Birthday Boys

Forgive me for the plethora of recent iphone posts and photos.  I don't have much time to take Nikon photos, much less have quiet time to upload them and use the desktop to write a proper post!  But today Hubs is working from home and for maybe the first time ever, all three boys are napping at the same time.  My mom would say I should be resting (she's right, as always) but instead I decided to upload the few pics we snapped last Friday and over the weekend of the boys enjoying their birthday presents: a tee ball set and a new dragon pool!  (And messing around with the blog actually is relaxing for me - wish I had more time to redesign it and rename it) Remember that we'd spent all morning at the MOA before we moved on to cupcakes and tee ball and a visit to the playground that day.  And Sunday evening was all about the dragon pool.  If it lasts for an hour every time we get it out, like it did that night, I'm in love with dragon pool! 

M and his giant cupcake

N ate all his dots first!

N's first swing and M not liking to take turns

Hey batta batta!

Swing!

action shot!

Can't wait to sign them up for a tee ball league!

Sunday afternoon pool time!

Don't do crack

Happy Third Birthday, fellas!  Momma loves you more than all the stars in the sky! 

Three Week Thoughts

1. Three boys in three years is a lot of boys. A lot of kids. And a whole lot of poop. As I'm "cherishing" these moments of re-potty-training the twins while simultaneously nursing the biggest hungriest newborn you've ever seen (look at that second chin!)really am happy. Because it won't be long before we have the noisiest, happiest, fun-est half a sports team filling our house. I'm going to be the best darn soccer/baseball/football mom you ever did see. I already have a mini van and a Sam's Club membership!

2. My feet are almost normal again. My sisters and I get "Shrek feet" when we are pregnant and for three weeks following (so far). Add to that going overdue with C and I honest to goodness have worn the same ugly black rubber flip flops for 6 weeks straight. know that "barefoot and pregnant" isn't just a kitschy phrase; it's for real.

3. I am so incredibly blessed. Spent some time writing thank you cards to those who have watched the boys, brought meals and gifts, flown in to care for sick kids and my crazy post-partum insane self, and I don't have enough ink or brain cells to express my gratitude for their love. Babies bring out the best in people (just not me!) thank you from the bottom of my still slightly swollen Shrek feet.

Back to Work

My maternity leave is over today. I'm back on the job, but my clients have increased by 50%.

Today is my first day flying solo with two three year olds and a not quite three week old. Since C gave me some sleep last night and I'm finally seeing some progress in the stomach-shrinkage issue, I'm feeling ok. Not 100%, though. I think it will be a long time before I can say that. I'm functioning in survival mode, and fairly well since the four of us were fed and dressed by nine am. Never mind N woke me at 5:45 (darn sunrise), C at 6:30, N again at 7:00, and M at 7:45.

A friend recently posted on Facebook that giving birth the second time is easier. I respectfully disagree. Apart from knowing what lies ahead, which does count for something, my incision hurt just as much, my feet were just as swollen, my breasts just as sore, and my body just as tired. Add to that two kids misbehaving and their toilet training regression, one very hungry baby, and no more grandmas or aunties to help out, and you get a pretty good picture of what's happening here: sheer exhaustion.

We keep telling ourselves it's just a season, that "this too shall pass," because we know that's the truth. But knowing the truth doesn't make it easier- it just gives you hope for the future. Like now. C is in my lap, watching his brothers "play cars" on their car rug. This has been going on for about 20 minutes while I've been pecking out this post on my iPhone. I take comfort in that M and N have each other to play with while I care for C. I'm determined to enjoy his infancy because one doesn't enjoy twin infancy; one survives it. And because C is our caboose.

Happy Third Birthday!

We celebrated M and N's birthday this morning with a trip to the Mall of America for rides at Nickelodeon Universe, Mac and cheese at Noodles, and ice cream at Coldstone. The boys had a blast and now are giving ME a birthday present by napping. Tonight we will have cupcakes and set up the tee ball set they chose for their gift with Daddy yesterday. They've been talking about it all day! We've celebrated their birthday in MI with family the last two years but decided against traveling with Caleb's birth being just 16 days ago. It seems different, to be sure, but to have our first Family Fun Day with little brother made it very special indeed. Here are a few iPhone pics from today's adventure:

Home Sweet Home

We've been home for 6 days now and this what C thinks of his family. He's still got his nights and days mixed up, but that's ok because he's melting our hearts. there is an upside to having a very full term, big baby: you don't have to teach them how to nurse like you do preemie twins! This boy was born to eat! Big Brothers M And N love Hume, squeeze him, and kiss him, not to mention push him on his swing with gusto. We are learning what gentle means!

Welcome Baby!

CSA was born Wednesday May 9 at 2:27pm via his scheduled c section.  While I thought
I wanted a VBAC, God knew His plan was better. C was 9 lbs, 14 oz, 20 3/4" long, has  15" head and surprised everyone in the operating room being breech!  We are thrilled he's here now, safe and sound!  Mr. Hungry wants to nurse, so I'll leave you with some pics and fill in the juicy details later.

M chooses baby roses for Mommy

N likes gerbera daisies

so excited to see Daddy!

Proud papa again!

Happy Mama

Aunt L his first visitor

getting prepped

first photo

first family photo

lovin his paci already

arrr! my pirate eye

home sweet home

Foreclosure Notice

Dear Baby Boy,
Your property is being foreclosed upon tomorrow at 1:30 pm central time. If you chose to remain on the premises, you will be forcibly evicted by Dr. C.
Sincerely,
The Management

Say Yes to the Dress!

In case you're not a facebook friend, I'm waiting very impatiently for baby boy to arrive.  I've added even more silly things to the list of "things I've tried to birth this baby" in the last few days, to no avail.  That includes a "supermoon" full moon last night, according to a friend who sent me an article about its baby birthing powers.  Now my sister in law is here to "help" with the "baby" because this is when she took off work, this weekend being the weekend after my due date, so certain we were that this baby would be born by now (!) and to prove we really are crazy, we are planning on going matron-of-honor-dress-shopping for me this afternoon.  At almost 41 weeks pregnant!  Seriously hilarious, and probably ego-boosting for me, too.  Please take that in a foot now!  


If we actually go, I'll take a pic or two - not that I'll try anything on, but seeing a woman as pregnant as I am in a wedding dress store should make for a few laughs!

P.S. I wasn't dilated and he hadn't dropped at my Thurs. am appointment and we now a have a C section scheduled for Weds, May 9.

P.P.S. We've made a small bit of progress on the Pull Ups Predicament, putting them both in underpants, M all day, and N at home.  M is dry almost all day, N just dampens his unders sometimes and bolts for the potty before the flood - baby steps of progress, but we just may be nearing the end.

P.P.P.S. My massage got cancelled but that's okay because I got sunburned, so my skin is not only swollen and retaining water, but it's tight and red, too.  But Hubs keeps saying I'm beautiful.  God love that man.

Pull Up Predicament

They are even more expensive than diapers, around 50 cents apiece. My original plan, four months ago was to use them solely for outings. Then about a month ago I reached 36 weeks and had a huge breakdown when N messed 6 underpants in one day and I could barely bend over to clean up the floor. Since then we reverted solely to pull ups, and for a week now M has been in underpants because he's staying dry almost every day. (hooray!) N however seems to have turned to the dark side and yesterday we went through 6 pull ups, sending even my level headed Hubs for a loop.A twin mom friend is using the bare bottom approach with her stubborn son, one I was too terrified (and nice) to do in January. But it's May, it's warm, and now I know he knows what to do, so N is streaking at home till he gets it and starts going in the potty. It's been an hour now and nap time is coming soon. I guess I'll give him a diaper for that (we still have some of M's 4's) due to my physical condition, but otherwise: no pants for you!

High Hopes

I have high hopes to meet my third son this week:
1. I have continued to test my previously listed old wive's tales and just may add evening primrose oil to the list tonight (if hubs gets my text message in time).  I'm on pineapple no. 3 by the way.  REAL pineapples, A, the kind they grow in Hawaii. 
2. Tomorrow is my due date, or the 3rd, or the 5th, depending on my doctor's first guess, the first-date-of-your-last-menstrual-period-calculator, or the 20 week ultrasound measurements.  I chose the 2nd as my official one, of course. 
3. We have 3 thunderstorms predicted this week.
4. There is a full moon coming on May 5 (or 6 depending on which website you site).
5. And if he's not here by Friday, I'm going to visit my massage therapist friend to either massage him out or calm my frayed nerves!