So Tired!

I am so tired, I could fall asleep standing up! I did fall asleep several times while the middle child was eating lunch and I was feeding the baby her bottle. Taking care of an infant and two other children while pregnant is not easy! With all three of my previous pregnancies I was able to go to bed when my husband got home from work if I wanted to. Most days I was in bed and asleep by 7:15. Even with two children, he would do the bath and bedtime routine while I went to bed. With three, it is too much for one person to do all of that, and it isn't fair to my husband or the baby (she doesn't do well during bath time for the other two). These days I can't get to bed until after 8:30. Sounds really early, I know, but when your kids get you up at 6:00AM and you aren't sleeping well, every minute counts! Today it doesn't help that the baby was up several times during the night. I don't know how women who have more than three children do it.

I had to go to Wal-Mart today. We were out of formula for the baby and soy milk for the boys. I got a baby present for my son's teacher, four pairs of new shoes for the kids, some sippy cups for the baby, and formula, soy milk and groceries. The bill was over $300! I almost choked when the checkout person told me the total. But then I remembered that I got $140 worth of formula - that is enough for 20 days. (She drinks specialized formula that is very pricey because of her allergies.) And another $35 was in soy milk, enough for 12 days (all the store had in stock).

Part of me is glad that she won't be drinking the formula for much longer because she turns one in less than a month. But part of me is scared at the prospect of what we will have to do if she is still allergic to soy. I really don't want to have to give her milk. With my oldest being so allergic to milk, it will be quite a struggle to keep everyone safe. Because she puts everything in her mouth, for a certain amount of time after each time she has milk we will have to keep her occupied with very specific toys that my oldest knows to stay away from. That won't be easy given the fact that she is mobile and loves to get into the boys toys. She would much rather play with one of their trucks than her own baby toys. And the wheels must taste oh so good!

Well, off I go to try to squeeze in a nap before it is time to get to the bus stop. The house work is really suffering. Wal-Mart took all morning, then lunch time and nap time, then the oldest is home from school and it is time for homework and dinner. I really can't afford the nap, but I am going to listen to my body and give it the rest that it so badly wants.

Too Crazy To Post

Things have been way to busy and crazy since I found out that number four is on the way to post. I was in shock, have been tired and sick, and had to get ready for Jamaica. Then I had to deal with the return to the real world after Jamaica.

Jamaica was awesome. My girlfriend's wedding was beautiful. We had such a good time. The groom's parents sprung for a great party after the wedding. It was a very good trip. All of my friends came back red as lobsters, I don't even look like I went. That is the beauty of SPF 45! I had to stay protected from the sun because the hormones that are raging when you are pregnant can cause permanent brown spots if you get too much sun. Happily, I got none!

So it is back to real life. I had a "viability scan" on Monday, which is basically a sonogram to make sure everything is okay with the baby and to determine gestational age. We saw the heart beating and confirmed that there is only one baby in there. According to the sonogram, I think my due date will be January 12. Still have no idea where we will be putting the baby when it is born.

All week I have been trying to get back into the swing of things. Each day I have had something to do though. Yesterday was a Nursery School work day where we clean the room and all of the toys and pack everything away for the summer. Today, I have to go to the grocery and deliver my son's "campout" gear to school. They are having a campout in his first grade classroom. He was absent from school yesterday due to stomach issues, so I missed the reminder notice. His teacher called this morning to remind me and let me know by what time I had to get the stuff up there. He has a great teacher. I just love her. She always goes the extra mile to make sure he is included in everything in spite of his allergies.

So, I am only 3/4 of the way unpacked and I have a ton of laundry to do. It will all get done. I have realized that if I can't handle the house with three children, I definitely won't be able to handle it with four. So what is more important? Raising happy, healthy children, or having a clean floor? I am going to do my best to enjoy this pregnancy and take care of myself. When I am feeling sick and really tired I am going to rest. And if that means that the laundry has to wait and the toilet doesn't get cleaned today then so be it.

Well, off I go to wake the sleeping baby, get to the grocery and the school. I hate that I always have to interrupt the baby's naps. It is so unfair to her. I guess it is that way with most third children.

State of Shock

Haven't posted in a while...been too busy. I have also been in a state of shock since Sunday. Took a pregnancy test and it turned out positive. I was taking it to make myself feel better and so I could get some sleep. Yeah, that didn't happen! So, my husband and I thought our family was complete at three children. Guess, we were wrong and God has a different plan. I hope He clues me in to the rest of His plan, cause I don't know where we are supposed to put this baby! I know it will all work out, and this is really a blessing. I just need to adjust to the idea.

So today, I had to complete an article for the Nursery School to be entered into the church newsletter. Now, I am off to pick up invitations for my dear friend's daughter's birthday party. Tonight the girls and I are taking out my friend who is getting married. We are going to a nice dinner since we are all out of the "bachelorette party" phase of our lives. We leave for Jamaica in one week. No cocktails poolside for me! Only bottled water and juice!

Someone told me if you want to hear God laugh, just tell him your plans.

Another Busy Day!

After sending the oldest off to school, the other two and I headed to BJ's and were back again by 9:45. Not bad, especially after spending a whopping $241. What the hell did I buy?!? Sometimes I have those weeks where we need all of the high ticket items at once, like diapers, Good Nights, wipes, hand soap, shampoo, etc. And I did buy a pack of Good Nights for my neighbor to save her a trip.

We might be out of the Good Nights soon...the middle child made it all the way through the night dry. Super Hubby and I are going to start getting him up around 11:00 to go to the bathroom. That worked very well for the oldest. We had found that he was wetting the bed between midnight and 1am. His body wasn't waking up when it needed to go. The doctor said that this was normal for his age. That young children have a long period of very heavy sleep. As they get older, that period of heavy sleep gets shorter so their bodies begin telling them to get up to go. We started getting him up when we went to bed. He never even woke up when we did that. We used to carry him into the bathroom, tell him to pee and he would, and the bed wetting stopped. We did that for a long time, until we forgot to do it several days in a row and noticed that he was getting up on his own around 3am or 4am to pee.

I had to move up to the next size diaper for the baby. They cost the same, but you get fewer diapers in a box. Chunky Monkey is already in a size five and she is only 10 1/2 months old. She has been in a four since she was four months though, so hopefully she will be in a five for a long time. They only go up to size six!

When we got home from shopping, I finally folded and boxed up the 4T summer clothes that my middle son has outgrown. Now I can send them on to my friend for her son. Now I just have to box up the 3-6 month clothes that have been sitting in the box waiting to be folded for an embarrassing amount of time (considering she is wearing 12 month clothes exclusively now and it is time to get the 6-9 out of her closet). And I have to fold and box up the size 6 summer clothes that the oldest has outgrown. That is a job that doesn't take much time but keeps falling to the bottom of the To Do List because it doesn't have a high priority. So they have been sitting for a while, accumulating dust. If I wait much longer, I will have to wash them again!

Maybe I should do that now, before my middle child needs to get up from his nap...then again, maybe I should sit on my ass and watch TV. Hmm, watch TV, fold clothes. Which would you choose? Me, too. That is probably why they are still sitting in boxes, unfolded in the hallway!

Busy busy busy

I just can't get ahead! I was the helping parent yesterday, today we have a play date and my parents are coming for dinner. Tomorrow is the "Mother's Day Tea" at my son's school, so I have to make cookies tonight. And I have to get to Wal-Mart and BJ's this week for groceries. I think this weekend might be a good one. We don't have anything on Saturday and I am shopping all day Sunday with my girlfriends for clothes for Jamaica. C'mon Saturday....I just gotta make it until then.

I went to the grocery this morning and there was an older woman in front of me in the entry where you get your cart. She pulled a cart out for herself, saw me behind her with two children, and gave me the cart she had pulled out for herself. I was so thankful and surprised. What a sweet, kind thing to do. I thanked her profusely and she said "Oh, your welcome," like it was no big deal. Then she said, with such feeling, "You have a terrific day." My son said, "That was nice of her. Why did she do that, Mommy?" I told him she did that because she was a very nice person. Without doing anything huge and without even knowing it she made my day. Every once in a while we need our faith restored that kindness does exist out there, and maybe a reminder to act in such a manner ourselves. Wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we all acted in such a manner toward each other?

Laundry, laundry, laundry

If I go missing, start the search under the pile of laundry in my house! After my all day shopping trip on Saturday, I have a ton of clothes to wash. (I always wash the kids' clothes before they wear them.) I needed to wash clothes anyway, so now I have double the amount to do. I bought just a few things for the baby and the middle child, and a whole new summer wardrobe for the oldest. So I have lots of tags to cut off, hangers to take out and piles of sorted laundry.

"The Sickness" returned over the weekend. The oldest was in front of the toilet from 4am - 6am on Sunday morning. Then, he slept until around 7:40am and was fine. Super Hubby and I didn't recover as easily and were walking zombies for most of the day yesterday. We scrubbed the bathrooms to within an inch of their tile lives in hopes of preventing another bout of "The Sickness". And of course, there was the laundry to do. Sheets and towels to wash because of "The Sickness".

I must be off to begin the next chore. No more time today. I have to clean the rest of the house and deal with the mountains of laundry. Seriously, start the search under the laundry. I am sure that is where I will be!