Peace

I love my kids more than anything. But they are a lot of work. I look forward to nap time every day. This is the time in the afternoon where I have peace and quiet in the house. I'm experiencing it right now, and it's amazing. Today it will be a little short lived because I have to go shower & get ready for work, but I've had 45 minutes to myself. I catch up on my shows, eat lunch, check out Facebook, mess around with apps on the iPad, and enjoy the quiet. Trouble and Curly usually go down for naps around 1:15, then I give Superchunk his bottle and spend some one on one time with him. He's getting big so fast, I have to remind myself that I need to enjoy this time with him because there is no "next time" for baby stages. I put him down for his nap around 2, then get some time to myself. Trouble usually wakes up around 3 and comes down to snuggle with me on the couch for a little while. Then the mad afternoon rush starts. I either get ready for work & write Buster a note about what everyone needs that evening, or if I'm off, I get the kids off the bus, do snacks & homework, get the babies up, and start dinner. Never a dull moment here... except for right now, and I love it! Better soak it up before the moment passes!

Start of School and Fall Activities

I've really been slacking off on this blogging thing. Days are pretty busy now, especially the ones where I work. When I do get some "quiet time" I'm usually folding laundry or straightening up...or catching up on my shows. Anyway, the past two plus weeks have been busy to say the least. All three of the big kids started school, we celebrated Buster's birthday, we celebrated my grandmother's birthday, and Pirate started soccer. Instead of doing a separate post on each thing, I'm making this one fun-filled post about everything!

Sunday, August 26 was Buster's birthday. We had gone out to dinner and to a couple bars the night before to celebrate. We stayed out until 1am, which is pretty much unheard of for us. We had a great time. Unfortunately I had to work all day on his actual birthday, so we didn't have a special birthday dinner. I did have time to make a cake that morning, so we sang Happy Birthday and had cake to celebrate that evening.

This is kind of a funny picture!

On Monday, August 27, Princess and Pirate started school. Princess started third grade, and Pirate started kindergarten. They were both really excited about school, and they had a great first day. Luckily, their enthusiasm has continued through the first two weeks of school, and they are both still loving it.

Everyone on Facebook used these signs this year. Thanks, Pinterest!

Trouble had an Ice Cream Social on August 28th to meet his teachers and the other kids. His first official day of school was September 4. I was a little worried about how he would do in school given how he acts, but he had a great first and second day. He's only going Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but it's just enough to get him out of the house and have some structure and interaction with other kids. He definitely needs that!

Couldn't forget a Pinterest sign for the little guy!

It is unbelievably quiet in here when Trouble is at school. Superchunk takes his morning nap for a good part of the time Trouble's in school, so Curly gets a lot of Mommy Time, which we both love. He turned 18 months on Friday, and he seems like such a big boy now. He weighs around 25 lbs. I'll find out for sure at his checkup tomorrow morning. He loves playing with trains and trucks running around the house. He is 100% a Mommy's boy, and I don't mind that one bit!

 My handsome big boy after a much needed haircut!

Pirate started soccer during the first week of school. He only had two practices before his first game this past Saturday. He really loves playing. I missed his first game because of work, but Buster said it was pretty entertaining to watch the kids play. I get to go this weekend, so I'm excited to watch the action on the field!

Wearing his official uniform for Team USA!

Big family gatherings are few and far between since everyone has so much going on these days. Last weekend my dad's family got together to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. She turned 39 again this year, which is pretty amazing considering she has a granddaughter catching up to her age! We were able to grab a quick family picture of my grandparents with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The only one missing is my cousin who lives in Florida. We pretty much filled up the entire living room at my uncle's house to get this picture!

That's a big crew!

Superchunk continues to be a chunky boy. He had his six month checkup last week and he weighs in at a whopping 21lbs! He's also 27 3/4 inches tall. This is one big boy! He's rolling all over the place, and trying to scoot himself around. He is also working on sitting up, although he only lasts a few seconds at a time doing it. That's a lot of weight to move around!

Rocking his first pair of shoes!

Today is the first Ravens' game, and it's Purple Monday. The kids could probably care less, but I made sure they were all supporting the Ravens. We're also crazy excited about how the O's are playing right now too. It's a great time for fans in Baltimore!

Don't they look thrilled? Nothing like a photo session at 8am!

The Joys of Boys

When I was younger and thought about having kids, I always pictured myself with girls. I have two sisters and no brothers. I guess I just assumed I'd end up with the same as what I had growing up. Actually, I never really thought about the number of kids I would have, just that I'd have a couple of girls. I never imagined having four boys. I was delighted when I found out our first child was a girl. Picking out the patterns for her nursery, choosing cute little outfits and sandals, filling the closet with dresses in a sea of pink and purple... it was so much fun! At my baby shower, I got the cutest little gifts with "Princess" embroidered on them that we sat around her pink room. As  Princess grew, it was always so much fun to buy her new clothes. Anyone who's been to any store knows that the Girls' Department is five times bigger than the Boys'. Girls' clothes can be any color and have any picture or design. Boys' clothes are always the same colors and typically have a dinosaur or some type of automobile on them.

When I found out I was having a boy during my second pregnancy, I was ecstatic! Having a girl first made the second time exciting either way. I'd have a set of daughters, or I'd have one of each, a boy and a girl. I also received the cutest baby boy clothes and toys at my baby shower. Instead of accessories embroidered with "Princess", I got things that said "Little Dude" or "Little Man". Thankfully nothing said "Prince". I couldn't bring myself to decorate a room using the word "Prince". There weren't as many choices when picking out a theme for Pirate's nursery. Everything boyish seemed to be sports themed or animal themed. We went with a combination, teddy bears holding basketballs, baseballs, and soccer balls. His room was painted blue, and turned out very cute. As he grew, buying new clothes was easier because there was less of a selection.

Fast forward five years, and the cute little boy nursery is now home to two cribs, torn teddy bear border, and a few "Little Dude" picture frames that are still empty. All four of my boys have used this room when they were babies, and the two little guys are still in there. By the time you have a second boy, then a third and fourth (within the same year), you don't really care if the nursery is cute. It just has to be safe. The clothes that were cute the first time around are now faded and stained. They outgrow the stuff so fast it's not really worth buying a whole new baby wardrobe. As they grow, we still buy them new clothes. Where Pirate might have had a red shirt with a tractor on it, Trouble's might be blue with an airplane, Curly's is orange with a dinosaur, and Superchunk's is green with a car. Not a lot of selection, but they don't care, and neither do I.

The picture I had of having girls has morphed into life with one girl and four boys. Where I thought I'd have a house full of baby dolls and Barbies, there are Legos everywhere and superheroes galore. The kids all seem to get along pretty well. Boys and girls are just different from each other. Boys do grosser things than girls. Not that Princess doesn't have her share of bad habits, but the boys are worse. Lately I've noticed that Trouble and Pirate play together better than they used to. They are also teaching each other bad habits. For example, the other day Trouble came running in saying, "Pirate just burped right in my face!". Pirate followed saying, "Because he farted on my leg!". I also caught them peeing in toilet at the same time, standing across from each other. I find boogers in random places around the house, and they always blame each other. Someone always has a finger in their nose, digging for gold. Rarely do they actually pick up a tissue to get rid of the booger.  They still call me to wipe their butts when they poop, and while I'm wiping them, they find it necessary to describe the size, shape, and color of their poop. They try to get away with not washing their hands after going to the bathroom because they are too busy making a mess playing with their toys. Trust me, I'm constantly reminding them that they can't do any of the above when they are in school. I see a lot of phone calls from school in my future!

These are just some of the joys of having lots of boys that I have experienced so far. I'm sure I will have plenty more to write about as the babies get bigger. However, all four of them are Mama's Boys, and I wouldn't trade that for anything, even less boogers around the house!

My boys ready for a preseason Ravens game

6 months old!

Superchunk is six months old today! I'm amazed that it's been half a year since he was born. When I think back on the complete anxiety I was feeling in the weeks leading up to his birth, I laugh at myself. The anxiety was for nothing. I had an easy labor and delivery. And life hasn't been as hard as I thought it would adding another person to the family.

 I'll be totally honest. When I found out I was pregnant last summer, June 25 to be exact, I was freaking out. I mean, absolutely freaking out. I cried hysterically when the pregnancy test was positive. To be fair, I had a three month old baby on top of a two, three, and seven year old. I was just starting to feel like me again. We were getting into a routine. The baby was sleeping at night. It was summer time, and we had joined the pool for the first time. We had a vacation planned. Life was feeling normal. Then this total shock came to us and I didn't think I could handle it. I don't love being pregnant. So, I wasn't exactly happy to have a positive pregnancy test. It took me some time to get used to the news. We waited a while to tell anyone. We knew the response we'd get. "What? Are you kidding?" "Don't you know what birth control is?". Yes, we got all of those responses.  I even got a "Congratulations?" emailed to me, like it was a question.We also got a lot of positive responses, like how blessed we were to have a big family, how we were already great parents, and we'd be great parents to a fifth child. My husband always tells me that everything will be alright, and that everything happens for a reason. It took me a while to get used to the idea, but after a little while, I embraced pregnancy for the final time.


Back to my little Superchunk. He is such a joy to have in our family. I can't believe how I was so upset last year. I could never imagine life without him. Yes, life with five kids can be hectic at times. But it is very rewarding. Superchunk is very laid back. He doesn't cry much. He's starting to develop a personality, and it's so cute. He laughs at his brothers and sister. Just recently, he started to get upset when we walk out of the room. He loves attention and to be around people. We've been so lucky that Superchunk has slept through the night since he was six weeks old. He's the book definition of a good baby!

Landon still definitely deserves the name Superchunk. He weighs almost 21 pounds, as much as his big sister weighed when it was her first birthday. He's moving into 18 month size clothes. If he doesn't slow down, he'll be sharing a wardrobe with Curly! He loves his oatmeal for breakfast and just started trying baby veggies. He's only had peas so far, and he's a little unsure of the taste. He's rolling over both ways, and pushing himself up on his arms. On his tummy, he reaches for toys and tries to push himself toward them. I'm in no rush for him to start crawling though, as that means he'll be on the move. I know all too well that once they start, they never stop! He also babbles all the time. My personal favorite is when he says, "mamamamama" over and over. I know it's babbling, but I still like the sound of it!

Our family is complete, and I am totally in love with this family. We were meant to have five children. I can't picture life any other way!

8/21/12 - 6 months old!

peas are yummy??

Happy 5th Birthday, Pirate!

My big boy is five years old today! It feels like he's been here forever. Yesterday I was telling him the story of the day leading into the night we went into the hospital to have him, and I realized that day was the last day we only had one child. Princess was listening to the story and said she wishes we could go back to her being the only kid... Tough luck, sweetie!

On July 9, 2007, I had my last doctor's appointment. They doctor said I was due July 6, but I thought I was due July 2, so by the 9th, I was ready to go. I was enormous and miserable. At that appointment, I still wasn't dilated, and I was scheduled to go to the hospital at midnight to get Cervadil on my cervix to get me dilating and start the induction. We left the doctor's office and took Princess out for a day of fun. We went to  the "big" mall and did all of her favorite things. We even made a Build a Bear for the new baby. After that we took her to my parents' house, where she was going to be spending the next few nights. We had pizza with my parents and sisters, hung out for a little while, and got ready to leave. I was crying leaving Princess behind that night. I knew that the next time I saw her, she would not be my only child.  I was incredibly nervous about going through labor and delivery again, but I was mostly scared about going from one child to two children. For three years and seven months, Princess was our only child. Everything revolved around her. I didn't know how I could love another baby as much as I loved her. I was really scared about that. On the forty minute ride from my parents' house to ours, Buster tried to joke around and make me feel less nervous, but it didn't work. When we got home, we watched the finale of Hell's Kitchen, watched the news, and left for the hospital, after stopping at Wendy's for a burger for Buster. 

When the in-house doctor checked me around 1:30 am, I was already 4 cm. All that mall walking earlier had gotten things going. He told me to sleep and they would start pitocin around 7am. We went to sleep, and around 5 I had to go to the bathroom. As I was walking to the bathroom, my water broke all over the hospital room floor. I yelled for Buster who came running in his socks and slipped in the water. Gross! He called the nurse, and from there things started to go fast. I never needed pitocin. My contractions started and sped up, and I had an epidural. I was able to take a little nap. My mom and sister came to be in the room, and I remember the doctor letting me know when it was time to push. I was really scared. I pushed for a couple hours with Princess and I didn't know what to expect this time. I pushed for a long time, but not as long as with the first baby. In the end, they needed to use the vacuum to get Pirate out. Now that I've had three more babies since him, I think that I could have probably given more and gotten him out without help, but in the situation, I couldn't do it. At 11:17am, my 8lb, 9oz baby boy was born. Andrew came into the world and I loved him immediately! In that second, I knew all the worrying was for nothing. I had plenty of love for him, and my heart had indeed doubled in love for my two children. I was so happy to see him and to be done with labor and delivery. I thought to myself 'Never again', but of course I was wrong there! 

July 10, 2007

We had a big party for Pirate when he turned one. We had friends and family and a big celebration. He had a Batman cake, which was really Buster's pick and not Pirate's! We didn't know that he'd be Batman obsessed within a few years!

July 2008 - one year old!

When he turned two, Pirate had a three week old baby brother. We took him to a bouncy place to celebrate, then had a birthday party with our family.

July 10, 2009 - two years old!

For his third birthday, we went to the "big" mall and to Build-A-Bear. We had a Pirate themed birthday party for Pirate's third and Trouble's first birthdays.

July 10, 2010 - three years old!
 (We've really gotten some use out of that birthday shirt!)

Last year when Pirate turned four, it was our second day of vacation in Ocean City. He thought that was the coolest thing in the world, being three when we left for vacation, and being four when we came home. Opening presents at the beach was a plus, too!

July 10, 2011 - four years old!

This year, Pirate has big plans for his birthday. He's been counting down since July 1st. This morning he said, "I've been waiting for my birthday all year!". That's a long time to wait! Yesterday he was rambling off a list of what he wanted to do for his birthday, including me serving him breakfast in bed and the kids breaking open a Batman pinata. He was up too early for breakfast in bed, so he got a candle in his Poptart and we sang Happy Birthday this morning. We've never had a pinata, and I don't plan on starting that tradition today. When Buster gets home, he's taking Pirate to the pool for a little while. Then we're going to play Glow golf and do some inflatables and have some cupcakes.

July 10, 2012 - five years old!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Name Changes

I've been thinking for a while that 5 needs a new blog name. Clearly he's the fifth (and final!) child, but I can't continue to refer to him as 5. We did a good job of keeping his real name (Landon) a secret until he was born. Blog naming him seemed just as hard. If you're wondering how the other kids got their names on this blog, you can check out the post on that here. I thought I'd wait until he developed a personality or something specific about him that I could use as a name. I think I figured it out.

Introducing... Superchunk!

He's a really big baby. He has his four month checkup next week, so I'll see just how big he is then. I weighed him with me and he was close to 18 lbs. He's just chunky! Superchunk may not be the most flattering name for him, and may require a name change down the road, but for now, it works!

While I'm changing names, I'm over referring to Grayson as Donkey. It was cute when the kids wanted to name him Donkey (from Shrek), but now that he's 15 months old, he needs a new blog name too. Everyone is always commenting on his hair, and I absolutely love his curls. So, Donkey is now blog named Curly.

I hope there isn't official legal paperwork I need to fill out to change their names on my blog :) I feel like their names are more fitting now. Princess will always be the princess. Pirate could change, but not any time soon as we are having another pirate themed birthday party this year. I wish I could call Trouble something else, but no such luck. Curly and Superchunk are more fitting names for my babies than Donkey and 5. So, it's official, they are blog-renamed. (BTW - I can't stand when people say "It's official". It ranks way up there with "Let the ___ begin" and "Shenanigans". I hide people's statuses on Facebook when they include any of those phrases.)