Just for Fun!

98 words

Speedtest

Thanks Bethany - this was fun!

I Must Be Feeling Brave

No one could have ever prepared me for the difficulties that accompany the pathways of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. I did OK being pregnant with my first child, but I will never forget the feelings in the hospital after Madlyn was born. I remember wondering why in the world someone would ever do this a second time, let alone 8 times (like my mom)! Of course, the memories of that exhausting night quickly faded and the reality of being a mother set in. It was so hard! Madlyn didn't sleep very much at all, Jeff & I NEVER had a peaceful moment alone together, and it looked like it wasn't ever going to get easier. It did get easier, but nonetheless, being a mother is a difficult and often thankless job. I have come to the conclusion that a woman must either have a vast amount of courage or insanity to be a mother. WELL, I must be feeling brave because Jeff & I are expecting our 4TH child in October. It has been interesting to share the news with our families because we have gotten varied reactions: everything from laughter to shock to excitement. And of course there are the inevitable questions on everyone's minds. So, in order to expedite the process, I will attempt to answer all of your questions right here.

#1: Did you plan this? Yes and no. We knew it was time to have another, but did not expect it to happen right away; we thought maybe we had a couple of months before actually getting pregnant.
#2: Are you excited? Yes! I absolutely LOVE being an accessory in the miracle of creating life and I truly love being a mom and I am so excited to have a newborn around again!
#3: How does Jeff feel? In his words, "How could I not be happy about having another precious child"?
#4: How close will Cade and the new baby be? 20 months, which is 1 month further apart than Cole & Cade.
#5: How far along are you? Today I am 7 weeks. That seems early to be spreading the news, but I thought I was at least 2 weeks further along than that and I've already known for several weeks. Plus, Madlyn has already leaked the secret to some of you, so I knew we couldn't wait long.
#6: What is the actual due date? October 11, 2008. BUT...seeing as Cade was 9 days overdue and my others had to be induced, I'm not expecting anything before October 20th.
#7: How do you feel? So far so good. I do feel quite nauseous but I never throw up so I guess that's good. I'm pretty tired (what's new) and I am having to drink a ton of water because the thorn in my side during pregnancy is UTI's. I don't want to be graphic or anything but I basically went my whole 3rd pregnancy with a UTI. Soooo, I'm drinking as much water & cranberry juice as I can because if I ever get one, it pretty much settles in for the duration of the pregnancy. Yuck!!

Well, that's about it. We couldn't be happier and can't wait to meet our new little one in a few months!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Maddie & Cole were playing today while I was getting lunch ready and as they came into the kitchen, I heard Maddie's whispered, "OK. Now it's time for school. Here is your teacher's house." This wasn't too surprising since they have taken to pretending all kinds of things lately; for instance, the other day I was our neighbor Katie for about an hour. I looked over the bar and Cole is walking up with one of Madlyn's church dresses on, complete with ribbonless tap shoes. I had to turn my head so that they couldn't see my laughter. Maddie proceeded to drop Cole off at school and he called me "Teacher" for the next half hour...haha.

I was cracking up because Cole was having way too much fun twirling in his cute dress. I asked him if his name was Coleen, which is my middle name, but he didn't want to go for that.

Happy Birthday Cade!

We had a little birthday party for Cade on Saturday evening and it was really fun. The poor guy woke up from his morning nap with a fever so he wasn't feeling extremely well but after a dose of Motrin, he was on his best behavior for the party! It was so stinkin' cute because he was actually posing for the pictures...unfortunately with the delay on our digital camera, none of them came out nearly as cute as his poses were.

Don't mind the grunge-mom in the back...it was Saturday and I had been cleaning all day.
Cade got a toy that he walks behind and pushes and he absolutely LOVES it! For the next couple of days after his bday when he wasn't feeling well, the only thing that made him happy was walking around with this walker...he would just cruise around the house with a HUGE grin on his face. It must be a pretty hot item too because Cole wants to play with it all the time! Oh well, an early lesson in sharing, I guess. Happy Birthday, Cade Blade!!

Flashback Friday

OK, in honor of my BABY Cadeson's 1st birthday tomorrow, it's Flashback Cade Style! I honestly don't even know where the past year has gone; I'm pretty sure the more kids you get, the faster time flies.

This is Cadeson just after birth; we were so amazed at his big nose!
I love this picture with Madlyn & Cades.
I was trying to get a smile but he was really upset at me instead.
And this is my little BABY now...can't you hear GQ calling?
Cade, you are such a darling boy and bring so much joy into our home. You make me happy when you cuddle into my arms and pat my back, when you sing with the other kids at music class, when you get so excited about playing ball, and all the other fun things you do! I am so lucky to be your mom & I love you!

St. Valentine was good to us

So Valentine's Day has never been very exciting for us as a married couple. When we were first married, I often had to work in the evenings so we didn't do much and then we started getting kids and so Valentine's Day often consisted of a quiet dinner at home as a family. Last year I was impatiently waiting the birth of our baby so we didn't plan anything, hoping that we would be in the hospital or something (not the case, by the way). I usually don't mind our simple Valentine's rituals; but I do love to get flowers and sometimes miss that. My sweet practical husband doesn't quite understand why he should spend money on something like flowers that just die anyway, BUT because of this, it is all the more special when he does get flowers because I know how much of a sacrifice it is for him. On Wednesday, I had Activity Days at my house and he came home during our activity and took the baby for me while we finished. Tanna & I left to take the girls home and when we came back to gather everything up, this beautiful bouquet was sitting on my table. It was perfect timing; my day had been quite harried and I was feeling at the end of my frazzled rope; I had to keep the tears from rolling down. I love the flowers but I especially LOVE that I know Jeff so unselfishly thought of me and what I would want. It started the holiday off perfectly!
Yesterday was a fun day too. It was quite busy as I was trying to get some Valentines done for the other moms in our preschool group, watching some friends' kids, getting the house in order, and making dinner for my sweetie. We did, again, have a quiet dinner at home and it was so fun. I made lasagna, salad, corn, and bread and we all drank Martinelli's (the kids love to toast). Then we had bath time, scriptures & prayers, and then Jeff told the older two their nightly story before heading off to bed. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself as I was done putting children down at 7:40, which is unheard of for us. The night was complete with a few competitive games of UNO...I reigned champion (Jeff will debate this, but I did let him win a few times)! It was my best Valentine's Day ever. I love you, Jeff! Thanks for such a great day, and also for making all my days better than I could have ever hoped for! You are the best husband and daddy in the whole world and I am so grateful that we were led to each other...you are my best friend and I love you!

Flashback Friday

I love the Flashback Friday idea, so here's my first attempt. This first one is Maddie at about 16 months old; I think it's such a hilarious picture of her.

This is Cole at just a couple of days old; I think actually 2 days old. Isn't he precious?

It is amazing to me how quickly time flies; it seems like only yesterday these photos were taken.