The One Where I Talk About My Amazing Self Control

Tell me it's a boy thing.

Someone tell me that they too were so, SO hungry when they were pregnant with a boy. I'm not sure I was even this hungry with the twins...and that says a lot.

Did I tell you that I was going to give up sugar a few weeks back? I didn't? Well, I meant to.

Oh yes, my friends, I decided to kick the sugary snack habit in an effort to not have my baby addicted to high fructose corn syrup at birth, I knew it would help plateau my pregnancy weight gain, and because I thought it would make me feel better - it might stabilize my sugar seeking moods if you will :).

There is something about sugar that makes your moods go up and down, right?  I'm pretty sure that is a fact - or at least just tell me that it's contributing to my end of pregnancy mood swings, and I'll give you a big 'ol virtual hug and move on with my day.

Sooo, me being the determined, self disciplined pregnant lady that I am, I kicked the habit to the curb...

Or maybe I didn't. At all.

Looks like my self control waved goodbye along with my ability to bend over and touch my toes.

Apparently, asking me to not buy jelly beans, is like asking me to not got to Target and not buy stuff we don't need.

I know, it's that serious.

Oh well, at least there is still frozen, organic fruit in the freezer along with those yummy treats, right? Right. It makes it completely acceptable when you can reach in for a handful of blueberries and grab a twix at the same time. It's all about balance, people.

So anyway, is it true that you're hungrier when pregnant with a boy, or is that a lie that I read online to just make me feel better? I haven't gained a whole lot, so I'm not concerned about that - I just could eat cereal between every meal, and then again at 3am. It's never ending.

Is that normal? You tell me :).

This, That, And The Other Thang

Oh I am way behind...

on blogging...

on reading...

on even opening my laptop...

on cleaning...

and on sleeping.

I'll sit down at my computer, but then just end up looking at the screen with a blank stare. Anyone else have this condition?? No? It's just the pregnant lady? Shoot.

I'm just really tired lately - the boy and I are up a good portion of the night tossing and turning. Maybe he's just preparing me for next month :). At least then I can smell his sweet newborn smell and listen to all his newborn noises.

We have almost completed the nursery, I'll definitely share pictures when it's done. I promise :).

I feel quiet, nervous, content, anxious, excited, worried, and humbled - all at the same time. Maybe all those emotions are whats making me so tired...combined with the hormones, of course.

I have been sitting with the girls and hanging out, playing games, and working with Kinley and Raya on their counting. I just had to share this video of Kinley's sweet little 2yr old voice and little facial expressions...


Untitled from Kate on Vimeo.

She's like the real life Cindy Lou Who, isn't she?

So anyway, the girls are on Spring Break this week and we are going to do some fun things together. We're off to the Aquarium today, my ladies couldn't be more excited!

(here's hoping I don't go into labor in the middle of the penguin exhibit)

(or the shark exhibit for that matter)

Happy Tuesday, friends!

An Interview With The 4yr Olds - The Birth Edition

The girls, Reese and Char in particular, have been real interested lately as to how this baby is going to come out. Not exactly what I had in mind to talk about over our entire lunch today...

Reese: Mom, how is the baby going to get out of your belly anyway??

Me: Um...hmmm...well...

(more hummus anyone? Why don't we talk about preschool...or your upcoming birthday...or anything else.)

Reese: cause, I mean, he's is coming soon, right?

Me: yep, he sure is sweetie. Why don't you tell me how you think we'll get him out, and then we'll go from there.

(Bless their little hearts. They are so innocent.)

Reese: Well, it kinda looks like your belly will just pop...it just keeps growing and growing!

Charlotte: Or they might just take your belly off, get the baby, then glue it back on.

Me: Glue, huh? They would need a lot.

Charlotte: Yea, like a few gallons cause your belly is so big.

Me: Thanks...innocent child who knows not what she says. So how do you think I know when the baby is ready to come out?

Reese: The doctor will call you and tell you it's time...or maybe the baby will just knock a few times on your belly to let you know he wants out.

Charlotte: I'm pretty sure he will ring a bell when he's ready...yea, a tiny little bell.

(Yea, ringing a bell is similar to an intense cramping in my belly, that works its way down, and then wraps around my back.)

(Ahem.)

Me: Those are some great ideas, girls. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Reese: Yep. Either way mom, no matter how he comes out, it's gonna hurt. Maybe you can take some "motrin" to help...like the purple kind we take. (I have never heard her say motrin...so funny.)

Me: Yea, it might sting just a little, but it will all be worth it!!

Out of the mouth of babes, right? I just love listening to those little wheels turning in their heads, I just wish I had better answers for those young minds!

Baby Boy Belly Bump

Alternately titled, "If The Hoodie Fits, Wear It All The Time!"

That is my favorite hoodie, and it's hanging in there with me as my belly swells more and more...

Don't ya just love the real life shot...with my little camera crew in there with me? :)

I just passed my 35th week, and we are sailing into week 36!

Wow.

He will be here soon.

In like, a month or less.

I think I need to sit down for a second.

(and then get up and do my happy dance!)

We are in major crunch time when it comes to getting things done before he arrives. I've realized that it's not super easy to paint rooms, move furniture, or organize anything with 5 kids standing right behind me. Who knew?!

As of right now the plan is to wait it out and try for a vbac - although my doctor does not want me to go past my due date, so let's all pray I go into labor just a little early :). (but I am also totally OK if a c-section ends up being the best option.)

The Dr. said that baby boy is head down...like waaaay down ...and ready to go when the time is right. Which explains the whole "peeing 1000 times a day" thing that I've got going on right now. Sorry, that may be tmi.

Annnywaaay....

I'm looking SO forward to holding him in my arms, safe and sound. In the meantime, I'll sit back and enjoy his little kicks until I can kiss those sweet little feet :).

Hope you all are having a great week!

Life In The Motherhood

"You sure you're ready to start over?"

"I just can't imagine going back...to the baby stage, to diapers, to bottles, etc. You're ready to go back??"

That question has swung my way many, many times over the past month or so.

And my answer? I sure am...or at least I think I am. But even if I wasn't, God would prepare me for it just like He prepares us for every other stage of child rearing that us mom's face...whether we're ready or not :).

I get why people ask those questions though. And I would imagine that every mom gets why people ask those questions, because every mom gets how hard her job is. Especially when you have a newborn, and you're a week postpartum, and you haven't showered or brushed your teeth, and the baby is crying while your other kids are fighting over who is mommy's biggest helper.

(I kinda see that scenario playing out in my near future. Send chocolate. And Diet Coke over crushed ice.)

There is never a part of me though that views adding more kiddos to our family as "going back" to anything, I feel like we're only moving forward with God's plan for our family.

Does changing diapers, filling sippy cups, wiping noses, cleaning up crumbs off the floor, and folding load after load of laundry always feel glamorous? Not really. And would I love to have a full conversation at the park without having to tell my children to stop eating the mulch? Sure. But that's not my life right now...

Life is crazy, unpredictable, messy, loud, but oh so sweet...

I will admit that I have my days when this mom gig feels mundane and redundant. And I have so many moments where I feel like I am not making a difference in their little lives at all - that I am literally failing at this calling that God has laid out before me. But we all have to keep in mind that every mom feels that way sometimes, and I know deep in my heart that being called to motherhood is a far, far cry from a life that is mundane or redundant.

It's actually more like a roller coaster...with only tall hills and loops...and you just keep going up the tall hill anticipating the other side, and then after the rush of going down the hill it throws you for another loop. Yea, it's kinda like that.

Right now, to a great extent, motherhood is my ministry. It's how I serve, and I really believe that being a mommy is a very self sacrificial service. It's not a calling that is full of free time or fancy things, but it is a calling that involves investing and molding a child's life, and that's far more important than any "me time" or hobby that I could have. Being a mom means having a full plate, no matter what season you're in.

That busy, time consuming, full plate is such a gift...a true picture of God's love and grace in this mom's life.

I don't always do this mom thing with a joyful heart or full confidence, but I'm a work in progress, and I know that God will continue the work He started in me. At least that's what I cling to.

Whether you're in the baby stage, or the preschool pick up line stage, or the "why on earth are they teaching fractions in 1st grade" stage, it's always a moving forward with God's plan of motherhood stage. And that's a good place to be.

So today, and tonight, and the next day, and the following years after that, I will continue on this crazy road of mothering. The hardest, but by far the most rewarding road I've been on to date.

Speaking of serving via motherhood, I have 2 diapers to change as we speak.

Looks like my "ministry" is calling :)...

Monday Checklist

1. Try to not think about how Mondays can be a little, well...crazy.

2. Plan our meals for the next week or so - I haven't been doing that and as a result we end up eating cereal for dinner when Eric is working. Cereal is way underestimated, it can be the perfect meal for the tired mama.

3. Get started on this...

4. Switch some of the girls Winter clothes out for Spring clothes.

5. Eat another blueberry muffin. (recipe coming, by far the easiest homemade muffins I've ever made!)

6. Go to my Dr.'s appointment with my list 'o questions in hand - you'd think this is my 1st delivery. How do you forget almost everything from previous pregnancies??

7. Order a car seat.

8. Continue to swoon over my flip flops that do nothing but make me smile every time I put them on.

9. Call and make an appointment for Kinley and Raya's 2yr check up. I know, they turned 2 in November - I am completely on top of things these days, I'm not behind at all. 

10. Find new bottles. The bottles we used for all the girls have been discontinued :(. I will be breastfeeding, but he will also take a bottle.) Any suggestions on which are best these days??

Maybe I'll get half of this list done? Someone remind me not to sit down in between tasks - I have realized that when I sit to rest, the chances of me finishing the list goes down by at least 50%. :)

Happy Monday, friends!

I'm In A Season...

of biting my nails...

researching vbac's way more than I should...

worrying that I will go into labor in the middle of the preschool pick up line...

or that my water will break in the chickfila play land...

and watching re-runs of Golden Girls at night instead of being productive.

A Season Of...

anticipation...

excitement ...

arguing and practicing bad communication in our marriage like we do at some point during every other pregnancy...

and failing to see that we're just buckling under the pressure of our to-do list..

A Season Of...

saving...

stretching a buck...

shopping online to get great deals on diapers, bottles, and other sweet little baby things (maybe someday we'll shop for flat screens, and LCD TV stands...you know, like in 20 years.)...

and sadly, not frequenting Target as much because it turns out that that is an expensive habit :).

A Season Of...

being thankful...

feeling unworthy...

asking God for wisdom...

and waiting impatiently to smell that sweet baby smell.

A season of...

opening the bag of jelly beans while I'm still in the store...

eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal at 10pm...

gearing up to start walking every night in a few weeks to help move things along...

and wondering when to plan Reese and Charlotte's birthday party since they turn 5 the day after my due date.

A season of...

nesting...

cleaning closets...

falling asleep within 60 seconds of sitting down...

throwing things away...

and just wanting everything to be ready and perfect for the little guys arrival :).

A Season Of...

laughing with my closest friends...

dancing in the car with the girls...

rolling the windows down...

and bringing out my flip flops for good....it's a beautiful thing.

It's definitely a season of change around here, here's hoping we can keep up!

You Might Be Close To Delivery If... (Volume 2)

You only have 1 T-shirt left to sleep in because all your other T-shirts have decided to only cover half your belly. It's like they're all on strike.

Your husband gets a kick out of how the lower part of your belly sometimes sticks out when you try to wear those smaller T-shirts. You both laugh cause most times you don't even know it's showing.

In the middle of the produce section you get this interesting feeling and think, "Am I leaking milk? That can't be normal already, can it?"

After deciding that you don't really care at this point if you do have breast milk on your shirt, you head over to the frozen foods aisle where you stand in front of an open freezer door as the cool air frees you from the FURNACE that you've become.

One kick is all it takes. Just one kick to empty your bladder completely. (he's a tough little guy)

You decide to get on the floor and play doll house with the girls - an hour later they have moved on to something else and you're still laying there trying to figure out how to get up.

Since comfort has taken priority over being socially acceptable, it's not unheard of for you to ask the question, "you think track pants are out of the question for church?"

You actually said to yourself last week when you passed chick-fil-a at 10am, "it's ok to eat 2 breakfasts...it's been 3 hours since I ate the last one", and then you pull in.

Your husband has started to basically agree with whatever you say because he knows that a hormone imbalanced crying spell could follow a bad answer.

Talking and walking at the same time is basically out of the question. With all that baby up in your ribs, there is not enough breath to do both.

You are that pregnant lady that is clearing the shelves in the Easter candy aisle cause Peeps and Starburst Jelly Beans TASTE EVEN BETTER when you're pregnant. I didn't even know it was possible.

At your kids School Carnival this past weekend, you actually took part in the Cake Walk as well. Twice. (pls tell me you know what The Cake Walk is??)

You would paint your toe nails...if you could see them.

You've started carrying smelling salts in your purse to use on those people who pass out after asking, "is this your first?"

Your Google search used to look something like, "organic homemade recipes " - it now looks like, "pregnant lady needs salty food".

Even with all of the above, you still love being pregnant and want to savor these last weeks when you get to sit and feel his little kicks inside your belly.

Sigh....

I'm so excited to hold this little man, and hear his 1st little cry. He's totally worth all the pregnancy funnies...times a million!

Did I leave anything out?? :)

In Which I Take An Oath

The girls and I were standing in the check out lane at the grocery the other day, I glanced over and saw my almost 7yr old standing in front of the magazine display just taking it all in. I guess I haven't paid much attention lately, but did you know that when Spring comes along, all the cover models suddenly have no clothes on?

I was unaware. Or maybe my mind has just blocked it out.

"Ella, come back over here by me." I said hoping she wasn't scarred for life by the string bikinis that now plague her young impressionable mind.

She walks back towards me while saying, "Mom, that girl looks like she's in her underwear."

And at that, I walked over and started turning the magazines around. Just flipping them over one by one if it had a girl on the front that was less than dressed. Our girls don't need that unrealistic body image junk thrown at them when we're just in line somewhere buying diapers. (And the fear in my heart when I think of our little guy dealing with those pictures? Well, don't EVEN get me started.)

Just for the record, If you are a store that sells children's items, you are considered family friendly - that means there should not be scandalous magazines in the check out lane.

Right? Right.

I could tell I was stressing the cashier out, and maybe even confusing her a little seeing as it's usually the children who are messing up the displays. But I get kinda feisty when I'm pregnant, and in my head I was all , "What are you lookin' at!? Don't even try to ask me to stop! I'll stand here all day and flip magazines, lady!"

Ahem. I can be real bold when I'm setting people straight in my head.

The pressure to look perfect, get in shape for summer, and be in the best shape of your life is just plain overwhelming right now. And to be really honest, it breaks my heart that so many Christian women are sucked into it. If we spent as much time talking about how God was working in our lives as we do talking about our weight, work out routines, and image, well, I think we'd be healthier all the way around.

Someone in our house church the other week said, " A good thing can become a bad thing if it's the main thing." That is so, so true. Poor body image plagued me in my early 20's (for a handful of reasons), and it nearly ruined those years of my life. I was thin on the outside, but I was literally dying on the inside. I just don't want my girls to deal with that.

Maybe God just wants us to love the body He gave us, not try to preserve it like it's a piece in a museum. I'm 30, there's no reason for me to try to make myself look like I'm 20. Whether you like it or not, we were meant to age...change...carry babies...work with our hands...and be used by Him, for Him.

I love being in great shape, everyone does. And I definitely plan on trying to get my body back in gear after the pregnancy. But at what cost? Less family time? Obsessive thoughts? It's just not worth it.

So I'm sorta taking an oath. I'm not going to talk about my body in a negative way. It's very easy to say something negative about the way I look without even thinking of how that affects my girls. No more complaining over the pregnancy weight gain, no more talking about how I will lose it, and no more comments that might affect the way my little ladies view body image.

I am responsible to teach them about true beauty, and with His help, I'm going to do the best I can. 

Starting now.

The 20's Were Good...

But when I heard those sweet little girls say "Happy Birthday!" this morning, I knew the 30's are going to be even better :).

The past 10 years have given me so much...

a wonderful, hard working husband...

these sweet, amazing little characters...

 a shape that only God can give...with a little boy tucked inside this time around...whom I think we have a name for...that hopefully Eric will want to share soon :)...

 

an evening out last night with a small group of ladies that truly bless my life in more ways than I can count...

who already love this new little guy...

 

 who also love rubbing things in...ahem :)...

and so, so much more.

I am truly humbled by the grace that God has shown me this past decade. 

(especially through those years in my early 20's when I made some really interesting choices...because I knew everything...am I the only one who knew it all at age 20??)

I haven't even been 30 for 24 hours and it already feels good. There is some kind of freedom in turning 30, am I right? I feel like I'm all the sudden capable of making important decisions, telling people what I think, and standing up for what I believe in...

I feel like I can conquer the world.

(not really, but I've always wanted to say that.)

(and since I'm 30 now I can say anything.)

(well, not really, but anyway...)

I can't wait to see what God has planned for the next 10 years, starting with our little man that is coming soon!

Here's to 30!

I Like Taking The Crazy Into Public

I have always loved running around with all the kiddos. It makes the day interesting to take them all into...oh, let's say...Hobby Lobby. The fear on the employees faces when we walk by all the glass vases is worth the trip alone.

Not to mention I get to say I have groupies, remember?

So yesterday , I packed them all up to run some errands. We haven't been doing it as much lately. Its recently become a little more chaotic on our adventures out because the babes just DON'T like the stroller anymore, so I've scaled back on our errands. They are feisty little things and just can't be trusted to walk through the store...unless I want to buy something because we broke it.

Like a Snow Globe. Or two.

So we packed up in the 50 degree weather and headed out for the day.

I needed to pick up some "end of pregnancy" clothes - also known as, "anything with an elastic waist band." I keep thinking I'll get out by myself to shop, but it ain't happening. I'm to tired when Eric gets home to head out, and honestly, I just want to be home at night with my family.

The girls ran through the mall as grandma and I trailed behind. People passed and took double takes (no pun) and whispered, "I think that's 2 sets of twins." You know, the usual. I actually had a pretty successful clothes shopping experience considering I had kids crawling back and forth under my fitting room door...and asking to see my belly...and calling out the size on every tag.

I'm telling ya, there's just no privacy anymore.

And you know what else there isn't anymore of apparently? Air in the fitting rooms. I'm serious, I thought I was melting under those lights in that tiny space. Maybe I'm kinda like a furnace right now anyway, but I was literally sweating. I would've paid for one of those hand fans around the time I tried on my 3rd pair of pants.

But who needs a hand fan when you can buy an icee?

So anyway, it was good to get out and run around town with them...it's always interesting.. I'm trying to make myself get out there with all my ladies even though I feel like my energy is totally zapped. Because before we know it, it won't be just us girls cruising the aisles at Target, we'll have a sweet little guy along for the crazy ride :).

Hope you all are having a great week!

These Baby Girls...

will be big sisters next month...

I can't believe that.

Those sweet little 2yr old voices that say, "I wuv you...much!!", will be part of the older siblings crowd...

They point to  my belly and say, "baby...bruder!"

I'm sure I'll have all the help I need from our 5 ladies...maybe even a little more than I need :).

I think Kinley and Raya will be good little (bossy) leaders like their savvy older sisters...

Sigh. They just melt my heart.

(insert "end of pregnancy emotional overload" here)

You think I can still refer to them as "the babies" till our little man arrives?

Cause the bottom line is that all 6 will always be my babies, right?? :)

Dear Teen Cashier At Lowe's,

You can stop calling me "Ma'am".

I heard ya the 1st time...and then the 3rd, and the 5th, and so on.

"Ma'am, are you ready to check out?" Ma'am, can I help you find something? Ma'am, is there something you need? I'm sorry, Ma'am, I'm just really bored."

Bless your young little heart.

I get it.

You think I'm old.

This is all very new to me.

Yes, I might be in sweats. Yes, my maternity shirt is getting a little small. And yes, I'm walking up and down the aisles with a slight limp because I feel like I have a 25 pound boulder sitting on my pelvic bone.

(check-out girl in lane 2, you might want to keep that image in the back of your mind while you're flirting with my cashier. Simmer down a bit, would ya? Sheesh.)

But I still have a really cool air about me...it's just taking a little break right now because it's really tired.

(or maybe it's gone completely but that's not  the point.)

I obviously have "I'm turning 30 next week" written on my forehead so you all can make the transition from calling me "Miss" to calling me "Ma'am" in a timely manner. You should be jealous - I hear my 30's are going to be the best years of my life so far!

You might think that I'm old, but I actually have groupies...an entourage of 5 if you will. They live down the street from here in a house where animal crackers are always in abundance and Juicy Juice flows like water - and in that place, I'm kind of a big deal.

SO. You can call me ma'am all you want, but for the record, I haven't lost my cool. I am still young and trendy just like all the other 20 somethings running around here..

(except for the fact that I'm not 20, and I'm in sweats like I mentioned above...oh and I have almost a half dozen kids.)

But besides those facts, I'm still cool.

I've still got it.

I'm glad we could clear this up. I may be seeing more of you since we're painting the baby boy's room this weekend and we may need more supplies.

Sincerely,

The (almost) 30y old pregnant lady that hasn't lost her cool and is still young and trendy and is not at all in denial but is actually excited about this upcoming birthday. (aka, Kate)

:)

The Best Banana Bread Ever

As promised, here is the recipe for the amazing banana bread that we've been making.

Seriously, it's really addicting, you've been warned.

My friend gave me this recipe, you can also find it over at this website. Our Best Bites is a great place to find yummy recipes, it's actually where I found the recipe for our homemade hot pockets.

Annyywwaay...

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar to sprinkle on top

Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl mix. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

It is going to make your house smell amazing. I think that's my favortie part about making this stuff.

Alright, my favorite part is eating it.

But I'm not the only one who can't resist it...

So there you go, it's SO good my friends. Try it!!

Just seeing a picture of it makes me want to run downstairs and cut myself a piece...which is exactly what I'm going to do :).

Enjoy!

Baby Boy Belly Bump

32 weeks, my friends.

I can't believe it! I just want to see this little guy and kiss his sweet face. Siigghh...

I believe that is about 4 or so pounds of baby boy...

And 19 pounds of...hmmm...let me think...

Oh that's right, it's all that homemade chocolate swirled banana bread that the girls and I have been making. I will be posting that amazing recipe a little later. You might want to let your bananas brown a bit because you're going to want to make a loaf.

Just for fun, here I am in that same shirt at 20 weeks...

My oh my, how he's grown :).

(alright, and maybe I've grown a bit too.)

I am so anxious to have him here safe, he's got a whole lot of love waiting for him!

Happy Tuesday!