I'm sorry, I miss you - 30 Days Of Blogging

It's been too long...

To be fair, I have 4 kids...

They consume my whole life but this blog is about that and I am determined to update it regularly so back to the 30 days of blogging challenge!

#30daysofblogging

Because who doesn't like a good hastag??

OK seriously,  here are some updates if you haven't been keeping up with Facebook.

*Ryan will be 6 months old this Friday!
*He does NOT sleep through the night
*We are still dealing with reflux
*He is crawling!
*Evan turned 3
*Darien got a promotion and we are moving!
*Yes, we are moving!!
*I like food
*My niece turned 1! (I just love her :))
*We are putting down new floors in our house
*We officially have rented out our house and the new tenants move in November 15th
*I love wine
*We are moving to Asheville, NC
*We have yet to find a house there yet
*I need a bigger wine glass
*I really don't drink as much as I say I would like to
*Are you tired of the bullet points yet?
*I have packed approximately 4 boxes
*I am very very tired

Ok that's enough, caught up now?

We are very excited about the move but also kinda sad.  Most of my family lives in our current town and it will be sad to leave them but this is also a grand adventure for our family of 6 and who doesn't love the mountains!  I am so excited about camping and hiking!!  This makes me a great mom of boys.  The boys and I are not officially moving until school gets out for Christmas so in the time between when we have to be out of the house and the time the boys get out of school we will be taking over my moms house which I know she is just thrilled about. :) 

I am ready for December mostly because all of the changes are very stressful and I will be thrilled to be settled and our family back together.  This is Dariens last week of work at his current position which I am sure is bittersweet for him.  Next week starts more serious packing and I need to get my butt in gear.

For now I will take it one day at a time.  :) 

If you want to keep up with our journey, follow me on Facebook.  Four Boys One Queen

Make it Monday

I love to craft.

I have a craft supply hoarding problem.

5 Tupperware boxes full of assorted craft supplies in both of the boys rooms closets.  Also, Pinterest is the devil and now aids in my addiction.

The first step is admitting you have a problem, I have no clue what the next step is so I'll just decide to do something with these craft supplies.

Enter,  Make It Monday!

Every Monday, I will make something, even if it's a noodle necklace with yarn!  I can wear it around town and claim that one of the boys made it.  This is the benefit of having kids. 

So today, I am being adventurous.  Setting my expectations high!  (Never a good thing..)  This project will involve tools of the manly sort.  You know like an electric saw, screws, and maybe a hammer.  Is a hammer manly?  If it comes in pink does it qualify as more of a unisex tool?  (my head just directly into the gutter, but I digress)

If you follow me on Pinterest you may have already guessed that my first project is a pallet project.   Nothing too fancy, like an outdoor couch, which might be something I tackle down the road but for now I will stick with a sign or something. 

So now it's time to get off this here blog (I am from the south, your gonna get a lot of that here, you've been warned) and get the boys dressed to find pallets! 

Back To School

I am tired...

Ryan decided to time his 4 month growth spurt to follow along with the boys going back to school. 

Not cool little man, not cool.

So, I have been up every 2 hours starting at 2 am.  My alarm goes off at 6:20 am but typically I am already awake and just hoping the clock is wrong and it's really  Saturday so I can go back to sleep.  Alas, it's not Saturday and I must get up and start the day.  While I am thrilled that the older two are back in school and I have my hands a little more free than they were over the summer it also brings a whole other set of issues.  Once the bus stops and the boys get in the door we don't slow down until bed time.  Home work, followed by various sports, dinner, bath, and then finally bed.  I shouldn't be so whiney about this because it's really what I thrive on but by 3:15 my energy is gone and I am dragging so I pull out a coffee cup for a pick me up.

This new schedule is going to take some getting use to and hopefully Ryan decides to sleep again.

So there is a bigger picture here that I really want to address.  I find myself being more and more grateful for my parents the older my kids get.  I doubt you are asking why because really there are many things you are probably grateful for as adults that you were not as much as a child.  That aside, today I am thankful for the fact that my parents allowed me to participate in sports.  I never understood how much this cost them! 

We have had the boys in soccer,  baseball, and flag football and while they all cost money they weren't more than $65 for a fairly long season.  Noah, my second, doesn't care for team sports.  My husband, try as he might, couldn't convince him to play.  Finally last year he asked to do gymnastics, Darien wasn't too excited.

So after a long time of asking he got a 6 week session for his birthday from Grandma.  He started last week and loves it.  I am beyond thrilled!   He is also doing year round swim team which he is so excited about that he sleeps with his goggles.  Conner is taking tennis lessons and they both are doing a running club.

So how much does this all cost you ask?  Well you didn't ask but in order to understand why I am so very grateful I will tell you. 

In order to continue gymnastics after this session it's $130.  That is for 6 sessions for 45 min once a week.
Swim team is $118 for insurance which thankfully is a one time fee for the year.  It is $55 a month plus our family membership to the YMCA which is $75 a month.   Conner is taking group tennis lessons at the YMCA and we lucked out because he is the only one signed up so we pay $40 a month for that but get private lessons which is actually $70 a month!

The school use to offer a free running club but this year an organization stepped in and is offering a more detailed club and it's $85 per child for the whole program. 

The costs add up and they aren't even in school sports yet!  As a cheerleader coach I know how much a Varsity sport costs!  My parents spent close to $800 a season and that's not including the monthly gym fee.

Since I am no longer coaching or working doing all of this is financially harder but worth it.  My parents never once told me I couldn't do something because of the costs.  We have actually had to have that conversation with Conner about swim although I didn't really want to.  He went back and forth on whether or not he wanted to sign up and finally we just sat him down and said he was going to have to decide between tennis and swim because swim was expensive and he needed to be very sure about it.  In the end he chose tennis.

So thank you mom for letting me do all of the sports, dance, and gymnastics classes even if I wasn't grateful for it then.  I cannot imagine how you did it when all four of us were involved in sports!  I am slightly dreading that day...

All in all, we are happy to have such active kids and even if I have to cut back here and there I will do so gladly.  In the meantime I am hoping Evan or Ryan decide to be artists. 

A mom can dream!

Art lessons are free right?!?!

Never A Dull Moment

It has been too long since my last blog post but have 4 boys and it being Summer has hampered my ability to juggle the blog along with everything else.  School starts in a week from tomorrow and I am sad but excited at the same time.  I am hoping that at the very least I will have a bit more time to update the blog at least once a week but let's be honest, I would settle for once a month. 

Ryan is almost 4 months old and there have been so many more changes in our house!  Hubby got the "snip snip" done so we are officially done having babies which was a sad moment for me but also a really great thing.  I think it will always be sad to have something that has been such a huge factor in our lives for almost 8 years be over with but it also is a fork in the road that brings us to a new place as a family.  I find myself trying to enjoy the small things, even the frustrating things just to hold on to the small amount of time my kids will be kids.  All too soon they will be teenagers! 

As high schoolers people ask the all to insane question of where you see yourself in 10 years and of course we are almost always wrong but at this point in life asking a mom where you see yourself in 10 years is a very real and tangible thing. 

In 10 years I will have a 17 year old who is getting ready to start his senior year and a 16 year old starting his junior year.   Evan will be almost 13 and Ryan 10!  That is such a crazy and scary thought that we are only 10 years away from that.  So as I sit here holding Ryan as he sleeps and listening to the older 3 fight over Lego's, I try very hard to just be still and enjoy it.  I know that all too soon I will be wondering why these days were gone so fast.

This summer since I haven't had cheerleader we enjoyed doing things, getting out of the house and going on adventures, attending camps, and VBS.  I never realized how much my coaching held my kids back from these little things.  I don't regret it but it definitely makes me see things in a new perspective. I've watched the older three fight over how to just be brothers.   It seems to be a never ending battle but slowly they seem to be working through it.  It will be exciting to see how Ryan fits into the mix. 

My little bit of time is coming to a close so as much as I want to keep writing, I need to get the boys to swim lessons!

Thank you all for sticking with me!  Find me on Facebook for short snip its of our daily craziness!

A Toddlers Guide To Driving Your Mommy Insane

Hi, I am Evan!  I am 2 and a half!!!

I have taken over mommys blog for now to set things straight.  I have been poorly misrepresented lately and just so mommy doesn't feel left out I want to share some things with all of her friends toddlers so she isn't alone.  I mean who else is she going to talk to?  me?  Her internet friends seem to be her only friends besides me and the new kid who is taking over...  that is another story though so I will stick with these tips on how to drive mommy insane.

As a toddler I reserve the right to do what I want, when I want.

Yes, I do!

YES!!!!!!

Now that I have made myself clear let's talk about the ways that you can gain these valuable skills because there is nothing better than watching your mom pull out her hair with poop on her face.

(Shhhh don't tell her it's there!)

First, thing you need to do is delay potty training as long as you can.  Rookies will tell you do just refuse potty training and keep the diaper but that's just easier on mom.  The diaper keeps all the fun contained!  So whip that thing off and paint the walls and your toys with poop!  Don't worry mommy will clean it all up and your toys will be back soon and will be good as new.  Mommy will try and follow the "3 day potty training" system that her internet friends told her about and the best thing is to just go with it.  Once you finish with the 3 days and you have given your mommy excitement and hope you can than start to go back and forth between accidents and the potty which makes mommy go crazy!  For you girls who don't like to get dirty then try and use all of the toilet paper to clean yourself and then flush it down the potty.  It makes for even more fun!  The potty will break and water will go everywhere so you can have a water play date all to yourself!

This is what I did today!

I told you this would be fun!

Second, the world is your oyster!  This isn't your parents house or apartment but YOURS!  Mommy's and daddy's like to hide all of the good stuff so search around in all of the cabinets or closets and just have fun.  It maybe stuff you have never seen before and who knows it may break into lots of fun pieces.  If you can do this like a ninja and not get caught the look on your moms face will be priceless.  Mommys makeup is like awesome paint so totally not just for girls.

Eye liner is really fun to play with.

Third, you are the boss, not the dog or cat.  Make sure they know that by stealing their food and treats.  They taste pretty good anyways and mommy won't let them hurt you so just laugh while they stare at you.

Fourth, if your mommy has had a new baby all of the things we have talked about already are way more fun.  She is busy, distracted and hasn't slept much between you and the new baby which is just funny thinking about mommy trying to do it all without you making things more fun.

Fifth, sleep is for daddy's!  We aren't babies anymore, we are toddlers!  So wake up in the middle of the night and climb into bed with mommy or better yet just sit there and cry until she comes in to talk to you.  When she comes in let her think you will be going back to sleep and then in 10 minutes start screaming again.  This is also fun during nap times.

These are just a few of the ways you can drive mommy crazy.  I like to find new ways everyday and swtich things up to keep mommy on her toes.

In my younger days I would make a cereal bed to lie in and have food everywhere I laid bed because this is my bed not mommys.

I hope that you all have lots of fun in your adventures!

Oh and all of mommys friends, sadly I won't be a toddler for much longer and then we an have all new adventures and don't worry I will pass this down to anymore kids you want to add to our family.

Happy Mother's Day - A letter to my mom

Happy Mothers Day! (A couple days late, whoops!)

I originally thought about this post and wanted to make it about being a mom to my kids but also about my mom but after writing a couple paragraphs I deleted it all and started over.  This happens a lot in the blogging process but there was a very specific reason I stopped and began again.

My mom is the reason I am the mom I am today.

Very simply put, I wouldn't be here without her.

Yes, stating the obvious but more than that I am a mom because of her and from a very young age I knew I wanted to be a mom like her.  Maybe some of it is because I am the oldest of four kids.  I have 3 younger brothers and although I hoped each one was a sister and NOT a brother, I wouldn't trade them for anything.  Well, at least not now but back when they were just coming into my family and disrupting my princess status and I would have traded them for another tiara or a sister or a baby doll! 

My parents divorced when I was 7, my mom and dad had joint custody but we spent most of the time with my mom.  She worked, then she stayed at home but she still worked running a company with my step dad.  I could talk about my childhood for ages but I'll just stick with this, divorce sucks but my mom was always and never ceasing my rock through the years.  Even in high school when I'm pretty sure she wanted to trade me for another son who wasn't so dramatic and emotional, she was there. 

Even when I thought living my life only for my own selfish whims, she was there.

She took me back in when I hit rock bottom.  What mom wouldn't?   Well she certainly didn't have to, I was 21 and was an adult or so I though.   In spite of every insane thing I had done in the year after she made the tough decision to kick me out of the house, she was there.

I'll leave that story for another day...

My mom is my best friend.   I don't like sharing her.  It's probably a good thing I didn't have a sister! I do have 2 sister in laws now so I share her a little more now.  I still want her approval and when I'm sick I still want her to take care of me. 

So for this Mother's day, it's not about me, it's about my mom who helped shape me into the mom I am.

Thank you mom!  Thank you for being there even when I didn't think I wanted you there.  Thank you for never running away even when I'm sure you wanted to because I have those days now which make me even more thankful you didn't escape to Fiji.  (Can we run away to Fiji now though?)

Thank you for always being honest with me even when I may not want to hear it.  I inherited this which is probably why we like to shop together.  :) 

I continue to hope every day that I can be the mom to my own kids that you were to me. 

I love you!

Two Weeks Old - Mama said there would be days like this

We are two weeks in...

Two weeks to adjust to 4 kids...

Let me make one thing clear, I asked for this and I am in no way saying I am not up for the challenge BUT the adjustment is hard.

Hard doesn't even come close to the right adjective.  It's brutal, emotional, and tiring both mentally and physically.  I feel fit to be institutionalized at times.

I think every mom feels this but when you are adding a newborn, trying to recover from child birth, helping the other kids adjust, and every other motherly responsibility is like trying to balance 100 China plates on the end of a broom stick...

On the night Ryan turned 2 weeks old we had our first evening alone.  I was nervous and quite honestly ready to go hide in a closet.  Ryan has terrible reflux and spits up 4 to 5 times after most feedings and every evening he gets fussy, not screaming like colic but crying, whimpering and refuses to sleep.  So add that to homework, dinner, bed time routine, and a 2 year old who screams and stomps at everything oh and did I mention he's still potty training? ?

Can you see why I was nervous?  

Ryan wasn't too bad, Evan had a poop accident or more tried to poop on his own and just ended up with half in the toilet, half on the floor and all over his legs, Noah went off with some kid he rides the bus with without asking and beyond the boundary that he is suppose to stay in (he's currently grounded btw), and bed time which was a whole other insanity.

Long story short, Evan is ready for his big boy bed which is currently in boxes in my hallway.

Even with all of that we made it through and I enjoyed a glass of wine after hubby got home at almost 10 pm and of course wanted me to watch the NFL Draft which him.  Then to just top off the crazy night this morning was Ryans 2 week check up.  I showered, realized I was running late, got Evan dressed and then dealt with him refusing to put on shoes.  Then I fed Ryan and while I fed him I changed his diaper then he pooped everywhere!!!  I mean all over the place and in the middle of that Evan came back in from getting his shoes only to show me that he had gotten in my purse and tried to put on mascara....  yea...  we were late to the Dr.

I also found another surprise on the carpet...  He dumped this velvet powder from a nail kit all over the carpet.

After being at the Dr for an hour it was time to run errands.  At this point I was close to tears.  I don't tend to be an emotional person and crying isn't something that happens that often but I was fighting them back.  Conners birthday is on Sunday so I needed to go get his presents and to Sams.  I had a couple other small things to do but after the first two I was done.  I was also crying while going through the drive through to get lunch.

My emotional dam had broken....

I took the time to ignore my house and everything I felt like I was failing at and just spent Evans nap time snuggling with Ryan.

It's been two weeks, I give myself credit for having hair on my head and not crying every day.  It will take time for a house of 6 people to adjust.  I fully accept that and thankfully I have an amazingly patient spouse who even when I am wrong and yell like a lunatic just because he apologized for me having a hard day (yes this happened) simply says I wasn't mad after I apologized.  Seriously this man is a saint sometimes.  I mean I am no peach to deal with.  -insert winky face here-

So for all of you mom's out there, we all deal with our own insanity!  Hang in there!!!  You are not alone!!!

One Week Old - I'm not as young as I once was...

It's been a week, I am tired, sore, and emotional.  This is all normal post pregnancy things but now that I am no longer I'm my 20's it takes longer to recover.  I don't expect to feel 100% after a week but I want to be able to get up and walk without feeling like a hammer has hit every single joint in my body.

We took Ryan for his one week check up and he has gained almost a whole pound in the 5 days we have been home!  We left the hospital at 7 lbs 9 oz and he is now 8 lbs 7 oz!  I am extremely blessed and thankful to be able to breastfeed my little man and that he is growing although I would appreciate him slowing down a bit since he is my last and I am trying to savor every moment.  This is probably why I haven't really put him down in the week he has been here.  You can't spoil a newborn or so they say.

We are adjusting and my wonderful hubby is helping out so much which means I only feel slightly guilty that he is doing so much.  I have been able to spend my time taking care of Ryan and trying to heal.  For all of you who know me pretty well I have done nothing!  No really!  Hubby even unpacked my hospital bag!  My brain only temporarily freaked out seeing things not put away where I wanted them.

We are breastfeeding well and so far having no issues except some spitting up which I am keeping an eye on.  At first I thought he was just over eating but I think it's also my over supply.  We go back to the Dr in a week for his 2 week check up.  In the meantime we have more family adjustments!  At some point I am going to have to get out of the house on my own and help with night time duties but for now Evan, Ryan, and I will just have lazy pj days.  Hubby went back to work 2 days after we got home so we are slowly figuring things out.

Evan loves his baby brother!  He asks all the time Iis he can hold it.  Yes it, we are working on saying him.

Welcome Baby Ryan! - Birth Story

We didn't make it to 40 weeks!  Ryan Robert entered the world on April 24th, 2014.  We are so blessed and although tired our family of 6 is doing pretty well.  This is his birth story but before I start let me just say that in the last week I was nervous and not a fan of being induced.  I was being selfish, he is my last baby and I wanted to keep him to myself for as long as possible however he had a 2 vessel cord which complicated things.  My doctor stressed that waiting much after my due date made the risk of still birth go up.  At the same time my brother and his wife were being induced the Monday after my due date.  After going back and forth we chose to induce on Thursday April 24th. 

I had two days to get the older boys organized and taken care of before we added #4.  This ended up being a blessing since having a baby wasn't near as nerve wracking as managing to get child care and making sure everyone was being picked up and taken care of.  Did I mention the older boys had a half day? 

On that note, here is Ryans birth story!

On Wednesday April 23rd around 6pm I started having contractions.   It was a tough choice whether or not we should go to the hospital seeing as we had a scheduled induction for Thursday morning.  We got the kids in bed and I just waited.  They started to get closer together and stronger so I got a close friend on standby and told my husband that we may have to go in sooner than expected.   At about 9:45 pm we decided we should leave and by we I mean me because hubby wanted to wait so we didn't get charged an extra night.  We waited on a close friend to come and stay with the boys and I made sure everything was in order for the boys to be taken care of the following day.  The 2 older boys had school so it wasn't too difficult but of course I still worried. 

We made it to the hospital and got set up in triage to wait and see if we should be admitted or not.  After an hour I had dilated more than I was when I came in and since we were being induced in the morning they kept us.  Unfortunately this meant they wanted me to just rest and see what happened overnight.  So I tried to sleep but Ryan seemed to know something was going on and flipped all over the place and refused to settle down.  Then his heart rate dropped over and over so the nurses were back and forth in the room.  I slept for a total of 2 hours but as husband's do he slept the whole night although he was in a very uncomfortable reclining chair.  Thursday morning my doctor came in at 8 am and broke my water then we waited.   My contractions which I had all night but they had also slowed down and had gone from 2 min apart to 15 min apart started to pick up but were very sporadic.  At 11 they started a very slow drip of pitocin and every 30 min they upped it from 2cc's to 8cc's.  We stopped at 8 because they were coming very fast and very strong at this point. 

I should mention I was also waiting for my mom to get there...   The whole morning Darien slept on and off or read his sports blogs.  I love him but delivery rooms are not his thing.  When I had to stop talking and focus I would hear "Having a contraction?  Are you in pain?"  Please imagine what what I was wanting to say but couldn't as I tried to breathe...  So I definitely wanted my mom who knew before anyone else that I was feeling sick from the epidural although I was trying hard to hide it.  Anyways, I kept hoping she would make it back from Virginia in time.  She had been with my sister in law who was also waiting for her baby boy, not in labor but was over due and could have gone into labor at anytime.  At 12:30 I was 6cm and my nurse was going to lunch and asked if I wanted the epidural yet...  I was holding out though because I knew as soon as I got it things would move fast.  However I caved 15 min later I caved.  I've said thus before but when you are on pitocin and stuck in a bed there isnt much else you can do to elevate pain.  So, I got the epidural at 1:30 and right after my mom walked in. 

This had been the longest morning so far because it was the very first time I had been in labor and no one from my family was there.  Seriously!  While I was in labor with Conner I had my 2 brothers, my mom, dad, step mom and dad, my grandma, my best friend, another good friend, and my inlaws!  Most were in the waiting room but still there.  Even with Noah and having an emergency c section I still had 2 of my brothers,  mom, dad, and best friend.   They all tried to keep me calm before going back for the section.  Same with Evan so being in labor and delivery with just Darien was strange.

C S for c section, get it??  We are nerds (Noahs birth)

OK back to the birth story!

At 3:30 the nurse came in and checked me, we were at 9 and a small lip!!  Apparently I was 10 on one side and 9 and a 1/2 on the other.  As my nurse says this the doctor comes in and says he has a first time mom ready to push too and asks "How fast do you think you can get this baby out?"  We all laughed since it took all of 3 to 5 pushes with the other 2 births. 

Then it sinks in as they get everything ready and of course you are fully exposed which is still odd no matter how many times you do it.  Laying there...  still a weird feeling thinking about it...

If I haven't said this before you lose all modesty when you get pregnant!

At 3:50 Ryan was here!  Lots of hair, cord around his poor little neck 3 times and so chunky! !  The nurse thought he was an 8 lb baby but he topped out at 7lbs 13ozs and 20 1/4 inches long!  He looked so much like Noah and Evan.  He still favors them but as soon as I saw him I thought he looked like a chunkier version of Noah who was 2lbs lighter than Ryan.

It was a very long day but so worth every bit of the worrying I had done before.  The older boys were fine and had a blast with grandma and papa the next few days while we were in the hospital.  2 days later we came home and my mom and dad left for Virginia!   Cousin Charlie would be here soon!!!

Enjoy these special photo's and I hope to get caught up and update you soon!

Me and my boys :)  Evan was still with the sitter taking a nap

Baby Ryan!  He has old man hair, a ton I

 in the back and not much up top!

39 Weeks - I am an oversized watermelon

We have finally hit 39 weeks!  One week until your EDD,  or estimated due date.  Remember that term??  Yes none of really do and the most annoying is friends and family seem to forget that as well.  I am OK with this baby boy coming late however with his 2 vessel cord my doctor really doesn't want me going past my due date.  This has me on edge...  I'm nervous about him coming and not really about the birth although I am nervous about that too but mostly about adding another one to the mix.  

Yes, kinda dumb to worry about that now since he is coming sooner or later!

39 weeks means I have one week or if I am induced I have until April 24th.  There are risks I am weighing and ultimately baby comes first.    Will he be OK is the biggest worry...

This is the longest time I have ever been pregnant!  Not much is different except for being more uncomfortable,  swelling, and impatiently waiting.  It's the longest time in pregnancy because you know it's almost over but being so large and uncomfortable makes it feel like forever!  So put your feet up!  Baby will be here soon!! 

But for me.....

I can't believe the time has come!  I am ready, my bags are packed and everything has been arranged.  I can't promise I will update the blog soon after but I will make sure to update you all soon!!

Baby Ryan, we can't wait to meet you!

Maternity Family Pictures - 38 Weeks

I never really liked maternity photos.

I don't know why, maybe because I think a lot of the couple shots are cheesy and then we were newly married and didn't have the money.  My wedding photographer although amazing is really expensive then you add a second child a little over a year later and of course we weren't planning on any added expenses.   Once Evan came along I thought well I haven't done anything for the first two so why do something now.  I did get some pictures done when Evan was a baby but besides that we have never really done family pictures, maternity pictures, or even newborn pictures. 

This time it was the end, we knew he would be our last baby.  I wanted to capture it but still hesitated spending the money.  Let's face it, we will have 4 kids!!!  We have to pinch pennies!   So a wonderful friend who did some family pictures of us a couple years ago for my mom's birthday offered to do them for me.  She is amazing and juggles 2 kids!  I can barely write a blog post once a week and my 2 oldest are in school!   She has a 2 and a half year old and a new baby!!  

Have I mentioned how awesome she is??

Check her out on Facebook, DiPietro Photography.

It took us some time to find a time to get together but this past week we met at a local park and proceeded to have a great time showing her how crazy have 3 boys was.  I had to sucker the hubby out there because being posed just isn't his thing.  I even left out all of the cheesy stuff because I don't like it plus I knew he would HATE it.  We played in the water and mud at times but after I was so excited to see them!  I've only been able to see a few but so far I love them!! 

When Iit comes to family pictures of maternity pictures here are a few of my tips.

1.  Be yourself - Don't try and mimic someone else.  Let the photographer capture your family and all of its craziness.  My boys aren't good at poses and we'll neither is my husband but if you try and be relaxed and go with whatever your kids are doing it will be much easier.  Plus you get genuine photos and not cookie cutters.  I like looking back and seeing my kids being themselves even if they aren't doing exactly what they were suppose to be doing.

2.  Don't dress to impress - we are a laid back family and I wanted the clothes we wore to reflect that.  So we are in what we would typically wear to a family BBQ.

3.  Find a photographer who likes to work with kids - You can tell when photographers are annoyed with your kids.  So find one that has kids and understands that sitting still for 3 boys is not fun and takes work.

4.  Have fun! - We played in the water, in the mud, and threw rocks in the river.  My husband wasn't too thrilled with the mud or water but I brought a towel and a change of clothes.  They loved it and made for great pictures.

Here are some of the amazing pictures she took!

My spouse is a goober...

Love my monkey boys!

My absolute favorite so far!  My boys and me!

38 weeks - We all want the same thing

At 38 weeks you have made it 1 week past full term and 2 weeks away from your due date.  These are all estimates and no one knows when baby will be here unless you have a schedule c section.   At this point doctors won't talk about induction and you are just sitting I limbo and no matter if you are a first time mom or like me and it's not your first rodeo, we all think the same thing, when?

38 weeks and baby is the size of a celery bunch or at least as long as.  He or she is around 19 and a half inches and 6 and a half to 7 lbs on average.  Remember your baby could be smaller or bigger these are just the average.  You have already started going to the doctor once a week and he or she has started to check you for cervical dilation.  So let's talk about your cervix.

Every doctor measures diffHuerently,  this is not an exact science.   There isn't a ruler they use to give you exact measurements however based on years of practice they all have their standard rule of thumb so to speak so if you happen to be in a practice like I was with my first two where you rotate doctors you will more than likely get different answers each time.  This can be frustrating but keep in mind the difference between 1 cm and 2 is so slight that it's basically comparing the size of a cheerios to a small fruit loop.  Yes there is a difference to the eye but using your hands blind isn't as easy to tell.  So when you go in and think yay, I'm 2cm, and then a week later you get a different doctor and sudden you're 1 to 2cms.  Also you can walk around for months at 2cms....  yes you can and I don't say that to discourage you but to keep your grounded in reality.

I was 2cm with Noah, child #2, for over 6 weeks.  

I was worried but then I was upset bc for aso long I worried about pre term labor and then the closer you get to full term the more discouraging it gets.  I know I say this a lot but enjoy the time you have left.  Remember that no matter how frustrated you are that once your baby is here time will fly by.  

So for all of you who think of course tthat's easy for you to say this is your 4th baby, no no my friends!  I am just as nervous, worried, and excited as you are!  I still wait every day thinking, will my water break with this one?   Will he be late?  Will he be healthy? 

Yes we all want the same thing, a healthy baby and the waiting around is not easy.  It's not easy no matter how many times you have done this.  

Have you packed your bag?  I finally did!   Here are the items in my bag, what's in yours??

Nursing bra

Nursing pj's

Toiletries

Baby's coming home outfit

Boppy

baby blanket

Cloth diaper to wear home

My going home outfit

Granny panties (they are a necessity...)

Phone charger

Tablet

Ipod

Essential oils (peppermint, lavender,  thieves)

37 Weeks! - Officially Full Term!!!

37 weeks!!!!

We made it!!!

It's finally and officially full term! 

Baby can come any time now!

OK taking a step back off my excitement train.  Yes, we are full term, yes if labor begins there is no stopping it, BUT and please remember this...

Baby could still be weeks away and yes I mean 3 to 5 weeks away.  We have made it this far, don't give up now!  My first two babies should signs of coming since 30 weeks but these last two have been crazy quiet.  I have had absolutely no contractions and do not feel like this baby will be coming out anytime soon.  There are things you can try but if your body isn't ready then they won't work so just use these last few weeks to enjoy the alone time or the time special time with your kids before the new arrival takes up most of your time and energy.

So now that we have established that we are full term and could be pregnant still for several more weeks let's talk about what's going on with baby!  Baby is about 19 inches long and a little over 6 lbs, possibly more.  My app says he or she is the size of a leek...  certainly do not agree with this one however!  The weight is similar to a small watermelon!  Yea like we need reminding of that.   Just walk around for 5 minutes and you know!   Now baby is still growing and putting on more cute baby fat.   Your doctor may check your cervix to see if anything is going on.  Remember that no matter what you could meet your baby soon or in several weeks.  I've been 2 cm for 3 weeks before and I have also had mom's who were not dilated at all and had their babies in days after the exam.  You really just never know and that's ok!  I know you're anxious to meet this little one but your body knows what it is doing, trust it.  

You are certainly more tired now, doing anything is like running a marathon which I would know nothing about but it's what I would feel certain is right up there.  My hips and pelvic area are in pain or feel like they may break in half most days and sleeping is more difficult than it ever was.  Oh and you will start getting the dreaded phone calls from everyone asking when the baby is coming.  I like to just tell everyone that the baby is staying put until May and not to get their hopes up.  This is also partly my hope but also gets everyone off my back so if I do have contractions no one knows!  

If you haven't already it's time to pack a bag for the hospital.   I haven't done this and probably should...  I am procrastinating since I have had no signs as of yet.  I did manage to get the baby's stuff pulled out and put on the dresser so next step is getting all of my things and putting them in a bag.  I'll talk about what I am packing in my next post!  For now I need to go take a quick nap and finish sewing a blanket.

Have a great day!!

My Cloth Diaper Adventure - Part 1

Do you ever look at a blog title and think "Part 1??  That's way too much commitment."  I thought about that as I typed it because I have stumbled onto blogs before and thought, no way am I reading through this and 3 more parts, just get to the good stuff!  With all of that said, I have still gone ahead and split this into parts.  

Why, you ask?  

Well, it's pretty simple, I haven't had this baby yet so I am really only in the preliminary stages of cloth diapers.

See, valid reason.

Keep reading, I promise not to bore you.

Since this is baby number 4 I have decided to stay home.  I have been a stay at home mom but I worked part time coaching competitive cheerleading, or working at my families ice cream and cookie stores and at times I have done both at the same time or worked full time ever since we had our first.  So yes I have been a stay at home mom but I also worked.  This time I won't be doing any of that mostly because of daycare and sitter costs.

So I have plenty of time to dedicate to cloth diapers plus it is another way to save money and have I mentioned that I am really nervous about not working....

Ok back to the point!  Cloth diapers have changed so much since my mom had me 30....  or 31 years ago.  Not only are there great options out there, it can be incredibly confusing.  So what did this Pinterest addict do?  Well I of course started searching through numerous cloth diaper pins.  There are a lot and not all of them really had anything to do with what I needed.  I wanted more information about what I would need and how many diapers I woud need per size and are All In Ones better than the pocket diapers??  I then found a friend to annoy with all of my questions and who gave me her opinions on what worked for her.  If you do not have a special friend then keep reading, well keep reading anyways because it is nice to have all the information you can get, right???

Basically I found out this all depends on your baby and what you like.  Much like most things with parenting, this was also going to be trial and error but on my budget I don't have much room for error.  So I am breaking this down to steps I took that may help you.

1.  Research the different types and brands of cloth diapers.

I recommend reading reviews on Amazon.  I started reading reviews on different diapers and how they worked for each family then found tons of information I didn't think I would find like tips on using them or what other diapers they owned and how they cleaned them.  I found out that Alva baby while are sold on Amazon are more expensive there than on the actual website which made me start thinking, are other diapers cheaper else where??  I am an Amazon addict so I was nervous to stray.  After looking at all of these reviews ans blogs noticed that you really needed to find which cloth diaper works better for you and your budget.  You can choose form All in Ones, Pocket Diapers, All in 2's, bamboo inserts, hemp inserts, microfiber inserts, etc.  The list goes on and on but all are pretty simple.

All in one is like your typical disposable.  Everything is built into the diaper and they are one size fits all or 8lbs to 35lbs.  You simply use, take off, wash, dry, and reuse.  The drying time is longer with these however and you will need more of them since you have to replace each diaper with a new one and unless you plan on washing diapers every day you wil need a good supply.

All in two's have a pocket to stuff an insert and they are also one size fits all.  Most are microfiber inserts that you lay on the diaper that fits directly against baby's skin.
Pocket diapers have a pocket that you stuff the inserts into.  This gives a liner between baby and insert to keep moisture off baby's skin.

Then there are Gdiapers...   I keep these alone because they are unlike all of these although similar to All in two's.  They have a plastic snap in insert which protects your outer diaper.  Then your inserts just get laid on the liner.  These also are not one size so you have to have multiple sizes however they velcro and are very similar to a typical diaper except you can reuse the diaper through the day!

2.  Research care and usage.

Some diapers require more time in drying which mean you need more.  Some of these diapers are bulky, leak, or don't clean as well.  All of these things are important to me since I have a 2 year old running around and 2 older boys that take up a lot of my time.  The added laundry wasn't a huge concern for me since I rarely go one day without doing a load.  I wanted something that wasn't too time consuming so I could change diapers quickly and honestly I wanted something convienent because I just don't have the time to dedicate to a long process.  While I researched I found more products from Gdiapers that made the whole thing way more simple.  (Ill get to that in a minute.)

3.  How many will I need?

This depends on what kinds you go with but for me I decided on Gdiapers for the most part.  I do have several other brands of AI1's and AI2's to try out however what sold me on the Gdiapers was that they velcro, come in a smaller size, and have disposable inserts.  That is what I was most afraid of...  I nurse and breast feeding babies have yellow poop that is not easy to get out of cloth so to use cloth inserts indimidated me.  I also knew I would be changing this little one's diaper 7 to 10 times a day while a newborn and I didn't want to have to wash the poop off and deal with all of that so for the newborn stage we will use the small gdiapers and the disposable inserts.  That way I can throw the disposable insert away.  What is the cost you say?  The 4 pack of disposable inserts was almost half of what a big box of newborn diapers were and I can still use the cloth inserts when I get the hang of it.  BONUS!!!  They sell disposable liners!!  $7 for a box of 105.  Blown away aren't you!  The liner goes over the cloth insert so you can toss any poop without having to rinse the cloth liner first.

4.  Buy Used

What did I just say??  Used diapers??

Yes I was nervous at first but then it dawned on me.  If people are reselling their cloth diapers so could I!  There is a big crowd for reselling cloth diapers.  Not only have I bought most of my diapers from people who have used them, they give great tips on cleaning the diapers.  You ccan find most of these groups on Facebook but some you will need a member to vouch for you so just leave a comment if you are interested.  You can also find these on diaperswappers.com.  If you are not sold on buying them used then here are a couple ways to save.

Alvababy.com - These are on size and range in pricing from $5 to $9.  They are made in China so just be aware of that before going to the site.

COUPONS! - Buy buy baby has coupons all of the time or 20% off and you can buy a double pack of Gdiapers for $29.99.  They also sell Bumkins and bumGenius.

You can also get coupons and use them at Babiesrus.com but they don't have them as often.  As is my addiction Amazon also has tons of cloth diapers to choose from.  You can subscribe and save with the liners, disposable liners, and disposable inserts and save 20% extra!

5.  What else do I need?

There are different products out there to help you along the way that make things easier but are in no way necessary.   Wet bags, toilet hose, laundry detergent, etc.

I'm sure there are more but you don't "need" any of it.  If you have a registry feel free to register for any of these items but if you are like me and a baby shower is a thing of the past then, no, none of these items are must have items.  

I did purchase a travel wet bag and a wet bag for the house but mostly because I had a gift card.  The wet bags are to hold your soiled inserts and diapers.  They keep the smell inside and are washable.   However a trash bag could also be used or a grocery bag when you are out.

Cloth diapers do not need a special detergent although companies will try to sell it to you anyways.  

You do not need a hose attached to your toilet to help remove poop but again it's handy if you choose to purchase it.  

I hope this helps you get started!  If I missed anything or you have extra suggestions of your own feel free to leave me a comment!  As I said before I am still waiting on my little one so there will be a part two coming soon after baby is here!

35 Weeks - Can I Add More Time??

36 Weeks - Almost To The End!

36 weekawesomeok, I put owith my sillp!!  I was having a "sad" day but mostly because I am so tired so I cleaned out my makeup bag and played with the eyeliner.  My husband loves it when I have makeup on and I don't really know how to feel about that but either way I win.

Baby is still head down, just floating there though so I am still holding onto the feeling that he is coming late.  I've had a couple contractions on and off but nothing I could time longer than a couple hours and not painful.  I am beyond exhausted which seems to get worse every week!  In 4 weeks time I may fall asleep standing in the grocery store.  I should put a sign on my back saying "If I look asleep just lay me down and cover me with a blanket, thanks!"

Too much?

36 weeks baby is a coconut!  Isn't a coconut smaller than a cantaloupe? ?  See back to the fruit analogy that makes no sense!!!  My cousins wife is 24 weeks and her app says her baby is a cantaloupe. ....  can we make a universal list for this??

Ok so back to the good stuff, baby is about 18.7 inches long and a little under 6 lbs.  Every week baby gets chunkier!  I love it!  Cute little baby fat!  Baby should be head down by now and is preparing for birth.  In one week we will be considered full term and if you go into labor the Dr. will not stop labor.  That being said,  you could still be looking at weeks of waiting.  I know doesn't sound fun but enjoy the time you have left.  As soon as that baby is here your life will change dramatically and you will share your baby with everyone, well family and friends but you get what I mean.  

These next few weeks start packing a bag, install the car seat, wash the baby clothes,and then relax!  You will then have the next few weeks to just enjoy everything!  

Our baby clothes are washed and will be put away this weekend.  The car seat however is still in the box in the garage...  I may need to get that out soon.  I am excited to enjoy the next few weeks even if I am falling asleep standing.  See you all next week!!

If you are a first time mom check out my latest post just for you!

Enjoy these family pictures with my silly kids and husband.  :)

We are awesome!  Noah was too good for us today and just wanted to watch The Croods.

A Letter To First Time Mom's

For some reason I have been wanting to reach out to first time mom's.   It maybe because of how many friends and family members are having their first babies and I want to reach out to let them know they are not alone or I just have a few things I want to say to my 23 year old self, pregnant with my first born but either way I started to write this letter and couldn't stop so I decided to share.

Dear first time mom,

When I was pregnant with my first I was alone.  All of my friends were either single or engaged but none of them were having babies yet but I found an amazing group of moms, first timers and other's who had been there done that, but all helped me in some way and I am very grateful to them.  I am still friends with a lot of them today.  I say all of this to start this letter with a bit of my background. 

You see, first time mom, you are not alone!

 

No matter how many kids I have,  I was once in your shoes.  Just like every other mom out there, they were all in the same boat at some point.

So to all of you who are scared, nervous, excited, or just confused, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

From the first pee on a stick to the final push of labor everyone has a story.  You will find yourself retelling your story over and over like pregnancy and labor word vomit. 

I am sooo not kidding.

Get a few women together and it will inevitably come up and you will share each birth story and pregnancy experience. 

You will remember each pregnancy even if it ended in your precious little one becoming an angel and every single story will be different.  I want so much to hold your hand and tell you it will be ok!  Women have been making and birthing babies for years so of course you can do it but no matter what you will look at me and doubt. 

So let's start at the beginning, the first trimester.  This is a boring stage unless you are sick and then it's a constant reminder that you are growing another person.  If you don't have that wonderful thing called morning sickness which tricks you into thinking it is just in the morning but really it can be morning, day and night, then you will worry about every pinch, pain, or odd feeling under the sun and about 99% of that is normal.  You will also be more exhausted than you could ever imagine, making a baby is hard work!  You will wonder if you are doing everything you can to protect that little mustard seed growing inside of you and guess what, you are!  

Second trimester is the time for big changes.  You will start to feel your baby move and gain a bit of that energy you lost back!  You will get your 20 week anatomy scan and see your precious little one plus if you are lucky and want to know you will find out if you will be having a girl or a boy.  This will alao most likely be your last ultrasound and that is ok!  If you get more it means something is wrong and I know as much as you want to see your little one he or she is doing just fine.  Just remember your kick counts and try and relax.  I know relax is a constant theme here.  

Frankie Says Relax!

Friends

Best show ever....  come back please...  I miss you!  

Ok sorry for that interruption but it was necessary.

At this point most people start to have a belly if you haven't already started showing break out the maternity pants!   This is also fun because people know you're pregnant and not just constantly hung over and bloated.  Oh and people will want to touch it.  I don't get it mostly because I would never just touch another persons belly but it happens. You may go and create a registry during this time as well but just remember, babies are simple, they don't need near as much as what retailers tell you they do.  Oh and beware if you ask for advice because moms will come out of the woodwork to give you their opinion and all of us mean well but what worked for her may not work for you. 

Third trimester is the beginning of the end.  You are preparing for birth in so many ways.   Your body will change even more and not just in your belly.  Baby is fully formed and gaining weight every day.   You will develop a waddle, sorry but it's true.  You will worry and fret and call everyone of your girl friends at the slightest pain wondering if baby is making his or her appearance.  This is normal because you have never experienced it.  So let's talk about some things to expect...

Your water may never break on its own.  This is really not as common as you would think watching movies and tv shows.   Labor can take days...  I know that's not what you want to hear but for most first time mom's labor starts and stops or starts and for 2 days you will have contractions 12 min apart but they aren't changing your cervix much so you get sent home disappointed.   For others you may show up at each weekly doctor's appointment and he or she tells you any day now and yet there you are back at the office week after week just waiting. 

Let me say this loud and clear...  Everyone is different!  Your body knows what it's doing and so does your baby.  I have had 2 babies before 38 weeks and one at 39 weeks 3 days.  Each labor was different and I expect this one to be just as different and maybe late!  It is ok!!!

Don't be fooled into rushing your baby or your body!  I am not telling you to have a baby in a bathtub or even naturally without medication.   We all have different needs, however you may just get so tired of the "is this it??" that you fall for the induction method because it fits your doctors schedule.  I could go on and on about this but pitocin is not fun, so try and avoid it.  If I can give you any advice it would be to try and relax.  Remember that your body has known what to do for 9 months so why doubt it now?  Do whatever you can to take your mind off the upcoming birth because that baby will be here soon!!  You've made it this long so hang in there!!

You are not alone, first time mom!  You are creating a new life!  You are so awesome!!!!  Never forget how awesome you are!  

And last but certainly not least...

9 months is a short amount of time even though it will feel like forever.  Enjoy it as much as you possibly can because it is the one and only chance you have to keep that little one with you at all times.   It is such a special connection and you will miss parts of it when pregnancy is over. 

Remember you CAN do this!

Sincerely, 

A fourth timer and former first time mom

Confessions Of A Tired Mommy - Mommy Needs A Nap

I am tired.  There is just no way around it.  I signed up for this, I know, but I never imagined how exhausted I could possible be.  Three boys plus being 34 weeks pregnant is beyond exhausting and not just physically but emotionally.  I realize that I am hormonal but then you add a 2 and a half year old that is stubborn to the core, a 5 year old that seems to think he needs to figure out who he is at his tender young age, and a 7 year old that thinks he rules the roost I feel like just hididng in the closet most days.

Mommy needs a nap....

Today Evan, the 2 year old terror, didn't get a nap.  This is not so bad for most kids.  Conner and Noah could go without a nap every so often and would just be tired early.  Evan is a true grump.  By 2:30 you can tell that the rest of your night will be hell.  I am in no way exaggerating.  He is a nightmare but we had lunch with grandma then a visit to the toy store put us back home late and ultimately no time for a nap...  The biggest and seriously most selfish part of this is that I won't get a nap.  I am currently typing this knowing that if I stopped and just sat here I would fall asleep.  Let's face it, I fall asleep in the morning playing cars.  I heard twice yesterday morning aroung 9:30 am, "Mommy, No NAP!".  I tried to pull it together but my eyes would not open.  I then realize I fell asleep with a toy car in my hand....  The mommy guilt set in pretty quickly after that.

So why is this time so different??

I have done this before.

I have brought home a newborn with a toddler in the house.

I CAN do it again.  I wanted to do it again.

BUT I AM TIRED!!!!

6 more weeks....  This isn't my mantra it's me telling this baby to stay in there as long as possible because if I am honest with myself I am a little nervous.  Conner and noah were 15 months apart.  I brought Noah home after a csection to a 15 month old who was walking.  I wasn't really nervous.  The only thing I had a hard time with was that Conner and my mom got along so well.  He loved his grandma and the emotional side of me thought he would hate me because he had to share me with Noah but he got grandma all to himself.  I was wrong and Conner loved his baby brother and quickly stopped calling me grandma.  When Evan was born I was in the middle of cheerleading competition season.  It was an incredibly busy time and I knew I would throw myself back into it quickly after giving birth.  Again I wasn't nervous.  Conner was 5, Noah was 4, they were more independant.  This is the first time I have brought home a baby to a child who is attached to me, who is stubborn to the core, who refuses to let anyone do anything for him except mommy.  He is my sidekick and he is exhausting but I love him because he is also incredibly sweet and terribly cute.   So you see my difficulty....

I am already exhausted and pushed to my limit with him, how much harder will it be with a new baby???

So here is what I know for sure.

I will get through this.  Evan may not like to share me but he will quickly learn to love his baby brother.  I talk about the new baby all of the time.  He kisses my belly.  He loves to show people my belly and that there is a baby in there.  He likes to "wake baby" by pushing on my belly button.  The older boys will help him learn how to be gentle even though I will say this a million times his brothers will help more.  He will quickly get use to the fact that baby will not be going anywhere and our long days of just me and him will include a baby.  l will survive and not only because I chose this but because I know I can.  Change is hard for everyone we adjust.

I am exhausted and won't really be rested anytime soon.  Mom's won't be able to get a full nights sleep for years down the road but I am ready for it.  I am prepared and ready for the future.  I am a STRONG, SUPER, AMAZING MOM!  So are you!!!  We CAN do this!

Sleep is for dads.

If it was easy it wouldn't be worth it.

IT IS SOOOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!

6 more weeks!

So give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far without breaking.  Treat yourself to a piece of chocolate cake or whatever you maybe craving, get a 4 oz glass of wine because it's ok at this point in pregnancy and put your feet up.  Find some "you time" even if it is 10 minutes and remind yourslef that you are super woman for carrying a special human being in your body!

YOU ROCK MAMA!!!

Once your 10 minutes is up go back to being the amazing mom that you are but with a new outlook.  Your mantra is now reminding yourself how awesome you truely are beause although we put so much mommy guilt on ourselves, our kids do NOT notices!!  Evan wuickly forgot that I fell asleep while we played when I got back up and played some more. Conner and Noah quickly forgot that I wasn't able to go to park a few weeks prior because I was in a bit of pain when we stopped by the new playground just a few days ago.  They are quick to forgive and forget unlike us adults.

Remember, YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!

Now my awesome self will get up from this computer and go fix my crazy bunch of booger eaters dinner!  I may also start watching march madness just to see if I can win the $1 billion dollar bracket!  I blame this on my husband....

YOU ARE AWESOME!

34 weeks - Finally a Name!

This post is late...  technically I am 34 weeks 4 days but I have an excuse.  It may not be a very good excuse but non the less it is the only one I've got and you're just going to have to accept it!  So 34 weeks came and then the weekend overwhelmed with family trips to the zoo with the husbands childhood friends and their kids then lunch and of course we had to stop for ice cream.   Sunday my inlaws came and nothing got done then rain yesterday and it was just a good day to snuggle on the couch with my little 2 year old monster.  

See, all valid excuses!

So back to the point!  We have reached 34 weeks!  Baby is about 5 lbs and 17.7 inches long or the size of a cantaloupe.  

Yes I took a picture of the cantaloupes at my grocery store.  At least I didn't pose with it...  I mean I was going to but I couldn't get anyone to take it.  See, not crazy.

Your baby is gaining about half a pound of fat every week now!  This just makes me happy because there is just nothing better than chubby babies.  We also have only 6 weeks left!  6 weeks people! !!  This is actually very ok with me.  I wake up every morning to my alarm and then my lovely 2 year old comes barging in demanding anything and everything.  I keep thinking that when this baby comes everything that I am doing now will continue just with no sleep....  4 kids!  Why is this just now hitting me???  

Ok so after months of going back and forth we have decided on a name!  I am also not telling. We've decided to keep it under wraps until baby is here.  The one secret that I will be able to keep!  

Ok so I promise the 35 week update will be on time especially since it's only 3 days away!