Chaos.

My life right now. And so this post will be short. But I thought it a good moment to be real here...

I can handle the juggle with three kids pretty well. But not yet can I handle the three kids thing AND housework! It's pretty scary around here!

I neglected the laundry so much that the laundry shoot from the basement was backed up all the way to Eli's room on our second floor of our house. I thought maybe something was just stuck somewhere in the middle but when I started pulling clothes out the bottom more and more clothes just kept on dropping down. Yeah, that's bad. Kevin has no white socks and Eli has no jammies. But somehow we keep having just enough to make it through the next day.

But apparently if I run the washer and dryer at the same time AND take a shower near that time it blows a particular fuse in the basement that smells like burning.

Uh yeah that scares me thus part of the reason I've been sluggish on the laundry.

Dirty dishes have sat at the sink for 2 days.

And I wore the same jammies around for 48 straight hours.

Because Kevin had days off the early part of last and we were spending a couple days out and about and then he was going on nights (and I rarely cook real meals then), I never planned a menu last week and we ended up eating out almost every day! McDonald's, Valentino's, Arby's, Quiznos, Arby's, Sonic. Seriously people, did I really do that?!

Carter wakes up for second night feeding around 6:30-6:45ish, so I'm always in the middle of feeding him when the kids wake up in the morning. I'm busy while they continue to call for me. And this week with Kevin being on nights he's just gotten in to bed next to me and is sleeping.

The kids always wait 'til I'm mid-feed and tied up to ask for me to get them drinks. How many times a day can I say, "I can't do that right now. Can you please wait?"

Carter's swaddle Velcros keep getting caught on all my shirts. Annoying!

I feel like way too often Carter gets left to just sit and cry while I just take care of what I need to take care of. ie putting the older two to bed or nap, getting their coats and shoes on, fixing a meal I need two hands for, or just finishing washing dishes before the water gets cold.

It would be beneficial a lot of times to put Carter in a sling, but I don't have one. My Ergo pouch is great but not so much for newborn stage. I tried it the other day but it makes my back really hurt. I looked up how to make a sling out of a bed sheet, but it used a twin sheet and I don't have any of those.

Hannah's been taking her diaper off randomly. I'm not really up for the potty training thing right now. Hmm, not sure why! =D

My husband weighs less than me right now. That bothers me.

I started The Shred two weeks ago and then ate out every day last week, so that pretty much stinks.

It's starting to get warmer outside but there's still a 4-ft drift covering our entire sidewalk. So we have to troop through the grass, icy snow, and mud to get down to the van every day.

The roads are terrible. I think I'm going to be mudded in as much this spring as I was drifted in this winter.

So yeah, I think that about covers it. Do you have chaos in your life right now? Please share with me so I don't feel so bad! =)

UPDATE: Not even one minute after I posted this I saw a mouse run across our living room!! AAACCK! Is this even for real??!

Psalm 90:14

"Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may be rejoice and be glad all our days."

Mommy and Me pics

Here Carter is 6 weeks old now {pause, can you even believe that?!} and I still only had 2 or so pictures of me with him at all since I'm always the one behind the camera. Well, at the encouragement of a friend, I got out my camera, remote, and tripod, sent the older two kids off to play in the playroom, and set up a little photo shoot for myself. I had to get up and down, up and down, up and down a thousand times to check each picture on the camera so I could make adjustments, thus the reason Carter is awake in most of these pictures. But he was a trooper, and I LOVE these pictures with my sweet baby boy! Here are my favorites, that I'm certain to cherish for always...

I love putting my face next to his.

Man, I love this sweet baby!!

Dreaming of spring [a poem]

dreaming of spring
where the daffodils bloom
and the birds sing
sipping sweet tea
on the porch swing.
gentle breeze
floating through our home
the scent of lemon
kisses my nose
the grass is green
we play outside
we pile high
for a wagon ride
balls, tricycles, bubbles galore
every day leaves us
yearning for more
the chirping crickets
lull me to sleep
with windows left open
for the cool night breeze
I wake up early
the sun warm on my face
ready for life
with a quicker pace
butterflies flitting gently about
beautiful gardens beginning to sprout
morning strolls through the park
afternoon thunderstorms
playing 'til dark
reading books under the shade
picnics outside
most every day
oh dear spring
how I long for thee
'tis the season
that most revives me


Oh, I've never been sooo ready for spring as I am this year! And I have a feeling a thousand people probably are feeling the same! What are your favorite things about spring?

Play kitchen toys that actually smell like the real thing

It's called empty stuff from your kitchen. Even when washed they keep some of their smell. And I like that! Gives kids a chance to explore their senses! Strawberry milk powder, vanilla creamer, lemon juice, coffee beans, cinnamon, garlic salt, chili powder, cappuccino. I suppose one of these days I could blindfold Eli and have him guess what he's smelling!
Ever since I brought this little cupboard up from the basement so the kids could use it in the playroom, I've been saving a lot of things from the kitchen as we finish them. Plastic containers like these and taping back cardboard boxes for things like mac n cheese, pudding, cake mix. Easy, free toys and probably more fun than what you'd find in the store anyway!


P.S. I've posted a bunch of new pics over at the family blog, so go check 'em out!

New discoveries.

{is that redundant??}

Anyway...

Discovery #1 Scooping chili with tortilla chips instead of crackers. Makes it like a dip (which is common in the first place) instead of soup. And it's even better topped with a little cheese. We had tortilla chips left from something, and we're almost out of Saltines, thus leading to this yummy surprise.

Discovery #2 Microwaving cookies. Just pop your cookie in the microwave for about 20 seconds and it comes out like it was just freshly baked. Yumm...

And that, my friends, was my important work for today.

Wow.

My 2-year old these days. {sigh}

Enough said.

The accomplishments of a SAHM

Today I...

1. Got my first load of laundry in at 4:30am.

2. Got everyone dressed and out of jammies before lunchtime!

3. Curled my hair for the first time in almost 2 MONTHS!

4. Had a successful first grocery trip with all three kids!


It's a good day.

Monday Meanderings

Bible Study
Fruit of the Spirit with Beth Moore

Memory Verse
Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will sour on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."

Husband Encouragement
* Keep a clean home. We were both talking about how having a clean home makes us feel less stressed. He's going to help more, but I want to try harder on my part too, seeing as you know, it's really my job in the first place!
* Be nice to each other. (this is what Eli said when I asked him what we should do this week for Daddy to show him that we love him)

Train Them Up
* Reinstate 5-minute pickups throughout the day.
* Finish school lessons for letter F. We've been working on it for forever now, and it would give me peace of mind to have it finished already!
* Work on nap time battles.

Must Do
* schedule eye appointment if they're still bothering me tomorrow
* mail out baby announcements
* mail letters that have been ready and waiting for 2 weeks now!
* send baby pic to the hospital
* schedule 6-week appointment
* order book

Personal Goals
* keep track of water intake
* start the 30-Day Shred

Zone
play room

Menu

Monday - chicken chow mein (didn't get to this last week)
Tuesday - beef taco skillet
Wednesday - florentine manicotti
Thursday - broccoli cheese soup
Friday - homemade pizza
Saturday - chicken alfredo
Sunday - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* play date sometime this week maybe?
* Bible study on Thursday
* Carter's baby shower at the church on Saturday

3 things I'm thankful for today:
1. The last two days I've felt a lot more rested!!
2. Though the snow drifted quite a bit yesterday and last night and Kevin parked his truck in town and had to walk the cold, dark mile this morning, he was able to make it to work.
3. My sweet Hannah. It's been such a joy to watch her grow and change.

Join me with your weekly plans! Have a great week!

A Valentine for you.

Just a lil' graphic I made. Didn't take the picture though.
I love the Bleeding Heart plant, especially as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice for us because He loves us so much.

"You are mine and I love you." - Love, God

This is my life right now.

A list of what's been going on around here......

* I feel like my life revolves around getting sleep, and I'm getting tired of that.
* Exhaustion is a catalyst to a lot of selfish sin. (whole post coming on that soon)
* I thought I was figuring out how to help Carter sleep a ton better at night and then we've just had two BAD nights again.
* After all this time it's NOW that Eli decides he doesn't need an afternoon nap. He stays in his bed and is quiet but just won't fall asleep. Yet I spend the whole time trying, and I'm just not ready to reach this point, and I"m really frustrated that it's happening right NOW after we've just had a baby and I need sleep and afternoon rest more than ever!
* AND the last two weeks Hannah's started getting out of her bed and room at naptime. It takes a lot of spankings and frustration and anger and more selfishness before she finally submits and takes her nap.
* She's also been hitting a lot and plopping to the floor in fits.
* Carter naps a hundred times a day so therefore I feel like I'm putting him to sleep a hundred times a day.
* He likes to be swaddled and placed in the bouncy seat, falling asleep quickly to the sound of ocean waves. But I don't want to do that every time just to make it easy, for fear him becoming highly dependent on those things.
* I'm excited to take Eli (and Carter of course) out for a special day with Mommy. I cannot remember the last time I've taken just him to do something. Today he's going to pick out a birthday present for Hannah. And we'll go out for lunch somewhere. Probably McDonald's.
* And Kevin's going to take Hannah out somewhere fun too while we're gone.
* Blue Bonnet margarine is disgusting! To me it's the equivalent of Splenda to Sugar. Yuck!
* I'm tired of looking at dirty, nasty snow.
* I got the van stuck in our own lane last night as I was trying to get out for Bible Study. Everything's white so it's hard to see where the lane is, especially when driving in reverse. I guess I got too close to the snow piles along the edge and got it quite stuck. But after 10-15 minutes of spinning wheels and pushing and digging we finally got it free and I made it to the church just in time.
* Just in time for Carter to be fussy the whole time there. Yay.
* Tomorrow is Hannah's birthday party! So we have a lot of cleaning to do! I'm sooo thankful to Kevin for all the help he did yesterday, as I've been completely neglecting housework lately for the last 4 weeks and 1 day.
* But I am finally almost caught up on laundry (for now). Down to the last 2 or 3 loads! (for now)
* Kevin and I are going to a Valentine's banquet at the church tonight. The decorations were up last night at Bible study, and it looks like it's going to be lovely! Since Hannah's party is tomorrow my parents are coming a night early so they can watch the kids for us tonight. Now I'm just hoping Carter will allow us to enjoy our time, as we, of course, have to bring him with us.
* I've got breast milk thawing in the fridge and I want to try a bottle with Carter today. If he takes to it, this would give us flexibility and the option to have Kevin do one of the feedings in the night so I could get some sleep.
* My eyes have been bothering me a lot. Red eyes always flare up when I'm really tired, and well, I'm really tired. They're not as red now as they were earlier this week, but they're a little sensitive to light, I can't see clearly (the computer screen and books), and they're really dry. I have to squint even when we're inside. And when I forgot my sunglasses for my drive to town the other day, it was MISERABLE driving especially with bright white snow everywhere. I had to shield my whole face and open my fingers just enough to see the road.
* Trying to get Carter to latch on at night in the dark is super annoying. Neither one of us can see what needs to happen.
* I usually feed Carter for bedtime at 10pm, so I've been enjoying watching King of Queens weeknights at that time. Love that show.
* And hate Everybody Loves Raymond that follows at 11pm. I won't watch it, as it disgusts me how disrespectful Debra is to her husband.

So those are my random updates! What's been going on win your life lately? Have a great weekend and Valentine's Day with your lovers!

Monday Meanderings

I think this is the first I've done this again since Carter was born 3 weeks ago. Now it's to get back to routine!

Bible Study
Fruit of the Spirit with Beth Moore

Memory Verse
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Husband Encouragement
* Leave little treats and notes for Kevin to find throughout the day on Valentine's Day.

Train Them Up
* Continue working on new habits with responsibility chart.
* I know it may seem a little ambitious right now with a new baby, but I want to try to get back to doing school time again. They love it and have actually been asking for it lately.
* We've never done this before but I want to take Eli to the store sometime this week to pick out a small birthday present for Hannah. I think he'll enjoy this.
* me-- calm voice

Must Do
* call Grandma
* mail letters
* write thank-you notes
* catch up on laundry!!!
* clean dining room
* submit info for MOPS newsletter

Zone
everything really since we're having everyone here this weekend for Hannah's birthday

Menu - Kevin's working nights M-Th so that means I won't really be cooking anything big those days

Monday - loaded potato
Tuesday - chicken chow mein
Wednesday - chicken nuggets, cheesy vegetables, peaches
Thursday - spaghetti
Friday - Valentine's banquet at church
Saturday - taco pizza
Sunday - BBQ chicken wings

FUN THINGS!
* MOPS on Tuesday
* V-Day banquet at church Friday night
* Hannah's birthday party with family on Saturday
* Hannah's birthday/Valentine's Day on Sunday

3 things I'm thankful for today:
* All the big-boy things Eli's been helping with lately: not just getting my water bottle for me but filling it for me all by himself, helping rinse the dishes, and taking pot loads of dirty laundry upstairs to the laundry shoot
* Somewhat decent sleep the last two nights!
* 3 delicious smelling babies after having baths last night =)


Join me with your weekly plans!

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.

I just saved $40!

...Off of a $60 order of photo birth announcements at SeeHere.com! I did a quick search for a coupon code before finishing checkout and found the code newbaby for 50 free cards + free shipping! So my total ended up only being $20! How cool is that!

Today's Goals

1. Actually get the kids dressed and out of their jammies today.

2. Wash some laundry.

3. Finish doing lesson for tonight's Bible study.

4. Finish planning lesson for next week's MOPS meeting and mail to the leader.

Three night feedings sure feels like a whole lot more than just two. Wow.

Better night.

Last night was a much better night than the previous two. This time I stayed awake during the feedings, playing games and reading blogs on Kevin's ipod, so I was awake enough to feed Carter a full feeding, changing his diaper mid-way instead of allowing myself doze and never really giving Carter a full feeding and thus never really getting real sleep. And the result: Each feeding/change took about 45 minutes and then Carter laid down in his bed just fine after both feedings with no additional wakings. After the second feeding (3:15am) I laid him in the middle of our bed, hoping it would help lengthen his next sleep period, to make sure he wouldn't wake up for a THIRD feeding. Don't know if that made any difference or not, but he slept fine. I just wasn't about to take any chances, because I wanted the very best sleep possible for a night! I know with Hannah I would play on my Nintendo DS (only game I have is Brain Age) during night feedings, and I think it helped. So that route just might be our new night routine until those feedings start getting more spaced out. I'm still pretty crazy tired today, still blurry vision, but at least I'm a lot more functional today and motivated enough to work on some school activities for the kids! That's gotta be a good sign, right?

Hanging on by a thread

So it's another week and I thought I'd just pop in for a quick update....

* I'm miserably tired. The last two nights have been pretty rotten. Especially yesterday after I'd been up every hour between 2:30 and 6:30am. Last night I was only up from 1-1:40am and 4-6:30am and up for the day at 7am. The first feeding of the night goes okay. The second feeding, however, is kicking me in the butt. I get Carter eating, fall asleep somewhere along the way, and wake up an hour later. He only ate on one side but it sure sounded like he was getting a lot of milk, and he's sound asleep now, so I burp him and just put him down anyway. He wakes up a few minutes later, I decide while he's awake I might as well finish feeding him Part 2 then. I burp him and lay him back down. A few minutes later, he's fussing again, needs a burp. Lay him down, a few minutes later, needs a burp again. Oh, it's 6:00am already, and it's been 2 hours since I've laid down and slept on my pillow. Finally I lay him down and he makes some grunts a few minutes later but goes back to sleep. 6:30am I look at the clock and see how little time I have left 'til the older two wake up. I get a little bit of zzz's and of course right at 7am, I hear someone from the down the hallway! This is nutso! I'm not really conscious in the night to really know what's going on, I mostly know that I spend half the night sitting up against our headboard with a baby in my lap, and as much as I love this sweet boy, I'd much rather be sleeping on my pillow, in my warm blankets, with the baby beside me in his bassinet, so I can wake up in the morning and actually feel human! I'm sooo tired. Yesterday I could barely function, and that was even after Kevin let me stay in bed 'til 9am AND I took a nap in the afternoon. My eyes burn like crazy and are bloodshot, I can barely read the text on the computer, and the 8-minute drive to town for errands feels like eternity! So please pray I can get some rest and we figure out how to get through the second half of the night more restfully!!!

And for the short randoms...
* I'm totally loving the meals provided by church women! We have a fridge AND freezer full of food, and it's pretty awesome!
* We've been eating on paper plates most every meal since Carter was born, and I have no regrets. We still have a dish rack full of other dishes, so this is a nice little way to simplify right now. We'll get back to normal again sometime, but for now this helps.
* I know I've mentioned this before but I love putting Garlic Pepper on green beans. Yumm... so good and my new favorite discovery!
* I just ordered the 30-Day Shred and am excited to start working out in a couple weeks. Time to lose the belly pudge!
* Eli asked to do "school time" the other day, so we finally got to do some of our activities that have been in the waiting for 2 months now. We had fun and I'm hoping we can get back in the routine of that again.
* Little by little we're figuring out new routines. Like doing our Bible reading time during Carter's first feed of the day. That works nicely, followed by some songs on the piano. School time or "blanket time" during Carter's "morning nap", and now that Kevin cleaned up his tool stuff in the basement (big HOORAY on that one!!) the kids can help me put laundry in the wash. I set up two chairs for them in front of the washing machine and a third chair behind them with a laundry basket full of clothes for them to put in. They enjoy that I like letting them help.
* Hannah's birthday is in two weeks (Valentine's Day baby!), and I can't believe she's officially going to be 2!! Can't wait to have family here!
* My brother and his wife found a house this past weekend and will moving from Colorado to here with us in the midwest early next month! I'm sooo excited about having them closer! They've found a beautiful home!

Alrighty, time to go make sure the older two are actually napping and them I'll be down too!