E Pro-rollin

E loves to roll and has often rolled pretty far across our living room well now she's realized she can roll to specific things. Here's a video of rolling to me today! So cute, watch out for a baby on the roll :P

Kids Say 2

I try and keep track of some of the amusing, cute things the kids come up with and today I'm sharing the second post of some of these.
First post is here.
Enjoy :) and I'm sure there will be many more to come!

11/25
Mom:What's on your shirt J?
J:I think it's it's kind of a Cock a Doodle doo [describing the turkey on his shirt)
-
What the kids are Thankful for:
J:"trains to ride on", "nummies,"and "Ami and Ibu"
C:Thanksgiving, Turkey, Watching Movies, and "Water to drink when we're thirsty" and "Food to eat when we're hungry."

11/26
C:Is I thirsty?
Daddy: You mean 'Am I thirsty?'
C: Didn't I say that?
-

C:I'm lots of pretty and I'm ready to go to the business
(while wearing sunglasses and hairbows)
To J
C:Are you lots of pretty?
J:No...
C:Are you lots of handsome?
J:Okay I'm handsome

11/29
C:I'm freaking out because I lost my book
(the night before Mommy was freaking out because she misplaced a bill, someone was paying more attention than I realized lol)

11/30
Mommy: Did you build a castle?
J:No it's a house for my car and my dog

12/7/10
A neighbor put their 2 big dogs in red sweaters for their walk today, C and J were so excited, jumping at the window yelling
"They're Christmas Dogs, they're Christmas dogs!!!!"

C then made a song for this:
"Christmas doggies everywhere, Christmas doggies with red hair. Christmas Doggies! Christmas doggies!"

12/27/10
C:It's snowing again that means it's Christmas again!

12/2010
C and J term:Extra size
"It's Mommy/Daddy/Eva extra size!" Usually Mommy/Daddy=Big Eva=small

1/3/11
To Mommy
C:Daddy can't eat right now, he has a cute little girl sitting on him
(while she's sitting on his lap)

1/5/11
Mommy to C: Why are you wearing Jojo's pants?
C:"I told Daddy they weren't mine, They have a red button on them"
"Jojo's pants have red buttons not mine"
(Long dramatic sigh) "I was right"

1/8/11
C:Daddy I pooped! Will you come wipe me?
Daddy:Why should I wipe you, don't you want Mommy to?
C:No Daddy it's your problem! It's your size poop!

1/8/11
I told C I was crazy and it was okay to call me crazy
Her response: "Mommy I don't say that word, and I think you're the best Mommy in the whole wide world!"

1/16/11
Getting dressed, J is putting on button up pants
C is changing from previous button pants Both are having issues with the buttons
J:Mommy I want you to button me in
C:And then I want you to button me out

1/25/11
J (to C): I'm mad at you
C:Well you should remember, I'm a princess

1/26/11
C(waking up J):"Good Morning Prince Buzz Lightyear!"

1/29/11
J: Should I be Buzz Lightyear or a Cowboy today?

1/30/11
Mommy: J who's your best friend?
J: You are Mommy :)

Mommy:C who's your best friend?
C: Ami! And you too Mommy! And Jojo too!

Crazy Weather

So once again Georgia Winter Weather has surprised us. We've had snow storms, rain storms, ice storms, and just a general chill the last few weeks but now the last few days have been shorts weather.

Out of nowhere we're now back in the 60s and 70s. Today was beautiful and the kids loved it. Going outside was even more refreshing for all of us. They also loved getting to spend extra time on their playground with Daddy too.

With the change in weather it seems like there's been a change in mood in many of the people I know. We all seem a lot more positive and relieved to no longer feel as restricted to our houses.

The kids are so much happier and sleeping better after really getting to burn off all that toddler energy.

Unfortunately despite the change in weather you can definitely still tell it's Winter if you talk to people about their health. So many bugs are still going around that we are still a little restricted on our activities. Praying we can avoid most of those various viruses this year and if we somehow get anything it's gone fast and as mild as possible.

But never the less being able to go out more, even at home, definitely makes a difference too.

I'm not betting on this weather to stick around. Especially since the last couple years we've had snowstorms out of the blue in March even, but we're definitely taking advantage of the good times in Georgia's crazy weather while it lasts.

Hope everyone else is enjoying the beautiful outdoors right now as well! And of course staying well!

And Just Play

I had a lot of updates today and all had the theme of play. I broke these into three posts in an attempt to not overwhelm too much. Since my point and shoot is available again I've gone a little click happy making up for lost time. Ignore quality since this was definitely all part of our play but here's a few pics from today of my little ones playing together. I love watching them play and working out how they fit together all three :)

Talking to E (as she babbled back)

Smiling Sisters

Shaking hands with Sis (after she pulled herself up and sat unassisted a bit)


Talking with Big bro

Not sure about this Mommy (J giving hugs)

Playdate

The kids and I had a wonderful first play date of the year today. One of the ICAN mommies hosted and it was great. Thanks so much to her! The kids had a wonderful time and were thoroughly worn out afterward (the sign of any good play date I think).

After weeks of snow, travel, sick friends, and having moved to a new side of town and been shut in more often in E's first few weeks it was wonderful to rejoin society in a sense as a mom of three. I hope this meet up will continue and also that we can make some new friends in the area closer to our house in the weeks to come as well, and hopefully reconnect with some relatives too.

I am worn out still from this morning's play but it was definitely completely worth the drive out to Alpharetta and bit of tiredness now. C and J loved making some new friends, as did I.

Playground!

The kids have had so much fun this week playing on their new swing and slide set in the backyard. They have been asking all day every day (in between trips outside) "When do we get to go play on our playground again?" They're so excited by the little set which is all theirs and right outside (they even check on it before they go to bed lol). The nice weather has been very welcome to add more outdoor time to our schedule, though it's still chilly enough that we have hot chocolate time when we come in sometimes.

My in-laws got us a Little Tykes set because it's more mobile and perfect for E to grow into too (we plan to get a bigger wooden set when we buy our own house eventually) but right now that might as well be the biggest best playset in the world in C and J's eyes :)



Chasing airplanes in the yard before going inside

E welcoming us back inside (she was napping next to Daddy though other days she's gone with us in the Ergo)

Sweet Feet

I finally got my point and shoot camera cleared (still need to empty the dslr)so I wanted to share a couple pics of E today. She's been fascinated with her feet for awhile now but just recently started fully "eating" them and using them as a paci replacement.
Smiling behind her foot

"Let's see how far we can cram it in there"

Amusing Stressful Moments-Today's Chips

Today I have found a break for some blog time earlier than usual, thanks to Daddy getting out and home early.

We've had a nice day today overall but did have a pretty big, crazy moment which C and J got in a lot of trouble for. The kids were going between their room and the living room playing kitchen and baking. I checked on their room and all was in order and relatively organized despite a morning of playing and only a few play dishes were roaming the living room. I sat down to nurse E in the living room. C and J were going back and forth still. Well J came out and went to the bathroom....I thought.

I hear a rustling from the kitchen and see a small hand pushing a bag up onto the counter.....I ask J what are you doing? And J bolts (in that ever so common fashion of the obviously guilty child) back to his room.

E was not too happy about the break in nursing but I sat her in the swing and went to investigate. And I find C and J hiding under blankets....with several bowls full of Daddy's Tomato and Basil chips on the carpet around them. Of course there are chips everywhere and the carpet, along with their faces and hands have taken on a red tint.

After a long conversation, clean up, and loss of tv time and kitchen toys for the rest of the day I was able to return to E (C and J still apologizing sweetly) and sit and think about how much "fun" that was. And I thought of how as messy and horrible as that mess was. That it's still definitely a moment and a memory I'll cherish someday....after I deep clean the carpets lol.

My Mother-in-law called shortly after and laughed as I recounted the events. She said how it's one more step in the kids independence and testing and one more thing that I'll have to tell them about when they have their own kids.

Part of the payback for our own childhood as well as one of the stressful yet amusing moments of parenthood. She told me how I should be thankful today was only chips. Because she's seen it all with her three and before I know it they may be bringing me "cakes" of molasses, flour, cookies, cereal, chips,...and anything else they can reach on the counters or from the cabinets.

Thinking about this. And what my siblings and I have challenged our parents with at this age I'm able to look at Today's Chips as a more amusing challenge for me to take on.

As a parent you often must sigh, laugh, and move on. Hope the kids learn the lesson, and it (or something worse) doesn't happen again but if it does just be ready to take it on once again and try to look at the amusing side in the long run more than the stressful side. This to shall pass and it's definitely one more wonderful somewhat stressful memory lol.

Dreaming

For several weeks now E has been dreaming. Maybe it's been longer but this is the time I've seen her laughing and grinning with that smile that lights up every inch of her face, with her eyes completely closed. I always have thought how precious it is to watch a baby sleep to wonder what's making them so happy when they dream and to watch them just so content and peaceful. Their chest raising back and forth, every tiny movement seems so amplified in that quiet moment and so precious.

Unfortunately this week E has also started having bad dreams. Her forehead will start to frown and then her lower lip will form a pout. She may let out a tiny troubled moan and if not reassured all is well somehow she'll cry the specific pitch and tone that let me know she's not hungry or wet, she just needs that comfort and reassurance all is okay.

It breaks my heart to see my babies having bad dreams. Both my girls have had stronger dreams from the start it seems. J has missed out on these thus far (knock on wood). C has often told us her long dreams when she wakes up in the morning. I blame myself because of my own vivid dreams. While Daddy on the other hand, like J, can only remember one dream he's ever had.

I've had strong dreams since childhood. Even now I still wake up from dreams not always sure what the reality is. As a child my mother had to comfort me sometimes in the middle of the night when I had my bad dreams and now that job has gone to hubby. He's always so sweet and patient to listen to my crazy dreams, laugh at the joyful ones, and hold me close and tell me all is alright after the nightmares.

Overall for C and E their dreams are more happy still but there are still the occasional scary ones. C has cried out in her sleep and thrashed against the nightmares as we've slowly comforted her as she came out of it. E usually will settle and return to her smiley self if I simply place my palm on her chest or if I cradle her and rock her against me, so she can hear my heartbeat and know all is all right.

I wonder about dreams. What my little ones are dreaming now and what I have dreamed in the past. I definitely know many dreams are just nonsense, the result of an overactive imagination or bad late night movie, but some do mean more as well I think.

My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and I have actually all had dreams about some of the births in our family. My mom dreamed of my brother as a blond haired baby boy (when she thought their was no chance of her having a blond baby and my older sister was only a few months old). Mema dreamed about my nephew's birth around the same time I dreamt my sister had 5 boys. I remember talking with my grandmother about it and her saying how my great grandmother and namesake also had dreams like that.

Before I found out I was expecting C I had a dream I had a blond little girl with me and I woke having sleep walked to the bathroom and tested, to a positive result. Then later in C's pregnancy I dreamt I was telling a man my daughter's name and he wrote my son's name under it (it began with a J). I told him "No I'm having a girl, this is her name" he said "Yes and you will have a boy too." I then saw a toddler girl and baby boy and awoke. Little did I know, that despite the mini-pill and breastfeeding a year later sure enough my little boy would arrive. Also the night before I tested for J's pregnancy I actually dreamt my cousin and I both had baby boys. I found out I was expecting the next day she found out a month later. When my aunt told me I told her my dream but left out the gender (just in case I was just going crazy lol) but sure enough.

I also dreamt about my miscarriage and that unfortunately also came true. And I dreamt about the precious little girl who would come after that, though my dreams really didn't do E justice.

I know this may sound crazy and I don't take them all seriously but with a grain of salt and a lot of trust that if it's meant to be, good or bad, dreamt or not it will be. God is my guiding light and I definitely don't think all my dreams will come true (literally) but as I see my girls dream and still have such vivid dreams myself and look back on my family's dreams. I often wonder.

I think whether our dreams are actual events or reflections on our past memories or current emotions that dreams do mean a lot more than we often give them credit for. I hope my little ones' dreams are happy and there are many more smiles than tears. And I will always let them climb into the big bed for snuggles if they're awoken by a dream in the middle of the night and listen to their good dreams and bad recounted.

And I will always tell them how they are better than I could have ever dreamed of.

Princess Requirements

So I've mentioned before that C is in her "Princess" stage. She loves everything Princess. She calls herself a Princess. She tells me what princesses do, what they eat, how they act, how they sing, and whatever else she can come up with about Princesses.

She also has set up several requirements as to what she must do as a Princess. The first of these developed after she saw a show that mentioned "Princesses don't make others do things for them, Princesses help get the job done." At the time I didn't think it would stick and didn't mind since C is very helpful already but it has. C loves to say how Princesses are kind and they help, they don't boss (nice that Princesses have changed in this way since I was little).

C was also given a book of Disney Princesses Manners which she has also added to her list of daily princess requirements: Princesses say "Please and Thank you" (which she did already but still nice reinforcement). Princesses clean up (like Snow White). Princesses forgive (like Cinderella with her step sisters) and so on.

Now on top of all these Mommy and Daddy may have mentioned a few things that have also been integrated into the Princess Routine. C has decided after Mommy and Daddy mentioned some things in passing.

Princesses go to bed early because Princesses don't want bags under their eyes.

Princesses are beautiful inside as well as out.

Princesses eat healthy things because they make you beautiful.

Princesses don't like too many sweets.

Princesses brush their teeth twice a day...at least.

Now we did not tell her the above things we told her "If you don't go to bed you'll have bags under your eyes like Mommy" and "You don't want too many sweets that's unhealthy, how bout an apple instead" and she has taken all this and more and made it part of the Princess requirements.

Though she's not always the most peaceful princess (she is three after all and what princess is peaceful all the time lol). C is definitely the kindest, most concerned, healthiest, Princess I've met yet. And I love hearing daily what Princess Requirements she'll come up with next.

Also in the kindness of Princesses she's allowed J to follow her in doing all the Princess requirements (though he says he's a Robot or Peter Pan..."But Peter Pans want to be handsome and healthy too!!!") and C's already told E that when she gets older she can be a princess too :)

Looking Back

Well I didn't resume my photo taking today as planned. C and J were just not having it. I think they were a bit worn out still from the excitement of the weekend. So the day became more about keeping the peace and less about trying to empty the camera card. Hoping tomorrow they are back to their old selves.

Another day without taking new pics did allow me to look at some of my old pics I haven't shared so I figured I would share a few tonight and hopefully some of C and J's baby pics later this week.

Here are a couple of E's Maternity Shoot/C and J's 3 and 2 year pics/Last Family of 4 Pics, and E's Newborn shoot! I loved how these turned out. All taken by Nathan Fowler.

A Camera Free Weekend, & A Resolution/Request

Well I know I've been slacking on the photos the last couple days. This originally was not by choice, but necessity. Both my cameras were completely full and being the slightly obsessive woman I am at times, clearing out a memory card is no easy task for me. I don't trust putting my digital files in only one place so I don't only back up files on my laptop as I need to I also do massive information dumps to my portable hard drive and often to my desktop as well. I'm also hoping to buy some sort of online file storage in the future as well and eventually spend a small fortune on printing absolutely everything.

Anyway so I haven't had the time to do that yet and with my mom coming to visit the task got pushed further back on the priority list, but despite the twinges of disappointment at not having photos of some of the cute moments the past few days it was rather a relief to have a camera free weekend.

I'm not sure why every parent takes pictures of course but perhaps it is similar to my reasons. I personally take pictures because 1) children change so quickly 2) I don't remember as much as I'd like to from my childhood and looking at pictures of moments I don't remember as well and people who've made an impact on my life and the person I've become means a lot to me, and 3)to share images of the kids with people I don't see as often as I'd like (especially family who's not nearby).

Unfortunately while taking pictures I'm often missing being in the actual moment with my kids. Yes my kids are comfortable with me being behind the lens and snapping away, and they even enjoy posing and hamming it up, but it does make me a little sad I'm not as in the action and looking back I'm not in the shots with them as often.

I often think at family events when I'm snapping away, of my Uncle Ken. My sister and brother have both referenced him when people are snapping away or holding the video camera instead of participating. He was always the photographer at my mom's family's get-togethers when I was growing up and thus isn't in as many of the pictures when we look back though he took most of them.

There is definitely a balance between taking pictures of memories and just making sure you're a part of the memory whether there's a photo of it or not.

So this weekend it was nice having the mental and physical weight of the camera lifted from me.

The kids had a wonderful time with Ami visiting. They colored and made eclairs and chicken casserole and had a great time. E was grinning, rolling, and laughing with a couple moments of her new slightly more stubborn (but still happy) side shining through. Daddy put the kids new playground set (2 slides and a swing set) together in the backyard since the ice has finally all melted (just in time for a snow prediction for tomorrow lol).

And I'm sure tomorrow I will go crazy resuming taking pictures of the kids new adventures in the backyard, but I have enjoyed this flash free, click free weekend none the less.

Also the lack of photo taking reminded me of my childhood when photos were taken much more sparingly (mainly around holidays and special events and activities) and when we mailed pictures but couldn't share them so quickly online and I realized something. I have several family members and friends I've only seen their children in pictures and visa versa. Now some of us have the excuse we are very far apart, but some we are so close and just get busy and haven't found the time to meet yet. I think of how much more often I saw them when I was growing up versus now and it makes me really sad to think about.

So fairly far into January I'm making another resolution/request: I will do everything I can to make the time to invite them/yall to come to our place or go visit them/yall (if yall will have us over). If you don't want to see me and my kids or if it's just not possible just tell me and I'll stop trying, but if not I will be trying my hardest to reconnect. Especially since I'm not sure if/when we move later this Spring/Summer we'll have the opportunity to be so close and visit. I would like to make some new memories for my children of more of their extended family whether on camera or not (though I'll admit I'll probably have a camera handy), like the many wonderful memories I have from my childhood.

Also for those a bit further away (requiring plane trips most likely) I hope the changes in the next year will allow my family to come meet your children as well and reconnect with you in real life too!

I love you all, no matter if we've seen each other recently or not in several years (other than online) and I hope to make the most of our relationships in real life again soon! It's crazy how much a camera free weekend can let me see it seems :)

Squash and more squash

I missed blogging yesterday since my mom was visiting (I will write about that in the next post) so I'm trying to catch up now.

First of all I've been trying to add some new foods to our diets. I enjoy cooking and we usually eat fairly healthy around here (well hubby and the kids do, I do have to watch myself on skipping meals), but recently our menu has gotten into a routine and I haven't tried as many new things as I have in the months past. So while at the store the other night I saw a couple nice looking squash. One was butternut (which I've used before but it's been awhile) and the other was spaghetti squash (I had no clue what this meant but figured it looked good).

Now I wouldn't normally recommend buying foods without a recipe in mind but this time it did work out well. My ICAN ladies gave me lots of suggestions what to make. I also learned that spaghetti squash actually looks like spaghetti when cooked! And it can be used as a healthy alternative for pasta.

So yesterday I used this simple recipe for the Spaghetti squash from one friend (the link takes you to her blog post of it and we left out the olives too) and then this whole foods Butternut Squash Soup recipe from Whole foods, shared by another friend. We ate the Spaghetti squash for dinner last night and had the Squash soup today (so the flavors could "marry" overnight.

The spaghetti squash looked odd and hubby made a few comments and was completely amazed it was squash when I was making it, but come dinner time even he wanted seconds. This has become a favorite in our house now. The kids were even asking for thirds and it was a tough call between that and dessert! And I felt awesome knowing it's so good for us. I can't wait to make it again and use it in other recipes.

The squash soup turned out great too and gave me an excuse to use my new immersion blender I got for Christmas (which I love). It was hearty and the right combination or salty and sweet. And it was perfect in this chilly weather.

Next cooking adventure planned is going to involve pumpkins and making something NOT sweet from them. I loved the pumpkin muffins and pies etc. from last month but definitely excited about trying something new. Also making all these squash varieties (yes pumpkin is technically a squash too) has gotten me excited about E trying real food in a couple months (or more depending on her). As I've mentioned before we're going to wait to 6 months on giving her anything other than breast milk and we are currently researching possibly doing baby led food introduction. The spaghetti squash and butternut soup would fit perfectly into this plan when the time comes. I wish I'd heard about all this with C and J but am glad they're both such good eaters now and so excited about new foods as well (hopefully knock on wood this will continue).

C and J also love to cook (as they showed with Ami today) so maybe I can have them help me making dinner in the future weeks (my babies are getting so big).

I'll try and keep the blog updated as we go on more new food adventures in the weeks and months to come

4 Month Appt. for E

Today E had her 4 month appointment. All is well. She now weighs 16lbs and 1/4 oz and 25.5 inches long. Slowing down on the weight gain (as most do over time) but still in the top 90-95 percentiles on both.

The doctor was impressed by her talking (well saying Mama plus babbling and some other word "attempts"), head holding ability, rolling, pulling to stand up, and of course general cuteness (she was laughing at everyone). She was once again encouraging waiting till 6 months to have any food other than breast milk which is our plan and very thorough about any concerns we might have. I really love our doctor and it's such a difference from the doctor we saw before in Midtown. She really knows her stuff, is awesome with the kids (though just E was there today), and seems to really care about her patients.

We did have one issue with a mix up with the nurse. E missed a shot at 3 months because the office was out of it and was supposed to have it at 5 months instead but the nurse accidentally grabbed that shot today instead of one of the two other vaccines she was scheduled for. We recognized the mistake after the fact and luckily it will not affect the effectiveness of any of her vaccines or her overall schedule and it was no worry of overdose or anything since this is the one she missed. It will adjust our next shots though and I'm very glad we realized it...though it would've been nice if we'd noticed before it was given.

The doctor was very upset by this and super apologetic and reassuring and I know it wasn't her fault but this was a reminder that even if the doctor orders the vaccines and tells you what your child is getting it is still good to have the nurse check again when they have the medicine in their hand to make sure. The nurse was looking at the chart not listening to the doctor this time. Luckily that doesn't make that much of a difference this time but hubby and I definitely had a very big scare and will be checking several times at future appointments (where the PA or doctor herself will probably be doing the future doses for a bit we think).

Overall all went well though. E is growing great and doing all she should and then some. I can't believe my littlest baby is getting so big :) but I'm so excited every day to see what she'll do next.

The Quest for Proper Documentation

I was telling hubby today felt a lot like a Quest. No not quite so epic as the holy grail but it definitely was a journey with ups and downs all in search of something that should be easy to find but kept seeming right out of our grasp: My children's social security cards (and numbers).

Now this quest actually began 3 and a half years ago when I had C. The hospital I went to was nice (in that they had nice rooms and staff and brought me a breast pump) but on the paperwork at the time their office staff left a bit to be desired. I filled out all the proper forms to issue a number, card, and birth certificate yet I did not get confirmation of submission and the copy of the birth certificate until after I got J's information (he was delivered at a different hospital) over a year later!

I never received C's card. Not sure if it was a mailing glitch or what but they did have the proper address so who knows.

Well J had a card but just recently it was misplaced and we were waiting on E's (though we had received the confirmation).

I need all three children's social security numbers (especially since we're in the process of switching insurance) and this set us off on our quest.

I was told by a Social Security representative a week ago we would need copies of the kids birth certificates. So we ordered those (since ours are away in a deposit box and we didn't have a copy of E's yet). They arrived and I called the SS people again.

Well a major flaw in our government services lines of communications lines in my opinion is that it's so hard to get through to a real person.

I called 4 times this morning and the first three times only spoke with a computer. I just wanted to see if I could get the numbers if I went in today. Well if you choose "get replacement card" the first question they ask is what is your number. If they skip this or if you give them your personal number they then ask for your name and mother's maiden name.

I requested to speak to a representative and the response is "I understand you may wish to speak to a customer service representative, however my system can help you with many of your questions such as __(long list)_ in much less time. Would you still like to speak to a customer representative?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll transfer you. The average wait time for the next representative is _Less than one minute_"
(I think I'm getting somewhere!)
"BUT before you talk to the representative I need to ask you a few questions which will take approximately three minutes....What is your name....mother's maiden name?"

And we're back to square one and if they don't understand you may end up in phone limbo talking to yourself. At last after they asked if my maiden name was "Nh spelled N-H." I got through to a real person.

And finally found out you don't need birth certificates (they won't take them) you need shot records." Luckily E already had a doctor's appointment (which I'll write on after this) and I could call ahead to request the forms.

The appointment was not without it's own trials but did overall go well and I got the forms.

And we made it to the social security office with all forms already filled out and shot records, and birth certificates just in case.

Now thankfully hubby was there to watch E (so they did not have to go in) and I did get the numbers. BUT I do not envy anyone who ever has to go to a government office to work or otherwise on any day. It was very scary though I got through it unharmed.

First of all if you wouldn't go to work that day don't go to social security (as in if you look like you're ready to go back to bed and sleep anything off).

Second though the person who helped me was very nice overall it was very similar to the post office scene in Men in Black II....aka I'm pretty sure all the aliens don't work at the post office...they work at social security. Nice aliens but yes very strange.

We did it though. Even though my number was called a couple minutes after closing and everything. We have the numbers and the cards are on their way. And I'm very very glad I don't have to go on this quest again for awhile.

For anyone else who has to go in the future, get all the proper documentation and then some, ahead of time as we did. And I wish you well.

Also note to my kids: I truly hope when you're old enough to need to visit any government office in search of documents that we have done away with automated calls (though it's doubtful). If not I'm sorry and I will attempt to navigate these calls for you when I can to save you the frustration :)

Also as my mother did me you WILL be memorizing your social security numbers (even if Daddy doesn't know his lol).

I love ICAN

Tonight we had an extra ICAN meeting and as always I left feeling enlightened, relaxed, and invigorated!

For those of you who haven't heard me mention this before. ICAN is the International Cesarean Awareness Network. The Atlanta group meets twice a month usually, once in Midtown and once in Alpharetta. We get together to talk about birth. We are all about encouraging informed consent, preventing unnecessary cesareans, and sharing about one of the most incredible experiences of everyone's life, birth. Whether this be our own births, our friends expecting, or the birth of our children.

Most of the moms have had cesareans, many found the group when looking for information on vaginal birth after cesarean, VBAC. Some were lucky enough to find the group when they were being pushed towards unnecessary surgery the first time around and avoided getting cut (even delivering breech vaginally).

I personally found ICAN of Atlanta's meetings and their website and forums after J was born. C was born by necessary c-section, J was born by an unnecessary one. I trusted my doctor (as all women should be able to) and he lied and failed me. Hubby and I realized there was more going on when as I lay cut open on the table the doctor said I had almost no scar tissue and could have delivered vaginally after all (after he had been saying the whole pregnancy that wasn't safe with so little time between births). Also J was put in serious risk being delivered this way, especially at 38 weeks with no sort of assessment of his lung development (there have been several recommendations made that inductions and cesareans take place past 39 weeks now and several local hospitals have made this policy).

I researched and questioned. And when I was expecting E I went back with all the knowledge I had. For example the risk of uterine rupture in a VBA2C is no more than that of a 3rd c-section. The infant and mother mortality rate is higher in c-sections than VBACs. Trial of Labor has been shown to be beneficial for baby and mother in most cases whether the outcome is cesarean or not. The VBAC success rate is 85%! 80% of women told they have CPD or too small pelvis who try to have a VBAC are successful. Many babies lungs are not developed at 38 weeks. And so on.

I was able to have an educated discussion with sources like the National Institute of Health's Consensus and the American College of Obstetrics recommendations to back up my choice. And after the doctor realized I knew what I was talking about his only reason for another c-section was "You healed wonderfully, why mess with a good thing?"

He then offered to let me attempt VBAC IF I went into labor before 40 weeks, didn't labor more than 12 hours, etc. etc. I saw unfortunately my trust in him was ill placed (though I do say he's a great surgeon) and I switched to a doctor who ICAN recommended not because he doesn't do cesareans but because he doesn't do them if they're not necessary! And I had a vaginal birth at 40 weeks 3 days gestation. 3 days could have made the difference in me having a major unnecessary surgery and putting my child and myself (mother to my other children who need me as well) at risk.

I'm so thankful for ICAN. I wish I'd known when I first got pregnant to ask for a second opinion. As one lady put it tonight. If you were having surgery for cancer or something you would want a second opinion. If you were having work done on your car you might look at various mechanics. So why don't we ask around when choosing our OBs who will be present at our births and help us deliver our precious babies into the world.

To all the women out there who are already mothers or will be someday don't fear questioning your doctor. They are not infallible and some do do major surgery unnecessarily. Make sure you are informed to avoid putting you and your child at risk if it's not truly necessary.

Honestly I am very very thankful for my first cesarean, it was necessary for C, but that does not mean I have to sign up for any more if not necessary. And as the facts show that does not mean it's the best option for my future children.

I love that ICAN is spreading this message. The National Cesarean rate is 32%, while our groups rate is 15% and the majority of the women in our group are high risk: have had previous c-sections, breech, multiples. We've had a triplet VBAC and 2 VBA5Cs even!

I love how strong these women are. I love how smart they are. And I love how we all truly want the absolute best births for our children (cesarean or vaginal). I really love ICAN.

Our meetings are open to everyone (yes even husbands) if anyone's ever interested in tagging along with me. I've also met some awesome mothers of fellow ICAN-ers at the meetings. They're also an international group so if you're in a different state you should look for a meeting near you.

There are occasionally tears, but there's also a lot of laughs. I always feel welcomed and I leave feeling stronger, like "I can" do anything. I love to say "ICAN and I did" about my VBAC, but it's more than that I feel I can do anything I set my mind and body to. My body can do anything, it was made to create, deliver, and nurture babies and it has.

I'm so blessed to have found this group. :)

Knitting and A nice day

So I began knitting after New Years, as planned. And by began I mean I figured out needles and what all the random things in my learn to knit kit were and then read lots of patterns, watched a few videos, knitted a couple very very tightly stitched dish cloths till my hands hurt frogged both, started, restarted....and finally day before yesterday I relaxed and it clicked.

My too tight stitches became perfect size and began to easily glide on and off the needles. I actually started enjoying the process and getting into it. And most exciting for me I got the pretty little Vs of the stocking stitch I'd been hoping for, to look as they're meant too. So the last couple days I've been able to add knitting to my daily routine, in between playing with the kids, reading to them, cleaning, cooking, crocheting, and yet also finding some time before bed to read too (usually out loud to E but my books so it counts lol). I still have a long way to go with knitting and it does seem to take longer than crochet but I do love the result.

Here's a couple in progress pics from my experimental scarf I made in the last couple days. I made my own graph and put a B and heart in it, not perfect but not horrible either. It's about 3 times this long now.

One complaint I have on knitting is unlike crochet you can't get the needles you need as easily. With crochet you can buy a kit of the main needles you'll need when you start for $10 but with knitting each needle can be from 4-20 (or more I expect) and you sometimes need a new set and size needle for each project. As per some friends suggestions I'm looking into getting an interchangeable kit (can run $70 or more) but will wait till I finish the scarf pattern I'm starting tomorrow first.

Also on crochet, I'm still on my flower kick and got some hair clips tonight which I'm going to attach some flowers too which a friend requested (hope she likes the finished ones, it will still be a bit before I'm done though I think with meetings and doctors appts. in the next few days).

Other than my yarn endeavors the big development this week was hubby finally returning to class (after the break and extra time off due to the snow). Though the kids miss Daddy we've been doing well getting back into the routine. Still waiting for hubby to put the swing set/slide up (there was still ice on the ground where we wanted it the last few days).

Today was very nice though mostly spent indoors then as a treat we all went out to dinner together. We haven't been out to eat as often since E arrived (more of we've been out the 5 of us to restaurants twice that I remember before tonight), but the kids were great as always. I did get the fun juggling of taking C and J to the potty before and after the meal but even that went perfectly. They're nice about waiting and taking turns which is helpful.

Back at the table C and J both remembered to use silverware not hands (even eating salad with spinach that's very hard to stab), said Thank You to each waitress we saw, and remembered their inside voices (most of the time) and E was my easy sweetheart content to look around a bit from her carrier, smile at me, and then doze. It was a nice change for all of us and I came home feeling surprisingly relaxed.

Now my knitting is calling and I'm going to try and at least cast on my new project and get some reading in before bed. A great end to a very nice day.

My Little Man, J, is 2.5!

J is 2 and a half today! Even though I knew it was coming with C having turned 3.5 2 days ago, it still tugs on my heart strings to think my little man, my baby boy, is getting so big.

At 2.5 I thought we'd be potty training but since he got that last month I'm blessed to not have to worry about that now. He is still showing me just what a big boy he is in other ways daily though.

Earlier today he was helping me make sandwiches while C was talking to E in her swing. J was so helpful and sweet. I gave him a big hug when we were done and said "Thank you Baby boy" and he quickly corrected me "I'm a big boy Mommy." He took my hands and started swaying in the kitchen so I scooped him up and danced with him. I told him how one day I'll have to look up at him when we dance and asked him if he'd still dance with me when he was taller than me. And of course my beautiful (he prefers handsome) little boy said "I'll always dance with you Mommy!" with all the excitement about dancing that a toddler can muster. Eyes filled with joy, grinning from ear to ear with those dimples beaming. All melting Mommy's heart. I still remember the amazing sensation I had when I first held J in my arms after he was born. I felt like my heart which was so full of love already for C that it might burst, multiplied and grew. I felt one of the most amazing moments as my heart grew once again and not only did I love one child more than life itself, but two....and later three :)

J is still constantly challenging, amazing, and showering me with love.

At 2.5 J is:
-Potty trained! And so proud of his big boy pants.
-Following C around some still but so much more independent
-Loving trucks, trains, robots, cowboys, and all kinds of animals
-Likes to "read" to himself and will often take a book and read one story he's created from it and then create a whole different one when he "reads" it again
-Likes to add sound effects to the stories I read and the ones he reads
-Very sweet but also has a stubborn streak at time and the Thomas temper (as we call it) where his dark brown eyes turn black when he's angry
-Wonderful at making up and giving kisses and hugs to both his sisters
-Likes to sneak in Mommy and Daddy's bed in the morning at the foot of the bed (we offer he come up to the pillows and he won't do it, he prefers the end for some reason)
-Can and will say everything he hears....but sometimes with new people still goes into quiet mode as he judges if he should let them know how much he understands, then once he starts talking won't stop (very similar to Daddy)
-Loves to sing, dance, and jump with big sis
-Says his favorite color is blue, though if he's feeling stubborn will change it to green
-Can count to 100 but if he goes to fast will start repeating some numbers
-Knows most of his letters but still mixes some up when he sees them.
-Can write several of them including those to make up his nickname :)
-Is a lot like Mommy if he's upset, he can still never keep himself from smiling, no matter how hard he tries
-Always watching out for his older and younger sisters already, along with Mommy
-Is very protective of us, and loves to follow and imitate Daddy

I love this age too. It is easier than the 3s in my opinion and a lot of fun (though 3 is fun too just more challenging). I think J acts older than C did at this age, mainly because he learns so much from C and often tries to keep up with her it seems. At 2.5 though he's also coming to a lot of new things on his own and teaching C in return too I think. I look forward to see how J's personality, intelligence, and independence continues to grow as he gets older.

Dress Up Days

This year C and J have been very into playing pretend. Whether this be animals, their favorite story characters, playing house (usually C is Mommy, J is baby or Daddy lol), or what they'll be when they grow up. So for Christmas I figured they would enjoy some dress up clothes. Santa brought firefighter, conductor, and doctor costumes (C already has a crown and dress for Princess purposes).

Well these have definitely been a hit. The last few days the kids have been enjoying their various pretend roles with costumes (though they also still pretend to be several roles we don't have costumes for as well of course). I thought most likely C would want to be the doctor and J the conductor, due to their recent interests, but they've both been interested in being all different things. They also love to make up stories that incorporate the various professions.

J actually managed to combine the firefighter and doctor outfits the other night so we said he was a doctor who is a volunteer firefighter on the weekends. C wanted to be the train conductor. The story that they created on their own was the train had a little accident and the doctor was there to put out the fire and then check all the passengers and the conductor to make sure they were okay. Then after Dr./Firefighter J knew everyone was okay, Conductor C gave him a train ride back home. Pretty good for a 3 year old and 2 year old to come up with I think.

So today was another dress up day. Lots of new stories and lots more fun. I think I'll definitely be making some outfits to add to the kids play collection in the future. Here's a picture of the kids in a couple of their characters.


C is telling the fire fighter where to spray his extinguisher (at Mommy lol)

Princess C is 3 and 1/2!

I know I don't do these for my older kids as often as I should but I felt I definitely had to post in honor of C and J's half year birthdays this month.

C is 3.5 officially today. I can't believe 3 and a half years ago, my little princess made me a Mommy! She was such a miracle when she came into the world and has gotten more and more amazing in the years since. C is so smart, the perfect big sis to J and E (though at times a little bossy) and Mommy's helper. I can't believe my first baby is getting to be such a big girl. It makes me a little sad at times but I also love to see each new stage she goes through and watch her grow into the beautiful lady she will someday become.

At 3.5 C is:
-All about Princesses, she's a princess, E's a princess, her favorite books are about princesses and so on and so forth
-Her favorite color is Purple (she says pink is for E and baby girls, purple is for big girls)
-Can count past 100
-Knows all her letters and can write several of them
-Can write her name but still needs a little help (it is 11 letters long after all)
-Can recognize a few words though can't fully read yet (we're planning to start on that later this month)
-Is Mommy's little helper and happiest when she's given "big girl" things to do
-Is still Daddy's Little girl
The other day she was sitting on his lap and I asked if everyone could come to dinner and she replied "Daddy can't eat right now, he has a cute little girl sitting on him."
-Has a stubborn and bossy streak at times (of course she is my child) but is usually super sweet
-Is always looking out for her little brother and her baby sister, she loves holding E and just wishes she could pick her up already (we're not ready for that but when E's older I'm sure C will carry her lots)
-Often goes into "Mini-mommy mode" with everyone
-Loves to "read"
-Loves to paint, color, and help Mommy and Daddy cook
-Loves to model for the camera (she is a princess after all)
-Is in the "cheese" stage, if I want a real smile I cannot say cheese because she can't not do her fake smile if you tell her cheese
-Loves to learn

This is such a wonderful age. Though I will say with all the added intelligence there also comes extra questioning and more rough moments but also lots of wonderful moments too. In my experience the terrible twos are a myth, 3 is the age to watch out for. BUT I wouldn't trade all the tough moments away for the world.

Happy 4 months Bunny Baby!

E is 4 months old today and once again I'm amazed how time is flying by. She is getting cuter and cuter and showing off her flirty funny personality. She's very easy going but definitely more of a joker than C and J were at this age. She loves to laugh, especially at Mommy. She also loves her games of squealing and blowing raspberries and then laughing lol. Her eyes still sparkle when she smiles and light up all our days. C and J are still smitten with her and playing with her more and more. They are so anxious for her to be bigger and able to play even more with them and she's desperate to be able to keep up with them in their play. I love this age and look forward to the fun months to come as she shows us even more of her personality and becomes more and more independent.

At 4 months E is:

-Saying Mama (as of December 21st)and she definitely uses it often and knows who to call lol
-Attempting lots of new sound combinations but Mama is the only real word one still
-Wiggling, scooting, and rolling all over the place
-Becoming more and more enthralled with big sis and big bro and Actually playing with them now
-Still squealing with Delight often
-Also squealing if C and J are making lots of noises, it seems she wants to battle them for loudest and she's still winning (and laughs after doing this)
-Blowing bubbles and raspberries at Mommy if I say "Don't do that." This is one of her favorite games...yep we're in trouble lol
-Laughing when tickled and at Mommy and Daddy...often
-Holding her head up much more steadily
-Hating laying flat on her back except to sleep. Every time we place her on her back she flips over to belly and starts her scooting and exploring
-Pulling her feet to her mouth and enjoying what Daddy calls her "pretzel mode"
-Wearing Size 6-9 months!!!! Yep my babies like to skip clothing sizes fast it seems lol
-Grabbing at everything and of course bringing it straight to the mouth
-Able to pick up toys and her pacifier if dropped....and bring them to the mouth
-Still nursing exclusively
-Still looking up at Mommy during nursing sessions, laughing and then diving back to the breast
-Still having 1 night/early morning nursing session though it's a lot closer to time to wake up now it seems
-Loving the Johnny Jump Up
-Loving her playmat with links and mirrors (she usually grabs the mirror and pulls it off to take with her as she scoots)
-Sitting with Boppy still, can sit somewhat unsupported but very wobbly and ends up on her belly usually ready to get back to scooting and rolling
-Can stand while holding on to tables etc.
-Has Daddy wrapped around her finger and flirts with him whenever he has her, giggling and smile constantly (Both my daughters are Daddy's girls for sure)

And here's some more pics of my Silly sweet Bunny baby

Getting Mad, and Making Up

Today has been a day of 'making up' it seems. I hate when there are arguments between any of us in my family, but I do love seeing the kids making up, or even them making up with me.

First J got angry at C and after having some alone time came out and said "I'm sorry, can I give you a hug?" So cute to watch.

Then C didn't listen and broke something she wasn't supposed to be playing with and got mad at me for taking the broken item away. She had her time to calm down and then came out of her room and brought a variety of plated plastic foods and cups. She sat them all down on the table and said "I'm sorry Mommy I should have listened, but I made you 'nummies' now." Now of course I'd rather she listened to begin with but I definitely thought this was a very sweet gesture.

Finally it seems C has learned from the best. Hubby and I got in an argument and he had to leave to take his Dad to the airport before we could work it out. When he got home though he surprised me with Italian food and a couple new movies, along with an apology. It was sooo good (even though a bit against my diet) and so nice of him.

I wish we always all got along, but I've realized that the second best thing is that we always make the most of making up. I hope my kids remember this for years to come :)

They can't be sweet all the time though they are a lot of the time :P