried that after having a baby you'd be walking around with a giant vagina suddenly. That discussion was enough for her to proclaim at the ripe old age of 6 she was not EVER having a baby. She's actually stuck with that statement since.
I did think to tell her that these things we talk about are not to be discussed at school. Not because they are bad things, or there is anything wrong with talking about it, but because some kids' parents don't want them to know about this stuff yet, and they would not be happy if their kid came home saying they learned it from you. She said, "Ok, it's inappropriate for school. That's what we say when there are things that are not ok for school; inappropriate."
But I think the more traumatic discussion happened today after she got home from school. I was folding laundry (as always), and some of my cloth pads were in the pile so as I was folding one, she asked, "What's that?" I told her it's something that mommies have to use, thinking that would be the end of it since that is what I told her before and that was good enough, but that was not the case today. "Why do mommy's have to use that?" She asked. So I told her it was because mommies bleed and need that... "So it doesn't get all over you clothes." She finished. "Yes, that's right Emma." "Oh, where do you bleed from?" I stood there for a minute trying to figure out a way to tell her without scaring her to death, when I realized she needed the truth, and even if she didn't understand it completely right now, she could handle it. "Okay," I said. "I'm going to tell you something but I don't want you to be scared. When girls grow up they have what's called a period every month..." I then went on to describe what a period was and told her where the blood comes out. She wanted to know why it happens and I tried to give her the simplest version of it, but I think I lost her somewhere between eggs so small you can't see them, and the uterus. So I told her "I know you don't understand all this now, but you will as you get older and learn more about your body, and when you have more questions, just come ask me." So when we made it through all that, she gave me the most disgusted face ever and said, "THAT'S GROSS! I wish I were a boy."

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

catchup again

I feel like I am constantly playing catch-up in all aspects of my life, so it's no surprise the blog has also been neglected for quite a while.
-Jackson is 5 months old now. It is amazing watching him grow and change, and even more amazing how much he looks just like Nathan. He is still so sweet and calm and laid back, and it is awesome! He wakes up at about 2am every night, and then again between 6 and 7, which is a welcome change from Megan's sleeping habits as an infant. He's chubby, but not super fat and has days where he doesn't eat very well. It's usually when the other kids are up and running around and being loud though, so I'm pretty sure he's just nosey and interested in whatever else is going on. We don't go back for a check-up until next month, but I'm tempted to go have him weighed just to reassure me that he is gaining weight fine.

-Tomorrow is Emma's kindergarten field trip. Sean took off work to go with her, and she is so excited. I'm actually surprised she is sleeping tonight with how crazy she has been about it the last few days. She still has 14 days of school left, which seems like a lot, but I'm sure it will fly by. Then I'll have to figure out what to do with her all summer. lol!

-Nathan had his last day of preschool today. Graduation is Friday and I'm really hoping I make it through his without tearing up. I cried last year at Emma's, which I like to blame on pregnancy hormones, and I won't have that excuse this year.

-Megan is a brat lately. She is so stubborn, and she's 2, need I say more? Thank god she's still adorable or she'd be in so much more trouble. We are not any closer to her using the potty, which I blame entirely on her stubbornness. She can do it, she just chooses not to.

-Only 1 month and 5 days until our Florida trip. I am so excited it ridiculous!!!!!!