Out of Commission

The latest addition to our fam was added Feb. 25. I'd love to go into all the gory deets, but it seems like people prefer sharing the delivery details rather than hearing them....so if you really want to know I'll tell you in person. The end result was Sydney. She's our tiniest at 6 lbs 15 oz, but also our earliest at 38 and a half weeks.

The above picture is of my two frequent visitors to the hospital, Ethan and Noelle. They were getting a little too comfortable with all the hospital equipment and I sense a future in medicine for both of them. If you peek into the background you will see my in my very stylish and modest hospital gown. Unfortunately none of the pictures where I look like Heidi Klum turned out so you will just have to take my word for it.


Upon returning home from the hospital, Baby Sydney (seems Baby will be her first name as far as the kids can tell) was immediately bestowed with the most honored stuffed animals. She also was given some hard toys like cement mixers and cars, but I removed them for the picture. And for her safety.
We are quickly adjusting to the newest member of the fam. So far she has been an excellent day sleeper, so-and-so night sleeper, and a very quick mover of her bowels. Was that too personal? Anyway, this may be the last update for awhile depending on my sanity level. Don't worry though, I'll be sure to post her first steps.

Art, LEGOs, and them pesky har-mones

I hope my title just sucked you right in. Anyhoo, I've just been too busy living life to the fullest lately and have had to put my lovely blog on the back burner. But I'm back to give you a quick recap of what's been going down...
I got to help out with the Valentine's party at school and made this beautiful cupid for 'Pin the Heart on the Cupid.' I know that is dang creative ( CC so lovingly pointed out that we turn any party game into a 'pin the..' activity since it involves minimal prep). Ethan was disturbed that the cupid wasn't wearing any clothes. I pointed out that little clothing is required when true love is involved. (soo just kidding on that one! We won't be having that talk for a few more decades...)

Then there is the daily challenge of making Ethan clean up LEGOs. (Does it bother you I feel obligated to capitalize that word? LEGO people get really mad when you don't because it is part of their brand identity. I don't really remember where I learned that nugget of trivia, but I think it's true.) Ethan takes about 4 hours to clean these babies up because he gets distracted mid-clean by another ingenious building idea. Some days this obsession is welcome, but when we have a time crunch for cleaning it is not.
And then there are my preggers harmones. Not to be confused with hormones, because it is clearly more fun and countrified to say harmones. But I definitely can tell I have got some extra dosages runnin' through my body. I am usually not a crier. But I have found myself crying after reading a book! I also cried when Isaac accused me of cheating at Horse (I actually beat him so I guess he thought that was proof). And I cried lots when I looked out my window and saw two moving trucks.
Our good neighbors are moving to another state and I was in denial until the trucks showed up. I don't think I should blame that one on the harmones though. I think I would have cried even without them. Good neighbors shouldn't be allowed to move. Where's the president and his campaign promises when you need him?
I better go before I start crying again.

celebration

It is Hub's Birthday tomorrow. I have to stop and think too hard to remember how old he is. After we hit that 30 mark something happened and the only way how I can remember how old anyone in the family is is to ask Isaac. Stuff like age matters a lot to an 8-year-old.
I would love to write a novel on the great qualities of Hub but I hopefully will have several more of his Birthdays to blog about so I'm going to be skimpy and share three little tidbits. Just know that it's not out of lack of material!
***Hub is the best father ever. He is an active participant in all things child-rearing and actually enjoys playing the torturous games of Monopoly and Life with them. He'll get up with kids in the night (if I nudge him 'gently' with my foot) and will share in the yucky stuff of diapers and cleaning sick kids and bedding. He also has been a very willing soccer and basketball coach.
****Hub likes to go camping. He likes it enough that it's worth it to him to do all the work so we go. That means I feel guilty while he packs the car full of gear that seems unreasonable for only a night or two away from home. He pitches the tent, does the fire, cooks real food on a camping stove (I'd rather just eat candy and save the cleanup), carries kids on hikes, and pretty much does all the hard stuff. He has a lot of strange camping gear and I'm impressed he knows how to use it all.

*** He is a perfectionist. I really tried hard to help him finish painting our basement, but then got offended when he said everything I painted needed a second coat. The above room is our playroom which required four different colors of paint and lots of taping. Let's just say by that point he was glad I had given up 'helping'.
He also has to refold his dress pants that I so lovingly wash and hang for him. Something about me not folding them correctly with the pleats....

That is all for now. Maybe you learned something new. Maybe you didn't. I'm just grateful I'm married to one of the goodest guys around (goodest being Ethan's choice word right now).
Happy Birthday Hubbers!

Wanted: A Momanny

Sometimes I want to hire a nanny. But not a nanny for the kids because what's the point of having kids if they give the nanny all the love? But a nanny for me. A Momanny if you will. So I can have adult conversations when it's convenient. So when I hear things on the radio I can immediately converse about it with someone when the topic is fresh. Like the CA woman who just had octuplets. You know the story---it's first reported as a marvelous thing that she was able to carry all 8 babies and everyone is healthy. Then the next day the story is that she had done it before and has 6 little kids at home already. By donated sperm! And she lives with her parents in a three bedroom apartment. Now the debate is over family planning and what roles infertility doctors should have. What do you think?
Then I saw an ad for fried twinkies and really wanted to point it out to my imaginary momanny and wonder who in the world would eat a fried twinkie and live to tell about it? You? Gross, gross, gross. Unfried twinkies give me the willies when I think too much about them. Kindof like hotdogs. Sadly though, you'll catch me eating both on occasion. Then my momanny and I will giggle at my hypocrisy and tell the kids to be quiet while we watch The View together and get mad at that mean Joy Behar. Yes. I definitely need a Momanny.