Now you need to get me a baby, mom...

No, I am not having another baby, but my good friend did :) so Matthew, Elizabeth and I ventured over to visit 6 day old CJ. Wow - what a perfect little angel! It sure got my uterus jumping ;) Such a blessing and miracle! Matthew and Elizabeth got to hold him - so precious! Matthew even wanted to feed him a bottle. He was so gentle with the baby. It made me sad that I won't be doing that again :( As we left, Matthew told me, "Now you need to get ME a baby, mom." Sorry, they don't sell those at the store, honey.

1st Grade Here He Comes...

Joseph has always been SO independent (what is with my children?!), and I am so proud of who he is. I found out the day before school started that he was selected to be in a 1st/2nd grade combination class this year. I had mixed emotions about it, knowing that it will be a challenge not only for the 1st grade students but also for the teacher. After thinking a while, I became so incredibly proud of this little 6 year old boy who I am blessed to call my son :) He is very smart (but what parent doesn't think that about their child, right?), outgoing, confident, independent and competitive, which is why I believe that this class is perfect for him. Sorry for he bragging session, but hey, I'm a proud mom! It has been 3 days since he started, and he LOVES his new class so I pray that he always feels this way about school. As a teacher before having my kids, my ONLY goal with my students was that they enjoyed school. In my eyes, Joseph's teacher must be doing something right because he wakes up ready, excited and eager to go to 1st grade :)

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Daughter of Mine!

Elizabeth turned 2, and it was bittersweet for Mommy :) I always want to hold on to my "babies," and when they grow so fast it breaks my heart. She becomes more and more beautiful and independent each day. What a blessing to the world she is! Here is a montage of her 2nd year of life...

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=bc8768d9955cf6a7cb990d&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email

Summer flew by!

Ok, I'm still alive and well, but time is flying by so fast! The summer was busy and fun all in one. The kids had fun at a bonfire. We slept in, and were lazy (just like summer should be). We swam A LOT...Matthew started swimming independently - yay! Elizabeth started throwing more and more tantrums ;) Joseph stated that he "broke up" with his girlfriend, who we didn't see much during the summer :) And now summer is over, and the chaos of school days begins - bring on the COFFEE!!!!

Yearly montage

Every year, I plan to make a montage for each of my children, so they can see how much they've grown over the years. Check out my latest one of Joseph, my big SIX year old :)

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=b4e5050674e6eb34798ec4&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email

Forced adoption?

I never knew that I would want to adopt another child. Let alone, an older child (older than my oldest). I have fallen in love with my neighbor's son. He is 7 1/2 years old, and just the most adorable little boy. The part that breaks my heart is that he seems to be completely neglected. His parents both work in the evening, so he is left with his teenage sisters (ages 14 and 18) all the time. These poor teenage girls are forced to care for him like mothers, pretty much. Therefore, he is allowed to roam the neighborhood by himself, watch inappropriate movies, and parent himself. Since meeting him, he has been over here for dinner a lot (not that I mind - I just love him), and he always eats up everything with such great manners like he never eats :( Elizabeth is IN LOVE with him, and wants to hug and kiss him all the time. He plays so wonderfully with all three of my kids, giving them piggyback rides and making them laugh. My boys idolize him, and can't wait to see him every day. I just want to ADOPT him, seriously. And to top it all off, he told me yesterday that my house is "better than Disneyland!" Do you think they'll notice if I keep him (haha just kidding)?

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

Although I'm a little late on posting this, it doesn't mean that I haven't been celebrating my oldest baby turning SIX YEARS OLD!

















Joseph, you are:

silly
energetic
creative
handsome
kind
considerate
empathetic
adorable
charming
passionate
strong willed
driven
competitive
athletic
stubborn
6 years old...WOW, where did the time go?

My heart

grows and grows with each day I've been given as their mom (and stepmom)...WOW!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

You came into this world 4 years ago, my baby boy, and have added so much joy and love to my life since then. Happy Birthday, sweet cuddly Matthew!

Mother's Day

I LOVE being a mother. There is no greater reward in life than to have children (in my opinion). That being said, my husband had to work on Mother's Day, which left me with the kiddos. I told Joseph that he would need to make me breakfast in bed, but he forgot and said that he "couldn't carry it upstairs because it is too heavy anyway." My children threw tantrums. They became needy every time I got on the phone. The left trails of toys in every room of the house. They would not listen to anything I said. HUH?! Didn't they get the memo that they were supposed to BEHAVE for their mommy on Mother's Day? Apparently not :) In the end, I did steal time away with my mom and sister in law for a much needed pedicure (thanks to my brothers and dad!). And we had a nice BBQ lunch at the lake with my whole family...SO blessed! I have 3 of the most precious gifts for Mother's Day, and that's all I need in this world.

Question answered

Tonight as we were watching "The Goonies," Joseph popped another one of his infamous questions. He asked, "Can girls who are not married be mommies?" I tried to figure out exactly what triggered the question, and exactly what he was asking. He frustratedly asked, "I mean, can a girl have babies before she is married?" Stumbling, fumbling on my own words, I tried to make my answer sound good..."Uh......ummmmm....if God wanted a baby to come before she was married, then yes, she can have babies before she gets married, but it doesn't usually happen that way." And, yes, that is how I rambled it off. I just had to chuckle in another room after that conversation because Joseph was born exactly 6 months after his daddy and I got married (can you see where I'm going with this?) Oh, if only I could keep that one a secret forever :) God brings new life into this world, each with a purpose, each in His timing and plan.

Heaven

Children can say the most profound things when you least expect it. My 5 year old enlightened me last night as we were reading stories and chatting. He asked, "How many lives do cats really have?" I proceeded to tell him that they only have 1 life, just as all humans do. Well, his reply caught me offguard..."No, Mom, we have 2 lives...1 life here and 1 life in heaven." Feeling inspired by his unquestioning faith, I asked him what he thought heaven was like. He responded by saying something that brought a tear to my eye..."Well, if you go there before me (which I pray is God's plan) write me a letter and draw me a picture, and send it down to me." I'll be sure to ask God for a piece of paper and some crayons when I get there many many years from now :)

For the first time...

I am a "Team Mom!" My oldest son started T-ball yesterday, and since my husband is coaching he blurted out that I am the TEAM MOM - WHAT?! As I attempted to introduce myself to the other parents, I held my clingy 19 month old and yelled at my almost 4 year old to "get off your brother!" as he wrestled him to the ground. Gee, you think I can handle this team mom job when I can't even control my own 3 children? HAHA I'm going to try my best. I'm excited to represent his team (and I'm secretly hoping we kick ass even though they only play for fun LOL). Pictures to come...

Easter celebrations

The smell of spring flowers in the air, the promise of new life, the plentitude of food shared by family, and the nice church attire...




do not compare to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us all. Jesus SUFFERED tremendously and selflessly for our sins. He paved the way for us to rejoice in heaven upon our death. So as I stressed about the food preparations, the house cleaning, the crowded space in my home, the cleaning, the children's behavior (which was great BTW)...God reminded me to slow down with an EARTHQUAKE that not only shook the Earth, but my soul. Jesus is risen! Alleluia!

Marriage in his future?

Joseph, my 5 year old going on 25, was rambling on about anything and everything today as usual when I heard him say "I'm not ever getting married." Concerned and surprised, I said "are you sure you are never getting married?" He proceeded to tell me "Well, ok, I'll get married but we'll be separated." ?????.....long pause, "We will be married, but live in separate houses on the same street so we can see each other whenever we want." Maybe that's the secret to a happy marriage? HAHA ;)

Desire within my heart

A friend asked me tonight "Could you really do it all again?" in reference to having another child. My answer was immediately "YES!" I never thought I'd feel this way, but I do. When I watch my boys enjoy playing with each other so much, I desire just one more. When I dress up my pretty little girl and am brought to tears by her sweet girliness, I desire just one more. When I look in the rear view mirror and see my beautiful blessings, I desire just one more. When I snuggle in bed and read stories to my handsome boys, I desire just one more. When I sing lullabies and hold my dainty baby girl so close, I desire just one more. It is not that I don't thoroughly enjoy my children. It is that each child brings so much more love and joy into our home, and my desiring heart. It is because I love my children so much that I would LOVE to have just one more, but I won't. That decision has been made for me.

Childhood friendship

Remember that one best friend of your childhood who you played with all the time? Remember the innocence, the goofiness, the pure happiness to be together? I have a friend whom I have known since we were 6-7 years old. I moved away when I was 14, but we have stayed in touch all these years by email, letters and phone. I finally got to visit her (and her baby girl - SO CUTE!) this past weekend - yay! We had not seen each other in over 6 years. It all comes back when we are together. She is a reminder of who I used to be as a young girl. She represents who I was back then, and who I've become since then. Such a special bond...just wish we lived closer so our kids can share that bond, too :(

Innocent "love"

Oh - to be three years old again! Matthew is so smitten with Madison.

Pure happiness

There are moments as a parent that just bring happy tears to your eyes. I experienced many of those moments tonight as I ventured out with my 2 handsome boys for a "date." I took them bowling (1st time for Matthew). We had Icees. We went to browse Party City. And finished the night at McDonald's. Whew! I found myself cheering, dancing and smiling as my boys threw those bowling balls down the lane with such manly strength (or at least they thought so). Joseph said "I am having the best time ever!" Matthew talked more than I've ever heard. My heart smiled as my boys took each others' hands, and ran off laughing together. The pure happiness and love within my heart cannot even be expressed.

Must be all that LOVE in the air

As Matthew was watching a movie, I just stared at his cute little profile and said "You're so cute, Matthew!" And his reply was "No I'm not, Mom. Madison is cute!" He's got it bad :)

I am THAT mom

As I've mentioned before, my oldest has several girlfriends in kindergarten (gulp!), and he often has his "#1 girlfriend" over to our house to play. Well, today as he was crying about not being able to go swimming (the pool is FREEZING) with her, she came over to play while her mom went to get her swimsuit. The "tell what I'm thinking" part of my personality came out, and I blurted out, "Joseph was just crying because he wants to play with you." Um huh? My 5 1/2 year old (going on 25 years old) yelled out "NO I WASN'T!" Way to go, Mom! I've officially entered the stage of parenthood where the parent must "butt out" of situations. Sorry to embarrass you, son...I'll bite my tongue next time :)

Proud big brother

I really wish I had pictures to post, but I forgot my camera as I witnessed one of the sweetest moments between my children this morning. My kindergartener was the "star of the week," and was able to share anyone/anything today, so he decided to share his baby sister and brother :) He was beaming as he answered questions about Elizabeth. Elizabeth, being the ham she is, posed for the teacher's camera and smiled as the class sang her a song. Matthew proudly rose his hand, and shared that his sister is "allergic to eggs." Joseph dearly loves his siblings, and there is no greater gift for a parent than to know this. I takes me back to when Joseph was barely 2 years old sitting in the backseat of our tiny Honda Civic next to newborn Matthew in his carseat. His little voice exclaimed excitedly, "He likes me, Mom! He really likes me!" as Matthew grabbed onto Joseph's finger. The smile on Joseph's face said it all. He was and still is the most PROUD big brother I have ever witnessed.

Oh, how I've missed FOOD!

I may not be breastfeeding anymore, but I am eating YUMMY foods that I could not when I was nursing...yay! List of things I CAN eat now that I have enjoyed:

• pizza
• ice cream
• Reese's peanut butter cups and Snickers
• cheese and crackers
• cereal with milk
• vanilla latte
• McDonald's cheeseburgers
• eggs and toast
• pancakes
• pasta (made with wheat)

More to come :) Although it was sad to end breastfeeding, I am enjoying my little girl in so many other ways. She is such a character, and I cherish every moment with her. We will be forever bonded, in that I am sure.

Lover boys

I thought when I had boys that I wouldn't need to worry about "love" crushes and girls for a VERY long time. Well...boy was I wrong! Both of my boys LOVE the girls already. Joseph says he has 3 girlfriends in kindergarten. And, Matthew, oh Matthew has the biggest crush at age 3. Sweet, little Madison has captured him completely, and it is the sweetest thing. He talks about her ALL THE TIME. He waits after preschool so he can hold the gate door open for her (what a gentleman!) We finally had Madison over to our house today for a playdate, and he was SO excited (and I have to admit that I was a bit nervous for him - haha). He even made her a valentine with a big red heart. He wanted me to write "Will you be my girlfriend?" on it, but we opted for "will you be my valentine?" They played so nicely together. I just love how soft and passive he plays with girls. He also tells me "I like girls" all the time. Guess the worry begins early for my 2 lover boys?!

End of our special time

I have breastfed all three of my children, and enjoyed the closeness that it brings to the relationship. My breastfeeding relationship with Elizabeth has been even more special because I changed my way of living completely to continue nursing her. She was diagnosed with allergies to wheat, milk, eggs, and peanuts at 5 months old in which I was told that I "must stop" breastfeeding because the diet would be "virtually impossible to follow." I made the decision that I would do the "virtually impossible" and take all her allergens out of my diet in order to give her the best nutrition (my milk). Long story short, it was HARD in the beginning, but became easy when I saw her skin looking so beautiful and feeling so baby soft. I dedicated myself to her completely...eating and feeding her only the foods that contained no allergens. I LOVED my quiet nursing time with her. Nobody interrupted us...it was just her and I snuggled up together. Enough rambling...just wanted to express my sadness that this breastfeeding relationship has come to an end. I started weaning her from the daytime nursing sessions a few weeks ago, and this past week Elizabeth decided that she no longer needed to breastfeed before bed at night :( I was ready to continue for a few weeks or month longer with just 1 night feeding, BUT she refused. I held her, and cried silent tears for the end to such a special time with my "baby" girl.

On the other hand, I nursed her for 16 MONTHS. I followed that "virtually impossible" diet for 11 MONTHS. I gave my daughter the best of me, and I am proud! And, now I can eat some yummy food...off to eat some pizza! LOL

A New Year

Happy New Year 2010! My hopes and prayers for this year are:

to focus on playing with my children instead of cleaning my house

to develop a closer relationship with God, trusting Him in his plans for my life

to reach out to friends more often, and meet regularly

to continue to eat healthy as I feed my daughter her super healthy, allergen-free diet

to choose to be optimistic and happy

to be more patient with my children and husband

to help others in need

God bless you all this coming year!

We rang in the new year with our neighbors/friends. Great food, kid friendly entertainment, and terrific company...the kids ALL stayed up past midnight - wow! Here are a few pics..

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