Update time

It has been almost a month since my last post...oops! I guess the month of December got the best of me! We have been quite busy, since Evan's birthday nothing too much new has been going on. Just same old 'Darling' stuff. Evan had his first Christmas program at his preschool, the Grandparents joined us to watch him...and oh my, was it cute to watch all these 3-4 year olds and 4-5 year olds sing and do a little skit about Mary and Joseph. The entire program was about a 1/2 hour long, I think that was way over Evan's patience level, he was very nervous and pretty much just stood there. But that's Evan...whad-do-ya-do.

Mason's been fairly busy himself. He's quite the instigator and whiner. Not so fun, but he still is very funny and tells us the funniest things. He is done with his ECFE class and they actually cancelled it for next semester. We're a bit bummed about that, but oh well. He'll be 3 next April, and boy oh boy can you tell he's got the terrible 3's! He definitely tests us to our max. But that's a 2 1/2 year old!

Carter will be 6 months old tomorrow. We tried rice cereal, he didn't dig it too much. The very first time went ok, but after that he looked at me like I was nuts to try and give that to him. He's still nursing, which has been going pretty good. I've been thinking about weaning him, but just don't know when to yet. I think I will just wait it out and let things happen naturally. I'm not in any major hurry...I certainly like saving money by not buying formula! That stuff is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e! Hopefully nursing will continue to go well and we get a few more months in :). Other than that, he's a really fun baby and we are enjoying every moment with him. He smiles and laughs all the time and he's almost sitting up by himself! You can tell he's so proud of himself too, it's so cute. He's a smart little cookie, he knows what he wants and he will let us know!

As for Brian, pretty much the same. He saw another neurologist for his headache and he's going to be going in for a sleep apnea test. He has his consult this Friday. Hopefully they can do it sooner than later... He's on another prescription (yay...more western medicine...) and I have no idea if it's helping or not. My assumption is 'not'. I try not to bug him about his headache too often. Poor guy. Well, at least there's another hope out there for him with this sleep apnea test! Cross your fingers for us!

As for myself, again, the same. Christmas came and went. The kids have been having their bouts of sickness (which I have to say, they have the best Daddy ever!!!). Brian took care of Evan so well when he got sick the other day, he took care of all of us! He's amazing. I am SO lucky. My job that I took with the company I used to work for is on hold. I worked myself out of work! I was helping office staff with 'catch up' stuff. I really enjoy it and it's been nice to get a pay check. I sure hope they have something for me again soon... The boys are keeping me busy, the Holiday's left me overwhelmed, the organization needs to start, and dinner needs to be made. =) And for that...good afternoon, good evening and good night! I will post pics in my next blog...hopefully if I get the energy to upload them to the computer!

Happy Birthday Evan!!!

Woohoo! Today is Evan's 5th birthday. Time sure does fly...but you all know that. I'm excited for him, I'm excited for us, but I think it's hard for a Mom to watch her first born grow up. I remember when we found out we were pregnant for the first time and how excited and nervous we were...no more doctors telling me I may not be able to have kids! Ha, we showed them ;). 5 years ago today was a crazy, hectic, scary and exciting day. Evan was the first grandchild on both sides of our family. Our families were in the waiting room waiting for the news of if the baby was a boy or girl. When he was born, Brian and I had our first moments with him. It was wonderful and overwhelming. He went down to the waiting room and told the family that we have a boy, and I could hear the screams of excitement down the hall while I was laying in bed holding my new son. It was incredible.

Now it's 5 years later, and he's just been a joy. We're still new parents with him, growing and learning with him every day, and its been fun. Here's a fun Evan story from a couple days ago.

Brian was outside cleaning the shed and Evan was helping. Evan thought it was a good time to ask about God. Brian explained the best he could to a 5 year old, saying that God can see us everywhere and is with us all the time. Evan couldn't quite grasp the fact that God can see us everywhere...so he went into the shed and said, 'God can't see me in here!'.

Happy Anniversary!

13 years ago today marks the day that Brian 'asked me out'. I was just 15, he was 16. I remember that moment like it was yesterday, I felt so nervous and shocked that someone like him would be asking me out! The song 'I can love you like that' was playing on K102. He was wearing black jeans, a t-shirt with a cow on it and a black and white flannel, he also had his black Duke hat. I was in blue jeans a blue t-shirt and a jean vest (I know...I was stylin'). We were sitting on my cousin's couch, he was sitting back and I was leaning forward. He was on my left side. At 11:06pm, he made his big move, 'will you go out with me?'. My heart stopped. At 11:07pm, I answered, 'yeeeaaahh'. The rest is history =).

It puts a smile on my face looking back and seeing all we've done and accomplished. We survived being high school sweethearts and all the high school drama that goes with that. We survived his 4 years of college life and my 1 year of tech school life. We survived me working at a company in St. Paul while he was still in college. We survived the long and crazy farming hours. We survived our wedding plans that took 2 1/2 years. We survived our wedding! We survived home ownership. We survived going through rough pregnancies. We survived deciding for me to be a stay at home mom. We survived the decision for him to own his own insurance agency. We survived, and are still surviving, parenthood. We've survived every sacrifice we've made. We've survived the past 13 years of our life together, with all that we've been through and all that we have, it couldn't be any better.

He is my rock. He is who comes home every day from work and greets us all with a hug and kiss. He is who says 'I love you' countless times during each and every day. He is who spoils me rotten by letting me sleep in on weekends when I can and makes me breakfast. He is who the perfect father is. He is who is so helpful and does everything in his power to make sure I'm happy. He is who I can look at every day and know that he loves me, and I love him. He is who is my 100% supporter in everything I do. He is who is strong, compassionate and caring. He is who takes care of his family. He is who has made me the person I am today. He is handsome. He is loving. He is loved. He is supportive. He is strong. He is amazing. He is my husband. I couldn't be more proud of him.

13 years ago today, marks the beginning of our life together. Our story has been interesting, fun, comical, crazy...and our story continues.

Update - looong, there are pics =)

It's been a while since my last update, so here goes.

Evan's doing good, he's starting to open up more at school which has been great! He's so ridiculously shy. His newest thing is that he's been having a hard time with anxiety. He absolutely throws a fit and massively overreacts if something doesn't go right. We're working with him, but it's such a challenge since we don't have a clue as to how to fix it! Other than that, he's doing good :)

Mason's doing good as well. He's just Mason. He cracks us up daily and does the funniest things. He's starting to think he can use the toilet, and he tries, and he's been successful at times. However, I just haven't taken the complete time to potty train him. I think if I actually did take the time, we'd have 2 kids out of diapers. I don't know why I haven't tried harder...maybe this will be my motivation! Duh - 2 out of diapers?! HELLO!!!

Carter's doing great. He was baptised on November 8th and it was so fun! Brian's sister and her husband are his Godparents and the service went really well! =) He's such a fun baby. I'm still nursing him which is going well, except for when he goes through his growth spurts and I have a hard time keeping up! He's growing like crazy and smiles all the time! He's figured out his hands and that they do things, and that in itself has been hilarious. The day he found his hand, I was in the car with the kids, he was crying and all of a sudden was very quiet. I looked back and he was staring at his hand - he stared at it for about 5 minutes. Seriously! It was really cute. Anywho, he's playing with toys, grabbing his feet, removing his socks all the time, rolling to his side (he's rolled over a handful of times), laughing, playing, talking, putting things in his mouth and just being super fun all the time!

Brian's doing well, he still has his headache friend...or shall I say enemy?? Maybe we should name it something...like farnuckel. I may have to get that approved. Not too much is new with him. He's busy busy and that's about it.

I'm doing pretty good. I'm struggling with my weight of course. But this is the worst struggle I think I've ever gone through. I'm a stress eater and that sucks. At least with nursing I haven't gained weight (except for that 3 lb buffer), but I'm not losing - which is what I need to do!!! Oh well. I was involved in a boutique yesterday with my jewelry business and that was a really nice time! I got to hang out with my cousin and my sister in law who were also involved in the boutique! I also had a jewelry show last Wednesday night and it was really fun! My last show was 5 months ago, so I was a bit rusty, but regardless it was still a good time and it was a great show! My hostess is getting a ton of free jewelry! I'm hoping to get some more shows on the calendar...I'm also hoping I can do a 'mock show' for some friends so I can get some practice and advice :) Anyone want to help???

Here are some pics from our adventures:

Dadisms

Brian is getting the boys ready for bed, they got pj's on, then it was time to brush teeth and use the bathroom. Evan decided it was the time of the day to do his duties...so he climbed up on the toilet, and Brian took Mason in there to brush his teeth (nice picture, huh?!). I'm out in the living room playing with Carter on the floor and this is what I hear:

'Evan, we don't play on the toilet like that, now put your shirt down and poop!'.

I guess you know you're a parent when you say things like this :). I have been hysterical ever since and just had to blog about it.

Have a good night.

Until next time...

Wow...have we been busy!

It's been a very long time since my last post! We have been so busy! We were hard at work with our haunted house stuff, and I am happy that it's over :). It's a long process, but it turned out great (www.nightmaregrove.blogspot.com)! We had a fantastic turnout and we have a lot of great food donations for the food shelf! I've also been going into work 2 nights a week, and it's been going really well. I'm enjoying my time away working outside the home, but I do miss my boys.

I had Evan's conferences on Friday (I know...nice add to our crazy Halloween day!) and the teacher said he's doing really well. He's very shy, but he's starting to warm up and get much better! So that was nice to hear :)

Mason's been doing well. We've been trying to keep him healthy and away from cold stuff - every time he gets a little runny nose, he ends up with an ear infection. Poor kid's going to be immune to amoxicillin before he's 5! Other than that, he's been just a riot. He cracks us up every day with his stories and actions. He's a funny kid.

Carter's doing great! He's 4 months old now!!! He's smiling up a storm, giggling, rolling from his tummy to his back and always wanting to be held. His 4 month appointment is this Wednesday, so we'll see how he's doing health wise there :). He's cute as a button and we're all loving him to pieces :)!

As far as hubby and myself...same old same old! I haven't really had much of a chance to sit and chat with hubby for a while due to the Halloween chaos and work. We're hoping to cuddle up tonight and enjoy a movie - if we can stay awake! I'm doing pretty much the same, just very busy with 3 kids, work and avoiding the scale ;). The darn Halloween candy is so easy to grab...ugh! Oh well, I'll get there!

HI HO, HI HO, IT'S OFF TO WORK I GO!

It's been a busy week! I started work on Tuesday night and it went great! It was fun to get out of the house, sit at a desk and 'work'. It was kind of weird and I almost felt naked without 3 kids hanging on me! But I am so far really enjoying it and thankful for the opportunity my ex-boss has given me! It's neat to be back with the company I worked for before we had kids. Plus it's a huge bonus to already have the knowledge of the computer system and everything that goes on! It only took a few minutes to remember everything...kind of like riding a bike :). I'll be working Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when I can...maybe in the future I'll pick up more hours. But for now it's working out great so we can all get adjusted. Brian, of course, is doing awesome with the boys! I think the boys are REALLY loving their Daddy time! I asked them this morning if they missed me and they said no! I had to laugh. Carter's doing good with the bottle too - at least that's what I'm told ;). I'm having a hard time though getting a milk supply...I'll have to work extra hard to get that supply up! Oh well, the job isn't super pressing, so if I need to leave I can. I am loving the flexibility! Yay! I better stop before this gets too much more babbly, plus the boys are needing me :).

New Adventures and Projects

We are able to cross off a couple things off our 'to do' list! Woohoo! We spent the weekend working on some projects that have been long waiting! We got 3 things done...well, mostly Brian did, but I helped a little :).

We got the swingset stained, the bench out front stained and the windmill and honeysuckle plant landscaping project done! Yippee!





Carter has also been enjoying some new adventures of experiencing the exersaucer and the Bumbo! He likes them a lot, but doesn't last too long. He's also been VERY cranky lately and I'm walking around with him all the time. It's been exhausting and I sure hope he gets over this crankiness soon! However, I've learned new things I can do with one hand and even my feet. Well, I learned these things when Mason came around, but I think I'm just improving my skills. Multitasking is my profession :).




Speaking of profession...

I'm headed back to work tomorrow! I was filling out some applications and I thought I'd email my ex-boss to see if she'd be ok to respond with being a reference. Well, she emailed back very quickly offering me a job! I'll be helping out in the evenings a couple times a week with office stuff - basically the same stuff I was doing over 5 years ago! I'm excited, but also nervous. I've been a stay at home mom for 5 years now, so going back into an office setting is a little intimidating! Also...I just hope, so much, that the boys will be good for Daddy while Mommy is out of the house!!! It'll be an adjustment for everyone, but we're excited about it! Wish me luck, as it will be difficult to leave my family!

McDougall's Apple Junction

We had a very successful family outing to our favorite spot in fall - McDougall's Apple Junction in Afton. We go there every year to pick out our pumpkins, see the animals and check out the little store. The kiddos also got a kick out of the look out tower this year! It was a blast...I absolutely LOVE these little outings we do. They're so special :).

3 Months =)

Little man is 3 months old already! Where did that go?! His newest 'tricks' are spitting bubbles, giggling, holding his hands together, and just being as cute and fun as ever! I'm LOVING it!



We were invited to a wedding last night for a good friend of mine from elementary school! I haven't seen her in 9 years (high school graduation) so it was an absolute blast seeing her on her wedding day! She was gorgeous and I was so excited to be there on her special day :).

On another note, poor Mason has yet another ear infection. Poor kid, he spikes the highest fevers too so it's really tough on him. Although, it's nice to have a cuddle bug ;). Even though I hate it when they're sick, all I want to do is take the pain away.

Other than that, life is good and I am hoping for a bonfire night tonight...I'll have to see how hubby's doing though. He's so awesome at making bonfires, it takes me about an hour to get one started! We haven't had one since I was 9 months preggo with Carter...it's time to have one :). We used to have them ALL the time and I want to get back into that habit. There's nothing better than sitting around a bonfire.

Until next time...

Fun Weekend

We had such a great weekend this past weekend! It was Brian's 10 year reunion and we had a blast! Friday night we went to a park and met some classmates and took a tour of the very different high school. They have added onto the building quite a bit since we were all there. The cafeteria was pretty much what looked familiar ;). Saturday night was the actual reunion and there were so many people that came, it was a great turnout! At least I thought it was. Even though I was class of '99, it was still really fun to see familiar faces.

Saturday night was also our first night away with 'no' kids since June! And in June, I was 9 months preggo, so that doesn't count. Carter did good for grandma and grandpa - at least I hope he did. They said he did, but they wouldn't tell us otherwise! We weren't too worried about the other 2 stooges, they're pretty easy and on a fairly simple schedule.

Update on 'us': Evan's newest thing is sitting around putting puzzles together and singing songs. Mason's thing now is 'testing' us to our limits. That's always fun, but he still cracks us up with his comedic style. Carter's newest thing is giggling...he's still working on it, but it's so frickin' cute when he does! He'll be 3 months old tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, that's crazy.

We had a WONDERFUL Sunday of doing absolutely nothing. I LOVE those days! Brian so greatly let me sleep in, I slept until 12:42pm!!! Well, I woke up to feed Carter about 4 times, but still, it was sleep and I'll take it! Bless that amazing husband of mine!!! We were in our PJ's all day and kicked back. The boys enjoyed play-do and we watched Shrek later in the evening. Movie nights are always a blast. We also did make it outside for about an hour to play (it gets dark so early now!), it was too nice to be locked in all day! We ran into our neighbors and had a wonderful timing chatting and catching up from the week, and Brian and Josh played a bit of frisbee which is always fun for them :). That's about it!

Fun Day!

Yay! It was a pretty good day today =). Evan and Mason spent the day at Grammy's in Stillwater and they had a blast! So I just had Carter today! He and I did some shopping at the Woodbury Lakes...wow, I haven't been shopping for myself in a VERY long time. It was pretty intimidating.

So with all those stores and all the clothes I was trying on (for Brian's reunion this weekend), I didn't find anything!!! There was a pair of pants at the Gap that I really liked, but of course they didn't have my size (which right now is the wonderful leftover baby flub fatness size). So I was leaving, almost in tears, got to the car, fed and changed Carter, let him play in the back of my car for a while so he could stretch and then I called Brian because I needed someone to talk to!

Anywhoobie, I ended up calling the Maplewood Gap to see if they had the pants I liked in my size and no luck. Then I called the Mall of America Gap and they had them in my size! So tonight we had a family night at the Mall of America and it was a ton of fun, I even found a top!!! Evan and Mason had quite the long day, but they were great at the mall and also had fun. I wish we could have had more time there, all the boys did so great! But we had to get home because it's a preschool night :).

I can't wait until I lose all this baby weight and then some to do some more shopping for ME! I think that'll be my reward...get some nice clothes that fit well. My comfy pants that are about 8 years old and all my Kohl's $5 patriotic raggedy t-shirts have seen better days.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, it's Brian's 10 year high school reunion and I'm anxious to see everyone and what people have been up to. I know it'll be fun! Friday night is the homecoming game, and before that there's going to be a couple other 'reunion' events, including a tour of the high school (it's changed). I'm excited to roam those halls again, with our kids in toe! That'll be interesting. 10 years ago, we sure didn't picture where we'd be today!!! Then Saturday is the reunion, plus a night out for us!!!

My parents are babysitting and right now we're working really hard with Carter to get him used to a bottle! He's only used to me right now...so it's been really challenging. I went out and bought a different type of bottle and he seems to do ok with it. He actually took it earlier today with only about 5 minutes of screaming. Then tonight we gave him another one before bed to help him practice, and he took it pretty well! I'll be taking him to my parents tomorrow night to have them practice with him...I really want Saturday night to go well at home so I can be at ease and have fun at the reunion.

All righty, enough blabbing. Good night!

Perspective

Today has been a better day. A little hectic, but much better. I took all 3 stooges to the grocery store today, after I picked Evan up from preschool. It was quite an adventure, and went pretty well...except the little guy cried most of the time and the boys were being really silly. They had to walk since I needed a full cart and somewhere to put the baby. It was crazy, but worked well.

An elderly man stopped me in an aisle, and said how good my boys were and how they were good helpers...as they are acting really silly and the baby is crying. He then decided it was a good time to tell me a little story...but it was so sweet, I'm glad he did. Here's how the story goes:

The man says he's a great grandfather to a 2 1/2 year old girl. One day, she was sitting on here Dad's lap, and they were all together, and she asked what time it was. Her Dad told her to look at the clock and see what it says. So she looked up at the clock, examined it for a while, looked back at her Dad, and says "the clock says tick, tick, tick...". How cute is that?!

I then had to pause and thank him for sharing his great story. It made me laugh, and also made me realize, by looking at him - a great grandfather - how quickly time passes. I looked back my 'silly' boys and then glanced at my little one, now smiling at me, and thought how lucky I am to have such a great family. The elderly man walked on and we all continued our shopping. Oh - and of course, Evan has to make a comment on the man's hearing aids by saying 'he has silly putty in his ears', I only hope he didn't hear that comment...only from the mouths of babes!!!

I think every day, by any chance, angels are sent to us to remind us how great things really are. My day yesterday was insane...I look back at my last blog and laugh about it today. It really wasn't a bad day, actually it was a typical day! Then today, I knew I had a lot going on as well, but once that man talked to me, I felt almost like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders. It was really weird, but I pretty much smiled throughout the entire rest of the store. Children are a blessing, and we need to enjoy them every day. Even when they drive us nuts! ;) Their carefree laughter, hugs and kisses, the funny comments they make and the smiles that can make anyone's day better...it makes me feel so blessed...and blessed I am.

Until next time...

A Bad Day

Today has been a bad day. Usually, I can work through these days, but I feel the need to vent about it today.

It starts out where Brian is going to be gone the entire day, obviously going to work, but only for a 1/2 day, then heading to the cabin for the rest of the day to help take out the dock and jet skis...for those of you who know how I feel about this place, I'm sure you know how my mood was already struck this morning.

Then I wake up to the boys being LOUD and obnoxious...nothing too new, but in the mornings I'm not a very nice person...and waking up to loud is not going to put me in a happy place.

After I get the boys taken care of, I thought I'd hop into the shower since the baby was still sleeping away in his crib. I get out of the shower and I heard the baby starting to wake up, which was great, I really needed to feed him.

The following may be harmful to those with weak stomachs:
Then, I hear the dog start dry heaving on our bed, so I yelled at him to get down and I tried to get him outside...but I was FAR too late. As he jumped off our bed, he threw up all over. When I say all over, I mean ALL OVER. There was a puke trail from our bed to the door...and not only did he just puke, but it lovingly sprayed from side to side as if he was shaking his head...beautiful image, isn't it?!?

So, here I am, running around in my underwear with leaky boobs (yeah, tmi..deal with it), baby crying, dog puking, the boys being curious and excited about all the commotion, the cats started chasing each other, then the phone rings...and it's one of those political recording things that beyond pisses me off (we had one of those calls at 10:44PM last night...yes, I said PM).

So I clean up the yak, clean myself up, get dressed, get the baby and finally feed him, get the boys sat down to eat more breakfast - stinkers were still hungry...then Mason accidentally spilled his entire bowl of cereal onto the table and floor. THAT was fun. Then Evan got up and wacked his head on my elbow...can you see where my mood is going here???

I then had an 11:30am appointment to get the boys haircuts. Luckily, going out and about went great and their hair looks good. I'm starting to figure out this 'timing' thing with Carter. We had a couple other errands to run, I got 2 out of the 5 that I needed to get done done, so that was a huge accomplishment. On our way home, I almost lost it emotionally, but I held it together. (I'm still dealing with some sensitivity right now...ugh.) Got home, got the kids lunch, then Evan spilled his grapes onto the table and floor...and oh wow, you'd think the world was about to end the way he acted. It was grapes, totally not a big deal, but to an almost 5 year old, it was a HUGE deal.

I hope the rest of the evening goes ok, we are going to order pizza and have a picnic outside. Hopefully. I hope Brian comes home sooner than later...although he really did help by sending me a sweet boquet of flowers...he's so romantic and he knew about my day, I emailed him earlier...but there were quite a few f'n-heimers flying around in the email...so I thought I'd blog about everything once I calmed down!

Well, I better order the pizza now, the boys are getting antsy for their picnic.

Until next time...

Busy Week =)

We've had quite the crazy week! Carter had his 2 month appointment...he now weighs a whopping 13.6 lbs and he grew 3 1/4"! He's smiling up a storm and being cute as ever. Evan started preschool on Thursday morning - he goes twice a week to our church preschool program. He absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back. Mason started ECFE on Thursday night and he enjoyed it...except for the part where Daddy went to go talk with the other parents (it's our first separating class with him). Brian went to a new doctor, healing, helper something or another this morning...I don't know her title...but he was there for about 4 hours and had to leave for a work golf thing (she would have worked on him longer if he didn't have to go) and he feels really good!!! I'm so excited, he told me that he hasn't felt this good in a looooong time! Maybe this will actually be a cure for his headache!!! Keep your fingers crossed ;-). Now he's enjoying an afternoon of golfing, hopefully that will help him feel even better :). As for myself, just the same old routine. Kids and the weight loss effort...'sigh'.

Yay for Mavey!

So our dog is a-ok!!! Thank goodness :). Apparently he has a fatty thing that older dogs develop. Poor guy's gettin' old. Luckily it's in a spot that won't cause any trouble, however, if it gets any bigger we may have to get it removed. But it should be ok. I feel bad for him, walking around with a lump on his back. Oh well, he doesn't seem to care ;). We are just thrilled that he's ok!

:-(

We are freaking out. Brian found a huge lump on our dog's side/back area. He's going to the vet at 8:30am tomorrow morning. We are so nervous and of course thinking the worst. Please keep our sweet dog in your prayers...if anyone reads this. Poor Maverick.

Update

It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I was due for a new one. Things have been pretty well. We spent last Tuesday at the Fair and had an awesome time. We were there for about 9 hours and it was great. The kids did fantastic and we all had so much fun and of course ate wonderful food!

Tiny butt (we have nicknamed our kids: Big butt, Little butt and Tiny butt) has been doing great. He's only been waking up once a night for about 2 weeks now and it's been so nice. Of course it's hard to get up, but it goes well, he eats and then he's awake for about 1-2 hours then goes back to bed. He also has been smiling so much and we've really been enjoying that! Yay!

Big butt (aka Evan) starts preschool on September 11th at our Church. He's really excited, and so are all of us! He needs something to stimulate his brain because I'm not doing a very good job at it right now! He had his last soccer game last Monday and they actually won! How ironic it was the last game, but it was fun...oh, they don't keep score but my hubby always does. He's a bit competetive.

Little butt (aka Mason) has been doing ok. He's had a bit of a rough patch these past few days. We've all been suffering these ridiculous summer colds and of course, poor Mason ends up with the brunt of it. He has a double ear infection and strep (at least we think he has strep, the Doc looked at him but didn't bother to do the strep test since he was giving him amoxicilin anyways for the ear infections). We were up with him all night 2 nights ago due to a high fever and him being absolutely miserable and crying in pain. It was heart wrenching. Tonight he was perking up, his fever is pretty much gone (thank goodness) and he seems a little better. It's so sad when they're sick, it just tears my heart out.

Hubby (aka, biggest butt...j/k...kind of ;) ) has been doing ok. His head is still really bad and I'm at a point where I feel like we're out of options. The poor guy has done everything. He's seen everyone he can see. He's done all the tests that can be done...apparently. I still feel like there could still be something, but where do we go now? Who can he see at this point that just might have an answer?

As for myself, things have been busy as usual. I had my 6 week post natal appointment and unfortunately I'm still healing and Doc thinks I've got a touch of baby blues. Ugh. Oh well. I attempted my weight loss journey a couple weeks ago and completely failed. I guess I am just not ready yet. I really need some strong motivation right now, because I desperately need to lose this baby weight. I feel like I just want to climb into a hole and come out when I look and feel better. Can people hibernate? That would be interesting. Hopefully things will start looking up soon and I can find that deeply needed motivation...and time to actually exercise! Time...that would be nice. Life just goes by way too fast.

That's pretty much it for now. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night.

Life's Crazy...

with 3 kids that is!!! Holy smacks, I never thought it would be this insane. I knew adding another member to our family would be challenging, but whoa! Three kiddos is a lot of work! I've managed to make a couple 'outings' this week all by myself, and I have to say, I'm quite proud I was able to do it! I even ventured to Target yesterday with all 3 of them and it went pretty well...except for our cart that had a broken wheel. But the dressing room attendant called the front and got us a new one. That was very sweet. Carter cried for about 10 minutes, then finally fell asleep. Evan and Mason did really good...I did bribe them however. If they were very good through the entire store they could pick out a candy bar. Then we swung through Wendy's drive-thru (I know, I totally deserve the mother of the year award ;) ). I couldn't believe how well the boys ate their chicken nuggets. They ate them all! That's a record in this house. But then Mason accidentally spilled his entire milk on the floor, and chair...and table...right when Carter woke up screaming to eat. It was a pretty stressful 15 minutes of cleaning and listening to 2 kids crying. Mason was bawling because he was mad his milk spilled and carter was HUNGRY. Oh well, such is life.

Last night we had our neighborhood national night out and it was so much fun! My amazing neighbor Kellie put the whole thing together and did a great job! It was very organized and a ton of fun! We enjoyed root beer floats, water balloon toss contests and talking with the neighbors. The water balloon toss contest was hilarious! It was so much fun and the boys are still talking about it today - thank you Kellie for doing EVERYTHING!!!

Well I could write my typical novel right now, but I'll try to save more for another day :). Even though this is a long blog...again. I guess I write like I talk...I don't know how to shut up!

Update

I thought it was time for a little update...

Evan started soccer last Monday, and it's been really fun. He had his first game this past Monday and has another game tonight. It's hilarious to watch all these 4 year olds chasing a ball around and not really knowing what to do with it, except if it gets by them to kick it. It's pretty fun, although it gets really hot sitting there in the middle of a field under the sun! But I guess that's all part of having kiddos in sports!

Mason's doing pretty good, he's been cracking us up lately. We took his 'binker' away last week due to his naughty behavior. We warned him, he was naughty anyways, so we took it away. He cried that night for it, but I figured that this was our opportunity to take it away, so we sucked it up and that's the end of it, and he's been great since. He's been talking A LOT more since it's been gone, and he's so funny to listen to. He holds these crazy conversations and tries so hard to explain certain things that are so important to him.

Carter's doing good, just being a baby. He has a lot of fussy moments that are sometimes very difficult to handle. I'm kind of in that phase of where I want to quit breastfeeding...he nurses all the time! I'll stick it out though, I know it's just a phase! I love having portable food that's good for him :). Plus the perk of weight loss is nice! Carter's also starting to finally develop little rolls on his thighs, yay! It's so cute, I love that baby fat.

As for myself, I've started to try to get back on track with weight watchers. I tried last week and it lasted 2 days :(. I started stress eating! Weird, huh?! ;) Well, I started again today, and I feel quite a bit more confident that I'll be able to stick to it. I love that weight watchers has a nursing plan for mommys. Brian's 10 year reunion is this fall and that is my motivation! I'm hoping I'll be able to stick it out...I can't wait to get into my shorts! And my jeans...and my regular shirts...etc!

Brian's doing pretty good except for his headache which has been bad again these past couple days. I think he needs a really long and good massage! He should get that scalp massage thing that we had at our spa retreat...he needs that! I feel so bad for him, I don't know how he functions every day. He's a tough cookie. Mmmm...cookies...

Better go, Mason woke up early from nap (stinker) and I gotta try to cut the baby's finger nails before he wakes up. Until next time...

Update

Whew, it's been a while! Life's pretty insane with 3 kids and I'm still 'attempting' to adjust! Evan and Mason are having a lot of fun with their new little brother, they've been really good! Carter's doing pretty good himself, he's been sleeping in his crib for a week now at night and he wakes up about 2 times to eat. At his 2nd night feeding though it's his awake time and he's up for an hour and a half. It's not bad at all, and I really can't complain, but the exhaustion is really starting to kick my butt! Brian's been busy at work...I'm wishing so much he could be home :(. It's so hard during the day. Oh well, such is life.

On the 'headache' front for Brian, he had a follow up with the homeopathic doctor and he's in a detox mode right now. Poor guy. He's been really good about taking his supplements and eating right, he's trying really hard to get rid of his headache. He's noticed he's been better which is a HUGE improvement. We are really crossing our fingers this detox thing works! It's a 25 day detox and he started 2 days ago. Let's hope it works.

Well I guess that's about it for now. My 2 year old just woke up from nap and he's mad about something. Figures. He's always whiney and cranky...just like his Mommy ;-).

The Arrival of...

Carter Shane Darling, 9lbs 3.2oz, 21" long! He's as cute as can be and we are so in love! Everything went well! We came in at 6pm last night and started cervidil, I had contractions all night long and didn't sleep at all. I felt really sick this morning, nauseous and shaky...eventually that subsided. They were worried about my blood pressure - it was all over the place. It calmed down after a while, however they had to take blood and check some things to make sure I was ok. After all that chaos, they started the pitocin and that started working fairly quickly. I decided to try the epidural, after talking with Brian and the nurse and even the amazing anesthesologist who really calmed me down, and it WORKED!!! For the first time I had a great epidural. Brian and I were able to rest for about 2 hours, then things got nuts. The nurse had checked me and I was at a 7, they were going to put in an internal monitor for contractions because the regular monitor wasn't picking anything up, so she went to go talk to the in charge nurse and call the Doc...when she left the room, Carter decided it was time to come out! I had intense pain and had to push...so Brian pushed the nurse button and there was no response, he then hit the emergency button and again no response! At this point he went out into the hallway, saw the nurses standing there - our nurse and the in charge nurse who was talking to our Doc, and he clapped really loud...it was kinda funny. They came running down and the doc was up in our room about 2 minutes later...3 contractions and a lot of hard work and out he came :). He was our runt of the bunch weighing 0.6oz less than Evan. It was a very rapid delivery, but went very well. That's about it :). He is here!!! =) Yay!

We're in the Hospital and we have Internet

Quick update - we're at the hospital. We got here about 6-ish tonight, got monitored for about an hour. Then the nurse put in the cervidil and I had to lay on my side for 2 hours. When we got here I was still on dilated to a 1-2...they won't probably check now until morning - when they take the cervidil out. However, my contractions have picked up some which is good...hopefully these ones are doing something! Bring it on!!! They have to keep me hooked up to the monitors all night, which is kind of a bummer. I'm sure I'll get all tangled up a hundred times ;-). Hopefully in the morning I'll be dilated more than a 1-2, otherwise it's going to be a LONG day tomorrow. We will try to keep updating as much as possible with what's going on. It's really fun to have internet here!

Maybe Baby???

The OB department from L&D called and said they spoke to our Doc. He gave us 2 options...we can come in at 5pm and get the gel and then go home...or we can come in at 6pm, get cervidil, stay overnight and start pitocin in the morning. We're going in at 6pm. Hopefully they won't call back and end up telling us there's no room at the inn! I feel like that'd be our luck right now. I've been still having contractions, and I'm so ready. The contractions actually have been pretty good this morning, and I've been really nauseated, so I think things are definitely getting ready. Mother nature just likes to take her sweet time with me. I'm hoping the cervidil tonight will kick things into high gear and I won't need the pitocin, but who am I kidding?! I can hope right??? Well, let's hope for a successful induction and a safe healthy delivery for our new son! Hopefully we'll be meeting him by tomorrow! We'll do our best to keep everyone posted.

Another Biggin'

Our ultrasound went well this morning. Baby looks good and is approximately 9 lbs give or take 1 lb (yikes). I spoke with the Doctor this morning after the ultrasound, and he said he will call labor and delivery and try to get me in tomorrow to get a 'gel' thing done. So I have to call at 12noon and hope to go in about 1pm. He's hoping the gel treatment will be enough to get things going. Otherwise I'll probably be heading home and trying again another day. I sure hope that's not the case! He seemed pretty confident it'll do the trick, and I really hope he's right. I guess we'll see what happens. Wish us luck!!!

Hmmm....

I called the Doc's office with a little preggo concern - everything is perfectly fine...but...

The Doctor forgot he was going out of town next weekend for the 4th and he wanted to schedule an ultrasound for us to see how big our little guy is - the ultrasound is tomorrow morning. Depending on the verdict of the size, we 'may' be induced this weekend sometime or early next week. Our Doc wants to deliver our baby - that's how he rolls! I'm excited for the ultrasound - I'm taking my Mom with me. Evan has his last t-ball in the morning and we really don't want to miss it - so my Dad is going to go with Brian and the boys to t-ball. That'll be a good 'boy' outing. My Mom seems pretty excited, she's never seen an ultrasound before, except for our pictures. It should be interesting and I guess we'll keep everyone posted...pray for us that we don't have a 12 pounder cookin' in there!

It's kind of interesting how things took a a little turn!

Ugh

I seriously can't handle this anymore. These contractions are driving me crazy. The kids are driving me crazy. The pain I'm in is driving me crazy. How much longer do I have to go through this?! I know it'll be soon and happen before we know it...but I'm getting worried. I'm freaking out about the size of him, I'm freaking out that last night he was moving for 3 HOURS and wouldn't stop and it was so unbelievably painful, and I felt him 'shake' weird. I'm worried he's stressed in there and my body's not responding. I'm worried about his health. I just have this 'feeling' he needs to come out NOW, and I'm honestly not just saying that. This is killing me, but nobody will do anything. WHY!?!?! ARGH!!! I just want to cry. I have never been more frustrated in my entire life.

To try...or not to try...that is the question.

Castor oil. Do I do it? Do I not do it? Hmmm.... I am starting to get very desperate. I am afraid of my hormones...and the sake of my family ;-). I just almost took out the hose and sprinkler in the backyard. How tight does it really have to be?! And why was the hose on?! Can you imagine my fury when I couldn't get the hose untightened from the sprinkler and I got sprayed like crazy?! I was throwing around f'enheimers like they were going out of style! Seriously, I'm going to lose it. I really think I am. Ok, I won't. But honestly, these retarded contractions are getting on my last nerve. Especially when I know they're not doing anything except bugging me. I'm getting pushed to the max over here...and I can't do it anymore! ARGH!!! Maybe I should lay down.

Ya know, I've been reading all my complaints in the past couple days...and I am sorry to anyone who is actually reading these. I'm such a whiner. And what's funny is that VERY SOON I'll be looking back on these blogs and I'll have a baby in my arms and 2 toddlers running around! I know it'll be here soon and yadda yadda yadda...but oofta, it's hard right now! What's it going to be like with a 4 1/2 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn??? Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't be in such a hurry for delivery...even though I'm miserable :).

I'm really starting to freak out about baby's size. About a month ago, I had an ultrasound that said he was 6-7 lbs already. I'm measuring right on, but that doesn't really mean a lot, does it?! This is nuts. Can you tell my hormones are psycho?!?

Doc appt update

We went to the doc this morning, and unfortunately...THE BABY IS STILL IN THERE! Ugh. He felt really bad about our experience last night, but said to 'hang in there'. Yeah yeah. He said there's risks with inducing when it's not necessary and obviously we don't want to take any risks that are unnecessary. So it's the waiting game. I'm still having contractions and I feel really icky. The doc said he really thinks I'm in early labor and it's just taking it's jolly sweet time. Yipee freakin' yay. Anywho, the baby sounds wonderful which is great and very reassuring, I'm still dilated to a 1...maybe 2-ish. However, I think the doc just said that to keep me sane :). He stripped my membranes, so hopefully that'll help with some progress. He did mention that for me, it may be really hard to tell if I'm in active labor or not, since I was induced with both boys. He said we did the right thing by going in, and that it may happen again but to not get discouraged. This baby will eventually come out! It's just so hard to take care of the boys and everything else. Plus the pain is getting to a point of being almost excruciating. Ugh!!! Oh well. I feel really stupid too, I started bawling in the doc's office today...stupid hormones. I need a drink...or 7.

Only 1

I am so pissed right now. I've been having contractions since 4:45pm Tuesday. We went into labor and delivery and sure enough, baby is good and contractions are good. I was only dilated to a 1, so the nurse had me walk the halls and take a tubby. After an hour of that, still only a 1. So the nurse talked to the 'in-charge' nurse and the doctor who was on call for my doctor, and they frickin' sent me home. Still contracting and completely miserable. I see my doc at 11:15...later today...and boy is he going to get an ear full. It's 3:02am, and I'm still having strong contractions and all that other crap that goes along with labor. I know for a fact that if they spoke with MY doctor, he would have kept me and started induction. GRRR!!!! Ugh, whatever. They gave me some stupid ass visterol or something to relax me so I can 'sleep'. Right. This sucks. My poor parents came down and were going to stay, my Dad was asleep already and he has to go to work at 4am. Nice. I feel horrible. I could just rip someone's head off. Well, I suppose I should try to go to sleep or something. ARGH!!!

Update

Went to my 38 week appointment today. Nothing too exciting. I am measuring right on, which is really weird for me. With my history with the boys I was always measuring really big. I'm also about 1-2 cm dialated. So at least there's a 'little' progress, but I sure wish there was more. I'm in SO much pain, it's ridiculous. I can hardly walk today. Needless to say, the Doc said 'see ya in a week'. Ugh, I don't know if I can handle another week if I feel like this!

Tomorrow we are headed to the chiropractor to get some acupressure massage and possibly acupuncture to help jumpstart labor a bit. I'm at least hoping for some good contractions to get a bit more progress going. I'm happy that this pregnancy has been 'normal', because I've never had one of those...but at the same time, it's kind of hard because with the boys I was induced early, so the anticipation is crazy. What will happen? Will I all of a sudden be measuring gigantic? Will I go into natural labor? The Doc said the baby is definitely engaged and ready...so that was really good news. Oh well, hopefully my pain will at least subside for a while so I can get through! Taking care of the boys has never been so difficult.

That's about it, otherwise same old. We're still adjusting to hubby's new 'diet'. It seems to be going pretty well. Yep.

Until next time...

The nerve...

The baby found a new nerve a couple weeks ago, and it has been putting me in so much pain :(. Every time he moves he hits it and if I'm standing it almost makes me fall right to the floor. Yesterday was a very painful day...my lower back hurt so much I could hardly walk. This little guy can make his appearance ANY TIME! I think I'm definitely getting to the point of being 'ready'. My next appointment is Wednesday, hopefully I'll have some progress this time. We had a very busy weekend and took a handful of good walks. I just finished an entire fresh pineapple...maybe I should move onto spicy foods :). I even considered castor oil this morning, but I certainly don't think I want to tackle that. Ish!

I'm starting to get really excited to meet our new little man, but I'm also nervous about who's going to be helping with our other little men! I don't know why I worry so much...I just worry about their safety and health so much. Plus with all the responsibility, and our dog and the cats, the house...I feel guilty asking for help. I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but I do. This has gotta be stupid hormones...right?! Ugh. Well, I'm going to lay down now. I'm too tired to think anymore.

Good News and blah news

Brian had his appointment today with the Dr. who practices homeopathy and it went really well! It was our next step in trying to conquer the headache. He has a huge list of food sensitivities and other things to do. He said the appointment was weird but he sounds confident it'll help. I wish I could have been there! He had to touch a vile with his left hand, and he had his right hand raised in the air. He was supposed to 'stop' the doctor from pushing his arm down when he touched each vile. She was barely pushing on him, and when he would touch certain viles, his arm would fall. Those viles were the viles where he has food sensitivity. Crazy. So we will see...

Then I had my 37 week appointment today, and nothing has changed. The baby is low, which is great. His heartbeat is around 140/150 and I'm measuring 38.5 weeks. So I am much smaller this time around than I was with the boys! My next appointment is next Wednesday...so we will see what happens then. If I'm starting to measure really big we will then talk about induction. Other than that we're just playing it all by ear right now, which is actually kind of nice! Who know's what'll happen and I'm kind of liking that. It could be any day, or it could be 2 weeks! We shall see... :) My only major bummer is that my cervix hasn't done anything yet...I'm still a finger-tip dialated and it's still way up there. With the boys, I was usually effaced almost completely by now and at least 2 centimeters...although I know at this point that doesn't mean much! But I at least like a little progress! Oh well.

Until next time...

Spoiled =)

My hubby spoils me so much. He surprised me by taking me to The Calla Lily in Afton on Friday night. It was incredible!!! It's a spa and retreat place...wow, we got spoiled! Grammy came down to watch the boys and we headed out about 2:00 to our destination - that I had no idea about! We got there and I was shocked...and super excited! We both had treatments done in our private 'apartment' and it was so great! I had a mini-facial (I've never had one, and I'm sure I could become addicted), an aromatherapy scalp massage and a reflexology foot massage. Hubby had a gentleman's package that he really enjoyed...although he absolutely LOVED the aromatherapy scalp massage, it really helped his headache. Then we had a couples massage that evening and it was so wonderful. I honestly don't think I've seen Brian that relaxed since high school. When our massage was done, we headed out to dinner and then to Ruby Begonia's Lounge in Stillwater. It was such a wonderful night away, and I wish so much we could do stuff like that more often!

Then reality came back to us - we had to wake up early in the morning, get ready and head back home to take Evan to his first t-ball practice! It was fun though, but man, when reality strikes back, it's brutal! Oh well, we sure enjoyed our night away and hope to do it again some day!

Doc appointment update

I had my 36 week today, and my 37 week is scheduled for next Wednesday. Ugh. This last month is rough. Anywhoobie, I'm measuring 37 to 38 weeks - so that's good, the baby sounds great, and I'm a 'finger-tip' dialated. Nothing too exciting going on...which kind of blows my mind considering all the cramping and contractions I've been having. Oh well. Next week we'll be discussing 'induction'. Ugh. I am still hoping and praying that I go into labor on my own. Even the Doc is bummed about having to get me induced - I guess the staff in labor and delivery are not cooperative with elective inductions. So he said he'll have to fight for me and get some other docs to back him up because of my history. He said it really makes him mad. I feel bad, that sucks. But he doesn't want me delivering a 10lb + baby...he's worried it wouldn't 'fit'. Which obviously, if I go full term, this guy will be at least 10lbs! I'm sure I could handle it, but there's other risks he doesn't to take, and I'm on the same boat. Early induction is best for me...I guess. It just sucks. Let's hope something 'exciting' will start happening and I won't have to be induced!!! Any tips and/or suggestions are welcome...

Nesting?!

Typically every morning, I have so much energy, especially lately. Which I find very odd considering I don't sleep well at all and I have this huge bowling ball in my stomach! It seems though, that mornings are my time to get things done...which is great. There's still so much to do before baby comes, I wish my energy could last all day so I could actually get some of the things done.

I ran to Target this morning with the hoodlums and they were so good. Then I bravely took them to Applebee's where they also did well, except we waited about 15 minutes for the waitress to run our card and we were all getting a bit impatient! It's not like I was in a big hurry, but when you have a rowdy 2 year old and 4 1/2 year old that wants to go, it tests my patience!

We had a very busy and fun weekend, and as lame as I am, I'm kind of glad it's Monday to get back into the swing of routine.

On the baby front - I'm hoping that he will 'drop' soon! He is still high. My next check up is Wednesday and the Doc will be checking me...ick. I've also tested group B strep positive, which totally sucks. I was tested twice when I was in labor and delivery being monitored for other issues, which was around 25 and 28 weeks. I wonder if he'll test again...I'm kind of worried about it. I never had it with either of the boys, and I've been reading stuff about if it's found in urine, you need to take an antibiotic during the last few weeks of pregnancy (which at one point, they did find it in my urine). If the baby gets it it can be fatal...and blah blah blah. It freaks me out. I really should just not worry, huh?! I know it's very common and many women have had it, but this pregnancy has had it's weird quirks and that's definitely not another extra thing I want to have to deal with.

This weekend should be fun - Brian is 'surprising' me on Friday with an overnight! I have no idea what's going on or what we're doing, but apparently we have to be somewhere on Friday at 3pm and then we'll be spending the night somewhere. I'm confused and nervous, but also very excited to get a night away! Then Evan starts t-ball on Saturday morning!!! I'm super excited for that, he'll have a blast. Then we have another grad party and a birthday party Saturday evening, and something going on Sunday too...but of course I cannot remember.

All this June stuff is crazy...our anniversary is also coming up on the 15th, which unfortunately is Father's Day...didn't quite put that one together when we were planning the wedding! But that day will be all about Daddy, he deserves it after all he's been through! The same weekend is Strawberry Fest here in ye ole' Cottage Grove - which we're excited about. The parade is so much fun and Cottage Grove does a really great job with everything. The kids will be so excited for the parade, I can't wait to see their faces again this year light up with all the excitement. Then the baby's arrival...who know's when that'll be!!! Hopefully sooner than later...but give me enough time to get things done :)

Ok, that's enough mumble jumble...until next time...

Good news =)

Yay! So I had the ultrasound today (I also didn't need to go to labor and delivery for a stress test...everyone was confused, but the tech called the doctor and he said to just check out baby on ultrasound). The baby looks great and super cute I might add ;). He is head down, still ALL boy, and he's about 6-7 lbs already!!! Yikes that's big. I see our doc again next Wednesday and we'll see what he says. It's getting so close...now we're just hoping and praying that I will go into natural labor and not be put on pitocin...ick. I'm just so happy that everything looks good - at least so far! Yippee!

Dr Appt Update

I had my 35 week appointment today and everything is seeming to check out fine...so far! The baby's heartbeat is around 140, my blood pressure is good, but I'm measuring 38 weeks...so a bit big! The doctor scheduled an ultrasound for me for tomorrow to check the weight on the baby and the baby's position. I also have to go up to labor and delivery and have a stress test done (??), I'm not really sure why because the doctor actually didn't say anything about it. The scheduler did when I scheduled the ultrasound...so I probably don't even need to go up there for the stress test, but whatever. I'm confused. I guess we shall see tomorrow. I'm very nervous for the ultrasound, I know we're just checking the size and position, but I'm nervous if they find anything that could be wrong. I worry too much, I know. Hopefully everything will be ok. I'll have to have the tech check to make sure the baby is still a boy...I've had 2 dreams where the baby was a girl! Not like it would change, but you never know! Wouldn't that be quite the surprise?! Hopefully I'll be able to update tomorrow... :-) Wish me luck!

Life

Happy belated Memorial Day! We had a very nice weekend. We spent 2 nights and 3 days at the cabin, and it was very enjoyable. The kids had a great time, Mason caught his first bass - which was pretty big, we had a bonfire, survived the severe thunderstorms that came our way, had a boat ride, spent time with family and all in all had a nice time. On our way home, we even stopped at a off leash dog park and let Maverick run for a while - oh my how he loved that!

We were welcomed home with talking to the neighbors, who also all survived the long weekend and had nice times. When we got into the house and settled back into reality, we learned that a fellow classmate of Brian's passed away on Friday night. He was 28 years old. I remember him from high school and how he was such a nice and genuine guy. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. My thoughts and prayers also go out to everyone affected by the horrible storms that passed through this beautiful state.

On our way home from the cabin, we ironically were starting that dreaded conversation...about what will happen when/if one of us passes away. We didn't get very far into the conversation, but we know it's something that needs to be discussed. As hard as it is. Life goes by way too fast, and you never know what each day will bring. It seems everybody stresses so much, and races the clock to get 'things' done...when not enough people stop to actually smell the roses and enjoy the moment that we're in now. I know I'm one of those people, but I'm starting to re-teach myself that I have to take every day as it's handed to me and be thankful for everything that I have.

Speaking of...poor Mason this morning woke up sick. He came upstairs seeming ok, but got up at 9:35am (which is a little late for him). He wanted a yogurt, so I got one for him and we did our 'yogurt routine' of me feeding it to him on the couch (it makes it more fun for him and he actually eats it). All of a sudden, he let out a huge burp and threw up a little. He's been kind of stuffy in the mornings, so I thought - oh maybe he's just got some gunk in his throat and it made him gag. Well, he didn't want anymore yogurt - who could blame him. So I cleaned him up and he just sat on the couch and seemed to be pretty lethargic. An hour passed, and he said he was hungry and wanted kix. So, the funny little guy ate 3 baggies of kix (another fun way to get him to eat). He seemed to feel better...I know he's been hungry, he didn't eat dinner last night and we refuse to give him junk food all the time - so he didn't really eat much last night, so he was hungry. Then it was nap time and he seemed pretty tired, so I got him to sleep and I'm only hoping he'll wake up feeling and looking better! Poor little guy. I am really hoping it's just him and nobody else ends up getting anything...that would so not be good. Especially right now! Being 8 months pregnant and getting sick...wouldn't that almost guarantee an earlier delivery?! Oh well, what do you do. Like I said before, you gotta take life as it's handed to you, and I guess right now, I'm being handed some challenges.

We have a fairly busy day tomorrow...well at least I do. Brian is actually staying home for the day - bless his heart! I have a dentist appointment in the morning and my next OB appointment which is at 12noon. Then we have Evan's conferences at 5:45pm. I'm curious to see what my doc will say this time. I hope my blood pressure's ok...although I'm sure it's higher than normal again. I also am hoping he can maybe tell if the baby is head down - I've been feeling hiccups and sometimes they feel like they're in my ribs...not really where I want his head to be! I know there's still plenty of time, but it's getting closer and closer to the end and there's just things I hope for!

I should probably go, this is a huge post. I guess I had a lot to talk about!

Yet another thing...

So I fell today. Off our front patio. I cranked the crap out of my right foot, ended up going to the Doctor and learned that I pulled every muscle in the top of my foot and the front of my ankle. I can't put pressure on it because it hurts so bad. So I'm on crutches. 8 months pregnant and on crutches. It's quite glamorous. This is SO not what I need right now...oh well. Hopefully I'll feel better in a couple days. Figures.

A little better...maybe?

So I'm feeling a bit better today, especially after writing about how I feel the other day. I'm still in a funk, but I'm hoping it'll get better. It seems every little thing just keeps bringing me down lately. I had my doctor's appointment today and my blood pressure was up. I am normally borderline low, so when it's slightly elevated they always express great concern. The doc wanted to see me in 3 weeks, but now he wants to see me in 2. Which is fine, it's just hard to get help with the boys, because I cannot handle them alone in the doctor's office right now. I could if I had to, but if I can get help I'm going to. I'm sure my hubby will be able to help me out, like he always does :) Poor guy, still suffering so much from this ridiculous headache. I was talking with a very close friend yesterday, and she asked if we've ever thought about trying to go to Mayo Clinic. So I spent some time on the computer last night looking at their website, and requesting an appointment online. They called my hubby this morning and said for neurological stuff he needs a referral. So he called our clinic and we're still waiting for a return call. So now the frustrating part...waiting and more waiting. I honestly don't think our Doctor's understand quite what he has gone through. He is almost out of the pain meds right now that 'somewhat' take the edge off and there's no refill. There are no appointments set up. Trying to call these places and getting him in is almost a joke. It feels like we're pulling teeth to get help and we shouldn't have to. Maybe we'll have to call this natural healing lady who does weird things with oils and stuff. Maybe I'll try to work on that one tomorrow. What else can we do? I am completely burnt out, I know Brian's burnt out...which obviously doesn't help anything. We better start making a lot of lemonade soon...because we've got plenty of lemons!

Also, we completely forgot that tonight was the 'waiting list' registration for soccer for Evan for the summer. Duh. We were on our way to my parents house to help with some landscaping stuff, and it hit me, 'oh crap, we gotta sign Evan up within the next 15 minutes'. So we hauled butt back to Cottage Grove and couldn't find the building where we were supposed to register him. So after giving up, we came up and looked it up online. We ended up calling the secretary and she said that we can go to her house tomorrow night and register him then...I am so thankful for that. We know it's something that Evan will absolutely love and we are trying so hard to get him into everything we can for his socialization. He is so shy and we would love for him to just go out and have fun. So we're trying. Let's hope that we remember to go to this lady's house tomorrow and get him signed up finally. He is also in t-ball this summer - but only for the month of June. It's called wee-tee's and every Saturday in June, the kids learn about the game of t-ball. They have a different station they learn about every weekend. We are super excited for that. Uncle Scott and Auntie Betsy got Mason a t-ball set for Christmas and the boys absolutely love it, it's one of their favorite outside toys right now. It's so cute to watch them smack the balls and run after the balls...too fun. Aahhh, to be a kid again.

Well, hopefully my 'funk' will heal, and hopefully Brian's headache will heal. I don't know about my 'funk' though, I'm really struggling lately. On my way home today from the doctor's office I bawled almost the entire way home. Why? I don't know. I think everything is just becoming too much. Oh well...I just have to take life as it's handed to me one day at a time.

Sad

You ever just have a 'sad' day? A day where you wish things could be different, or better? A day where you hope for certain things and it just comes crashing down when you realize it's never going to happen, and completely breaks your heart? A day where you have no control over your tears, and your kids look at you in concern and ask why you're sad? A day where you just feel broken and it's going to take a miracle to feel better?

I try so hard not to complain about things, and what I do every day. I try to keep everyone at peace and happy. I try not to cry. I try not to be scared. I try. I think things can just become overwhelming. That's life. Right? I tell myself every day, 'God will not give me anything I cannot handle'. It helps, but sometimes I feel like I just can't handle it. I'm exhausted. Completely exhausted.

It would be nice to receive a hug. A meaningful hug. To be held and told that everything will be ok. To have my tears wiped away and feel that it's ok to cry. I would love to have my hand held when I'm scared. I would love to have softer kleenexes to blow my nose and wipe my tears, but I don't feel I deserve it. I would love to not be in physical pain from this pregnancy. I would love to be not scared about delivering this baby. I would love to be able to sit and enjoy the birds outside. I would love to go for a walk, but I hurt too much.

Things I need to remember, are that I'm so thankful that I'm able to be home. I'm thankful that my kids are healthy. I'm thankful for the nursing staff at Woodwinds to reassure me that everything is ok after my visit yesterday. I'm thankful everything is ok. I'm thankful I have the ability to do things others can't. I'm thankful that every night I can sleep next to the person I couldn't live my life without. I'm thankful I have boys, they sure do keep me on my toes. I have to remember these good things in my life. Some days can be difficult, but I really have no reason to complain. Although, I am only human and sometimes people just need to complain. And cry.

Worried...

Sometimes I hate, absolutely hate, hormones. Being pregnant is hard enough, and then to sit here and worry constantly is so obnoxious. I'm getting so nervous about delivery, who's going to help watch our boys, take care of the dog and cats, our house while we're gone, the baby and his health. I think that's my ultimate worry. I know I'm not alone about this worry, but having 2 healthy kids and a 3rd on the way is nerve-wrecking. I only hope and pray that this little new guy is healthy too. The ultrasound looked good, so that's reassuring, but still. You never know. It's scary going into delivery for a 3rd time when you 'know' what can happen. Ugh. I'm sure everything will be fine...but 'what if'? What's this baby going to be like, what will he look like, will he need to be under the lights for jaundice? Will he breastfeed well? Will he be colicky? Will he be happy? I'm thankful I have 2 very excited big brothers to be to help out! Plus an excited Daddy!!! Ok, I think I feel better now.

Awesome Day

Today I used my Christmas present from the hubby...he gave me a 'daddy stay home day' gift certificate to use. A couple weeks ago, I was asked to join my Premier Designs family for a lunch and I thought to myself...hmmm, that might be a great day to use my certificate! So today was the day, my day off!!! It was really nice. I met the gals for lunch at Champps in Maple Grove, then I did some shopping at Kohls and Bed Bath and Beyond. I then called Splawn Montage to see if they had an appointment for a manicure, so I got my nails done (I know, super fancy). I also got my haircut while there. Then I went to Ulta...never been there before, and I don't think hubby will let me go back... ;). I then voyaged to Zantiago and got some yummy tacos, and totally ate by myself. It was actually quite relaxing watching all the hustle and bustle going on, knowing I wasn't in any hurry. Then I went to Target in Woodbury and putzed around. I got extremely exhausted while there though, so I had to call my day to an end. The kids were great for Daddy. Daddy ordered pizza for lunch, and then they had pizza for dinner...I thought that was funny. But the boys all had a nice time too and I think it was really good for them to be together for a day. The kiddos had a tubby tonight and now they're all snuggled in their beds. Evan's got preschool in the morning, so it's back to reality! I really enjoyed my 'day off'. It was much appreciated!!!

Happiness :)

You ever have one of those days, where everything just seems to 'go right'? I had one of those today, and it was fantastic! My little baby boy turned 2 today, and the entire day was so great. I can't believe he's 2 already though, wow. He was such a good boy, for most of the day ;) He had a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party and it was so cute, he loved it! He absolutely loves Mickey Mouse. We had family and friends to join us for his party and I honestly don't think he could have had more fun. Well I was just in a good mood so I thought I'd blog quick...at 12:40am! Yeesh, I should go to bed! Thank goodness tomorrow's a lazy day...hopefully.

Blogging Again

Hello! I have not blogged in such a long time on here, so I thought I'd give it a try again. I blog on MySpace once in a while, but why not blog in two areas. Well, I'm starting my 7th month of pregnancy and the boys are keeping me on my toes. I truthfully don't know how I'm going to handle 3 boys. I can hardly handle the 3 of them now, and one of them isn't even born yet! This has been a very difficult pregnancy, as far as my hormones and pain scale. Thank goodness I haven't been on bedrest...yet. I hope that I won't have to, but considering I'm at 28 weeks now, I'm sure I won't have to. I see the doc on Monday for my regular check up. Hopefully that'll go well.

Brian's headache is still happening, it's been a very long time and it has not let up. It's been really hard and very stressful, also very depressing. I feel so bad for him. I just want him to feel 'good'. He see's the neurologist again the 21st of this month, so hopefully something good will happen then. He's been also seeing a cranial massage therapist, along with his chiropractor and that hasn't done too much. Maybe this nice spring weather will keep up and it'll help him feel better. Who knows, I'm close to giving up hope, but I know I can't.

Well, nothing else too new is going on. Mason will be 2 on the 19th of this month, and boy oh boy is he showing and acting like it. Evan's been really good, so that's been nice. I took him out last night for a cookie at Caribou, I hope he enjoyed our little outing.

I should probably go now, Mason's standing on the end table and just knocked over the lamp. Ahh, the joys of parenthood.