Crazy Days

When I fantasized about being a mom, I thought my day would go something like this.

Wake up. Shower and get dressed in decent clothes with all my jewelry on, and nice shoes, and do my hair and makeup.
Wake all of my children up.  Help the little one(s) get dressed, and the older one(s) would dress themselves.
We would all come downstairs together where we would eat plain Cheerios with fresh strawberries on top, and a tiny pinch of Stevia.
We would leave the house with plenty of time and sing songs as we walked to the bus stop.
Exercise, snack, story time, craft time, lunch, then nap.
In the evening, we would all do our part in helping with dinner, and my husband and I would take turns preparing a healthy meal.
After dinner, we would play a board or card game, go outside for a bit, and come back in for baths, story time again, and then bed time.  We would say a family prayer, kiss them goodnight, and they would fall blissfully asleep, and my husband and I would watch a wholesome romantic comedy or our favorite sitcom together.

Now, my day goes something like this:

I am awakened by a kid who's in my bed because the zombies were attacking him in his dreams.  Another kid comes in crying really loud because he can't find his blankie, which in turn wakes up the baby, who is hungry and needs to eat right then, or the world will cease to exist.  I send the older ones downstairs to watch a cartoon while I tend to the baby.
The younger two are still in pj's while I get the older one his clothes for the day.  I rummage through his drawer for socks and underwear, because the last clean pair isn't in the right drawer. During this time, I hear "Hey, fight me. " Laugh, laugh, whack, whack, scream and cry. Then one child comes to me crying that the other one hurt/hit him. I get out captain crunch berries, or cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast, probably forget the spoons, and napkins along the way.
After demanding the oldest get dressed, the baby falls asleep, and the middle one spills juice all over the floor.
Now I have to wake the baby, we run out the door with pj's still on and hair def. not brushed, and lunch hasn't been made, only to see the bus pass by.  The big boy hauls butt to the next bus stop, and I realize my garage door, and the door leading into my house are wide open. GREAT!!!
This is all before 8:45 am.

I would divulge the rest, but I'm sure you get the picture. (And most of you can relate, right?)

And even though life with kids is not like I expected, I'm OK with this chaos. Because when I put them to bed at night, and kiss their little foreheads, I realize I'm blessed to be able to give and receive love from these little ones that I've been entrusted with here on Earth.

Few Months

The last few months have been... a little busy for me. I've wholly neglected my blog, and I'm sorry for you!  You aren't privy to all of the antics and going on's in my life. And I am sure you are just sitting by your computer, refreshing this site and just waiting for me to write something inquisitive and life altering?  No, not really?  Oh, whew- that's a lot of pressure off of me. Well, in case you even had an inkling of wondering what myself and my family have been up to, I actually have some pictures to post!

 My kids actin' a fools.

 GWL in Williamsburg

(That Chucky looking doll to the left looks like he's about to pounce on my kiddos)

Virginia Beach

And of course, we welcomed a sweet baby into our home

And a couple of weeks ago, we went to the fair.  YES- WITH A NEWBORN

(blackmail pic of me!!!)

Goodbye summer, and hello to a new era of my life- having a kid in school!  I'm figuring out how to juggle this crazy thing I call my life.  I'm sure my next post will have something to do with how I'm failing to kick my sugar or soda addiction.  Until then, bloggy world!

Baby!

 Blake's birthday :)

Sunday, August 5, around 7:30 pm- Drop boys off at Grandma Jones', pick up a burger and a McFlurry on the way home
Monday, August 6, 6 ish- Wake up, take a shower, make sure the bag is packed.  Wait for my mom.
7 (ish)- get to the hospital, wait, and wait, and wait in my room until someone from registration comes in
8- nurse comes in, hands me my stylish gown, and tells me to put it on
8:05- change, WATER BREAKS! nice timing!
8:10- nurse asks 1000 questions, lay in bed, get my IV
8:15- get pitocin (and i ask why am i getting pitocin since my labor has already begun- she informs me it is on the smallest dosage and is barely doing anything)
8:30- feel contractions- damnit- back labor again- my mom helps me breathe through it
8:50-  husband leaves- sigh- he better be back before this baby makes his appearance
9:15- epidural- a hundred more questions- try 1, nope, try 2, wrong spot, try 3, oops, not there either, try 4- well maybe this will work- ok- lay down-
9:20- Ummm- my lower right leg is numb, but I can feel absolutely everything else.
9:30- Epidural clearly not working, anesthesiologist decides I need a spinal block.  So we start the process all over again, with one numb side, and still have back, and now front contractions.
9:45- I can still feel my left hip area, and the contractions/feet in my ribs.  I'm laying in an uncomfortable position, and having a hard time breathing.
10:30- anesthesiologist number 2 comes in, fiddles with machine, gives me something, rolls me to my left side, and I finally feel decent. Thank you Dr. Karp. (Had this guy with Kyle, he was amazing.  We asked for him this time, but he was down in the OR-sigh)
11:00- 5 centimeters checked by nurse- shouldn't my doc be here?
11:35- call Chris and tell him to bring me lollipop and gum, and by the way, why was my pitocin turned up?
11:50- call back Chris and tell him not to stop for lollipop and to speed cause I could tell this guy was coming fast
12- Chris walks in, whew! I'm ready to go!
12:20- Dr comes in, checks me, I'm all the way, but says we can hold off on pushing. Really? Its a good thing most my lower half was numb, because the contractions were definitely close and long. (I could STILL feel him up under my ribs.)
12:30- Nurse gives me my second round of antibiotics and talks soccer with my husband.
1- Doctor comes in, I get cleaned up and prepped, he gets cleaned up and prepped, and I start pushing a few minutes later.(Remember, I'm still numb, so figuring out how to bear down to push and not tighten with my face was a challenge.)
1:25 ish- Dr. says- good gracious he has a big head.  Do all of your kids have big heads?  YES- YES THEY DO!
1:32- Baby! They plopped him on top of me, which I think is a bit gross, but whatever!, and I said- awww- he looks like my other two.  They all commented on how big and beautiful his umbilical cord was- (umm- gross again!) then they cleaned him off, and I heard the cry.  BEST SOUND EVER.
1:45- getting stitches as my Doctor talks to me about how his friends are servers and bartenders, so he can't play with them during the week since he has a big boy job.
1:50 ish- I get to hold my baby and the nurse asked me to try to nurse him.  He wasn't too interested, but after trying for a little bit, he latched right on.  Good boy!

Blake Christopher Jones, 8 pounds 5.7 ounces, 21 1/2 inches long, noggin size- big!

Eviction

I guess we will have to evict this little guy after all.  Although we haven't quite reached my due date, I was never pregnant this far along with my other two.  By now, I would be up tending to the needs of a new baby, instead of still so uncomfortable and not able to sleep.  5 out of the 7 nights last week, I thought I was going into labor.  I had plenty of painful, oh my gosh I can't possibly take this anymore, contractions, that lasted through the night, but had subsided in the morning. I even told my husband to pack a bag for himself one night, because tonight was the night.  WRONG! I was very surprised when all of the typical labor pains brought along no physical changes at my latest appointment.

This has by far been the hardest pregnancy to date.  The factors are many- the fact that it's summer, I'm in my 30's now, my 5 year old has become a really difficult child who is testing his limits and being disrespectful to everyone, my 2 year old is either so full of energy that I can't keep up with him, or he is crying and screaming, I am carrying this baby directly out front which is putting pressure on my ribs, my upper and lower back, and even my neck, and the heart burn/acid reflux is really bad this go round.

With all of the negative things going on, I was very grateful for today. I had a dear friend throw myself and another friend a baby "sprinkle" today.  (The kind where there is no registering, no big frills or games, just some food, good friends, a few presents, and a lot of laughs.)  Although, I didn't really feel deserving, seeing as this is my third BOY, I am so appreciative for everyone who attended and contributed, and I really feel blessed to be surrounded by sweet people.  Especially at this time, when my sarcasm level has gone up 18 notches, because I am so sick of being prego!

Babies are blessings, I know they are, and I am sure when I meet my little guy I will fall in love with him, but right now, that eviction notice can't come soon enough :)

Basketball

It's a good thing I am a bit of a realist, because I know, realistically, that I look as if I have swallowed an extra large basketball.  Maybe even a bowling ball.  This thing under my t-shirt is just plain huge.  I. HAVE. A. HUGE. BELLY. My husband asked me to take pictures of my tummy because its kinda hard to believe! I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous that this extra belly weight is going to hang out with me FOREVER.  At least my belly will match my butt. Do you think my over active sweet tooth has had anything to do with the 40 pound weight gain?  Nah, me neither. It's all baby, right? I enjoy living in denial!

Does August 6 sound like a good day to have a baby? :)

Wide and long

So really, everyone knows I am going to say just what I think on this blog.  This is the reason I have neglected to write as many posts as I would like.  My brain keeps going back to how bad I look and feel during this pregnancy.  I've had several people ask me if I'm carrying twins, and a mom of a teenager ask me if I was past due, and was appalled that I was still a month and a half out, and would indeed be getting bigger.  UGH!

Speaking of getting bigger, one of the perks of pregnancy/having a baby, is obviously the increased boobage!  For someone who has nothing, a little bit up top is really exciting.  But after carrying and breastfeeding two babies already, this time around the bigger cup size isn't quite as appealing, because now, they are just wide!  Not even wide and perky, just wide.  I have to dig them from underneath of my armpits to stuff them into a bra, to create cleavage.  And non-perky boob cleavage is UGLY!  My friends and I have discussions at church about how unattractive cleavage really is.  (Yes, during church- ha!)

And while I am complaining, along with my sausage fingers and toes, my hiney looks like I ate way too many sausages.  And not only is my butt big (OK- no comments on the fact that I have had this larger than life hind end since middle school)- its LONG.  But seriously, who has a long butt? I feel like I need to take up sewing and create an underwear bra, to hold this long bootie in place. I really feel like it starts in the middle of my back, and goes down to just before the back of my knees.  No wonder I can't find any clothes to fit me!

I need to head off to bed, and be grateful for the beautiful blessing that will soon be joining our family, but as I walk up the stairs, rest assured, I will be feeling every force of gravity pulling my body parts straight down!

We are always changing!

As women, our mind, our soul, our thoughts, even our bodies are always changing.  Some for the good, some for the not so good. Here are some of those changes:

- Making more conscious food choices.  These choices are usually for the better. As a kid I would eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an eclair for dinner, and have a butterfinger for dessert right before going to bed. I would feel so sick if I did that now!

- Getting a healthy heart.  Most of us do cardio for weight loss or maintenance, but we all know that a good cardio workout is a great cardio workout for your heart.

- Parenting! When I grow up- I will NEVER be like my mom.  And then you turn into her, and realize its not such a bad thing.

- Teenage girls dream about their future husband and how perfect he (and your marriage) is going to be.  Then a couple of years after getting married you realize what you wanted has changed, and then a few more years later, you realize what a great man, father, and partner you have.  And hopefully he will see that in you, too.

- Everything sags before you get "old."

- No matter how much  you do to prevent it, cellulite is a part of life for women.

- Breastfeeding is indeed best for baby, but your boobs WILL NEVER be the same afterwards.

- You will waddle when you are pregnant. Period.

- You let your kids zone out in front of the TV like drooling maniac's because you need to get stuff done.  (And don't tell me you don't!)

- People you love and you are close to will die, and in a horrific manner, and you will question your relationship with God.  And you will question that relationship again, and again, and again.

- Church is still a place for socializing, but it actually becomes a place to foster spiritual experiences and meaningful lessons.

- Going out with friends is fun, but hanging out with your family is sometimes more fun. Your family becomes your best friends.

- Your skin doesn't automatically get better. All kinds of weird spots and bumps show up, and practically out of nowhere.

-Parts of your body you didn't know existed, hurt.  You can throw your back out sneezing.  Hurt your hip reaching. Or crack ribs by playing catch.

But really, each birthday that goes by is another year of wisdom you are able to have, and from which to learn.  Try to be grateful for something big or small, every day of your life.

Today I am grateful for this baby who is sitting on my sciatic nerve and making me pee every 15 minutes!  It means he is growing and healthy!  Love you unnamed baby boy number 3!

Running "with child"

Running is hard stuff, running while prego, whew, thats even harder. I'll list my top 5 gripes.

# 5- No, I am not weirdly fat only in my bulging tummy. I am indeed 5 1/2 months pregnant, so stop staring at me.

# 4- For the love of all things good, can someone please design workout maternity clothes.  Not all pregnant women want to wear yoga pants for every workout.  I bought several pairs of large shorts, which are big enough, but don't give extra room for the expanding belly and just end up in your backside.  It's a permanent wedgie.

# 3- Don't tell me that your doctor told you, or you read on the internet, that running while pregnant is bad for the baby, can cause birth defects, or even miscarriages. I keep track of my heart rate, my breathing, and any odd pains that might pop up.  If anything is out of the ordinary, I slow down, or walk.  No doctor has ever, or will ever tell you not to walk while you are pregnant, so hush up well meaning, but ill informed old school advice givers.

# 2- Speaking of slowing down, if I slowed down anymore, I will be standing in place.  This is no joke, and very frustrating. I am not a fast runner to begin with, so slowing down my pace because I physically can't make my body move any faster is less than ideal.

 

# 1- I can not go one mile without feeling like I have to pee.  And with each step I take, I feel like I need to pee more and more.  Oh, and heaven forbid I have to sneeze while running...

Even though it kinda sucks, I don't want to lose the "fitness" I had a couple of months ago. And sitting on the stationary bike at the gym for 25 minutes doesn't compare to the cardio workout that you get from running. And, I have tried prenatal yoga, and it kinda sucks.

Lock your car!

I blame the Little Guy.

 I got in my car the other morning, and noticed what I thought was my glove compartment, was open and empty.  Nothing else seemed to be bothered or gone, so I thought maybe my husband took the manual out for one reason or another.  I went to work and thought no more about it.  When I left work that day, I stopped by the gas station to get a soda (don't judge, you probably drank soda when you were prego, too!) and I got a dollar from my wallet, and went to grab some coins from the change-holder-thingy, but there was no money.  Hell, the entire change-holder-thingy was gone. Right then I realized two things; my car had indeed been broken into, and they found another glove compartment in my car, which I didn't know about!  

So why do I blame the Little Guy? Well, he was in my purse, stealing my mascara and rubbing it all over the couch, so I can only assume he got into my keys and starting pressing buttons, as he always does!

Moral of the story- lock your car and hide your purse.

Clothes shopping, no thanks!

I NEVER thought I wouldn't want to go shopping for new clothes.  I do love to shop, and I really love clearance racks at stores.  I don't care if it was last season's shirt, if it has a red tag on it, I'm happy.  But right now, I don't want to buy anything!  I'm almost 4 months pregnant, and I'm not one of those adorable pregnant ladies who just have a belly, but nothing else grows.  Nope, I grow everywhere- (well, except for my boobs, which is the one place I really want to grow.)  A lot of people *think* I am all stomach, but really, my butt, legs, and hips spread right away.  Since this is hopefully my last pregnancy, I really don't want to dump money into buying a new maternity wardrobe.  I went through all the clothes I wore with the other kiddo's and they are all work clothes.  I guess I could wear slacks and button up shirts everyday, but one thing that prego ladies know is you gotta be comfortable! So here I am at an impasse with being not quite big enough for maternity clothes, but too big for my normal fitted attire. Ugh!

Busy and 5.

Bloggy World,

Its been over a month since I have graced you with my slightly sarcastic, yet, very truthful writings and musings. I've been busy! Since I wrote you last, I
1- successfully pulled off an entire cheer and dance competition. (Lets forget about the part where there were 5 missing trophies, and this was not realized until the emcee was calling out winners and I ran out of trophies.)  Through all of this, I've realized my days of being a head coach are numbered.  I don't know if I will ever get out of the cheer/dance world, but being an assistant, or just choreographing and/or judging seems more up my alley right now.
2- I've pretty much stopped running, minus two miles here, or three there.  I do feel a bit antsy about letting this slip, but I REFUSE to run in 30 degree weather.
3- I've taught zumba only one time in the entire month.  It seems that everyone has an excuse for why they can't come.
4- We had Christmas Eve with the Jones', Christmas Day at our house, Christmas night at the Boyce's, then the day after Christmas with the Jones' again.
5- We went to Florida.  We were in a pretty nice hotel, where they didn't have washing machines and dryers available for guests to do themselves.  We could get our laundry done, by housekeeping, for a small fee of around 5 bucks per garment. So, we all ran out of clothes, and I'm pretty sure my husband wore the same pair of jeans more than twice.  I may or may not have done the same.
And while you Virginian's had 60 degree weather here, I had 84 degree weather, and certainly was in my bathing suit, floating on the lazy river!
6- We went to Sea World.  The Big Boy did not want to do Disney at all.  He really wanted to go to Sea World, and since my hubby and I didn't care, we obliged him and went.  It was pricey, but the 5 hours we spent there were great!  We saw an animal show, complete with dogs, cats, birds, pigs, and even a skunk.  We got to watch the whale show- this was amazing, and NO, none of the trainers were pinned to the bottom by their angry whale this time.
7- We hired a babysitter (two of the soccer players) to play DS with our older son, and also monitor the little one who was sleeping, so we could do something for New Years.  Our big night out was eating a meal in the hotel lobby.  We did, however, see fireworks through the window.  That was a plus.
8- I've had practices and performances with my girls.
9- I've waited for more people to show up for Zumba.
10- I've eaten A LOT of sweets.  Yep, I'm still at it.  Yikes!
11- I've gained several pounds- most likely due to numbers 10 and 2.
12- My parents live in a home which the original home is 80 years old.  My brother gutted and redid their bathroom as a Christmas gift.  I will be putting new front doors on their home.  Hopefully these fixes will make them more comfortable in their old, almost historic home.
13- The person who quite literally changed my life is 5.  Today is his actual birthday, but we celebrated it on Saturday with 16 other kids.  NO lie.  There were 16 kids under 15, 90% of them were under 6, and very boy heavy.  Collin was able to have a couple of his friends from school come over and he was so excited about that.  We had pizza, pinata, coloring pages, played duck duck goose, soccer, lots of wrestling the bigger kids, lots of candy, and of course, cake, ice cream, and presents.  No one got hurt until the little kid who was hiding under the table with his other buddies stealing people's candy, hit his head on the table going to get his goody bag.  That was the only casualty.  I'd say it was a pretty good day.

 I love my little guy.  He went from being the guy of my dreams, to the kid who amazes me every day, to the kid I couldn't wait to send to preschool cause he was driving me crazy, to a perfect mix of a small child, and an older kid.  I know everyone thinks their first born is super smart, and I'm no exception to that thought.

Until next time bloggy world!