A Birthday on the Horizon!

This Friday my baby will be 3!  Can you believe it?!?!?! THREE!!!!!  Each year around my ladies birthdays, my mind starts to wonder back to the day I actually had them.  I guess partly because I LOVED the feeling I had on those days, but also, I'm afraid I will forget.  I know you are thinking... how could you ever forget, but I'm afraid I will.  Sometimes I will go back on the computer and look at pictures from those days just to be filled with happiness and the joy I felt on those three days.  The feelings of excitement, worry, love, and worry and worry and worry.  :)

So......let's rewind to 2010.... Picture this...... (hahaha) It's August 30th....I was already feeling overdue because our two other daughters were born at 37 weeks and I was pushing 39. I've just woken up on the couch because that's where I slept for about 1/2 of my pregnancy because the bed was just not comfy at all.  I shower and get ready for school.  I go downstairs and am getting breakfast ready for our oldest and myself.  I'm standing at the pantry when... WHEW... I was stopped in my tracks by a crazy contraction.  Now, I had had my fair share of contractions, but nothing to write home about. And in that moment I knew we were going to have a baby by the end of the day.  I did what ever good mom would do.  Got my girls up, dressed, teeth brushed and out the door to start our day.  I took our middle to the sitter, drove to school, had my oldest eat a little breakfast, took her down to the preschool room and told the office and principal that I was not staying because I was pretty sure the baby was coming today.  Now I know what you are thinking, didn't you want to have the baby at school?!?! The answer was...um,  no.  :) 

On my way home, I decided to call the OB's office.  I had an appointment already scheduled for 4:30 p.m., but I thought maybe, just maybe they could see me earlier and we'd be on the road to a baby.  Well.... they put me on with the nurse.  UGH!  She said, "how far apart are the contractions?" I said, "I don't know, I haven't had time to time them because I was getting my girls ready for school/sitter, driving/etc. etc."
nurse "We don't want to stop anything that's been started"
Me "This is my third baby, I know that I'm going to have this baby today."
nurse "We will see you at 4:30"
Me (in my head) "I hope I have this baby at home to show you I knew I was in labor"

I called my hubby and of course my mom in tears.  Then, went home.... watched something, had pizza rolls for lunch and then fell asleep on the couch for a little while.  My hubby came home and we went to the appt. at 4:30. 
The doctor was like... "How many contractions have you been having?"
Me "Well... I've had about 5 just sitting in your waiting room."
Doctor while checking me out down there said, "You're going to the hospital.  You're 5 cm." 
Me "I TOLD THE NURSE THAT THIS MORNING AND SHE.... blah, blah, blah"

So OF COURSE I already had the bag with me because I KNEW we were headed there.  Mama knows best, right?  By the time we got there the contractions were...... taking my breath away.  :)
We went through the whole check in process, check me process again, and we were escorted to our lovely room where we would spend the next few hours.  Of course, I asked for the epidural.  I know people are against this, but don't judge.  I have a pretty HIGH tolerance of pain, but labor pain is like no other pain.  When that cart came in I swear I saw angel wings on that lady.  :)  By the time I had the epidural, I was 6cm and continued progressing nicely.  My water was still intact which was also new for me since it had broken with the other two.  I should have put two and two together back then that this third was going to be a challenge because of her entrance.  :)

My hubby decided to go home at about 8:00 to take a shower. When the doctor came in he said we would wait for him to get back before he would break my water.  I looked at him with a glaring eye like... seriously?  Anyway... hubby came back quickly-ish, my water was broke and at 9:50 p.m. our third bundle of joy was delivered.  I remember when she came out, I had no idea what she was because we did not find out the gender until birth for all three girls.  I remember asking "what is it?" hahaha  She was the most beautiful little lady.  She was thin even though she was our heaviest baby weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz. 

There is nothing better than the feeling of your newborn baby being laid on your chest for the first time.  The beautiful miracle the whole process is, is like I said, a miracle from the Lord.  The Lord blessed us with a SPUNKY, bright-eyed, smiley, strong-willed little lady and I thank him everyday (sometimes in the moment of praying for patience with her). :) 

Happy 3rd birthday little lady!


From our BROWN eyes to yours....

Workin' 8:00-3:30 (if only..... hahaha)

Tomorrow mommy goes back to work.  Now you may be thinking that tears are streaming down my face, but I'm here to tell you they.are.not.  Listen.... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my girls immensely, but the Lord knows that I am not meant to stay at home with them all the time.  It is in His plan that I love other children during the school year.  There was a time that I questioned this plan, but in all the decisions that have been made in our lives, He continues to lead me to the path of loving more children than just my own.  He knows I love my girls like I love cereal, cheeseburgers, and ice cream.  :)

 

So this year I want to implement a little prayer before we leave for our day.  This will give us time to thank the Lord for giving us the opportunity to enjoy another day with each other and to ask him for his blessings throughout the day.  So I whipped these guys up tonight and am getting ready to laminate them.  If you click on the pictures you can print them out for your home.  :)  I'm especially loving the Angel of God prayer.  I remember saying this throughout my years of catholic grade school.  I have even found myself saying it throughout the years when I've traveled here and there.  :)

       

From our Brown eyes to yours.......

Love is.......

 

One day a few weeks ago we found this sweet little note on our door.  :) 

Enough said, right????

 

 

From our BROWN eyes to yours......

Half Birthday Celebration!

I'm sure you're all thinking.... there she goes again, starting something and not finishing.  I promise that's not the case.  We've had a pretty crazy last few weeks.  Festival, classroom, anniversary.  Yes!  It was our 10 year anniversary!!!!  I'm saving that for another post but I thought I would leave you tonight with our oldest's half birthday pictures!

Today... she turned 7 1/2.  So great and sad all in the same moment.  I love that girl a TON as I do all my little ladies.  Our middle will also celebrate her 1/2 birthday in 2 weeks as well as a 3rd birthday for our youngest.  Does it ever slow down?!

We always celebrate 1/2 birthdays, just not as big as birthdays.  Today our oldest chose Bagel Bites for dinner and Root Beer Floats for her dessert.  We also sang, "Happy Half Birthday". 

 

After we finished celebrating the girls and I did a little "Magic Science".  We made a Crystal Ball in a test tube.  LOVED it!

 



 Here's to Half Birthdays!!!!!!

From our Brown eyes to yours....

I "eed" You!

Today......   Went to bed a little late (only because I can for a few more weeks...boo), youngest woke up when the Mr. left for work at 4 AM!  When I went in to soothe her, she was on the floor. Ooops.  Guess she fell out of her toddler bed.  Bad Mom.  I scooped her back up, gently placed her back in bed with her blankets and bear named Triangle. (She had mad naming skills. )  :)  Finally fell back asleep and she woke me up again at 8 with an "I eed you".  Again.... don't know what that means, but the two cutest girls jumped in bed with me.  :)  Only for a few moments because snuggling to them is climbing all over me, feet in face or stomach.  Not.so.fun. for momma.
We had a pretty good day.  I cleaned the bathrooms....... always fun. Then, we played outside for a little bit until our Grandma B. arrived!  The girls are super excited.  She's giving me time the next few days to get in my classroom.
Our gym started Insanity.  It's such a GREAT workout!  I'm like DRENCHED in sweat after the warm-up!  It's only offered two days a week, but I'm loving it!  My girls ask why I like it and all I can say is, "I'm insane". hahaha  They just chuckle at that response. But SERIOUSLY it's an AMAZING workout.  I wish they offered more than two days a week. 
Not really sure that the workout worked since we went to Fricker's for dinner with Grandma B.  I mean... Kids Eat Free all day, everyday and with three little ladies, who can pass that up?!?!?!  Also... tonight was 40 cent wing night.  YUM! 
This was a little random, but random can be good.  :)

From our BROWN eyes to yours.....

A Busy-ish Week

I was blessed-ish this week by being able to spend EVERY.WAKING.MOMENT with my girls.  NO BREAK except for naps. Which could classify as a break..........or not.  :)
This week the Mr. was working nights.  UGH!  It was probably more ugh-y for him.  It was a blessing because we had LOTS of laughs, hugs, kisses, and adventures.  Here's a few pictures of our week.

From our BROWN eyes to yours....

Mommy and Daughter Dates

This past week I spent a little, well deserved, alone time with each of our brown-eyed girls!  Normally, it's me and the girls from the time they wake up until the time their little brown eyes close.  (I can hear someone up right now...)  :)  So I told my hubs that this week, I wanted to spend a little alone time with each little one.  I wish I had pictures of our dates, but my camera on my phone has stopped working.....  that's a story for a different day.  So I'll include some fun pics we've taken over the last week. 
I let each girl choose what day they wanted to go out and what they wanted to do.  Our middle went first which great for her.  We went swimming and got ice cream.  Then, when we got home we snuggled a little and she "showed" me how to play Temple Run.  :)  Our date was great but not.so.great for daddy.  Our youngest was not happy I was leaving without her and she threw up 6 times when I left.  oops!  Sorry Daddy!

Snoopy's Splash Dance

 

Our oldest went next.  She chose to go shopping.  I said, "what?"  That's what she wanted to do.  So... that's what we did.  A trip to Half Price Books, Pet Smart, Justice, Michael's, Target and McDonald's for caramel sundaes! :) 

The fruits of our labor!  150 pieces later.  :)

Finally our youngest just ran an errand with me.  We went to JoAnn's and then Pet Smart.  She had so much fun looking at all the pets!  We laughed and laughed at a few of those fellows.  They were so lively! 

Trying on hats!

It was funny that the two oldest (our youngest is almost three so she just isn't there yet) said it was so quiet in the swagger wagon.  Our oldest was just like.... "It's just so quiet with you and I.  Usually it's so talky."  :)  Each of them enjoyed our time alone and so did I!  It was so nice to be focused just on one child versus being pulled in three directions.  It was also nice to not feel like a bobble head looking around and counting to three constantly.  :)  So, I need to keep doing this.  Taking time to focus on each child one-on-one because that time is so meaningful.  Our two oldest ladies asked me when our next dates are because they can't wait!  Me either...

From our BROWN eyes to yours.....