Halloween 2014

Matt and I dressed up as each other! If you ask me, I got the raw end of the deal.

All my boys have been this pumpkin, so when I found a baby superman costume in the box of hand-me-downs, I decided I'd have to make Jack a pumpkin for the photo op and let him change to the superhero later. Isn't he sweet?

These boys are the sweetest and the craziest.  And even though Sam threw a fit about putting his costume ON, he refused to take it off and actually slept in it last night, mask and all.

These four baby boys were in their mommas' tummies last Halloween.

Halloween is much more enjoyable when the baby has come out of your belly, even if you're dressed like a boy.  Also, I am trying to teach Matt not to cut off heads and feet when he takes pictures, but that is proving difficult.

This is the four pregnant mommas last year.

Here's some of the neighborhood kiddos. Melissa bribed them with candy in order to make this picture happen.

Last but not least, I thought I would add a full body shot so you could get the full effect.  You're welcome.

It's been way too long.

It has been over two months since I posted.  I am going to be so sad about this one day when I want to look back and remember... here's to trying to be better about posting some of the little things that make these days both entertaining and refining.

There are some days that things are so crazy that I don't feel like I could make it up if I tried... crazy in a good way like... I somehow think it's a good idea to take all three boys to Academy for new shoes during nap time... and both boys start screaming at the top of their lungs "I have to poop!" for everyone else to hear.  (I told them they were not allowed to poop.) And then they trip on the cart and melt down in the store.  And when they're not melting down they're running through the shoe isle.  And Jack is hungry.  And just when I think we are home free, seconds after paying, Henry drops the drink he is holding all over the floor and we have to wait for a really slow employee to come help us get cleaned up. While the line piled up behind me. And the employee took too long, so I left without cleaning up the mess anyway.

It's also filled with really sweet things like the boys asking deep questions, loving each other, and loving me and Matt.  Henry has told us with tears in his eyes that he will never, ever, ever move away.  He's here to stay - forever. (This was in response to Matt telling him that one day he will grow up and move away.)  Poor little man cannot imagine life without us.  I will remind him of this when he is 18.  Anyway, here are some pictures of our last two months...

I took this on one of the "refining" days.  I call Sam my "ER trip waiting to happen." We have been twice in two months. This may have also been the day Henry slipped in Sam's pee on the kitchen floor.  Reasons why I am not ready for that sweet baby in the bottom left to grow up.

We went to the beach.  Isn't this beach baby A-dorable!

Laura had fun hanging with Jack and talking to him.

Digging in the sand at the beach...

Playing Uno

I think we now have a total of TWO family pictures since Jack was born... I am so bad about it!

Jack all covered up...

I took Jack to meet my beautiful Nana in Alabama before we went to the beach.  She has been less mobile in recent years so it's been a really long time since I had seen her.

Cousins on the ipad!

Jack's 4 month picture.  Who needs a sign when your child will hold up 4 fingers??

Jack w/ his buddy Myles.

Mom failed with decent back to school pictures.

Don't you just want to squeeze him?

This is what our car looks like... this was on the way home from the beach.  Don't tell - I secretly want a minivan.

Jack is surrounded by action... and loving brothers. (Who only occasionally try to make him cry on purpose.)

He is SUCH a laid back, content baby.

Another one with Nana.

Sam getting his head stapled.

Love this happy kid.

Babies are the sweetest.

Jackers

Jack wanted to say "hi" and update you that he is officially "sleep trained." At night anyway.

our neck of the woods (at almost 12 weeks)

Hola!  It's been awhile, and I typically don't know what to write when I haven't written for awhile.  So.  I'll tell you that I am "sleep training" Jack right now.  This very moment.  He will be 12 weeks on Monday.  He is a BIG baby.  At one point about four weeks ago, I was sure the child had/was going to sleep train himself because apart from the usual stirring, he didn't wake up to eat at all.  And well, he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night to eat... hasn't for a long time.  BUT, something changed and he wakes up needing his pacifier - several times a night.

The second I stick that paci in, he's out cold.  Every.single.time.  So, basically, I am letting him learn to fall asleep without the paci.  I know I could also go upstairs, flip him on his tummy and he'd be out in three minutes.  But I guess that whole sleeping on the back thing is a rule I am unwilling to break.  Not that I think he'd suffocate, but more that if something DID happen, I would be so upset at myself for breaking the dang rules.  So there... Jack is on his back, going on 40 minutes of crying.  Getting angrier by the moment.

I LOVE newborns.  I LOVE this sweet stage that isn't going to last.  My heart leaps when that sweet child smiles at me.  He is so generous with his smiles.  He loves to talk.  It's amazing his delight at mommy and daddy and his big brothers. (Although he seems a tiny bit unsure about Sam sometimes.) I love Jack.

I do not love the first two to four months of newborn life.  Transitioning from 2-3 is by far my easiest transition yet.  By far.  Jack has also been the easiest child to nurse.  He's quick (like less than 8 minutes), he doesn't have spit up or gas (I remember Sam getting really fussy during/after I nursed him).  On top of that, I am not intimidated to go places, not overly concerned about schedules or letting other people watch my kids, etc.  But stilllllll.  Newborn haze.  No sleep.  Hormones...

So that's why I've been MIA.  For grins, I figured that I would share a little day in the life... at least how it's been for the past month.  It will change.

Usually, everyone is up around 7, and I wake Jack up to eat around 7 or 7:30.  (I'd like to say that I wake up before the boys, but usually I am up in the middle of the night, so for this season they are waking us up - not my preference.) Then it's breakfast and getting dressed, cleaning while the big boys make messes till 10, and I feed him again.  (By the way, my older two seem to be "hungry" all day long... I feel like they want to eat constantly.)  We then immediately leave for whatever morning activity sounds best (typically that would be going to the pool, which we had done almost everyday for two weeks until Henry got swimmer's ear this past week).  Back home by 12:30, lunch, feed Jack around 1 or 1:30.  Sam takes a nap (if I am not too lazy to put him down), Jack sleeps.  This is the time where I entertain Henry or, if I am exhausted, I let him play alone or with my phone for 45 min while I sleep, or on a good day he helps me with chores, which he loves to do. 2PM till Matt gets home around 5:30 is the longest part of the day. Matt will take Henry and Sam to run or play tennis or swim right after work a lot of days if I haven't finished (or started) making dinner... I feed Jack at 4, and 7 and then again at 10, although the pediatrician told me that he is big enough to drop that last feeding... Between 4 and 8PM (boys bedtime), we are usually cooking dinner, eating dinner, cleaning, giving baths, etc.  And I am wiped by the time the big boys' bedtime rolls around.  Somehow I still manage to stay up too late every night getting "me" time.

That's that.  I'm pretty sure in all my years of blogging/babies, I have never posted a "day in the life" post because I figured that nobody else really cares.  But now I am sort of over the posting about what I think other people care about... so there it is.  Must be the whole turning 30 thing.

Below are some pics I took with the camera Matt got me for my bday!

Fourth of July neighborhood parade. I spy Erika.

Playing in mommy and daddy's bed

Henry and superman.

if only I could let him sleep on his tummy all night...

he has some adoring big brothers!

I love this little chunker.

Crying it out update... Jack cried for 50 minutes... I finally picked him up and got him down without his paci.  Then he woke up 5 minutes later, cried (angry cry) for 15 more minutes, and then I picked him up again, got him back to sleep and he is out cold.  Woo hoo.

First two days as a 30 year old

I have been so excited to turn 30. The first two days of this new decade of my life haven't quite set the tone I was looking for, but there's always a silver lining... Here are some pictures that tell the story. 

Asleep on the couch with high fevers.

asleep at the pediatrician - on mommy's birthday - and I remembered that I also had to take one of the boys to the pediatrician on my birthday LAST year. New tradition?

High fever.

The morning of my bday at about 5 AM- everyone in the family is awake on the couch. Fevers, vomit, headaches... (It was strep throat!)

And two days into antibiotics, we decided to let Henry swim in his swim meet because he said he still wanted to- until he didn't want to anymore...at the meet...drama from him, drama from me.  This is when we remind ourselves, "He is FOUR." 

The car ride home from the swim meet was so special that I just started laughing.

Silver lining- Jesus endured the cross and when I consider him and his exchanging my sin for his record, these things seem very small.

30 before 30 Slacker

Today is my 30th birthday.  First things first... here is what I accomplished from my 30 before 30 list.

1. Run a half marathon. YES
2. Memorize Romans 6-8 NO
3. Go to the dentist and leave without a single cavity. YES
4. Take a kid-free vacation. YES
5. Go one week without eating out at all. NOPE
6. Complete 50 consecutive push-ups. NOPE
7. Go to the Austin Children's Museum. YES
8. Learn to mow the lawn. NO
9. Take a day at the spa. NAH
10. Sponsor a Compassion International child. NO
11. Go to a concert at The Backyard. YES
12. Go to a concert at Stubbs. NO
13. Complete a "do it yourself" project that I would be glad to show off. YES
14. Complete the Austin Stone Institute's Women's Development Program. YES
15. Learn about a different culture. YES
16. Go to a Hill Country Vineyard. NOPE
17. Eat at Uchi. YES
18. Go stand up paddle-boarding on Town Lake. NOPE
19. Read a book that's classical fiction. YES
20. Read a book that's fiction, but not classical. YES
21. Take a vacation to Gulf Shores Alabama. YES
22. Go one week without any caffeine at all. NOPE - not even in pregnancy
23. Start my "dream" blog. yes and no
24. Disney World! NOPE
25. Eat at Gordough's. YES
26. Learn to garden (like flowers, not vegetables). NOPE, not really.
27. Write a Bible Study YES
28. Go to a workout class at my gym.  YES (slash why was this on my list, I have done it many times...)
29. Go rock climbing (like indoor). NO
30. Host a guest at my house who I don't already know.  Only if you count my college friend's kids.  So yes.  (Truth be told, that was not what I meant by hosting a guest, but it will do.)

So that's like 17 out of 30.  If you are interested in seeing my progression through the first 13 of these 17, they are all HERE.

For the last FOUR...

Write a Bible Study.  When I originally put this on my list, I had no clue that God in his loving-kindness would hand-deliver me an opportunity to serve the women at my church by writing a Bible Study tool for the book of Romans. 

Start my dream blog.  My dream blog when I wrote this (and maybe still) was one where I share what God is teaching me, in hopes that he might also speak to those who read - kinda deep and theologically oriented.  I actually did start this, but I stopped.  I'm not sure why.  It seems more natural to inter-twine what God teaches me with my "real life" blog.  I think.  Who knows.  Here's the link to the blogger version of my "dream" blog.  The fancier version is http://leahgibsonblog.com.

Host a guest at my house who I don't already know.  Literally had a couple friends from college come stay with us, and I had never met their kids before.  This counts.

Go to a workout class at my gym.  Thanks to my pal, Erika, I went to spin class about a week ago.  I completely forgot that was on my list... I think the reason being that I am typically a lone worker-outer.

The end.  There are so many things I've been meaning to share recently.  Hopefully I can write more soon.

one word

If I had to pick one word to describe my life right now, it would probably be "chaotic."  Chaotic in the sense that nothing feels organized. I don't feel like I have time to regroup, to sit down and plan (plan meals, facilitate schedules, plan date nights or play dates, plan my 30th birthday party -which is next week/shameless plug- or even go to the grocery store).  No doubt that taking the time to write this blog post will not help with that, but you know.  

So it sort of feels like I'm flying by the seat of my pants most days, which if you're that kind of person... well, I applaud you and I completely don't understand you.

I tend to like things more organized.  Maybe one of the hardest parts about adding a new family member is that we lose our old rhythms and have to regain new rhythms and schedules and a general sense of "this is how life is."  I had a hard time transitioning from 0 kids to 1 kid, from 1 kid to 2 kids, and so I reeeeeaally lower the expectations with #3.  I told myself it was going to be hard.  And while I feel like so far, this has been the smoothest transition, it is still hard.  My friend reminded me that adding Summer Break to a newborn doesn't help much with that transition, and I will agree.

So much of my sanity right now comes from intentionally choosing not to let certain things drive me CRAZY.  And believe me, it's a choice.  Like picking up toys, or staring at some random piece of mail that can't be filed away yet but has been sitting out on the counter for days, or the fact that LAUNDRY NEVER EVER EVER EVER ENDS.  Cleaning up 300 spills a day because my 2.5 yr old refuses to use a lid.  And putting the throw pillows back on the couch 600 times a day because my kids seem to think they ALL belong on the floor.  See, I can't even think about it now because I'm working myself into a tizzy.  Since I don't have time to take care of it ALL, I must choose to ignore.  Ignoring is powerful.

Just sitting here thinking... what would it take for me to feel like I have "control" of life?  What would it take for my life to not feel chaotic at this stage of the game - 6 weeks postpartum with my third kid?  I think I would have to have a babysitter for all three of my children more than half of the week, and I would need a maid, and I would need to stop breastfeeding, and I would need to turn down many more invitations to socialize, and someone would go to the grocery store for me if I could get the brainpower to just make a LIST!

Okay, so this was a verbal vomit post.  This is the reality of my life right now.  Chaotic.  Chaotic but still good and sweet... as long as I'm ignoring. :)  And speaking of, there's a 6 week old I need to stop ignoring now.  Here's a couple pictures... till next time.

Photo Dump and a little update

Let's see- I should let you know that my "non-negotiables" at week 2 are officially "what I'm shooting for" at week 5. Aka if you live in my city and I see you at target with no makeup and a ponytail then don't judge.

Jack had his 1 month checkup and he is a big kid.  So far he's at 90% for height and weight at 22.5 inches and 11lbs, 3oz.  He is mostly really content minus one 24 hour period (yesterday) where we were truly baffled by his constant fussiness... And man talk about a nightmare.  If I ever had/have a kid with true colic, I may need to hit up the psych ward.  But since about 10 AM today he's been his happy normal self, so whatever.

I will say being sleep deprived for a whole month has started to take its toll. Summer is officially underway... I think my mom motto will be "one day at a time." And that motto will be accompanied by a lot of scripture I will have to speak to myself.

Matt has been a huge help taking the boys at night and on the weekends to do fun things- but he did that when I was pregnant too, so nothing new there.

I feel like I had more to update but I needed to be asleep 30 minutes ago so I am done.  Laters.