Splish Splash!!

Small town pools are a summer must! Bubby and Buggers had a blast today at the pool. Bubby loves to swim and shows no fear. However Buggers is alittle more reserved. She doesn't like to go underwater and mostly scoots around the pool by hanging on to the side.

She did go down the slide right off the bat. But after she went underwater she realized she didn't want to do that again. After some convincing from her cousin, she decided she would go down the slide as long as her cousin Piggy would catch her.

She quickly put the brakes on before she hit the water!!

Bubby went down the slide about 100 times.

Then he got up the nerve to jump off the small diving board. I was freaking out a little since he was jumping into 11 ft deep water! YIKES...coming from the momma who is scared of water.

Then he convinced me he was big enough to go off the medium board.

June Bug slept right through swimming. ( I have a picture of Buggers in this same outfit asleep in her stroller at the pool. I will have to find it a post a side by side)

Two weeks old...

June Bug is two weeks old!!! Can't believe it. Time is flying by...slooooooow down. She is much more alert this week. She stays awake for longer periods of time. She is able to focus on your face more as you are holding her. June Bug is starting to sleep better at night. Last night she slept for 5 hours straight!!

One Week Old

The first week with June Bug has been great. She is such a pleasant baby. We are all so smitten with her. The kids love her and constantly kiss and rub on her. I want to document how she is growing. I got this idea from another friend of mine who took a picture in the same chair. I decided to add this special Raggedy Ann that June Bug got from a family friend. I know time is going to fly by and I just want to slow it down a bit. Before you know it they will all be grown and gone. But until them I will hold them as long as I can.

Sleeping Beauties

Everyone has atleast one of these pictures in their album. The ye old sleeping baby on the chest of the sleeping daddy.
I wonder why there aren't any sleeping momma with baby pictures :)

How do people make it through life without a sister? ~Sara Corpening

The bond between sisters is something very special. You love them but you hate them. You love to have them around but can't wait for them to leave. It is a very competitive relationship while growing up and even sometimes in your adult life. Yet it is also one of the strongest relationships that have so many unspeakable bonds. Growing up with two sisters myself I know the ups and downs of sisterhood. However through all the downs I'm sure that Buggers and June Bug will have, I hope to hang on to this sweet image. Especially when June Bug is 13 and Buggers is 17 and June Bug is raiding her older sister's closet.

For those of us who have sisters, you can totally relate to this quote.....

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child. ~Linda Sunshine

Thank goodness for postpartum amnesia...

There is something about having a new baby in the house that makes you feel like you are in heaven. The snuggling and cuddling with this new bundle makes you forget about how much sleep you are "really" getting. The first few days to the first week after having a baby is the best example of two completely extreme feelings. The feelings you have towards your newborn vs. the reality that your body just expelled a 7 lb human being from it.

You are so happy that your little one is here.

---However you are cringing at the thought that you might sneeze or need to do the unthinkable #2.

You marvel in the sight of this perfect baby that you and Hubs created.

---However your reflection in the mirror shows the horrors of labor and delivery...in my case blood vessels in my face that popped given me a nice purple hue to my complexion. It's funny how quickly that "glow" leaves your face only to be replaced by dark circles under your eyes.

The sweet newborn cry is music to your ears (even at 3 am).

---However that sweet little cry turns your boobs into niagra falls only to have scratchy bulky nursing pads catch the flow.

Sitting on the comfy couch snuggling with the sweet baby is as close to heaven as you can get.

---However just sitting down on your sore bum is excrutiating and the thought of having to get up makes your abdominal muscles scream in revolt.

The magic of breastfeeding is so rewarding knowing you are providing your child with wonderful nutrition.

---However the sharp pain of latching on by a vigorous sucker or when your boobs become so engorged that an adult movie star would be jealous...you begin to question the natural act.

It is hilarious that you are so excited to see wet and dirty diapers because you know that your baby's systems are functioning and your milk is "doing a body good."

---However your bathroom routine after birth consists of a squirt bottle, Tucks, Dermoplast spray, pads the size of a twin mattress, and mesh panties.

I really think there is a postpartum amnesia that happens. Because if you truly remembered what all you go through to bring that baby into the world you would rethink ever getting pregnant again. It is funny how you remember (if this isn't your first) when you are going through it again.

As I'm writing this, Macy is asleep in her sleeper right next to me. As I look at her sweet face, I realize I would go through all of this 10 times over just to have her. She makes all of it worth it and bearable!

The Stork Delivered!!

At 1:09 pm on June 28, 2010 we welcomed our sweet baby girl. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and measured 19 inches long. She is absolutely perfect!! She looks so a lot like her big brother. She has the same face shape and nose. I can tell she is going to be a go getter since she took to breastfeeding like a champ. Her temperment is very mellow and she loves to be snuggled. The only thing she does not like is her diaper changed. You can guarantee a small crying fit with each change.

The labor and delivery was absolutely perfect. I don't think it could have gone any better. Actually the only thing that would have made it better would be if Hubs family could have been there. I was in labor about 6 1/2 hours and only pushed for 17 minutes or so. We had a little excitement when I told the nurse I was feeling pressure and she checked me and I was complete. She was caught off guard that I progressed so quickly and she rushed around getting everything ready. Also Hubs had stepped out of the room and I could not get ahold of him to tell him to come back. We finally tracked him down ....he was in the cafeteria and had just gotten him some lunch. He took one bite and ran back to the room.

One of my favorite moments was when Bubby and Buggers saw the baby for the first time. Bubby said he had never seen something so cute. And the smile on Buggers was the best smile ever. We spent a little bit of time with just us 5. It was a special time for me. It is amazing to me still the little family Hubs and I have made. It is perfect in every way.

Bubby and Buggers waiting patiently for baby sister to get here

Here she is!!!

Proud Poppa!!

Momma and Baby!!

Their smiles say it all!!

Last Party of Four Weekend

Well this is the last weekend we will have as a family of four. Tomorrow we welcome our new party member. We wanted to make this weekend special for us and the kids.

On Saturday, we started the day off right with donuts!! Then we headed off to the movie theatre for the first showing of Toy Story 3 in 3D. The kids really enjoyed it. Not sure if Buggers really like the 3D effects but Bubby sure did. And of course they both loved the cool glasses. After the movie we ran to Rosa's and got some delicious lunch. Then it was off for some not so fun stuff like oil change and haircuts for Hubs and Bubby. All that action called for naptime. Then we were off that evening to my parents for game night. We played Phase Ten and Yahtzee. I felt a little bad for beating my dad at his favorite game, Phase Ten but he had on his big boy pants so he will get over it.

Sunday is the last official day before the baby comes!! I thought it was funny this morning as Hubs was questioning if he was ready for this or not. Ummm...little late now buddy! Ready or not here she comes! We headed out this morning for our "official meal before baby come" at Luby's. I was induced with each of the other kids and the day before I went to the hospital we went to Luby's. So to follow tradition we did the same today. Luby's is not a big favorite of ours but for the sake of tradition we headed out to the last one in the Waco area. Afterwards we headed to Clifton to the Cliftex Theatre to see the new Shrek. Several months ago I was given gift certificates for free admission and kid snack packs. We felt this would be a great afternoon to go check out this historic theatre. We also browsed around an antique shop while waiting for the show.

We will head over to my parents tonight to drop the kids off. My sisters, one from Houston and one from Illinois, will be coming in tonight. The kids are going to stay with my parents while we are in the hospital. Hubs wanted to know what we were going to do tonight when we get back...I said go to SLEEP! He said he won't be able to. May have to slip him some Ambien in his dinner. :) Actually I think we will get a movie just to keep our minds on something else.

We have to be at the hospital at 6 in the morning!! Can't wait to get the party started and welcome our new little member!

The opposite of calm is????

Anxious...Scared...Nervous...Happy...Excited...Impatient...all these feelings are rattling around in my head.

Can I handle 3 kids?
Will I have the stamina to keep up with them?
Am I going to remember what to do with a tiny little baby?
How am I going to balance having a 5 year old, 4 year old, and newborn?
Am I going to remain sane when school starts back in August and I'm carting 3 kids around?

I am getting more and more nervous the closer the day comes to having her. The realization that another human is going to be dependent on me is getting me a little anxious. I feel somewhat stretched with the 2 kids and the hubby. I have not ever really been one that needs alot of "me" time or needs scheduled GNO (Girls night out). I feel like when I took on being a mother that my time is my family's time. I know there are many mothers out there that feel like they need that "me" time to survive. I guess I need my kids to survive.

I know all this anxiety will be completely gone once I see her adorable little face and feel her sweet touch. I almost feel like a first time mom again even those this is number three. I'm sure all mom's go through this. I bet Michelle Duggar gets a little anxious before the next baby comes out the shoot.

So in 3 days our little party of four will become a party of five.

Packing in the Summer

We have been busy around here trying to do as much as possible before the baby comes. It is so different this time around being pregnant with two active kids. I don't want them to suffer because all I want to do is lay on the couch and prop my belly up on a pillow. We have been to the library several times for story time. They have really enjoyed the puppet shows and I have to say I have too. The puppeteers have been pretty impressive and funny. We will go tomorrow then that will probably be it for a few weeks.

We have also gone to the museum which was nice since it was inside and we beat this sweltering Texas heat. They have a really neat Lego exhibit right now.

We have gone to the splash pad. Not sure what possessed us to go since it is sooooo hot. The kids had fun but Nana and I were miserable!! That is definitely a get up and go in the morning activity.

We have also gone to open jump at Jumping Party. This is by far one of my favorite summer activites. The kids are completely contained and they have seating for the parents. So I grab a book and read while the kids jump and jump and jump. Then one of the best things is they are so pooped when they get home it's nap time! Best 12 bucks you can spend.

Last Saturday we went to the Waco Water Park for the afternoon. It is different than we are used to back in The Woodlands. However for Waco standards it is great. The kids really had a good time. I enjoyed just being in the water with it being so hot. Hubs always makes friends with the pesky teenage lifeguards questioning their reasons behind their rules and cringing at the 50,000 whistle blows. I know they are trying to keep everyone safe but seriously if the parent is watching them with an eagle eye and the parent has enough sense to put a life vest of their child don't you think they are capable of making sure their little heads stay above water. Geesh!! I know they are just doing their $7 an hour job but dang it's annoying.

Wee Little Town

I still find it humorous how small this town is. I know demographically it is not small...over 100,000 people. But in just the past two days I have been reminded how small it is. Yesterday we were sitting in the bank with my mom. There was a very tall gangly man with a UT shirt (the shirt is probably made him stick out to me) also waiting. After a few minutes he got up and left. Nothing significant about him to make him stand out. However after we left the bank we went to eat and low and behold there was that same man sitting at the table right inside the door. I chuckled and said out loud to myself "Gosh this is such a small town" as I walked past his table. He probably thought I was talking to my other personality. Then today we went to puppet time at the library. There were about 40 kids there and approximately 20 or so parents. Afterwards Bubby and I went to Walmart. And sure enough there was a lady there that was at the library. Not to mention I ran into someone I knew at Walmart plus did the aisle dodge with a former student. I'm just not used to running into people I know all around town. This constantly reminds me "I'm not in Houston" anymore also makes me mind my P's and Q's.

Fighting the "I'm Bored" Fight

I always dream of being a stay at home mom. The endless hours in a day spent with my kids. The chore free weekends since I have done all the chores during the week. The wonderful aroma of home cooked meals every evening. Ahhh the joys of being at home and not at a job all day. I get that wish during the summer when I off. It is always so great...for about a week!!

Then reality sets in and I get bored. I am a pretty efficient person when it comes to running our household. Our house stays pretty clean. Toys don't get out of hand. There may be a few out here and there. The dishes are not overtaking the sink. And as of right now the laundry is staying under control since I'm doing about a load every other day. Wash, fold, and put away. But all the time in between is rather boring. TV is mindless and challenging to the intelligence. The internet gets old. Facebook is fun but kind of boring during the day while everyone is at work. The kids don't need me every minute of the day. They are content watching some TV, playing together or by themself.

We try to do something everyday. My mom thinks I'm crazy because I feel the need to get out of the house everyday. I like to be on the go. Even at 38 weeks pregnant!! We may run to the library, the museum, Target, or just over to my mom's. I know my time getting out will be limited once the baby gets here so I guess that is why I'm taking advantage of it now. I know I will fill my days with a little more "activity" once I lose this baby hump. There is some major yard work that needs attention that I have on my list of things to do.

So hats off to all you stay at home moms who do this year round. It is a difficult job being on call 24-7 while still trying to maintain your sanity. But I know the payoff of watching your children grow is worth more than anything in the world. I think for my kids they get the best of both worlds by having me work and be at home during the summer.

Baby Macy's Shower

My friend Candy and my mom gave me and Baby Macy an adorable baby shower. I had some great friends show up. We laughed and laughed and laughed. It was so nice to just sit around and visit and chat about all things girly. I'm really lucky to have some wonderful women in my life that care about me and my family. We got some great things for Macy. She is going to be one stylish little girl!! And very well diapered and wiped thanks to Mom.

Me and Candy

36 weeks!!

We compared bellies and sorry Dad you beat me by one 2 ply square :)

A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. -Carl Sandburg

Waiting Game

Well I went to the doctor yesterday. She told me I was 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I'm 37 weeks now which makes me feel alittle better if I go into labor since the baby is considered full term. I was quite surprised when she told me my "stats". I wasn't expecting anything to be going on. However I have been having some contractions low in my abdomen which weren't any joke since I have progressed already. She schedule my induction for June 28th if I don't go into labor before. But I figure I will probably go into labor before since my contractions are still coming just not regularly. I got back to the doctor next Thursday (17th) so we will see what is going on with the baby then. Until them I'm going to take a few walks because I would much rather go into labor than be induced. I was induced with the other two and would really like to experience "going into labor". But it all depends on this little girl!! So until then we will wait it out by walking it out :)

Paula Deen is the Queen

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/peanut-butter-cake-recipe/index.html

My mouth is watering after seeing this on the Food Network. Paula Deen just made this most amazing cake. I am definitely gonna make this this weekend.

Get with the times!!!

I really like living in a small town. Well I think it is a small town compared to Houston. Waco has about 120,000 people but it might as well have 12,000. The thing that annoys me the most is NOBODY has websites. Businesses especially!! I'm trying to find a pet groomer and I can't find one online. Sure I can look at yellowpages.com but I want to see their website. What do they offer, how much, and when are they open?? But no there isn't anything except a phone number. I ran into this same problem when trying to find a jumpy thing for Buggers birthday.

Come on Waco get with the times and get online!!!

Suite Life of two kids

Just some recent pictures of the kids. We are all looking forward to the end of the school year. We are ready for some "sleeping in" and not having to rush out the door in the mornings.
This was at the kids' Wet and Wild day at school. They had 3 water slides and 2 bouncers. The kids had a great time. That evening the school had a picnic to raise money for the middle school kids immersion trip. Such a rare moment...them playing together without fighting!!
Buggers

Me and Bubby....he is such a ham!! Wonder where he gets that!! He is soooo cool especially with his mohawk!!

2 month absence....

(what do I write about since I haven't posted in almost two months?)

Well I am 8 1/2 months pregnant now. All the aches and pains of being pregnant are in full effect. I know it is all worth it. I can't wait until the baby is here. I've been have some contractions lately. Plus it looks like she has already dropped. A lady at work today told me "No offense by you look like you are about to pop. You are not going go make it until July." Agreed by me!! Hubs was looking at my stomach today and was just shaking his head in disbelief. He said "Geez honey looking pretty pregnant." Derrr!!! I wonder how big she will be. Buggers was the biggest of the two weighing in at 6 lbs 8 ozs. I just can't wait to see what she looks like. Will she look like the other two? What color hair will she have? Red, blonde, brown?? What type of personality will she have? Will she be strong willed, passive?

The other two kiddos are winding the school year down. Bubby is so excited about becoming a kindergartner. Buggers is starting to figure out she is going from being a P3 to a P4 for next year. They have both learned so much this year. I am hoping to home school them this summer. I have already gathered many materials. And I'm working on our summer schedule. We are going to go to the library once a week for story time. I would like to put them in gymnastics once a week. I hope I'm not being too ambitious and can actually do all of that with them with the little one coming. We will just let her be a tagalong :)

Hubs has been doing a great job on our pay it off plan. He has been getting things in order for us to pay off our debt. He knows it stresses me out to the gill so he takes care of it. I just ask if I can spend such and such or if I need to wait a few days. We are looking to sell our house as soon as our renter moves out which will pretty much complete our pay it off plan. It will be hard to let the house go but since we don't think we will ever go back it seems like the right thing to do.

Ok hopefully that will pacify my lonely readers who have been left out to dry without any posts. I have some ideas for future posts so hopefully it won't take me 2 more months to actually put them onto "paper".

Goodbye BlueBelle!!

Well I have bitten the bullet and come to the realization that our family has outgrown my car. I was trying to figure out a way to fit 3 carseats into the back. But the only way I could think to do it made me feel uneasy with the safety of my two older ones. Plus I can just imagine how cramped they would be in the back. Plus I would not be able to have groceries and the big stroller in the trunk. And I can't even imagine a long trip with us all cramped in little BlueBelle.

So hubs and I talked to my FIL since he always gets us a great deal. We found a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country minivan that would basically only raise our monthly payment 20-30 dollars. It is fully loaded too...DVD player, automatic doors, the whole nine yards. So sadly, I gave up my most favorite car for a minivan.

I'm still getting used to the fact that my new ride is a minivan. I told Hubs that I would not get one until I was atleast 30. Geez I might as well have asked for it for my birthday. We still don't have a name for it. The kids want BlackBelle and I'm leaning towards Kitt (like from Knight Rider).