Monthly Archives: August 2015

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus

It’s Hard to Be a Baby

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus!

My sweet little baby, you make me wish I was the baby. 

Seriously, though! You can lie around most of the day. You are fed at the moment you act like you’re hungry. You can sleep whenever you want. You get endless snuggles. Everyone is gentle wth you, and says sweet things, like how cute you are and how they can’t wait to see you again soon. All your clothes are soft, your blankets cozy, and you’re surrounded by people fighting each other to hold you. Life must be so hard.  

 Sometimes, when you are unhappy, I can’t help but wonder why. It just doesn’t make sense. You went on a nice afternoon stroll. You got fed right on your schedule. You  napped only when you wanted to. You didn’t even have to go to the bathroom to do your business, and I cleaned you right up! But when I laid you down in your bassinet (asleep, by the way) so that I could take a shower, you acted as though I had told you that you were never going to DisneyWorld. Total injustice!

Sometimes, you look like you are totally offended at something I’ve done. For instance, when I invited a photographer friend over to take some pictures of you so I could show everyone your big blue eyes and adorable, cuddly poses, you wouldn’t stay calm. Then, you pooped right on the couch! I mean, give me a break, kid. When you’re 18 and I don’t have a photo for your senior yearbook, I’ll remind you about the time you pooped during your naked baby photo shoot. 

But as much as you squirm, or fuss, or scream, or wake me up at night, I’m always going to love you. I’ll always take care of you. I’ll always kiss you (even in front of your friends) and I will forever be sharing my life, my love, my heart, and my milkshakes with you and your siblings. Even though it’s hard to be you sometimes, remember all the poop I’ve cleaned up. It’s easier to be you. 

mommyhood

An Ode to My Breast Pump

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 I hear a lot of people say they hate their breast pump. Well, it’s true… we all hate it at least a little bit. Working moms (of which I have been one) often feel like they’re dairy cows, hooked up so often to a feelings-less milk-collector. But now that I’m home with my babes, the breast pump and I have a different relationship, and therefore I will now declare my love for my mean, milk-collecting machine.

Oh, breast pump, how I’ve missed you!
I truly, truly have.
Though if I said that to them,
Some other folks would laugh.
They’d say, “No way! We hate that thing!”
But me? I know the truth.
You have a few perks on your side,
A thing or maybe two.
First of all, I find myself
Engorged beyond belief.
The pain I feel is all too real;
My breasts have just been beat.
So finally I hook you up.
And oh, the sweet release!
For you can do what baby can’t,
And empty me complete.
The second thing I love about you
Is quite a selfish thing.
I cannot use you when I’m surrounded
By my family.
So retreat I will into my room,
For quiet and for peace.
You are the perfect reason to be
By myself a piece.
So there they are, the reasons why
I think you’re not so bad.
I’ll love you still – I always will.
You make my boobies glad.

mommyhood, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! We’ve had a fun week, including EK’s weekend trip with her grandparents, who thankfully sent me a few of her one-liners to share with you 🙂

  
First and foremost, J now says his version of EK’s name. He says, “E-Tay”. Adorable.

At some point, we explained to EK that D couldn’t eat food yet because he didn’t have any teeth. That led to lots of discussions about how babies are born without teeth, and how she didn’t have teeth when she was born either. Now when she sees someone – anyone – the first thing she wants to tell them is the D doesn’t have teeth, and how she didn’t either when she was a baby.

We went to the hospital the other day to meet our friend’s new baby girl, and all the way from the “alligator” (elevator) in the parking deck up to her room, EK was singing “We’re going to see our baby! We’re going to see our baby!” to the tune of “na-na-na-na boo-boo”. Awesome.

On the same trip to the hospital, walking in next to another group of people…
EK: Mom! Those people are going to see our baby, too!
Me: I don’t think they’re going to see the same baby we are, but they might be seeing a baby!
Turns out they were, right down the hall!

Meeting our friend Ginna’s baby, Grace…
EK: Aww! She’s so cute! She doesn’t have any teeth, because she’s a baby.
Good thing we’ve really solidified that concept.

J now sings part of the chorus (the oh’s) on Katy Perry’s “California Girls”. That is all. (Disclaimer: This is purely the result of how often it comes on the radio. I do not own the song or play the song or choose the song.)

In one day, J had Mexican for lunch and the. Chips and salsa for a snack at home. He started tossing food in the floor (his M.O.) so I pushed everything away from him. He got really sad, then pointed and said, “I want salsa!” in a sweet little voice. Hubby responded with, “Yes sir! You get what you want when you use the right word!” Encouraging vocabulary, discouraging selflessness.

J, climbing into a barstool-height chair…
J: Hep! Hep! Hep wit dis!
(Update: “Hep wit dis” is now on a permanent rotation for when he needs any sort of help with anything.)

And now for a few gems that my mother-in-law passed on to me from their weekend together at the lake…

Annie: EK, do you need to go poopy?
EK: No, I’ve already done that this week.

Annie: Would you like some goldfish to eat in the car?
EK: No thanks, just some M&Ms.

Being tucked into bed…
EK: This is just so cozy!

Finding a dead centipede…
EK: He’s really sad. He shouldn’t have bit his brother.

And there you have it. My one and a half year old is now making regular appearances and my preschooler is blowing my mind with how she consistently is hilarious. What are your kids talking about these days?

food, home, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, random thoughts

Currently

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Hello, friends! It’s time for another Currently! I’m linking up with Becky at Choose Happy and our other friends to bring this week’s update. Join us!

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Hoping || that EK gets back in a rhythm here at home after her weekend away. I think she was tired and a little off-kilter, because she was tantruming like a champion yesterday afternoon and evening, and wouldn’t nap. That’s a little unusual for her… she likes her sleep typically. Anyway, I’m hoping she’ll figure it back out soon because it was a tough night last night, and this morning was still a little off.

Watching || Lost. I know, I know… I’m years behind on the Lost train, but it’s never too late to watch a good show, right? No spoilers, but tell me what you thought of it if you’ve seen it! I’m about halfway through the first season. I’m loving Jack, I like Claire and Charlie a lot too, and I have really enjoyed learning everyone’s back stories.

 Eating || a snack that for some reason popped into my head after not having it for years. In college, I nannied for a family of four boys, and they and their mom would sometimes have a snack of graham crackers with vanilla icing  – just the stuff from the can. It seems so simple and unremarkable, but it’s actually quite good, and made it into my “comfort food” category. It’s sweet, but not the worst thing I can think of to eat (I don’t like too much icing on mine) so the other day, I finally broke and bought the can of icing and box of graham crackers. I’ve really been enjoying myself! 

 Enjoying || some morning and evening family walks. Before it gets too hot or after the sun starts to set are the only times we can really stand walking with all of us – probably because it’s a heavy stroller with two, and wearing a baby is extra toasty. But we’ve been enjoying the family time, and the exercise… or the glass of wine while we stroll after dinner!

Loving || the new My Big Jesus website! I love writing for the site every week, and I’m glad their site has had an overhaul! It’s faster and looks better now. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I post for them every Monday. If you’ve never gone to visit the real site and check out the rest of the material, make sure you do it! It’s a great, encouraging and entertaining operation.

Well, that’s what’s going on with me right now. What’s going on with you?

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, siblings, Uncategorized

Like I Have Known Him Forever

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus. 

Have you ever had a person in your life that you just met, but you already feel like you’ve known each other forever? Right when you meet them, you realize you’ve got tons in common and your personality complements the other’s, and you immediately have a few inside jokes?

That’s how I feel about our newest baby.

  
I know. That seems crazy. I don’t know if we’ve got much in common besides genes. We don’t have any inside jokes yet. But I already feel like I’ve known him for ages, like I know him well and love him with a older love, an aged love, a love that’s stood the test of time – for more than his month of being out in the world.

You see, I didn’t feel so strongly this way with my other two kids when they were born. With our first, she was new. Everything about her was uncharted territory, from the sound of her cry in the middle of the night to the way we thought about her all the time and planned our lives around her. With our second, he was just a different baby. Not easier or harder than our first, but already our attention was split between the two and it was a huge adjustment. He naturally went with the flow of life that we had going before he arrived. It was his only choice, and he still is that way – a lot like his dad.

But now, having welcomed our third baby into the world and into our family, he feels like he’s always been with us. He snuck in, early one morning, after months of anticipation. His siblings immediately loved him, and are ever so gentle with him (excepting J sometimes… he wants to love him hard). His schedule is flexible, his personality a little mix of all of us. He gets hangry (an affectionate nod to his siblings), he’s strong (I’m looking at you, Hubby) especially for a newborn, and he loves snuggling (just like me) even to the point of preferring to be worn than be laid down. He is alert, like his sister was, and sleeps hard like his brother did. He looks simply like himself, instead of being one of us made over.

Of course there are times that we feel overwhelmed – such as thinking about the sheer amount of laundry a newborn adds. There are nights of way too little sleep, and mornings that packing the kids in the car and driving through Chick-fil-A for biscuits is easier than cooking for them. There are naps I wish I was taking and showers everyone else wishes I was taking. But all in all, we don’t feel like he’s an addition of any sort, not a stranger or an outlaw. He feels like he should be here, like he’s always been here. His one month of life with us has been incredibly fun, surprisingly not difficult, and a blessing indeed. For a kid who we were afraid we’d never meet, he sure is the perfect little fit for our family.

mommyhood

And She’s Gone for the Weekend

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Today, I sent my daughter off for the weekend with her grandparents to their lake house. This is the first time that she’s been away from us that long while she isn’t at home. The other times she has stayed home and we’ve gone away. Her first big trip!

She was so excited all morning that she couldn’t even think about anything else for more than a few seconds. She reminded me every couple of minutes that Annie was going to pick her up and take her to the lake… as if I was forgetting. 

When the time actually came to pack her bag and wait for Annie to arrive, she was dashing about, helping me get things. She barely even wanted to give hugs and kisses before she left. It was a little sad for me that it was so easy for her to leave, but I guess that’s what we want as parents, right? A child who is confident and trusts in her loved ones, who knows that we wouldn’t make decisions that weren’t good for her and that she will be fine when she’s in our care.  

 We’ve been getting updates every so often. Funny things she says, cute pictures, side notes about how her nap went. I’m happy, really. I’m enjoying my boys and a tiny bit less noise. I know EK is having an amazing time. She loves the lake; she loves her Annie and Gon Gon. But I miss her, ya know? Her little funny quips and her messy hair. She’s a little piece of me, a little piece of her dad – and she’s perfect. 

mommyhood, pregnancy, women

Things I Missed While I Was Pregnant

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When you become pregnant, it’s a fun secret. You don’t tell everyone right away, and sneaky moments alone with your spouse or your best friend might be the only time you get to dish about how you’re feeling, how excited you are, or things you’re planning for the pregnancy/baby. Then, you’re able to tell everyone. It’s still really exciting, the excitement outweighs the trepidation certainly, and you’re seeing the world through those famous rose-colored glasses. However, once you’ve been following your specialized diet for a while, once you’ve gotten pretty big, and once you’re just plain ready for the baby to arrive, you are, as you might say, “over” being pregnant. Not over having a baby, but over your size, your restrictions, and the waiting game. Here are a few things that I miss when I’m pregnant:

Running. I’m not a hardcore runner, but I do love it. I don’t run terribly long distances – the farthest I’ve ever run at once is a 10k – but I miss being able to run farther than the top to the bottom of the playground slide. I know some women keep it up throughout their pregnancies, but I was feeling too yucky at the beginning of this past pregnancy to keep it up for long. Therefore, it’s been months since I’ve been on a nice, long, mood-uplifting run. I’ll be glad to get to my six-week check up and get cleared to exercise again! 

Alcohol. Specifically, wine. More specifically, Prosecco. That’s my drink of choice on any given occasion. Especially during the summer, when it’s hot and I want a cool, bubbly glass of something. And on the list of diet restrictions, let’s just leave tuna and sushi right here. I’ve already had those things several times since my delivery a week and a half ago…

Reaching my toes. It’s a bit laboring to see my toes for the last couple of months, much less be able to cut my toenails or (are you kidding?!) paint them. And because this past one was my third baby, it was almost impossible to find a time to go get them done, so I was stuck with scraggly-looking toenails. You’re welcome for that image.

Having an entire wardrobe. This may sound superficial, but here’s the deal. I’m just not going to buy tons of maternity clothes. First off, they’re pretty expensive, and you’re only wearing them for a handful of months. Secondly, to really have them fit you correctly (or as well as they can), you’d need to get a set of clothes for the first half of your pregnancy where you’re out of your regular clothes but not enormous, and a second set for the rest, when you truly are… enormous. Ain’t nobody got time for that. 

Sleeping on my stomach. I’m a stomach sleeper if I have the choice. I love being flat on my belly to sleep, with my squished-flat, down pillow. Obviously I lost the ability to do that months ago, even if I was going to ignore the “sleep on your left side” advice. I also know from experience it’ll be a few more weeks before I get that back, because my boobs are engorged and leaky and I don’t want to lay on them. You’re welcome for that image, as well.

Breathing normally. Y’all, I took for granted how easy it was just to breathe. Towards the end of the pregnancy, it was so difficult sometimes that I actually had to change positions just to do it. The only time I was super comfortable was when I was standing (you know, for the first two minutes) or laying down. There wasn’t really a seated position that worked for me for very long.

Going through a store without anyone talking to me. I know this sounds selfish, but every time I went to the grocery store, to drop my car off at the shop, or (God forbid) into Babies R Us, everyone was all up in my business. When am I due? How am I feeling? How far along am I? Is it my first baby? Am I worried my water’s going to break on the way home? Do I think this third baby is going to fall right out? (I am totally serious.) I love people, and I love talking. But I feel like I pretty much exhausted this subject with every stranger I met.

What are some things you missed while you were pregnant? Are you missing them right now?

mommyhood, siblings, things toddlers say

Things Toddlers Say

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Happy Tuesday! We might be a little sleep-deprived, but we are adjusting nicely! Lots of sweet friends bringing us meals, and lots of snuggles in front of the TV right now. Real life, y’all.

 
Me: Did you have fun last night?
EK: (head nod)
Me: Did you sleep late this morning?
EK: No, I got out of bed in Necie’s room and I snuggled her.
Necie: At a quarter to 6…

EK: Mom, when you get bigger like Daddy, you can reach the tomatoes. (Our lattice goes high enough that I can’t really reach the tomatoes at the top of the vines.)
Me: I don’t think I’m going to get any bigger, babe. I’ve done all my growing.
EK: Oh. Maybe we can get a ladder for you.

My dad, visiting for the weekend, said this to EK: I just want to take you back to Georgia with me forever!
EK: Weeeellllll… You can’t. I’m so sorry.
(It was delivered very politely.)

J: Kwick! Kwick! (That’s him turning on and off all the light switches in the house.)

EK, to everyone ever: Look! Look at my new brother! Hey! You! LOOK AT MY NEW BROTHER!
Everyone: …okay. I see him. He’s cute..?

EK: I’m so pretty! (Those are stickers.)

EK: Ring around the rosie! Pocket full of posies! Ashes, ashes, all fall down!
What the uneducated listener hears: Ring around the rosie! Pocket fulla posies! Ah sh*t, ah sh*t! All fall down!

Genealogy lesson:
Hubby: EK, who are my brothers?
EK: Wesley, Hartley, G-Daddy…
Me: Yikes! (G-Daddy is my dad.)
Hubby: And who is my mommy?
EK: Hmm, let’s see… Annie must be!
Totally correct answer. Still glad my hubby isn’t my uncle.

This morning, D ended up sleeping till after the bigs got up (you know, after he was up at 6:30), so we were having breakfast when we heard him cry.
EK: Mom! You gotta get Davis! He said, “I’m hungry! Come get me out of bed!”
She’s a good interpreter.

What are your kiddos saying these days?

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus

Completely Normal Chaos

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus!  

When I was in fourth grade, I first heard the phrase “completely normal chaos”. I think it was the title of a book I should’ve read that I don’t remember actually reading. But the phrase, even then, resonated with me. I liked the sound, the feel of it. It brought fun, homey, and comfortable images to mind. I loved the concept of completely normal chaos, and I’ve thought about being a part of a “comfortable crazy” ever since hearing the phrase for that first time.

Well y’all, my day has arrived.

I could use that beloved phrase to describe my life at almost any given moment. If you were a fly on the wall of my home, you would witness a certain level of chaos. I don’t mean natural disaster chaos, or even high school pep rally chaos. I mean you would probably find a mess being made. You would probably find a pile of laundry or four. You would probably hear some crying and some laughter and maybe some shouting. You would see books scattered about, Legos in partial towers on the coffee table, and small bites of food littering the kitchen floor. You would find empty bottles and discarded socks, toy crumbs and puzzle pieces in almost every room. You would hear laughter, or shouting, or crying, or a combination of the three. You might hear music playing over the din, or even catch snippets of Frozen wafting up from the TV in our basement.

For non-parents, or for parents who have forgotten or don’t know what having three children under age four is like, this could be a special kind of torture. I myself took a while to get used to it, and some days if I dwell on it, I still feel my heart beating a little faster than it should. But this chaos, this din, this wonderful messy life is mine, and I am thankful for it.

The voices, be they crying or laughing or arguing or whispering sweet words… those voices are my precious gifts, little companions I brought into the world. The mess, toys, laundry and food crumbs… that mess means that we are abundantly blessed with more than enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and toys to play with. This splendid life I’ve been given is full of chaos, but it’s become my “normal”. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy and perfect, or even that it’s boring. It just means that it’s normal, typical, and familiar. Chaos is often something unusual, but not for us. Our lives are full of this wonderful, exciting, completely normal chaos.

home, mommyhood, random thoughts, siblings

Currently 

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Hey, y’all! I might be a day late on joining my usual Currently link up, but better late than never, right? I’m joining Becky at Choose Happy and the other fabulous bloggers to bring you this week’s Currently. Join us to let us know what’s going on with you currently!

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Enjoying || some sweet moments between all the siblings. EK and j have been getting along a little better (I’m scared to type that for fear it’ll make it stop) and D has been getting some incredibly sweet snuggles from both of them. Lots of hugging and kissing around here, y’all.

  
  
Hoping || to get a few specific pictures this week. As of right now, the only picture of the five of us is yesterday’s epic selfie (below), and I’ve only got one (okay) picture of the three kids. Part of me is saying, “Eh, there’s a lifetime to get those pictures.” But the rest of me wants at least one while D is still tiny! Here’s hoping I get a better one than this:

 Trying || to stick to a schedule. Having a newborn is tough when they’re supposed to eat every two hours. Try keeping up with that while also making sure the other two are entertained and have what they need, as well as pumping a couple of extra times a day to keep my supply up? Bordering on impossible. To heck with laundry and dishes. Yikes.

Thankful for || an incredible husband who’s been taking a late-night shift with D to let me get some sleep early on in the night. He’s a rockstar, y’all.

Reading || the last bit of the Maze Runner series. I’m in the book that is actually a prequel to the rest of the books… so I’m getting that back story I was craving the whole time! When I finish this, I’ll be working on Loving the Little Years  and starting something else to be my “pleasure reading”. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Well, that’s all for now. Please comment and let me know what you’re up to!