"I like how happy you are. You're always happy. Sometimes, I guess you get grumpy, but you're an adult, so that's ok. But you aren't usually grumpy. You're good at being good. I like that about you."
And just when I feel like the only parent in the world who yells at her kids (and really beat myself up over it) out comes this from the mouth of my Patrick. Just like I'll never really know the lessons I've been successful teaching him, he'll never know the ones he's taught me. You, kiddo, just made my day...my week.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Since I'm in a reminiscing mood today:
Years ago (8), I used to sing this song to my sweet and terribly stupid dog, Mr. Freckles. Now, I sing it to sweet Baby Hatch. I hate to downplay how much Mr. Freckles loved this song, but I'm going to venture to say the Baby likes it better than the dog did. But of course he does; he's now my littlest bird. Enjoy! (This song brought to you by Tuesday. And by YouTube.)
Well, I love you so dearly,
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs.
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs
Oh, I left my baby on a pretty blue train
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs
Years ago (8), I used to sing this song to my sweet and terribly stupid dog, Mr. Freckles. Now, I sing it to sweet Baby Hatch. I hate to downplay how much Mr. Freckles loved this song, but I'm going to venture to say the Baby likes it better than the dog did. But of course he does; he's now my littlest bird. Enjoy! (This song brought to you by Tuesday. And by YouTube.)
Well, I feel like an old hobo
I'm sad lonesome and blue
I was fair as a summer day
Now the summer days are through
You pass through places
You pass through places
And places pass through you
But you carry 'em with you
On the souls of your travelin' shoes.
Well, I love you so dearly,
I love you so clearly
I wake you up in the mornin' so early
Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues
I got the wanderin' blues
And I'm gonna quit these ramblin' ways
One of these days soon
and I'll sing
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs.
Well, it's times like these, I feel so small and wild
Like the ramblin' footsteps of a wanderin' child
And I'm lonesome as a lonesome whippoorwill
Singin' these blues with a warble and a trill
But I'm not too blue to fly
But I'm not too blue to fly
No, I'm not too blue to fly 'cause
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs
Well, I love you so dearly, I love you so fearlessly
I wake you up in the mornin' so early
Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues
I got the wanderin' blues
And I don't wanna leave you
And I don't wanna leave you
I love you through and through
Oh, I left my baby on a pretty blue train
And I sang my songs to the cold and the rain
And I had the wanderin' blues
And I sang those wanderin' blues
And I'm gonna quit these ramblin' ways
And I'm gonna quit these ramblin' ways
One of these days soon
and I'll sing
The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs
I don't care if the sun don't shine
I don't care if nothin' is mine
I don't care if I'm nervous with you
I'll do my lovin' in the wintertime.
Diary of a Pregnant Housewife
One month since I have posted anything, right? Almost one month? Close?
It feels like it. Each day passes so quickly now that there is a list as long as my driveway of things to do, things to buy (ugh), things to fix and to sell. I have things to improve, things to paint, things to re-arrange, and things to unpack (still.) Things to mop and things to scrub, things to vacuum and things to fold. Things to investigate (where is that smell coming from??) and things to read. Things, things, things. And the things keep coming and I keep trying to compose a mental list and that thing isn't working at all.
But we're hanging in there! Adam's travel season has started again, meaning I'm by myself more often than not. (That is, by myself if you don't count three little boys, but I feel like my actual conversations with them involve more scolding than anything and so I would rather not count that at all.) So, by myself, And, being unreasonably large for a person not even half-way through her pregnancy, trying to tackle as many things as I need to in one day becomes next to impossible. Pair that with the plague (flu, upper respiratory infections, GI upset, pink-eye, teething woes, sleep-deprivation, lingering coughs...you get the picture), and it's been the most eventful uneventful month at the newly-relocated Waldens.
All of that into consideration, we love our new house. It's not exactly "home" yet, but it's getting there. I have caught myself driving by our little old house periodically and feeling that deep, heart-pang that only nostalgia can cause, remembering with affection and pure joy:
1.) Our second first kiss in the tiny little kitchen
2.) Countless beer bottles and wine bottles and friends through the back door pre-kids era
3.) Swaying the babies in the front window when the day would get the best of them
4.) Trying on skinny jeans a week after Patrick was born, crying to my newborn baby about my weight woes, and making myself feel better with some sugar cookies.
5.) Frantically painting, and re-painting every room until I felt it was just right (oooorrr...close enough.)
6.) Hosting the boys' baptisms (my favorite events, always.)
7.) Every tickle-fight or dance-party or movie night, every fight, every tear, every new job, every new baby.
We had a good life there. We really did. But we'll have a good life here. We just need to build it again, which may take a while since we're going to be absolutely consumed with family life for at least another...well, forever. (Four kids five and under is really starting to hit me now...in a good way. Yes. I think. In a good way.)
Since re-locating to my grown-up house, as my friend Anna called it, here is what I have learned:
1.) Life really does have a way of working itself out. Always. It's time to stop the worries.
2.) A bigger house means more things to clean. Sigh.
3.) Our medical insurance is really quite great. Accidental finding, but a lucky one. Thank you, hospital.
4.) I appreciate the longer drive to work. Time to myself. Time to listen to music. Time to unwind after a shit-show in the ER. (Happens even in the best pediatric ones, I promise.)
5.) Little boys are wild. Big house, little house...doesn't matter. They are still wild. And loud. And like to make up their own rules as they go along. And break into pantries and eat you out of house and home. (Note to self: get a lock for the pantry.)
And, a final note:
I wish I had good pictures to post here of our newest Baby Walden, but it's super-cute. It's got (what looks at this point to be) a little up-turned nose (where did that come from?) and a pouty, poofy set of lips. It's neither a boy nor a girl (from what I have seen, which is nothing. Adam doesn't believe me, but it's true. I know nothing), but it's a very cute and well-formed little person, despite my daily turkey sandwiches. (I got the ok from the doctor. We're good.) I'm very excited about a new baby. I really am. Nervously excited. I feel like I am actually preparing for this birth, which would be a first. Thanks to Adam's work schedule and the timing of our little blessing, there is a good chance Adam won't be here for the delivery, which we've already come to terms with, and I'm not sure yet if I plan on doing it alone or with my mother? My sister? My dad? (Is that weird?) I don't want to take something away from Adam by denying him the right to be in the delivery room and giving it to somebody else, but what if the delivery gets hard? I also don't know if I want to be by myself. Maybe I can have people on stand-by. Maybe that's not such a bad plan.
And, at this point, I am rambling. It's good to finally sit down and type something out. It's not exactly what I have been mentally composing for weeks, but it will do. Until next time, friends.
It feels like it. Each day passes so quickly now that there is a list as long as my driveway of things to do, things to buy (ugh), things to fix and to sell. I have things to improve, things to paint, things to re-arrange, and things to unpack (still.) Things to mop and things to scrub, things to vacuum and things to fold. Things to investigate (where is that smell coming from??) and things to read. Things, things, things. And the things keep coming and I keep trying to compose a mental list and that thing isn't working at all.
But we're hanging in there! Adam's travel season has started again, meaning I'm by myself more often than not. (That is, by myself if you don't count three little boys, but I feel like my actual conversations with them involve more scolding than anything and so I would rather not count that at all.) So, by myself, And, being unreasonably large for a person not even half-way through her pregnancy, trying to tackle as many things as I need to in one day becomes next to impossible. Pair that with the plague (flu, upper respiratory infections, GI upset, pink-eye, teething woes, sleep-deprivation, lingering coughs...you get the picture), and it's been the most eventful uneventful month at the newly-relocated Waldens.
All of that into consideration, we love our new house. It's not exactly "home" yet, but it's getting there. I have caught myself driving by our little old house periodically and feeling that deep, heart-pang that only nostalgia can cause, remembering with affection and pure joy:
1.) Our second first kiss in the tiny little kitchen
2.) Countless beer bottles and wine bottles and friends through the back door pre-kids era
3.) Swaying the babies in the front window when the day would get the best of them
4.) Trying on skinny jeans a week after Patrick was born, crying to my newborn baby about my weight woes, and making myself feel better with some sugar cookies.
5.) Frantically painting, and re-painting every room until I felt it was just right (oooorrr...close enough.)
6.) Hosting the boys' baptisms (my favorite events, always.)
7.) Every tickle-fight or dance-party or movie night, every fight, every tear, every new job, every new baby.
We had a good life there. We really did. But we'll have a good life here. We just need to build it again, which may take a while since we're going to be absolutely consumed with family life for at least another...well, forever. (Four kids five and under is really starting to hit me now...in a good way. Yes. I think. In a good way.)
Since re-locating to my grown-up house, as my friend Anna called it, here is what I have learned:
1.) Life really does have a way of working itself out. Always. It's time to stop the worries.
2.) A bigger house means more things to clean. Sigh.
3.) Our medical insurance is really quite great. Accidental finding, but a lucky one. Thank you, hospital.
4.) I appreciate the longer drive to work. Time to myself. Time to listen to music. Time to unwind after a shit-show in the ER. (Happens even in the best pediatric ones, I promise.)
5.) Little boys are wild. Big house, little house...doesn't matter. They are still wild. And loud. And like to make up their own rules as they go along. And break into pantries and eat you out of house and home. (Note to self: get a lock for the pantry.)
And, a final note:
I wish I had good pictures to post here of our newest Baby Walden, but it's super-cute. It's got (what looks at this point to be) a little up-turned nose (where did that come from?) and a pouty, poofy set of lips. It's neither a boy nor a girl (from what I have seen, which is nothing. Adam doesn't believe me, but it's true. I know nothing), but it's a very cute and well-formed little person, despite my daily turkey sandwiches. (I got the ok from the doctor. We're good.) I'm very excited about a new baby. I really am. Nervously excited. I feel like I am actually preparing for this birth, which would be a first. Thanks to Adam's work schedule and the timing of our little blessing, there is a good chance Adam won't be here for the delivery, which we've already come to terms with, and I'm not sure yet if I plan on doing it alone or with my mother? My sister? My dad? (Is that weird?) I don't want to take something away from Adam by denying him the right to be in the delivery room and giving it to somebody else, but what if the delivery gets hard? I also don't know if I want to be by myself. Maybe I can have people on stand-by. Maybe that's not such a bad plan.
And, at this point, I am rambling. It's good to finally sit down and type something out. It's not exactly what I have been mentally composing for weeks, but it will do. Until next time, friends.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
We're In!
We're in our new house. And it's wonderful. It's a disaster zone and it smells different and there are strange creaks and noises and I can't find anything to wear (an entire box of socks and underwear still missing)--or anything at all, for that matter. It's totally foreign...but it's totally ours and I'm totally happy and totally overwhelmed. If I find the laptop later, I'll fill you in a bit more. Happy Monday (and if you woke up without finding a child has vomited all over your front side, all the happier! Yay for you.)
Later, gators.
Later, gators.
Monday, February 11, 2013
That Hatchie Can Talk!
This is the week we move on out and move on up! That's the great news. The not-so-great news is that our house is in shambles, every wall is lined at least halfway up with boxes, there are no pictures on the walls or fun things to look at. It all makes me very uneasy. (I don't know if I have blogged about this before--probably because it makes me sound crazy--but I get this static in my head when things are disorderly, dusty, or not properly arranged. It is possible to catch OCD tendencies? Because it seems as though Adam has unloaded all of his on me.)
I digress. I need something to take my mind off of all this static, however, so let me tell you a little bit about my sweet baby William:
He talks! Now, I don't mean he babbles or even garbles things that only we understand (well, he does that, too), but he talks! In phrases, at that. Being the youngest of three, we give him no credit for his speaking abilities, as it is just assumed he should talk. Everyone else in this house talks. Why wouldn't the baby?
At fifteen months, Hatch could say:
-Hold this
-Do this
-Mommy go bye-bye
-Choo-choo all gone
-Indy (Dee-Dee) good
-Baby good
-Get diaper
-Go night-night
Now, at sixteen months, he seems to be picking up a little here and a little there from his brothers. Yesterday, as Leo (Hatch's least favorite brother at this moment) was putting on a pair of glasses to wear to a party, Hatch looked right at him with a look of disgust and said, "No Glasses!"
They should be fun in the next couple of years. Between Leo's temper and Hatch's scrappiness, I bet they eventually put on a pretty good show. I can't wait. Between you and I, I'm really very proud that the baby can fight back. It's survival of the fittest around here.
Everything else is going pretty well! My nausea is starting to subside, as is the utter exhaustion (still tired, just not I-could-fall-to-the-ground-right-now kind of tired.) The baby looks great on ultrasound from what I can see, but we go to our first doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'm closing in on twelve weeks, so the office ultrasound should show a tiny little baby and less of a blob! From what I can see, it has fingers and toes, a profile with a nose, the beginnings of ears, and ambiguous parts (they all look the same at this stage...in fact, they all look like boys. This week is the week it'll start changing into whatever it is, so no more self-scans for me. I don't want to risk seeing what it is. What it is is what it is and I'm really quite happy with that.)
Back to packing. Ugh. Three rooms to go.
Next time we chat, it'll be from a new house in total disorder, but one I'm looking forward to being in. Until then!
I digress. I need something to take my mind off of all this static, however, so let me tell you a little bit about my sweet baby William:
He talks! Now, I don't mean he babbles or even garbles things that only we understand (well, he does that, too), but he talks! In phrases, at that. Being the youngest of three, we give him no credit for his speaking abilities, as it is just assumed he should talk. Everyone else in this house talks. Why wouldn't the baby?
At fifteen months, Hatch could say:
-Hold this
-Do this
-Mommy go bye-bye
-Choo-choo all gone
-Indy (Dee-Dee) good
-Baby good
-Get diaper
-Go night-night
Now, at sixteen months, he seems to be picking up a little here and a little there from his brothers. Yesterday, as Leo (Hatch's least favorite brother at this moment) was putting on a pair of glasses to wear to a party, Hatch looked right at him with a look of disgust and said, "No Glasses!"
They should be fun in the next couple of years. Between Leo's temper and Hatch's scrappiness, I bet they eventually put on a pretty good show. I can't wait. Between you and I, I'm really very proud that the baby can fight back. It's survival of the fittest around here.
Everything else is going pretty well! My nausea is starting to subside, as is the utter exhaustion (still tired, just not I-could-fall-to-the-ground-right-now kind of tired.) The baby looks great on ultrasound from what I can see, but we go to our first doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'm closing in on twelve weeks, so the office ultrasound should show a tiny little baby and less of a blob! From what I can see, it has fingers and toes, a profile with a nose, the beginnings of ears, and ambiguous parts (they all look the same at this stage...in fact, they all look like boys. This week is the week it'll start changing into whatever it is, so no more self-scans for me. I don't want to risk seeing what it is. What it is is what it is and I'm really quite happy with that.)
Back to packing. Ugh. Three rooms to go.
Next time we chat, it'll be from a new house in total disorder, but one I'm looking forward to being in. Until then!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Patrick is Five (Almost)
Our Patrick John Edward will be five years old in two short days, and though it pains my heart that he's growing into a kid and out of anything related to a baby or toddler, I am really amazed with the kid he is growing into. He is kind and sensitive, so smart and, let's be fair, a bit attitude-ridden. He has opinions about everything, is a little more cautious about trying new foods, and his vocabulary is rapidly expanding.
Highlights from this week included the incorporation of the following into Patrick's vocabulary:
A few mornings ago, we were up and moving and Patrick was allowed 15 minutes on his DS before breakfast. When his time was almost up, I said, "Alright, Patrick, are you ready for some breakfast now?" Without even looking up, Patrick said, "Oh, no thanks, Mom. I would, but I'm extraordinarily busy." Extraordinarily. Really. Let me show you extraordinarily busy, sweet boy.
Then, on Saturday, I came home from an out-of-town baby shower to find Patrick sitting on the couch with Adam. (Thanks to his new love for all things DS, we've had a few pee accidents when he gets too absorbed in a game to stop and use the bathroom). When I sat down next to him, I said, "Hey, buddy. Any pee in your pants today?" "Eh," he replied, "not excessively." Excessively. Certainly, this was a coincidence and he really didn't know what he was saying. So I asked him to tell me what "not excessively" meant. He didn't hesitate to tell me, "It means not a lot." Touche. He is a smart boy, that Patrick Walden.
Because his birthday is in two days, and I'll have to work (Boo. I know.), we have a moment now to start Patrick's birthday interview.
2.) Do you know when you're going to be five? Of course! On my birthday.
3.) When is your birthday? February 6th. Can I play my DS?
4.) No. How does it feel to be almost five? Um, happy? It does feel really happy. Because I want to be five.
5.) How will your birthday be? It think it will be good.
6.) How do you think the weather will be on your birthday? I don't know. Snowing. Is it going to be snowing for my birthday?
7.) Probably. What is the most important thing you have learned in life so far? How to be extraordinarily busy. (I'm serious. I didn't prompt this.)
8.) How do think you're different than you were a year ago? I don't know. Well, I have different hair. And I'm white.
9.) What is your favorite thing about yourself? That I'm going to be five.
10.) That's it? Yeah. That I'm going to be five.
11.) You are in the Butterfly class this year. How do you like it? I like it because I have friends. Yeah. Are there ten people in kindergarten? Probably not. It's not excessive. (I am not doing this.)
12.) Who is your best friend? Luke & Simeon.
13.) What is one thing you like to learn about? I like to learn about my letters.
14.) Is there anything you would do to make school better? Like...learning? I have no idea what you just said.
15.) Tell me about our family. Uhh. My family is great. My family is good. My family loves me. My family takes care of me. That's all that they do. And they tell me to pick up messes and sometimes I don't. And that's it.
16.) What do you like about being a big brother? I do not know. Being a big brother? Learning about sharing and playing with each other and showing them...like...Otto and toys and Mommy & Daddy stuff.
17.) If you had a whole day to do anything you wanted, what would you do? I would do stuff. Run outside and play. Play with my toys and when you and Dad say I can play my DS, I would do that. That's what I would do.
18.) What is your favorite song? How Bad Can I Be (from the Lorax).
19.) What is your favorite movie? The Lorax.
20.) What is your favorite book? The God Book (Children's Bible).
21.) What is your favorite toy? The toy the baby has right now. Does that make sense?
22.) What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a doctor. Is this the last one?
23.) Not quite. Do you think you will ever get married? Yeah. I just want to get married to my mom.
24.) How old do you think you'll be when you get married? Veeerry old. Like 99 or maybe 60. Probably 60.
25.) What have you learned about girls this year? What do you mean? I don't learn about girls.
26.) What is your favorite food? Broccoli.
27.) What is your favorite candy? Oooooh. I don't eat candy. Haha...I'm kidding. My favorite candy is chocolate.
28.) Are you scared of anything? Nah. I'm not scared of anything.
29.) Is there anything else you'd like to say? No. I would just really like to remember what it's like to be five.
Highlights from this week included the incorporation of the following into Patrick's vocabulary:
A few mornings ago, we were up and moving and Patrick was allowed 15 minutes on his DS before breakfast. When his time was almost up, I said, "Alright, Patrick, are you ready for some breakfast now?" Without even looking up, Patrick said, "Oh, no thanks, Mom. I would, but I'm extraordinarily busy." Extraordinarily. Really. Let me show you extraordinarily busy, sweet boy.
Then, on Saturday, I came home from an out-of-town baby shower to find Patrick sitting on the couch with Adam. (Thanks to his new love for all things DS, we've had a few pee accidents when he gets too absorbed in a game to stop and use the bathroom). When I sat down next to him, I said, "Hey, buddy. Any pee in your pants today?" "Eh," he replied, "not excessively." Excessively. Certainly, this was a coincidence and he really didn't know what he was saying. So I asked him to tell me what "not excessively" meant. He didn't hesitate to tell me, "It means not a lot." Touche. He is a smart boy, that Patrick Walden.
Because his birthday is in two days, and I'll have to work (Boo. I know.), we have a moment now to start Patrick's birthday interview.
Patrick Walden's Official 5th Birthday Interview
1.) How old are you going to be? Five. I'm going to be five. Can you believe that? I'm going to be five and after I'm five, I'm going to be six. (Singing) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, siiiiiiix. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, siiiiixxx.2.) Do you know when you're going to be five? Of course! On my birthday.
3.) When is your birthday? February 6th. Can I play my DS?
4.) No. How does it feel to be almost five? Um, happy? It does feel really happy. Because I want to be five.
5.) How will your birthday be? It think it will be good.
6.) How do you think the weather will be on your birthday? I don't know. Snowing. Is it going to be snowing for my birthday?
7.) Probably. What is the most important thing you have learned in life so far? How to be extraordinarily busy. (I'm serious. I didn't prompt this.)
8.) How do think you're different than you were a year ago? I don't know. Well, I have different hair. And I'm white.
9.) What is your favorite thing about yourself? That I'm going to be five.
10.) That's it? Yeah. That I'm going to be five.
11.) You are in the Butterfly class this year. How do you like it? I like it because I have friends. Yeah. Are there ten people in kindergarten? Probably not. It's not excessive. (I am not doing this.)
12.) Who is your best friend? Luke & Simeon.
13.) What is one thing you like to learn about? I like to learn about my letters.
14.) Is there anything you would do to make school better? Like...learning? I have no idea what you just said.
15.) Tell me about our family. Uhh. My family is great. My family is good. My family loves me. My family takes care of me. That's all that they do. And they tell me to pick up messes and sometimes I don't. And that's it.
16.) What do you like about being a big brother? I do not know. Being a big brother? Learning about sharing and playing with each other and showing them...like...Otto and toys and Mommy & Daddy stuff.
17.) If you had a whole day to do anything you wanted, what would you do? I would do stuff. Run outside and play. Play with my toys and when you and Dad say I can play my DS, I would do that. That's what I would do.
18.) What is your favorite song? How Bad Can I Be (from the Lorax).
19.) What is your favorite movie? The Lorax.
20.) What is your favorite book? The God Book (Children's Bible).
21.) What is your favorite toy? The toy the baby has right now. Does that make sense?
22.) What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a doctor. Is this the last one?
23.) Not quite. Do you think you will ever get married? Yeah. I just want to get married to my mom.
24.) How old do you think you'll be when you get married? Veeerry old. Like 99 or maybe 60. Probably 60.
25.) What have you learned about girls this year? What do you mean? I don't learn about girls.
26.) What is your favorite food? Broccoli.
27.) What is your favorite candy? Oooooh. I don't eat candy. Haha...I'm kidding. My favorite candy is chocolate.
28.) Are you scared of anything? Nah. I'm not scared of anything.
29.) Is there anything else you'd like to say? No. I would just really like to remember what it's like to be five.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Sometimes a Work Horse, Sometimes a Mule
Oh, the never-ending list of to-dos. Generally, I'm pretty good at knocking it out. Generally--not lately. With our impending move (did I mention we sold our house and bought a new one?), I could really use a surge of energy. And I'm waiting. But it's not coming.
In the meantime, I am trying to rest and to not be sick and to take a moment to really soak things in because life as we know it is about to change. We're no longer going to be living on top of each other, we plan to initiate a no-kids-in-our-bedroom (oooookay) rule, I may just be able to take a bath without 1.) the water draining out too quickly and 2.) three boys trying to climb in with me, and...we're going to have another baby. We are.
December and January brought with it lots of good news. The day the world was to end, we found out we were going to have our fourth baby. Around the same time, we came to an agreement on the sale of our house. Adam got a raise. Our offer was accepted on a new house. And with all of that good news came a lot of stress. A lot. And I mean the I-really-just-need-to-go-to-bed-and-not-talk-about-it-right-now kind. It's a lot to take in, but by this summer, it's going to be great. It is! During an expression of frustration to my father the other day, he offered this piece of advice, "Catie, sometimes you just need to accept it and move forward." Of course we do. And we will. And we're ready. (To clarify, we're not stressed about the baby. That's one thing we know we can pull off. That is, if managing to keep everyone mostly safe and alive at the end of the day is the same as pulling it off.)
(Then again, this is all if I can get myself moving.)
But how exciting is a new baby? Super-exciting. Really. Patrick and Leo now know of our news and sweet Patrick is so excited. (Leo still lives in oblivion.) And, though I'm sure to get my fair share of "Are you really hoping for that girl?" the truth is, I'm not. We should probably just get that out of the way now. I'm really hoping for a healthy baby; we wanted a fourth child without any stipulation on the sex. I'm really excited about how our future looks with either scenario. We could be the parents of four strapping and active boys (meaning we'd likely have the most social house in the neighborhood) or we could have three big brothers for a lucky little girl. If you think about it it, my job is going to be pretty easy either way. That is, as easy as it gets with four kids, five and under. (Oh.)
While I would love to have more kids, this one will probably be our last, which makes this even more special. And exciting. It's like having your first...in reverse...if that makes any sense at all. Rather than the excitement of "I've never experienced this before!" I'll have the "I'll never experience this again!" My sister said with a bit of disappointment when she found out, "Oh, wow. That's probably the last positive pregnancy test you'll ever read." Call me crazy, but, for that reason, I kept it. (One of them, that is. You know I took about ten. For real.)
So there that is. Wish us luck! And if you live in one of the northern Indy suburbs, come visit us! We're going to officially be suburbanites in three weeks.
Time for coffee.
In the meantime, I am trying to rest and to not be sick and to take a moment to really soak things in because life as we know it is about to change. We're no longer going to be living on top of each other, we plan to initiate a no-kids-in-our-bedroom (oooookay) rule, I may just be able to take a bath without 1.) the water draining out too quickly and 2.) three boys trying to climb in with me, and...we're going to have another baby. We are.
December and January brought with it lots of good news. The day the world was to end, we found out we were going to have our fourth baby. Around the same time, we came to an agreement on the sale of our house. Adam got a raise. Our offer was accepted on a new house. And with all of that good news came a lot of stress. A lot. And I mean the I-really-just-need-to-go-to-bed-and-not-talk-about-it-right-now kind. It's a lot to take in, but by this summer, it's going to be great. It is! During an expression of frustration to my father the other day, he offered this piece of advice, "Catie, sometimes you just need to accept it and move forward." Of course we do. And we will. And we're ready. (To clarify, we're not stressed about the baby. That's one thing we know we can pull off. That is, if managing to keep everyone mostly safe and alive at the end of the day is the same as pulling it off.)
(Then again, this is all if I can get myself moving.)
But how exciting is a new baby? Super-exciting. Really. Patrick and Leo now know of our news and sweet Patrick is so excited. (Leo still lives in oblivion.) And, though I'm sure to get my fair share of "Are you really hoping for that girl?" the truth is, I'm not. We should probably just get that out of the way now. I'm really hoping for a healthy baby; we wanted a fourth child without any stipulation on the sex. I'm really excited about how our future looks with either scenario. We could be the parents of four strapping and active boys (meaning we'd likely have the most social house in the neighborhood) or we could have three big brothers for a lucky little girl. If you think about it it, my job is going to be pretty easy either way. That is, as easy as it gets with four kids, five and under. (Oh.)
While I would love to have more kids, this one will probably be our last, which makes this even more special. And exciting. It's like having your first...in reverse...if that makes any sense at all. Rather than the excitement of "I've never experienced this before!" I'll have the "I'll never experience this again!" My sister said with a bit of disappointment when she found out, "Oh, wow. That's probably the last positive pregnancy test you'll ever read." Call me crazy, but, for that reason, I kept it. (One of them, that is. You know I took about ten. For real.)
So there that is. Wish us luck! And if you live in one of the northern Indy suburbs, come visit us! We're going to officially be suburbanites in three weeks.
Time for coffee.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year!
Here we are, on New Year's Eve, watching Harry Potter (the first one...not scary, and Patrick is WAY interested in it). The boys are eating puppy chow and Pretzel M&M's (thanks Chrissy and Colleen!), while I sip away on some plain hot tea...which tastes terrible because I'm still getting over the flu and literally everything I put into my mouth tastes terrible. (It's good for the scale, yes, but it is more annoying than I can begin to tell you. I'm actually getting angry about it.)
This isn't how I planned to spend NYE. I should at least be wearing something that sparkles and have a really fantastic pair of eyelashes on. I should have a drink in my hand that 1.) is reserved for adults and 2.) doesn't taste like dirt. We should be counting down the minutes to the ball dropping with our friends and family. As it is, we won't see the ball drop and we'll sleep through the first few hours of the new year. And do you know what? It's ok.
Despite being sick, this is the kind of night that makes me happy. Leo insists on holding hands now when we watch movies, and that really couldn't be better. Patrick professed that I am still fun, even when I'm a sick bum, and baby Hatch hasn't even noticed there is anything off. He's really into these nights at home, too.
The only person here who may be a little perturbed is Adam, who may or may not still be coming down from the throws of a full-on mantrum. He's fine, though. He may act annoyed, but he's really into this Harry Potter, too. (And the whole reason for the mantrum is because I have been out of commission, which means he has had to feed and care for himself and the kids and Adam really prefers being taken care of. He'll admit it. So he's upset that I'm down and out. He's generally pretty great, so I'll give him this little mood of his. He'll get it out of his system in no time.)
As the new year approaches, I can't say that I have any real resolutions except for this:
I will try my best.
When I run out of fuel and the kids are wearing me down, I will try my best to keep it together and to make sure their home is a happy one.
When my family (immediate and extended) starts to get on my nerves, I will try my best to remember that I have probably been on people's nerves, too
When Indy won't get out from under my feet and just keeps licking himself, I will try my best to be kind and loving and remember that he's super-old and it isn't his fault.
When Adam works too hard and I get frustrated that he's not home, I will try my best to remember that he works so hard to give us all a good life, not because he wants to be away from it.
And when things don't go my way, I will try my best to turn them around, to see things differently, or to understand that sometimes things don't work out because there is something better just around the corner.
I won't make less mistakes.
I probably won't lose any weight.
God knows, I'm not going to start running or going to the gym with any regularity.
I'm not going to be the next Martha Stewart or the new Coupon Queen.
But I am going to love this life that I have, I am going to anticipate that 2013 will be a really great one for us, and I'm going to hug and kiss the &^%$ out of these boys (even the mantrumming one) because that's what I do best.
Happy New Year, Friends and Family! May God bless you always, all ways.
This isn't how I planned to spend NYE. I should at least be wearing something that sparkles and have a really fantastic pair of eyelashes on. I should have a drink in my hand that 1.) is reserved for adults and 2.) doesn't taste like dirt. We should be counting down the minutes to the ball dropping with our friends and family. As it is, we won't see the ball drop and we'll sleep through the first few hours of the new year. And do you know what? It's ok.
Despite being sick, this is the kind of night that makes me happy. Leo insists on holding hands now when we watch movies, and that really couldn't be better. Patrick professed that I am still fun, even when I'm a sick bum, and baby Hatch hasn't even noticed there is anything off. He's really into these nights at home, too.
The only person here who may be a little perturbed is Adam, who may or may not still be coming down from the throws of a full-on mantrum. He's fine, though. He may act annoyed, but he's really into this Harry Potter, too. (And the whole reason for the mantrum is because I have been out of commission, which means he has had to feed and care for himself and the kids and Adam really prefers being taken care of. He'll admit it. So he's upset that I'm down and out. He's generally pretty great, so I'll give him this little mood of his. He'll get it out of his system in no time.)
As the new year approaches, I can't say that I have any real resolutions except for this:
I will try my best.
When I run out of fuel and the kids are wearing me down, I will try my best to keep it together and to make sure their home is a happy one.
When my family (immediate and extended) starts to get on my nerves, I will try my best to remember that I have probably been on people's nerves, too
When Indy won't get out from under my feet and just keeps licking himself, I will try my best to be kind and loving and remember that he's super-old and it isn't his fault.
When Adam works too hard and I get frustrated that he's not home, I will try my best to remember that he works so hard to give us all a good life, not because he wants to be away from it.
And when things don't go my way, I will try my best to turn them around, to see things differently, or to understand that sometimes things don't work out because there is something better just around the corner.
I won't make less mistakes.
I probably won't lose any weight.
God knows, I'm not going to start running or going to the gym with any regularity.
I'm not going to be the next Martha Stewart or the new Coupon Queen.
But I am going to love this life that I have, I am going to anticipate that 2013 will be a really great one for us, and I'm going to hug and kiss the &^%$ out of these boys (even the mantrumming one) because that's what I do best.
Happy New Year, Friends and Family! May God bless you always, all ways.
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