Thoughts on the last days of my last pregnancy

Welp it is coming down to the end. My induction is scheduled, 7/29 if he doesn't decide  to come on his own before that date. I am getting so tired of being pregnant, I am uncomfortable and my sleeping is gone to hell. I try not to dwell on the bad things and I am so grateful to be a vessel for this new little boy. Speaking of the newest little one, I am so looking forward to holding him and seeing who he looks like and all that jazz. It will be interesting to see how his not so big sister and his big brother respond to him. I don't know if it has even sunk in to N that he is going to be a big brother again and Z has no idea what any of this means. Heck being a family of 5 is something that none of us have really any clue about. Double strollers, multiple car seats it is all very interesting.
As for doing this pregnancy thing for the last time it is really very bittersweet. I have all of the knowledge of what pregnancy is like and yet each pregnancy is different. In many ways this pregnancy has been super easy, no high-blood pressure like last time and I have been off of work since about 34 weeks. I have been able to relax and the other two are with my parents. I have the joy of being Advanced Maternal Age so I get all of the sonograms and doctor visits that a person could ever want. I get weekly glimpses of this little one and I am glad about that. He is growing so strong and all of the sonograms show no issues at all. So while I know this chapter is closing, I am looking forward to this new little one and seeing how he fits in around these parts.

Like riding a bike

I am guessing that blogging is like that, once you have done it consistently you can eventually return like nothing happened. Right? Besides do you know how many thoughts have not been documented in my extended absence. Gotta remedy that :)
Spring is finally hanging out around these parts and the warm weather and sunshine really does me good. We just had family here for the past 10 days and that was awesome. We celebrated Easter and the kids were so flipping adorable. My hubs and I make some pretty amazing kids which is great since we have one more little one on the way. Our third and tiebreaker little boy is due at the end of July. Busy Busy!
Every pregnancy is different and it seems like this one has introduced a whole new level of fatigue. I am TIRED. Alternately, it could be that my daughter is 18 months and goes non-stop! Anywho, I am trying to take it all in and enjoy this final pregnancy. My husband has been so helpful and I know that he is pulling more than his share. I am very grateful for him.
Besides being a Momma of three I am looking forward to so many things in the coming months, I hope to be back to this place to share some of it.

achey breakey

oh me.
oh my.
i have pink eye.
my son has a
fever.
the girl is happy
and apparently
resistant to
our maladies.
i feel flu-ish
my body aches
the little boy
has been asleep since
5pm and
the new day is almost upon
us, tomorrow
i will go back to work
the hubs will be
on kid duty
his hands will be full
summer is just a stones
throw away
crawling to the finish
line /

little ole me

Life is full. Feels like it is overflowing at times. A bit ago I adopted the mind set that I will only harp on the things that I have finished instead of the things that I haven't done. I decided that I would do it that way because quite frankly I ALWAYS have something that I can add to the to do list. It makes you feel rather defeated. So focusing on all of the stuff that I have done has been rather liberating. I say all that to say that so many times I have wanted to sit and blog but life gets in the way and I feel like I don't have any major things to share. At times like that, like tonight, I am hoping to return to the original purpose of this little blog and that is a place for me to document what has been happening in my life. Some days life is rather grand but by and large it is just a place for little ole me :)

My sister and my niece came over last night for a slumber party and we had so much fun. There is always something great about having another woman around, she gets it. Before I was even up good she had already taken my son out for breakfast. And this is where I must add that my son wakes up in the 6 am hour every single day unless he is getting up at 5! Yeah, sleeping in is a big deal in these parts. We managed to watch a movie, cheer on as the Heat beat the Pacers and take a trip down to the park. Just a great sleep over. These times are pretty special and even more so because my sister and her family are moving in the next month or so. I am pretty bummed but I know it is a wonderful opportunity for her/them. It will just suck (love that word choice) to have my girls so far away. We have been very fortunate to live so close and share so many events. I would not trade watching my niece grow up to the little teen she is for anything in the world. I am sad that my sister won't get to do the same with my two :( On the up side, we now have a great new city to visit and the means and time to do so. Life is a mix of the amazing and heart wrenching. The scales always seem to favor the amazing. I am grateful for that.
My little ones are doing great. Summer is almost here. AMAZING indeed!!

Meals are planned!

YAY! Here's to a wonderful week of yummy meals and lots of quiet time with the kiddos!

Sunday: Chicken and noodles
Monday: Broccoli cheddar soup and sandwiches
Tuesday: Sausage, peppers and potatoes
Wednesday: Pot roast and potatoes
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Burgers w/ baked beans

What's cooking in your house this week?

you look up &

your first born has a hospital stay after an allergic reaction
the week after his little lungs were congested & he was feverish
your husband is knocked out with the flu
you have a looming deadline at work

your second born has discovered her hands, how they work and
how to blow raspberries
both your house and your car is over run with stuff and bags galore

and somewhere in that insanity you pause to count your blessings
because there are always abundant blessings to count
and life seems good and full despite the plans that fell through or
the dinners that never got cooked

and you find yourself smiling listening to bubbles splash
while he spins a tale....almost bedtime for all.

Hair

I never shared this here but in Nov 2012 I got my last relaxer/perm. The primary reason I decided to do it was because I owned that one day I would have a daughter and I wanted her to see the beauty in her hair in its natural state. I did not want her to think that her hair was less than or want permed hair like her mother. What is interesting about that is that was 2 months before I found out I was pregnant and 5 months before I learned I would be having a daughter. Words and thoughts are so powerful. Now it is little over a year later and I have my baby girl and a head full of natural hair.
I have had my hair permed for pretty much my entire life so I am learning it and what makes my hair happy. It is fun to try new products and new looks. I am totally loving these tresses and I think I am getting into a nice groove. Yay natural hair!!

Today I took my hair to hair in a different direction with an hairstyle popular on Pinterest for natural hair wearers: the Frohawk. Picture a mock mohawk with your natural fro. I think I nailed it. I even got a compliment from my hubby (and he NEVER notices my hair).

this week

We shall eat:

Sunday- One pot pasta
Monday- Sausage and peppers- we did not have it last week
Tuesday- Pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans
Wednesday- Burgers and french fries
Thursday- Leftovers

Go us!

last moments of maternity leave

3 months has flown by
typing one-handed
holding baby Z
who refuses to be put down
hubby stuck at work
the temperature is at a record shattering low
i haven't polished my nails
or packed my lunch
my outfit is not laid out
but the ones for my children are
his lunch, her bottles
some stuff is done
a bunch isn't
instead i hold her
knowing this is what i need
at this moment

Meal Planning

Like many other folks, I am going to try and do better about planning our meals. A plan will help us not waste so much time thinking about what is do dinner and wasting our dough at the pizza place. You see what I did there ;) I would like to incorporate things like meatless Monday and theme nights but not now. Right now I am working on operation use why we hve in the overflowing pantry. Plus I had the best grilled cheese sandwich so you may see a couple if soup and sandwich nights around these parts. Oh and it is freezing (doesn't help that we just spent the last month in Florida with temps in the 80's) so you will certainly see some warm weather meals too. Maybe those things are a theme in themselves: Pantry Purge and Warm Me Up. Anyway here is my menu for the week!

Sunday- Meatloaf, roasted veggies and roasted potatoes

Tuesday- Chicken with black beans and rice

Wednesday- leftovers

Thursday- chicken tacos 

Friday- Burgers and fries

How about you? Planner or no?

2013: in review

Each year starts with the hope of something better than the year before. A chance to right some wrongs and grow in the process. Without even checking on a long lost post or trying to recall any real resolution, I would like to take a moment to look back on the year that was and how 2013 changed me.

* The biggest change was going from the momma of one amazing little boy to being the mom of one amazing little boy and one amazing little girl. Two is better than one. My heart grew to make room for her and she is all that I could have hoped for in a daughter. I really feared how my son would react to having to share the throne in the household but he has done well :)

*I learned that getting help is well helpful. Sometimes I have a do it all attitude and that can get a little overwhelming.This year I was all about the help. I hired a cleaning lady, assigned pic-up days for my husband and my mother came up for months to help out with the children. She helped stock the freezer before she left too. For all of this assistance I am  beyond grateful.

* I reevaluated some relationships and my expectations for those relationships. A big part was accepting that people don't always do what I want them to do or what I would do. Accepting this only frees me from crazy expectations.

Of course there was much more learning and growing but these are the big 3.

10 Minute Declutter

I love a challenge. Summer is the time for  projects. Combine those two things and I did get a little tidying up done thanks to a challenge organized by Michele at Get Organized Wizard.  It not took me a minimal amount of time and I even got to put out my cool candle holders that my sister got me from Vietnam, they may or may not have been in the bag since April. Opps! Any who I will throw embarrassment to the side and share the before and after pics. Don't judge, I am 7 months pregnant. :P

                           Before,yikes and oh my!

                          Much better!! :)

the only cure

The only cure for getting over not writing is to write. Yeah, having a blog post idea is not the same as actually posting. Life has been good and life has been busy. There have been so many positives to my summer that I am feeling rather blessed and certainly happy.

I have taken two trips this summer. I went on a girls trip with my sister and my niece to Cleveland for a baby shower. It was my first time going to Cleveland. It was nice to be away, pretty cool temp wise and we enjoyed each other. Just a nice time.

The following week my bestie and her family came to visit. I hadn't seen my bestie in 2 years (when does that happen!) so it was fantastic to set eyes on her. Our littles play so well together. It is great when the cousins make memories together. Our families took a trip to NY and wow we crammed a lot into that trip: Statue of Liberty, Empire State Bldg., Time's Square, Harlem and a Broadway play! Did I mention I am 7 months pregnant and NY was boiling hot! Crazy and not in the crazy, sexy , cool way either!?

My folks are coming today- in a few hours- and my house is rather messy. Oh well. Thank gosh, my parents can look past the clutter :)

How is your summer going? I miss blogging and reading blogs!

confessions

~I clean before the house cleaner comes. Yeah, my house is that much of a wreck :) Anywho my little one exclaimed, " Wow this is the cleanest my room has been ever" after I cleaned it tonight. He is going to be over the moon when he sees how good it looks tomorrow.

~I haven't eaten like a madwoman this pregnancy but I often think about how amazing it would be to go plum crazy and then blame it on eating for two.

~I can't remember a gosh darn thing. I really can't. Yikes.

~All I want for Mother's Day is a day to myself without worrying about anyone else. Selfish me, huh.

~ The other things that I want for Mother's Day I have already covered: hair appt and housekeeper both  on schedule for tomorrow.

So, what confessions do you want to get off your chest?

Ten for Tuesday~ Gratitude

So grateful for so many things, especially these 10.
1. My super amazing, wonderful husband. He has really stepped up and has taken the get er done attitude. I am immensely thankful.
2. Warm temperatures and sunshine. I am so much happier when I get some sunshine. Lucky for me it seems like winter is officially done!
3. Grapefruits. No really I am loving grapefruit and grapefruit juice more than one person should.
4. The great news that I am almost finished with my class. Granted I start another one before this one even finishes but I will be glad to check another class off my required courses.
5. Heat basketball. It brings me such joy to watch my team chasing another championship.
6. My little boy. He makes me smile for no reason and laugh like I am twelve.
7. Comfy shoes. Really tell me again why all my shoes aren't Naturalizers?!
8. Instagram. Such a fun way to be a nosy rosey.
9. My students. They are so flipping cool and it is nice to see how far our relationship has grown during this year.
10. My blog readers. Really , I love all of the comments and I have met some amazing women through this thing. I consider that such a blessing.

Sunday Highlights

I love Sundays! They are such relaxing family days. I should use them to get prepared for my work week but nah, I love watching silly shows and taking it very easy. Today had a few highlights:
1. The start of the post-season for my Miami Heat. The Heat won with a great team effort.
2. Playing go fish with my son who refuses to say"go fish" no matter how many times I remind him.
3. Getting a response from Holly Robinson Peete on Twitter. Yeah baby! I was probably a bit too excited.

Great day! How was your weekend?

absences

I look up and it has been 3 months.
3 months away from this space seems like too long.
but then it also feels just right.
Perfect in fact.
But only because I have been away resting
and growing and nurturing
and resting.
While my sweet little new baby is growing
inside.
And while this pregnancy is so different than my first.
There is no real documentation of every moment.
I am still treasuring the newness and surrendering.
Allowing my body to lead me.
I felt the first flurries of movement
and everything is progressing so well
I am not feeling as beat down tired as I was
in the beginning and life is great.
I am happy to be back here.
Feeling more like myself.

Our newest little is due in September.

**************
I do feel out of the loop in some ways, pardon me while I go and peruse all of the blogs I haven't visited in a long time! What have you been up to?

Still Journaling

Well I am still journaling. Sometimes I am better than others. But overall I am happy that I am getting my thoughts and feelings out. I got some new pens from a friend and I love putting those new babes to work. Makes journaling that much more rewarding. I enjoy putting cards, ticket stubs and other moments in my journal. It helps me to see the beauty in all things.
Have a great week!

Scandalous!

Well, I haz a problem. It has me feeling like a bit of a latecomer to the party. Like there was some amazing event and I just remembered that they want me there, why o why 7 little letters.....
S-C-A-N-D-A-L.  My desire to watch this show has been going on for a bit. I had a grand plan that over the holiday break I would send my lo to school and curl up on the couch and watch both seasons of Scandal. Well that was before my fellas and I spent all of the break feeling rather cojoined :) So my Scandal watching was put on the back-burner. This long weekend I was determined to watch and I am SO glad that I did. My hubby and I have spent an unheard of amount of time curled up on the couch and you know it is a great show when both of us can't stop watching. Season 1 was phenomenal and Season 2 lived up to the first. I am now all caught up and I have a new favorite show.
Now what are you waiting for go order Netflix for Season1 and HuluPlus for Season 2, you can cancel when you finish. I promise you it is SO worth it!

Do any of you already watch? If so let me know what you think.

Happiness is

Driving in the fog with a clear mind
Cheering on student athletes
Spending time with the guys
A perfect belated birthday gift
Making small changes to make me better

What has brought you happiness recently?