Baby of the House

Noah has been the baby of the house for 2+ years now, and let me tell you, he loves his baby status. Loves it.

He loves climbing (and fitting!) on mommy and daddy’s laps. He loves snuggling and being held. He loves holding hands. And he LOVES asking for help with everything… even if it’s a skill or a task that he can accomplish on his own.

And of course, he’s so darn cute, and he’s only 2, and he’s THE BABY, we’ve let him get away with the extra neediness. But the reality of having another baby has hit us this past week. The pregnancy has flown by and my due date is coming up quickly. And our dear Noah is in for a shot of cold water, as the painful “dethroning” process will hit before we know it.

So we’re working at preparing him, gradually, and a little more each week.

We’ve done lots of little things the past few months… like making him walk and instead of being carried. Training him to sleep in a big boy bed instead of his crib (this was actually an effortless transition!!!!!! We can’t believe how well he did. I don’t think he EVER got out of bed, and still doesn’t get out of bed until I come open his door in the morning). Having him sit on his own (instead of on our laps) during church. Encouraging the older two boys to include him in their play (Noah is often left out, since he can’t build with small Legos etc)

We’ve also been working at different little skills. Taking off his own shoes and socks (yes, he “really” can’t do that on his own). Cleaning up his toys as part of the routine, instead of “only if the bigger brothers aren’t doing it fast enough.”

This past week, I started showing him lots of pictures of baby’s and pointing at my tummy and telling him that we’re having another baby soon. I show him pictures of his brothers as infants, pictures of other baby’s, pictures in books and magazines etc. And do you know what this little bugger says every time he sees a picture of a baby?

“That’s Noah!!!”

With as much delight and joy over seeing “himself” (not really himself, just a cute little swaddled bundle of baby in the pictures), as you can imagine.

Haha! This kid is so stinking smart he KNOWS he’s the baby. And oh my goodness, isn’t that cute? Just makes me want to coddle and cuddle him all the more. So anyway, pray for Noah, and pray for us, that we’ll help prepare him and ease the transition. And that he’ll love his new little brother and that it’ll be a happy occasion when “big” baby meets “little” baby.

The Baby Bump

Well here it is.

My sweet little 18-week-baby-bump that’s just barely there, just barely sitting on top of my waistline.

Though I love this little round belly of mine. And love being able to feel the hardness of the uterine muscles and to have the knowledge of the baby stretching and growing inside.

I also feel…

Awkward.

Oh, I’m not denying that this baby bump is cute and sweet to look at—but let me tell you, it’s a challenge to be a pregnant gal at this stage in the pregnancy. While my friends know I’m pregnant, all the strangers, cashiers, librarians, waitresses, and everyone else is caught.

Stuck.

Trapped.

Wondering, gauging, guessing, looking… at my stomach trying to determine if this is pregnancy flab or just flab, whether that’s a pregnant belly staring them down, or just the result of too many chocolate cream pies. Whether its really a baby bump or just a few extra pounds making that oh so awkward muffin top.

To make matters more awkward, I haven’t pulled out my maternity clothes in earnest yet. The maternity styles can sometimes be a good indicator of where that tummy came from, but I’m in the awkward phase of being too small for maternity clothes, but too big for most of my regular clothes.

I get lots of leading questions from perfect strangers and mild acquaintances… “Look at your three little kids, do you think you’ll have any more?” and “My shirts are too tight also” and my personal favorite, “Are you still exercising?”

Haha.

So I try to make things better for all of us by either sucking in my stomach while I’m out in public (just have to be careful not to pass out!! haha), or to take care to rub my belly frequently (afterall, that’s what pregnant women do, right???).

I’m not sure if it helps or not. But oh well. That’s life at 18 weeks pregnant.

Awkward.

The funny thing is… that in about 4 months when the baby bump is more of a baby beachball, and I’m waddling around in the sweltering Southern heat, I’m sure I’ll be preferring this early awkwardness… to the awkwardness of people whispering “she is going to pop” “she looks like an overripe watermelon” “have you ever seen a shirt stretch so far”etc.

Yeah, funny how life is.

For now, I’m trying my best to enjoy this little baby bump, to take in the sweet little baby movements, and to delight in my ability to move around with ease. My morning sickness has finally let up. Yes, it lasted almost a full 18 weeks, though this past week I had only one sick day, and the week before only two… so I think it lessened right about 16 weeks though not gone entirely yet. The morning sickness lasted a full month longer than it ever did with my other three children.

Not much fun, though I had prayed for morning sickness!!!! And boy, did God give it to me!! He is good!! After miscarrying a sweet little baby in October, this pregnancy I really needed that daily confirmation that morning sickness brings—that there is life and growth within.

So I am thankful for it, though at many times I struggled to be content with my constant stomach upset, and extreme fatigue---especially during perhaps the most stressful time in our lives yet (January through March, the last few months of Nick’s Company Command, my time as FRG Leader with meetings & events & orienting & training galore). But God gave us all the grace to make it through that busy time with little sleep and lots of emergency bathroom stops.

So here we are. At 18 weeks and feeling good.

Love My Hard Working Men

My kids are some of the hardest workers out there.

They see dirt and they know how to move it. They know how to transport it. They know how to dig it.

They don’t worry about getting their hands dirty. Or about the job being too tough. They just do it.

They know how to concentrate on the job. They stay focused and don’t get distracted.

They know about safety. And about hard hats. And about helmets are good substitutes. Even if they are much (much much) too small.

And they know how to work together. Most of the time.

Love my hard working men.

Bedtime kisses

I was thinking last night, as I tucked the boys in bed, that bedtime kisses are such a precious way to end the day.

Often as we get ready for bed, I feel rushed and hurried, trying to get teeth brushed, clothes in the laundry and the last toys picked up before bowing our heads to pray together and sing a bedtime song.  I often feel an overwhelming desire to “just get them in bed already!!”

But you know, there is something about bedtime kisses that just makes the world stop.  The hurry, the rush, the fatigue… it stops.

And for a moment or two, or ten, we slow down. We breathe deep. And we enjoy those tender snuggles and kisses from our three little boys.

Isaiah likes to give 5 kisses and 5 hugs and likes to count them out as he gives them. It always makes me smile when I imagine him catching his breath and gasping for air in between kisses in order to shout: “One!” “Two!” “Three!” etc. My cheeks are always damp at the end… but its an endearing kind of dampness, the kind that fills me with happiness as I take in his warm breath and soft skin.

Joshua likes to give 2 kisses and 2 hugs. And he likes to divide the kisses between cheeks. He often grows distraught if he forgets to give each cheek an equal amount, and says things like, “Mommy!! I wanted to do two kisses on this side AND two kisses on that side so that they have the same ma‘mount.” And so we begin the kissing count down again, making sure each side receives the proper portion. I love being kissed so devotedly.

Noah is in on the act as well. He doesn’t count or measure his kisses, he just gives loud, wet smacks, and says “Mmmmmmah” as he does it. It’s so sweet it gives me shivers. Noah also makes sure to offer a few bedtime smackers to his brothers. He stands at the foot of the bunk-bed with arms stretched high, waiting to be lifted up to kiss his big brother on the top bunk. It melts my heart.

These bedtime kisses bring my day to such a precious close. I always leave the room, (as Nick sits down to read to them from a “chapter book” --currently the Chronicles of Narnia), with a smile on my kiss stained face.

Oh these boys and their sweet little kisses! Oh, may the day never come when they are too big to kiss their mama.

Or… too big for their mama to kiss them.

Because, I admit, I’m not the only one whose cheeks are covered in love. Truly, I cannot resist their round little cheeks, chubby little toes, and soft little hands and I smother my boys at least as many kisses as I receive.

Oh boy, I love it. And I’ll kiss them till the day I die.

God is good.

Everyone loves…

a slip ’n’ slide? Don’t they?

Isaiah and I spotted this incredible Lightning McQueen slip ‘n’ slide when we were out running errands a few weeks ago. It’s a bit more hi-tech than the ones I had growing up—this one has an attachment for the hose to fit into and  a built in sprinkler.

Initially, the boys just wanted to crawl down the red carpet and feel the gentle spray of water (although I guess Josh didn’t really think it was that gentle and kept his nose plugged—haha!).



Then they wanted to grab the water.



And taste the water



And just plain old watch the water.



But then the play really got going.







And being the child at heart that I am… I joined them.

I mean, someone had to show them how it’s done!!

In all honesty, I had at least as much fun as they did. Oh my, it was so fun. I felt like I was 5 years old again, and as carefree and excited as I ever could be. I loved every minute of it.

And I only have a few bruises. So I’m sure I’ll join them again.

I really do think that everyone loves a slip n slide.

Sandy sand sand

My men and I were able to get away for a short vacation to the beach this past week. Nick had a 4 day weekend courtesy of the US Army, so we took the opportunity to leave town and enjoy some much needed R&R.

Have you ever done that? Ignore the budget and the busyness, and force yourself to book a night or two at some quiet beachy place, just to just get away?

We’ve been doing more and more of that lately. Some would probably frown, or question how busy we really are if we still manage to take these trips to the beach, but strangely enough… the busier we are, the more these little get-a-way’s are necessary.

I think we’ve always been a fairly busy family, filling our days with adventures of every kind—but I’ll tell you, Nick’s Company Command has earned the “busiest most stressful time in our life” title. We’re doing our best to roll with the punches, praising God for the opportunities to witness and bear testimony of our faith and trust in Him… but also doing all we can to take more breaks so burnout doesn’t hit.

I admit, sometimes I wonder if burn out has hit already, but again, we are trusting God and using our resources to add some downtime to our busy schedules.

As you can see, even Noah has been on the verge of burn out. So glad he was able to catch up on his sleep during our vacation.

So… as I said, we went to the beach. The beautiful glorious beach. I found a smackingly good deal for a 2 night stay at a golf course beach resort, and booked it before I could think twice. Our stay included free breakfast at the resorts restaurant and free bike rentals. Not to mention a one bedroom suite with a balcony overlooking the beautiful pools and lazy river. It was lovely.

And you know, the resort was marvelous, and I think we’ll stay there again, but the real highlight of the trip?

The beach. The beautiful sandy beach.

As we made the short walk down the board walk to the ocean side,  the smell of salt, sand, and sunscreen (yes! sunscreen!!) filled the air. It was heavenly. Coconut, pineapple, and every other sunscreen scent you can imagine. It wasn’t a crowded beach, by any stretch, but still I could smell it’s fragrance.

And crazy as it sounds, I stopped and breathed it in to make a memory. Then we slathered the boys down with sunscreen of our own, and then let them hit the beach running.

Within moments, diggers and dumpers, backhoes and plows were set to work by 6 little boy hands (and 4 adult helpful guiding adult hands too).

Oh sandy sand sand. How I love you!

We were all covered, head to toe, by the time we left.

As you can see, I literally mean, “head to toe.”

But still…it was such a pleasant vacation get-a-way, that every speck of sand we brought home with us seemed worth it.

Praise God for the much needed reprieve before returning home for another draining and busy week.

Spacing

 My husband and I have been talking about spacing a lot lately.

No, not about gaps between teeth... or inches between parked cars... but the spacing between our children. The years and months that separate them.

We have 3 wonderful children. Three wonderful son's, at that. Our first two boys, Isaiah and Joshua, are just over 17 months apart. Whereas, between Joshua and Noah there are 26 months.

As you may or may not have guessed, we're planners when it comes to having babies. We pray, we seek God's face, we ask for direction...and we take responsibility and plan. That's us. Of course, while we make plans and seek God's path, we also acknowledge our inability to control the future. "Man makes a plan, but God directs his way." If our plans come to naught, we still rejoice and are grateful for God's sovereign control over all our hopes and dreams.

So while many looked at us in shock when we announced my second pregnancy just 9 months after our first child was born, we actually did plan it that way.

Yes. We really did. And no, I'm not just saying that.

We thought it'd be fun to have two close in age. We saw many benefits. Close friendships. Bunkbeds. Shared toys. We also thought that it would be handy for our oldest to never know what it was like to be the only child, and to avoid the struggle and (perhaps the) resentment that the arrival of subsequent siblings might bring. A wise mother of many called it "the de-throning process."

It worked out quite well. Our first two boys are two peas in a pod. They adore each other. They are the closest of friends. They are loyal, faithful, tender hearted to each other. They've grown up together...as much as a 4 year old and almost 3 year old can be called grown up, that is. They play with each other. Entertain each other. Care for each other. All of which has been a wonder and delight to see.

But boy was it, and is it, A LOT of work.

Having two little boys that close in age was almost like having 2 baby's. Sure they were 17 months apart, but for a while they were both very dependent. Two in diapers. Two mouths that needed great assistance to be fed. Twice as many faces to wipe and small laundry items to fold (and those of you with little ones know that a load full of onesies takes TWICE as long to fold than a load of your husbands shirts) While they are often grouped together, the two boys also possess two completely different personalities and needs that need attention all day long.

Thanks to God's providence (and our attempts to plan around deployments), the spacing between our second and 3rd child is 26 months. A big change from 17 months. But with different joys and challenges as well.

Joshua was much more grown up when Noah arrived, yet he was also much more aware of being trumped as the baby of the house. It really threw him off. Josh didn't seem to know if he was a big boy or a baby. There were days when he'd sit next to the rocking chair while I nursed Noah, just waiting for my lap to be empty and to have his snuggling time with mommy. But there were also days when it was such a blessing to have a 2 year old that could walk on his own, obey commands, sit still in church, and feed himself (however messy that might be!)

In addition, while we see the bond growing stronger between the older two boys, we also see that our youngest is often left to hang out with Mom. In part, that is the way it is with the youngest. Not only is Noah completely dependent on me right now,  but he also can't play trucks or build legos like the other two. Not yet anyway.

Hence the discussion on spacing. Close in age with double the work? Or longer spacing with potentially harder transitions? Is there even such a thing has preferred spacing? Does it even matter?

So sorry

So sorry for my absence of blogging genius this week. 

Has another week gone by already? Is it really Friday? This week has been packed, start to finish. Jam packed day followed by maj dekcap yad.

Wait. Reverse that. I did have coffee this morning, yet I'm still not thinking straight.

As I was saying, it's been a busy busy week. I enjoy being busy and having my days full,  but I think we've eaten  too many bags of Cheerios in the car (i.e. been out the door and on the road before breakfast) and had too few family dinners together this week.

Doctor appointments. Immunizations. Ladies' Bible Study (times 2). FRG meetings. Taxes. Grocery trips. Baking treats. Schooling kids. Phone calls. Play dates. Emails. Story time. Orthodontist consultations.

*Yes, I did say orthodontist consult. Sigh. Let me just say that I hope you all had braces when you were children because getting braces as an adult is going to be twice as traumatizing, I'm sure. Can't wait to be the only Commander's wife with 3 children, who actually looks like the Commander's children's babysitter. And to add insult to injury, of course, braces for adults cost TWICE AS MUCH as they do for the young. Good Bye, Summer Vacation. You're being swapped out for a mouth full of metal...I think.*

That just about sums up the week. I'd bore you to mention that each trip out the door involves endless finding, zipping, wiping, and feeding all before we actually get in the car. I know it will not always be this much work, but I'll tell you, I had no idea that three little ones would be so busy. I even remember as a full time career woman single gal, saying "I wonder what that mother of three does all day?"

Cringe.

Despite the work, busyness, and fatigue, I keep having dreams about pregnancy tests and twins.

Not that that is any prediction for the future. Or that we're even trying. I'm just star crazy after a roller coaster week.

So sorry.

How embarrassing...

After paying at the check-out of the local commissary (grocery store for military), I waited for the bagger to follow us out to the car with the groceries. She was distracted putting the last bags on the cart, and didn't immediately follow us.

My dear 4 year old son, Isaiah noticed her reluctance as well and quickly snapped his fingers over his head, and said, "Let's GO!!"

Could I have blushed any redder? How embarrassing!

To make matters (internally) worse, I realized that he learned the snapping fingers and "Lets go, Lets go, Lets go!!" from yours truly. There goes the "Kathryn is so patient" myth that you all believed, right?

I guess someone in this house needs to set a better example for her kids. Ouch! What a way to learn.