My monthly post

Apparently I'm going for a new blogging record here- how long can she go without posting? Alas, I decided to break my nearly three week hiatus and grace the blogging world with my presence once again. I know, I know- excitement abounds- your cheers are audible from here. Calm down already, will ya?

Anyways. Did I mention I only have five actual weeks of class yet? Oh. Now, might be the time to throw out my disclaimer of the month: If listening to me exlaim how many days/weeks are left bores you to tears you might want to stay away for a bit. Becuase the closer it gets, the more I'll most likely be informing everyone else. Whether you want to hear about it or not. Sorry. Can't help it. I'm insanely excited to put my schooling behind me.

Amongst the other headlines in this house... We had Adalie's baptism yesterday and had a fun afternoon visiting afterward. Such a beautiful day! This little girl is not such a little newborn anymore. She's seven weeks old, 11 pounds, and smiling and cooing more and more each day. We are loving having a cuddly baby in the house! Even when she does keep me awake half the night on my night before clinical... Ah, sweetheart.

Speaking of. She's waking up, so time to wrap this exciting post up.

These little moments...

... Are what keep me happy...

• An afternoon spent wandering through stores, just me and my oldest daughter. Good conversations, a little hand in mine. I love her perspective, the way she skips instead of walks, the spontaneous songs she invents for anything and nothing in particular. She suddenly she seems so old- how did this happen? But oh, how I love these special moments!
• A quiet walk as the sun was setting after my kids were in bed this evening. Beautiful sunset- perfect for reflecting and just letting my thoughts flow freely. A moment to step away from being a mother, to breathe, and then to return home feeling refreshed.
• An imperfect house. There are blocks on the bathroom floor and boots under the living room chair. There are dolls in the baby's swing, and a puzzle half finished on the floor... And three soundly sleeping children tucked in their beds upstairs. They are content.
• The sunshine that crept across the living room floor all afternoon until the long shadows of the evening carried it away. So refreshing to feel the warmth of that sun and to know spring will come. It might not be for some time yet, but each day of sun makes it feel closer and closer.
• A baby who fits so perfectly into my arms, who's breath against my neck is like little butterfly wings, who's gaze makes me feel like we're sharing a secret no one else is allowed to know.

... and that is today. In between it all, there are are simple little reasons to smile. Some days it's just harder than others to find them- sometimes they hide too well. But usually when you find one good thing, the others just fall in line.

Life is good like that.

Thanks, Sis.

Jack came home from my sister's house today with a box of 445 hockey cards. Don't ask me where she purchased such a pack from, but it made for a happy three year old. And yes, she was grinning when she handed them over.

It all started when my sister asked Lydia if she wanted to take a comic home (because- for a little girl who can't yet read- she loves comics. Don't ask me about that one either). Anyways, that set Jack off. In his overtired, burnt out state he snatched up the nearest thing he could get his hands on- a toy truck- and declared that he wanted to take that home. I vetoed that. He threw a fit. Hold up. That's a bit too mild... Let's try- he started wailing and screaming and became this little monster that would not be reasoned with.

Until... my sis comes up with this pack of hockey cards for him to take instead. She told him he could give some to his buddies to which he took to heart. When we got home he said, "I have to give some to my friends." Then, he took a handful of them to bed with him, begrudgingly parted with one for his little sister, and asked if someone could play hockey cards with him tomorrow. Yes, he thinks they're a game.

My prediction? By 9:30 a.m. tomorrow there will be, oh... about 445 hockey cards flying around the living room. The good news? I have a fresh container of Colombian coffee sitting on my counter. It's all good.

Hannah Lou is Two

Well, this mom is slacking over here. As if that should come as a surprise to anyone, right? Nevertheless, here it is- my birthday post a day late for the big two year old girl in our house...

Miss Hannah you are our bright-eyed, mischeif-seeking, smiley little sweetheart. You have an agenda all of your own and you're always on the move to do what needs to be done next. I fear whatever might have been left undone by the two above you, will definetly be completed by you.

You love to dress up and lately you always have a hat on your head and boots on your feet. So much so you won't even let us take the hat off for bed. And while you're dressing up you always wave to us with a glint in your eye and say, "Buh-bye! To-you!" I'm quite certain what you're trying to say is "love you!" And we do love you, my dear. So much!

You climb up on the counters, empty out all the toys in your older sibling's room, pull all the blankets off the beds, and throw things in the toilet. And all with big-eyed innocence and a sweet little smile.

And yet... You are never too busy to stop to cuddle. To rest your head on my shoulder, tuck your hands between us, and wait for me to rub your back. I cherish these moments we share, cozy togehter in the rocking chair, before something new sparks your attention and you take off on your latest adventure.

And with each new adventure life brings your way, I hope you never grow too old for our quiet moments together. For little stolen hugs and sweet smiles. For laughter that comes so freely and happiness that radiates without reserve.

Happy Birthday, my dear Hannah. And yes, I promise- we will have a cake for you.

Our newest member

This was the welcoming committee for baby Adalie who made her entrance into the world a week ago tomorrow. After spending the first part of the week with Auntie Trudy and the second half of the week with Grandpa & Grandma H., they came back home last night. I enjoyed a quiet week just holding the baby, sleeping when I felt like it, and just taking in the newness of this precious little girl. And now it's back to reality, but it's good to have them home too. Lydia especially is really going to be a helper this time around- I'm going to need that!

Miss Princess herself, Hannah, is taking the demotion fairly well. She thinks Adalie needs a hat on continuously since she was wearing one when they visited in the hospital. Being that Hannah carries a baby doll around or pushes one in a stroller the better part of the day, she's quite intrigued by this baby that cries and squirms and makes funny faces. A little too intrigued at times.

Adalie has done what newborns do best most of the week- sleep away the daylight hours and put up a bit of protest about settling down at night. Yesterday and today she's needed to have the billiblanket on her because she's jaundiced. She's not real fond of it and I'm hoping we're done with it by tomorrow.

The week ahead will bring some interesting adjustments which I'm not especially looking forward to. I was able to take off this past Friday from school but I'll have to go back this coming week. Not looking forward to that at all, but I knew it was coming. And we will survive.

And on that note- with the older kids in bed, it's time to cuddle with that baby of mine!

Carseat Cover

So here it is- the finished product. This was one of those projects that started out all fun and misled me into thinking- this is way easier than I thought it would be! And then the fun started. The binding was all messed up, the canopy would. not. work. (and still needs some fixing- someday when I have more patience). And then there was the button holes for the straps to fit through. Oh, now those were just plain fun with the puffy backing I used. In the end it worked out- but just a note of advice if you plan to try one of these yourself- have plenty of Dove dark chocolates on hand. It helps.

Now. Just anxiously waiting to try it out. Ah, let the waiting game continue.

And that's all I'll say about that

Disclaimer: Please read this before continuing on with today's post: All of you who read my blog? I know you. (And if I don't well... You know me. And if you don't then you've gotten to know me through my posts, right?) So the following post is not in any way geared toward any of you. Just want to make sure we're clear on that- I appreciate all of your comments and questions and support so much! This rant is strictly directed at the judgemental, nosy strangers who come right out and say stupid things like, "I just want to touch your belly!" Oh! Well, why didn't you just say something? I've been wanting to touch yours too! Seriously. What was your name again?

Probably the most enjoyable part of being pregnant while going to school is meeting all kinds of inquisitive strangers who feel the compelling urge to make some sort of comment about my expanding belly and the baby that resides within. (Please feel the sarcasm here people. I don't know- it's Monday morning and I feel like if you operate like I do you might need it pointed out.)

Anyways. Take the experience I had a couple of weeks ago for an example. I was at clinical and a woman who shall remain anonymous because I have no idea who she is despite the fact that she broke into personal conversation with me within two and a half minutes of meeting her. Of course she commented that I must be due for a baby soon to which I agreed. Then she said all enthusiastically (and I get this all. the. time.), "So is this your first?" Um... No. Fourth.

Her demeanor suddenly changed from over-excited experienced mom who wanted to pass me all kinds of wisdom to judgemental crazy-woman who thought she had some sort of right to basically imply I'd had too many kids already by her standards. Her tone of voice did this cool 180 thing and suddenly she was all serious and belittling. "Oh. Do you have girls or boys?" Two girls and a boy. "Oh. We stopped at two. Our first was a girl and our second was a boy. Maybe if the second would have been a girl too we would have tried for a third." Ooooh... Thanks for the advice- sorry I didn't follow your rules.

And then there was the woman on the elevator who meant well, but... well. In hindsight there would have been a much easier way to deal with her. She took a look at me and said, "Normally I don't say anything but I'm pretty sure I can ask... So, how's the baby?" Oh, fine. (And to think at this point I could have fore-gone the entire conversation by stating,'What baby?!') "Are you excited?" Okay, first off I don't get this question. Well, gee, let's see- Would you like the real answer?! I'm at clinical two hours away from home three weeks before my due date. My back aches, my pants won't stay up, and I got approximately 3 hours of sleep meshed between tossing, turning, contractions, and bathroom breaks last night. So am I excited? Jumping up and down in the elevator, lady, Yeah! Are you? Are you excited today?

She also went on to ask how many kids I had and this time when I answered she shut up completely and we spent the next 8 seconds in silence until the elevator reached her floor. Oh well. I think we could have been real good friends too.

The final thing I will not miss about being pregnant and going to school- the people who mean well but who can't drop the fact that I will be having this baby in the middle of a semester. One girl when she found out said (with much doubt in her voice), "Oh. Well, good luck with that." Thank-you. Thanks, it's all better now because you gave me your well wishes. And another who just couldn't seem to let it go and kept asking questions like, "But how are you going to do it? Do you have other kids? Who will watch the baby?" All this after I had known her for a mere five minutes.

I understand concern. I'm not faulting people who have natural wonder and who offer good wishes- I appreciate that. It's when it comes down to nosy strangers who are only filling their own curiosity by peppering me with a thousand pointless questions that will in no way make their day more complete to which I have a problem.

And, I don't mind questions so much from strangers-- if they could leave their judgements aside. As soon as they find out this is my fourth kid, or if they somehow manage to discover my husband is in nursing school as well, they take that as their cue to start implying that I'm completely nuts. Guess what- here's a newsflash you probably didn't see coming- I think I'm nuts too. But that's for me to decide. Not the stranger in the hospital cafeteria who suddenly feels it's their duty to remind me that I've lost my mind just like one might drop a piece of silverware. Um, m'am? I think you lost your sanity over there by the salad bar. Hah. No, actually I misplaced that about two babies ago and I've been wandering aimlessly ever since, but thanks- maybe that's yours?

So there you have it. My rant on crazy-nosy, judgemental strangers. Apparently people have this fascination with pregnant woman that leads them to ramble off nonsense comments they wouldn't find themselves saying to ordinary passer-by.

Oh well. I can take it. My list of comebacks is increasing with every meeting. I like to think I'm growing wiser.

And- as a footnote to all of you still reading- you have earned the right to call me crazy any time you want. Go for it.