The major contributing factors to my feeling of peace these days are prayer, Angus crawling (more independant) and Angus sleeping more. So I'm able to sleep more... if I go to bed between 8:30-9:00 like the old lady that I am. It's ridiculous I know. Who goes to bed at 8:30? This mom, that's who. It's the only way I can function the next day.
The Family:
Winter Paige: Pre-Ker, age 5. Oh Winter. She's in her own sassy little Winter world most of the time. She is also very helpful these days. I shouldn't give all the credit to Mya. Winter used to feed the dogs every morning and every night for months, up until about a week ago when she realized Mya never had to do it. Winter also picks up the dog poop if I let her. Sometimes I would just rather do it myself than risk poop everywhere. Winter also makes her own lunch half of the time. Sometimes I feel bad and make her a sandwich like moms are supposed to do. She takes baths by herself and can get ready for school without too much nagging. Winter is always the first one ready. She's good like that. And I love her choices when it comes to clothes. Always a princess look mixed with a little punk rock. Like a sundress with boots or something. Winter always boldly says what she's thinking and it's usually pretty funny. I correct her if it's on the mean side but for the most part, I let her have freedom to express her opinions. She is calm and confident. She is SOOOO affectionate. She would hug everyone all day if it was appropriate. We've had to tame her a lot when it comes to hanging on boys for too long. You will catch Winter saying, "I just love you!" about 100 times a day to Dan and me. Winter loves to play legos and watch TV. She spends a great deal of time at her BFF Grace's house. Pretty much every day, she goes over there for at least a couple of hours after preschool. They usually play legos I think. So Mari is helping me raise her. Winter will do well in life because she has the confidence and the courage most little girls don't have. She will not be taken advantage of or overlooked. I can't imagine what she's going to be like in 10 or 15 years. She still loves animals, bugs and cooking.
Adelyn Marie: Professional 2-year-old. My little Addie spaz. Addie has SOOO much personality. She loves to entertain me. If I'm laughing she is happy. It's amazing how young she was when her little fun side began to show. She loves to dance and be silly. She loves to EAT more than anything I think. And she's so tiny. Where in the world does she put it? Addie is a lot to handle. She definitely fits the bill for a two-year-old, way more than the other two did. She wants things a certain way and if they aren't, watch out. She has high highs and low lows. I can tell that Addie will be easier once she learns how to control her emotions. She's not disobedient or naughty by nature. She's compliant and also a rule follower like Mya. So much so that it really bothers her when rules are not followed. Addie only has one volume at home. She yells everything. Probably because she's the third kid. It works though because we give her what she wants so she'll just make it stop. Addie exhausts me but I laugh at her all day. It's fun to see her forming sentences and thoughts these days. It is a fun stage. Did I mention she's exhausting?
Angus: 10.5 months. Perfect baby. Oh sweet Angus. I love him oh so much. He is the sweeeeetest thing. He's so happy and so calm and so in love with his mama. I think God was like, "Here sweetie, you need a break. Here's an easy one for you." Thank you Lord. I gush all the time about him. Sometimes I can't feel my left arm because he's SOOO heavy but I'm glad he's big. If anyone should be big it's my boy. He is very happy these days, crawling around, exploring. It's so obvious, those differences between boys and girls. Angus isn't really into toys unless it's a ball type toy. When he's crawling, he grabs whatever is in his path and chucks it to the side and keeps goin'. He likes to open and close doors and take things out of cupboards. You know, typical crawler stuff. He wants to stand up but his butt's too big. He'll get there. I'm not worried. He's a picky eater, oddly enough. He likes fruits or fruits mixed with veggies. He likes sweet potatoes and corn too. That's about it. He's not a fan of cereal, peas, carrots, green beans, or any of those pouch mixtures. He's still eating pureed food. He chokes easily so I'm taking my time feeding him anything with texture. I am really enjoying these last few months of having a baby. He will be a toddler soon and that's it. No more baby. Ugh, so sad. When I feel overwhelmed with baby type things like waking up in the middle of the night or carrying him while making dinner when my arms are dead, or changing yet another diaper, I remind myself that this is it. There's no more after this so take it all in. It's funny, the more babies I have, the more I love and appreciate the baby stage. Probably because I know what's next... the crazy spaz toddler stage! haha. But seriously, Angus is pretty awesome.
And my Dan: My other half. I don't know how God designed two people so different but so perfect for each other. I mean in every single way, we balance each other, challenge each other just enough, and just love to spend time together. We still miss each other when he's at work and we love going out to dinner when we can. We are usually home by 8:30 or 9:00 so we don't fall asleep at the restaurant. I feel so incredibly blessed to be married to him. And he feels the same way. Dan keeps busy taking care of Addie when he's home. She is his and Angus is mine. That's how we are able to have four children. We have to divide and conquer. We kind of split the older girls. Dan's to do list is about a mile long and he plugs away at it when he can. I'm not sure what Dan would do in his perfect world but it would probably include woodworking, cooking elaborate meals he has tons of energy for... and eating them. And going out for sushi and going to dodger games.
And me: Mom of 4. How did that happen? I can't believe I've carried, birthed and nursed 4 children. I wonder how many diapers I've changed... That's just insane and overwhelming to even think about. I feel like I'm moving into the next stage. The stage when I finally feel like me again and I can start planning my days and months. I feel like I'm beginning to think clearly and have more energy to tackle my to do lists. Each month, I'm able to do more and more when it comes to cleaning and organizing. I'm also working out and running which helps my mental state immensely. In my perfect world, I would sleep 10 hours a night, go for a run on the beach every morning and play in a beach volleyball league. I would love to cook as well. I don't mind cooking now. I just really can't with the babies crying at my feet. I love being outside. I look forward to being able to take my kids on adventures like hikes and bike rides and beach trips with just a single backpack that simply contains water and snacks. One can dream. But in the meantime, I am enjoying my babies. I know it goes by slow and then fast. I know I'll blink and they'll be in high school. So I do sit back and enjoy them when I can. It's not always easy because they are expert button pushers. But I try. I take lots of pictures and write down stories and post them to this blog so I'll have them when they are older and not as cute and lovable. =) I accept help when offered and I have an awesome mom who is able and willing to watch the baby so I can get away. I have amazing neighbors who make raising children way easier than it should be and a husband who made it easy to say "Sure, we can have one more kid".... 3 times.
All in all, we are doing pretty great these days. When people ask me how I'm doing I usually reply, "Good. Can't complain."
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