I really love food. Apparently, too much food can be a bad thing. I hear exercise can counteract that problem. I run so I can eat. Thus, I love to run.
Top left: relaxed belly. Top right: tightened belly (my default position :P).
Bottom three pictures: Charly, Aydan, and Peyten, who all contributed to the cause ;)
I remember shortly after Peyten was born, Charly caught me dressing and said “Mom, why is your belly button all messed up??” It was a valid question, lol. I didn’t take it to heart and just said “well, that is just how it goes…” or something along those lines.
I can say that my stretch marks and “messed up” belly button are probably 50% better now than they were shortly after having all the babies. The youngest will be 4 in August. I am curious to see how my belly changes in the coming years. The part of my belly that I have had to “tuck” in to my pants has diminished some.
I am not sure if my belly will ever “bounce back” to what it used to be (or come close), but ya know….I really am fine either way. I definitely wouldn’t take back giving birth to any of those kids. I am ridiculously in love with those kids. And I am even blessed to be in love with another kid that I didn’t give birth to.
Slightly off subject, but some people have asked me why I chose not to have any drugs when giving birth to my kids. Some people are afraid that an epidural will affect their kid somehow. And that may be true, but that wasn’t really the reason for me. I wanted everything. I didn’t want any drug to take away from the experience. My child being brought in to the world is a huge, fascinating, and amazing experience. I wanted to experience it as a whole. I felt that if I opted for an epidural, I wouldn’t be “all in”. And I don’t know, I guess I felt like the pain of labor is the “right of passage”. And if I could handle that…then I could handle anything when it came to the kids.
Obviously that way of thinking is not for everyone, but that is what worked for me. I wouldn’t take any of it back at all. If I did it all over again, I would do it the exact same way.
So the pain, the memories, the scars, the sagging skin, the constant reminders…I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
Aydan stayed dry all night!! We will see if we can make this a habit. I was so relieved this morning.
Now, Peyten did not stay dry. She was wet when she woke up at 7:30. But I guess at least she didn’t wake up in the middle of the night. I think we are on the right track though.
If we don’t have to bring diapers to Florida, that would just be awesome. But, that might just be really wishful thinking ;)
We will see how tonight goes
When Charly was a baby, she would wake up dry pretty early on. By the time she was potty trained, it wasn’t hard for her to stay dry all night without a diaper on.
Well, with Aydan and Peyten….they still have not woken up dry with a diaper on. And with how long it took us to potty train Aydan, we just didn’t push the matter. Keeping him dry and clean throughout the day was the main objective. We really did not need the headache of wet sheets during the night.
Well, it is getting a bit old having both Aydan and Peyten wear diapers over night. They still don’t wake up dry. But, it is definitely time to just push the matter. And we are finally mentally ready!
Last night I put them both to bed with just their underwear on. Peyten woke up at 1am crying and soaking wet. I stripped her bed, got her cleaned up and then put her in bed with me. She woke up in the morning about 7:30 and she was wet yet again. So, I stripped my bed and got her cleaned up again. Aydan woke up about 8:30 and he was wet, but not completely soaked. I just had to wash his blanket and not the rest of his bed. And of course get him cleaned up.
So, tonight I put them both to bed with just underwear again. We will see how fast their subconscious learns to hold their bladders. It could be a long road of lots of laundry….let’s hope not. Peyten has always had excellent bladder control throughout the day. She basically potty trained herself while watching Aydan struggle. I am surprised she doesn’t have as much control during the night. Aydan has made huge strides in his potty issues. So, I have a feeling he may catch on to the dry at night thing a bit faster.
We shall see. Wish me luck in this last baby/toddler hurdle! Getting rid of cribs, bottles, pacifiers, high chairs, sippy cups, diapers, etc….oh, so much fun to not look back! lol
Oh, silly short story:
This morning, I was in a “bit” of a rush and started out down my driveway as if there was no snow on the ground. Well, it was a bit more slick than I thought and I ended up doing a complete 180 and had to turn back around again, lol.
All three kids were in the back and the only reaction I got was from Aydan. In a nonchalant, quiet voice to himself: ”well, that was crazy”.
Just another day in snowy Spring Michigan with crazy mom for these kids I guess…lol. (and don’t worry, we were no where near danger…even the ditch was far away)
Oh, and yesterday as Charly and I got home, she said “Mom, why is it Spring, but still Winter out??”
You and the whole world wants to know….;)
Kid time
I have a pretty busy schedule. And sometimes it is difficult to get in special time with each of the four kids. So, when we can, I appreciate it.
On Wednesday, I made Aydan a deal. If he got ready for school without a hassle, then he could come to work with me after preschool.
Every morning is usually a hassle with that kid…he NEVER wants to put on his coat and boots. And there has been times where I have had to just pick him up and put him in the car without both on. Why so hard?? I don’t know. 5 year olds…
So, on Wednesday, he got everything on all by himself without a hassle. So, after school, I brought him back to the church to work with me. He played games on my phone and his Nook and relaxed on the couch.
We were working from the Youth Group room and Justin came to work on the drywall as well. So, Aydan had a little lesson on how to finish drywall. He had fun with that.
And felt like such a big kid on the ladder :) He did a pretty good job!
Of course, after a while he fell asleep….
He had already taken the fort down that he built. Otherwise he probably would have been sleeping in that, lol.
__________
And then last night, Charly and I went to her school’s Family Reading Night.
One of the teachers read a story (Splat the Cat) to the whole group. We sang a song.
And then kids had three “stations” to go to. They got their faces painted.
They made “splat” (borax, glue, and water). And they got to paint/splat a picture.
And of course there were snacks. Cupcakes, popcorn, and juice.
And they each got a wrapped book to take home. The wrapping is pretty cute, I think :)
It was fun to hang out with Charly and see here around all her friends. We don’t always get to see her in that environment.
Oh, and one of the teachers told Charly that if she kept the face paint on for school the next day, she would give her a sucker. Charly will do anything for candy, so she said she wanted to do that, lol.
This morning, the paint was still there, but just faded. So….before I could see what he was doing….Nate re painted her face with (hopefully) washable marker. So, she went to school with her cat face. I hope she enjoys her sucker :)
Ok, all of your comments make me think a bit, so I apologize in advance if this is a little long and a bit of a ramble.
@SJ, I am a firm believer in “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle”. I know it doesn’t feel like that sometimes, but I do think it is true. There are days when I would feel to my limit and beyond. But, then it got better. I do know that I am a stronger person today because of everything that I have gone through.
And honestly, our lives were no where near ready for 3 kids (plus stepson later), but we went ahead anyway. Because we had a vision/passion of what our family wanted to look like later in life. We really are jump with both feet in type of people. We weren’t financially prepared and only partly emotionally prepared…but the emotional readiness…only comes along later anyway.
I most definitely don’t “get it all done”, but I do prioritize and I get what needs to get done. My house is pretty messy some days. The kids probably don’t get baths as often as they should. But, they have clean clothes to wear to school and food on their plates. And they have a family that loves and adores them more than they can even fathom yet. That last one is by far the most important, in my book.
And really, you would be surprised at how much people adapt and change when kids are involved. Something so frightening will seem to run of the mill later on.
@Melissa, this made me chuckle a little. Because some days the “don’t wanna” just wants to make me pull my hair out. I mean, seriously….they have no problem brushing their teeth in the morning, but before bed…it is like asking them to fly to the moon.
Edit: I just said to my three year old who is playing with my iPhone and struggling with something: “If you don’t let me help you, I can’t help you!” lol
Before I had kids, I was the type of person who alphabetized her movies. I put my dishes away in the exact same spot each time. Everything had a place. And I had routines. Lovely routines. Of course, as soon as Charly was old enough to get in to the movies…alphabetizing went out the window! Some day. Some day I WILL alphabetize again! Ya know..until the grandkids come over, lol.
And the food…well, even my husband and in-laws don’t eat everything I make. So, I guess I have gotten used to that anyway. Why everyone doesn’t think that Brussel Sprouts make the world go around, I have no idea. More for me…
Oh, and we don’t waste too much. The kids know (usually) to only take what they will eat. And we make good use of any leftovers. We have adapted when it comes to food.
But, here is the thing. Kids are people. Kids are their own people. They have thoughts, feelings, emotions…all apart from my own. I wish I could be a dictator and “dictate” everything that they do. But, I believe in giving some of their own expressive freedom. Of course, there are rules that they need to live by in our house (of course). But, I like to give them room to figure things out on their own as well.
Don’t want to eat dinner? Fine. But, you can’t have any food later.
Want to wear a skirt in the middle of winter? Ok. But, don’t complain to me when you are cold.
But, then on the other hand - they are part of this family and are expected to help it run smoothly. Cleaning up, being polite, helping out, etc.
Funny part is that a lot of times when you give kids “room” to figure something out on their own…they come around to your way of thinking anyhow. And (hopefully) will be more independent because of it.
I think it helps to enjoy or appreciate certain aspects of psychology. I am constantly amazed at the way our kids think…and they are all different. Understanding the way they learn, express themselves, and process information helps me to work with each of them at least a little better.
And I don’t have any doubt that you would be a great mom. Probably better than you even think. But, I do understand when people don’t want to be a parent. I know sometimes that is hard for some. Either for people to understand…or for the person having to deal with everyone’s question “what? you don’t want kids?”. I mean, our world is populated enough. Not EVERYone needs to be a parent. And I give lots of credit to anyone that decides not to because it isn’t right for them. Instead of the alternative…having kids because they feel they are “supposed to” and then end up resenting the kid(s).
@Hill, ya know, you are probably right, lol. This reminded me that when I finished my 26.2, I thought “which is harder, giving birth or running a marathon?” Giving birth still tops the list, but running a marathon is a close second, lol.
Raising kids is probably a lot like training for a run. There are days when it is grueling, difficult, and you just don’t want to. And then other days when you have a “high”, you are in love, and it truly does pay off and give you so much more in return.
Peyten stories
Story 1:
So, I get a call from Mark today. He says “do you want to hear what happened?”. “Um, sure…”
So, it was Peyten’s nap time. Which is always a battle. Today, Mark decided to compromise with her and let her sleep in our room with the TV on, but down low.
Peyten got up twice and said she had to use the bathroom. But, she wouldn’t use the big bathroom, she insisted on going to the little bathroom. Mark wondered why (she usually uses the big one because it has her little toilet), but just figured she was being picky like she does sometimes. He went to the living room and when she was done, she went back to our bedroom to lay down.
After a little bit, Mark thought he heard something coming from the bedroom. He got up to check on her and what he walked in to….well…no one can be prepared for what he saw.
See, the little bathroom also has a closet that is our pantry. We put some overflow food in there along with napkins, pots, pans, etc. Well, Peyten somehow figured out that there is some pudding in there. The little individual serving containers. She took two of those back to the bedroom with her. She opened them and proceeded to make a mess with them.
All over the bed, in her hair, the pillows. Mark said she was rolling in it and playing with it. Her white pants had no white left, they were completely covered in chocolate pudding.
I can only imagine the amount of steam that was coming out of Mark’s ears. Now me, I would have taken a picture. That would have been my first thought. But, Mark didn’t think about it, so we don’t have any comical photo to go along with this story.
Mark had to throw her in the tub of course and wash all the sheets and pillows and blankets. When I got home, I was still finding pudding in random places that he missed. It was all over.
Peyten is our “food lover”, but I had no idea she wanted to roll in it! Aye. That girl….
Story 2:
I was getting the kids ready for bed tonight and I told them if they got jammies on and brushed their teeth, we could play one game of Go Fish before bed.
They all 3 got ready and we got the cards out. Aydan decided he would rather watch Nate play on his computer. So, it was just me, Charly, and Peyten playing cards. Charly knows how to play and Peyten…well she is 3. But, we dealt her some cards and let her play along.
Well, as soon as I handed her the cards, she got frustrated because she couldn’t hold them “right”. She screamed and threw the cards. I showed her how to hold them and we tried to play to still include her a bit.
But, when I would try and show her how to put a pair down, she would get all pissed off and throw her cards. It was both frustrating and comical. I knew she was getting tired.
Charly and I continued to play, occasionally including Peyten the best we could. But, she was in her own world anyway.
As we got to the end of the game, we tried to make it sound fun to Peyten. “oh, the games over, let’s count our pairs!”. Oh, Peyten WAS NOT having it. She said screamed “I am not done playing!”. So, I would say, “ok, what else do you want to do”. Then she would get frustrated and say “I can’t do it….”. And then go back to “I’m not done playing!”
Seriously, there was no winning with this girl. She was like a loaded gun and you weren’t sure where the bullet was. I just needed to get her to bed. And since she was in full on tantrum mode at this point, screaming that she wasn’t done playing…I just put her in her bed and shut the door.
And she got out…and I put her back…and she got out…and I put her back. All the time, saying “I’m not doing playing cards!”. The girl was obsessed! Apparently, she inherited my love of cards…I just didn’t realize how much! lol
Eventually, she did calm down. It took about 10-15 minutes or so. And with a book read to her by Mark, she eventually settled in to bed.
Overtired Peyten and a deck of cards = not such a good idea. And here I thought we would just have a nice relaxing game of Go Fish before bed. Little did I know….
Peyten had an appointment with a specialist today. We have been to this office once before with Aydan and I am impressed yet again. We will always need doctors and doctors can get away with a lot and it really stands out in my mind when an office runs smoothly and we have a great experience. Especially when it comes to my kids.
Both the nurse and the doctor made Peyten feel at ease and that is so important in my book. Not all doctors and nurses do that. And since this doctor works with kids most of the time, he draws his explanations out on a piece of paper. Which…even though I am not a kid, helps me!
She went in for nothing too serious. She has a bump on the front of her neck.
They say it is a dermal inclusion cyst. Nothing too harmful, but it could rupture and cause an infection. Best to get the little bugger out.
So, she is scheduled for January 28th to have it taken out. They will drug her up and take it out. It should only take about 20 minutes and then recovery/wake up time. And then we can take her home. Nothing that should freak Peyten out too much. She won’t see any scary needles or utensils. They give her happy meds by mouth before they even do an IV or the anesthesia I believe (if I remember what he said correctly).
Anyway, I may freak out a bit on the day of. Whenever your kid has anything hospital related done…well, it is never easy. I can not imagine my kids having any serious type of surgery. I think I would pull my hair out! lol
Although, whenever they are given a new type of med or anesthesia, it is a bit scary…I try not to think about that! Borrowing trouble really isn’t my style. At least I try not to.
Kids
~One of the kids had my iPhone and deleted my Safari app. I ended up resetting my home screen layout to get it back. Now I have to move all my apps back to where I like them…*big sigh*. Kids make it so hard to stay organized. :)
~Aydan has been doing this thing lately where he says the same thing twice.
For instance:
“I do not want to eat, I do not”
“I want to go outside, I do”
“It is not time for bed, it is not”
I am not sure when he started this, but I have noticed it A LOT lately and it is a bit funny. Not sure the psychology behind why he does it. I mean, he is 4, so he is still figuring the ins and outs of language etc. Or maybe he will drop the first part and end up talking like Yoda all the time, lol.
You know you have kids when…..
You open the fridge and find a My Little Pony chillin next to the milk.
Came home.
Took a shower.
Ate some turkey chili. Had a glass of wine.
Helped put up the Christmas tree with Grammie and the kiddos.
Gave the kids hair cuts.
Gave the kids baths.
Washed the dishes.
Sat down and put my feet up.
Ate some pumpkin roll. Had a cup of coffee.
Now I am just relaxing and catching up with the hubby.
Will probably watch Revolution soon, which is waiting in my Hulu queue.
Today was a good, productive day. Can’t complain.
Peyten
THE LIFE OF A THREE YEAR OLD:
1. Try on cute coats at the store and try not to look too adorable.
2. Try on another cute coat, adorable is not even a possibility…silly is much better.
3. Find adorable hoodie at the store, look really adorable in it, and try and convince mom to buy it.
4. Always lift entire dress up before attempting to sit down.
5. Have no less than 3 “pastries”. Take a bite out of each one. And always have two cups of liquid. Mix them together just to drive mom nuts.
6. And ALWAYS nap like a rock star while in the car.
Ah…to be 3 again…;)
I may not have run yesterday. Or the five days before that. I may not run tomorrow. But, I ran tonight. And today is what matters, right now.
So, I ran:
3.83 miles
34:22
8:59 pace
Can you tell I stopped to talk to someone during mile 3? lol
Oh, and I took little guy to his first karate class tonight. Let’s just say it was a bit overwhelming for him, so he shut down. But, he did stay and watch and paid attention.
Next week they break up the group in to smaller classes, so I think he will feel a bit more comfortable and will actually participate. If not, we may just have to wait until next year. I could see how it all would be a bit intimating for a 4 yr old. Especially our 4 yr old….
Oh, and it is getting to be mukluk weather!!!
I have had these things for too many years…lol
#3!!
I remembered!
The kids start school tomorrow. I am excited. Nate will be a sophomore and Charly will be a 1st grader. Insane. In two weeks, Aydan will start pre school. The house will be quiet with just Peyten at home. I think Mark will enjoy his one on one time with her.
I think we got most of the “school clothes” shopping done. Shoes, pants, shirts, underwear, socks, back packs. At least the vitals are handled. Anything else we will figure out later. We do need to get some new winter stuff for Aydan and Nate …ya know, before it snows! Not sure I can think about winter yet…shiver.
Edit: I just realized this was my 500th post. I suppose that is cool :) My first tumblr post was December 13, 2011. Of course, I have many more blog posts on blogspot. I started that blog September 2, 2005 and racked up 832 posts. Man, that is a lot of blogging!! I guess I have a lot to say…:P
