morning with my monkeys

We stayed home today (instead of going to church) because someone (ahem, me) still isn't feeling well and Jeff had to work all weekend just like last weekend, total bummer! so the kids and I are home. But honestly? I just love being home on relaxing weekend mornings. We all snuggled in bed this morning and ate bananas (to put off getting up and actually making breakfast) while watching "Fly Away Home" (for the gazillionth time) laughing and simply enjoying each other's company in fleece sheets and footy pj's.

Now the kids are full of energy (after bacon, hash browns, and eggs) and playing together in the living room. The stuff they come up with to "play" is just hysterical. The "tripping game"? Seriously. No kid focused electronics needed in this house - we've got the "Tripping Game!"

They've also taken to making up songs on the piano (no professional lessons as of yet) and I love it when they get ready to practice and say things like, "Okay, you guys! Assume your piano playing positions!" to each other. Carter always takes the melody while Natalie plays the high notes and they assign Jack to one low note that he's allowed to play only when cued to do so. It's hilarious!

It's kind of funny how just a few short months ago I could look at the three of them and they looked so.... complete. It was Natalie, Carter and Jack. That was a full sentence. Then all of a sudden after one pee test and a two minute wait there was no question that something was missing. As I hear the kids giggling and tearing up the place playing I'm filled with anticipation as to what it's going to be like when there's one more in the mix - filling my heart with everything that each beautiful child does in their own unique way.

This morning is good. Great, actually. I'm enjoying my snuggles, "tripping" games, and piano recitals and dreaming of how it's just going to keep getting better with each added blessing.

Thursday Thoughts

- I think insecurity comes when we try to find our security in anything but Jesus.

- I think that I'm in need of a night away with my husband (which makes it super convenient that that is exactly what I'm getting tonight).

- I think that it would be impossible for me to love my kids any more than I already do (although every day I wake up and somehow my heart has grown a little bit more). Even the precious little guy that I haven't met yet - he already completely owns my heart (and my bladder at the moment). My family is my world (it is my honor that they are my full-time job - the best investment I could ever make in my life is in my kids and I don't regret for a second the time I've put into them) and there is nothing - nothing - more important to me than the blessing of the husband and children that the Lord has graced me with.

- I think that good health generally isn't appreciated until it's been compromised a little. And let me tell you, this week has sure been a test of that in our household. (And once I'm feeling 100% again, I'm going to appreciate the heck out of it!)

- I think I like avacados a little too much (although now that I think about it, is that even possible? I mean, really?).

- I think maintaining a clean house is much easier than getting a house clean. Why is that so hard to remember?!

What are a few of your random Thursday thoughts?

Might Have Monday

I might have "let" Jack get dressed by himself this morning and his pants might be on backwards, his underwear might be inside out, he might have on my socks... and we might have to run to town.

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I might have realized a little too late that when you're as sick as I am, it's not a good idea to cut people's hair. (Sorry, Dad.)

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Yesterday I might have driven (again) a half an hour to rent more cartoon movies, even though my kids were super sick because I just NEEDED to get out of the house.

When we pulled up to McDonald's (where the Redbox is located) Jack might have said, "Mommy, could you go in there and ask for a bag with nothing in it... Tell them you have a little guy who might throw up in your car."

I might have regretted that trip.

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How was your guys' weekend?

Kid Quote(s)

We've been taking temperatures around here like crazy (I might be a little obsessive - even though I don't medicate for fevers). Our thermometer lights up with green, yellow, or red as it shows the temperature so if you 're four years old? you can see how bad it is.

This morning I asked Jack how he was feeling. He immediately grabs the thermometer, takes his temperature, looks back at me and simply says, "I'm yellow."

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This afternoon, while taking a bath, Carter dunks his whole body under the water and exclaims, "Look, Mom! I'm getting bath-tized!!!"

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And yesterday (when taking a 30 minute drive one way to pick up some movies so my kids would stop fighting for the love of their mother's sanity! lay still and allow their bodies to rest and get better) Natalie was drinking a hot chocolate from (as the kids call it) "Dutch Bra's" she says, "This is soooo good! It's like Santa made it or something!"

Honeymoon's Over

As you may recall, yesterday I mentioned that the kids were super sweet.

Seriously, as they were being all cuddly and snugly I swear I could hear birds chirping outside my sun drenched window (you know, when Carter wasn't being too loud throwing up).

They all took super long naps while I held them in my arms pressing cool wash clothes on their foreheads and watched House Hunters International on HGTV. (Would you judge me if I said it was like a dream?)

Today?

Notsomuch. Not even close, actually.

They woke up feeling slightly better, but not better enough to go to school.

Instead of seeing each other in pain (like yesterday) and being servants to one another, they are back to their I'm-___-years-old-and-I'm-only-going-to-care-about-myself-right-now attitudes.

They're arguing.

With me and with each other.

They're coughing and still not feeling up to par, but they're feeling too well to just lay around in bed unfortunately.

So, the honeymoon is apparently over.

(And this Mama needs a vacation!)

Silver Lining

I've got all my kids home today. Yesterday it was just Natalie and Jack (who is always home with me) and this morning Natalie left for school and it was Carter that wasn't feeling well... But shortly after school started, Natalie called home. Still sick.

So, it's fevers for both the older kids while Jack maintains his insane energy and I try to catch up on laundry and keep the house semi-put together while still taking care of the kids who am I kidding?.

Oh, and Jeff left this morning for 6 days in Pennsylvania (work, not vacation mind you). But my sweet husband buying these for me to gaze at while he's gone certainly eased the fact that he had to leave:

Dasies are my FAVORITE!

Anyway, I'm really glad he got away before catching whatever the kids have because honestly it doesn't look all that fun. Poor littles.

That being said, there is definitely a silver lining when it comes to the kids being sick (am I the only Mom who would rather the kids be sick than be sick herself? Nothing slows down when Mom's sick!) ...and this is it:

My sweet seven-year-old asleep on my bed at 10:45am in the glorious sunshine. Nothing slows that kid down. Except a low-grade fever. And Carter? (In Jack's words..)"Him gots one." 

My Heart Melts

Despite the fact that it's a completely accurate unflattering depiction of my shape, this picture of "Daddy and Mommy holding hands" melted my heart today!

And do you see the baby he drew in my tummy?

I DIE. (So, so, SO cute!)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I have three posts saved that I've written this week. There is a reason they're still in my "saved" section instead of on the blog.

They're all so... negative. (I have not been feeling well - and it has continued in full force this week.)

Here's a quick update:
After an impromptu doctor's appointment on Friday, a quick ultrasound and some testing, we've discovered that even though I've been feeling horrible not-so-great, baby boy is indeed fine (doing great actually, which makes my heart so happy!), my body has just been through the ringer the past 9 years with 3 c-sections and an appendectomy surgery that ended up slicing my stomach open from my belly button down to my c-section scars (7 weeks after Natalie was born)... and all these surgeries have left A LOT of scar tissue behind. As my close your ears, Jeff uterus expands it is stretching the scar tissue and causing a ton of pain. So, I can't lift Jack anymore, I need to slow down (as in no more semi-intense workouts - we're down to walking, folks) and we'll "see how it goes."

Oh, and the doctor might have made mention that having any more biological children is not a good idea. Ha. Hahahahahaha! Duly noted, Doc.

Okay, moving right along - like I said, this is not going to be a negative post.

I woke up feeling great this morning. I literally leaped out of bed (once I realized I didn't feel like throwing up), took a shower (and sang - I felt so good!), then cleaned the kitchen, got the kids ready for school, started some laundry, paid some bills, made banana bread with Jack and sat with a cup of coffee and spent an hour and a half catching up on doing my Bible Study. Pure bliss, I tell you!

I'm thinking that maybe it's taking all of these days of not feeling well to appreciate the days that I do.

And today I really, really do. And I am indeed so thankful!

Thursday Thoughts

**I do not have a coherent thought pattern today - just letting you know up front that this will be random and possibly not make any sense as a whole whatsoever.**

I've been feeling really good lately. Well, that's not completely true. I felt good yesterday and so far so good this morning. The past week has been interesting, both emotionally and physically. I've just been.... off.

I've been taking really good care of myself (although from the looks of my body, you'd think I've eaten nothing but IHOP and Olive Garden the past 5 1/2 months) working out, eating right and drinking plenty of water - so for that I feel... strong. However, my body has also been having a little mind of it's own. More than one night this past week I was up most hours with intense cramping in my stomach and lower back (so much that one night I threw up 4 different times) which was totally unexpected (and unlike any of my other pregnancies). I guess I'm making up for not throwing up at all in the first trimester?

Anyway, that has not been fun. I hate not knowing when it's going to hit (type-A, anyone?) and I do not take feeling well for granted these days.

Baby Boy is doing so well, even if Mommy is hit and miss. He's moving like crazy and I love that (already!) when I'm laying up next to Jeff, he can feel him kicking (and Jeff has taken to laying in bed at night with his hand laying gently on my tummy while his son tosses and turns and reacts to the gentle nudges of his Daddy while my heart melts). Natalie has gotten to feel him kick around in there as well and I love (love, LOVE) the constant (seriously, does he ever sleep!?) movement.

I feel like the theme song to this pregnancy is the same from... what's that kid show again??? You know, the one with the song, "There's a party in my tummy! So yummy! So Yummy!" Oh, yeah, YO GABBA GABBA (I hate that show, by the way) but that song is constantly stuck in my head because every time baby boy moves, I hear, "There's a party in my tummy!" now. I know. Nice. (And I warned you about the randomness, so if you're still reading, you can't blame me for the confusion.)

So, tomorrow night Jeff and I get to have a date night and I'm really looking forward to that. I LOVE being a parent, but sometimes it's nice to go a few hours without being called, "Mom" - ya know? A night to remember that I am indeed someone apart from the lunch packer, the chore chart maker, the band-aid hand-er out-er, the clothes folder ha! who am I kidding, the taxi driver, and the chef double- ha!. So, anyway, there's that.

The weather has been beautiful these days and Jack and I are going to go for a LONG  walk today (I'm trying to cut back on the working out a little bit and see if it helps calm down the cramping, which could be contractions, but I wouldn't know because I've never had one). I'm really looking forward to enjoying some sunshine this afternoon!

Okay, I'll be done for now. Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend and that wherever you are, you get a bit of the sunshine we're enjoying as well!

**Randomness concluded.**