Being a parent is a rewarding yet challenging learning process. Just in becoming parents we learned so much, and that hasn't changed. In some area's we are seasoned veterans, in others we're just beginning.
I found it sweet a few days ago when my husband and I were out. There was a man holding a newborn, and I wasn't paying much mind. The baby was fussing slightly, and my husband looks at me and says "He doesn't have what that baby wants." I was somewhere off in Lala land and respond with "huh?" "Look," he says, "That baby is rooting, he's hungry. I am willing to bet that man isn't equipped for the job."
It kind of made me smile. As awkward and nervous as he can be sometimes with the little babies, he knows more than it seems. We both do. We have been initiated into the parenting club, and now we understand those knowing smiles we'd get when we had to drag screaming baby out of Golden Corral. It was that "Yeah, I been there." type of look. Usually followed by "Wait til' their 3... 5... 10... teenagers!"
We've noticed we share and receive baby wisdom from everywhere. Theres no manual to parenthood, but there's always a more experienced parent willing to help out someone new to the life of a parent.
Our oldest daughter is approaching three, our little one is 18 months, and I am in my third pregnancy. By this point we're pro's at this. We know all about morning sickness (ugh!), complications, ultrasounds, and birthing babies. We can change a poopy diaper blindfolded, and now without puking (although sometimes its a close call still). We've swaddled, rocked, bathed, and fed babies. We've been up all hours of the night with a screaming child without the foggiest idea why she was so angry.
Yet there is so much we have yet to experience. Kae goes to Preschool next year. We'll be parents of a school aged child, and I know that brings a whole new world of questions. Come on though, if we can handle a poop so big it wets through their pants in the middle of the mall playground without breaking a sweat, how hard can school be?
And it doesn't end there, I hear it doesn't even end when they graduate school and move on to college. In fact we'll still be parenting when our kids have kids, and Joel has to teach them what a hungry baby does. It's exciting though, and I wouldn't change it for the world. There are no happier moments in life than seeing my children learn and grow.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
New Panties
Maybe I am wierd but I love putting on a pair of new panties. No I don't mean clean ones out of the drawer, although warm ones out of the dryer are nice too. I mean how often do you get to go out and buy new panties? For me it's not often, but when I do it's a treat. That's why when I get my Victoria's Secret coupons in the mail for a free pair I can't wait to go out and get my new underwear!
I have ALWAYS loved underwear. Frilly, lacey, funny designs. It's one of those things that makes me happy. It used to be stringy that made me happy, but I have long outgrown having a string up my ass. Then theres an increased chance of yeast infection with them, if you're having an extra moist day the string soaks wet and leaves a reash in your ass crack. No I go for comfort now.
But don't take that wrong, I am still many years from the granny panties, but its true what they say. The longer you're married, the bigger the panties get. I am still all about astethics. Really, the only one who gets to see them anymore is my husband, and my kids when they drag in to follow me to the shower. Despite that, when you're wearing pretty panties you feel pretty all over.
Just like those rare days you get where it's someone elses responsibility to watch the kids for a while (or they're taking an extra long nap and you forfiet the laundry for some alone time) and you take a long shower. You know, the kind you want to take. You actually take the time to condition your hair, shave your legs and... whatever else. Then you have time to get out and air dry (really, its better for your skin) and use the pretty lotion. You get to wash and moisturize your face, and pluck your unibrow. You might even get to blow dry your hair and put on make-up!
Thats what new panty day is like. A special treat for mommy, and best of all I have a coupon for a completely FREE pair no strings attached. If only they had the same for a new dress, or a new pair of shoes, or a new purse! I can settle for a pair of panties though.
So we get to the mall. Devon pooped on herself so theres a brief pitstop to buy her something decent to wear since she is now in a diaper and big sisters coat. Then I swing daddy and the kiddo's by the playground in the mall to play (Whoever redesigned the mall was a genius!) while mommy gets to go alone to pick out her free panties.
Free at last! Before heading straight for my target I take the time to browse the things I wish I could buy (or better yet also get for free.. just saying!) I find a small leather handbag with a red leather rose on it, and it's filled with bottles of wonderful smelling lotion! Its marked down half off, I make a mental note that the profit from my next party needs to be at least $35 plus tax.
I also find a bra that makes my boobs look like I haven't already nursed two children. Maybe the fact that the third is beginning to make himself more known that helped there. I find myself wondering why they couldn't make a nursing version. Then I have to go feel the silk jammies... No! Better! The fleece jammies! The kind you love to cuddle up in during the winter.
Finally I make my way to the panties. I pick through the bin ooing and aahing over the pretty designs. I finally settle on a pair of plain black ones. My reasoning? In 5ish months I am gonna be welcoming my third child, and I thought of those awful hospital net panties. No support, they fall off your rear. Not gonna happen, black won't stain. Black panties, my little friend, you will be my support when I think that this time for real, my inside are going to fall out through my vagina. You'll hold them in for me, and better yet, when I get home you won't bear the same scars I will.
I cant wait. I'm wearing them now.... I love new panties :)
I have ALWAYS loved underwear. Frilly, lacey, funny designs. It's one of those things that makes me happy. It used to be stringy that made me happy, but I have long outgrown having a string up my ass. Then theres an increased chance of yeast infection with them, if you're having an extra moist day the string soaks wet and leaves a reash in your ass crack. No I go for comfort now.
But don't take that wrong, I am still many years from the granny panties, but its true what they say. The longer you're married, the bigger the panties get. I am still all about astethics. Really, the only one who gets to see them anymore is my husband, and my kids when they drag in to follow me to the shower. Despite that, when you're wearing pretty panties you feel pretty all over.
Just like those rare days you get where it's someone elses responsibility to watch the kids for a while (or they're taking an extra long nap and you forfiet the laundry for some alone time) and you take a long shower. You know, the kind you want to take. You actually take the time to condition your hair, shave your legs and... whatever else. Then you have time to get out and air dry (really, its better for your skin) and use the pretty lotion. You get to wash and moisturize your face, and pluck your unibrow. You might even get to blow dry your hair and put on make-up!
Thats what new panty day is like. A special treat for mommy, and best of all I have a coupon for a completely FREE pair no strings attached. If only they had the same for a new dress, or a new pair of shoes, or a new purse! I can settle for a pair of panties though.
So we get to the mall. Devon pooped on herself so theres a brief pitstop to buy her something decent to wear since she is now in a diaper and big sisters coat. Then I swing daddy and the kiddo's by the playground in the mall to play (Whoever redesigned the mall was a genius!) while mommy gets to go alone to pick out her free panties.
Free at last! Before heading straight for my target I take the time to browse the things I wish I could buy (or better yet also get for free.. just saying!) I find a small leather handbag with a red leather rose on it, and it's filled with bottles of wonderful smelling lotion! Its marked down half off, I make a mental note that the profit from my next party needs to be at least $35 plus tax.
I also find a bra that makes my boobs look like I haven't already nursed two children. Maybe the fact that the third is beginning to make himself more known that helped there. I find myself wondering why they couldn't make a nursing version. Then I have to go feel the silk jammies... No! Better! The fleece jammies! The kind you love to cuddle up in during the winter.
Finally I make my way to the panties. I pick through the bin ooing and aahing over the pretty designs. I finally settle on a pair of plain black ones. My reasoning? In 5ish months I am gonna be welcoming my third child, and I thought of those awful hospital net panties. No support, they fall off your rear. Not gonna happen, black won't stain. Black panties, my little friend, you will be my support when I think that this time for real, my inside are going to fall out through my vagina. You'll hold them in for me, and better yet, when I get home you won't bear the same scars I will.
I cant wait. I'm wearing them now.... I love new panties :)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
You ever have one of those weeks?
It all started 2 weeks ago I guess. We went to Kroger, average morning, we were getting a few things. On the way out my husband yells at everyone to shush, listens, then pulls over. "What's wrong?" I ask. The tire is flat...
So we head across the street carefully to the gas station to use the air pump... it's broken. We find out later that our tire is beyond just flat, there is a gaping hole in it about the size of a large nail. So Joel opens the trunk, digs through the usless crap we tow in it and yanks out the spare and the jack. Then he scratches his head, looks at me and asks where the wrench is.. Ugh!
So we call our awesome friends Sara and TJ, and it just so happens TJ was on his way out the door to Kroger when we called so he brought us what we needed, and we drove carefully home on the donut tire. When we checked out the rest of the tires later we noticed they really all needed replaced, and one had a bubble in it that looked like it was ready to explode. Great, the car's broke.
So later that week I am trying to use the computer, and it just randomly shuts down. I don't mean it powered off, I mean it closed all my programs, did the little hourglass thing and said "Logging off.... Shutting down....". WTF? It does this for three days, and I give up. I was mad. Great, the computer's broke too. No computer to do my school work, and no car to get myself to the campus office to use theirs.
Then a few days later I am eating dinner. I have a bad tooth, I have been neglecting it forever, and suddenly part of it crumbles off and I accidentally eat it. Fantastic, now my tooth is broken. What else can we break?
Don't ever ask that question aloud! The next day my husband asks "Did you turn on the big TV?" Why yes actually, I did. "Well its stuck on a blue screen and keeps turning on and off and none of the buttons work." So we fiddle with it, and decide its futile. Terrific... The TV is broken too.
By this point we had just paid the nearly $400 bill for tires, so at least the car is back. But it gets better, a couple days later despite the fact the heat is set to 70, and the thermostat says its 63 in the house, the heat won't come on! We waited hours for it to click on while it got colder and colder, and it never did. NOW THE HEAT IS BROKEN! What the heck else can break!?!?!
This is where God smiled on us, just when I am wrapping my head around the bills to fix all this stuff, and I am balancing how much we need each item to prioritize things start going my way. I decide the computer and TV can wait, we have more than one TV and computer, I can just move my school work to dads temporarily. Dad went and bought a new thermostat, that fixed that, then I learned that I could fix the TV and the computer for free!
Turns out the computer just had something spilled in the keyboard, we only have like 12 keybaords laying around. Done! Then I called Samsung about the TV, appearently when ours was manufactured some bad parts came through Quality Control and we got them. Free repair! Awesome! (well almost, because the free part wasn't the only thing wrong with it, but they are coming back to fix the rest and theres a chance it might just be warranty work and also be free). Woot! Check one more enourmous repair bill off my list!
Now all that's left is my tooth. Whew! I don't even want to stress about that one until its time for the appointment, maybe we'll have a blessing there too. Life threw us a whole darn bushel of lemons this week, but we managed. Now we have an excess stock of Lemonade, anyone interested?
So we head across the street carefully to the gas station to use the air pump... it's broken. We find out later that our tire is beyond just flat, there is a gaping hole in it about the size of a large nail. So Joel opens the trunk, digs through the usless crap we tow in it and yanks out the spare and the jack. Then he scratches his head, looks at me and asks where the wrench is.. Ugh!
So we call our awesome friends Sara and TJ, and it just so happens TJ was on his way out the door to Kroger when we called so he brought us what we needed, and we drove carefully home on the donut tire. When we checked out the rest of the tires later we noticed they really all needed replaced, and one had a bubble in it that looked like it was ready to explode. Great, the car's broke.
So later that week I am trying to use the computer, and it just randomly shuts down. I don't mean it powered off, I mean it closed all my programs, did the little hourglass thing and said "Logging off.... Shutting down....". WTF? It does this for three days, and I give up. I was mad. Great, the computer's broke too. No computer to do my school work, and no car to get myself to the campus office to use theirs.
Then a few days later I am eating dinner. I have a bad tooth, I have been neglecting it forever, and suddenly part of it crumbles off and I accidentally eat it. Fantastic, now my tooth is broken. What else can we break?
Don't ever ask that question aloud! The next day my husband asks "Did you turn on the big TV?" Why yes actually, I did. "Well its stuck on a blue screen and keeps turning on and off and none of the buttons work." So we fiddle with it, and decide its futile. Terrific... The TV is broken too.
By this point we had just paid the nearly $400 bill for tires, so at least the car is back. But it gets better, a couple days later despite the fact the heat is set to 70, and the thermostat says its 63 in the house, the heat won't come on! We waited hours for it to click on while it got colder and colder, and it never did. NOW THE HEAT IS BROKEN! What the heck else can break!?!?!
This is where God smiled on us, just when I am wrapping my head around the bills to fix all this stuff, and I am balancing how much we need each item to prioritize things start going my way. I decide the computer and TV can wait, we have more than one TV and computer, I can just move my school work to dads temporarily. Dad went and bought a new thermostat, that fixed that, then I learned that I could fix the TV and the computer for free!
Turns out the computer just had something spilled in the keyboard, we only have like 12 keybaords laying around. Done! Then I called Samsung about the TV, appearently when ours was manufactured some bad parts came through Quality Control and we got them. Free repair! Awesome! (well almost, because the free part wasn't the only thing wrong with it, but they are coming back to fix the rest and theres a chance it might just be warranty work and also be free). Woot! Check one more enourmous repair bill off my list!
Now all that's left is my tooth. Whew! I don't even want to stress about that one until its time for the appointment, maybe we'll have a blessing there too. Life threw us a whole darn bushel of lemons this week, but we managed. Now we have an excess stock of Lemonade, anyone interested?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Being pregnant...
Especially for the third time in my situation is like. Well it's hard to explain. People still ask you questions like it's your first, and make additional judements because it's not. Like when my husband and I bought a pregnancy test before we actually concieved (I had a fluctuating cycle, this particualr one happened to be 40 days long and we just KNEW I had to be pregnant) a woman at Wal-Mart passsed us looking at the tests. She stopped, looked at my two in the cart, then at me and hands me a coupon saying "Every little bit helps."
Where do people get off making judgements about MY family, MY decision? I mean seriously. Okay, well maybe I do get the occasional comment I look about 16 and with two in the cart MAYBE I can justify it, but still not really. People notice I am pregnant and say "Oh, its your first?" I say no... it's my third. They stare like they had some kind of stroke or something.
Then I get the comment, "You're brave to have three that close together."... Excuse me you said brave, but I know you meant stupid. I never once thought of myself as brave, or stupid. This is whats right for my family, and while I value the opinion of my close friends and family, it's still my decision and everyone else can butt out. I may grump and complain about being pregnant, but I will never regret it. We may struggle to make ends meet, but we make the sacrifice for our family and it will always be worth it.
One day when I am 43 and still young and beautiful when my youngest child is grown and ready to graduate, and suddenly I am in the prime of my life when I should have a nearly paid for house and a better job and life experience and I get to travel the country every summer when I am off from teaching they will be eating their words. Thats what Joel and I always wanted, the joy of raising kids of our own, then being young empty nesters to enjoy our alone time, and still yet young enough grandparents to be very active participants in our grandchildrens lives, and maybe even be lucky enough to see great grandchildren.
We'll have enough time in our prime to save money for retirement, which will be buying a three wheeled motorcycle and a pop up camper and going out for a week or two at a time and just travel.
Where do people get off making judgements about MY family, MY decision? I mean seriously. Okay, well maybe I do get the occasional comment I look about 16 and with two in the cart MAYBE I can justify it, but still not really. People notice I am pregnant and say "Oh, its your first?" I say no... it's my third. They stare like they had some kind of stroke or something.
Then I get the comment, "You're brave to have three that close together."... Excuse me you said brave, but I know you meant stupid. I never once thought of myself as brave, or stupid. This is whats right for my family, and while I value the opinion of my close friends and family, it's still my decision and everyone else can butt out. I may grump and complain about being pregnant, but I will never regret it. We may struggle to make ends meet, but we make the sacrifice for our family and it will always be worth it.
One day when I am 43 and still young and beautiful when my youngest child is grown and ready to graduate, and suddenly I am in the prime of my life when I should have a nearly paid for house and a better job and life experience and I get to travel the country every summer when I am off from teaching they will be eating their words. Thats what Joel and I always wanted, the joy of raising kids of our own, then being young empty nesters to enjoy our alone time, and still yet young enough grandparents to be very active participants in our grandchildrens lives, and maybe even be lucky enough to see great grandchildren.
We'll have enough time in our prime to save money for retirement, which will be buying a three wheeled motorcycle and a pop up camper and going out for a week or two at a time and just travel.
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