Things that make me smile.

Some days I hit the end of the day, and realize I didn't smile much.
I'm trying to notice the funny things my children say and do and SMILE more.  Enjoy it!  We had the best lesson on Sunday during relief society.  The woman teaching shared how her dad would always tell their family, "Whatever you do, for goodness sakes, enjoy it!!!"   I'm trying.  Here's some things that have made me smile lately.

A while ago I was singing the "Do, Rey, Mi" song from "The Sound if Music."  Millaker loved it, but not knowing all the words nor the title of the song would request the "doe a deer song."  The other day when I decided to introduce the kids to the actual movie, Eddie ran to get Millaker saying, "Hurry!  Then we can watch the female deer movie!"
Sorry Julie Andrews.

The Kid is a clown.  Literally.  He loves to laugh and to make people laugh.  So much so that he's developed a loud, fake, but amusing laugh he forces out to try and make others laugh.  The other night he was wide awake when I put him down for bed.  He spent the next HOUR laughing loudly at... Nothing.  I'm sure Guy was amused.  I listened by the stairs and by his door for a few moments.  This kid...
Undeterred.
We also laugh when he looks around, sees his sister's hair all done, or with a headband, and then high-tails it to my bathroom, pulls out a headband, and puts it on himself.  He's so proud of himself and struts around the house the rest of the day with... a headband.  I need to take a picture.  He'll either love it, or despise the picture one day.
UPDATE:  here's the proof.

Just to keep it real:
Last night I texted my sister, cousin, and King that I HATED TOYS!
I was all proud of how reasonable and calm I'd been all day.  Despite the fights over toys, the hitting ("but I said sorry!" ... not understanding that hitting, just because you PLAN to say sorry after- is not ok), the mess etc.  When it came time to clean up, NO ONE would clean.  Over an hour later, as I was feeding the baby, Eddie brought me up a broken pair of blinds Millaker had pulled down from the wall.  Last straw.  It literally broke the camel's back.  I hollered, had them clean up, and put 1/2 the toys AWAY in an in-accessable place threatening to throw them out permanently if they took them out of their place before I got them out (next week!).  In a not-to-pleasant voice I sat the older kids down and explained how their behavior that day had broken just about every. single. family. rule (peace, respect, order, asking, obedience!).  Thankfully, we pulled it back together and ended the day on a somewhat cheerful note.  Some days... I'm glad they go to sleep.  We start again the next day.

Baby Girl

The little Elder is here! 
I'm only four weeks behind on announcing this...
I don't have a great nick-name yet for her on the blog, we'll call her Lil' (short for little- which is ironic, because she was my biggest baby, but at the moment, she's the littlest in the family).

I should specialize in run-on sentances chalk full of dashes and parenthesies.

 

This darling made her debut four weeks ago weighing a whoppin 7 lbs 4 oz.
She was 20 inches long and had a full head of straight hair.  Our second child to have more than the classic "old man fringe around the edges."

I was induced four days early.  Everyone do a heel click with me!  I was ready to be done!  But really, what pregnant woman isn't ready to be done after 39 weeks!
I'd been measuring small- which is very typical for me.  After weeks of twice-a-week visits complete with NST's (non-stress-tests) and ultrasounds, they decided to just get her here.  For a while they thought there was a growth discrepancy between the rate her head was growing and her abdomen, but that was no longer a concern.  She was a pro at going HOURS with no movement until I had to poke and prod to even feel her.  Eventually the Dr said, lets just get her here safely. No more waiting. Hallelujah! 

 

Her labor wasn't my favorite (read: the worst yet) and I was THRILLED to have her here!  It only took eight hours, instead of the typical twelve three of mine have taken, but it felt FAR longer.  I'm sure there are big, red, bolded letters on my chart that read, "Never let this woman have more children.  If she does, give her an epidural!"  I'm equally sure that neither King nor my Dr ever wants to relive those eight hours.  I sure don't.  Here is my public apology to anyone I may have yelled at or complained to.  I promise I'm not normally so vocal or so rude.

She came out purple- and I didn't hear a sound.  The dr insisted she was ok, but I watched as he unwrapped the cord THREE TIMES from around her neck and it took a moment before her color looked safe to me.  I've never quite experienced a feeling like that- watching, waiting, and hoping a little life was here to stay.  Her middle name references the goodness and generosity of God.  That is EXACTLY how I felt after she was here safely.  

 Pretend I rotated this picture- because once its uploaded... sadly there is no rotating.... and its ten o'clock at night. 

Can you tell he's excited?

 Her oldest brother was her first visitor.  Grandma and Grandpa picked him up from his aunt and uncle's and brought him along.  The rest of the siblings were with a different set up grandparents recovering from the croup (lovely timing, I know). Though he was initially disappointed to hear we were expecting a girl, and not another brother for him, he quickly got over that and since has been one of the BEST helpers with her.   I don't remember much of his visit.  I sadly had to go have a proceedure done, and was LOOPY and quite out of it for the next hour or so.  (REALLY!  I made it all the way through labor without an epidural only to be put under immediately after.  I was NOT very happy!)  I may or may not have cried every time I thought about missing the first hour of her birth for a few days.  That hour is so sacred, so special to me.  Thankfully, King was able to stay with her and watch her first bath, and hold her.  That means a LOT to me.  I'm glad he was there.

This isn't a great picture, but it shows her dark, straight hair and I love it!

 A month out, I can honestly say this girl is L.O.V.E.D.    The kid might kill her with his over-abundance of tough love.  The first time he saw her he walked up and poked her in the eye and said "BABY!"  He STILL wants to poke her eyes every time he sees her.  He is so sensitive to her needs and can't stand it if she cries.  He is a man of few words (literally) but will yell, "BABY SAD!" every time she even whimpers.  All the kids bicker over who's turn it is to hold her.  Now that we are all well (remind me to tell you about how the Kid got RSV the week she was born and we stayed quarantined in my room for a week... and how happy King was to go back to work after the whole ordeal...), they ALL want multiple turns a day. 

I think she is one of our calmer babies, though King isn't so convinced.  If only he didn't see her primarily in the evening hours when she's not at her best... we'd have a better chance of convincing him.  Welcome, 'Lil!  you are loved!

Waiting

The countdown is on. 
Truthfully, it's been going for months, but its finally down to a nice, manageable, number.  That is, for most people.
T-6  (or is that T-5) days till the littlest Elder arrives.  Despite my wildest hopes that I could be induced this week, celebrating the end of another legislative session with the end of what has seemed like a L.O.N.G. pregnancy, there are other opinions and things to consider, and the soonest I can convince my doctor to induce me is Monday.  Although I'd really, really like to go into labor on my own- facing the facts, that is not going to happen till I'm 60 weeks along, and I make doctors nervous because I always, ALWAYS measure small. 
I celebrated my small victory of not crying in front of the doctor when he said to wait one more weekend, and making it all the way to my car before I burst into tears with a phone call to King and an Andes Mint Shake.
I DO recognize that its a silly thing to cry over.  Here I have four, healthy, beautiful, wonderful (and at times obnoxious) children.  My body CAN have children, and they are all strong and well.  However many times I tell myself this- at the end of EVERY pregnancy I falter- beginning to think that waking up as physically tired (not sleepy) as when I went to bed (thank you leg cramps), and the bruised right rib that every child in my womb has picked on, will simply never go away.  I KNOW that the sleep will not drastically improve once a newborn is here, but the quality of sleep I get when I DO get to sleep will be far better!!  And really, at this point I just want to HOLD my baby- with my arms, not my ribs.  I want to be able to hold my other children on my lap rather than my knees.  I itch to rid myself of cankles and a sensitive nose.  So to boulster myself through the last few days, and distract myself from the last remaining days I need to fill with something positive and useful, I'm writing a list of the top ten reasons

WHY it is a GOOD idea for this baby to come MONDAY and NOT THURSDAY.

1)  King has homework.  Work has been crazy, and with King being sick a few days last week and getting behind, then missing class this week due to long hours on the House and Senate floors, he's got some catching up to do.  What better time than BEFORE this babe comes- not after.  He'll have time to just enjoy her and the other kids when he's caught up with no other distractions.

1b) Session will be OVER and done, and King can catch up on some missed sleep and won't have to feel guilty about missing out on his responsibilities.

2) The University has spring break next week- meaning King won't miss class!

3) We have a great weekend planned full of last minute errands, fun activities with the kids, baptisms, and cousin time.

4) One more Sunday at church!  I NEED the rejuvenation I get each week at church- and since I usually don't make it back for a good MONTH after the baby, this is one more week of filling my spiritual bucket!

5) One last chance to go to the temple.  The Temple has been closed the last few weeks, and I have just a few names left to do some work for.  This gives me the chance to finish them, and like reason #5, get one more bucket filler for me.  I know I won't make it back to the temple ANY time soon after having a baby- so this is to wrap things up, and to fill me up.

6) Grandparents schedules have been coordinated to take care of kids Monday and Tuesday.  This is a HUGE help!!

7) I'll be a few days past 39 weeks, meaning there is no medical reason anyone can tell me NOT to have this baby.  She will be fully baked and ready to come!

8) All our kids (with the exception of the Kid) have missed a neat birth date by one day.  This baby will follow the trend.  Just one day off St. Patricks day. 

9) We still haven't settled on a name.  Not that I think an extra four days will help, nor do I think we'll even get around to discussing it, but I'm trying to get to 10 reasons.  It's a stretch.

10)  Because that's what is going to happen.  I trust my Dr (even when I don't want to agree with him) and I trust that the Lord has a plan.  I'm terrible at waiting and being patient, but this will just have to do!

Deep Thinker

We were washing dishes the other day when my six year old said something quite profound.
Guy: "Mom, I know one mistake Jesus made."
Me: Really?  What was it?
Guy:  When he cast the devils out of that man, and into the pigs, and then they jumped off the cliff... that made the farmer sad.
...awkward pause...
how do I answer that one?

Of Course...

Guy was musing at the dinner table tonight.
Guy: "Mom, I know what we could do!" (You would be amazed how many sentences of his start this way these days.)  "We could take the candy we get from Halloween, or Christmas and put names on it in a big pot.  Everyone's candy.  Then we close our eyes, pass it around.  Like the candy bars and stuff.  And if you get one that has your name on it -oh yeah, we put one of our names on each piece of candy- then you have to put it back and pick another one!"
Me (Very confused as to the purpose of this...):  "Oh.  ... um... you want to make it a game next time- to see what candy you get?
Guy:  Yeah!
Me:  Well, what if you pick a candy you don't like?
Guy:  Well, EVERYONE loves candy bars.



Good point.

We still exist.

We do!  I promise!
I just don't write about it! 
Partly, I'm trying to keep my balance and stay nice and sane, partly because when I do have a moment to spare I don't think of the blog, and lastly, because when I do think of recording our day-to-day adventures... I'm a tad lazy.
But here's some things you need to know or that I want to remember about this season of our lives:
(Note: My camera broke, so pictures are complimentary of my sister in law who took family photos a few months ago.)

Having four kids is crazy.  Fun, but crazy.  I love the routine of the regular school-year.  I miss having Guy gone all day though.  It is strange to have him out of the house for so long.  It almost feels like having three kids- except during mealtimes and bedtime routine.  We miss him.  Eddie really misses playing with him!  She and Millaker are getting along better and learning to play, but deep down I think Eddie prefers to play with Guy.  She misses the old days.  In some ways I do too, but it is exciting to see Guy learn and progress!  He is reading so well, and it sounds like he is doing great in Chinese.  Granted, I don't SPEAK or understand Chinese... I just take the teacher's word.  Its fun to hear him relay words he's learned or things they do in class.  I think this is a great opportunity for him! I think a second language is a gift!  Guy is still doing soccer and LOVES it.  I think he loves it more and more with each passing game.  He will be sad when the season is over.  I think we'll enroll him again next spring- but we might have to wait and see how crazy next spring is...
This kid HATES sweeping!  When a "All-About-Me Questionare" was handed out for 1st grade, when asked what he disliked, he wrote in all caps "SWEEPING!"  Not his favorite chore.  Sorry, bucko.  He is a great help though!  He is getting better on the piano all the time.  I need to sit down and practice with him more and give him more lessons.... patiently!  I think he could really take off!  All in all he is a JOY.  He gets a bit emotional, but part of me things its partly a phase and partly a reaction to all the changes we have going on right now.

Eddie has started gymnastics at a local gym.  It's crazy expensive and wouldn't be possible if it weren't for groupon.  She loves it though.  She has a smile on her face the. entire. time.  (Which, if you know Eddie- is a bit surprising.)  She LOVES to think of things to do to help.  She's not so keen on helping if it wasn't her idea.  My mom pointed this out to me a few weeks ago- and boy is it true!  It has been the key to success around here lately.  I gently hint that I wonder what we could do to... (clean this room up, help the kid, serve....) and if she thinks of it- off she goes!  It's been fabulous!  She LOVES The Kid.  She is ALWAYS trying to pick him up, carry him, help him, feed him etc even though he is quite capable of doing all those activities himself.   She loves to pick her outfits for the day and is constantly in dresses.  I have reserved the right to pick outfits on Sundays and special occasions.  These days she mostly wears a purple, hooded, striped shirt, and a purple buttlerfly jumper. Combined.  Ah- childhood.  She likes to be boss and to talk about one day when she will be married and then be a mommy.  She is going to be such a great mom!
She is doing the UPSTART preschool this year and loves it.  I think it was a great fit for us this year.  She is starting to put words together and likes to go at her own pace.  She gets to do this preschool on the computer- which she loves.  I think she is going to LOVE Kindergarten next year- I can't believe she's only here with us full time for one more year!

 This turkey is two!  She walks around telling everyone that her birthday is right after Halloween and that she will be three!  She is right!  I can't believe it!  Her vocabulary is H.U.G.E!  I've never had such a talker!  She is so aware of everything going on around her.  When we drive in the car she is always pointing out tiny details of things around her.  Things I wouldn't even notice!  She is a watcher!  She also likes to thy to "help" The Kid- much to his chagrin.  She has the most winning smile and a love of people!  She always chases people out the door yelling, "I forgot to give you a kiss!"  Then she promptly runs to their leg, hugs it, and gives it a kiss- right where her mouth can reach.  It's adorable.  She has learned the phrase, "You're not the boss!  Mom's the boss" and tells it to just about anyone- babysitters, uncles, and siblings included.  What she actually thinks though is that SHE'S the boss.... not yet, kiddo!  She loves to try "nymnastics" too!  We put her in some trial classes.  No, she's not ready yet.  She runs around, not quite sure what to do or in what order, easily distracted by other toys, and beams the whole time.  I don't have the heart to pull her just yet.  Really, though- she would do better to wait a year.  She was always so disappointed that she had to sit and watch Eddie instead of participate herself... I guess it can't hurt.

 This Kid turned ONE!  I can't believe I didn't document it!  He is another fireball!  He's found his feet and he is a MOVER!  His current favorite object is a ball... or a toilet!  We have to keep bathroom doors closed around here!  I've found more than one object thrown in the porcelain throne when I thought doors were closed!  He loves to go, go, go!  Church is his bane- he has to hold still on our laps for so long!  I think most of 2nd hour is spent in the hall- poor King!  He loves his older siblings but HATES when the girls try to help him.  Hence, he's developed quite the piercing scream!  He is stubborn.  He CAN sign more (or his version of it) but prefers to yell at the table till we pick up the right food he is thinking of.  We are working on this!  He occasionally says Dada or Mamama, but really, he could care less about words.  He almost always has a smile on his face if he is walking around on his own.  He loves to THROW. EVERYTHING!  Food, bottles, sippy cups, toys, balls... you name it.  I think he's our future baseball player.  I guess he has potential for basketball- the kid is TALL!  98% for height!  Every time he stands next to another child his age I am suprised!  I forget he's tall!  He is so much fun to have around!

Now a few things about us.  This is us now.  Well, a few months ago.  And life is so good!  King is extra busy right now.  Work asked him to go back to school for another Master's degree.  Boy!  He is busy!  We ended up getting another car so he could juggle the work and school schedules.  One car served us well until now- but its good he has this little car to help out.  The kids ADORE King.  They can't wait to shout "BOO!" every night when he gets home.  I think they miss this the nights he's at class.  I do.

We are making some big changes around here. First and foremost, we decided to add one last Elder to the mix.  We're not due till March- so we aren't sure the gender yet, but I think girl.  We'll see if my instincts are right.  This baby is not allowed to come early like all the others.  Between work, session (busy season), school, and family, King will be the busiest he's EVER been.  I'm sure I'll change my mind about that come week 37 or so, but for now- come on time!  Also, we decided that the opportunity for our kids to learn a second language in school was invaluable- and since we weren't in the school boundaries and couldn't guarantee the rest of our kids could participate unless we WERE in the boundaries, we're planning on moving in a few short weeks.  A part of me wishes it would fall through so I could stay in this house I love, this yard the kids love, this ward I love, and in a place where I am comfortable and surrounded by friends.  However, King and I both think this is right even with some accompanying challenges (I have to give up my nursery! Sad! And there isn't room for a trampoline... things like that.  Nothing major. )

 

(The look on Gid's face here cracks me up every time.)

 So between school, expecting a baby, and more-than-likely a move in just a few short weeks, our plates are full!  Full of good things, but full.  Wish us luck!  I am praying and praying for more faith, more trust.  Things WILL work out.  We ARE strong.  We CAN do hard things.  There ARE great people everywhere.  The Lord knows what He is doing, and He is in control.  I've just got to give UP some control.  Things will work out.

A day in the life.

In case you were wondering what we do all day...

Sometime between midnight and 5 am:  get up to feed the baby.  Sometimes twice.
6:00 am:  First alarm rings.  Silence Alarm.
6:30 am:  Second alarm rings.  Silence.
6:31 am: Husband's alarm rings.  He silences it.  We both groan (if we're coherent).
6:40 am: We can hear the kids playing downstairs.  Roll over.
6:41 am: Baby cries.  Get baby.  Change and feed him.  Possibly change his clothes and bedding because he has soaked through.  Add soiled sheets to growing mountain of laundry.
7:00 am:

To be continued...

PS: I was going to finish this post to prove to myself in twenty years that YES! Life was this crazy!  But I couldn't figure out how to do this without sounding depressing.  I wanted to somehow document the crazy ups and downs and sleeplessness of new babies and lots of little kids.  Maybe with the next one I will...

First Resume

A week or two ago we made a family favorite for dinner: chicken pillows.
If you haven't had them, you haven't lived.

I digress.

The final step in preparing them involves dipping or painting them with butter and then putting bread crumbs on top.  Guy watched Uncle C paint the pillows with butter and wanted to try.  Uncle C's response was something along the lines of, "Submit your resume and you can have the job."
Guy then questioned, "What's a resume?"
We explained that it was a piece of paper that said what other jobs you'd had like the job you wanted or what things you'd done before made you qualified for the job.
Five minutes later he returned.

Resume in hand.

AND I LOST IT!
If I ever find it I'm scanning it immediately and posting it here!
It went something along these lines:

I have painted in preschool.
I paint at school.
I like to paint.


I could be wrong- but that's what I remember.

We gave him the job.

Dueling with Snow Angels

Yesterday, Guy and Eddie went out back to play in the first snow of the season! 
At dinner, when King asked them about their day, Guy reported thus:
"I played in the snow!  I made a snow angel, and then I put a stick in his hand.  Then we had a sword fight!"
Me: "Oh, yeah? Who won?
Guy:  "He did.  I got too close to his sword.

Too funny.

Eddie

We're still here.  We're just lost in the chaos of so many new things.  You'd think we'd have settled in by now... not quite.

This is for my little, darling Eddie.  That girl has BLOSSOMED with a new baby in the house.  Her mothering instincts have kicked in!  Mind you, they were already there, they've just skyrocketed through the roof.  At any given moment you can find her checking on the Kid, holding him, singing to him, helping Millaker, protecting the Kid FROM Millaker, etc.  Oh, she is sweet!
She adores her big brother and when he's home from school she's often at his side.
She often lines her toys up in her bed and tucks them in at night.
Last night she tucked all the little ones into her "princess shoes."  She wants them to feel special and have a nice place to sleep.

Like I said, so very, very, sweet.

Her hair has been growing quite long (finally- after years of twisting it and breaking it off...) and everyday after we'd brushed it and fixed it she'd stand in front of the full-length mirror trying to see just how far down her back her hair had grown since the previous day.  
Now that you have the background, let me introduce you to Wednesday.
Wednesday afternoon we picked Guy up from school.  Normally, when we get home, The Kid, Millaker, and I all take a nap (or at least I try to rest) and the two big kids play quietly in their room.
Guy asked if they could watch a movie if they were really quiet and let me NAP.  Sure thing, kiddo!
So I napped.
And that part was great.  Or so I thought.
And when I woke up I was a smiling ray of sunshine- for all of eight or so minutes.
I thanked the kids for letting me sleep, told them to clean up their rooms while I got a movie out, and questioned them about the scissors on the floor.
"Uh... we were cutting some paper."
"Ok, well, please clean them up.  I don't really like them in your room and we don't want Millaker to get them."
"Ok."
I go get the movie and return.
I start to talk to the kids and do a double take.  One, two, three hard looks at Eddie and I realize, her hair is NOT tucked behind her ear. 

It's just gone.
"Eddie! Who cut your hair?"
"Guy."
"What?!"
At this point he started to cry. 
The kind big brother had been all to willing to comply with her request for a hair cut.
And then he'd stashed the hair behind his bed knowing he wasn't supposed to cut anything but paper.
Sigh.

 I tried to cut her hair- working with the awkward piece that was missing at her ear level.  After a while it was horribly obvious I was no hair masseuse. I called a dear friend and she came and finished off my uneven, unleveled, shaggy bob.
Eddie cried.
"But, Mom! I loved my long hair."
Me too, darlin.  Maybe next time you won't ask two amateurs (your brother and myself) for a trim.
The beautiful thing is you.  And that hair grows back.
For now you remind me so much of a blond version of these pictures from my childhood. 

If the boy here were shorter, it would be EXACTLY what one would see at our house.  A skinny, older brother with an eager, bobbed, younger sister in tow.

So yes, both she and I will miss her beautiful, long hair.  But she still has her winning smile, her beautiful eyes, and her tender, lovely heart.  How, I love my Eddie girl.