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| Imaginative Brielle |
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| Free-spirited Cami |
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| Chilled out Kendall |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Just a random Tuesday
I happened to take all three of these pictures throughout the day last Tuesday. They were taken with my phone and I realized later when I was looking at them that I captured each of their personalities perfectly that day. I may need to invest in a decent camera one of these days. Seems like the best moments get captured with my phone camera and they are not always the best quality. Love my girls.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
My Grass is So Green
Wow, this might be a record---blogging two days in a row! For fear of being totally obnoxious, I generally refrain from overly happy posts, but I need to get at least one of them in here.
Today was a great day. I completed an organizational home task that I was meaning to do for months now. I won't even get into detail about what it was, but it took me several days and it's finished. I deliberately did not leave the house at all today because I felt the kids needed a lazy day. They were in jammies 'til at least 10 or 11am, we played random games and did silly things. My girlfriend came over for dinner and we had pizza and wine (more than usual--haha), and our kids played in the backyard. I was happy all day. I even got a nice jog in this morning before Greg left for work. Further, I even did burpees after my jog (not sure what that is? Ask Pinterest).
It's not at all unusual that I feel a steady stream of overjoy. I really am just so happy. I don't wish for something different and I am so happy with my life. My children are healthy, happy and beautiful. My husband is quite possibly one of the best and is most definitely an amazing father. We have a nice home, decent jobs that we don't hate, and great family and friends.
I have many friends who are not necessarily in this same boat. I have so many friends on anti-depressents, sleeping pills, etc. Maybe that is what helps me count my blessings? I am not sure. I just wanna say that I am happy and realize how good it is. I loooooooooove this time of life. I cannot help but to think about the fact that nothing majorly bad has really ever happened in my life. It's one of those things that I think all the time, but am terrified to say out loud for fear of jinxing it. I know I am lucky. I know some day I will face more hardship and I sincerely hope I can remember the dance through those times. (That is an allusion to a Garth Brooks song).
All smiles.
Today was a great day. I completed an organizational home task that I was meaning to do for months now. I won't even get into detail about what it was, but it took me several days and it's finished. I deliberately did not leave the house at all today because I felt the kids needed a lazy day. They were in jammies 'til at least 10 or 11am, we played random games and did silly things. My girlfriend came over for dinner and we had pizza and wine (more than usual--haha), and our kids played in the backyard. I was happy all day. I even got a nice jog in this morning before Greg left for work. Further, I even did burpees after my jog (not sure what that is? Ask Pinterest).
It's not at all unusual that I feel a steady stream of overjoy. I really am just so happy. I don't wish for something different and I am so happy with my life. My children are healthy, happy and beautiful. My husband is quite possibly one of the best and is most definitely an amazing father. We have a nice home, decent jobs that we don't hate, and great family and friends.
I have many friends who are not necessarily in this same boat. I have so many friends on anti-depressents, sleeping pills, etc. Maybe that is what helps me count my blessings? I am not sure. I just wanna say that I am happy and realize how good it is. I loooooooooove this time of life. I cannot help but to think about the fact that nothing majorly bad has really ever happened in my life. It's one of those things that I think all the time, but am terrified to say out loud for fear of jinxing it. I know I am lucky. I know some day I will face more hardship and I sincerely hope I can remember the dance through those times. (That is an allusion to a Garth Brooks song).
All smiles.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Succeeding with Three
I had a Mom milestone today. I managed to take all three kids to the pool for two hours with no major meltdowns or problems! Doesn't sound like much, but to me, this was a huge victory! This is our second year with a country club membership and just as I was getting used to the idea last year, I found out I was pregnant. I spent every day at the pool last year with nausea and fear of how on earth I would ever handle the pool days the following summer with an infant. It's not like you can keep a five year old and a three year old indoors all summer long, so I knew I was going to have to do it. I just remember leaving the pool every day last summer thinking, "OMG, how will I do this next summer with another child???" It just seems like so much to cart all the pool gear and the kids. Now, I don't know why I was so overwhelmed...probably because I had just found out I was pregnant and was still in shock and fear.
Well anyway, here I am with my five year old, three year old and five month old (who is not even allowed to have sunscreen on her skin yet). We've done it a few times on weekends when Greg could come, but today was my first day alone. IT WENT SO WELL. I feel like I need to write Kendall a thank you note for her to read when she is older. She could not be any sweeter and any more relaxed. The mornings are usually slower over at the pool, so I chose that time to go. Pools and Beaches, though so much fun, are just so nerve-wracking because you cannot take your eyes off your kids at all. It takes 18 seconds for a child to drown. Brielle can now swim with no support and Camryn is fine with all her gear on, but I still need to watch them closely.
I managed to get a great spot right near the shallow end, got an umbrella and let Kendall chill in her stroller. She just sat there, gumming her rattles. I was able to sit at the pool steps and watch B and C and remain close to K. Then I put Kendall in the pool for her first dip! We have a little tube with a visor thing and I had her in a hat and kept her away from the sun. After about 15 minutes of excitement, she was over it. I changed her clothes, stuck a binky her in mouth and she passed out in the stroller, under the umbrella. Slept the rest of the time. The kid doesn't not require rocking or motion of any sort. It's awesome. I was able to help Brielle with her diving and let Camryn swim without her floaties for a bit. I think I even had a good time myself. Granted, when we left, Camryn was screaming her bloody head off because it was Brielle's turn to give the key card to the front desk on the way out. But, what's a day without Camryn throwing a tantrum? It just wouldn't be normal if she didn't. :)
So, I have now mastered trips to Target, preschool drop-off / pick-up and smaller grocery trips with all three. Maybe by the end of summer, going to the pool by myself with all three will be no big thing. As for today, it was HUGE. I'm not even jonsing for my glass of wine yet!
Well anyway, here I am with my five year old, three year old and five month old (who is not even allowed to have sunscreen on her skin yet). We've done it a few times on weekends when Greg could come, but today was my first day alone. IT WENT SO WELL. I feel like I need to write Kendall a thank you note for her to read when she is older. She could not be any sweeter and any more relaxed. The mornings are usually slower over at the pool, so I chose that time to go. Pools and Beaches, though so much fun, are just so nerve-wracking because you cannot take your eyes off your kids at all. It takes 18 seconds for a child to drown. Brielle can now swim with no support and Camryn is fine with all her gear on, but I still need to watch them closely.
I managed to get a great spot right near the shallow end, got an umbrella and let Kendall chill in her stroller. She just sat there, gumming her rattles. I was able to sit at the pool steps and watch B and C and remain close to K. Then I put Kendall in the pool for her first dip! We have a little tube with a visor thing and I had her in a hat and kept her away from the sun. After about 15 minutes of excitement, she was over it. I changed her clothes, stuck a binky her in mouth and she passed out in the stroller, under the umbrella. Slept the rest of the time. The kid doesn't not require rocking or motion of any sort. It's awesome. I was able to help Brielle with her diving and let Camryn swim without her floaties for a bit. I think I even had a good time myself. Granted, when we left, Camryn was screaming her bloody head off because it was Brielle's turn to give the key card to the front desk on the way out. But, what's a day without Camryn throwing a tantrum? It just wouldn't be normal if she didn't. :)
So, I have now mastered trips to Target, preschool drop-off / pick-up and smaller grocery trips with all three. Maybe by the end of summer, going to the pool by myself with all three will be no big thing. As for today, it was HUGE. I'm not even jonsing for my glass of wine yet!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
I'm baa-aack!
Goodness, it has been a long time since I have blogged! It took me 15 minutes to figure out how to even write a new post! Hopefully this summer I will have some time to figure out how to navigate this program and actually make my blog look better!
Well, our scrumptious little baby girl is already nearly four months old! She is such a relaxed and happy baby. We have really had all good babies, but I think Kendall has been a dream! Maybe I'm just getting better at parenting? Hahahaha.
I am honestly surprised how smooth this transition has been. I just remember how hard it was when Camryn was first born. I used to stress over if I was ever going to be able to cook dinner again....or clean the house. Or be any place on time! I recall always telling myself, "People do this! People have more than one child. It will get easier!" I literally had to give myself pep talks. So I really thought having three was going to send me over the deep end. It really hasn't at all. I guess experience and a really good baby made the transition easier for us! I am overjoyed by our three healthy and happy kids.
On the other hand, hormones are a BITCH. I recall having a little sadness after having Camryn. I was sad that she was growing so fast and it seemed like she was never even a baby. However, at that time, I kind of knew there was a good possibility that we would have another. That possibility kept me from being super sad. Well, now I am 99.9% sure we are done having children. If you asked Greg, he'd proabably say he was 150% sure. Anyway, this makes me really, really sad. I miss being pregnant already. I miss the nights Kendall kept me up every few hours. She started sleeping through the night at nine weeks and I have missed those all-night feedings since she was nine weeks! I don't know if I am weird because I love pregnancy and babies so much, but I just do. I am so sad that it's over that I have even cried. A lot. I suddenly feel really old and extremely envious of young people who still haven't even reached this stage of life. I just don't know if any other life experience can top the births of my children. What else is that amazing? I know we have so much to look forward to.....watching our beautiful children grow, learn, succeed. Greg and I will some day maybe even be able to spend one-on-one time together again! I look forward to grandkids....I mean, there is SO much. I kind of just wish I could freeze time right now. Brielle is about to enter kindergarten and I am so not ready for this!
To fix this problem of mine, I tried begging Greg for just one more baby. A few times. He won't even consider. And deep down, I kind of know having another one is not going to fix this. So, I'm trying to focus on all the great things about being finished having children. And, for the most part, I feel okay, but I can get pretty down if I allow my mind to wander. It's very weird for me to feel somewhat out-of-control with my emotions. I'm terrified of menopause now! I am hoping this will all kind of go away soon. I have a lot of friends who hated being pregnant and are so happy to have it done with. I wish I could feel like that!
Ah well....life goes on! So much to look forward to.
Well, our scrumptious little baby girl is already nearly four months old! She is such a relaxed and happy baby. We have really had all good babies, but I think Kendall has been a dream! Maybe I'm just getting better at parenting? Hahahaha.
I am honestly surprised how smooth this transition has been. I just remember how hard it was when Camryn was first born. I used to stress over if I was ever going to be able to cook dinner again....or clean the house. Or be any place on time! I recall always telling myself, "People do this! People have more than one child. It will get easier!" I literally had to give myself pep talks. So I really thought having three was going to send me over the deep end. It really hasn't at all. I guess experience and a really good baby made the transition easier for us! I am overjoyed by our three healthy and happy kids.
On the other hand, hormones are a BITCH. I recall having a little sadness after having Camryn. I was sad that she was growing so fast and it seemed like she was never even a baby. However, at that time, I kind of knew there was a good possibility that we would have another. That possibility kept me from being super sad. Well, now I am 99.9% sure we are done having children. If you asked Greg, he'd proabably say he was 150% sure. Anyway, this makes me really, really sad. I miss being pregnant already. I miss the nights Kendall kept me up every few hours. She started sleeping through the night at nine weeks and I have missed those all-night feedings since she was nine weeks! I don't know if I am weird because I love pregnancy and babies so much, but I just do. I am so sad that it's over that I have even cried. A lot. I suddenly feel really old and extremely envious of young people who still haven't even reached this stage of life. I just don't know if any other life experience can top the births of my children. What else is that amazing? I know we have so much to look forward to.....watching our beautiful children grow, learn, succeed. Greg and I will some day maybe even be able to spend one-on-one time together again! I look forward to grandkids....I mean, there is SO much. I kind of just wish I could freeze time right now. Brielle is about to enter kindergarten and I am so not ready for this!
To fix this problem of mine, I tried begging Greg for just one more baby. A few times. He won't even consider. And deep down, I kind of know having another one is not going to fix this. So, I'm trying to focus on all the great things about being finished having children. And, for the most part, I feel okay, but I can get pretty down if I allow my mind to wander. It's very weird for me to feel somewhat out-of-control with my emotions. I'm terrified of menopause now! I am hoping this will all kind of go away soon. I have a lot of friends who hated being pregnant and are so happy to have it done with. I wish I could feel like that!
Ah well....life goes on! So much to look forward to.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Major Life Event Approaching!!
Okay, well it's February 4th and I'm due in a week and half with BB3 (Baby Bayly 3). I keep trying to slow down time, but it's SO not working! Most people are on the edge of their seats waiting to go into labor at this point, but I'm still not experiencing that type of anxiety. Is it weird that I enjoy delivering babies so much? I am in that phase where something really great is about to happen, but I want to slow down the time just before it. Like when it's almost time to go on vacation and you suddenly realize you don't want it to be here yet because you know the sooner it comes, the sooner it's over. (I might need Greg to remind me how much I love it when I'm having contractions and feel like my body is being violently ripped apart, though.)
I am uncomfortable---don't get me wrong. I have a set of feet lodged in my upper right rib cage and it really does physically ache. It even throbs sometimes. The baby kind of plucks at my ribs with "its" feet. And sometimes, I feel like he/she is going to kick a hole in my belly and exit that way instead. So, I probably can't take too much more of this, but I just love having this belly and I am going to miss it terribly.
I didn't think I was going to go through the "Mom Guilt" that I had when I was pregnant with Camryn, but it just hit me the other day. I started feeling so sad for Brielle right before Cam was born because I knew the attention she was used to receiving was going to dwindle significantly. I mean, I knew that the positives of giving her a sibling would outweigh the little negatives, but still, I felt a little sad. Now, I'm doubly feeling bad for Brielle because being the oldest is tough. I expect the most out of her sometimes and let's face it....she's still a baby. She's only four years old. And Camryn....man, her world is going to be rocked. She knows this baby is coming, but she has no idea what that means for her. Her baby-of-the-house status is just about officially over. Ah well, the bond that Brielle and Camryn share today has far surpassed my expectations. So, I imagine BB3 will do just that, too.
In other news....Brielle is already getting a taste of 'mean girls' at PRESCHOOL. Yes, you heard me. It is tearing us apart. She seems to be fine socially with everyone, but for some reason, she takes a certain liking to this girl, Gianna. Gianna is a very pretty little girl and Brielle just fancies her. Brielle started by telling me about Gianna's hair accessories one day. She was so impressed by the sparkles, etc. So I asked her if she told Gianna that she liked her hair. She said no. So I explained that sometimes when you like something about someone, you should let them know. The look on Brielle's face really was one of enlightenment and I could tell that is just what she planned on doing next time she went to school. So the next day, she comes home and says, "Mom, today I told Gianna that I think she is pretty and she walked away from me." I could kind of sense this was the direction things were going in. I said, "Well, maybe she didn't hear you or maybe she is shy. That was very nice of you though." She continued, "And when I try to sit next to her during circle time, she always gets up and sits next to Kaylee." OUCH. This hurt me!! I'm not going to go on with the whole story, but Greg had the same look of devastation on his face when I shared the story with him. He immediately went into fix-it mode with all these ideas of how he plans on fixing it. He wants to talk to the teacher....he wants to talk to Gianna's Mother, etc etc. I mean, you'd think someone beat our child up. But that is how hard we took it. Greg and I have talked about how we hope to raise our kids and of course we agree we want them to be kind-hearted to everyone and more importantly, feel confidence within themselves. We've talked to Brielle about continuing to be nice to everyone and if she continues to find that Gianna doesn't play with her, then she should just focus on her friends that do play with her (which seems to be everyone else in the class.). She has continued with stories about how Gianna disses her, but I also try to take it with a grain of salt. Brielle plays on drama sometimes too and I'm sure she can sense the attention she gets from me when she shares these stories with me. I try not to act overly concerned and remain cool about it all, but she's no dummy. Anyway....how on earth are we going to deal with everything else that is to come? Parenting is so hard! Of course I blame myself a little because this is not a school for working Moms. It's only a couple hours a day and most working parents can't work around a schedule like that. Luckily, since I work from home, we can do this. However, after school, I can't do the playdates with the other Moms and kids. I can tell many of the Moms head to the gym together when the kids are at school and they are always getting coffee, etc. So many of these children play together outside of school, which naturally makes them have their special little buddies in class. Brielle has friends in the neighborhood, but unfortunately no one in her class, so I feel like this is partially my fault... ugh. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm still just happy we haven't had to send our kids to daycare. I feel very grateful about that, so that is just how I have to look at it!
Well, back to lesson planning.....on my last few lessons before my long-term sub takes over!! So very excited about that one!!!
I presume my next blog entry will not be until sometime after we have the baby! I need to make sure I get a few more entries into BB3's journal. I have kept a journal throughout each of my pregnancies and attached the pages to the baby books so they can read their Mommy's thoughts when they were in the womb. So I guess I'll be posting a lot more after the baby arrives because I won't have my pregnancy journal to babble to. :(
I am uncomfortable---don't get me wrong. I have a set of feet lodged in my upper right rib cage and it really does physically ache. It even throbs sometimes. The baby kind of plucks at my ribs with "its" feet. And sometimes, I feel like he/she is going to kick a hole in my belly and exit that way instead. So, I probably can't take too much more of this, but I just love having this belly and I am going to miss it terribly.
I didn't think I was going to go through the "Mom Guilt" that I had when I was pregnant with Camryn, but it just hit me the other day. I started feeling so sad for Brielle right before Cam was born because I knew the attention she was used to receiving was going to dwindle significantly. I mean, I knew that the positives of giving her a sibling would outweigh the little negatives, but still, I felt a little sad. Now, I'm doubly feeling bad for Brielle because being the oldest is tough. I expect the most out of her sometimes and let's face it....she's still a baby. She's only four years old. And Camryn....man, her world is going to be rocked. She knows this baby is coming, but she has no idea what that means for her. Her baby-of-the-house status is just about officially over. Ah well, the bond that Brielle and Camryn share today has far surpassed my expectations. So, I imagine BB3 will do just that, too.
In other news....Brielle is already getting a taste of 'mean girls' at PRESCHOOL. Yes, you heard me. It is tearing us apart. She seems to be fine socially with everyone, but for some reason, she takes a certain liking to this girl, Gianna. Gianna is a very pretty little girl and Brielle just fancies her. Brielle started by telling me about Gianna's hair accessories one day. She was so impressed by the sparkles, etc. So I asked her if she told Gianna that she liked her hair. She said no. So I explained that sometimes when you like something about someone, you should let them know. The look on Brielle's face really was one of enlightenment and I could tell that is just what she planned on doing next time she went to school. So the next day, she comes home and says, "Mom, today I told Gianna that I think she is pretty and she walked away from me." I could kind of sense this was the direction things were going in. I said, "Well, maybe she didn't hear you or maybe she is shy. That was very nice of you though." She continued, "And when I try to sit next to her during circle time, she always gets up and sits next to Kaylee." OUCH. This hurt me!! I'm not going to go on with the whole story, but Greg had the same look of devastation on his face when I shared the story with him. He immediately went into fix-it mode with all these ideas of how he plans on fixing it. He wants to talk to the teacher....he wants to talk to Gianna's Mother, etc etc. I mean, you'd think someone beat our child up. But that is how hard we took it. Greg and I have talked about how we hope to raise our kids and of course we agree we want them to be kind-hearted to everyone and more importantly, feel confidence within themselves. We've talked to Brielle about continuing to be nice to everyone and if she continues to find that Gianna doesn't play with her, then she should just focus on her friends that do play with her (which seems to be everyone else in the class.). She has continued with stories about how Gianna disses her, but I also try to take it with a grain of salt. Brielle plays on drama sometimes too and I'm sure she can sense the attention she gets from me when she shares these stories with me. I try not to act overly concerned and remain cool about it all, but she's no dummy. Anyway....how on earth are we going to deal with everything else that is to come? Parenting is so hard! Of course I blame myself a little because this is not a school for working Moms. It's only a couple hours a day and most working parents can't work around a schedule like that. Luckily, since I work from home, we can do this. However, after school, I can't do the playdates with the other Moms and kids. I can tell many of the Moms head to the gym together when the kids are at school and they are always getting coffee, etc. So many of these children play together outside of school, which naturally makes them have their special little buddies in class. Brielle has friends in the neighborhood, but unfortunately no one in her class, so I feel like this is partially my fault... ugh. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm still just happy we haven't had to send our kids to daycare. I feel very grateful about that, so that is just how I have to look at it!
Well, back to lesson planning.....on my last few lessons before my long-term sub takes over!! So very excited about that one!!!
I presume my next blog entry will not be until sometime after we have the baby! I need to make sure I get a few more entries into BB3's journal. I have kept a journal throughout each of my pregnancies and attached the pages to the baby books so they can read their Mommy's thoughts when they were in the womb. So I guess I'll be posting a lot more after the baby arrives because I won't have my pregnancy journal to babble to. :(
Monday, January 9, 2012
Riding on the happy hormone wave....
Typically, this is the point in my pregnancies when I start getting really irritable and nasty. I'm 35 weeks along...relatively uncomfortable, yet, blissfully happy?? I don't know what it is, but I have had this very organized, calm and content sense about me. Is this the calm before the storm? My second trimester ended up being the hardest time for me this time around, which is funny because that is supposed to be the best part of pregnancy--Not too big, showing enough for people to know you didn't just eat too many burritos, comfortable enough to exericse, enough energy to make it through some long days.... I don't know. I have no explanation, but I've been feeling super great lately. I think I reached a point with my crazy job to just do what I can do and learn to be happy about my efforts. I reached a point with my children when I realized they are just children. Likewise, I decided to give my husband a break and stop complaining so much. All in all, my new outlook has really worked.
We took this past weekend to 'nest.' Greg wanted to nest the day after we put all the Christmas decorations away, but I told him I needed a week. We ended up having nice, mild, motivating weather and went to work. We organized all the baby gear, cleaned out the "baby" room, re-assembled the crib, washed the bedding, went through the newborn clothes, etc. It was truly productive and I really enjoyed it. I definitely felt a little bit of sadness as I was going through the tiny clothes as I realized this is the last time I'll be doing this. I can't even imagine what kind of emotions I will have when I have to start packing away the newborn clothes because the baby grew out of them. That's the worst...but at least before, I knew I'd be digging them back out again! Ah well, life goes on and I'm sure I'll find new places to focus my energy.
The girls are getting so excited for their new baby. Brielle always refers to our entire family and never forgets to include the baby. When Camryn heads off to the neighbor's in the mornings, she always hugs and kisses my belly goodbye. It's amazing how much they've embraced their new sibling already. Brielle is going to be such a little helper/Mommy. I'm not entirely sure what to expect of Camryn yet. I know she'll love the baby, but I think there may end up being a shmidge of jealously from her. We'll see---don't want to be presumptious.
I'm beyond excited to meet this baby, but in no way rushing it. I have five weeks...possibly six and I'm totally okay with that. I want to cherish and savor every last brutal kick and punch from within.
My thoughts on boy/girl? NO IDEA. I envision a boy in our future, but at the same time, when I envision the birth, I really can't imagine a boy coming out of me. Who knows, who cares. I predict 8 lbs 11 oz and 22 inches. That's all I can predict.
Back to work....
We took this past weekend to 'nest.' Greg wanted to nest the day after we put all the Christmas decorations away, but I told him I needed a week. We ended up having nice, mild, motivating weather and went to work. We organized all the baby gear, cleaned out the "baby" room, re-assembled the crib, washed the bedding, went through the newborn clothes, etc. It was truly productive and I really enjoyed it. I definitely felt a little bit of sadness as I was going through the tiny clothes as I realized this is the last time I'll be doing this. I can't even imagine what kind of emotions I will have when I have to start packing away the newborn clothes because the baby grew out of them. That's the worst...but at least before, I knew I'd be digging them back out again! Ah well, life goes on and I'm sure I'll find new places to focus my energy.
The girls are getting so excited for their new baby. Brielle always refers to our entire family and never forgets to include the baby. When Camryn heads off to the neighbor's in the mornings, she always hugs and kisses my belly goodbye. It's amazing how much they've embraced their new sibling already. Brielle is going to be such a little helper/Mommy. I'm not entirely sure what to expect of Camryn yet. I know she'll love the baby, but I think there may end up being a shmidge of jealously from her. We'll see---don't want to be presumptious.
I'm beyond excited to meet this baby, but in no way rushing it. I have five weeks...possibly six and I'm totally okay with that. I want to cherish and savor every last brutal kick and punch from within.
My thoughts on boy/girl? NO IDEA. I envision a boy in our future, but at the same time, when I envision the birth, I really can't imagine a boy coming out of me. Who knows, who cares. I predict 8 lbs 11 oz and 22 inches. That's all I can predict.
Back to work....
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
LIfe is Crazy!
Even though I'm not an avid blogger, I feel like it's been ages since I've posted and I almost feel guilty about it! If I had time, I'd probably write every day!
This school year has been absolutely insane for me...more work than ever and a lot more stress. I've been loaded up with 260 students (and growing) and literally teach sessions all day long. I have to prepare for three different English courses per day, including one high school level course in another program than the usual middle school platform I was used to using. I could go on forever about how crazy it really is, but I'm trying not to devote any further personal time worrying over it. It's a job and that is that is what I have to say to myself to reprogram my mindset each day. I've never been the type to view jobs like that, but it's come to that.
Our basement flooded in the recent hurricanes and other heavy rains, so we've been an entire play area short for the past month or so. That has caused unwanted clutter in my view throughout the rest of the house. (All toys). We are still in the process of trying to fix that issue. We were about to have the carpet re-stapled down this Friday, but now we are supposed to get these crazy heavy rains again and another possible hurricane, so we figure we better wait and make sure the issue is fixed. Greg was a not a fan of shop-vaccing water out of the basement for a week. Poor guy.
Aside from crappy work and a flooded basement (and depressing economy...won't even go there), we've been good. The girls are loving their new routine for the school year. Brielle goes to preschool four days per week and Camryn goes to our neighbor's house for the mornings. It's a great set-up for us because Holly is our friend and she has a 3 year-old girl that Camryn adores. Holly does little things with the girls every day and Camryn cannot wait to go there each morning. I hate leaving my kids, but it sure is a lot easier when they are excited to go where we leave them!
Brielle has made leaps and bounds over the past few months. She is now in advanced beginner swim class which is for 5 to 7 year olds. She is a young 4 year old, but that is not why I am so proud. In the beginning of the summer, when she began lessons, she was the kid who screamed her head off the ENTIRE lesson. The owner of this "safe-zone swim" program assured me she would get over it eventually and to just keep bringing her. When I say screamed the whole time, please take that literally. The other parents would stare at me because it was my child! It was horrible, but it really only lasted about 3 or 4 lessons. One day though, something clicked in her and suddenly she loved going. She went from being terrified of the water to now doing the freestyle, back stroke, jumps in, dives down to retrieve toys, etc. She can fully swim now and is doing amazing! She takes lessons at the country club we belong to and the classes are very small and over the summer, she even scored a few private lessons, which probably helped a lot! We were going to stop lessons at the end of the summer, but we decided to keep her in for now. Around November, we are going to make the switch to ballet for the winter.
Camryn is doing her own version of excelling with soccer, spelling her name out loud and counting to twenty! The spelling of the name is probably the most interesting because she is two. She has her big sister to help her out with stuff like that though. They are an amazing support for one another and almost daily, they bring tears to my eyes by how well they get along and encourage one another. So sweet!!!
Baby Bayly 3 seems to be doing just fine down in that cozy womb, too! I'm 19 weeks today and we have our ultrasound next week. We are not finding out the sex. I think I really want to find out this time, but Greg is so against doing any such thing. I have felt this baby moving since the beginning of my 16th week, which is crazy!! With Brielle, I felt her move around week 21.....with Camryn I was 17 weeks and now 16 with this one. Does this mean I am just that much more in tune with it third time around, or are my babies just getting bigger and bigger? yikes!! Regardless, I LOVE being pregnant and wish time would slow down!!!
Something else that has been significant in our lives is following a cancer battle of a local little 5 year old girl. We don't know the family directly, but have a couple friends and relatives that know them, so we were immediately involved. The father of the little girl wrote in a blog and it has changed both Greg and me. Gabby was just a normal five year old girl and nothing was wrong until this past Memorial Day when she was admitted to CHOP for dizziness and feeling off-balance. By the next day she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. It was some rare, agressive type that takes the lives of children within nine months 90-95% of the time. This one took Gabby in four short months as she passed last week on 9-11-11. I think about Gabby every day and it definitely makes you stop and hug your kids a lot more than usual. And we hug our kids a lot, so I wonder if they wonder why we are constantly hugging and kissing them all day long now! The final blog concluded with the father's regrets. He has regrets of not spending more time with his family and working so much over the past five years. He talks about the things that really matter in life. Now, I really do consider myself someone who counts their blessings. Greg and I do reflect often about how blessed we are, but it doesn't mean I don't become a little greedy sometimes. I can't help but to long for a bigger house, more money...maybe the opporunity to not have to work.....but this story has really helped me put life in perspective. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the people you love and the relationships you have. I think about Gabby's family...her two older sisters...her mother...her father everyday. I cannot even imagine going through something like that. Greg said he wasn't going to read the final blog because he just couldn't handle it anymore, then he caved and read it today at work (of all places!) and he said he was sobbing at his desk. I'm not at all surprised by this, but I was surprised by his decision to read it at work! Regardless, we aren't really talking about it anymore, but I get the sense that we are both thinking about it as we gravitate to one another and the girls more than ever. Every moment counts, every moment matters and we really do have so much to be thankful for.
Well, that is just about everything that's been on my mind lately and everything that is going on with us! Greg and I celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary this Saturday!! Still loving him up just like I did over ten years ago when we started out! You all know that though ;)
This school year has been absolutely insane for me...more work than ever and a lot more stress. I've been loaded up with 260 students (and growing) and literally teach sessions all day long. I have to prepare for three different English courses per day, including one high school level course in another program than the usual middle school platform I was used to using. I could go on forever about how crazy it really is, but I'm trying not to devote any further personal time worrying over it. It's a job and that is that is what I have to say to myself to reprogram my mindset each day. I've never been the type to view jobs like that, but it's come to that.
Our basement flooded in the recent hurricanes and other heavy rains, so we've been an entire play area short for the past month or so. That has caused unwanted clutter in my view throughout the rest of the house. (All toys). We are still in the process of trying to fix that issue. We were about to have the carpet re-stapled down this Friday, but now we are supposed to get these crazy heavy rains again and another possible hurricane, so we figure we better wait and make sure the issue is fixed. Greg was a not a fan of shop-vaccing water out of the basement for a week. Poor guy.
Aside from crappy work and a flooded basement (and depressing economy...won't even go there), we've been good. The girls are loving their new routine for the school year. Brielle goes to preschool four days per week and Camryn goes to our neighbor's house for the mornings. It's a great set-up for us because Holly is our friend and she has a 3 year-old girl that Camryn adores. Holly does little things with the girls every day and Camryn cannot wait to go there each morning. I hate leaving my kids, but it sure is a lot easier when they are excited to go where we leave them!
Brielle has made leaps and bounds over the past few months. She is now in advanced beginner swim class which is for 5 to 7 year olds. She is a young 4 year old, but that is not why I am so proud. In the beginning of the summer, when she began lessons, she was the kid who screamed her head off the ENTIRE lesson. The owner of this "safe-zone swim" program assured me she would get over it eventually and to just keep bringing her. When I say screamed the whole time, please take that literally. The other parents would stare at me because it was my child! It was horrible, but it really only lasted about 3 or 4 lessons. One day though, something clicked in her and suddenly she loved going. She went from being terrified of the water to now doing the freestyle, back stroke, jumps in, dives down to retrieve toys, etc. She can fully swim now and is doing amazing! She takes lessons at the country club we belong to and the classes are very small and over the summer, she even scored a few private lessons, which probably helped a lot! We were going to stop lessons at the end of the summer, but we decided to keep her in for now. Around November, we are going to make the switch to ballet for the winter.
Camryn is doing her own version of excelling with soccer, spelling her name out loud and counting to twenty! The spelling of the name is probably the most interesting because she is two. She has her big sister to help her out with stuff like that though. They are an amazing support for one another and almost daily, they bring tears to my eyes by how well they get along and encourage one another. So sweet!!!
Baby Bayly 3 seems to be doing just fine down in that cozy womb, too! I'm 19 weeks today and we have our ultrasound next week. We are not finding out the sex. I think I really want to find out this time, but Greg is so against doing any such thing. I have felt this baby moving since the beginning of my 16th week, which is crazy!! With Brielle, I felt her move around week 21.....with Camryn I was 17 weeks and now 16 with this one. Does this mean I am just that much more in tune with it third time around, or are my babies just getting bigger and bigger? yikes!! Regardless, I LOVE being pregnant and wish time would slow down!!!
Something else that has been significant in our lives is following a cancer battle of a local little 5 year old girl. We don't know the family directly, but have a couple friends and relatives that know them, so we were immediately involved. The father of the little girl wrote in a blog and it has changed both Greg and me. Gabby was just a normal five year old girl and nothing was wrong until this past Memorial Day when she was admitted to CHOP for dizziness and feeling off-balance. By the next day she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. It was some rare, agressive type that takes the lives of children within nine months 90-95% of the time. This one took Gabby in four short months as she passed last week on 9-11-11. I think about Gabby every day and it definitely makes you stop and hug your kids a lot more than usual. And we hug our kids a lot, so I wonder if they wonder why we are constantly hugging and kissing them all day long now! The final blog concluded with the father's regrets. He has regrets of not spending more time with his family and working so much over the past five years. He talks about the things that really matter in life. Now, I really do consider myself someone who counts their blessings. Greg and I do reflect often about how blessed we are, but it doesn't mean I don't become a little greedy sometimes. I can't help but to long for a bigger house, more money...maybe the opporunity to not have to work.....but this story has really helped me put life in perspective. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the people you love and the relationships you have. I think about Gabby's family...her two older sisters...her mother...her father everyday. I cannot even imagine going through something like that. Greg said he wasn't going to read the final blog because he just couldn't handle it anymore, then he caved and read it today at work (of all places!) and he said he was sobbing at his desk. I'm not at all surprised by this, but I was surprised by his decision to read it at work! Regardless, we aren't really talking about it anymore, but I get the sense that we are both thinking about it as we gravitate to one another and the girls more than ever. Every moment counts, every moment matters and we really do have so much to be thankful for.
Well, that is just about everything that's been on my mind lately and everything that is going on with us! Greg and I celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary this Saturday!! Still loving him up just like I did over ten years ago when we started out! You all know that though ;)
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