Posts Tagged ‘Mamahood’
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This weekend, after nearly five years of service, we sold our minivan The Great White.
For the last year or so, we’ve been considering the possibility of retiring Great White for a newer model. Being 14 years old, Great White has seen better days and is starting to cost more than she’s worth.
Last summer, we received an offer on her from a family in South Texas. We called them this last weekend and sold them Great White. They plan to repair her and use her as their newest family car.
In Great White’s place, we bought a new to us Kia Sedona. A pretty blue color, the Sedona features some updated bells and whistles {automatic sliding doors and a sunroof to boot}. Admittedly, I’m not a minivan lover, but three kids and a big dog deep and you’re committed to a minivan {not that I haven’t tried fitting our family in other options, nothing else seems to work}.
Here’s to the next five+ years as a minivan driving mama!
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With Joseph’s birth, it became so crystal clear to me just how big Julia has gotten. In the last year, she learned to swim, write her name, spell simple words, started school and countless other “firsts”. Daily I am reminded of how big she has gotten, how much of a help she is to our family.
And it makes me sad.
Makes me sad to see my baby girl turning into a big girl. Sad to have the last four years fly by and the fear of the next 14 years going even faster.
When I took this picture last week, one thing caught my eye above all else. Julia has chubby fingers. While so much of her body has become slender, her fingers still hold the resemblance of babyhood, the chunky goodness of days gone by.
Those chubby fingers gave my mama heart a smile. It helped me realize that my sweet Julia will grow older, but she will still be my baby. While she has chubby fingers, and even when her finger holds a wedding band, she will be my baby. Always.
Weekly Routines – Friday Joy
Posted on: January 13, 2012
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{via Abby Sokeland on Pinterest}
That quote pretty much summarizes my personality. Jonathan is complete spontaneity, and I am planned spontaneity. It surprisingly works well together. But with the holidays over, with nearly two weeks of no plans and just spontaneity, it has been a happy, happy feeling to be back into a real routine this week.
Julia started back to school on Monday which brings a sense of structure and order to our household. We have spent the week rooting out bad habits, like excessive television and sugar binges, while introducing new ones, like reading chapter books with Julia and Hannah {well, more Julia than Hannah}. This week we’ve read Pippi Longstocking, My Father’s Dragon and started Clementine.
Have I mentioned before that I love how much Julia loves reading?!
Hannah’s newest routine is acting like a 2.5 year old. And if you’ve ever parented, babysat, been in the same room as a 2.5 year old, you know what I’m talking about. That girl has some will power. Big time. Which has given her a new nickname :: Picosita or Picoso {Spanish for spicy/fiery}. But, no matter how picoso she gets, she slays me with her big eyes.
Joseph has been forming a routine of sorts. I’m a mama that doesn’t schedule feedings, naps, etc until my babies are closer to 6 months. And even then, I blur the lines pretty often. But, Joseph has been getting more dependable about when he wants to sleep and eat, which has been nice for scheduling play dates and trips to the store. I won’t go into his overnight sleep, because every time I mention it, people look at me as if to say “bless your little heart”. Then their eyes bulge out when I tell them I really don’t take issue with how much/little he sleeps, because it’s par for the course and my kids just don’t sleep through the night while nursing. Then they verbally say “bless your little heart” and make a mental note to send me to the looney bin.
Do you crave routine? Or do you blow with the wind?
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A New Year, A New Friday Joy
Posted on: January 6, 2012
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My joy is sweet children
Beautiful babies
And daughters that make me smile
Today I’m reveling in starting a new year as the Fab Five. 2012 is going to be the best year yet.
What’s your Friday Joy?
Word of the Year – Present
Posted on: January 2, 2012
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Last year I met a lot of different people who had their own Word of the Year – a word that they were focusing on for an entire year as a self improvement effort. I’ve been thinking for the last few weeks what I’d want my Word of the Year 2012 to be. I finally figured it out.
Present
Since Joseph’s birth, it has become increasingly clear to me just how quickly time passes. What’s that saying… The days are long but the years are short? So true. Often my days can drag on, yet I still have a sense of holding sand in my hand, the time is fleeting. Frankly, I don’t do a great job of always being present with my kids. Sure, I am with them, but not always present both in body, mind and heart. This is something I want to work on this year.
But “being present” isn’t a very good goal as it doesn’t have any defined boundaries or standard. I’ve decided to make a “being present” goal for each month in 2012. January’s goal? Board games. The girls both got board games for St. Nick Day and we’re going to put them to good use this month. My plan? Board games twice a week. Might not seem like a big goal, but I’m trying to be realistic and set an achievable bar.
Here’s to fun games of Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land this January!
You Know Those Days
Posted on: December 20, 2011
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You know those days, where every good intention is overshadowed by real life. Where your kids fight the entire time you’re out grocery shopping {“I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you!”}. Where your daughter decides to touch the ceiling, which means she literally climbs the wall, falls off her curtain rod and tears a hole in the wall. Where your 30 minute appointment turns into an hour and a half. Where, during said appointment, your daughter {who climbed the wall} colors all over the baby scale while the adults aren’t looking.
Those days where your two oldest don’t nap and your youngest decides to stay awake till 10pm. Those days where all you hear is “Mom. Mom. Mooooooom!!”. Those days where you go to a birthday party and leave more exhausted than your kids. Those days where you’re certain you’d hire a nanny on the spot if you could.
As crazy {and I do mean c-r-a-z-y} those days are, they also mean days where your husband cooks dinner and cleans out your car. Those days you manage to squeeze in a workout, which gives you a much needed break. Those days that end in a complete blur and you’re ready for bed by 8pm… no make that 6pm… but stay up much later than you should. Those days that seem like they might make you go gray before your 30th birthday. Those days are what make life. And no matter how hard those days are, those days are still good.
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"I just got here and already I'm awesome"
I know, I know, all parents are crazy in love with their kids. But seriously, this kid is just the cutest boy. And I’m not just saying that because he only woke up once last night {WOO-HOO!}, though that does help.
Joseph will be 6 weeks on Friday. And while he is still so little and young, I can’t get over how fast things are going. Before I know it, he’ll be 2 months, then 6, then a whole year. S-l-o-w-d-o-w-n. Still, it’s so much fun to see this little man grow and how he’s fitting into our family so perfectly. I know, beyond doubt, that each one of our kids were perfectly meant for our family – and Joseph is most assuredly proving that. It’s amazing how his addition has made me feel like our family is complete.
I’m currently thinking up nicknames for our family – my favorite right now is The Fab Five. Any suggestions?
Learning All About Christ
Posted on: December 2, 2011
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Yesterday marked the first day of Advent. The girls and I started on our candle ornament from Truth in the Tinsel : An Advent Experience for Little Hands. We read through Isaiah 9, about Jesus coming to bring light into a dark world. We talked about how our hearts are dark from sin, and that only Christ can give us light. I even went so far as to have them stand in my closet, door closed, and lit a match to “bring light” into the darkness. {Thankfully, the house did not burn down.}
Truthfully, taking the above picture was ten times harder than the craft making.
I was a bit under prepared for the first craft. Hannah used up all our glue on purpose {bonus points if you get that reference} and all I was left with was about two inches of Scotch tape. But we made it work! Though, a trip to the store has happened so we are ready for the rest of the month.
I can’t wait to spent the next three weeks talking about Christ, His birth and our redemption.
What’s your Friday joy?
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Since adding Joseph into the fold, I’ve realized life has gotten exponentially busier. And it didn’t take me long to realize that being mama to three is quite the feat. Kinda like playing an Olympic sport.
And I started wondering, if parenting were an Olympic game, which sports would there be?
1. Coffee Consumption – Measuring not only rate of consumption, but amount as well.
2. Sleepless Production – Measuring productive output based on lack of sleep.
3. Promptness – How close parent arrives at the time they said they would {I’m not winning this one anytime soon}.
4. Readiness – How long it takes to get out the door with three kids – everyone dressed, moms with make up on.
5. Day Preparedness – How prepared you are for getting poop off your baby, yourself and your car {which totally happened to me this last weekend}.
6. Juggling – Measuring ability to do fifteen things at once, without losing your mind.
7. Hosting – Measuring ability to host a holiday, without losing your mind.
8. Bathroom Quickness – How fast you can dart to the bathroom while the kids aren’t looking.
9. Conversation Holding – How long can you hold “adult” conversation without using the words “potty”, “naptime”, “binky”, etc.
10. Longevity – How long can you go re-wearing the same jeans before someone notices {I’m on week two…}.
Can we agree, all parents deserve gold metals?!? Yeah, we totally do.
Visit Amanda at Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
You Gotta See the Baby
Posted on: November 28, 2011
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I’ve been rather neglectful when it comes to keep everyone updated on Mr. Joseph. Turns out, life with three is quite a bit busier than you’d imagine. Plus, I’m really awful at remembering to take pictures. Even with instagram on my iPhone, I still can’t remember.
But I’m trying to get my act together and have gotta a few shots of Joseph for your viewing pleasure.
Snuggly baby
Who doesn't like a neeked baby?
He sure looks good in burnt orange
Why yes, that does say Santa's Helper. And yes, he was wearing it before Thanksgiving.
Joseph is quite the snuggly baby. He loves being held and is especially fond of chilling in his mei tai {but haven’t all my kids?}.
We hit a small snag when Joseph was about 10 days old. He hit a growth spurt and spent the next 48 hours eating like a mad man. And then he stopped sleeping… bummer. He would wake up every 1.5-2 hours during the night to eat. At our two week check up, Joseph had gained a full pound in one week {which is 2-4 times the normal amount}. Our midwife thought perhaps I was over producing milk, causing Joseph to only get fore milk and not enough hind milk. We switched up our feeding routine and since then we’ve been getting more 4 hours sleep stretches, with some rougher nights thrown in the mix.
Life with three is busy, but, I feel like the transition has gone much smoother than I could have ever hoped. Joseph has already been a huge blessing to our family. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a pretty relaxed baby.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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