amusing pics

Since I'm not firing on all cylinders (or is it pistons), I only have the brain power to post pics with little descriptions. Any serious thoughts on motherhood and life right now just ain't happening. 

Here's a bunch of Angus pics since he's changing daily...

One eyed Jack =) He did this all the time the first couple of weeks. Cute. 

He really does look like his dad =)

We have like 10 firetruck articles of clothing, of course.

This little piggy.

Addie is learning how to accessorize...

This is what we wore to the neighborhood BBQ. You gotta pick your battles. Winter is going to be that mom that wears lipstick and high heels to the park with her kids.

Doing her absolute fav thing in the world, riding a horsie. 

We have never worked harder for anything in our lives than we did for this shirt. Mya, Dan and I somehow got a bit behind on our kindergarten reading and quiz taking so we busted some serious tail this last month reading 3 books and taking 3 quizzes each day and 4 on the last day to complete her 50 books required to get this AR shirt. So much of how well your kid does in Kindergarten is really up to the parents. So unfair to the kids.

Firefighter pancake breakfast. 

Gymnastics buddies. They aren't allowed to do this around Addie. She climbs up there and tries to do it too. 

enjoy today

As a mom, the ratio of good days and bad days changes drastically from the ratio one experiences before kids. It was easy to enjoy most days when I was free to design what each day looked like from a morning run to lunch with friends to dinner with Dan. Rarely was my patience pushed to the max, my energy drained and my sleep interrupted. As you get older, life becomes harder, even if you don't have kids. A lot of the time it seems like many of us are just surviving the rough season we're in. 

Before Angus was born, I was already thinking we were going to have to survive the next year by just doing our best and getting through it. It sounds sad but Dan and I both know it isn't going to be easiy having 4 kids, 5 and under. We are going to be stressed and exhausted most of the time. But then I had a thought. These are precious years with my kids. 

Angus is going to change quickly, especially those first 6 months. I have no idea what he's going to look like or what his personality will become. Adelyn is so cute right now. She's a HANDFUL for sure but she is so fun. I've never seen a 1 year old with so much personality and emotion. Winter is four and learning so much about the world around her. She says and does the funniest things and has the craziest imagination. Mya is growing up fast. She's so smart. Every day she comes home with questions about things she learned at school that day. She is always pushing herself to do more or master a new skill. It is such an amazing thing to watch these little people grow and learn things about the world around them. 

God gave me these kids to teach and love but also to ENJOY. 
If I'm simply surviving today, I miss out on the fun stuff. This isn't an easy mindset to have. That's why I've written it down on my dry erase board on the fridge. ENJOY today. That way I'm reminded every time I get something out of the fridge which is like a bazillion times a day.

As a christian it's easy to have the mindset that we are simply putting up with this awful world before Jesus returns. That's not exactly helping anyone. 

Ecclesiastes 2:24 says, "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God."

This isn't based on our circumstances. This is a mindset. No matter what is happening, we are supposed to be thankful for the blessings and enjoy the good stuff. And there is plenty of good stuff to enjoy.

meet angus

Mom is here helping with the kids, making it possible for me to get a few minutes to post these pics and a quick summary of the birth. I'm so spoiled. I have no idea what it's like to have 4 kids yet.

I was worried that the 4th delivery would be fast and painful and prayed I would make it to the hospital in time to deliver. An epidural would be a bonus in my mind. But since little man took his time, we decided to induce four days after his due date came and went. 

What a great idea. We woke up at 5AM, grabbed some coffee and a bagel and went to the hospital to check in. How relaxing and different than the first 3. We had a full nights sleep and were ready to go. I've always gone into labor at 10:00 at night so we never got that last night of sleep before the big event. We laughed at how laid back and refreshed we were walking into have a baby. 

Around 7:00AM they started the pitocin on a low dose since I was already dilated to 4 centimeters and I warned them it would be fast. I insisted on the epidural right away so Dr. Chan, epidural extraordinaire came in and hooked it up around 7:50. He's done all my epidurals so I was happy it was him. After a weird reaction to the epidural, dizziness low blood pressure and high blood pressure, I was stable and the doctor upped the pitocin and broke my water. I puked shortly after that like I tend to do while in labor. No biggie. I quickly dilated to a 10 and was ready to push. Three pushes and little A was out! He had the cord wrapped around his neck twice with his hand in there too. He was a bit blue but pinked up quick. 

He is by far the longest, skinniest baby we've had measuring 21.5 inches and weighing 7.13 lbs. Lots of hair like the girls too. He's really mellow and rarely cries. I like him a lot. He's not as aggressive an eater as Winter and Addie but he's catching on and doing great. I'm doing well too. I'm dealing with the usual soreness from breastfeeding and cloudiness from no sleep but I know that this first month will be over in a blink and he will change drastically and quickly so I'm just trying to soak up every day with my new little bundle. 

The girls are super excited about him and want to hold him every second of the day. Addie brings him his blanky and gets upset when he cries. Other than that, her world doesn't really seem to be affected much. Grandma is here giving her tons of attention too. 

Well, that's the gist! Here we are, fam of 6!

big feet!

the kids

MYA

Mya is being Mya, helping neighbors with chores like folding laundry and putting groceries away, trying to master a new skill... the jump rope, telling me when Addie is poopie, and drinking tea and coffee like a grownup. I have to keep reminding her that she's 5.

WINTER

Winter: Cleaning up my toys makes my tummy hurt.

Winter: To get to church we have to go through pixie dust valley, snowy mountain, then the city.

Me: ok where's pixie dust valley?
Winter: by the park

Me: k where's snowy mountain?
Winter: it's in the desert

Haha

After doing pigtails like mine:

Winter: Mommy I wanna be just like you... but I don't have that face, I have this face.

ADDIE 

Addie may be spending too much time with the dogs:

I often catch her drinking from the dog bowl outside...

and eating her food with no hands...

true or false

Winter is a story teller. Her BFF Grace always gets mad because Winter doesn't seem to know the difference between fact and fiction. Grace will say something like, "Miss Amie, tell Winter that she did NOT have dinner with Tinkerbell!" Or "Your dogs CANNOT TALK!"  I'll say something like, "It's okay Grace she's just pretending. And Winter will say calmly, "No I'm not." and that will make Grace totally lose it.

I walked in to Winter's classroom to pick her up from school the other day and she had her back to me and was telling the teacher all about how we made a whole office for Angus with a desk and everything. Why a baby would need an office I don't know but Winter seems to think he will.

I think the truth just seems so boring to her sometimes. I like to see where her imagination goes. Maybe we'll start reining her in when she turns 5. 

This evening after giving Winter yet another chance with chewing gum (she swallows it) Mya reported that Winter probably swallowed it again because it wasn't in her mouth anymore. (Mya keeps me abreast on every situation) So I asked Winter what happened to it...

Me: Winter, where's your gum?
Winter: I finished it.
Me: Did you swallow it?
Winter: No I finished it. 
Me: Did you throw it away?
Winter: Um yeah.
Me: Where did you throw it away?
Winter: In the trashcan.
Me: Which trashcan?
Winter: ummm Mari's trashcan
Me: So if I go look right now I'll see it in there?
Winter: No, it's waaaaaay down in the trashcan.
Me: Don't you lie to me! 
Winter: ummmm
Me: Are you lying to me? Did you swallow your gum?
Winter: Okaaaaay (rolling her eyes) I swallowed it. 

What a little stinker. 

countdown

Well folks, we are down to the last week. Seven days 'till the due date. With baby #4, something tells me I'm not going to make it. I'm shooting for Friday night, the 24th. That would be the most convenient. I'm hoping Angus is on board.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be I suppose. I don't think a mama is ever totally okay with the whole labor thing but I'm definitely not as nervous as I was the first time. I'm really excited and curious to see what this little man looks like. I'm guessing he'll look like the girls... but not as girly? 

I keep looking at my belly tripping out at the thought that there is a whole baby in there, just hanging out. I'm hoping my womb has kept him safe with Adelyn climbing around on him and Winter giving me surprise attack hugs. Life's about to get even crazier! I probably won't be blogging too much for the next few months. Anything is possible but something tells me I'll barely have time to pee.

busted

I've been doing some wheeling and dealing lately on a facebook page called Moms of Glendora Online Yard sale. It's super addicting. I enjoy the selling more than the buying because I get rid of stuff and get paid for it. Not sure why I like it so much but I just do. Sometimes I meet moms at Mya's school to exchange money for product, like a drug deal but legal? 

The other day I washed one of my favorite sweaters to discover yet another hole in it. I got it online for a steal and it was pretty cheap quality but so cute. I've mended it probably 5 times. So after discovering a rather large hole in the side seam, like 6 inches, I mended it one last time and decided to sell it. I posted it on the site for a few dollars and many moms were interested. I ended up selling it to a mom at Mya's school again. I met up with her while dropping Mya off one day. Super convenient. We chatted a bit and I handed over the sweater and she gave me the money. 

Then Mya declared, "That sweater has a giant hole in it!" 

Ahhh! I couldn't believe she ratted me out! She must have seen me sewing it. I laughed nervously and said, "No that's a different one sweetie." LIE. I totally lied right in front of my daughter who looked at me confused and said, "No it was THAT one." I told her it wasn't and changed the subject to the mom's sweet little new baby and asked how old she was and so on. The nice mom was unsuspecting and smiled and we parted ways. 

I see her all the time now. I always want to tell her the truth but it would sound ridiculous and awful so I keep my mouth shut. I was thinking I would give her something for her little baby for free to make up for the fact that I totally lied to her... =) Sounds great right? And maybe I will actually tell her about the hole one day...