15 Weeks

Miss Daph had a busy day.  I had to conduct and do sharing time in primary, so she was held and loved and walked by several people while I was doing my thing, and she was a great sport!  I am thankful for her.

 She is trying out her vocal cords with all kinds of squawks, though her favorite sound is grunting.  She loves to grunt, grunt, grunt.

We've learned that if you get the bath water temperature just right she is a huge fan.  Still loves getting that scalp massaged when she is shampooed.  Sadly (we knew it was coming), she is getting her bald spot on her back of her head that most newborns wear into their hair.  At least it"s still a party in the front though.

 And, after feeling a little sad that Mom had to prepare dinner and not give her undivided attention, we locked ourselves away, gave her a bath and cuddles, and now she sleeps happily away.

She did make Momma sore last light.  We played a game/had dessert at a friend's house, and it was late.  We have a bedtime routine which I couldn't do.  So I held her in a million positions and finally rocked her to sleep.  It only took 2 hours! and thus the sore arms and back today.

I am hoping for some giggles soon.  I haven't figured out what she thinks is hilarious still.  

Our Bedtime Prince

There is just something about this guy.  I don't know if it's that he has these still chubby baby cheeks or a crazy cowlick or these deeply colored eyes, or that he is getting so good and parroting words that part of me hopes no SLP in his future (though who am I kidding?), but he is quite charming to me, even through most (I said most, not all) of his tantrums.  He is not 3 yet, and all the veterans know 3 is when the real terrible becomes a reality, but I am loving 2 for now (minus the #2 diapers, GOODNIGHT NURSE!).  

One unique thing about Shawn is bedtime.  If we are just letting the kids 'go crazy' and not enforcing bedtime, he parties with the best of them, but as his normal bedtime is an hour before the older kids', he tires out much sooner than them.  He will come to me sometimes and when I ask if he wants to go to bed, he says no (got to play the game, right?), but then I pick him up and hold him lying in my arms, and he gets the cutest little voice.  We talk about his day, and he copies some of the words/phrases I say in his little voice.  He does not put up a fight one little bit.  No screaming, etc.  It is one of those awwww! moments of mothering.  He is so good about bedtime.

My Grab Bag of Thoughts

First, I was thinking this morning about fear of the unknown.  It seems obvious to me in starting a new job or moving to a new town.  But a new phase of life, being afraid of that because you don't know what it holds, that's kind of a new feeling.  I hate feeling uncomfortable and that's is just where the unknown puts me.

Second, teachers today are amazing.  Not all of them (heaven forbid I stereotype), but the vast diversity of personalities and backgrounds they deal with every day just blows my mind.  Then when you get a teach who just goes above and beyond or who just loves the messy faced little maniacs.  It just makes me smile and feel so thankful.  Cheers to Mrs. Carmen McAdams from back in my grade school days!

Third, raising a family today is expensive.  I feel fairly bare bones about it (I will admit to twice monthly pizza for all of us, and an unreasonable amount of chocolate and sugar), but no fancy trips, not a millions sports/activities and still....oh well.  It will be all worth it as long as I keep it all under control until the end, right?  Not sure when the end is.  Okay, that thought got morbid fast.

Fourth, I WANT TO GO TO THE BRITISH ISLES.  I did see some irony when I was lamenting it earlier.  Here, my ancestors sacrificed what little they had to come over here, and now I'm wanting several thousand so I can go back and hang out where they came from for a few weeks.

Fifth, got some zero drop shoes.  I'm a little excited (I've never been excited about shoes before) and am hoping once I get used to the way they utilize muscles differently, that I will have less pain and soreness in the wrong spots.  Save my poor little (11's) feet and ankles!!!  Alas, maybe by actually using my calf muscles when I run I can get toned calves. -shout out to Ja and Lucas

Sixth, and maybe coolest???, with all the bleh in the world today, I love finding people who are doing good from all backgrounds.  It makes me feel like the kind, good people aren't nearly as few as 'the internets' (ha) and the news would have you believe.  This lady (who I've thought the whole school year was a grandma to the kids she brought to preschool) has been bringing an extra child on her carpools.  I asked her if it was another grandchild.  She said that no, none of these were her grandchildren.  She said it was a ministry thing.  She explained that as her kids were growing up (4) she was a working mom and her husband worked and she missed all those firsts.  She was sad about that and prayed what she could do.  She said God told her she needed to just start over and get a newborn to watch for a single mom so she wouldn't miss those firsts this time around and she could help the mom by providing daycare for her.  She posted an ad and has now taken care of 2 sisters, from birth, for their mom.  Neat that she can help and that the girls are in a safe loving place while their mom provides for them.

14 Weeks

She's sweet.  She's probably had 3 colds in 3 months thanks to a lot of kisses and holding from brothers.  The little primary children love her and comment on how cute she is or her little toes or her hair every week.  She does cute little almost laughs.  I haven't found the magic trick to a full on laugh yet.  

This brother loves her so much.  I could not ask for better older siblings for her.  Now if they will stay that way when she is able to play with their toys...

In other news, it was a busy week.  Wow.  It's a busy life.  I feel like there are just a few moments where I can "come up for air", but it is a good life, so I can't legitimately complain.

This was a SWEET part of Saturday.  I asked Daddy to hold Daphne, and Shawn was feeling cuddly and near napping practically.  They both sat on his lap for quite a long time, and I got a long bout of cleaning done as they were perfectly satisfied hanging out with Dad.  Lucas did point out that he can see how Daphne might initiate fights with Shawn when she is a little older because of the way she seemed to look at him when he encroached on her space on Daddy's lap, but sibling rivalry? I am SO used to that.  I think I can handle it.

Also, Friday and Saturday Lucas put together what is called a geometric climbing dome for the kids to play on in our backyard.  They love it and it should last and look nice for many years.  I say that we can give the credit for actually getting it to Ben.  He started asking for a play set, and when I showed him pictures, he liked a $17,000 best (!) and a $1000+ second best.  So, um, I wanted to get them something fun but not ridiculously overpriced for us, and here you have it.

 Friday we put on a primary activity for the kids about building strong families.  ENERGY!  But the teachers were so great in helping make it a success.  I am not so good at yelling over hyper TGIF kids, but they all had fun and there was a plethora of Rice Krispies made in the process and leftover, even after seconds.  Below is Shawn in one of the construction hats.  He was in heaven running around crazily with some of the others leader's children as we set up.  Talk about someone who thrives in chaos...he does have those 4 siblings that make it easy for him to do so.

 Lily, tall, beautiful, mostly good Lily.  She is VERY GOOD at sneaking this and that from the kitchen.  Where is my pepperoni?  How did the pickles and Cheez-Its disappear?  And yet she is not very good and never getting caught.  She's growing.  I can't fault her too much.  I just want none of us to starve (not a problem for me, but Ben?).

 After bath hair.  We call Matthew the hedgehog when he needs a hair cut.  It stands straight up, is thick and spiky.  Now the 2 blondie boys can get away with longer hair for a longer time, but I think we are pushing it with lil Shawn.  Shawn and I did a little role reversal for fun this week.  He gets the biggest kick out of being mommy taking care of silly Shawn.  He also says NO to anything, unless you ask him if he wants candy.  Then he throws tantrums if you don't give him what he wants even though he said, no, he didn't want it.  Oy!  He is a good play bud.  One thing I love so much is when he is cranky/tantrum throwing/crying, if I keep calm and don't make a big deal out of it, he is laughing and happy shortly.  He just needs to know he is loved but I am firm (not my thighs though), and then he works threw his growing mind's issue and is ready to move on.  It teaches me patience.  If I were to throw a mommy tantrum or be rude with him, I would just extend the situation, but with patience and calm, it gets nipped in the bud fairly quickly.  May not be the case when he turns 3, but it is a good place we are in now.

 Monday, my man needed his car mat on the table all morning.  I don't know if a lot of little girls do this, but give a 2-year-old boy cars and he is playing happily for hours.  I love little boys!  And little girls!

And now, as I've traveled backward through the last week, let us jump to today.  Lucas is in the kitchen decorating his cupcakes for Cupcake Wars at work.  Yep, he's got some seriously fun people on his team . They do a lot of fun things (many of them not calorie friendly), but fun!!!  He was trying some different combinations tonight and having me try them, and I had to laugh because we are all rinsing our mouth between tastings and I thought I guess this is the closest I will ever get to wine tasting.  Not sophisticated but definitely delicious and cute.  I daren't say what his cupcakes are though, so THE END.

13 weeks

I can't stand the cuteness!  Actually the cuteness had a very fussy day for no apparent reason...except for maybe this:

That's right!  Piggy tails.  This girl and her sibs bring me smiles every day...except for the screaming (that'd Ben and Shawn-the other kids don't do such things).

Little Miracles

I've thought a lot about little miracles this week.  I prayed for them in people's lives last Sunday in ward council.  Because I believe in miracles of all shapes and sizes.  I think when I read about Christ raising the dead and turning water to wine or even more modern 'big' miracles, I can forget the little miracles.  These are countless.  Thus, making a list would be stupid.

However, some little miracles in my life that kind of blow my mind:

1.  A girl thinks a guy is kind of cute, kind of weird, kind of funny, and years later a huge part of her world revolves around said guy and they have had lots of hard and hilarious and creative and maddening times together.

2.  A baby starts out smaller then a dot (my mom had me read this book...see), and from nutrients and the safety of being inside the womb, this little helpless human forms.  In this disturbing (wonderful?) event the human can live outside the womb, though still helpless in most ways.  Within 3 months, the human is noticing things all around her, interacting with all the people she can, and has developed trust in her caretakers.  A far cry from the terrified baby who first enters the world.

On the note of a personal struggle I would really like to conquer, if I believe in miracles large and small, why can't a miracle be performed in my life, to help me overcome lack of self control with food?  It might seem silly but is probably what is needed...a teeny miracle so that I don't get huge and/or sick. :)

Why do I hear some Fiddler on the Roof music being cued?  Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles!

Swedish Fish

First of all, work is crazy...more like work is the same and I'm going a little crazy.  I should at least get my facts straight, right?

You know babies are cute in their little diapers but toddlers, toddlers/preschoolers, are SO CUTE in underwear and not stinky vomitrocious diapers.  This toddler had a day and a half of dry and airy awesomeness...and then he had to, ya know, #2 and we had a fail, but still, considering I thought there wasn't a chance in....um...well, any chance that he would potty train before age 3, it's been a nice ride so far, filled with Swedish Fish (you can totally swap the minis for the big ones to save money and he doesn't know-but I feel guilty and give him 2 to make up for it).  Today said toddler/preschooler scarfed down many cupcakes.  He is the sweets ninja in our kitchen.  You think he is working on the one you gave him when suddenly you realize it's his fourth.  Silly wonderful boy!

And yesterday, yesterday, DG wore her first piggy/pony tail.  It was SO CUTE and Pebbles (Flintstones) like.  Barely 3 months old tomorrow and you can totally do hairstyles on this lady, and she doesn't fight me like her sister did when we first did piggies at age 11 months.  I know, I'm sickeningly sweet and repetitive, but I love this little lady.  She "talks" and coos to me, does the occasional thrilled with life squeal and also communicates in growls.  Her middle of the night wakenings aren't full on wails but more like a slightly irritated, "I'm hungry and scared.  Please save me and I will love you forever."   And she does.

My kids are awesome!  They all have interesting things to say, their own silly senses of humor, and sometimes I can even reason with them...sometimes.

12 WEEKS

My little girl!!!  I love her so much.  She's trying to be a big girl but thinks tummy time STINKS.  Tonight we went on a walk with her in her Snugli carrier (nearly 11 years old, that thing), and she stayed awake the whole time, looking up at the sky and trees or flirt smiling with her daddy.  She does these sweet intakes of breath, seeming to indicate when she is really excited about something.  She is also starting to do the thing where when she is lying down on her back she gets wide eyed and kicks her legs and wiggles her arms in mad excitement when I start talking to her.  

 It's funny how much she looks like baby Lil but also different.  Regardless, I get told how beautiful my baby is multiple times a day, so I'll keep her.  I may not be the looker of all lookers, but my kids are pretty and handsome and I LOVE THEIR EYES!

And on a nearly unrelated side note, just so I remember, I was reflecting back this week on the day I went into labor and the week afterward.  I obviously wasn't feeling well, and that day my children were all around me, and Ben was trying to brush my hair and rub my back and Lily was too, maybe even Shawn.  Then, in the week after we got home, I remember several times Lily giving me a back massage.  It is so sweet how they wanted to take care of their mommy and could tell she wasn't feeling the best.

In completely unrelated news, Shawn is so sneaky (but so adorable while doing it).  Every morning that I don't wake up before him, I can hear him rifling through packages in the pantry.  Yesterday, he stole a whole pack of gum from the top of the microwave, stealthily went outside and ate it--the bowels seems to be just fine so I guess that myth is false.  He also has let the cat out 4 times in the last few days (an indoor, way too curious cat).  Oh, and there are so many other things.  I am relaxed enough now that I reprimand him but am laughing on the inside--most of the time.  He just does not stop.  It is something new multiple times a day.  

In conclusion, as I always say, my life is no boring, ever, ever, ever.

PS.  Cheering for Lil who is hopefully (if she doesn't give up) trying out for the school talent show this week).

Ugh

That's right, ugh.  That's Anna's word for I am sick and tired of lots of things, have a headache, am exhausted, and need to sleep...ugh.

I feel like I have been going nonstop (except for speed reading sessions while breastfeeding) for 2 days from sun up to sun down.  I am a person who values a bit of leisure here and there, so...ugh.

I think the part that is really getting to me is I am going, going, and then at the end of the day feel like I didn't accomplish anything.  The house looks messy still/again.  All the things I did today have to be done over tomorrow again (I know, so obvious, that's life).  I HAD TO just make a list to show what I accomplished today.  I do a huge variety of important things every day, but there is certainly not much to show for it at the end.  No statistics, no neatly finished project, not that wow, look what I did feeling...just ugh.  It's just one day, though.  I am allowed to feel this way once in awhile.