Wordless Wednesday: Have A Smile

How Do You Clean This Up?

Into the shower -- clothes and all.  

And high chair too. 

BabyBug's Birth Story

~I'm a little sad to realize this is the last one I'm going to write ~

Really, BabyBug's birth story starts on October 23rd.  We had gone to the mall to interview a perspective sitter and decided to have dinner at Farrell's.  While we were there, my water broke.  It wasn't a break so much as it was a slow leak... which is why I didn't realize my water had broken.  I thought I had peed.  You would have thought I would have known better since it was my fourth pregnancy... 

So we went home.  I changed, bathed the other three, and we all went to bed.  I remember mentioning in passing to my husband that I thought maybe my water broke, but I was pretty sure it was just pee.  

He wanted to go to the hospital right then and check.  But we lived 30 minutes away from the hospital and I was sure, with our luck, we would be sent back home.  Plus, I had a doctor's appointment the next day.  Added to that, we had three other kids and I didn't want to call in my sisters to watch them for a false alarm.   I asked him if we could just wait and he reluctantly agreed.

The next morning, I realized I hadn't felt BabyBug move in a good few hours.  As an insulin dependent gestational diabetic with a history of difficult pregnancies, this was a bit worrisome.  I mentioned it to my doctor and she immediately sent me over to L & D to be monitored.  Tom and BabyGirlie were with me, so away we went.  

Naturally, as soon as they hooked me up to the monitor, BabyBug decided to have a dance off.  So the nurse -- super cool Nurse Jenny, who helped deliver Baby Girlie and told me I could come back anytime to have a baby, as mentioned here -- was about to unhook me and send me home when Tom said, "Wait.  Can you check her first?  I think her water broke last night."

So they checked me and - Yup! - my water had broken.  My husband still gloats about that.

Since I wasn't having any contractions, they decided to start them with some pitocin.  Tom left to take BabyGirlie home and get the other kiddos set up with my sisters, and I took a nap. 

The labor progressed normally from there on out -- until I was ready to start pushing.  At that point, the baby got stuck.  Why did she get stuck?  Because she tried to come out hands first, face up, shouting "WHEEEEEEEE!" like she was going down a slide.  

The L&D nurses immediately spang into action.  They shoved Tom out of the way, and two of them pushed on my stomach while the doctor yanked and I pushed.  I have an image of the doctor bracing both her feet on the L&D table and pushing backward, back arched and grunting, but that probably didn't happen.

BabyBug eventually popped out -- all NINE LBS TWO OZS of her.  Yeah, the ultrasound that told me she would be 7.12?  Bullsh#$.  

The doctor took one look at her and went, "That is a BIG baby."  Thanks.  Made me feel awesome.  

They measured her and tested her and warmed her -- while I sat crying because I wanted her on my chest and they wouldn't give her to me.  Tom eventually got fed up with that nonsense, plucked her out of the nurse's hands, and brought her to me.  

And that is how our family was completed.  

 

~~2 side notes~~

First: My sister was trying to Facetime with me while I was pushing so I could say good night to the kids.  That would have traumatized everyone.

Secondly - Since BabyBug's birth was my last, I got the mirror to see what was happening.  Oh. Dear. God.  If you ever have that option -- don't. 

Happy 1st Birthday Chunky Monkey Baby Girl!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest baby ...

... With the largest temper ...

... And most cheerful smile ...

 ... and the largest appetite....

...and one of the biggest propensities for trouble I have ever seen...

... And the most intent face in a child...

... --Did I mention largest appetite? -- ...

... And the BEST crocodile tears...

... And who is the most joyful...

... And the singing - est 1 Year Old I Know!

Happy 1st Birthday BabyBug!

Mommy Loves You!

Wordless Wednesday: Why Not?

A Letter to My Daughter on her 16th birthday

 To my Darling Girl,

I am listening to you right now, tickling the baby, both of you dissolving into fits of laughter.  It is a magical sound -- music to my heart and bringing tears to my eyes. 

I love you my sweet little stubborn monkey.  I can't imagine you at 16 -- I can only see you as you are today -- cheerful and happy with a stubborn streak and a rolling temper when you don't get your way; a little girl who sings the ABCs by injecting an s after every few letters (ABCD S FGK S MNOP S TQV S XYZ S); a doll baby who runs in circles screaming "Sase me! Sase me!"; a little devil who beats the crap out her brother on a regular basis; a smart little cookie who hands me her trash with a very clear "Aw Done.  Put in can now Momma."

You are my sweet third baby -- I can't imagine my life without you.

I am not sure what you are at sixteen.  I know how hard the teenage years can be.  I know that it is easy to pretend to like what your friends do to fit it in.  I know how much simpler it is to be quiet in the face of injustice.  I know that it can seem better to avert your eyes when you see something you don't like.

I hope you don't do those things.  I hope you don't take the easy route.  Don't make your life hard just to make it hard -- no one likes a martyr -- but if the choice is what is easy and wrong, or hard and right, I hope you chose hard and right.

I hope that you have friends who will be true friends -- friends where you don't have to be clones of one another but can be friends just the same, with each of you bringing something unique to the friendship, something that makes the others stronger.

I hope you speak up in the face of injustice, that you meet what you don't like head on.  I hope you know that I will ALWAYS defend you if you are speaking the truth and standing up for right.

I hope you know that I love you, even when we don't agree.  That I am sure you will have interests that I don't understand or agree with -- but I will embrace them because they are yours and I love you.
I hope you have the strength to create, and the intelligence to see things beyond the narrow world view that is too often forced on us by society.  I hope you can see perspective and understand true problems.  I hope you can empathize and prioritize.  I hope you are not afraid to ask questions and that you are not afraid to hear the word no.  Failure is inevitable but it does not mean you are weak.  Choosing how you will respond to that failure is what makes you strong.   I hope to God you have the strength to get up and try again.

You have fighter's heart, my love.  Use it for good, not evil.  Use it fight for the little guy, to support those who have been deserted, to stand up to bullies, to show the world who you are.

You are important.  You are smart.  You are worthy.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Fight for what matters to you.  And don't ever stop.

I love you my darling girl.  I hope you know you can talk to me about anything.

Love,

Mom

Wordless Wednesday: Why Be In the Game Mom, When I Can Take Pictures OF the Game?

A Letter To My Daughter on her 20th birthday ...

To My Darling Girl --

Today you are six.  But you are twenty as you read this.

I wonder who you are. 

I wonder if you are finishing college or if you have taken a different path. I wonder if we will be close like we are now.  I wonder what direction your life is taking you in.

I hope you know that I love you.  That I love you so much it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.  That I think you are intelligent, and awesome, and funny, and beautiful inside and out.  I hope you know that about yourself too.

My darling girl, I look at six year old you and I know that you will move mountains.  You have an inner strength that I am jealous of -- your ability to stand up in the face of injustice is commendable.  Please don't ever lose that.  Even when it is hard, standing up for what is right takes a strength of character that will serve you as a guide for all of your life.

I hope that you listen.  That you can hear -- truly hear what people are saying even when they use the wrong words.  That you hear intent.  That you are able to be kind -- even when all you want to do is punch someone in the face. 

I hope you are still kind and loving to your brother and sisters.  They will be with you for much longer than I will - nurture the family that you have.  Don't take them for granted.

I hope you are responsible.  Not just for yourself, but for your words, your actions, your family.  Your community.  Your job.  Your world.  We are part of something bigger than ourselves -- please take care of it. 

I hope you are different than the pack.  I understand the desire to fit in -- the deep down fear of being different.  But remember -- you will gain nothing if you stick with the pack.  It is only by branching out, by taking chances, that you will learn and grow.  I'm not saying to be an isolationist -- I'm saying to be an individual.   

And remember -- other people's opinions of you are none of your business.  This is a hard one to swallow -- one I struggle with on a daily basis.  It's so easy to say -- I want them to like me.  It's important to remember that not everyone is going to like you -- just like you don't like everyone you meet.  You will live a much happier life if your opinion about yourself is the only one that matters.

I hope you do good.  I don't worry about you doing well -- I want you to do good. I hope you go to bed every night and think -- "Today I did good for others." 

I love you, my brave girl. 

I hope you know you can talk to me about anything.

Love,

Mom

 

Apple Picking

A few weeks ago, my sisters and I took our families up to Oak Glen to go apple and berry picking.  

 Berry picking was painful -- there were a lot of what my son called "Pokey Balls." (I know.  I know.  I snickered like a 12 year old boy too.)

 And apple picking was joke -- $15 for one bag to fill.  

But the kids absolutely loved it.  

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: This is what a bad influence looks like :)

Yup... the baby is learning...

I May Have Bitten Off More Than I Can Chew....

My life has gone from normal, happy, busy chaos to oh-dear-God-what-was-I-thinking chaos.

Why?

Other than the 4 kids, husband, dog, and large extended family, you mean?

My partner trainer just quit.  Which means that I am doing 2 jobs for the pay of 1 until they hire someone new.

My supervisor told me they are planning on hiring someone new in December.

So other than working 80 hours a week (from home!) and taking care of my family....

... I am also teaching college classes one night a week.

... And team mom for my son's soccer team.

... And room mom for my daughter's classroom.

... And organizer of my mom's club.

... And I volunteer in my daughter's class once a week.

... And I am now writing curriculum for my school (Common Core, baby!)

... And I'm helping plan a bridal shower and a baby shower.

... And I'm planning BabyBug's first birthday.

... And our fridge broke.  

... And these Santa Anas?  Yeah, I'm sick.  

My house looks like a tornado lifted it up, spun it 180 degrees and then crashed it back down.

My children now think that chicken nuggets are a meal staple.

I'm pretty sure the baby said "Oh s&*t," the other day... but I'm too tired to care. 

I finally caved and took some time for myself to get my nails done.  I fell asleep in the chair.  My nails look like crap.  But I tipped well because they didn't wake me up.

So that is why I have disappeared from my life for a bit.

It needs to be December all ready.