Veteran Mom

Last week I attended my first MOPS meeting here in Minnesota. It was good! And weird...because I didn't know anyone. My people weren't there:( I was the new mom which is scary and kinda hard. Ok. Enough about new beginnings! My point about attending MOPS was that one of the ladies at my table referred to me as a "veteran mom". Ha! I nearly laughed out loud. Because had she seen me bribing my four year old (with candy!) to walk into the church just one hour before that, she might not have given me that title...or at least not have said it with so much respect in her voice. 

Veteran mom?! Who me?!! Never. But I suppose that's how she sees me. Mom of 3 kids, pregnant with a fourth. It probably sounds very veteran-ish to her new mom self (she has one infant). But I hardly feel like a veteran. For example, leaving MOPS that same morning, I nearly drove off with Charlotte's artwork on the outside of my windshield. Thankfully a nice gentleman stopped me first! 

And since then there have been countless times I have felt completely clueless as a mom. Nothing like a veteran. I mean I still can't get Hannah to fall asleep in her bed without climbing out 50+ times each night! My two year old is outsmarting me EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. 

And just a few days ago I left Hannah unattended in the same room as my can of soda. I returned a few minutes later to find her guzzling it! Eek. When she saw me she threw the can down on the recliner - spilling most of the soda in the process! As you can imagine bedtime was a HUGE struggle that night. Caffeine and toddlers should not mix. Never. Ever. This so called veteran mom should know better.

That same day I was late picking Isaiah up from the bus stop. So late in fact he met me just two houses down as he was walking home. Oops. Oh and later that night I was so distracted sorting baby BOY clothes that I accidentally let Isaiah stay up until midnight! MIDNIGHT. Aack. Who does that?!? Apparently me. 

And EVERY DAY I have brawls and arguing matches to split up. Multiple times a day actually. Discerning who is in the right and who is in the wrong!??! Yea, it's beyond me! My newest mom-ism has become "I don't care who started it. I am ending it!" 

If I am being perfectly honest here (which I try my darnedest to do), Charlotte has entered a phase (or at least I pray it is just a phase!) that I feel clueless as how to parent. She was the easiest toddler and then she turned four and BAM!! She suddenly is an opinionated and stubborn and whiney and dramatic little person. A total different girl. A girl I don't like dealing with. A girl I find very difficult and draining to parent. (Please let it be a phase!) But parent I must. So I do. Like a novice. Not a veteran. Making it up as I go along. Praying I am not making too many mistakes along the way. 

Clearly I only kind of, maybe, sorta know what I am doing. I hardly feel like a veteran. Because in reality, despite what that newbie mom thinks of me, I am just faking it until I make it. But aren't we all?! Maybe by the time all of my children are grown and out of the home I will feel like a veteran mom. Maybe. Probably not though. 

It's a....

And just in case that DIY maternity glamour shot wasn't crystal clear enough...

Even Steven. It seems too good to be true. 2 girls. And now 2 boys. Perfection. What isn't perfection is my face in that collage picture:) Oh well. It is the real deal.

And because I can't end without all the nitty gritty details. Here's how the whole gender reveal(s) went down.

First I tossed and turned ALL night last night because a) I was SO excited for the ultrasound and b) I was slightly worried about Charlotte's wheezing and use of accessory muscles to breath. I even woke up before my alarm! That never happens. Slowly the rest of the family crawled out of their beds as well. We ate, dressed and (miraculously!) were out the door promptly at 8 am. (We are not morning people and that is an entire hour before we have to be out the door normally to bring Isaiah to school.) 

We made it to the clinic on time and all five of us filed into the small, dark ultrasound room. Our tech was kind and patient and thankfully the kids were really well behaved! They were all so excited and enthralled by the black & white images of the baby on the screens. Isaiah was even able to discern what he was looking at during the ultrasound. 

When this angle came up on the screen he immediately announced to Charlotte, "Look! The baby is sucking it's thumb!"

Their enthusiasm was sweet and infectious. I couldn't stop smiling. And then because we had told the tech we wanted to know the gender but not tell the kids quite yet, she quickly typed GENDER = MALE on the screen and moved on. At that moment I had not even realized she had been examining that area of the baby (because I was distracted talking to Isaiah) and so I hadn't had a chance to try to see for myself. I was caught off guard. It was such a fun surprise! I loved it. And I know Joe was happy too because he grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. (And that folks is the entire extent of his display of emotion over having another son. He's happy. But he isn't going to blab on and on and on about it like some people. ) 

Shortly after this quiet and secretive reveal Joe and the kids left - to bring Isaiah to school. It was great timing because the little people were growing restless and the ultrasound was becoming less exciting. Placenta, amniotic fluid and cervix measurements aren't nearly as cute as a kicking baby:)

I finished up at my doctor's office just in time to join Joe and the girl's at the pediatrician's office. We had Charlotte's breathing checked. One Albuterol refill later and she is on the road to recovery. 

Enough irrelevant details. Let's skip ahead to the kids' reveal. I wanted to do something fun (especially if it was a girl - to help lessen the disappointment) and EASY. Easy was my main requirement. No way was I baking a cake or creating filled cupcakes! Sorry. Just not my thing. 

Silly string to the rescue!

I bought a couple of blue cans from the dollar store. Took off the blue lids. (Tortured my children by telling them about the silly string but then making them wait while Joe took my glamour shots. See above:) Mostly I was killing time so the video camera battery could get charged. Regardless they were anxious to start!) Finally I lined up the kids in the backyard and let them have at it. Initially they were SO excited to find out if it was a baby brother or a baby sister. But after the first squirt and realization that it is in fact a BABY BROTHER all they cared about was spraying everyone and everything! Well except Hannah. She was scared of that crazy stuff. She promptly took it all off of herself and sought shelter in daddy's arms. They quickly retreated inside thus avoiding being in most of the action shots. Again see above:)

It was a fabulous day. The kids are thrilled. I am thrilled. Joe is thrilled (as far as I can tell). I am so glad we found out now. It just makes me anticipate the birth so much more. I can hardly wait to meet this little guy. My second son. Our boy. Aaah! I can hardly believe it. 

Oh you want to see more ultrasound pictures of our adorable baby boy? Ok. If you insist. 

And because I have an abnormality in my placenta...a "lake"...there will be even more ultrasound pictures next month. Yippee! (I mean not yippee about the abnormality. Yippee about more sneak peaks at baby boy. The NP reassured me that my placental lake is simply an incidental finding and should not adversely affect baby. SO YIPPEE! More pictures.)

Is it Friday yet?!?

I knew today was going to be a loooong day. Waiting for tomorrow to come. For my ultrasound. Waiting to find out who this baby is! I am like a kid on Christmas Eve...and anyone that knows me knows that means incredibly impatient!

What I didn't realize was that this day would feel like an eternity. Between Joe being at the hospital from 7 am until 11 pm and me being at home with a sick child...this day feels like it is never going to end. Seriously. It's a long, somewhat painful day around here. It probably doesn't help that Charlotte started coughing last night (around midnight) and joined us in our already too small full sized bed. Effectively waking us every 30 minutes (or less!) with her coughing/crying fits. Longest night ever. 

Today we are in full survival mode. Cartoons are on...continually. Snacks were placed at toddler level. Tubs of toys pulled out. And lunch today will probably consist of granola bars and string cheese (and Pepsi for me).  Keeping a two year old entertained (and safe!) while caring for a sick and demanding four year old is no easy task. We'll make it though. We always do. 

Despite the extra challenges today has presented me, I still have way too much time to ponder who it is I feel kicking and tumbling around inside my belly. Are you the baby brother your siblings want so badly?! Or are you the baby sister I suspect I am carrying?!

 

In less than 24 hours we should know. Until then I will drive myself bonkers trying to guess based on highly scientific methods like "I am carrying high this time. Just like Isaiah. Must be a boy." Or "I haven't had any acne. Must be another girl." That and I will be refreshing Facebook and Joe's email (looking for interview invites) way too many times. 

FAMILY CAMP!

Remember a long time ago when I made grand promises of sharing even more Montana pictures...and then I never did?! Yeah, me too. Vaguely. Oops. Sorry.


Today is the day I am making good on that promise. Be warned...there will be many, many pictures and very few words. As I mentioned earlier, the first part of our Montana trip was staying at my brother's house with his lovely family...

Seriously, what a good looking family! I snapped this picture as we were leaving...they all drove us out to the van and waved goodbye. Just a fun candid shot.  But first lets back up a bit. The week with them was a blast! Cousins playing and running free in the country (so unlike what I am accustomed to!). My kids loved all the playmates and mud and wide open spaces. Oh and all the good food. My sister-in-law sure knows how to feed a crowd. And we were lucky enough to be there to celebrate the youngest cousin's first birthday! That was a treat.

This last picture was all Charlotte's idea. She is her mother's daughter...

After our fun week with family, my kids, my parents and I headed over to camp for Labor Day Weekend Family Camp! Its a family tradition. My parents have attended every year since I was an infant...so...that's alotta years:) I hadn't been there since Isaiah was one. Needless to say, I was VERY excited to be back. And to introduce my children to one of my favorite places. (And it did not disappoint. Not in the least.)

Have you heard the cliche about having a child is to have your heart outside of your body? Or something like that?! Well let me tell you, watching your two year old go on a 500 foot zipline that is 40 feet in the air brings a whole new meaning to that phrase! She loved it! And was completely safe. Harnessed in with my mom. But still...6 seconds of pure terror for me.

I realize that Hannah looks terrified in that picture AND it doesn't look very scary. She was apprehensive beforehand, but LOVED it. She still talks about "flying fast. blue hat. Grandma."! Oh and it is scary...these pictures just don't show it well because it was dark. Here are some better examples with my big kids on the zipline. (Also scary to watch, but again they loved it! Seriously Isaiah went 9 times in a row one day!)

Charlotte went down the zipline with Grandma one time. After that she did it three times by herself! While I was still nervous, I was also very proud of her bravery.

It took a little convincing but each of my children also went off the big swing (a couple times each!). This was my favorite activity as a camper and had I not been pregnant I would have been swinging right along with them. Maybe next year:)  Hannah definitely enjoyed this activity the most out of all my kids. That girl loves a good swing!

Some other camp highlights for the kids included the climbing tower, "pony" rides, painting in the craft shop and the high ropes course for Isaiah. I mostly chased after children. I think my favorite was meal times...I take "eating for two" very serious. 

One of the staff members at camp asked Isaiah if he was fearless. His response "when I have a harness on!" I was SHOCKED at all the activities Isaiah participated in. He isn't known for being a daredevil, so I assumed he would keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. Ha! He proved me wrong. He was the youngest camper at family camp to do the high ropes course. Just when you think you know your kids well...they go and do something completely new/different:)

Somehow I didn't get an actual "family" picture at family camp. Erg. I guess we will just have to go back next year! Too bad no one had any fun...;)

He's HOME!

Joe rolled in around 2:30 Friday morning after an 11 hour drive. Even though I knew he would be arriving sometime during the middle of the night, I still got super scared when he woke me and I saw a figure looming over me in the dark:) I am a total scaredy cat!

We spent Friday doing thrilling things like taking children to & from school, registering our vehicles in Minnesota, buying groceries, unloading his car, applying (and testing for!) drivers licences, and getting Joe his very own library account set up. Truly exciting stuff. The girls were thrilled...

What could be better than the DMV on a Friday at lunch time?!?

Later today we plan on finishing unpacking both of our vehicles and cleaning them out. Like really cleaning them. Because we are hip and happening like that. :) In all seriousness though, we have been getting life stuff done AND having fun as a family.

Isaiah's soccer team remains undefeated. And he had a LARGE cheering section this Saturday morning which finally included daddy! We got out on Papa's pontoon for a spin around the lake. And Joe and I were able to get out last night WITHOUT children (the in-utero one doesn't count!) to celebrate Joe's little brother's 30th birthday. (I think that officially makes us old. Yikes.) Oh and today Isaiah finally lost his first tooth. That was a long time coming!

Despite the look of terror on his face in this picture, he really was/is excited about this milestone. As he was putting the tooth under his pillow he told me that losing this tooth makes him "suddenly feel older". I love it. And him. 

All of the kids have expressed in one way or another how excited they are to have their daddy home. But I had to laugh at Charlotte's assessment of the situation..."I am happy to be with my daddy. But his deals are tougher." And by deals she means he doesn't make deals with her. His no means no. And his yes means yes. There is no *one piece of candy* for cooperation or *prize* for finishing your dinner. Suffice it to say we definitely need some of his toughness around here. Especially at meal time and bedtime. Two and half hours of bedtime is ridiculous. I know that. But have been unable to change it. Hopefully daddy knows how. 

(PS - I am completely open to suggestions on how to get a two year old to fall asleep in her bed in under two hours. Our challenges are that she can climb out of her bed faster than you can blink and she shares a room with her siblings so she keeps them up as well! So frustrating.)

Charlotte's Birth Story

I guess I have baby on the brain...probably because there is only one more week until we find out who this baby is. But I have nothing more to prattle on about this yet-to-be born babe at the moment so I have decided to finally share Charlotte's birth story here. (Poor neglected middle child.)  Gory details and all. But first a little timeline and background information. Because context is important!

My graduation for my master's degree (Physician Assistant) was on May 15th, 2010. 

On May 24th I took my 8 hour long boards exam (which coincidentally was our 7th wedding anniversary as well). I passed!

Oh yes, somewhere between the 15th and the 24th Joe also took his MCAT in order to apply to medical school. 

May 27th was my due date. 

Not terribly relevant but June 1st was my 27th birthday.

Yeah. We cut it close. Very very close. Especially considering Isaiah arrived 10 days early! But this sweet baby girl took her time making her grand debut because...

On Thursday June 3rd I had my 41 week appointment with my family doctor, a third year resident. 41 weeks! I had never before (nor since) been that pregnant and miserably uncomfortable. Isaiah and I walked to my clinic that morning (after he finger painted my belly). My doctor ordered a non-stress test and ultrasound that morning. Both of which would have been a pleasant, relaxing experience had I not had a two year old with me to entertain (while strapped to a machine). We both survived. And naively I thought my doctor was going to send me on my merry way and see me again in a week. I had sort of resigned myself to being pregnant forever at that point! Instead she informed me that she had scheduled me for an induction the next morning at 7 am. That was Plan A. Apparently I had polyhydrammios, excessive amniotic fluid, and birth was the best solution. According to the ultrasound baby girl's estimated weight was 7 lbs (+/- half a pound). 

I left the clinic with a sense of urgency. It was my LAST DAY as a mom of one. It was Isaiah's LAST DAY as an only child! This day seemed too precious to waste. And yet our entire morning had been spent in the clinic (which felt wasteful). After calling my mom and telling her to pack her bag and make the drive to us and calling Joe's mom to tell her about the scheduled induction, I asked Isaiah what he wanted to do. I told him we would do ANYTHING he wanted. Without any hesitation he chose to go to a garage sale. I of course had no problem obliging him. I pushed him in the stroller to the first sale I could find. A church garage sale just a few blocks from our house. 

What I remember from that sale is that I found an adorable 6 month sized hot-pink-but-I-thought-it-was-red-cardigan for my not-yet-born daughter AND Isaiah had a (potty) accident all over the floor and announced it loudly to everyone in the church gym. I quickly wiped him and the floor up...the best I could with the three remaining baby wipes I had in the stroller, paid for my purchases and made my hasty waddle/run and red-faced exit. Oh and grabbed a headband with bunny ears from the free box on my way out:)

The rest of the day consisted of lunch, nap time, family dinner and finally miniature golf as a family of three. (I guess we were trying to sweeten the becoming-a-big-brother deal?!?) My mom arrived that evening and we stayed up WAY TOO late chatting. It was definitely after midnight when I crawled into bed next to a sleeping Joe. 

A little after 1 am I was woken by a strong wrapping around my belly and including my back contraction. It lasted for what felt like an eternity. And then two minutes later it happened again. I was reluctant to believe that labor was truly beginning. But at the same time these contractions were INTENSE. Take your breath away and stop everything you are doing painful. I slowly made my way to the bathroom and filled up the tub with warm water. (Joe was still sleeping and completely oblivious to my change in condition.) After about 15 minutes and half a dozen strong contractions in the tub I decided to call labor and delivery and ask for their opinion on my situation. After a few questions the nurse interrupted me and instructed me to come to the hospital immediately. I was a bit surprised as I had only been in labor for about 30 minutes but at the same time I was concerned if I didn't move right then I wouldn't be able to get out of the tub later (because the contractions were so strong and close together). 

I somehow managed to get out of our claw foot tub, get dressed, take a last picture of Isaiah as an only (sleeping) child, and wake Joe. His first response was "Ok. Well just wake me when we need to go in" and he rolled over and went back to sleep! A few minutes later I had Joe fully awake and convinced it was the real deal. He went to the basement to update my mom on the situation and then we took this last belly picture between contractions...

(a much cuter picture. Isaiah's last picture as an only child.)

It was (and is) a horrible picture of me! And I didn't even care. That should have been my first clue that this labor was really happening!  At this point Joe still wanted to walk to the hospital. We only lived four blocks away and he thought it would be fun to someday say to our daughter, "Your mother walked to the hospital when she was in labor with you. So what was your complaint again?" I refused. So he drove me and my big old contracting belly there. 

I distinctly remember seeing the time on the clock when we arrived. 2:23 am. And I remember trying to be pleasant with the desk attendant. I also remember being annoyed that she pushed me so slowly to labor and delivery. I just wanted to be there already! Once we arrived at the promised land of L&D the nurse I had spoken to brought me to my room, gave me instructions to "take everything off and put on the gown, opening in the back". I went into the bathroom and tried to be obedient. I really did. But those darn contractions were making it impossible to undress! Finally I emerged with the my sports bra still on and the gown haphazardly draped across my body. Joe gently reminded me that I was supposed to be completely undressed under the gown. I growled at him and gladly climbed into the hospital bed.

The nurse returned and got me all hooked up and settled in. Another nurse immediately came in and started filling the birthing tub (right next to my bed). I was planning on a water birth. Plan B.  It was at this point I was informed that my doctor had been called and she was on her way. All without anyone checking a single contraction on the monitor (or my dilation for that matter!). I was shocked. And felt that maybe they were being a bit hasty?!? At the same time I was beginning to accept the fact that this was really happening and fast. Besides the ridiculously painful and frequent contractions, my biggest clue was the fact that the nurses never left my room. (Thanks to my OB rotation in PA school and from my previous labor experience, I knew that meant the end was near...the nurses don't stick around unless its go time.)

My doctor arrived around 3:15 am. By that point I was in my birthing zone. We had the radio playing softly in the background. My nurse was a constant presence on my right. And Joe was to my left putting pressure on my lower back. She checked me and declared me at 8-9 centimeters. What?!? I was in disbelief. That was amazing good news. But there was bad news. I wouldn't be able to attempt a water birth because baby girl was a "hand presentation". Meaning she was trying to come out hand first. So that moved us to Plan C, regular vaginal delivery sans water. After a few more contractions and (internal) manipulations by my doctor, baby girl pulled her hand in and was declared a "head presentation". But I still wasn't allowed to get in the tub:(  I vaguely remember being told baby wasn't in the perfect position and I was asked to go on all fours on the bed and "relax". Ha! Again I tried to be compliant. But it felt like torture. All I wanted was to lie down on my right side and have Joe apply pressure to my lower back. So that is exactly what I did. 

Around 4:30 am I was declared complete and the pushing began. During one of my first "practice pushes" my water broke and sprayed (like a hose!!) all over my still-in-her-regular-clothes doctor. Oops. I felt terrible (for her) but the relief it gave me was phenomenal. That's when things got real. My doctor changed into scrubs and all the birthing + baby paraphernalia was wheeled into my room. I pushed. And pushed. And pushed. But it felt wrong to me. It felt different than my first delivery. And it felt like it wasn't working. This "wrong" feeling I had also made me afraid. Afraid of what I am not quite sure. Somewhere in middle of this pushing my doctor explained to me that the baby was OP (occiput posterior) - in layman's term she was sunny side up - but angled to one side. She also had her head arched back instead of tucked in. So instead of being able to feel her fontanel (soft spot) my doctor could feel her forehead and then eventually her eyebrows/sockets. It was at this point, nearly an hour into pushing that the on-call OB came in and gave his opinion of the situation.

He felt a c-section was necessary. And despite really not wanting to undergo surgery (especially after experiencing labor and an attempted delivery), I agreed immediately. I was given the option to try a bit longer, but I just knew baby girl needed a different escape route. It felt like the right choice. I immediately had peace with the decision.

What didn't feel right was being told to stop pushing and just relax. Um yeah! That felt impossible. My contractions were right on top of each other. I was fully dilated. And my body wanted that baby OUT! I literally had to cross my legs to stop myself from pushing with each contraction. I had not had any pain medication (nor an epidural) at this point because I hadn't needed it. NOW I NEEDED IT and made my request known. Unfortunately I got nothing until 30 minutes later when I was rolled into the OR and my spinal was placed. That blessed spinal. It was the best. I immediately relaxed and was so excited to meet my daughter.

What felt like hours later (oh the anticipation!) but was in fact only minutes later at 6:26 am I saw her for the first time...

My daughter. 

And then just like that they were whisking her away. I assumed something was wrong so I sent Joe to be with her. He returned minutes later to inform me everything was great. No problems. When I asked further he told me she looked like a bulldog. My NEWBORN BABY a bulldog?!? What?! This description prompted me to send him back out to take more pictures of my baby so I could more accurately assess this situation. He returned with this picture...

I agree her face was a little swollen and red, but a bulldog? I think not. I thought she was (and is!) the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen!

Joe again went to be with our yet-to-be-named daughter while the surgeon was putting me back together. I thought I was going to be anxious to get out of the OR and reunited with my daughter, but I was strangely calm and relaxed. I think I might have even dozed off once or twice:) Joe returned to me one more time to inform me that our baby weighed in at 9 pounds even and was 21 1/4 inches long. I didn't believe him. I thought he was joking. (The ultrasound they day before estimated her weight a whole two pounds lighter!) Getting out of surgery and seeing and holding my daughter was THE BEST moment.  

Almost as good was introducing Isaiah to his new baby sister...Charlotte Esme. 

Officially a family of four!

Want more birth stories? 

Baby #1...HERE

Baby #3...HERE

More Lessons from my Minivan

Driving the kids home school the other day, Charlotte randomly blurted out this question...

Mom how do you know when you have a baby in your tummy?

I decided to try the easy answer first. 

Well your tummy gets bigger.

She wasn't buying it. She wanted to know how you know before your tummy got big. So I gathered all my wits about me and dove in deep. Not so deep as to discuss the actual baby making process, but a biology lesson of sorts for a four year old (and seven year old because of course he was listening at this point too)!

Thankfully my kids already have some background knowledge on menstrual cycles. NO they don't know the words "menstruation" or "period". But after one too many bathroom intrusions at inconvenient times, I decided to tell them factually what tampons and pads were and why women need them (this was probably about a year ago).  So before today they knew the following facts:

1. The body makes blood to carry nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body. 

2. Women have a uterus for carrying babies. (Although clearly this fact/term was forgotten by Charlotte.) 

3. Every month a woman's body makes extra blood to prepare for a baby in the uterus. Because a growing baby needs nutrients and oxygen too!

4. If there is no baby growing in the uterus then the woman's body gets rid of it. Hence the need for feminine products. 

So today I quickly reviewed facts 1-4 with the kids and then we made the small (and obvious) jump to what changes when a baby is in fact growing in a woman's "tummy". The blood stays in because the baby needs it. And that is how a woman knows there is a baby. 

It turned out to be a pretty easy conversation to have. And they understood almost immediately (or at least I assume so due to the lack of follow up questions). 

Science for the win! That's what happens when you live in a house with two medical parents:) 

I have to admit, I felt like a parenting genius being able to answer this question so easily and factually. Does that mean I am ready to answer the "how are babies made" question?! Um. No. No! NO! I fear the day I am asked that one! For now I have skirted this topic by giving a generic "God decides when a mommy will grow a baby" statement. True. But far less scientific of me:) 

Maybe I am not a genius. Maybe all parents teach their kids these facts from a young age. I don't know. Regardless I thought it was an easy way to discuss a somewhat uncomfortable topic. Now if only my four year old would accept my explanations as to why she has to wear a coat on cold days or take a bath (every great once in a while!) or eat food. Then I really would be a parenting genius! 

ERAS

Today is the day that Joe finally applies for residency. He uploaded all the information. Now it's just a matter of hitting SUBMIT, paying the (somewhat atrocious) application fees and waiting for interview offers. It's out of our hands at this point. And I kinda like that. He (we) have done our best. And hopefully residency programs think that is good enough.

Only 186 days until MATCH DAY! 

That's all I've got today...

That AND a toddler that won't stay off the counter! Oh and stainless steel pans that have eggs and pancakes burnt/crusted onto them to deal with:( But really the only thing I will be thinking about is residency interviews...hoping they come rolling in. 

Update: Still waiting to apply. The system crashed. No surprise there.

Currently

A little late to the party...okay A LOT late to the party, but better late than never right?! What I am trying to say is today I am linking up with A Mama Collective this week at the very last minute. I have a lot of random things to share so I thought this format might work perfectly. Plus I love a fun link-up:)

Thinking about...who this fourth baby is. I am so so so curious. Is it a boy or a girl?!? Ack. The suspense is killing me. We will find out the gender in two weeks. Soon I will know. I have never before felt this strong of a desire to know the gender of my baby. I have always enjoyed the surprise in the delivery room. But it's different this time. I want to know what this baby is....so I can picture WHO will be completing our family. Maybe it's because I assume this will be our last baby. Or maybe it's because I have a strong preference (ahem...boy:). Or maybe it's because I am already set on one boy name and one girl name so I want to call him/her by the correct name. I don't know. I just know I really want to know WHO is in there!

Making...um nothing?! Seriously I have NO craft projects in progress at the moment. And my mom has been doing 99.9% of the cooking and baking since we moved here. So yeah, I got nothing! Does making plans count? Because Joe will be here in a week (and will be staying for 4 weeks! Yay. Yay. Yay!) so I am making lots of plans for us during his time here. Mostly re-connecting with old friends.

Reading...Charlotte's Web. Out loud a chapter each night to the kids' at bedtime. Next book on the kids' docket is the Hardy Boys (only because I found it at the library tonight. I am seriously open to suggestions for good read aloud chapter books appropriate for a 7 & 4 year old. Any ideas?) In regards to my reading...well it has been pathetic ever since Hannah was born...2 years ago! Seriously I am yet to complete a book in its entirety! But I am determined to change that, so tonight I picked up (what I assume will be) an easy read to get me back into reading - Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green. (I can't completely blame child #3 for my lack of reading. Her birth/long nursing sessions is when I discovered BLOGS. Blog reading quickly became an obsession for me and somehow replaced actual books:)

Listening to...the white noise of the air purifier and my children's sleepy breathing noises...due to the fact that I have been sleeping in their room ever since we moved here. Which I realize is a terrible TERRIBLE habit, especially in light of the fact that...

Thankful for...Joe will be home in ONE WEEK!!! (And I am sure he would rather I sleep in the same room as him and NOT with the kids:)Can't wait to see his handsome face and not just via facetime!  Oh and Joe was offered his first residency interview. Which at the moment feels HUGE and AWESOME!! And it makes it seem like there is a light at the end of this tunnel. 

Loving...this magic maker...

Seriously it's amazing! It actually makes my hair wavy/curly. Which is no small feat with my mop of stick straight locks. I never thought I would be able to create the "messy beach wave" look, but (thankfully) I was wrong! I love it! And want to know what makes this an even sweeter situation? Someone gave me this curling wand for FREE. That someone is an internet friend. Meaning I have never met her. Yet she generously mailed me this wand out of the kindness of her heart! Aren't people great? I think so. Oh and after Isaiah saw me with my new hair style yesterday he told me I look like a teenager...if I weren't pregnant:)