But let’s start with this one, one I’ve been meaning to post for a couple of years now…

Just over two years ago (when J was about 9 months old), I was able to enjoy a ladies’ weekend with some wonderful ladies from church. We visited a beautiful lake house owned by the family of one of the ladies and spent the weekend hanging out, relaxing, eating, and enjoying some time with just the ladies.

I had J with me that weekend (the only guy allowed!) because he was still nursing full-time, so taking him with me was the only way I could go. At one point I was wearing him in the BabyHawk and he was all snuggled up against me with his head on my chest. I love wearing my babies like that because I love to be able to bend my head and kiss the top of their sweet little head.

One of the ladies commented on how that reminded her of the way God holds us sweetly, gently, like a parent holding their child. I thought of how precious that really is. God holds us close, draws us to his chest where we hear his heartbeat, leans over and kisses us on the top of the head.

One thing God has been revealing to me over the last 4+ years that I’ve been known as “mommy” is that part of his character that is loving parent, comforter, the one who draws us near and holds us close, loving us in spite of ourselves.

Such is life as mom.

I wore my stained shirt anyway. Because, really, there isn’t much I own that isn’t marked in some way by these three little people who call me “Mommy”. And, quite frankly, it would have had something on it by the end of the day anyway.

Such is life as mom.

While we were at Target I needed to pick up a couple of long sleeve tees to add to my “wardrobe”. At the time I only owned two or three long sleeve shirts, mainly because I wore maternity clothes the entirety of last winter. I don’t tend to buy clothes for myself very often. It’s just more fun to buy for the kids.

Such is life as mom.

After picking up my new shirts, we wandered the aisles of Target and picked up the other things we needed. Baby Girl tried (repeatedly) to climb over the back of the cart seat and Boo made “towers” with the items in the cart with him. Shopping is always an adventure.

Such is life as mom.

We made it to the check out line, and as I put the shirts on the counter I noticed that one had a wet spot on it. It seems, Boo’s sippy cup had dripped on it while it was in the cart. (fortunately, it was just water) Apparently I can’t even purchase a shirt before the kids make their mark on it.

Such is life as mom.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

~ Suck it! The REAL Way to Prep for Breastfeeding @ Parenting.com – as a veteran nursing mom I find this article hilarious; if you are expecting (read: Lindsey) don’t let it scare you, it’s usually not this bad…usually

~ Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party @ Suburban Snapshots – absolutely, laugh-out-loud, hysterically funny

~ I Don’t Want My Children to Be Happy @ It’s Almost Naptime!! – The only non-funny link in the bunch. I read this several months ago and think about it often. Right in line with much of our parenting philosophy.

~What Your Email Address Says About Your Computer Skills @ The Oatmeal – I’m married to a web programmer. ‘Nuff said.

And finally, my new favorite quote (seen recently on Twitter): “Unless life also gives you water and sugar, your lemonade’s gonna suck.”

Happy Friday!

These last couple of weeks, blog posts, like so many half-finished thoughts swimming in my mind, have failed to make it into words.

Now I want to write, but typing on my phone is cumbersome.

I’ll be back soon, though, recording this thing I call “life”.

Some days are long and terribly difficult, and other days we breeze through. But at the end of every day I am worn out. Ready for Daddy to get home and help with the parenting, ready for time without three littles demanding my attention.

I love my children, but raising children is hard work. I feel for those mothers who are doing this parenting thing alone, who have husbands who travel, or who have husbands who have to put in late nights and long hours at work.

Yesterday, my sweet sister-in-law, Lu, posted about her tough week last week and how she is trying to change her attitude to make this week a better one. In the comments, someone posted this quote:

“This is the season of long days and short years.”

Oh how true that is! I spend far too many of my days looking forward to naptime, then bedtime; just a little quiet in my world. And then I look at my children and think how time flies.

So many things seem like they occurred just yesterday, yet so long ago. How can a month feel like a week and a year at the same time?

These little people of mine are growing, discovering, learning so much right now. It keeps us all busy and often a bit frustrated (them at the learning process, me at the constant whining and tugging).

But truthfully? I would not trade these long days for anything. Because I recognize that the years are all too short.

And one day, sooner than I might imagine, these little birds of mine will fly all on their own.

Just the same as most days. And most moms.

I think I would like some caffeine.

But the half-life in infants is about 14 hours.

Which makes it a no-no for this breastfeeding mom.

Especially since the baby doesn’t sleep well anyway.

Which probably explains the tired.

I am so glad you were born. Each day you bring joy, laughter, and love into my life. I thought my heart was full until you came along, but with each of you I’ve discovered a new depth in my ability to love.

I am so glad you were born. Sweet voices, precious baby giggles, adorable belly laughs. Unexpected bear hugs around the knees, snuggles on the couch, kisses from cute little lips. These things fill my days, my home, and my heart.

I am so glad you were born. We have our share of tantrums, whining, and tears (sometimes from Mommy, too). But the good days far outweigh the bad. Even in the midst of the hard times, looking into your eyes makes me glad that I’m the one you call Mommy.

I am so glad you were born. Watching each of you grow, seeing your personalities develop, observing your discovery of the world. God made you, He designed each facet of you for a purpose. His purpose.

I am so glad you were born. The days are sometimes long and hard, filled with teaching and training, with correction and cautions. Other days are fun, filled with light and laughter, with playing and pretending. But each day is a gift that we share together.

I am so glad you were born. We were given to each other for very specific reasons. I am to prayerfully help you become the women and man God has designed you to be. You help to make me a better person, mother, and Christian.

I am so glad you were born. You are gift like no other. It is a privilege to be your mother. I love you more than you will be able to fathom until you have children of your own.

I am so glad you were born.

This post was also entered into a contest to win a $100 gift certificate to Cottonbabies. If you’re a cloth diapering Momma you should check out the contest and check out the Cottonbabies website.

Enjoy!

~Baby Girl stayed in the nursery this morning at BSF. It was the first time she’s stayed in a nursery. We both survived. In fact, she did great.

~Boo turned two last week. More on that when I get my act together and get pictures uploaded.

~Little and Boo go for their very first dentist appointments tomorrow. Should be interesting.

~We got new outdoor toys this weekend. The kiddos are having a great time playing in the backyard.

~Baby Girl has learned to roll from back to tummy over her left side.

~My best friend moves from 2 houses down to 20 minutes away next week. I can’t say that this makes me happy, but I’m excited to see her new house.

~Matt and I got to go out Friday night (thanks for babysitting, Mom and Dad!). All.by.our.selves.

~I’m contemplating buying a sewing machine again. Matt says I’m crazy and that I don’t have time to learn to sew (which is pretty accurate).

~I’m also considering taking up scrapbooking. Matt will probably say something very similar to his comments about sewing.

~We’ve planted a garden. Again, a post awaiting uploaded pictures.

~I’ve fallen off the “reclaiming my jeans” wagon this week. I need to get back on quickly! (so far I’ve lost about 5 pounds and several inches from my waist and lower abdomen, but I have a ways to go to get back into my jeans)

~Baby Girl has had a string of rough nights this week. We’re hoping to get a little more sleep sometime in the near future.

I think that’s about all I’ve got for now. More thorough posts to come soon assuming I can string together comprehensive thoughts.

A few months prior to Boo’s birth, Lu gave birth to my precious nephew, Peanut. Lu had a Sleepy Wrap and told me how much she loved it. That testimonial was all I needed to invest in a Sleepy Wrap of my very own. Over the last two years, I’ve tried several different types of carriers, and hands down, the wrap is my absolute favorite for wearing a newborn. In fact, I could not wait to get Baby Girl in my Sleepy Wrap after we got home from the hospital!

Let’s start with the basics. The Sleepy Wrap is one long (5.5 yards) piece of heavy, high quality, stretchy knit fabric that you wrap (thus the name) around your body and tie at the waist. Your baby sits on the “x” formed by the crossing pieces of fabric as you tie the wrap around you, and then you pull the front panel up over baby’s bum (see tying methods). This swaddles baby close and secure at your chest.

With Boo, I used the wrap on the go and at home. Because he had reflux we had to keep him upright or he was screaming (pretty much all.the.time). There were many days in his first year of life that the Sleepy Wrap saved my sanity (due to the decrease in screaming) and was the only way I could get anything done around the house. It was also just about the only way he would nap for the first few months.

Now that Baby Girl is here, I have three children ages three years and under which means that I don’t have enough arms to keep up with everyone when it’s just the four of us. I must have Baby Girl in a carrier for any trip, activity, or errand where I will have all three kids out of the car. I wore Baby Girl in the Sleepy Wrap for the first time at 3 days old when we made her first pediatrician’s office visit. It was so nice to know that the baby was safe, secure, and snuggly in the wrap while I wrestled the other two in and out of the car and building!

There are several things that I absolutely love about this wrap. The material is soft and comfortable for mom and baby, the stretch of the fabric makes it easy to get baby in and out, it keeps baby snuggled close to me while my hands remain free to handle my preschooler and toddler, it makes baby feel safe and secure, and my babies sleep well when in the wrap. I also like that I can tie it on before I leave home and just get baby out of the carseat and pop her into the wrap at each of our stops instead of having to put on and take off a carrier each time (or even worse, lug the heavy and cumbersome infant seat everywhere). Most of all I love to be able to bend my head and kiss the top of that sweet little baby head, because, really, can you ever get too much of that?

I’ve found very few drawbacks using the Sleepy Wrap over the course of these two years. The biggest one is that, due to the weight of the material and the fact that my wrap is black, it gets hot on me and baby when we are outside for an extended time on a hot, sunny summer day. The only other one I would say is that due to the stretchiness (is that a word? it is now) of the fabric it gets looser as the day goes on and as baby gets bigger. Neither one of these are issues that can’t be easily solved (by taking the wrap off every now and then (like when you stop to nurse) on hot days and tying it tighter to compensate for stretching), and certainly wouldn’t affect my recommendation of the Sleepy Wrap.

Literally, just about every time I’ve worn my Sleepy Wrap I’ve received inquiries about and comments on it, and every time I’ve told the person how great this product is. In fact, several of my friends have used them after seeing me in mine and hearing about it.

So, in conclusion (because I haven’t used enough words already), I would (and do) whole-heartedly recommend the Sleepy Wrap! It makes a great carrier for first time babywearers because it is easy to use (really, it isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks) and is wonderful for tiny babies right on through infanthood (and into toddlerhood). If you are expecting or know someone who is, a Sleepy Wrap would make an excellent shower gift.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Sleepy Wrap, head over to their site and check out the great selection of colors. (It’s also available in organic now.)

If you’d like a chance to win one, the wonderful folks at Sleepy Wrap have given me the opportunity to sponsor one of their great products as a prize at Ultimate Blog Party 2010 (prize number USC 61).

Thank you Sleepy Wrap for making a great product!

Disclaimer: I received no compensation (either monetary or products) for writing this review. I truly do love my wrap and am thrilled to be able to share one with another mom via the UBP’10 giveaway.

1. hearing/seeing the older kiddos playing happily together.
2. when the kids laugh (baby girl has started giving us a few giggles)
3. when Little asks questions about Jesus (although she’s beginning to get pretty deep in her theology)
4. spending time with Matt
5. hanging out with friends
6. enjoying beautiful Spring days
7. daffodils and tulips and the other lovely, colorful Spring flowers
8. doing things as a family (even the simple things like grocery shopping…well, usually:-)
9. reading with my kids
10. having extended, uninterrupted time to read a good book

So, what makes you happy?

the baby cried inconsolably,

the older children fought,

we had somewhere to be,

no one got naps.

It was one of those days.

It was one of those days –

where the best I can do is make sure everyone is fed and unharmed,

where the thought of turning in my “Mommy” title crosses my mind,

where I ask God if he really thinks I can parent these three little people.

It was one of those days.

But it was one of those days –

that ended with baby smiles,

with a giggly game of ride-a-little-horsey,

with Daddy coming home and taking the reigns,

with Mommy-time spent with a group of grown up girls.

It was one of those days.

It was one of those days –

that in the midst you want to end,

but then you would miss the blessings of an end that was so much better than the beginning.

It was just one of those days.

We welcomed her into our hearts many months ago and into our home last Monday. Baby girl arrived healthy and happy (despite the pouty face) weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches.

“Every choice we make in life is both a choice to do something and a choice to not do something.”

“And at the end of the day, we need to trust that God gave us the energy to do those things to which He called us, and no more.”

I hope you’ll read the complete post and find encouragement for those days when you just don’t seem to measure up (at least in your own mind).

Now, I will grant that we do have our children fairly close together – Little and Boo are 20.5 months apart and Boo and Baby Girl will be not quite 21 months apart – which I’m sure adds to our oddity. But if you know us well, you know that this is just one way, definitely not the only way, in which we’re a bit strange.

Last Monday was the big ultrasound day. All along we had planned to take Little with us, but due to appointment time, scheduling conflicts, and prior commitments, we decided to take Boo as well. The looks began as soon as we walked in the doctors’ office door. And I don’t just mean people glancing up from their books and magazines to see who’d entered the building, I mean people on the other side of the room fully turning around in their chairs to see us entering (fortunately, Matt was with us or I’m sure I really would have gotten some looks!). The children were well-behaved and fairly quiet (as quiet as a 3 year old and 16 month old can be expected to be), but you could just feel the unspoken comments.

This isn’t our first encounter with this type of thing either. Since I’ve had enough baby bump for people to recognize that I’m pregnant we’ve heard all the “wow, you’ll have your hands full” and “three little ones; you’ll be busy” type comments. And, of course, we’ve noticed the looks that say “are you crazy?!” or something of that sort. I’m sure it will only get more prevalent as we get closer to welcoming Baby Girl and then, especially, when I’m out alone with all three of them.

But it makes me wonder: if we get this kind of censure (at least that is the word that comes to mind) as a soon to be family of five, what do larger families feel when they are in public together?

Little had used the hand sanitizer and handed it to me while I was typing an e-mail. I set the bottle on the desk and went on about what I was doing. A few minutes later the phone rang and I went into the kitchen to answer it. After a couple of minutes on the phone I came back into the living room to find Boo standing in the desk chair with the hand sanitizer pump in his mouth!

I didn’t (and still don’t) know how much he ingested, and there didn’t seem to be much gone from the bottle, but I could smell alcohol on his breath. So, I called poison control. The kind lady took all the facts, gave me a little advice (give him something sweet to drink, watch him for signs of inebriation), and told me to call back if I had any questions. Fortunately, Boo showed no signs of harm and continued to act and play normally.

Little has been around for three years and I’ve never even thought about having to call poison control. You just never know what Boo is going to get into (no matter how hard we try to keep things locked away!). Boys!

Here’s my excuse – Matt and I found out a few weeks ago that we’re going for the Little People trifecta. Baby number 3 is due early in January, and right now he or she (along with the two little people already present in the house) is sucking the energy right out of me. And making me feel pretty sickly to boot. So, I’ve been neglecting this little blog as part of my effort to remain upright until Matt makes it home in the evening.

I promise I’ll be back…sometime.

Little: That’s a man, Mommy.
Me: You’re right, baby.
L: He’s going in the house, Mommy.
M: Yep.
L: Mommy, where is the lady to go in the house with him?
M: Well, I guess Ms. P is at work.
L: Yeah, she’s at work. But Mommies stay home.
M: Not all Mommies stay home, some of them go to work.
L: But you stay home, Mommy!

Yes, baby, I do. And what a privilege it is!

They are red.

And several sizes too big.

And were on the wrong feet.

She walked through the store without a care in the world.  And I walked beside her proud to be her momma.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was very, very real.  This is how life feels right now.  We’ve all been sick for a month.  The baby is teething.  I can’t stay on top of the chores like I feel I should.  Life has caught up to me and is dragging me down.  I am weary, to the bone and deep into my soul.

I’m praying for reprieve.  I’m praying for strength.  This seems to be one of those times when God is forcing me to my knees and yet I’ve continued to fight it for too long now.  I don’t know what I’m “chasing”, but it is running faster than I can and is obviously not the right thing.

Please forgive me if you don’t see me here often.  Please forgive me if I don’t make it by your place as often as I would like.  It’s rough times and I’m trying to muster through.

My light at the end of the tunnel right now is a scheduled retreat this weekend with several women I love and am honored to call my friends.  The baby will come with me (Daddy would not be too happy if I left him at home since he won’t take a bottle!), but I’m hopeful that a change of scenery and a change of routine will do my mind, my heart, and my body good.

Until then, I will meditate on these verses:

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”  Isaiah 40:11

“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:30-31

Tonight I’m off with my best friend for a girls’ night out to celebrate meeting our Challenge goals. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

This morning…Little was playing in the living room while I took my shower.  When she heard the water turn off she came running into the bedroom and up to the bathroom door…

Little: “You done, Mommy?”

Me: “Yep, sweetie, I’m all done.”

Little (with a huge grin): “I so glad!”

This Mommy gig?  It’s not too bad most of the time.

Today we went for his six month checkup and the doc said he looks great.  He’s in 50th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference.  He’s meeting or exceeding all of his physical and social milestones.  And we seem to have his reflux under control.

At weigh-in he tipped the scales at 17 pounds 11 ounces; up 3 pounds 9 ounces since his four month visit!  He also measured a healthy 26 inches long.  They were impressed with how well he’s sitting; he’s gotten very good at it in the last week or so.

He’s been officially cleared to eat solids.  We’ve been giving him fruits for the last few weeks, but now he can do foods twice a day and we’ll probably start adding Gerber puffs or something of that nature in the next couple of weeks.  He is also allowed to drink some water now, so we’ll see how he likes the sippy cup.

I love this stage – the constant learning and discovery and the emergence of his personality; he’s such a sweet and friendly baby.  Just wish my little people didn’t have to grow up so fast.

Were you married at the time? Yes, for 5 years.

What were your reactions when you found out that you were pregnant? We were so excited; we knew we were ready to add a little one to our family.  I was also a bit nervous as I think all first time moms are.

How old were you? 27 when she was born.

How did you find out that you were pregnant? I had been charting my temps (using FAM), so I knew that having a higher temp for more than 16 days probably meant I was pregnant.  I tried to wait 21 days before I took a test but only made it 18.  The first test must have been defective because it only made part of a plus, the second test registered positive almost immediately.  We found out on Nana’s (Matt’s mom) birthday.

Who did you tell first? I called Matt at work and then my best friend, Nicole.

Did you find out the sex? Yes, I think it would have driven both Matt and me crazy not to know.

Due date? August 7.

Did you deliver early or late? a week early.

Did you have morning sickness? that would be a yes.  I threw up every morning and felt terrible the rest of the day for 8 weeks.

What did you crave? pineapple pizza from Papa John’s during the first trimester, anything spicy the rest of the time.  I went through 2-3 jars of salsa per week.  I also had a major aversion to the smell of coffee until about 17 weeks; I almost threw up one night in the cereal/coffee aisle of Target.

Who irritated you most? I can’t recall one person in particular that irritated me, but I’m sure everyone irritated me at one point or another.

What was your first child’s sex? she’s a girl.

How many pounds did you gain throughout your first pregnancy? 24.

Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? not a single one, thank God.  I didn’t even have any swelling until the very end.

Where did you give birth? in a hospital.

How many hours were you in labor? my water broke at 1:45 p.m. and I hadn’t had a noticeable contraction yet.  They started a pitocin drip about 4:00 p.m. and she was born at 10:33 p.m.  So labor was just under 9 hours.

Who drove you to the hospital? Matt.  When I called him at work to tell him my water broke and he needed to come home he didn’t believe me at first; I think he was in shock.

Who watched? Matt was there the whole time and my mom made it into town about the time I started pushing, so she got to see her first granddaughter come into the world.

Was it vaginal or c-section? she came out the old fashioned way.

Did you take medicine to ease the pain? I had an amazing epidural when I got to 7cm; I didn’t feel a thing after that.

How much did your baby weigh? she was 7 pounds 1/2 ounce.

What did you name your first born baby? she has a beautiful name that I love, but we call her Little around here.

How old is your first born today? she’s two years old.

Little was born on her Pops’s birthday.  Matt called Nana and Pops while we drove to the hospital to let them know that Little’s arrival was imminent.  They were at Nana’s college registering for her Fall semester classes, so Pops had to call us back when they got somewhere quieter so he could hear Matt.  I think he thought we were calling to wish him a happy birthday; he was quite surprised to hear that his granddaughter was on her way on his birthday.  It’s pretty neat that she shares a birthday with her Pops.

Lately, she has been very interested in all the details surrounding my polished toenails – the color, the polish bottle, the act of polishing. A few weeks ago, she pulled all of my polish bottles out of my bathroom drawer, carried them to the living room, lined them up side-by-side, and chose the new color for my nails.

A few days ago it was time to polish the toes again. This time Little was sleeping, so I was able to accomplish the task without the “what doin’, Mommy?” that usually accompanies everything I do. The next morning, the first thing out of her mouth after “I lawnt mi-ilk” was “What dat?” while pointing at my nice “ruby slipper” toenails.

Definitely more observant than her Momma.