This and That

Every day the sense of peace and blessing I have over having a complete family just fills me up.  My mom told me when she was here after New Baby was born that one day I might want more.  While that's true I might one day have a moment of insanity and want to start over again, at the moment, I feel almost giddy that we can finally start planning the rest of our lives.  We can plan family vacations.  I can plan a career outside the home if I choose after they're out of school.  We can sleep through the night again.  I guess what I look forward to the most is watching my babies grow and seeing who they become.  I look forward to each stage with them and pray I can become the mother I want to be.

I was recently blessed with a very "adult" conversation with someone that enlightened me with everything from discipline to how I want to raise my children in everyday life.  I'm excited about implementing the things we talked about, enjoying every day with my kids and spending more special times with them.  I can't wait to start having more fun with them.

And to add to the excitement, I'm joining weight watchers again.  Tomorrow.  I have to do something.  Yes, I'm only 4 weeks postpartum, but the belly is killing me.  It's not uterus, it's fat.  Lots of fat.  3 or 4 inches deep of fat.  AND.ITS.GOING.  I lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks before, so I'm hoping to be on maintenance by the end of the year.  Help me stay motivated!

The Next Christian Bale

He will star in The Bright Knight.

Happy Anniversary, Hubby.

Today marks 7 years of wedded bliss.  Some ups, a lot of downs, 3 kids, and 3 houses later, we're settling into a nice routine of the all American family.  He works, I play, I mean the kids play, I take care of them.  it's hard to believe thinking back on it that it's been 7 years since we sat in the sand during a beautiful Florida sunset on our honeymoon and expressed how scared we were to be a spouse and how scared we were of failing each other.

Well, Hubby, I think we've both succeeded and we've both failed.  That's part of it, I guess.  It's the process of growing up and choosing to love each other every day.  We choose to make each other happy or sad.

You're the man I CHOSE to marry and chose to spend the rest of my life with.  You're the man that still, after 7 years, amazes me with your intellect, your eloquence, and your dedication to what matters most to you.  Nothing in this world could make me want to change the path my life has taken and the road we've shared together.  There's no one else I would wish to be the father of my children.  Without you in my life, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Here's to 70 more years...  ;oD

Little Helper

Apparently Punky is in rare form these days.  Hubby's hosting a diaper shower for a guy friend of his from church tomorrow night at our house and I told Punky today we had to clean all day.  She took me very seriously.  She immediately went to get the disinfecting wipes and went to the bathroom after I handed her one and wiped down the rim of the tub for me.

Family brought in a HUGE bag of cute clothes for New Baby that Punky found and strategically hung all about my bedroom after that. We're talking on the hardware on the dresser, on the pack and play, everywhere.  But hey, that's her little way of helping, so I didn't stop her.  Yes, it's more mess for me to clean up, but she's trying to help and it's ridiculously cute when she stands there with her little chest puffed, proudly exclaiming, "I hung up the clothes for you, Mommy!"  

Then I found this (pay attention to the bottom of the picture):

She apparently thought New Baby needed to be fed since she was crying.  She got in the utensil drawer and the pantry (even though that's off limits) and got this out for me.  

Days like this melt my heart.  She's turning into such a big girl!

Don't forget...the baby?

So we've had family in town this week (hence not posting much).  They've been entertaining my two eldest and I've had some valuable time with New Baby.  Well, today, I've got the two eldest and they have New Baby.

And we're driving home from a nice lunch, both kids are over-tired.  Punky keeps looking next to her where New Baby should be.  She burst into tears.

"Mommy, you forgot the baby!" she wails.  "Go back and get the baby!"

I try to assure her that Grandma has the baby and she's taking good care of her.  "No she's not!" she continues to wail with HUGE crocodile tears.  "Go back and get her, Mommy.  You forgot the baby!"

Needless to say, I don't think I have to worry about her actually running away any time soon.  Seems to me like she's pretty attached now.  

I can't believe it. Wait, yes I can.

Most of you know that I'm a die hard "Baby Whisperer".  All three of my kiddos were whispered and I LOVE the ideals in the book.  It meshed perfectly with my personality and how I viewed infanthood and parenthood.  Punky was whispered from about 6 weeks on and slept through the night at 14 weeks.  With Chicken I was lazy, confused with how to deal with 2 kids and didn't implement whispering with him until he was 3 months.  By 4, he slept through the night.  What most of you don't know is that I was determined to start New Baby on this from day one.

Low and behold, she was born at 7:17 am.  Well, the book recommends a 7 am - 7pm schedule for babies so she was born right on schedule.  :oD (that really has nothing to do with it, but it certainly made for good conversation, right?).  I started as soon as we got home from the hospital getting her on track.  She's such an easy baby, I think that's part of it, but I'm not complaining.  We're not 100% there, but she's mostly on target, although her bedtime is around 8 pm right now instead of 7.

3 nights ago, New Baby starting sleeping a whopping 7 hour stretch for me at night, 8 pm to 3 am.  I'm just tickled pink.  But you know what?  I KNOW she's doing this because I've been working hard on getting her on schedule (I don't brag about much, but I think I've earned the rights with this one).  With three very different children (personality wise), it can't be a fluke.  People tell me, "Oh you got lucky with her sleeping so well."  No, I didn't.  It's like discipline.  You don't get lucky with good kids, you make them.  Babies aren't born knowing how to sleep, you have to train them.

Therefore, my new motto is:  Good sleep habits are not born, they're made.  What do you think?  Do you agree?

Sorry babe...

So this morning I was in the bathroom and heard Hubby singing this in the kitchen to the kids...

So wrong

As I told him, it's disturbing that he even knows who singing it, much less the fact that he knows the actual words. It's a sad day when your hubby is rocking out to a Miley Cyrus song. But I guess, after all, he's just being Miley...

But, for the record, I thought it was pretty cute.