7 Quick Takes - Thoughts on Pregnancy

Random Guy walking past us and shouted upon seeing M - Grandkids... They'll change your life!

{Isn't it funny how babies can bring out the best in people???}

--- 1 ---

No. I am not pregnant. This post is 100% inspired by a great friend who recently told me she was pregnant (with her first). 

--- 2 ---

Now that we have clarified that. Isn't it always so exciting when someone announces their pregnancy? Well I find it super exciting. I mean come on, what is more awesome then a little person growing inside you? When you really start to think about life and babies in that way, the word miracle comes to my mind. And surviving parenting each little miracle is another miracle in and of itself : ) 

I can still remember the first time I drove to the OB's office for my first ever prenatal appointment. It was in a different town. Lee and I drove separately because we both had to go to work afterwards. I remember turning onto the street the office is on and thinking "Is this really happening?" I was 8 weeks pregnant and feeling totally overwhelmed with emotions and decisions and my life. 

Grateful for the gift of life. 

Wondering how our lives were going to change. 

Would I work. 

Would I stay at home. 

Is this baby healthy. 

Wait it is only one baby or two. 

Boy or girl. 

What would our families say.

What would our friends say. 

This is insane. 

I have made that lefthand turn onto Horton Blvd so many times since then but I have such an emotional connection with that first time. Maybe because it meant I was turning into a mama. 

--- 3 ---

Being pregnant for the first time everything is new and if you can wrap your finger around the fact that your life will change in the most greatest way - ever - and this does not totally overwhelm you, then hat's off to you. For the rest of us, until you hold that baby for the first time and take him (or her) home and realize that you can 'do' this whole being a mama thing - the first pregnancy is one of waiting and being anxious.

Being pregnant with E, R and M has been a totally different experience each time. E - see above. R - all I could think about was how will we handle two? How will E react? How can we love another little person as much as we love E? As I was working on this post, this post came through my feed and it fits exactly as to how being pregnant with baby #2 feels like. Then with M there were so fewer unknowns. I mean I was pretty sure of myself about being able to get through labor, I knew I would likely be relatively successful at breastfeeding, I knew was it was like to be up in the middle of the night with a newborn. All the worries that I when I was pregnant with R were gone. All my anxiousness I had with E was nowhere to be found.

--- 4 ---

The first time you are pregnant there are certain rights of passage. Baby showers. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E being super excited when you tell them the news. The first ultrasound.

Seeing that little person on the black and white ultrasound screen for the first time and that instant love that you feel there is absolutely nothing like it. How is it possible you can love someone you have never met? 

Speaking of very vivid pregnancy memories. I can still remember being at my 12 weeks appointment when I was pregnant with E and the nurse could not find a heartbeat on the doppler. And she tried again. Then she left. The doctor came in and tried a third time and still no heartbeat. Lee and I waited the longest 10 minutes of our lives to get an ultrasound. I have prayed long and hard before but I think waiting in the ultrasound waiting area at my OB's office was one of the hardest I've ever prayed. 

Turns out E was quite well and wiggling around like a crazy girl (even though EVERYONE thought she was going to be a boy) 

--- 5 ---

Now let's not forget that there are a number of women who have not yet been able to share in these 'first time pregnancy moments' because for one reason or another, they cannot conceive. To all you women, I pray for you everyday. Honest truth. 

Several good friends of mine have struggled with fertility. And while I have no idea what you are going through, I am here for you. 

Women should never take being able to have children for granted 

--- 6 ---

That being said, what is the appropriate response to the question, "So will you be trying for a boy?" "Well, I guess so' is usually my response. Is that a really an honest response?

Maybe next time I'll answer the question with a question or two: If we had a boy and a girl would you like to assume that we are not going to be open to more? Are you assuming that we would be disappointed if we had another girl or two or five?

Okay actually I'd never probably never really respond to a question like that but if I do, I'll let you know.

--- 7 ---

Here is a breathe-o-fresh-air conversation that I had with another random guy

Random Guy - Is that your first? {points to M}
Me - No; she's our third
RG - Oh wow
Me - Yep
RG - Well we were only blessed with one but we would have taken two, three, four… six?
Me - Oh nice!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

                               

Happy 9 months until Christmas

aka Happy Feast of the Annunciation!

A Lenten Update - Praying the Rosary with Kids in the Car on the Way to School

Trying that ten times fast.

Or not...

Praying the rosary with kids in the car on the way to school

Okay let's try that again

Praying the rosary a decade of the rosary with kids in the car van on the way to school

That's a little more like it.

So how did we get our rosary beads tangled up in this Lenten discipline? Well a lady from the church here in the Mount emailed me before Lent and I said we cannot commit to the Rosary daily but a decade might be doable and since there are five decade of the Rosary and five days in a school week we'll just incorporate it into our ride to school.

Done.

So I busted out the indestructible wooden rosaries that R's godmother gave the girls - yeah you know the kind that are insanely loud as your kid prays plays with them in the pews? Yep those. I would not dare bringing one of those rosaries into church because it would be too much noise for me to handle. In addition, I am pretty sure that a good portion of rosaries that were in the chapel are now in Papa's office because well you know, the girls BROKE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! During our morning prayer time in the chapel so we stick with wooden icons and crosses and other in destructible prayer objects.

Moving on.

E is definitely 'into' praying the rosary. R is well not as into it.

The first week I put E solely in charge of counting the ten Hail Marys because you know I'm driving. But I was kind of keeping track in my head. Seriously. Seriously. One day we got into a semi-argument over how many Hail Marys were left to do. So the next day I counted them out (to myself) and we had done ten and E said we still had 2 left and so our decade was actually a decade plus two because I was not going to fight her on praying more.

Moral of that story? Count Hail Marys with my fingers so she can see and coordinate on the rosary.

Ahhhh… yes the mysteries. I made the executive decision that we would do the Sorrowful Mysteries each week rather than switch it up with Glorious/Joyful(and Luminous - I guess some people do those and others don't but whatever…)

This is what happens when you pray the rosary with your kids...

Now please tell me in one sentence how to answer this question?

E - Mama, what's the scourging at the pillar?
Me - Ummmm…. Well, it's ummmmm… It is when the mean soldiers hit Jesus with a really big rope?

Didn't want to get to graphic you know?

So today being Tuesday it was the scourging… E announces 'today's the scourging at the pillar when the bad soldiers hit Jesus with a mean rope'.

Check.

Midway through the second week I was getting a bit bored? with the Hail Marys in English so I chanted a few Ave Marias (in Latin - I learned at World Youth Day in 2005). E is totally hooked and will not let us say Hail Marys in English we must do them in Latin. MUST. Which kind of makes me smile. (Martha, T + E = DESTINY)

Oh and one day last week. We were behind the INSANELY slow lawn truck but we were praying so I  did not go off on one of my 'Hurry up. You are going slow. You are aggravating the MESS out of me. Rants.' It is quite hard to rant and pray. Plus I don't talk on the phone in the mornings on the way to school because I can't talk and pray either. Which is excellent because I noticed a few mornings I would be making a call for work and we would get to school and E would be disappointed we had not talked or sung.

Anyhow I hope this encourages you mamas out there to take time to pray with your kids whether it is in the car or at home whether it is the rosary or reading the Bible or whatever. They will soak it up.

7 Quick Takes - Fish, Dragonflies, Birds

School did not get canceled this week due to winter weather… That's a good week

--- 1 ---

It's Friday Night and it's fish fry night!!!!

{after Stations of the Cross}

E - How come that was so short?

Me - I don't know. That's just how it is 

{since when is 50 minutes of Stations of the Cross short in the mind of a 3 yr old??? When said 3 yr old goes to 95 minute Presanctifed Liturgy 3 nights before : ) }

I love the idea of taking the kids to the Fish Fry and Stations. We never had a Lenten tradition like that growing up (that I can remember) but I can tell that E and R enjoying it. Hopefully it will transform into something a little more meaningful and spiritual as they get older. 

I love the idea of taking the kids to Stations but practically it is a hot mess. Stations is actually more difficult this year than last year because R is so so so so so loud. However, last week all three girls made it through 8 stations. R was back and forth from the kneeler to aisle. I was standing behind the last pew so that kind of messed R up. Hopefully this week we will get there early enough for my go to spot of last pew and right by the door. E made it through the whole thing. I may or may not state before Stations starts that they can only light candles IF there is good behavior. Does not seem 100% logical to me but it works. 

--- 2 ---

Let's go Dragonflies!

And spring soccer started and guess who got roped into volunteered to coach. MIO. First practice. Done. Can we please just go straight to the games? Also, I have high hopes for E totally rocking out this season and scoring a goal. Again, we reward achievements in this house so an ice cream trip will follow a goal scored during the game. I think E will finally muster up the confidence to score one!

And then I might get a little teary eyed. : ) 

Side note - R hugged her little BFF in school today and ahhhhhh! may have gotten a little watery eyed over that. Then E proceeded to run down the hall to find "the right man for her" aka the little boy she has claimed as her future husband and let's just say the boy was not in a hugging mood and was like 'No, no, no' to E who did not really know what to do. I told her it was okay and that if he did not want to give her a hug that was fine. But she was totally hurt and she literally ran me over in the hallway sobbing. I mean like on me flattened out, her massive tears. M was in the background wailing away because she thought Mama Bear had abandoned her. Point of the story, yeah I don't know. I hate seeing my kids cry even if it is overly dramatic. 

--- 3 ---

R decided to dump everything off of E's bed onto the floor

Hmmmm… not cool little one. She is mildly interested in the 'big girl' toddler bed BUT she still has not figured out the crib can be climbed out of AND I told her she has to start being a big girl and going potty before we can think about 'big bed'

--- 4 ---

While on the top of unsightly floors… I think now that I gave the girls a bigger dress up box for all their  clothes and stuff, the box has become the focus of playtime

For E's 4th birthday I think we'll give her a box. A really really really big one. 

--- 5 ---

We got a little crafty this week… finally. 

Saint Mail giveaway is forthcoming… I promise, promise so keep checking back!

--- 6 ---

I ran into the double digits of miles on Sunday

Pretty sure the icon to the far right does not do justice to "How did I feel" It was bad. BUT I made it. I think that's how the half marathon is going to feel like too. I walked a good portion of the second 5 mile stretch. At this point I would like to do a few more 8 mile runs and deem myself ready to run a half marathon. I'll just be glad to finish at this point. There is another half marathon in September that I am toying with the idea of running so we'll see if that happens. 

--- 7 ---

Bird meets door.

I was going to open the front door to let the sunshine in and bam! that was the view. Well that view lasted for all of 2.5 seconds and a call to Papa was in order. Then E just had to see the dead bird. Now Papa is currently hoping a creature in the night is going to swoop in and steal this one away. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

                               

Five Favs - Overheard yet again

Sorry yet another overhead 5 favs…. and Papa was feeling left out of the blog-o-greatness

1. At lunch one day...

E - Those look like little la-lup thangs?
Lee - ?
E- You know la-lups…
Lee - No I don't know
E - You know, la-lups they go click click click

2. Since when do 4 month olds NOT wear diapers?

Me - Can you keep an eye on the girls?
Lee - Chicky I'm in the middle of cooking!
Me - Well M just peed on me!!!!!!!
Lee - Oh. Was she wearing a diaper?

3. Not even gonna lie; this conversation really happened!

Lee - You don't like figs?
Me - No
Lee - And you don't like locusts and honey. You have a very unbibical diet Chicky
Me - ????

4. Love this kid... 

R - Who DAAAAT

5. While reading books with Papa

Lee - Oh the Lion King
E - {strange look}
Me - That's Beauty and the Beast. Come on, you need to read up on your princesses!

The Unmatching of the Sisters

This post really is a bunch of fluff so please feel free to ignore my late night musing… 

When R was born we received an influx of matching outfits for the girls. Dresses. Pajamas. Bathing suits. Please see below evidence...

So here's my (silly) dilemma. I have a number of size 2T and 3-9 month matching outfits that go through 3T and 18 months. Awesome. Now that R is into E's clothes and M will be into the smaller size am I to leave E out in the unmatching cold? 

I posed this (ridiculous) conundrum to Grammy who said something along the lines of "Oh won't E grow out of wanting to match R" Seems plausible but let me show you why I don't think E is 'getting out of' her matching kick. 

E begins coordinating pajamas as soon as bath is over asking "R do you want to wear Ariel? Okay here I got this out for you." E does not mind sharing. The outfit R is in is E's but "she's too big for it so R needs it" Also, they are matching down to the socks! R is in a pair of E's Tinkerbell socks (and E is in Tink socks too!).  If E knows they can match or even coordinate colors or hairstyles or whatever… She will advocate for it. So point of this pointless story is…. I guess R and M will not be coordinating lest there be some epic meltdowns coming from their big sister!

Adding a bit of green to your day… Happy St. Patrick' Day!

Going for green for St. Patrick's Day… Here's how it looked

Thanks Brueggers for the green bagels!

I sprinted out to Wally's last night to get some cupcakes and I left the girls rings for their breakfast. 

Shamrock = Christian teaching tool on Trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 

Translation:

E - R do you like my Trinity ring???

R sporting her Shamrock ring!

Green bagel and butter anyone???

Green juice boxes and green jellybeans for snack

Prepping the green mac and cheese for lunch!

R - Are you kidding me?

M - I'm with you sista!

E - Mom you are insane!

Green beans and pizza for dinner

I knew I could load up their plates with green beans because…..

Green cupcakes for dessert

Are super tasty

No, really

They are awesome

And green

And messy

But I did not care since it was bath night.

Following in St. Patrick's footsteps… we are evangelizing our little Kibbe nation one bebe at a time. Pretty cool to be (singlehandedly? - okay maybe not 100%) responsible for bringing Christianity to an entire country, right? St. Patrick the Enlightener of Ireland. So what does that make us? Papa and Mama Kibbe Enlighteners of E, R and M?